Nodal homolog

NODAL
Available structures
PDB	Ortholog search: PDBe RCSB
List of PDB id codes
	4N1D
Identifiers
Aliases	NODAL, HTX5, nodal growth differentiation factor
External IDs	OMIM: 601265; MGI: 97359; HomoloGene: 8417; GeneCards: NODAL; OMA:NODAL - orthologs
Gene location (Human)
Chr.	Chromosome 10 (human)
End	70,447,951 bp
Gene location (Mouse)
Chr.	Chromosome 10 (mouse)
End	61,261,117 bp
RNA expression pattern
	Top expressed in
	testicle; ; sperm; ; oocyte; ; gastrocnemius muscle; ; gonad; ; gastric mucosa; ; muscle of thigh; ; retinal pigment epithelium; ; striated muscle tissue; ; deltoid muscle;
	Top expressed in
	mesoderm; ; lateral plate mesoderm; ; embryonic organizer; ; primitive endoderm; ; inner cell mass; ; embryo; ; mucous cell of stomach; ; substantia nigra; ; internal carotid artery; ; external carotid artery;
	More reference expression data
	n/a
Gene ontology
Molecular function	receptor ligand activity; cytokine activity; type I activin receptor binding; morphogen activity; transforming growth factor beta receptor binding; growth factor activity;
Cellular component	extracellular region; extracellular space;
Biological process	trophectodermal cellular morphogenesis; left lung morphogenesis; nodal signaling pathway involved in determination of lateral mesoderm left/right asymmetry; neural fold formation; maternal process involved in parturition; cell fate commitment; endoderm development; transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway involved in primitive streak formation; floor plate morphogenesis; endodermal cell differentiation; epiblast cell-extraembryonic ectoderm cell signaling involved in anterior/posterior axis specification; SMAD protein signal transduction; embryonic pattern specification; polarity specification of proximal/distal axis; positive regulation of nodal signaling pathway involved in determination of lateral mesoderm left/right asymmetry; digestive system development; positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion; lung development; positive regulation of epithelial cell proliferation; placenta development; negative regulation of cell differentiation; positive regulation of pathway-restricted SMAD protein phosphorylation; mesoderm formation; negative regulation of androgen receptor signaling pathway; gastrulation with mouth forming second; anatomical structure formation involved in morphogenesis; positive regulation of DNA-binding transcription factor activity; regulation of stem cell population maintenance; formation of anatomical boundary; embryonic placenta development; in utero embryonic development; negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II; negative regulation of trophoblast cell migration; tissue morphogenesis; BMP signaling pathway; nervous system development; positive regulation of angiogenesis; embryonic heart tube development; nodal signaling pathway; stem cell population maintenance; multicellular organism development; heart looping; embryonic process involved in female pregnancy; heart development; positive regulation of cysteine-type endopeptidase activity involved in apoptotic process; brain development; axial mesodermal cell fate specification; vasculature development; positive regulation of activin receptor signaling pathway; determination of left/right symmetry; maternal placenta development; regulation of signal transduction; gastrulation; trophectodermal cell differentiation; mesendoderm development; positive regulation of cell population proliferation; positive regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade; embryonic cranial skeleton morphogenesis; liver development; positive regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor production; cell migration involved in gastrulation; negative regulation of chorionic trophoblast cell proliferation; anterior/posterior axis specification; cell migration; regulation of gastrulation; primitive streak formation; negative regulation of cell development; positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II; digestive tract morphogenesis; positive regulation of SMAD protein signal transduction; anterior/posterior pattern specification; inhibition of neuroepithelial cell differentiation; cell development; regulation of signaling receptor activity; regulation of apoptotic process; regulation of MAPK cascade; signal transduction;
	Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs
	4838
	18119
	ENSG00000156574
	ENSMUSG00000037171
	Q96S42
	P43021
	NM_018055; NM_001329906
	NM_013611
	NP_001316835; NP_060525
	NP_038639
	Wikidata
View/Edit Human	View/Edit Mouse

Nodal homolog is a secretory protein that in humans is encoded by the NODAL gene which is located on chromosome 10q22.1. It belongs to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily). Like many other members of this superfamily it is involved in cell differentiation in early embryogenesis, playing a key role in signal transfer from the primitive node, in the anterior primitive streak, to lateral plate mesoderm (LPM).

Nodal signaling is important very early in development for mesoderm and endoderm formation and subsequent organization of left-right axial structures. In addition, Nodal seems to have important functions in neural patterning, stem cell maintenance and many other developmental processes, including left/right handedness.