Actin bundles on the right side in the caudal part of the heart tube play a role in dextro-looping in the embryonic chick heart

Abstract

The role of actin bundles on the heart looping of chick embryos was examined by using cytochalasin B, which binds to the barbed end of actin filaments and inhibits association of the subunits. It was applied to embryos cultured according to New's method. Looping did not occur when cytochalasin B was applied diffusely in the medium. Further, we disorganized actin bundles in a limited part of the heart tube to examine the role of actin bundles in each part in asymmetry formation. A small crystal of cytochalasin B was applied to the caudal part of the heart tube on either the left or right side. The disorganization of actin bundles on the left side resulted in the right-bending of the heart, an initial sign of dextro-looping (normal pattern), and right side disorganization resulted in left-bending. We suggest that actin bundles on the right side of the caudal part of a heart tube generate tension and cause dextro-looping. Embryos whose hearts bent to the right rotated their heads to the right, and embryos with left-bent-hearts rotated their heads to the left. The rotation of the heart tube may therefore decide in which direction the body axis rotates.