CAREER: Dynamics and Diversity of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling in Epithelial Cells

细胞信号通路的局部激活在组织形态发生中起着关键作用。在进化过程中，途径成分的表达模式可以在数量和质量上发生变化，这反过来可能导致形态变化。这项拟议的研究利用果蝇卵的发展，这是一个具有强大遗传学工具的已建立的模型系统，以研究4500万年来苍蝇物种形成期间的形态变化。这项研究的重点是骨形态发生蛋白(BMP)途径的组织模式，骨形态发生蛋白途径是动物组织发育的主要调节因素。本研究旨在利用遗传、分子和生物信息学工具，以及蛋壳形态的自然变异，系统地确定组成BMP信号通路的哪些成分可以解释不同蛋壳形态的多个果蝇物种之间的信号和形态差异。这项研究将为形态进化的分子机制提供有价值的信息，并将为详细分析上皮组织的发育提供新的遗传学工具。发表的结果将引起包括发育生物学、计算生物学、进化生物学和系统生物学在内的广泛科学界的兴趣。PI创建了研究、教育和推广模块，以支持大学预科、本科生和研究生。例如，针对卡姆登地区的初中和高中生物教师和学生的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科的推广计划旨在提供实验和计算工具，以丰富他们目前的生物课程。这位研究人员为低年级和高年级的本科生开发了一个实验和计算遗传学实验室。许多本科生在PI的研究生的指导下进行实验，跟进他们的研究。罗格斯-卡姆登分校从传统上在STEM学科中代表性较低的当地人群中招聘和招收学生。研究人员的实验室为不同学习水平的学生提供了开展研究、教育和外展活动的良好环境。

Localized activation of cell signaling pathways plays a key role in tissue morphogenesis. During evolution, the expression patterns of pathway components can change both quantitatively and qualitatively, which in turn may lead to morphological changes. The proposed research uses the development of the Drosophila egg, an established model system with powerful genetics tools, to study morphological variations during 45 million years of fly speciation. The research focuses on tissue patterning by the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway, a major regulator of tissue development across animals. Using genetic, molecular and bioinformatics tools, and the natural variations of eggshell morphologies, this study aims to systematically determine which of the components comprising the BMP signaling pathway can account for signaling and morphological variations across multiple Drosophila species with different eggshell morphologies. The research will provide valuable information on molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of morphologies, and it will yield new genetic tools for detailed analyses of epithelial tissues' development. Published results will interest broad scientific communities including those of developmental, computational, evolutionary, and systems biology. The PI has created research, educational, and outreach modules to support pre-college, undergraduate and graduate students. For example, an outreach program in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, for middle and high school biology teachers and students from the Camden area, aims to provide experimental and computational tools to enrich their current biology curriculum. The researcher has developed an experimental and computational genetics lab for junior and senior undergraduates. Numerous undergraduate students followed up with their research by conducting experiments under the guidance of the PI's graduate students. The Rutgers-Camden campus recruits and enrolls students from local populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM disciplines. The researcher's lab provides an excellent environment for students of multiple learning levels to conduct research, educational, and outreach activities.