PUBLICATION

Mechanisms of directional asymmetry in the zebrafish epithalamus

Authors
Concha, M.L., Signore, I.A., and Colombo, A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-090706-2
Date
2009
Source
Seminars in cell & developmental biology   20(4): 498-509 (Review)
Registered Authors
Concha, Miguel
Keywords
Brain asymmetry, Laterality, Modularity, Development, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Epithalamus/embryology*
  • Functional Laterality*
  • Habenula
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
19560050 Full text @ Sem. Cell Dev. Biol.
Abstract
The epithalamus of zebrafish presents the best-studied case of directional asymmetry in the vertebrate brain. Epithalamic asymmetries are coupled to visceral asymmetry and include left-sided migration of a single midline structure (the parapineal organ) and asymmetric differentiation of paired bilateral nuclei (habenulae). The mechanisms underlying the establishment of epithalamic asymmetry involve the interplay between anti-symmetry and laterality signals to guide asymmetric parapineal migration. This event triggers the amplification of habenular asymmetries and the subsequent organisation of lateralised circuits in the interpeduncular nucleus. This review will summarise our current understanding on these processes and propose a sequential modular organisation of the events controlling the development of asymmetry along the parapineal-habenular-interpeduncular axis.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping