Nodal activity in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) is required to activate left-sided Nodal signaling in the epithalamic region of the zebrafish forebrain. Epithalamic Nodal signaling subsequently determines the laterality of neuroanatomical asymmetries. We show that overactivation of Wnt/Axin1/beta-catenin signaling during late gastrulation leads to bilateral epithalamic expression of Nod...

We demonstrated previously that the activation of ALK7 (activin receptor-like kinase-7), a member of the type I receptor serine/threonine kinases of the TGF-β superfamily, resulted in increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation through suppression of Akt signaling and the activation of Smad2-dependent signaling pathway in pancreatic β-cells. Here, we show that Nodal activates ALK7 signaling a...

Background: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (NNKPTT) is the most common clinical occurrence, affecting hemodynamics and causing symptoms of palpitations dyspnea in patients. Of mechanisms that cause paroxysmal tachycardia, atrioventricular nodal re-entry (AVNRT), re-entrant (AVRT), atrial (AT) are difficult to distinguish each other. The electrocardiogram can be used confirm diagnose me...

Nodal signaling induces the formation of the endoderm and mesoderm during gastrulation. Nodal expression persists until the definitive endoderm progenitor has completely formed, and disappears thereafter. A tightly regulated Nodal expression system is essential for the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into distinct tissue lineages. On this basis, we established an ES cell differenti...

We have raised a mouse monoclonal antibody that reacts specifically with the myocytes of the sinoatrial node of the bovine heart. By use of this antibody (445-6E10) and antibodies against the gap junction protein connexin43, the periphery of the sinoatrial node and the distribution of gap junctions in the nodal region were studied. The reaction patterns of 445-6E10 and anti-connexin43 are exact...

During early zebrafish development the nodal signalling pathway patterns the embryo into three germ layers, in part by inducing the expression of no tail (ntl), which is essential for correct mesoderm formation. When nodal signalling is inhibited ntl fails to be expressed in the dorsal margin, but ventral ntl expression is unaffected. These observations indicate that ntl transcription is under ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate if nodal ratio has a prognostic role in the survival of patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the neck. METHODS Patients with recurrent NPC in the neck who were treated in Queen Mary Hospital from 2000 to 2011 were identified. Clinical data, pathological results, and survival outcome were analyzed. RESULTS Only noda...

Precise regulation of the signaling range of secreted molecules is essential for proper pattern formation during development. The Nodal family of TGF-beta proteins has been shown to function as both short- and long-range signals. But the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the regulation of the signaling range of zebrafish Nodal proteins Cyclops and Squint, whic...