Correlated Cell Movement in Embryogenesis

摘要原肠胚形成是脊椎动物胚胎生长发育过程中一个关键的结构转变过程。在不同种类的生物体中所涉及的发育过程具有共同的特征，因此可以从对小鼠和小鸡等模式生物体的研究中了解到许多关于人类胚胎发生的信息。最近，在鸡胚原肠形成过程中追踪单个细胞的运动已经成为可能。本提案的目的是构建一个基于个体的细胞运动模块化理论，这将允许直接解释这些数据。研究人员将从最简单的生物学上可行的模型开始，并添加新的特征（如额外的形态因子和化学信号，或更精细分化的细胞类型），在紧密的理论/实验合作中不断地将模型与实验数据进行比较。有了约束模型的数据，以及模型提出的可能情况，这些模型可以进行实验测试，研究人员希望能够对原肠胚形成有一个更完整、更可靠的理解。他们将把建模的重点放在鸡胚胎的基本发育过程上，特别是科勒镰刀的形成，原始条纹的发展，以及中胚层细胞通过条纹的侵入。研究人员将把这个研究项目与研究生和本科生的研究项目结合起来。这将使学生接触和参与广泛的国际和多学科的研究工作，包括新的理论思想和直接的实验应用。这项提议的研究与亚利桑那州立大学快速发展的跨学科生物物理学项目相吻合，该项目成功地吸引了女性和少数族裔学生。研究人员将把这项工作作为两个扩展计划的核心组成部分：一个旨在强调生命科学的进步如何通过跨学科研究产生；另一个是鼓励凤凰城地区弱势群体的高中生从事科学事业。

Correlated Cell Movement in Embryogenesis (Pilot Study)AbstractGastrulation is a key structural transition in the growth and development of the vertebrate embryo. The developmental processes involved share common features across a diverse array of organisms, so much can be learned about embryogenesis in humans from the study of model organisms such as the mouse and the chick. Very recently it has become possible to track individual cell movements in chick embryos during gastrulation. The aim of this proposal is to construct an individual-based modular theory of cell movement which will allow direct interpretation of this data. The investigators will start with the simplest biologically plausible model and add new features (such as additional morphogens and chemical signals, or more finely differentiated cell types), continually confronting the models to experimental data within a close-knit theory/experiment collaboration. With the data constraining the models, and the models suggesting possible scenarios which can then be experimentally tested, the investigators hope to initiate a more complete and soundly based understanding of gastrulation. They will focus their modeling efforts on fundamental developmental processes in the chick embryo, in particular the formation of Koller's sickle, progression of the primitive streak, and ingression of mesodermal cells through the streak. The investigators will integrate this research program with both graduate and undergraduate research projects. This will allow students exposure to and involvement in a wide-ranging international and multidisciplinary research effort involving new theoretical ideas and direct experimental application. The proposed research meshes well with Arizona State University's rapidly growing interdisciplinary biophysics program which successfully attracts both female and minority students. The investigators will use this work as a central component of two outreach programs: one designed to emphasize how advances in the life sciences can arise through interdisciplinary research; the other to encourage high school students from under-represented groups in the Phoenix area to pursue careers in science.