MECHANISMS OF PHOTORECEPTOR OUTER SEGMENT DEVELOPMENT

这项研究的长期目标是调查可能的作用 视网膜微环境的变化导致了 光感受器的一种特殊的突起，称为外节。 关于可能在生物多样性中起作用的元素，我们知之甚少 归纳过程，或这些假定信号(S)可能来自的来源 来。此外，外部部分是一种不稳定的结构，即 在多种疾病的动物模型中第一个显示病理学的元素 流程。因此，对发展的必要要素的研究 外部部分对于理解哪些元素可能 对于外部环境的诱导、形成和维护是必要的 片段，以及为人类设计可能的治疗策略 视网膜退行性疾病。以下具体目标将有所帮助 实现这一目标：1)鉴定正在形成的IPM中的蛋白质 这可能在外节诱导中发挥作用，使用组织化学和 半定量方法，2)研究光感受器细胞的能力 使用低密度培养形成随年龄变化的外节 以及3)研究细胞-细胞接触的作用， 光感受器中的扩散因子和细胞外基质分子 高密度视网膜联合外段诱导 文化、聚合文化和条件化文化的成长 培养基板和/或细胞外基质调节板。

The long term objective of this study is to investigate the possible role of changes in the retinal microenvironment that induce the formation of a specialized processes of photoreceptors, known as the outer segment. Little is known regarding the elements that may play a role in the inductive process, or the source from which these putative signal(s) may come. In addition, the outer segment is a labile structure that is the first element to show pathology in animal models of many disease processes. Thus, the study of elements necessary for the development of outer segments will also be important in understanding what elements may be necessary for the induction, formation, and maintenance of outer segments, and the possible design of therapeutic strategies for human degenerative retinal diseases. The following specific aims will help obtain this objective: 1) Characterize proteins in the developing IPM that may play a role in outer segment induction using histochemistry and semi-quantitative methods, 2) Study the capacity of photoreceptor cells to form outer segments as a function of age using low density cultures from staged embryos, and 3) investigate the role of cell-cell contacts, diffusible factors, and extracellular matrix molecules, in photoreceptor outer segment induction using a combination of high and density retinal cultures, aggregate cultures, and growth of cultures in conditioned medium and/or extracellular matrix-conditioned plates.