U.S.-Chile Cooperative Research: Neural Crest Induction in Xenopus

9722460 Bronner-Fraser美洲项目奖将支持加州理工学院的Marianne Bronner-Fraser博士与智利大学的Roberto Mayor博士合作进行一项研究。研究人员计划研究新分离基因NP-1的表达对神经嵴细胞初始形成的影响。布朗纳博士与另外两名研究人员合作，从禽类胚胎中分离并测序的新基因与其他已知的基因家族没有明显的相似之处。然而，尽管鸡系统在实验胚胎学上有许多优点，但基因产物在鸟类中异位表达却很困难。因此，研究人员已经开始了对爪蟾系统的研究，它代表了一个理想的系统，在这个系统中，在早期发育中追求分子的异位表达。就是这个意思。他们计划分离出NP-!的爪蟾同源物。他们的研究将结合分子生物学方法和实验胚胎学，其长期目标是表征和理解神经嵴形成中基因的功能。此次合作将大大受益于双方研究人员的专业知识和研究兴趣的结合。拟议中的实验将在马约尔博士的实验室进行，马约尔博士是爪蟾系统方面的专家，长期以来一直对神经嵴发育感兴趣。＊＊＊

9722460 Bronner-Fraser This Americas Program award will support Dr. Marianne Bronner- Fraser, California Institute of Technology, in a research collaboration with Dr. Roberto Mayor, Universidad de Chile. The investigators plan to study the effect of expression of a newly isolated gene, NP-1, on the initial formation of neural crest cells. The new gene, isolated and sequenced from avian embryos by Dr. Bronner in collaboration with two other researchers, has no obvious similarities to other known gene families. However, although the chick system has many advantages for experimental embryology, it is difficult to ectopically express gene products in birds. Therefore, the researchers have initiated studies of the Xenopus system, which represents an ideal system in which to pursue ectopic expression of molecules in early development. To that effect. they plan to isolate the Xenopus homologue of NP-!. Their research will combine molecular biological approaches with experimental embryology, with the long-term goal to characterize and understand the function of the gene in neural crest formation. The collaboration will benefit greatly from the combined expertise and research intereqt of both researchers. The proposed experiments will take place in Dr. Mayor's laboratory, who is an expert on the Xenopus system and has a long standing interest in neural crest development. . ***