Data from: microCT-based phenomics in the zebrafish skeleton reveals virtues of deep phenotyping in a distributed organ system

Phenomics, which ideally involves in-depth phenotyping at the
whole-organism scale, may enhance our functional understanding of genetic
variation. Here, we demonstrate methods to profile hundreds of phenotypic
measures comprised of morphological and densitometric traits at a large
number of sites within the axial skeleton of adult zebrafish. We show the
potential for vertebral patterns to confer heightened sensitivity, with
similar specificity, in discriminating mutant populations compared to
analyzing individual vertebrae in isolation. We identify phenotypes
associated with human brittle bone disease and thyroid stimulating hormone
receptor hyperactivity. Finally, we develop allometric models and show
their potential to aid in the discrimination of mutant phenotypes masked
by alterations in growth. Our studies demonstrate virtues of deep
phenotyping in a spatially distributed organ system. Analyzing phenotypic
patterns may increase productivity in genetic screens, and facilitate the
study of genetic variants associated with smaller effect sizes, such as
those that underlie complex diseases.