Project 2: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

项目摘要 这项研究的目的是靶向参与酒精诱导的肢体/鳍的分子通路 缺陷，以确定在FASD中发挥作用的新机制，其长期目标是为临床实践提供信息， 并最终降低胎儿酒精谱系障碍（FASD）的发病率和严重程度。这一目标 将通过应用两种创新和互补的方法来实现， 模型（i）基因敲除和鉴定挽救或加剧乙醇暴露影响的基因， 和（ii）高通量筛选聚焦化学文库以鉴定调节所述效应的化合物 酒精暴露。我们的方法利用转基因斑马鱼和小鼠，以及发育中的鳍和 肢体分别，作为容易检查的靶组织，其分子信号通路和对 乙醇致畸作用是有据可查的。这项研究计划是建立在1）强有力的证据， 在FASD患者中观察到颅面异常和肢体缺陷，2）识别 音刺猬（Shh）信号的中断，一个主要的形态发生途径调节胚胎 发育作为产前乙醇暴露（PAE）的重要后果，3）遗传减少 Shh信号导致乙醇诱导的出生缺陷的脆弱性增加，以及4） 差异表达的基因集，从我们以前的研究对PAE对小鼠肢体发育的影响。 有待检验的假设是，鉴定新的基因和化合物，可以挽救 由PAE引起的形态和行为缺陷将揭示对 乙醇引起的出生缺陷的机制。这一假设将通过实验进行检验，这些实验采用了良好的- 建立了细胞系、斑马鱼和小鼠FASD模型，并将解决以下具体目标：目标1 将使用这些体内和体外模型来评估基因与环境的相互作用，特别是候选基因。 我们先前的研究表明，这些基因的表达在暴露于乙醇的小鼠肢芽中发生了改变。 乙醇RNA Seq研究。目的二是利用高通量筛选技术，在体外和体内， 挽救或加重PAE作用的小分子调节剂。的小分子化合物 挽救或加剧乙醇诱导斑马鱼胚胎的鳍缺陷和小鼠的四肢缺陷， 鉴定建议的研究将由政大教师和学员进行，导师为 鲍尔斯酒精研究中心（Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies）的研究人员。除了扩大我们对乙醇的理解， 致畸作用机制，并提供有关遗传敏感性和干预措施的线索， FASD和潜在的新途径在FASD中的作用，该研究项目将促进最先进的 来自代表性不足的少数民族的初露头角的科学家的研究，将为重要的 FASD研究将在未来的资助申请/研究中得到解决。

Project Summary The objective of the proposed research is to target molecular pathways involved in alcohol-induced limb/fin defects to identify novel mechanisms with a role in FASD with the long-term goals of informing clinical practice, and ultimately reducing the incidence and severity of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This objective will be met by applying two innovative and complementary approaches that use cell, zebrafish and mouse models to (i) genetically knockout and identify genes that rescue or exacerbate the effects of ethanol exposure, and (ii) high throughput screening of focused chemical libraries to identify compounds that modulate the effects of ethanol exposure. Our approach utilizes genetically modified zebrafish and mice, and the developing fin and limb respectively, as readily examined target tissues whose molecular signaling pathways and vulnerability to ethanol teratogenesis are well documented. This research proposal is founded on 1) strong evidence that craniofacial abnormalities and limb defects have been observed in those identified with FASD, 2) recognition that disruption of sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, a major morphogenic pathway regulating embryonic development as a significant consequence of prenatal ethanol exposure (PAE), 3) that genetically reduced Shh signaling results in increased vulnerability to ethanol-induced birth defects, and 4) the availability of differentially expressed gene sets from our previous study on the effects of PAE on mouse limb development. The hypothesis to be tested is that the identification of novel genes and compounds that can rescue morphological and behavioral deficits elicited by PAE will reveal fundamental and novel insights into the mechanism of ethanol-induced birth defects. This hypothesis will be tested with experiments that employ well- established cell line, zebrafish, and mouse FASD models and will address the following Specific Aims: Aim 1 will use these in vivo and in vitro models to assess gene-environment interactions, particularly the candidate genes whose expression was shown to be altered in ethanol-exposed mouse limb buds by our previous ethanol RNA Seq study. Aim 2 is to utilize high-throughput screening technologies in vitro and in vivo to identify small molecule modulators that rescue or exacerbate the effects of PAE. Small molecule compounds that rescue or exacerbate ethanol-induced fin defects in zebrafish embryos and limbs defects in mice will be identified. The proposed studies will be conducted by NCCU faculty and trainees under the mentorship of UNC’s Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies researchers. In addition to expanding our understanding of ethanol’s teratogenic mechanism of action as well as providing clues regarding genetic sensitivities and interventions for FASD and potentially novel pathways with a role in FASD, this research project will foster state of the art research by budding scientists from underrepresented minorities and will provide the foundation for important FASD studies to be addressed in future grant applications/research.