Meeting Abstract

P2.67  Sunday, Jan. 5 15:30  The effects of varying temperature and retinoic acid on vertebral processes in zebrafish, Danio rerio FRIEDRICH, SA*; CLAESON, KM; LEE, S; WARD, AB; PCOM; PCOM; PCOM; Adelphi University sarahfr@pcom.edu

Environmental conditions can have a direct impact on vertebral development. To look at this further, we studied the zebrafish Danio rerio because it has a rapid development rate and its genome is fully sequenced. This makes Danio a prime organism for studying the link between environment and morphology. Of particular concern are the influences of variable temperatures and retinoic acid (RA) levels. Previous research has shown that fish raised in higher temperatures have fewer vertebrae than fish raised at lower temperatures, while total body length remains the same. Also RA levels affect somite development, impacting vertebral body length and total length of the organisms. For our research we hypothesized that variable temperature and RA levels during early development would affect the size, shape, and position of vertebral processes, as well as ribs on non-Weberian vertebrae independent of vertebral body changes. To test this hypothesis, Danio were raised in different groups – a control raised at 28.5 degrees in embryo media, a variable temperature group with steady RA levels, and a variable RA group at control temperature. All were harvested at three months then cleared & stained. 2D Morphometrics were used to examine the axial skeleton, including ribs, and to compare the differences across the vertebral column. Results indicated that there was not an overall isometric change. In the specimens with shorter vertebral bodies, we saw a decrease in neural arch length, which was greater than a decrease in abdominal rib length. In canonical variates analyses plots, lowest temperature and RA deficient groups were most removed from the controls. This influence of variable temperature and RA levels will be important to explore considering their relationship to climate and geographic location.