The Molecular Basis for Skeletal Patterning in Sea Urchins

该项目的重点是胚胎模式形成的主题，这是所有动物胚胎发育的核心方面。模式的形成依赖于细胞类型之间的交流，因为它们逐渐将彼此塑造成构成身体的器官和结构。由于脊椎动物的复杂性，这个问题很难在脊椎动物中解决。由于发育机制在动物中高度保守，因此拟议的研究转而解决一种细胞类型如何使用海胆胚胎指导另一种细胞类型的图案化的问题，海胆胚胎在一个相对简单的系统中提供了一个优雅的图案化过程：幼虫骨骼。先前的工作确定了海胆胚胎骨骼模式所需的多个保守基因;该项目将使用生物化学和分子方法来了解这些基因如何共同作用以产生三维骨骼模式。这些结果将定义一种细胞类型和组织之间通信的模式化机制;由于所涉及的基因是高度保守的，因此这些信息可能会成为更复杂动物模式化的范例。该研究将直接涉及多名本科生的参与，将他们的课堂知识与实践实验室经验相结合，以及对波士顿地区高中生的科学宣传，以促进他们对科学事业的兴趣。最后，这个项目包括培训波士顿地区的高中教师在夏季，包括课堂和实验室的经验，在高中科学课堂促进发育生物学教学的目的。

This project focuses on the topic of embryonic pattern formation, which is a central aspect of embryonic development in all animals. Pattern formation relies on communication between cell types as they progressively mold each other into the organs and structures that make up the body. This problem is very difficult to pursue in vertebrate animals due to their complexity. Since developmental mechanisms are highly conserved across animals, the proposed study instead addresses the problem of how one cell type directs the patterning of another cell type using sea urchin embryos, which offer an elegant patterning process in a comparatively simple system: the larval skeleton. Prior work identified multiple conserved genes that are required for skeletal patterning in sea urchin embryos; this project will use biochemical and molecular approaches to understand how these genes work together to generate the three-dimensional skeletal pattern. The results will define a mechanism for patterning as a result of communication between cell types and tissues; because the genes involved are highly conserved, this information will likely become a paradigm for patterning in more complex animals. The study will directly involve the participation of multiple undergraduate students, integrating their classroom knowledge with hands-on laboratory experiences, as well as scientific outreach to high school students in the Boston area to promote their interest in scientific careers. Finally, this project includes training of Boston area high school teachers in the summers, including classroom and laboratory experiences, with the intent of fostering the teaching of developmental biology in the high school science classroom.