Premium
Asymmetric neural development in the Caenorhabditis elegans olfactory system
Author(s) -
Hsieh YiWen,
Alqadah Amel,
Chuang ChiouFen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.22744
Subject(s) - caenorhabditis elegans , biology , neuroscience , neural development , olfactory system , antisymmetry , vertebrate , nervous system , function (biology) , caenorhabditis , central nervous system , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene , linguistics , philosophy
SUMMARY: Asymmetries in the nervous system have been observed throughout the animal kingdom. Deviations of brain asymmetries are associated with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders; however, there has been limited progress in determining how normal asymmetry is established in vertebrates. In the Caenorhabditis elegans chemosensory system, two pairs of morphologically symmetrical neurons exhibit molecular and functional asymmetries. This review focuses on the development of antisymmetry of the pair of a mphid w ing “ C ” (AWC) olfactory neurons, from transcriptional regulation of general cell identity, establishment of asymmetry through neural network formation and calcium signaling, to the maintenance of asymmetry throughout the life of the animal. Many of the factors that are involved in AWC development have homologs in vertebrates, which may potentially function in the development of vertebrate brain asymmetry. genesis 52:544–554, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.