Maternal determinants of neural fate

智力优势：在发育早期，当胚胎由一个简单的细胞球组成时，一些细胞（动物卵裂球）从受精卵接收信息，这些信息后来将指导它们形成神经系统。关于受精卵中的哪些分子导致这些细胞比它们的邻居更倾向于形成神经组织，这一过程被称为神经命运偏差，我们知之甚少。该研究项目的目标是：1）确定动物卵裂球中哪些分子使其后代细胞偏向形成神经组织; 2）阐明这些分子作用于实现神经命运偏向的分子机制。该项目将利用一种新的系统来培养动物卵裂球，并检测它们在暴露于预测参与神经命运偏差的分子时产生神经组织的能力。这项研究还将测试正常情况下不制造神经组织的卵裂球是否可以被负责神经命运偏差的分子诱导而这样做。 其他实验将测试这些分子是否通过改变胚胎细胞对胚胎内信号的反应来指导细胞表达神经命运。这些实验将有助于发现受精卵指导胚胎细胞形成神经系统的新分子和新机制。更广泛的影响：该项目将为多个层次的科学教育和培训提供机会。实验方法将教授给高中和本科生，为有兴趣探索科学职业的学生提供出色的学习体验。代表性不足的高中生将从华盛顿公立“无墙学校”高中招募。研究生水平的学生将接受分子生物学，胚胎学，基因组学和生物信息学方法的培训，提供综合，前沿的研究经验。在这个项目中收集的信息将在地方，区域，国家和国际会议上提出，包括专门为本科生举行的会议，例如，“海报在山上”节目。这将传播研究成果，并将培训学生进行公共交流。本项目将在当地的中小学组织实际演示，并在2012年4月在华盛顿举行的科学与工程节（SciFests）上进行演示，从而提高公众的科学素养。

Intellectual Merit: Early in development, when embryos are composed of a simple ball of cells, some cells (animal blastomeres) receive information from the fertilized egg that will later direct them to form the nervous system. Very little is known about which molecules in the fertilized egg cause these cells to be more inclined than their neighbors to form neural tissue, a process which is called neural fate bias. The goals of this research project are to: 1) identify which molecules in animal blastomeres bias their descendant cells to form neural tissue; and 2) elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which these molecules act to accomplish neural fate bias. The project will utilize a novel system to culture animal blastomeres and assay their ability to produce neural tissue when exposed to molecules predicted to be involved in neural fate bias. The research will also test whether blastomeres that do not normally make neural tissue can be induced to do so by the molecules responsible for neural fate bias. Additional experiments will test whether these molecules instruct cells to express a neural fate by altering how embryonic cells respond to signaling within the embryo. Together, these experiments will enable discovery of novel molecules and novel mechanisms by which embryonic cells are instructed by the fertilized egg to form the nervous system.Broader Impacts: This project will provide opportunities for scientific education and training at several levels. The experimental approaches will be taught to high school and undergraduate students, providing an outstanding learning experience for students interested in exploring a career in science. Under-represented high school students will be recruited from the Washington, DC public "School Without Walls" high school. Graduate level students will be trained in molecular biology, embryology, genomics, and bioinformatic approaches, providing an integrative, cutting edge research experience. Information collected in this project will be presented at local, regional, national and international meetings, including meetings specific for undergraduates, e.g., "Posters on the Hill" program. This will disseminate the research findings and will train students in public communication. This project will raise the scientific literacy of the general public, because members of the research team will organize hands-on presentations at local elementary and middle schools, and make presentations at upcoming Science and Engineering Festivals (SciFests), the next to be held in Washington, DC in April 2012.