Chemokines and their receptors play a pivotal role in numerous biological processes, including immune homeostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, brain and heart development.
Genetic deletion of either molecule leads to a similar phenotype in mouse embryos [2] [4] that is characterized by defective lymphopoiesis and myelopoiesis, imperfect vasculature, abnormal brain and heart development leading to perinatal death.
Studies with Tph1-KO mice have shown that maternal serotonin production is important for normal brain and heart development of the fetus [ 17, 28, 48].
Mouse embryos deficient in vinculin are small and die at day E10.5 with major defects in brain and heart development (Xu et al., 1998a).
Interestingly, the human cDNA homologous to rat NRXN1-α has been isolated in both brain and heart tissues suggesting a potential role for Neurexin-1 in both brain and heart development [Nagase et al., 1998].
Similarly, maternal and zygotic Dicer mutant zebrafish embryos had morphogenetic defects during the gastrulation, brain formation, somitogenesis, and heart development (Giraldez et al. 2005).
Another set of BMs belong to TFs that are related to muscle and heart development [ 44], such as PITX2, MEF2, NKX2.5 and LUN1 (Tables 2, 4), and some to brain development: PAX4, NRL, OTX2 (Tables 2, 4).
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and trout now get plenty of press for all sorts of benefits beyond protecting against heart disease, including fostering brain and eye development in kids and helping ease depression.
BAF60c, encoded by Smarcd3 gene, is preferentially expressed in skeletal muscle, brain, and heart, and has been identified as an important regulator of heart and retina development (Lickert et al., 2004; Lamba et al., 2008).
Rosy cheeks, man brain, and heart of a lion!
