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Pigment patterns in adult fish result from superimposition of two largely independent pigmentation mechanisms
Author(s) -
Ceinos Rosa M.,
Guillot Raúl,
Kelsh Robert N.,
CerdáReverter José M.,
Rotllant Josep
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/pcmr.12335
Subject(s) - zebrafish , melanosome , mechanism (biology) , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , pigment , fish <actinopterygii> , melanin , genetics , chemistry , gene , organic chemistry , epistemology , fishery , philosophy
Summary Dorso‐ventral pigment pattern differences are the most widespread pigmentary adaptations in vertebrates. In mammals, this pattern is controlled by regulating melanin chemistry in melanocytes using a protein, agouti‐signalling peptide ( ASIP ). In fish, studies of pigment patterning have focused on stripe formation, identifying a core striping mechanism dependent upon interactions between different pigment cell types. In contrast, mechanisms driving the dorso‐ventral countershading pattern have been overlooked. Here, we demonstrate that, in fact, zebrafish utilize two distinct adult pigment patterning mechanisms – an ancient dorso‐ventral patterning mechanism, and a more recent striping mechanism based on cell–cell interactions; remarkably, the dorso‐ventral patterning mechanism also utilizes ASIP . These two mechanisms function largely independently, with resultant patterns superimposed to give the full pattern.