PARICHY LAB

PIGMENT PATTERN

Pigment patterns are stunningly diverse. We aim to understand genes and cell behaviors underlying pattern formation, and how differentiation and morphogenesis evolve to generate species differences. We use zebrafish and its relatives, with recent work on interactions among pigment cell classes, long range signaling, and evolution of morphogenetic programs.

STEM CELLS

Neural crest derived stem cells have critical roles in development and homeostasis. We study genetic, cellular and endocrine mechanisms underlying establishment, maintenance and recruitment of these cells to particular lineages. On-going projects focus on normal development, regeneration, melanoma, and roles for thyroid hormone in specifying cell fate and morphogenesis.

ADULT FORM

Biologists still know remarkably little about why  organisms look the way they do. To better understand the mechanistic bases for adult form and how it evolves, we use the zebrafish larval-to-adult transformation. We published a normal table of postembryonic development and current efforts focus on scale morphogenesis and patterning as well as controls of developmental progression.

 

 

Selected research

  • Aman AJ, Saunders LM, Carr AA, Srivatsan SR, Eberhard CD, Carrington B, Watkins-Chow D, Pavan WJ, Trapnell C, Parichy DM. 2023. Transcriptomic profiling of tissue environments critical for post-embryonic patterning and morphogenesis of zebrafish skin. eLife 10.7554/eLife.86670.1.    PDF   WEB
  • Toomey MB, Marques CI, Araújo PM, Huang D, Zhong S, Liu Y, Schreiner GD, Myers CA, Pereira P, Afonso S, Andrade P, Gazda MA, Lopes RJ, Viegas I, Smith DJ, Ogawa Y, Murphy D, Kopec RE, Parichy DM, Carneiro M, Corbo JC. 2023.  A mechanism of ketocarotenoid biosynthesis in vertebrates. Current Biology 32:1–14.   PDF   WEB
  • Huang D, Lewis VM, Toomey MB, Corbo JC, Parichy DM. 2021. Development and genetics of red coloration in the zebrafish relative Danio albolineatus. eLife 10:e70253.   PDF   WEB
  • McCluskey, B. M., Liang, Y., Lewis, V. M., Patterson, L. B. and Parichy, D. M. 2021. Pigment pattern morphospace of Danio fishes: evolutionary diversification and mutational effects. Biology Open bio.058814.    PDF WEB
  • Aman AJ, Kim M, Saunders LM, Parichy DM. 2021. Thyroid hormone couples skin morphogenesis to body growth during post-embryonic zebrafish development. Developmental Biology 477:205–218.  PDF WEB
  • McCluskey BM, Uji S, Mancusi JL, Postlethwait JH, Parichy DM. 2021. A complex genetic architecture in zebrafish relatives Danio quagga and D. kyathit underlies development of stripes and spots. PLoS Genetics 17:e1009364. PDF  WEB
  • Eom DS, Patterson LB, Bostic RR, Parichy DM. 2021. Immunoglobulin superfamily receptor Junctional adhesion molecule 3 (Jam3) requirement for melanophore survival and patterning during formation of zebrafish stripes. Developmental Biology 476:314–327.  PDF  WEB
  • Gur D, Bain E, Johnson K, Aman AJ, Pasoili A, Flynn JD, Allen MC, Deheyn DD, Oron D, Levkowitz G, Lee JC, Lippincott-Schwartz J, Parichy DM. 2020. In situ differentiation of iridophore crystallotypes underlies zebrafish stripe patterning. Nature Communications 11:6391.   PDF   WEB
  • Saunders LM, Mishra AK, Aman AJ, Lewis VM, Toomey MB, Packer JS, Qiu X, McFaline-Figueroa JL, Corbo JC, Trapnell C, Parichy DM. 2019. Thyroid hormone regulates distinct paths to maturation in pigment cell lineages. eLife 8:e45181.    PDF   WEB
  • Lewis VM, Saunders LM, Larson TA, Bain EJ, Sturiale SL, Gur D, Chowdhury S, Flynn JD, Allen MC, Deheyn DD, Lee JC, Simon JA, Lippincott-Schwartz J, Raible DW, Parichy DM. 2019. Fate plasticity and reprogramming in genetically distinct populations of Danio leucophores. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA pnas.1901021116.    PDF  WEB
  • Spiewak JE, Bain EJ, Liu J, Kou K, Patterson LB, Kou K§, Sturiale SL§, Diba P, Eisen JS, Braasch I, Ganz J, Parichy DM. 2018. Evolution of endothelin signaling and diversification of adult pigment pattern in Danio fishes. PLoS Genetics 24:e1007538.    PDF  WEB
  • Aman AJ, Fulbright AN, Parichy DM. 2018. Wnt/β-catenin regulates an ancient signaling network during zebrafish scale development. eLife 10.7554/eLife.37001.   PDF   WEB
  • Eom DS, Parichy DM. 2017. A macrophage relay for long distance signaling during post-embryonic tissue remodeling. Science 355:1317–1320.   PDF   VIDEOS (115 Mb zip)   WEB
  • McMenamin SK, Bain EJ, McCann AE, Patterson LB, Eom DS, Waller ZP, Hamill JC, Kuhlman JA, Eisen JS, Parichy DM. 2014. Thyroid hormone-dependent adult pigment cell lineage and pattern in zebrafish. Science 345:1358–1361.   PDF   WEB

Selected reviews

  • Aman AJ, Parichy DM. 2024. Anatomy, development and regeneration of zebrafish elasmoid scales. Developmental Biology doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.03.001.   PDF  WEB
  • Parichy DM. 2021. Evolution of pigment cells and pattern: recent insights from teleost fishes. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 69:88–96.   PDF  WEB
  • Patterson LB, Parichy DM. 2019. Zebrafish pigment pattern formation: insights into the development and evolution of adult form. Annual Review of Genetics 53:505–530.    PDF   WEB
  • Parichy DM. 2015. Advancing biology through a deeper understanding of zebrafish ecology and evolution. eLife 4:05636.   PDF   WEB

Dave Parichy, PI

(   CV  — email )

Dylan Huang postdoc

Yipeng Liang

postdoc

Pietro de Mello

postdoc

Larissa Patterson

visiting scholar

Deqwon Pendergrass

grad student

Alexandra Faur

grad student

Katia Korzeniwsky

grad student

August Carr

staff research assistant

Larsen Moore

staff research assistant

Walker Hutto

undergrad researcher

Emaan Kapadia

undergrad researcher

Tiffany Liu

undergrad researcher

Ingrid Sukow

undergrad researcher

Eunela Manzzano

undergrad assistant

Jadyn Yost

undergrad assistant

all publications and preprints

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David M. Parichy, Professor

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Department of Biology

University of Virginia

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Charlottesville VA 22904

 

 

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