Cellular and Molecular Processes that Regulate the Neural Crest EMT

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How various cell types migrate to the appropriate sites during embryonic development is a critical question for the field of developmental biology. The neural crest is a population of cells that is generated from the dorsal neural tube by an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The goal of this project is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control cell behavior during the EMT. The PI has developed novel technology that will allow visualization of cell behavior in the living embryo. As a result of live-cell imaging, it is now possible to analyze the cellular behavior that occurs during the EMT and more importantly to perturb the process molecularly using electroporation of expression plasmids. This approach will enable an understanding of the cell signaling events that control cellular events in the EMT. The EMT is a remarkable example of an organized process whereby one tissue type, the epithelium, is transformed into a new tissue type, the mesenchyme. This process is a necessary step in the development of the vertebrate body plan, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study not only organ development, but also re-programming of cell types to allow them to take on novel roles in a highly coordinated fashion. This EMT occurs throughout development in many species and is crucial for numerous processes. These studies are expected to elucidate the molecular basis for these cell behaviors, because for the first time they can be observed in real time.Undergraduate students and graduate students from underserved minority populations will be primarily involved in doing this research.