Nuclear receptors in neural development: the NR2E subfamily

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Steven RobinowNSF Proposal #0517765Nuclear receptors in neural development: the NR2E familyLay AbstractA vast array of genes is required to construct a properly "wired" and functional nervous system. The expression of these genes must be highly regulated and coordinated for this process to be successful. One class of proteins that regulates the expression of genes involved in nervous system development is the nuclear receptors. Nuclear receptor genes are encoded in the genomes of all animals. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is useful for studying the evolutionarily conserved roles of nuclear receptors because Drosophila has retained one of each of the 21 evolutionarily conserved nuclear receptor genes while other organisms have lost representatives, have duplicated one or more nuclear receptor genes, or have lost one or more while duplicating others. This project focuses on CG16801, a nuclear receptor gene that is expressed in a small number of cells within the Drosophila nervous system and whose function is required for the adult fly to crawl out of its pupal case at the completion of metamorphosis, for the young adult to expand its wings, and for fertility of both the male and female. Molecular genetic methods will be used to investigate the cellular function of CG16801 and to determine why males and females lacking CG16801 are sterile. These investigations are likely to provide key insights into the cellular and genetic basis of reproduction because only a small number of cells are involved making it feasible to uncover the role of individual cells. This project will have significantly broader impacts because it will support a scientist who is committed to teaching, learning, and training at all academic levels, it will support a laboratory that has an established record of training women and underrepresented minorities, and it will support research at a post-secondary minority institution within an NSF-designated EPSCoR state.