roles of serotonin in the body axis formation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Serotonin is a well-known neurotransmitter involved in sociality and/or behavior of animal. In the present study, we revealed that Tphd2, a serotonin synthesis emzyme, is expressed in the organizer in zebrafish. In addition, serotonin itself is expressed during gastrulation depending on the organizer. Inhibition of Tphd2 by antisense resulted in shortened body axis. Molecular and developmental studies demonstrated that Thpd2 is required for migration of cells toward to the dorsal region during morphogenesis. Finally, the results clearly indicate that serotonin is involved in early body patterning in zebrafish development.