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Zebrafish KLF4 is essential for anterior mesendoderm/pre‐polster differentiation and hatching
Author(s) -
Gardiner Melissa R.,
Daggett David F.,
Zon Leonard I.,
Perkins Andrew C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.20571
Subject(s) - biology , morpholino , zebrafish , epiboly , gene knockdown , klf4 , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , embryonic stem cell , embryogenesis , genetics , gastrulation , sox2 , gene
Gene knockout studies of Krüppel‐like factors (KLFs) in mice have shown essential roles in organogenesis. A screen for KLF family members in zebrafish identified many KLFs. One of these, zebrafish KLF4 ( zKLF4 ) is the homologue of neptune , a Xenopus laevis KLF. zKLF4 is expressed from approximately 80% epiboly a patch of dorsal/anterior mesendodermal cells called the pre‐polster and, subsequently, in the polster and hatching gland. Here we investigate the function of zKLF4 using morpholino‐based antisense oligonucleotides. Knockdown of zKLF4 resulted in complete absence of hatching gland formation and subsequent hatching in zebrafish. In addition, there was early knockdown of expression of the pre‐polster/anterior mesendoderm markers CatL, cap1 , and BMP4 . These results indicate zKLF4 is expressed within the pre‐polster, an early mesendodermal site, and that it plays a critical role in the differentiation of these cells into hatching gland cells. Developmental Dynamics 234:992–996, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.