Rho-associated kinases (Rho kinases), which are downstream effectors of RhoA GTPase, regulate diverse cellular functions including actin cytoskeletal organization. We have demonstrated that Rho kinases also direct the early stages of chick and mouse embryonic morphogenesis. We observed that Rho kinase transcripts were enriched in cardiac mesoderm, lateral plate mesoderm and the neural plate. Treatment of neurulating embryos with Y27632, a specific inhibitor of Rho kinases, blocked migration and fusion of the bilateral heart primordia, formation of the brain and neural tube, caudalward movement of Hensen’s node, and establishment of normal left-right asymmetry. Moreover, Y27632 induced precocious expression of cardiac α-actin, an early marker of cardiomyocyte differentiation, coincident with the upregulated expression of serum response factor and GATA4. In addition, specific antisense oligonucleotides significantly diminished Rho kinase mRNA levels and replicated many of the teratologies induced by Y27632. Thus, our study reveals new biological functions for Rho kinases in regulating major morphogenetic events during early chick and mouse development.
History of our journals
As our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 years old, read about Development’s journey and highlights from some its first issues, and explore the history of each of our sister journals: Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology
In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
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