The generation of morphological, such as left–right, asymmetry during development is an
integral part of the establishment of a body plan. Until recently, the molecular basis of left …

The heart develops from two bilateral heart fields that are formed during early gastrulation. In
recent years, signaling pathways that specify cardiac mesoderm have been extensively …

Misregulated gene expression in human hearts can result in cardiovascular diseases that
are leading causes of mortality worldwide. However, the limited information on the genomic …

Background—Intergenic variations on chromosome 4q25, close to the PITX2 transcription
factor gene, are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We therefore tested whether adult …

The basic vertebrate body plan of the zebrafish embryo is established in the first 10 hours of
development. This period is characterized by the formation of the anterior-posterior and …

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent sustained cardiac arrhythmia, often coexists with
the related arrhythmia atrial flutter (AFL). Limitations in effectiveness and safety of current …

There is widespread interest in defining factors and mechanisms that stimulate proliferation
of pancreatic islet cells. Wnt signaling is an important regulator of organ growth and cell …

Background—Pitx2 is a homeobox transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in early
left/right determination during embryonic development. Pitx2 loss-of-function mouse mutants …

Generation of laterality depends on a pathway which involves the asymmetrically expressed
genes nodal, Ebaf, Leftb, and Pitx2 [1–3]. In mouse, node monocilia are required upstream …

In 2000, The International Nomenclature Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart
Disease was established. This committee eventually evolved into the International Society …