Genetic analysis of the sushi domain protein Ccdc80 ub zebrafish heart development

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A fundamental question in heart biology is how this organ develops and assumes its mature, adult form. The heart must continue to maintain blood flow in the developing embryo while still growing and undergoing concerted cell movements that convert a linear heart tube into a complex structure. Due to its optical clarity, rapid external development, and amenability to genetic approaches, the zebrafish has become a powerful tool to study how genes regulate heart development. In a large-scale screen for genes that play important roles in heart development I have identified a mutation that affects how the endocardium (inner lining of the heart) and myocardium (muscular layer of the heart) communicate to ensure that the heart assumes proper shape and function. This mutation blocks production of a protein called Ccdc80. Of great interest is the fact that Ccdc80 is a novel, potentially secreted, protein of unknown function.