Regulation of tissue separation in the early Xenopus embryo

胚胎中组织边界的形成对于身体计划的建立和器官的形成是必不可少的。组织必须发展分离行为，以防止细胞混合，并确定不同细胞群之间的边界。早期爪蟾胚胎是我们研究组织分离的实验模型。在原肠胚形成过程中，胚层建立，胚内发生广泛的形态发生运动。在原肠胚形成过程中，外胚层的细胞必须与中胚层分离。我们的目标是表征早期爪蟾胚胎中调节组织分离的分子机制。我们将研究外胚层产生的排斥行为以及内胚层和中胚层的分离行为。特别地，我们将分析Frizzed 7受体和旁轴原钙粘蛋白（PARC）的作用，它们是组织分离背景下非典型Wnt信号的组成部分。

The formation of tissue boundaries in the embryo is essential for the establishment of the body plan and for the formation of the organs. Tissues have to develop separation behaviors which prevent cell mixing and define borders between different groups of cells. The early Xenopus embryo is the experimental model we use to study tissue separation. In the process of gastrulation germ layers are established and extensive morphogenetic movements take place in the embryo. The cells of the ectoderm must stay separated from the involuting mesendoderm during these gastrulation movements. Our goal is to characterize the molecular mechanisms which regulate tissue separation in the early Xenopus embryo. We will study the repulsion behavior developed by the ectodermal layer as well as the separation behavior of the endo and mesoderm. In particular we will analyze the role of the Frizzed 7 receptor and Paraxial Protocadherin (PARC) which are components of noncanonical Wnt signaling in the context of tissue separation.