TableEdit

Yoshioka, H, Meno, C, Koshiba, K, Sugihara, M, Itoh, H, Ishimaru, Y, Inoue, T, Ohuchi, H, Semina, EV, Murray, JC, Hamada, H and Noji, S (1998) Pitx2, a bicoid-type homeobox gene, is involved in a lefty-signaling pathway in determination of left-right asymmetry. Cell 94:299-305

Signaling molecules such as Activin, Sonic hedgehog, Nodal, Lefty, and Vg1 have been found to be involved in determination of left-right (L-R) asymmetry in the chick, mouse, or frog. However, a common signaling pathway has not yet been identified in vertebrates. We report that Pitx2, a bicoid-type homeobox gene expressed asymmetrically in the left lateral plate mesoderm, may be involved in determination of L-R asymmetry in both mouse and chick. Since Pitx2 appears to be downstream of lefty-1 in the mouse pathway, we examined whether mouse Lefty proteins could affect the expression of Pitx2 in the chick. Our results indicate that a common pathway from lefty-1 to Pitx2 likely exists for determination of L-R asymmetry in vertebrates.

PubMed

Animals; Body Patterning/genetics; Chick Embryo; Embryo, Mammalian; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes, Homeobox/physiology; Hedgehog Proteins; Homeodomain Proteins/biosynthesis; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics; Homeodomain Proteins/physiology; Left-Right Determination Factors; Mice; Models, Genetic; Nuclear Proteins; Paired Box Transcription Factors; Protein Biosynthesis; Proteins/genetics; Signal Transduction/genetics; Trans-Activators/genetics; Transcription Factors/biosynthesis; Transcription Factors/genetics; Transcription Factors/physiology; Transforming Growth Factor beta/physiology