Zebrafish Spines (IMAGE)
Caption
A new study in zebrafish by researchers at Princeton University and the University of Toronto suggests that irregular fluid flow through the spinal column brought on by gene mutations is linked to a type of scoliosis that can affect humans during adolescence. Also found in people, these genes damage the hair-like projections called motile cilia that move fluid through the spinal canal and lead to a curvature of the spine. The researchers used a temperature-sensitive mutation in the gene c21orf59 to induce scoliosis in adolescent zebrafish. The fish develop a normal spine when the mutation is turned off (top panel) but a curved spine when the mutation is on (bottom panel).
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Image courtesy of <i>Science</i>/AAAS
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