Nuclear receptors in neural development: the NR2E subfamily

Steven RobinowNSF建议神经发育中的核受体：NR2E家族提取大量的基因，以构建适当的“连线”和功能神经系统。这些基因的表达必须受到高度的调控和协调，才能使这一过程成功。核受体是一类调节神经系统发育相关基因表达的蛋白质。核受体基因在所有动物的基因组中都有编码。果蝇对研究核受体在进化上的保守作用很有用，因为果蝇保留了进化上保守的21个核受体基因中的一个，而其他生物失去了代表性，复制了一个或多个核受体基因，或在复制其他核受体基因时丢失了一个或多个。这个项目的重点是CG16801，这是一种核受体基因，在果蝇神经系统内的少数细胞中表达，它的功能是成年果蝇在变态完成后爬出蛹壳，年轻果蝇展开翅膀，以及雄性和雌性生育所必需的。分子遗传学方法将被用来研究CG16801的细胞功能，并确定为什么缺少CG16801的男性和女性不育。这些研究可能会提供对生殖的细胞和遗传基础的关键见解，因为只涉及少量细胞，因此揭示单个细胞的作用是可行的。这个项目将产生更广泛的影响，因为它将支持一位致力于在所有学术水平上进行教学、学习和培训的科学家，它将支持一个在培训妇女和代表不足的少数族裔方面有既定记录的实验室，它将支持在国家科学基金会指定的EPSCoR州内的一所中学后少数族裔机构进行的研究。

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.