Myf5 or Myod is required for medial fast myogenesis. In situ
hybridisation for myog, myhz1, tpma, mylz2 or mef2d or
immunohistochemistry for the indicated myosins in wild-type or
myf5+/hu2022 incross zebrafish injected with the indicated
MOs. Lateral views, anterior to left unless otherwise stated. (A)
myog expression was delayed in embryos injected with
myf5+myod MOs. Dorsolateral views, anterior to top.
(B) MyHC was reduced in both epaxial and hypaxial domains in
myod MO embryos, grossly reduced in double
myf5+myod morphants and further diminished in
myf5hu2022 mutants injected with myod MO. Note
the complete absence of residual cells in some individual somites (dotted
outline). (C) Residual differentiated muscle in
myf5+myod morphants expressed fast but not slow MyHC at 24
hpf. Lateral view of confocal stack of somites 9-10. (D) Fast muscle
markers were indistinguishable in 24 hpf myf5hu2022
homozygous mutants and their siblings (left column), reduced by myod
MO in siblings (middle) and almost eliminated by myod MO in
myf5hu2022 mutants (right). Inset illustrates that
myf5 MO does not worsen the myod MO plus
myf5hu2022 phenotype. mylz2 mRNA accumulation
(red, arrowheads) and myog downregulation (blue) are delayed at
∼20 ss in fast muscle. (Bottom panels) Transverse sections of double
knockdowns show residual fast muscle (arrowheads) immediately lateral to
adaxial and/or twist2-expressing sclerotomal cells (arrows).
(E) (Left, top) mef2d mRNA initiates normally in pbcs in the
myod morphant, but is restricted to the medial region of rostral
somites (yellow brackets). In myf5+myod MOs, mef2d
mRNA is absent. Dorsal flatmounts, anterior to top. (Left, bottom) Lack of
both myf5 and myod ablates mef2d expression.
Lateral views, anterior to top. (Right) By 22 ss, transverse sections (at the
level of the bar on lateral flatmounts) show reduction of mef2d mRNA
(purple) in myod or myog, but not in myf5, single
morphants. Mef2 position is shown relative to slow fibres (brown). Note the
expression of mef2d lateral to migrating slow fibres in the control
and in myf5 and myog, but not myod, morphants
(arrows).