Premium
Left‐right asymmetry in gut development: what happens next?
Author(s) -
Burn Sally F,
Hill Robert E
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.200900056
Subject(s) - morphogenesis , asymmetry , biology , primordium , gastrointestinal tract , process (computing) , anatomy , evolutionary biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , physics , computer science , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , gene , operating system
The gastrointestinal tract is an asymmetrically patterned organ system. The signals which initiate left‐right asymmetry in the developing embryo have been extensively studied, but the downstream steps required to confer asymmetric morphogenesis on the gut organ primordia are less well understood. In this paper we outline key findings on the tissue mechanics underlying gut asymmetry, across a range of species, and use these to synthesise a conserved model for asymmetric gut morphogenesis. We also discuss the importance of correct establishment of left‐right asymmetry for gut development and the consequences of perturbations in this process.