Novel embryonic phenotypes. (A,B) Alg13 mutants have widespread expression of the lacZ reporter, are severely developmentally delayed, and have cardia bifida. (C) Kdm6a mutant embryos have an open head and lacZ reporter expression in the head and neural tube. (D) Histological analysis of heads of Kdm6a mutants shows a fused forebrain and uneven, delayed optic pits (stars), compared with a similar region in a stage-matched control embryo (J). (E) Ccdc160 mutant embryos have expression in the node at E7.5. (F) At E9.5, expression of Ccdc160 has become highly restricted to the developing brain and neural tube. (G) Histological analysis of an E9.5 Ccdc160 mutant embryo revealed the presence of cells in the lumen of the neural tube; this was observed in three out of three embryos examined (data not shown). (H) Closer view of the neural tube in G highlighting the trapped cells (star). (I) A wild-type E9.5 embryo has a single folded heart and closed head. (J) Histological section of the head of an E9.5 wild-type embryo showing segmented developing brain and symmetrical optic pits (stars). (K) Histological section though a wild-type E9.5 embryo showing normal number of developing chambers and a closed neural tube with an empty lumen (star). (L) Higher magnification view of neural tube in K.
