The Evolution of Retinoid Signaling in Deuterostomes: Insights from Hemichordates

后口动物类维生素A信号传导的演变：来自半索动物的见解

• 批准号: 1258169
• 负责人: Christopher Lowe
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-02-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1258169&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Evolution; Retinoid; Signaling; Deuterostomes; Insights; Evolution; Retinoid; Signaling; Deuterostomes; Insights

This project will investigate the role of a small molecule, retinoic acid, during the embryonic development of a representative of hemichordates; a group of animals closely related to our own phylum, the chordates. Unlike most other molecular signaling pathways, it was thought that retinoic acid signaling was a unique and important innovation of our own phylum. However, recent comparative genome studies have identified all the main components of the pathway in many other animal groups, yet there are currently no functional studies outside of our phylum to determine how this pathway evolved such important roles in vertebrate development. In this project, the major genes involved in the synthesis and reception of retinoic acid at the cellular level will be cloned and investigated and the function(s) manipulated using genetic and developmental tools. It is anticipated that these experiments will reveal that the retinoic acid signaling pathway plays multiple roles in defining the major organizational axes of hemichordate embryos, such as the head to tail or anteroposterior axis, and the front to back or dorsoventral axis. The retinoic acid pathway plays many roles in vertebrate biology and yet some of the details of these functions are poorly understood. These experiments will help clarify how this pathway functions to define the major animal axes during development in a simple animal system. Axis development is one of the most fundamental elements to building animal form and function, and elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings is essential for a better understanding of how animal body plans are assembled following fertilization. This project will train students, including members of groups underrepresented in science, in laboratory research and critical thinking. It will also support an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to educate the public about marine ecosystems.

该项目将研究一个小分子视黄酸在半色的胚胎发育中的作用。一群与我们自己的门弦群密切相关的动物。与大多数其他分子信号通路不同，视黄酸信号传导是我们自己的门的独特而重要的创新。但是，最近的比较基因组研究已经确定了许多其他动物群体中该​​途径的所有主要组成部分，但是目前我们的门外尚无功能研究来确定该途径在脊椎动物发育中如何发展出如此重要的作用。在该项目中，将克隆和研究在细胞水平上合成和接受视黄酸的合成和接受的主要基因，并使用遗传和发育工具来操纵该功能。可以预料，这些实验将表明视黄酸信号通路在定义半侧胚胚的主要组织轴上起多种作用，例如头部到尾或前后轴，以及前后轴的前后轴。视黄酸途径在脊椎动物生物学中起着许多作用，但这些功能的一些细节知之甚少。这些实验将有助于阐明该途径在简单动物系统中如何定义开发过程中主要动物轴的功能。轴发展是建立动物形式和功能的最基本要素之一，阐明机械基础对于更好地理解受精后动物体计划的组装方式至关重要。 该项目将培训学生，包括在实验室研究和批判性思维领域的科学领域人数不足的团体的成员。 它还将支持蒙特雷湾水族馆的展览，以向公众提供有关海洋生态系统的教育。