STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF FRIZZLED-LIKE PROTEINS IN SKELETAL DEVELOPMENT

这个项目的目标是研究一个新的家庭的作用 卷曲状基因在骨骼发育、再生和修复中的作用 疾病。 我们实验室发现了一个命名为frzb的新基因，并 其表达模式的动态主要限于 人类胚胎发育过程中发育的骨骼，呈现 我们有一个独特的机会来研究一个全新的基因类别 与骨骼形态发生密切相关。Frzb与 果蝇的极性基因卷曲，它编码一个整数 膜蛋白。该基因是细胞反应所必需的 到组织的极性信号。强烈的卷曲突变是 与果蝇翅膀毛的随机取向有关。 对这组决定极性的基因的研究应该可以让我们 为了进一步确定细胞表面蛋白/膜受体，它们的 直接参与细胞周期调控的配体和信号转导通路 骨骼结构发育过程中的图案化过程。

The objective of this project is to study the role of a novel family of frizzled-like genes in skeletal development, regeneration and disease. The discovery of a novel gene designated frzb in our laboratory and the dynamics of its expression pattern predominantly restricted to the developing skeleton during human embryonic development, presents us with a unique opportunity to study a complete new class of genes intimately involved in skeletal morphogenesis. Frzb is related to the Drosophila polarity gene frizzled, which encodes an integral membrane protein. This locus is required for the cellular response to a tissue polarity signal. Strong frizzled mutations are associated with random orientation of wing hairs in the fruit fly. The study of this group of polarity determining genes should allow us to further define the cell surface proteins/membrane receptors, their ligands and signal transduction pathways directly involved in the patterning process during the development of skeletal structures.