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Nodal signaling promotes the speed and directional movement of cardiomyocytes in zebrafish
Author(s) -
de CamposBaptista Maria Ines Medeiros,
Holtzman Nathalia Glickman,
Yelon Deborah,
Schier Alexander F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21777
Subject(s) - nodal , zebrafish , nodal signaling , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , morphogenesis , mutant , organogenesis , signal transduction , phenotype , anatomy , genetics , gastrulation , embryo , gene , embryogenesis
Members of the Nodal family regulate left‐right asymmetry during vertebrate organogenesis, but it is unclear how Nodal signaling controls asymmetric morphogenesis at the cellular level. We used high‐resolution time‐lapse imaging in zebrafish to compare the movements of cardiomyocytes in the presence or absence of Nodal signaling. Loss of Nodal signaling in late‐zygotic mutants for the Nodal co‐receptor one ‐ eyed pinhead (LZ oep ) abolished the leftward movement of cardiomyocytes. Global heart rotation was blocked but cardiomyocyte neighbor relationships were maintained as in wild type. Cardiomyocytes in LZ oep mutants moved more slowly and less directionally than their wild‐type counterparts. The phenotypes observed in the absence of Nodal signaling strongly resemble abnormalities found in BMP signaling mutants. These results indicate that a Nodal‐BMP signaling cascade drives left‐right heart morphogenesis by regulating the speed and direction of cardiomyocyte movement. Developmental Dynamics 237:3624–3633, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.