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The activity of the Nodal antagonist Cerl-2 in the mouse node is required for correct L/R body axis

Sara Marques1, Ana Cristina Borges, Ana Cristina Silva

  • 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal.

Genes & Development
|October 7, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Cerl-2, a Nodal antagonist, is crucial for establishing left/right body asymmetry in mouse embryos. Its asymmetric expression prevents Nodal signaling on the right, ensuring proper embryonic development and laterality.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Left/right (L/R) body asymmetry is vital for embryonic development.
  • The Nodal signaling pathway is conserved and essential for establishing L/R asymmetry.
  • Nodal expression in the left lateral plate mesoderm (L-LPM) is critical, dependent on Nodal presence in the node.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the function of cerl-2, a novel Nodal antagonist.
  • To investigate the role of cerl-2 in L/R body asymmetry.
  • To understand how cerl-2 restricts Nodal signaling during embryonic development.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of cerl-2 function.
  • Analysis of cerl-2 knockout mouse models.
  • Genetic manipulation involving Nodal alleles.

Main Results:

  • Cerl-2 exhibits asymmetric expression on the right side of the mouse node.
  • Cerl-2 knockout mice display significant laterality defects, including randomized L/R axis.
  • Partial rescue of defects was observed when one Nodal allele was removed.

Conclusions:

  • Cerl-2 is a key regulator of L/R body asymmetry in mouse embryos.
  • Cerl-2 restricts Nodal signaling to the left side by inhibiting its activity on the right.
  • Understanding cerl-2 function provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of embryonic asymmetry.

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