Morphogenesis during early embryonic development

我建议通过分析化学诱导的隐性致死突变köpke （kpk）和24-4-3来研究medakfish （Oryzias latipes）在原肠胚形成过程中的形态发生运动。突变型在脊椎动物中是独特的：突变体缺乏所有的躯干和尾部结构，很可能是由于从原肠期晚期开始的收敛和伸展运动受损。内化运动和后脑前部结构的形成不受突变的干扰。本研究的目的是结合medaka和斑马鱼（Danio rerio）模型系统的优势，利用分子、细胞生物学和成像技术详细分析野生型和突变型胚胎的形态发生运动，以更好地了解细胞运动与身体结构形成之间的相互作用。同时，候选基因方法将被应用于识别受突变影响的基因。利用宿主研究所强大的专业知识和完善的基础设施，将在野生型和已知的原肠胚运动中受影响的斑马鱼突变体中分析受影响基因的同源物。到目前为止，还没有发现控制形态发生的基因，这些基因是形成躯干和尾部结构所必需的。采用鱼类模式生物的方法将阐明协调早期形态发生和组织/轴形成的基因的功能相互作用。

I propose to investigate morphogenetic movements during gastrulation by analyzing the chemically induced recessive lethal mutations köpke (kpk) and 24-4-3 in the medakafish (Oryzias latipes). The mutant phenotype is unique among vertebrates: Mutants lack al trunk and tail structures, most likely due to impaired convergence and extension movements from the late gastrula stage onwards. Involution movements and the formation of structures anterior to the hindbrain are not perturbed by the mutations. The aim of the proposed research is to combine the advantages of both model systems medaka and zebrafish (Danio rerio) to analyze morphogenetic movements in wild type and mutant embryos in detail using molecular, cell biological and imaging techniques to better understand the interplay between cell movements and the formation of body structures. In parallel a candidate gene approach will be applied to identify the genes affected by the mutations. Homologues of the affected genes will be analyzed in wild type and known zebrafish mutants affected in gastrulation movements using the strong expertise and perfect infrastructure of the host institute. So far, genes that control morphogenesis and are required for the formation of exclusively trunk and tail structures have not been discovered. The proposed approach using fish model organisms will shed light on the functional interplay of genes coordinating early morphogenesis and tissue/axis formation.