Opinion
Cilia, calcium and the basis of left-right asymmetry
Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
BMC Biology 2012, 10:102 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-10-102
Published: 19 December 2012Abstract
The clockwise rotation of cilia in the developing mammalian embryo drives a leftward flow of liquid; this genetically regulated biophysical force specifies left-right asymmetry of the mammalian body. How leftward flow is interpreted and information propagated to other tissues is the subject of debate. Four recent papers have shed fresh light on the possible mechanisms.
