Figure 2. Dkk2 knockdown does not affect the expression of neural plate border specifiers and mesoderm formation.

(a). Unilateral injection of Dkk2SMO (20 ng) did not affect the expression levels of pax3, sox8 and snai1, although their expression was shifted laterally. (b) The neural crest specifier twist1 was reduced, while sox9 expression was shifted laterally in most embryos. The epidermal marker, krt, was reduced in a pattern consistent with the expansion of the neural plate. (c) The expression levels of the mesoderm markers myod, actc1 and pcdh8 were unchanged in Dkk2-depleted embryos, although pcdh8 expression domain was shifted anteriorly in a subset of morphant embryos. (a–c) Dorsal views, anterior to top. (d) Quantification of the Dkk2SMO phenotype. The number of embryos analyzed (n) is indicated on the top of each bar.