Left-right asymmetry in zebrafish
- Authors
- Matsui, T., and Bessho, Y.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120727-19
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 69(18): 3069-3077 (Review)
- Registered Authors
- Matsui, Takaaki
- Keywords
- left-right patterning, Kupffer's vesicle, cell signaling, positive feedback loop
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Body Patterning*
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Mesoderm
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
- PubMed
- 22527718 Full text @ Cell. Mol. Life Sci.
In vertebrates, internal organs are positioned asymmetrically across the left–right (LR) axis, placing them in a defined area within the body. This LR asymmetric placement is a conserved feature of the vertebrate body plan. Events determining LR asymmetry occur during embryonic development, and are regulated by the coordinated action of genetic mechanisms that are evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. Recent studies using zebrafish have provided new insights into how the Kupffer’s vesicle organizer region is generated, and how it relays LR asymmetry information to the lateral plate mesoderm. In this review, we summarize recent advances in zebrafish and describe our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying these processes.