The zebrafish no tail gene

Abstract

In zebrafish, the no tail mutant phenotype is caused by a mutation in the zebrafish homologue of the murine T gene. No tail mutant embryos fail to form a differentiated notochord, lack posterior structures, and have abnormally shaped anterior somites. The nervous system, including the floor plate, seems unaffected. The no tail gene is transiently expressed in cells of the endoderm and the mesoderm with a more persistent expression in the prospective notochord. Further analysis of the no tail phenotype, combined with studies of other zebrafish mutants that affect notochord formation and mesoderm patterning, will continue to contribute to our understanding of vertebate gastrulation.