REGULATION OF CADHERIN EXPRESSION IN THE NEURAL CREST BY THE WNT/B-CATENIN SIGNA

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。本实验室的主要重点是研究钙粘蛋白在神经嵴细胞发育中的作用，包括钙粘蛋白在神经嵴细胞形态发生中的表达和功能调控的分子基础，以及特异性钙粘蛋白在神经嵴细胞发育中的作用评价。这个COBRE试点项目拨款提案嵌入在实验室的第一个主要研究重点中。神经嵴是在神经发生早期由Wnt和BMP信号在神经和非神经外胚层交界处诱导形成的。这两种主要信号通路在神经嵴细胞发育过程中涉及多个环节。在这一过程中，细胞行为发生了复杂的变化，包括细胞间的粘附和迁移行为的变化。由于细胞粘附蛋白钙粘蛋白的表达模式发生动态变化，它们很可能是这些信号通路的靶点。这个为期一年的试点项目提案的具体目标是解决神经嵴细胞发育中通过Wnt信号通路调节钙粘蛋白表达的问题。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The main focus of this lab is to address the role of cadherins in neural crest cell development, including the molecular basis for regulation of cadherin expression and function in neural crest cell morphogenesis and the evaluation of the role of specific cadherins in neural crest cell development. This COBRE Pilot Project Grant proposal is embedded in the first major research focus of the lab. The neural crest is induced at the border between the neural and non-neural ectoderm during early neurogenesis by Wnt and BMP signals. These two main signaling pathways are involved at multiple points in neural crest cell development. There are complicated changes in cell behavior during these processes that include changes in cell-cell adhesion and migratory behavior. As the cell adhesion proteins, cadherins, undergo dynamic changes in expression patterns, they are likely targets of these signaling pathways. The specific aims of this one year pilot project proposal address the regulation of cadherin expression by the Wnt signaling pathway in neural crest cell development.