PARICHY, D.M.; University of Washington: Evolutionary genetics of danio pigment pattern development

The diverse pigment patterns of Danio fishes provide an outstanding opportunity to dissect the changes in developmental genetic mechanisms underlying evolutionary transformations of adult form. Whereas zebrafish exhibit horizontal stripes, closely related danios have different numbers of stripes, uniform patterns, vertical bars and other arrangements of neural crest-derived pigment cells. Here, I review recent evidence suggesting key roles for stem cells and cell-cell interactions in producing these various pigment patterns among species.