An important question in developmental biology is how vertebrate embryos acquire left-right asymmetry. Recent work has shown that in early embryos two TGF family members, nodal and lefty, are expressed in the left but not right lateral plate mesoderm, proceeding the asymmetry in the developing heart tube. Mutations in mice resulting in abnormal left-right asymmetry include iv (inversus viscerum) and lgl (legless), both which randomize left-right asymmetry. As iv functions upstream of nodal and lefty, it is likel to function very early in development. The PI has used positional cloning to clone the iv gene, and has identified it as an axonemal dynein heavy chain, named left/right dynein (lrd). This dynein heavy chain displays a mis-sense mutation in iv, and it is deleted in lgl.
The specific aims are designed to test the role of lrd in left/right asymmetry.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD036439-03
Application #
6182373
Study Section
Cellular Biology and Physiology Subcommittee 1 (CBY)
Program Officer
Klein, Steven
Project Start
1998-04-01
Project End
2001-03-31
Budget Start
2000-04-01
Budget End
2001-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$254,982
Indirect Cost
Name
Yale University
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520