title: Collagen XV, a novel factor in zebrafish notochord differentiation and muscle development.
abstract: Muscle cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix, the components of which play an important role in signalling mechanisms involved in their development. In mice, loss of collagen XV, a component of basement membranes expressed primarily in skeletal muscles, results in a mild skeletal myopathy. We have determined the complete zebrafish collagen XV primary sequence and analysed its expression and function in embryogenesis. During the segmentation period, expression of the Col15a1 gene is mainly found in the notochord and its protein product is deposited exclusively in the peri-notochordal basement membrane. Morpholino mediated knock-down of Col15a1 causes defects in notochord differentiation and in fast and slow muscle formation as shown by persistence of axial mesodermal marker gene expression, disorganization of the peri-notochodal basement membrane and myofibrils, and a U-shape myotome. In addition, the number of medial fast-twitch muscle fibers was substantially increased, suggesting that the signalling by notochord derived Hh proteins is enhanced by loss of collagen XV. Consistent with this, there is a concomitant expansion of patched-1 expression in the myotome of morphant embryos. Together, these results indicate that collagen XV is required for notochord differentiation and muscle development in the zebrafish embryo and that it interplays with Shh signalling.
authors.affiliation: IBCP,UMR CNRS 5086, Université Lyon 1, IFR 128 Biosciences Gerland, 7 passage du Vercors 69367, Lyon cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pagnon-Minot
authors.forename: Marilyne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malbouyres
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Haftek-Terreau
authors.forename: H Rosemary
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thisse
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thisse
authors.forename: Philip W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Guellec
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003094:Collagen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000235:genetics; D009672:Notochord / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C528804:col15a1a protein, zebrafish; D003094:Collagen