Analysis of Vascular Morphogenesis in Zebrafish

Abstract

Analysis of cardiovascular development in zebrafish embryos has become a major driver of vascular research in recent years. Imaging-based analyses have allowed the discovery or verification of morphologically distinct processes and mechanisms of, e.g., endothelial cell migration, angiogenic sprouting, tip or stalk cell behavior, and vessel anastomosis. In this chapter, we describe the techniques and tools used for confocal imaging of zebrafish endothelial development in combination with general experimental approaches for molecular dissection of involved signaling pathways.