Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2010
Capstone Advisor
Dr. Craig Albertson
Honors Reader
Dr. Eleanor Maine
Capstone Major
Biology
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Sciences and Engineering
Subject Categories
Biology | Genetics | Genetics and Genomics
Abstract
Laterality, the preference for development on one side of the body, is essential to the vertebrate body plan. While the vertebrate skeleton usually develops symmetrically, the processes underlying craniofacial laterality are not well understood. Using zebrafish and cichlids as model organisms, this study focuses on the molecular basis of symmetric craniofacial development. Fgf8, Retinoic Acid, and wnt11 were examined to analyze their involvement in regulating craniofacial laterality. Fgf8 is known to play a role in proper jaw development. Because fgf8 and Retinoic Acid interact to achieve laterality of the somites during somitogenesis, the role of Retinoic Acid in regulating craniofacial laterality was also investigated. Wnt11 was analyzed because it was recently mapped to a chromosomal region in cichlids that is associated with the regulation of asymmetric jaw development. Wnt signaling is also known to be involved in regulating asymmetries in the developing heart field. By comparing the jaws of wild type and Retinoic Acid deficient zebrafish, we show that Retinoic Acid function promotes symmetric craniofacial development. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), we provide evidence that Fgf8 and Retinoic Acid interact to achieve laterality of the pharyngeal cartilages. Additionally, WISH was used to show the asymmetric expression of wnt11 in developing wild type cichlids. By treating cichlid embryos with LiCl, we show that the over expression of Wnt signaling can induce craniofacial asymmetries. We provide potential models to explain the roles of fgf8, Retinoic Acid, and wnt11 in regulating craniofacial laterality.
Recommended Citation
Adams, Karen, "A Molecular Basis for Craniofacial Laterality in Fishes" (2010). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 363.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/363
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
