Production of Wnt4b by floor plate cells is essential for the segmental patterning of the vertebral column in medaka

对青竹自发性突变体融合椎体(FSC)的分析表明，FSC编码wnt4b，它只在底板中表达。在FSC突变体中，wnt4b在底板中的表达完全缺失，椎间韧带细胞向成骨细胞的异常转化似乎导致了椎间韧带的缺陷。这些发现为脊椎动物的发育机制提供了一个新的视角。

Analysis of a spontaneous medaka mutant, fused centrum ( fsc), which exhibits fused centra and the absence of the intervertebral ligaments, revealed that fsc encodes wnt4b, which was expressed exclusively in the floor plate. In fsc mutants, wnt4b expression was completely lost in the floor plate and that abnormal conversion of the intervertebral ligament cells into osteoblasts appeared to cause a defect of the intervertebral ligaments. These findings provide a novel perspective on the mechanism of vertebrate development.