Cell Interactions and Cell Fate Specification

细胞相互作用和细胞命运规范

• 批准号: 9406446
• 负责人: Charles Ettensohn
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Carnegie-Mellon University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-09-01 至 1998-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9406446&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Cell; Interactions; Fate; Specification

The long term objective of this research program is to elucidate the mechanisms of cell interactions that control cell fates during early embryogenesis. Signaling between embryonic cells is a fundamental mechanism of cell fate specification in all multicellular animals. An understanding of cell-cell interactions in the early embryo will require not only an analysis of the molecular basis of the signaling, but also an understanding of the cellular context of such interactions within the embryo. With these goals in mind, the proposed research program involves an integration of cellular and molecular methodologies. The P.I. will apply these experimental strategies to the developing sea urchin embryo, a manipulable, optically transparent experimental system. He plans to focus on a key regulatory interaction that occurs between the two principal populations of mesodermal cells in the embryo, primary and secondary mesenchyme cells (PMCs and SMCs). PMCs transmit a signal during gastrulation that suppresses the skeletogenic potential of SMCs and directs these cells into an alternative developmental program. This interaction plays an important role in the specification of SMC fates and the process of skeletogenesis, and serves as a model system to study embryonic regulation and cell signalling in the early embryo. Three key aspects of the PMC-SMC interaction are to be addressed: (1) the development of new methods for studying the dynamics of cell fate-switching in living embryos; (2) the properties and molecular basis of PMC signaling; and (3) the properties of the responding SMCs. The proposed research will significantly advance our understanding of a central issue in developmental biology. In addition, this research program will continue to support the training and development of young developmental biologists at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels.

该研究计划的长期目标是阐明早期胚胎发生过程中控制细胞命运的细胞相互作用机制。 胚胎细胞之间的信号传导是所有多细胞动物细胞命运规范的基本机制。 了解早期胚胎中细胞间相互作用不仅需要分析信号传导的分子基础，还需要了解胚胎内此类相互作用的细胞背景。 考虑到这些目标，拟议的研究计划涉及细胞和分子方法学的整合。 P.I.将把这些实验策略应用于正在发育的海胆胚胎，这是一个可操作的、光学透明的实验系统。 他计划重点研究胚胎中两个主要中胚层细胞群、初级间充质细胞和次级间充质细胞（PMC 和 SMC）之间发生的关键调控相互作用。 PMC 在原肠胚形成过程中传递信号，抑制 SMC 的成骨潜力，并引导这些细胞进入替代的发育程序。 这种相互作用在 SMC 命运和骨骼发生过程的规范中发挥着重要作用，并可作为研究早期胚胎中胚胎调控和细胞信号传导的模型系统。 PMC-SMC相互作用的三个关键方面有待解决：（1）开发研究活体胚胎中细胞命运转换动态的新方法； (2) PMC信号传导的特性和分子基础； (3) 响应 SMC 的特性。 拟议的研究将显着增进我们对发育生物学核心问题的理解。 此外，该研究计划将继续支持本科生、研究生和博士后水平的年轻发育生物学家的培训和发展。