Emx2 is an essential regulator of ciliated cell development across embryonic tissues.

Cilia are hair-like organelles with vital physiological roles, and ciliogenesis defects underlie a range of severe congenital malformations and human diseases. Here, we report that is essential for cilia development across multiple embryonic tissues including the ear, neuromasts and Kupffer's vesicle (KV), which establishes left/right axial pattern. deficient embryos manifest altered fluid homeostasis and kidney defects including decreased multiciliated cells (MCCs), determining that is essential to properly establish several renal lineages.

Using Zebrafish to Study Multiciliated Cell Development and Disease States.

Multiciliated cells (MCCs) serve many important functions, including fluid propulsion and chemo- and mechanosensing. Diseases ranging from rare conditions to the recent COVID-19 global health pandemic have been linked to MCC defects. In recent years, the zebrafish has emerged as a model to investigate the biology of MCCs.