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The myosin ID pathway and left–right asymmetry in Drosophila
Author(s) -
Géminard Charles,
GonzálezMorales Nicanor,
Coutelis JeanBaptiste,
Noselli Stéphane
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.22763
Subject(s) - bilateria , biology , adherens junction , myosin , drosophila (subgenus) , asymmetry , ultrabithorax , drosophila melanogaster , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , evolutionary biology , actin , gene , hox gene , anatomy , gene expression , cadherin , phylogenetic tree , physics , cell , quantum mechanics
Summary Drosophila is a classical model to study body patterning, however left‐right (L/R) asymmetry had remained unexplored, until recently. The discovery of the conserved myosin ID gene as a major determinant of L/R asymmetry has revealed a novel L/R pathway involving the actin cytoskeleton and the adherens junction. In this process, the HOX gene Abdominal‐B plays a major role through the control of myosin ID expression and therefore symmetry breaking. In this review, we present organs and markers showing L/R asymmetry in Drosophila and discuss our current understanding of the underlying molecular genetic mechanisms. Drosophila represents a valuable model system revealing novel strategies to establish L/R asymmetry in invertebrates and providing an evolutionary perspective to the problem of laterality in bilateria. genesis 52:471–480, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.