Abstract
Vertebrates exhibit an extensive asymmetry of the internal organs with respect to the left–right axis that is established during embryogenesis and persists in the mature organism. In several vertebrate models, calcium has been found to play an essential role in left–right patterning. This chapter discusses the conserved and divergent mechanisms regulating left–right axis development in vertebrate model organisms, and describes the role of calcium at different steps in this process. Calcium levels have been proposed to modulate dynein-regulated microtubule sliding, and thereby affect the waveform of Clamydomonas flagella and the motility of sea-urchin sperm flagella. Since CaMKII is known to be an important component of calcium signaling in zebrafish left right (LR) development, it is possible that CaMKII directly or indirectly regulates dynein activity in KV cilia. Alternatively, proper calcium homeostasis and signaling might be required for the biogenesis of ultrastructurally normal motile KV cilia. Studies indicate that it is possible that increased intracellular calcium might stimulate production of a currently unknown left-sided determinant, or enhance the activity of a particular signaling pathway. Given the ease of forward and reverse genetic techniques in the zebrafish, it is likely to serve as an excellent model for future studies aiming to tease out the intermediates between asymmetric calcium and asymmetric gene expression, and also between calcium signaling and cilia motility.
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