Building an asymmetric brain: development of the zebrafish epithalamus

Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2009 Jun;20(4):491-7. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2008.11.008. Epub 2008 Nov 25.

Abstract

The human brain exhibits notable asymmetries. Little is known about these symmetry deviations; however scientists are beginning to understand them by employing the lateralized zebrafish epithalamus as a model. The zebrafish epithalamus consists of the pineal and parapineal organs and paired habenular nuclei located bilateral to the pineal complex. While zebrafish pineal and parapineal organs arise from a common population of cells, parapineal cells undergo a separate program that allows them to migrate left of the pineal anlage. Studying the processes that lead to brain laterality in zebrafish will allow a better understanding of how human brain laterality is established.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / embryology*
  • Embryonic Development
  • Epithalamus / embryology*
  • Functional Laterality*
  • Zebrafish