NOTO (notochord homeobox) is a transcription factor essential for early embryonic development, particularly in notochord and node formation. Acting downstream of FOXA2 and Brachyury, NOTO regulates cell identity through complex gene-regulatory networks during zebrafish embryogenesis 1. A primary function of NOTO involves controlling cilia formation in the posterior notochord and mediating left-right axis patterning by acting upstream of ciliary regulators FOXJ1 and RFX3. NOTO activates transcription of multiple ciliary proteins required for axonemal assembly and function. The gene also plays a critical role in regulating axial versus paraxial mesoderm cell fate specification 1. NOTO mutations have been identified as notochord regulators with documented phenotypic consequences during development, as demonstrated through systematic in silico transcription factor perturbation studies. Loss of noto function produces previously unreported developmental phenotypes, highlighting its importance in coordinating cell identity decisions during embryogenesis 1. These functions establish NOTO as a key developmental transcription factor with implications for understanding left-right asymmetry, ciliogenesis, and mesodermal patterning during vertebrate development.