A Variant of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 (Fgfr2) Regulates Left-Right Asymmetry in Zebrafish
2011

Fgfr2 Regulates Left-Right Asymmetry in Zebrafish

Sample size: 375 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Liu Da-Wei, Hsu Chia-Hao, Tsai Su-Mei, Hsiao Chung-Der, Wang Wen-Pin

Primary Institution: Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

Hypothesis

What role does Fgfr2 signaling play in zebrafish left-right asymmetry?

Conclusion

Fgfr2c is crucial for maintaining left-right asymmetry during zebrafish development.

Supporting Evidence

  • In 94.1% of wild type embryos, the liver bud was located on the left side and the pancreatic bud on the right.
  • In fgfr2c morphants, 29.6% of embryos exhibited abnormal left-right asymmetry.
  • The expression of lefty1 was absent in most fgfr2c morphants, indicating disruption of the molecular midline barrier.
  • Cilia length was reduced in fgfr2c morphants compared to wild type embryos.

Takeaway

This study found that a specific gene, Fgfr2c, helps zebrafish develop their organs in a left-right pattern, and when it's disrupted, the organs can end up on the wrong side.

Methodology

The researchers used morpholinos to block specific fgfr2 variants and analyzed the resulting effects on organ positioning and gene expression in zebrafish embryos.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on zebrafish, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other species.

Participant Demographics

Zebrafish embryos were used in the study.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.0001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0021793

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