Fig. 6. Arterial defects in Chrd^-/- newborns. Frontal (A-C) and posterior (D-F) views of the outflow tract and great vessels of wild-type (A,D) and two Chrd^-/- (B,C,E,F) neonates. The auricles have been removed to facilitate observation. In the wild-type (A,D) the aorta (Ao) and the pulmonary trunk (Pt) are separate. The aorta begins at the left ventricle and turns to the left. The descending aorta (dAo) is located on the left side of the oesophagus (oe). The brachiocephalic artery (bc) branches from the right side of the aortic arch giving rise to the right common carotid (rcc) and the right subclavian arteries (rs). The left common carotid (lcc) and the left subclavian (ls) emerge directly from the aortic arch. (B,E) Mutant animal with left-turning aortic arch. The left and right common carotids originate in the truncus arteriosus (Ta). The brachiocephalic artery is absent and the right subclavian is abnormally located posterior to the oesophagus. The left (lpa) and right (rpa) pulmonary arteries arise from the most proximal part of the truncus. (C,F) Mutant animal with right-turning aortic arch. Forty percent of the mutants present abnormal right turning of the aorta. The descending aorta is placed on the right side of the oesophagus and the left subclavian runs posterior to it. Several vessels have been outlined to facilitate observation. rl, right lung; ll, left lung; lpv, left pulmonary vein; rpv, right pulmonary vein.

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