Egfl6 Expression in the Pharyngeal Pouch Is Dispensable for Craniofacial Development

The study investigated the role of egfl6 in craniofacial development in zebrafish, focusing on its expression in the pharyngeal pouches. Despite egfl6 being expressed in these key structures, loss-of-function mutations in egfl6 did not result in craniofacial defects, suggesting that egfl6 was not essential for this process. The study also found that egfl6 was unlikely redundant with egfl7, as reducing egfl7 in egfl6 mutants did not impact craniofacial development. Additionally, an endogenous start loss mutation in egfl6 in the wild-type Tübingen strain indicated that egfl6 might be a non-functional gene. Overall, egfl6 expression in the pharyngeal pouches was deemed dispensable for craniofacial development in zebrafish.