Cellular mechanisms of amphibian metamorphosis

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Thyroid hormones regulate growth, development, and metabolism. Although important in all vertebrates including humans, the best example of the diverse effects of these hormones is the normal postembryonic development of the frog where thyroid hormones trigger tadpole metamorphosis into a juvenile frog. Tadpoles undergo remarkable remodeling of the body plan in anticipation of the transition from an aquatic plant-eater to a terrestrial carnivore. Virtually all tadpole tissues are sensitive to thyroid hormones (for e.g. the tail disappears, the skin thickens, the liver reprograms, and the olfactory system remodels) but the response is determined by the kind of thyroid hormone in addition to the tissue type. My research program focuses on understanding how the differences in tissue responses come about. We hypothesize that there are specific genes that contribute to these differences and we will identify them and examine the molecular switches that control how they work. Environmental contaminants in wastewater, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products can interfere with thyroid hormone action. Hence understanding how tissue-dependent thyroid hormone regulation works is important to identify particularly sensitive tissues to reduce their deleterious impact on humans and animals.