E-cadherin expression pattern during zebrafish embryonic epidermis development

SAMPEDRO, MARIA FLORENCIA; IZAGUIRRE, MARIA FERNANDA; SIGOT, VALERIA

F1000Research

F1000research Ltd

Año: 2018

2046-1402

Background: E-cadherin is the major adhesion receptor in epithelial adherens junctions (AJs). On established epidermis, E-cadherin performs fine-tuned cell-cell contact remodeling to maintain tissue integrity, which is characterized by modulation of cell shape, size and packing density. In zebrafish, the organization and distribution of E-cadherin in AJs during embryonic epidermis development remain scarcely described.Methods: Combining classical immunofluorescence, deconvolution microscopy and 3D-segmentation of AJs in epithelial cells, a quantitative approach was implemented to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of E-cadherin across zebrafish epidermis between 24 and 72 hpf.Results: increasing levels of E-cadh protein parallel higher cell density and the appearance of hexagonal cells in the enveloping layer (EVL) as well as the establishments of new cell-cell contacts in the epidermal basal layer (EBL), being significantly between 31 and 48 hpf.Conclusions: Increasing levels of E-cadherin in AJs correlates with extensive changes in cell morphology towards hexagonal packing during the epidermis morphogenesis.