PUBLICATION

Nodal signalling imposes left-right asymmetry upon neurogenesis in the habenular nuclei

Authors
Roussigné, M., Bianco, I.H., Wilson, S.W., and Blader, P.
ID
ZDB-PUB-090417-1
Date
2009
Source
Development (Cambridge, England)   136(9): 1549-1557 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bianco, Isaac, Blader, Patrick, Roussigné, Myriam, Wilson, Steve
Keywords
Nodal signalling, Asymmetry, Habenular nuclei, Neurogenesis, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Body Patterning*
  • Nodal Protein/genetics
  • Nodal Protein/metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
  • Habenula/embryology*
  • Habenula/metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Receptors, CXCR4/genetics
  • Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism
  • Neurogenesis*
  • Signal Transduction
(all 14)
PubMed
19363156 Full text @ Development
Abstract
The habenulae are evolutionarily conserved bilateral nuclei in the epithalamus that relay input from the forebrain to the ventral midbrain. In zebrafish, the habenulae display left-right (L/R) asymmetries in gene expression and axonal projections. The elaboration of habenular asymmetries requires the presence of a second asymmetric structure, the parapineal, the laterality of which is biased by unilateral Nodal signalling. Here we show that neurons are present earlier in the left habenula than in the right, but, in contrast to other habenular asymmetry phenotypes, this asymmetry in neurogenesis is not dependent on the parapineal. Embryos in which the L/R asymmetry in Nodal signalling is abolished display symmetric neurogenesis, revealing a requirement for this pathway in asymmetrically biasing neurogenesis. Our results provide evidence of a direct requirement for unilateral Nodal activity in establishing an asymmetry per se, rather than solely in biasing its laterality.
Genes / Markers
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Allele Construct Type Affected Genomic Region
knu3TgTransgenic Insertion
    sb1TgTransgenic Insertion
      u711TgTransgenic Insertion
        zf15TgTransgenic Insertion
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          Human Disease / Model
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          Sequence Targeting Reagents
          Target Reagent Reagent Type
          spawMO1-spawMRPHLNO
          tbxtaMO1-tbxtaMRPHLNO
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          Fish
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          Engineered Foreign Genes
          Marker Marker Type Name
          EGFPEFGEGFP
          GFPEFGGFP
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