Stochastic left-right neuronal asymmetry in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Left-right asymmetry in the nervous system is observed across species. Defects in left-right cerebral asymmetry are linked to several neurological diseases, but the molecular mechanisms underlying brain asymmetry in vertebrates are still not very well understood. The Caenorhabditis elegans left and right amphid wing 'C' (AWC) olfactory neurons communicate through intercellular calcium signalling in a transient embryonic gap junction neural network to specify two asymmetric subtypes, AWCOFF(default) and AWCON(induced), in a stochastic manner. Here, we highlight the molecular mechanisms that establish and maintain stochastic AWC asymmetry. As the components of the AWC asymmetry pathway are highly conserved, insights from the model organism C. elegans may provide a window onto how brain asymmetry develops in humans.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
Amel
A
Alqadah
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
Yi-Wen
YW
Hsieh
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
Rui
R
Xiong
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60607, USA chioufen.chuang@gmail.com.
Chiou-Fen
0000-0001-7469-076X
CF
Chuang
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
Caenorhabditis elegans; neuronal asymmetry; stochasticity