Zebrafish Ndr1 Antibody / Nodal-related 1

Zebrafish Nodal related 1 is considered a functional homolog of human NODAL, although it is not a direct one to one ortholog due to lineage specific gene duplications in teleost fish. However, both proteins are part of the same signaling pathway and perform highly conserved roles in vertebrate embryogenesis. Like human NODAL, zebrafish Nodal related 1 signals through the SMAD family of transcription factors and is regulated by feedback mechanisms involving antagonists such as Lefty and Cerberus. Expression of Nodal related 1 begins during the blastula stage and becomes concentrated in the embryonic margin, where it helps induce and pattern the mesendoderm. Mutations or knockdown of this gene result in severe defects in gastrulation, germ layer formation, and organ development. Due to its essential role in vertebrate development and strong functional conservation, zebrafish Nodal related 1 is widely studied in developmental biology, cell signaling, and disease modeling.