Study: Zebrafish Model Helps Explain Eye Development

Scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have developed a zebrafish model of NEDBEH—a rare genetic disorder that can cause coloboma, where parts of the eye are missing due to developmental defects. The model provides a new tool for understanding the eye's embryonic development, according to an NEI news release. 

"Despite advances in genetics, the underlying cause of coloboma in most families remains unclear," said Brian Brooks, MD, PhD, chief of the NEI Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch. The ongoing mystery is partly due to the myriad genes that must be turned on and off at pivotal moments for the eye's normal development. 

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Cross section of an embryonic rerea mutant zebrafish eye showing coloboma. In normal zebrafish, the optic fissure closes. Credit: Brian Brooks, National Eye Institute.