Teleost <i>Hox</i> code defines regional identities competent for the formation of dorsal and anal fins.

Abstract

The dorsal and anal fins can vary widely in position and length along the anterior-posterior axis in teleost fishes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the diversification of these fins remain unknown. Here, we used genetic approaches in zebrafish and medaka, in which the relative positions of the dorsal and anal fins are opposite, to demonstrate the crucial role of <i>hox</i> genes in the patterning of the teleost posterior body, including the dorsal and anal fins. By the CRISPR-Cas9-induced frameshift mutations and positional cloning of spontaneous <i>dorsalfinless</i> medaka, we show that various <i>hox</i> mutants exhibit the absence of dorsal or anal fins, or a stepwise posterior extension of these fins, with vertebral abnormalities. Our results indicate that multiple <i>hox</i> genes, primarily from <i>hoxc</i>-related clusters, encompass the regions responsible for the dorsal and anal fin formation along the anterior-posterior axis. These results further suggest that shifts in the anterior boundaries of <i>hox</i> expression which vary among fish species, lead to diversification in the position and size of the dorsal and anal fins, similar to how modulations in <i>Hox</i> expression can alter the number of anatomically distinct vertebrae in tetrapods. Furthermore, we show that <i>hox</i> genes responsible for dorsal fin formation are different between zebrafish and medaka. Our results suggest that a novel mechanism has occurred during teleost evolution, in which the gene network responsible for fin formation might have switched to the regulation downstream of other <i>hox</i> genes, leading to the remarkable diversity in the dorsal fin position.