Vertebrate myosin 1d regulates left–right organizer morphogenesis and laterality

Abstract

Establishing left–right asymmetry is a fundamental process essential for arrangement of visceral organs during development. In vertebrates, motile cilia-driven fluid flow in the left–right organizer (LRO) is essential for initiating symmetry breaking event. Here, we report that myosin 1d (myo1d) is essential for establishing left–right asymmetry in zebrafish. Using super-resolution microscopy, we show that the zebrafish LRO, Kupffer’s vesicle (KV), fails to form a spherical lumen and establish proper unidirectional flow in the absence of myo1d. This process requires directed vacuolar trafficking in KV epithelial cells. Interestingly, the vacuole transporting function of zebrafish Myo1d can be substituted by myosin1C derived from an ancient eukaryote, Acanthamoeba castellanii, where it regulates the transport of contractile vacuoles. Our findings reveal an evolutionary conserved role for an unconventional myosin in vacuole trafficking, lumen formation, and determining laterality.