Symmetry OUT, Asymmetry IN

Lourenço, Raquel; Saúde, Leonor

doi:10.3390/sym2021033

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 119 publications

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“…The organization of the axial skeleton and skeletal muscles is bilaterally symmetric. In contrast, vertebrates are also characterized by stereotypic LR asymmetries in the distribution of the internal organs such as the heart and stomach on the left, and the liver on the right [1] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Left-Right Function of dmrt2 Genes Is Not Conserved between Zebrafish and Mouse

2010

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BackgroundMembers of the Dmrt family, generally associated with sex determination, were shown to be involved in several other functions during embryonic development. Dmrt2 has been studied in the context of zebrafish development where, due to a duplication event, two paralog genes dmrt2a and dmrt2b are present. Both zebrafish dmrt2a/terra and dmrt2b are important to regulate left-right patterning in the lateral plate mesoderm. In addition, dmrt2a/terra is necessary for symmetric somite formation while dmrt2b regulates somite differentiation impacting on slow muscle development. One dmrt2 gene is also expressed in the mouse embryo, where it is necessary for somite differentiation but with an impact on axial skeleton development. However, nothing was known about its role during left-right patterning in the lateral plate mesoderm or in the symmetric synchronization of somite formation.Methodology/Principal FindingsUsing a dmrt2 mutant mouse line, we show that this gene is not involved in symmetric somite formation and does not regulate the laterality pathway that controls left-right asymmetric organ positioning. We reveal that dmrt2a/terra is present in the zebrafish laterality organ, the Kupffer's vesicle, while its homologue is excluded from the mouse equivalent structure, the node. On the basis of evolutionary sub-functionalization and neo-functionalization theories we discuss this absence of functional conservation.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results show that the role of dmrt2 gene is not conserved during zebrafish and mouse embryonic development.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Left-Right Function of dmrt2 Genes Is Not Conserved between Zebrafish and Mouse

2010

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N-Cadherin Locks Left-Right Asymmetry by Ending the Leftward Movement of Hensen’s Node Cells

et al. 2014

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The stereotypic left-right (LR) asymmetric distribution of internal organs is due to an asymmetric molecular cascade in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) that is originated at the embryonic node. In chicken embryos, molecular asymmetries at Hensen's node are created by leftward cell movements that occur transiently. What terminates these movements, and, moreover, what is the impact of prolonging them on the LR asymmetry cascade? We show that leftward movements last longer when N-cadherin function is blocked and cease prematurely when N-cadherin is overexpressed on the right side of the node. The prolonged leftward movements lead to loss of asymmetric expression of fgf8 and nodal at the node region. This originates an abnormal expression of the asymmetric genes cer1 and snai1 in the LPM, resulting in mispositioned hearts. We conclude that N-cadherin stops the leftward cell movements and that this termination is an essential step in the establishment of LR asymmetry.

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Symmetry OUT, Asymmetry IN

Cited by 2 publications

References 119 publications

Left-Right Function of dmrt2 Genes Is Not Conserved between Zebrafish and Mouse

Left-Right Function of dmrt2 Genes Is Not Conserved between Zebrafish and Mouse

N-Cadherin Locks Left-Right Asymmetry by Ending the Leftward Movement of Hensen’s Node Cells

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