title: Individual cell migration serves as the driving force for optic vesicle evagination.
abstract: The cellular mechanisms underlying organ formation are largely unknown. We visualized early vertebrate eye morphogenesis at single-cell resolution by in vivo imaging in medaka (Oryzias latipes). Before optic vesicle evagination, retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) modulate their convergence in a fate-specific manner. Presumptive forebrain cells converge toward the midline, whereas medial RPCs remain stationary, predetermining the site of evagination. Subsequent optic vesicle evagination is driven by the active migration of individual RPCs. The analysis of mutants demonstrated that the retina-specific transcription factor rx3 determines the convergence and migration behaviors of RPCs. Hence, the migration of individual cells mediates essential steps of organ morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rembold
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loosli
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wittbrodt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002465:Cell Movement; D048430:Cell Shape; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology*; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005775:Gastrula / Q000166:cytology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D009990:Oryzias / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000196:embryology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C121293:Rx3 protein, Oryzias latipes