POLARIZED CELL SHAPE CHANGES IN XENOPUS GASTRULATION

描述(申请人提供)：我广泛的研究目标是研究驱动细胞形状变化的细胞机制，并了解细胞命运的遗传控制如何转化为细胞行为的变化。在非洲爪哇两栖动物原肠形成的最初阶段，瓶子细胞启动胚孔嘴唇，为原肠形成细胞内化创造一个缝隙。瓶子细胞的形状变化是由顶端收缩驱动的，这是一种通常先于内陷和内陷的机制。尽管它在不同的形态发生过程中发挥作用，但人们对导致根尖收缩的机制知之甚少。我的目标是通过检查极化细胞形状变化的细胞骨架和分子基础，建立莱维氏X.laevis瓶子细胞形成的模型，以研究根尖收缩。此外，我还将确定根尖收缩所需的蛋白质。从长远来看，我将把我的研究扩展到热带X线虫，使之能够使用遗传工具来研究脊椎动物的形态发生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): My broad research goal is to investigate the cellular mechanisms that drive cell shape changes, and to understand how genetic control of cell fate translates into changes in cell behavior. During the initial stages of gastrulation in the amphibian Xenopus laevis, bottle cells initiate the blastopore lip, creating a crevice for the gastrulating cells to internalize. The shape change in bottle cells is driven by apical constriction, a mechanism that often precedes ingression and invagination. Despite its role in diverse morphogenetic processes, very little is known about the mechanisms responsible for apical constriction. My goal is to establish X. laevis bottle cell formation as a model for investigating apical constriction by examining the cytoskeletal and molecular basis for polarized cell shape changes. In addition, I will identify proteins that are required for apical constriction. In the long term, I will expand my research into X. tropicalis to enable the use of genetic tools to study vertebrate morphogenesis.