title: Leaning to the left: laterality in the zebrafish forebrain.
abstract: How the brain becomes lateralized is poorly understood. By contrast, much is known about molecular cues that specify the left-right axis of the body, fashioning the asymmetric morphology and positioning of the visceral organs. In zebrafish, the Nodal signaling pathway functions in visceral asymmetry and also in the embryonic brain, to bias laterality of the epithalamus. Formation of an asymmetric pineal complex differentially influences adjacent diencephalic nuclei, the left and right habenulae, which acquire distinctive molecular and cellular features. Results from the genetically tractable zebrafish system provide a promising entry point for exploring how left-right biases are established and propagated in the developing vertebrate brain.
authors.affiliation: Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Embryology, 115 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA. halpern@ciwemb.edu
authors.forename: Marnie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Jennifer O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Joshua T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Gamse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019261:Epithalamus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D055457:Nodal Protein; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D055457:Nodal Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta