The function of transcription factor Zic1 in dorsalization of the medaka somite

Vertebrates exhibit distinct morphologies between dorsal and ventral trunk. The zinc finger transcription factor, Zic1, is expressed in the dorsal somite and regulates dorsal-specific characters such as fin shape and pigment pattern. Zic1 has also been implicated in regulation of neural differentiation in vertebrate brains. However, the molecular mechanism of Zic1 action has been unclear, and in particular, its downstream target genes are not well known in somite. In this study, we performed ChIP-seq, RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses to somites of medaka, and investigated the function of Zic1.