Cadherin-7 function in zebrafish development.

Cadherin cell adhesion molecules play crucial roles in vertebrate development. Most studies have focused on examining the functions of classical type I cadherins (e.g., cadherin-2) in the development of vertebrates. Little information is available concerning the function of classical type II cadherins (e.g., cadherin-7) in vertebrate development. We have previously shown that cadherin-7 mRNA exhibits a dynamic expression pattern in the central nervous system and notochord in embryonic zebrafish. To gain insight into the role of cadherin-7 in the formation of these structures, we analyzed their formation in zebrafish embryos injected with cadherin-7-specific antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (MO). Notochord development was severely disrupted in MO-injected embryos, whereas gross defects in the development of the central nervous system were not detected in MO-injected embryos. Our results thus demonstrate that cadherin-7 plays an important role in the normal development of the zebrafish notochord.