Genetic regulation of morphogenesis

器官形成或器官发生是动物发育中的重要事件之一。在器官发生过程中，几种不同的细胞类型发育并排列成规则的、可复制的空间模式。这些形态发生过程决定了器官的结构、形状和功能。为了研究支配形态发生的细胞和分子机制，我选择了一种遗传学方法，以果蝇的性腺作为模型系统。性腺由发育成卵子或精子的生殖细胞和担负着支持配子发育的多重任务的体细胞组成。生殖细胞和体细胞之间通过分子信号进行广泛的交流对于生殖细胞的正常发育和成熟是必不可少的。因此，生殖细胞的发育依赖于体细胞组织的正常发育，果蝇体内影响体细胞性腺组织分化的突变是不育的。对这些不育突变体的分析是深入了解性腺形态发生的分子机制的重要工具。

Organ formation, or organogenesis is one of the major events in animal development. During organogenesis several distinct cell types develop and arrange into a regular and reproducible spatial pattern. These morphogenetic processes determine structure, shape and function of an organ. To study the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern morphogenesis I have chosen a genetic approach using the gonads of the fruit fly Drosophila as a model system. Gonads consist of germ cells that develop into eggs or sperm, and somatic cells that have multiple tasks in supporting the development of gametes. Extensive communication between germ cells and somatic cells through molecular signals is essential for normal germ cell development and maturation. Therefore, germ cell development relies on the normal development of somatic tissues, and mutations in Drosophila that affect the differentiation of somatic gonadal tissues are sterile. The analysis of such sterile mutants is an important tool to gain insights into molecular mechanisms of gonad morphogenesis.