Abstract
Left-right asymmetries in the zebrafish habenular nuclei are dependent upon the formation of the parapineal, a unilateral group of neurons that arise from the medially positioned pineal complex. In this study, we show that both the left and right habenula are competent to adopt left-type molecular character and efferent connectivity upon the presence of only a few parapineal cells. This ability to impart left-sided character is lost in parapineal cells lacking Sox1a function, despite the normal specification of the parapineal itself. Precisely timed laser ablation experiments demonstrate that the parapineal influences neurogenesis in the left habenula at early developmental stages as well as neurotransmitter phenotype and efferent connectivity during subsequent stages of habenular differentiation. These results reveal a tight coordination between the formation of the unilateral parapineal nucleus and emergence of asymmetric habenulae, ensuring that appropriate lateralised character is propagated within left and right-sided circuitry.
Highlights
You should state the statistical method of sample size computation and any required assumptions
If no explicit power analysis was used, you should describe how you decided what sample size to use Please outline where this information can be found within the submission, or explain why this information doesn’t apply to your submission: Information about sample size is provided in the Methods section of the Manuscript
High-throughput sequence data should be uploaded before submission, with a private link for reviewers provided. Please outline where this information can be found within the submission, or explain why this information doesn’t apply to your submission: Information about experimental replicates and data excluded from analysis can be found in the Methods section of the manuscript
Summary
You should state the statistical method of sample size computation and any required assumptions If no explicit power analysis was used, you should describe how you decided what sample (replicate) size (number) to use Please outline where this information can be found within the submission (e.g., sections or figure legends), or explain why this information doesn’t apply to your submission: Information about sample size is provided in the Methods section of the Manuscript.
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