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Fgf21 is essential for haematopoiesis in zebrafish
Author(s) -
Yamauchi Hajime,
Hotta Yuhei,
Konishi Morichika,
Miyake Ayumi,
Kawahara Atsuo,
Itoh Nobuyuki
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7400685
Subject(s) - zebrafish , haematopoiesis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene knockdown , progenitor cell , embryonic stem cell , fibroblast growth factor , myeloid , stem cell , myelopoiesis , immunology , apoptosis , genetics , gene , receptor
Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) function as key secreted signalling molecules in many developmental events. The zebrafish is a powerful model system for the investigation of embryonic vertebrate haematopoiesis. Although the effects of Fgf signalling on haematopoiesis in vitro have been reported, the functions of Fgf signalling in haematopoiesis in vivo remain to be explained. We identified Fgf21 in zebrafish embryos. Fgf21 ‐knockdown zebrafish embryos lacked erythroid and myeloid cells but not blood vessels and lymphoid cells. The knockdown embryos had haemangioblasts and haematopoietic stem cells. However, the knockdown embryos had significantly fewer myeloid and erythroid progenitor cells. In contrast, Fgf21 had no significant effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the intermediate cell mass. These results indicate that Fgf21 is a newly identified factor essential for the determination of myelo‐erythroid progenitor cell fate in vivo .