NIH R01 · 2025
Dissecting the Signaling and Cellular Mechanisms of Notochord Patterning In Zebrafish
ABSTRACT The vertebral column or spine is a segmented support structure composed of alternating vertebrae and intervertebral domains. In zebrafish, the notochord sheath segments into cartilage-like (col9a2+) and mineralizing (entpd5a+) domains in a Notch dependent process. Osteoblasts are then specifically recruited to the mineralized domains, producing highly regular and symmetrical vertebrae. Notochord segmentation occurs sequentially along the anterior-posterior (AP) axis, much like somite formation, which takes place alongside the notochord several days earlier in development. However, unlike somitogenesis, notochord segmentation is not associated with oscillations in Notch signaling,…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.