Fig. 3. Mutants affecting the adult pigment pattern in zebrafish. (A,E) Homozygous obe mutants display fewer and wider stripes of loosely clustered melanophores, which contain intermingled xanthophores. Partially, the melanophore stripes show a higher density of cells (arrowhead in A). (B,L) obe heterozygotes display fewer and wider stripes and melanophore stripes are interrupted. (C,H) In homozygous mutants for a strong leo allele, melanophores form spots that are surrounded by xanthophores. (D,K) In an obe;leo double mutant, melanophores are singled out between xanthophores, apart from minor melanophore stripe remainders (arrowhead in D). (M) In mutants for a weak leo allele (tw28), melanophore stripes are undulating and interrupted. (F) fms;obe double mutants lack the melanophore clusters seen in fms single mutants (Fig. 1C,D). (G) obe;nac double mutants still contain xanthophore-free areas (black outline) similar to nac single mutants (Fig. 1E,F). (I) In a leo;fms double mutant, the melanophore clustering is lost. (J) In leo;nac mutants xanthophore-free areas are absent.

Return to article