LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they believe they have discovered how the body, during its development, "knows" where to place certain organs.
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., have discovered the rotational beating of cilia -- hair-like structures found on most cells -- is essential to the process.
Lead researcher Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte says the team identified a novel factor that links early developmental signals with the function of cilia and their role in controlling left-right specification in zebrafish.
"When we altered the function of the gene duboraya, we saw problems with cilia formation, although the gene product itself is not a part of the structure. This opens up a new area of research," said Belmonte.
He said cilia are not only critically involved in specifying left-right sidedness during development, but they help move fluid and mucus around the brain, lung, eye and kidney, and are required for smell, sight and reproduction. Medical conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, have been linked to structural defects in the architecture or in function of cilia.
The research is to appear in a forthcoming issue of Nature Genetics.
