The role of Gdf5 in the development of the zebrafish fin endoskeleton.

Our study demonstrates the importance of Gdf5 in the development of the zebrafish pectoral and median fin endoskeleton and reveals that the severity of the effect increases from anterior to posterior elements. Our findings are consistent with phenotypes observed in the human and mouse appendicular skeleton in response to Gdf5 knockout, suggesting a broadly conserved role for Gdf5 in Osteichthyes.