myh9b is a critical non-muscle myosin II encoding gene that interacts with myh9a and myh10 during zebrafish development in both compensatory and redundant pathways.

Non-muscle myosin (NMII) motor proteins have diverse developmental functions due to their roles in cell shape changes, cell migration, and cell adhesion. Zebrafish are an ideal vertebrate model system to study the NMII encoding myh genes and proteins due to high sequence homology, established gene editing tools, and rapid ex utero development. In humans, mutations in the NMII encoding MYH genes can lead to abnormal developmental processes and disease. This study utilized zebrafish myh9a, myh9b, and myh10 null mutants to examine potential genetic interactions and roles for each gene in development. It was determined that the myh9b gene is the most critical NMII encoding gene, as myh9b mutants develop pericardial edema and have a partially penetrant lethal phenotype, which was not observed in the other myh mutants. This study also established that genetic interactions occur between the zebrafish myh9a, myh9b, and myh10 genes where myh9b is required for the expression of both myh9a and myh10, and myh10 is required for the expression of myh9b. Additionally, protein analyses suggested that enhanced NMII protein stability in some mutant backgrounds may play a role in compensation. Finally, double mutant studies revealed different and more severe phenotypes at earlier timepoints than single mutants, suggesting roles for tissue specific genetic redundancy, and in some genotypes, haploinsufficiency. These mutants are the first in vivo models allowing for the study of complete loss of the NMIIA and NMIIB proteins, establishing them as valuable tools to elucidate the role of NMII encoding myh genes in development and disease.