RUI: Role of POU factors in the regulation of the timing of metamorphosis

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In many organisms, including humans, postembryonic development is marked by an abrupt change in physiology that initiates dramatic changes in growth and morphology. While the neuroendocrine changes involved in these major developmental transitions have been well characterized, the regulation underlying the timing of initiation of these changes remains poorly understood. POU factors are highly conserved transcription factors that have been shown to regulate neuroendocrine changes during puberty in vertebrates. In beetles, the removal of the POU factor, Ventral veins lacking (Vvl), also causes larvae to undergo precocious metamorphosis. The goal of the project is to examine how Vvl interacts with the known regulators of metamorphosis and to examine the roles of other POU factors during metamorphosis. To better understand what this protein does, the project will determine the regulation of the gene, the tissues in which the protein acts and its gene targets, using gene knockdown and gene expression analyses in the genetic model system, Tribolium castaneum. In both vertebrates and invertebrates, POU factors appear to play crucial roles in regulating the postembryonic developmental transitions and sexual maturity. Thus, this project has broader implications for identifying how POU factors regulate gene expression and developmental timing in a wide range of organisms. Importantly, given the current trend towards precocious puberty onset among youth, understanding the regulation of developmental transitions will have important medical and public health implications. A majority of the proposed study will involve the female undergraduate students from Wellesley College, a diverse group of people from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, parts of this project will be brought into the classroom where students can conduct independent projects to learn modern molecular techniques, Finally, during the summers, the PI's lab will host a number of high school students to expose students from disadvantaged backgrounds to scientific research.