The orientation of the dorsal/ventral axis of zebrafish is influenced by gravitation

Following fertilization of eggs of Brachydanio rerio a blastodisc is formed which, by cleavage divisions and epibolic movements, gives rise to a cell cap covering the yolk. When about half of the yolk is covered by the cells, a thickening appears at the progressing margin, the embryonic shield, which gives rise to the axial organs of the future embryo. Thereby, the dorsal/ventral axis can be recognized. Our experiments show that the blastodisc is formed at the position of the micropyle, the only site where the sperm can enter the egg and oocyte. Later the head appears at this position. We show that the position of the embryonic shield on the circumference of the cell cap is influenced by gravitation. We also demonstrate that there is no correlation between the orientation of the first or second cleavage plane and the position of the embryonic shield.Correspondence to: K. Herrmann