Mmp2 knockdown results in embryos with severe developmental defects. A Knockdown of Mmp2, obtained after injection of 1 ng of both Mmp2-ATG and p53 MOs, does not affect normal embryonic morphogenesis in Mmp2 morphants at 3 dpf, as compared to control embryos. However, embryos injected with 2.5 ng–4 ng of both Mmp2-ATG and p53 MOs show edema and a deformed body axis. B–D Analysis of eye size (B), total body length (C), and tectal area innervated by RGC axons (D) reveals a significant and dose-dependent decrease in eye size, tectal innervation area but also body length, after knockdown of Mmp2 with the ATG MO in 5 dpf morphants, as compared to control embryos (n = 45 from 2 independent experiments). A MO concentration of 1 ng does not affect any of these parameters and results in normally developing embryos. Eye size, body length and tectal innervation area are normalized towards average values in control embryos. Data are represented as mean ± SEM (*p-value<0.05, Student′s t-test). dpf, days post fertilization; MO, morpholino; OT, optic tectum; RGC, retinal ganglion cell.
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