<i>impdh1a</i> knock-down leads to pigmentation defects and smaller eyes.

<p>(A,D,G,J,M): Coronal planes through 5 dpf larval eyes. Xanthophores (yellow arrow) and iridophores (red arrow) were reduced significantly in <i>impdh1a</i> morphants. (B,E,H,K,N): Transverse histological sections of <i>impdh</i> morphants. The eye length along the dorsal/ventral axis was much shorter in <i>impdh1a</i> morphants. There was no apparent phenotype in retinal cell types between WT, control and the three <i>impdh</i> morphants; (C,F,I,L,O): Dorsal images of 5 dpf larvae showed that melanophores (black arrow) covered a larger area of the head in <i>impdh1a</i> morphants. Anterior-posterior eye length (P) and melanocyte covered area (Q) were measured and compared using a Student’s t-test (unpaired, two tailed; *** p<0.001; ** p<0.01; * p<0.05). At least ten larvae were tested in each group. Error bars represent the standard error of mean (SEM) among independent biological replicates. GCL: ganglion cell layer, INL: inner nuclear layer, IPL: inner plexiform layer, OPL, outer plexiform layer, PR: photoreceptor layer, RPE: retinal pigment epithelium. Scale bars, 50μm.