Fig. 7. A model of cell behaviours underlying formation of the adult pigment pattern in zebrafish. Melanophores are depicted in blue, xanthophores in yellow. Double headed arrows indicate homotypic interactions and single headed arrows heterotypic ones. The horizontal myoseptum is represented by broken lines. (A) At the onset of pattern formation, melanophores are scattered. (B) Melanophores start aggregating by obe- and leo-dependent homotypic interactions and also exert a positive effect on xanthophore differentiation (green arrow). (C) Xanthophores that also display leo-dependent homotypic interactions positively attract melanophores over a distance (green arrows), but repel them in short range (red bars). (D) The boundary between melanophores and xanthophores is shaped by leo-dependent heterotypic interactions.

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