Histological development and integration of the Zebrafish Weberian apparatus

Bird, Nathan C.; Richardson, Selena S.; Abels, Jeremy R.

doi:10.1002/dvdy.172

Cited by 8 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The greatly sped up development of the Weberian ossicles in Danionella may indicate an important functional and thus biological role of the Weberian apparatus even in larval stages of just a few millimeters in length. Recent studies in zebrafish have demonstrated that the functional components of the Weberian apparatus are morphologically well‐integrated before they reach full functionality 36 . Similar studies on Danionella larvae and juveniles are lacking and we are unsure when the Weberian apparatus becomes functional in this taxon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Extreme evolutionary shifts in developmental timing establish the miniature Danionella as a novel model in the neurosciences

Conway

Kubicek

Britz

2020

Developmental Dynamics

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Background: Species of Danionella rank among the smallest of all vertebrates and their miniature size is correlated with an extreme case of progenesis, resulting in tiny, transparent sexually mature individuals. Progenesis has affected the entire skeleton of Danionella, in which 60 skeletal elements are absent, including some of the skull roofing bones. This lack of a skull roof combined with the presence of a fully formed hearing and sound producing apparatus has led to Danionella being used as an important model for neurophysiological studies. Results: Using both rank based and PGi analyses we investigate sequence heterochrony in the development of the skeleton of Danionella dracula and close relatives. Extreme heterochronic shifts affect the appearance of bony elements in Danionella dracula. This includes a delay in the appearance of most chondral skull bones, and a reduction or loss of dermal bones that would otherwise form the skull roof. In contrast, formation of the anterior region of the vertebral column, including the functionally important elements of the Weberian apparatus, is greatly accelerated. Conclusions: Here we show that the anatomical conditions that favor Danionella for brain research are the result of extreme heterochronic shifts that have acted differentially across the skeleton.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Numbers in brackets associated with skeletal elements correspond to those of the input data matrix (see Data S1) apparatus are morphologically well-integrated before they reach full functionality. 36 Similar studies on Danionella larvae and juveniles are lacking and we are unsure when the Weberian apparatus becomes functional in this taxon.…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 97%

Extreme evolutionary shifts in developmental timing establish the miniature Danionella as a novel model in the neurosciences

Conway

Kubicek

Britz

2020

Developmental Dynamics

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“…The Weberian apparatus bones include vertebrae 1-4 and their modified ribs and neural arches ( Figures 5 , 6 ) that facilitate the transmission of vibrations from the swim bladder into the inner ear ( 44 – 46 ). Cartilage (blue) is present at 1mpf in the endochondrally ossifying parapophyses of both the Weberian apparatus and rib-bearing vertebrae ( Figures 5A, C ), in addition to the dorsal neural complex that can be clearly seen at 1mpf ( Figure 5A ) before gradually being endochondrally ossified into the anterior supraneurals and neural arches ( Figure 6A ) ( 44 , 47 , 48 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Connecting the modified ventral bones are ligaments that collectively form a chain between the swim bladder and inner ear. The anterior surface of the swim bladder (tunica externa) is connected via a large ligament (“triple” ligament, 48 ) to both the posterior tripus and os suspensorium, associated with vertebrae 3 and 4, respectively. The thick suspensor ligament connects the parapophyses of vertebrae 3 (tripus) and 4.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography for describing skeleton-associated soft tissue defects in zebrafish mutants

et al. 2023

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Detailed histological analyses are desirable for zebrafish mutants that are models for human skeletal diseases, but traditional histological techniques are limited to two-dimensional thin sections with orientations highly dependent on careful sample preparation. On the other hand, techniques that provide three-dimensional (3D) datasets including µCT scanning are typically limited to visualizing the bony skeleton and lack histological resolution. We combined diffusible iodine-based contrast enhancement (DICE) and propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (PPC-SRµCT) to image late larval and juvenile zebrafish, obtaining high-quality 3D virtual histology datasets of the mineralized skeleton and surrounding soft tissues. To demonstrate this technique, we used virtual histological thin sections and 3D segmentation to qualitatively and quantitatively compare wild-type zebrafish and nkx3.2-/- mutants to characterize novel soft-tissue phenotypes in the muscles and tendons of the jaw and ligaments of the Weberian apparatus, as well as the sinus perilymphaticus associated with the inner ear. We could observe disrupted fiber organization and tendons of the adductor mandibulae and protractor hyoideus muscles associated with the jaws, and show that despite this, the overall muscle volumes appeared unaffected. Ligaments associated with the malformed Weberian ossicles were mostly absent in nkx3.2-/- mutants, and the sinus perilymphaticus was severely constricted or absent as a result of the fused exoccipital and basioccipital elements. These soft-tissue phenotypes have implications for the physiology of nkx3.2-/- zebrafish, and demonstrate the promise of DICE-PPC-SRµCT for histopathological investigations of bone-associated soft tissues in small-fish skeletal disease models and developmental studies more broadly.

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“…2011 ). There are also examples, like the ostariophysan Weberian apparatus, where modules become highly modified structurally (compared to the remaining segments) to accommodate an evolutionarily new integration with the swimbladder and inner ear (e.g., Bird et al. 2020 ).…”

Section: Core Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Core Concepts, Competencies, and Grand Challenges of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Morphology

Danos

Staab

Whitenack

2022

Integrative Organismal Biology

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Core concepts offer coherence to the discourse of a scientific discipline and facilitate teaching by identifying large unifying themes that can be tailored to the level of the class and expertise of the instructor. This approach to teaching has been shown to encourage deeper learning that can be integrated across subdisciplines of Biology and has been adopted by several other Biology subdisciplines. However, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, although one of the oldest biological areas of study, has not had its core concepts identified. Here, we present five core concepts and seven competencies (skills) for Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy that came out of an iterative process of engagement with the broader community of vertebrate morphologists over a three-year period. The core concepts are: A) Evolution, B) Structure and Function, C) Morphological Development, D) Integration and E) Human anatomy is the result of vertebrate evolution. The core competencies students should gain from the study of comparative vertebrate anatomy are: F) Tree thinking, G) Observation, H) Dissection of specimens, I) Depiction of anatomy, J) Appreciation of the importance of natural history collections, K) Science communication and L) Data integration. We offer a succinct description of each core concept and competency, example learning outcomes that could be used to assess teaching effectiveness and examples of relevant resources for both instructors and students. Additionally, we pose a grand challenge to the community, arguing that the field of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy needs to acknowledge racism, androcentrism, homophobia, genocide, slavery, and other influences in its history and address their lingering effects in order to move forward as a thriving discipline that is inclusive of all students and scientists and continues to generate unbiased knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Despite the rigorous process used to compile these core concepts and competencies, we anticipate that they will serve as a framework for an ongoing conversation that ensures Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy remains a relevant field in discovery, innovation, and training of future generations of scientists.

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Histological development and integration of the Zebrafish Weberian apparatus

Cited by 8 publications

References 47 publications

Extreme evolutionary shifts in developmental timing establish the miniature Danionella as a novel model in the neurosciences

Extreme evolutionary shifts in developmental timing establish the miniature Danionella as a novel model in the neurosciences

Enhanced contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography for describing skeleton-associated soft tissue defects in zebrafish mutants

The Core Concepts, Competencies, and Grand Challenges of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Morphology

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