Role of actin polymerization in bending of the early heart tube
Open Access
- 28 June 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Developmental Dynamics
- Vol. 233 (4) , 1272-1286
- https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.20488
Abstract
During cardiac c‐looping, the heart transforms from a straight tube into a c‐shaped tube, presenting the first evidence of left–right asymmetry in the embryo. C‐looping consists of two primary deformation components: ventral bending and dextral rotation. This study examines the role of actin polymerization in bending of the heart tube. Exposure of stage 9–11 chick embryos to low concentrations of the actin polymerization inhibitors cytochalasin D (5 nM–2.0 μM) and latrunculin A (LA; 25 nM–2.0 μM) suppressed looping in a stage‐ and concentration‐dependent manner in both whole embryos and isolated hearts. Local exposure of either the dorsal or ventral sides of isolated hearts to LA also inhibited looping, but less than global exposure, indicating that both sides contribute to the bending mechanism. Taken together, these data suggest that ongoing actin polymerization is required for the bending component of cardiac c‐looping, and we speculate that polymerization‐driven myocardial cell shape changes cause this deformation. Developmental Dynamics 233:1272–1286, 2005.Keywords
This publication has 46 references indexed in Scilit:
- Heart fields: one, two or more?Developmental Biology, 2004
- The role of mechanical forces in dextral rotation during cardiac looping in the chick embryoDevelopmental Biology, 2004
- Degradation of hyaluronic acid does not prevent looping of the mammalian heart in situDevelopmental Biology, 1989
- Myocardial cell shape change as a mechanism of embryonic heart loopingDevelopmental Biology, 1972
- Early cardiac morphogenesis is independent of functionDevelopmental Biology, 1972
- Mechanism of dextral looping of the embryonic heartThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1970
- Developmental landmarks in cardiac morphogenesis: Comparative chronologyThe American Journal of Cardiology, 1970
- Regional mitotic activity in the precardiac mesoderm and differentiating heart tube in the chick embryoDevelopmental Biology, 1969
- SPECIAL ARTICLECirculation, 1967
- Cell Multiplication Rates During Development of the Primitive Cardiac Tube in the Chick EmbryoNature, 1966