Fig. 6. The zygotic function of nok/mpp5 is required for myocardial
cell remodeling. (A,C,E,F) 36 hpf wild type and (B,D,G)
noks305 in the Tg(cmlc2:GFP) transgenic
background. (H-K) noks305 in the
Tg(cmlc2:GFP) transgenic background at 32 hpf. Images are
reconstructions of confocal Z-stack sections. (A,B) Arrows indicate
atrial myocardial cells and arrowheads ventricular myocardial cells. Shape and
density of noks305 mutant atrial and ventricular cells are
similar. (A',A'') Merged confocal serial sections of
actin (red) and nuclear stain (SYTOX green nuclear acid stain). (A')
Single sections and fusions of up to three sections of confocal serial stacks
show that wild-type ventricular myocardial cells have cuboidal cell shapes.
(A'') wild-type atrial myocardial cells have squamous cell shapes.
(C,D) Comparison of atrial myocardial cells in wild-type and
noks305 mutant hearts, indicating that
noks305 mutant atrial myocardial cells fail to expand in
size and resemble ventricular myocardial cells. (E-G) Mosaic expression
of mRFP within single Tg(cmlc2:GFP) transgenic myocardial
cells. (E) Wild-type atrial myocardial cell. (F) Wild-type ventricular
myocardial cell. (G) noks305 mutant myocardial cell.
(H,I) BrdU analysis of noks305 mutant myocardial
cells. White dotted lines indicate BrdU-positive cells. (J,K) TUNEL
analysis of noks305 mutant myocardial cells. The white
dotted line indicates a TUNEL-positive cell. (L) Quantification of
BrdU- and TUNEL-positive cells. (M) nok/mpp5 functions
tissue-autonomously within the myocardium during heart tube elongation. A
noks305 mutant in the Tg(cmlc2:GFP)
transgenic background that also carries the Tg(cmlc2:nok)
rescue transgene displays an elongated heart tube similar to wild type.
Orientation: dorsal view and anterior to the top. A, atrium; V, ventricle.