How fish get their shape?

How do tissues self-organize to generate the complex organ shapes observed in vertebrates.

BY
AMIT MALEWAR
DECEMBER 23, 2019



Researchers from NUS Mechanobiology Institute found that the formation of the ‘V’ patterns – also known
as chevron patterns – in the swimming muscles of fish do not simply arise from genetic instruction or
biochemical pathways but actually require physical forces to correctly develop.


Organ formation is an inherently biophysical process, requiring large-scale tissue deformations. Yet, understanding how complex organ shape emerges during development remains a significant challenge.

Fish comes in various colors, shapes, and patterns. Despite such diversity, a general feature that can be commonly found in fish such as salmon or tuna once they are served is the ‘V’ patterns in their meat. While this appears to be genetically observed in the muscle arrangement of most fish species, how such a generic ‘V’ pattern arises is puzzling.

Now scientists from NUS Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) have figured out the science behind the formation of the ‘V’ patterns in the myotome of zebrafish embryos. These ‘V’ patterns are also called chevron patterns that commonly found in the swimming muscles of fish.

Fish’s side to side swimming motion is powered by myotome– a group of muscles served by a spinal nerve root. Initially, each future developing myotome segment is cuboidal in shape. However, over five hours, it deforms into a pointed ‘V’ shape.

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