Functional Analysis of TGFBeta Family Signaling During Hematopoietic Differentiat

对于艾滋病的预防和治疗，了解胚胎发育过程中T淋巴细胞的细胞谱系是如何确定的机制是很重要的。T淋巴细胞来源于造血干细胞，但目前尚不清楚造血细胞是如何从未分化的中胚层组织发育而来的。我们正在关注骨形态发生蛋白(BMPs)在小鼠发育过程中的作用，BMPs是转化生长因子-β超家族的成员。BMP更多地在腹侧起决定中胚层组织命运的作用。造血细胞来源于最腹侧的中胚层，因此，BMPs被认为在造血组织中T淋巴细胞谱系的确定中起着重要作用。为了揭示BMP信号在造血过程中的作用，我们将利用胚胎干细胞技术建立造血细胞特异性的BMP受体基因的阻断。通过这项研究获得的知识可能会让我们更好地了解艾滋病的病因学，并有望预防和治疗这一致命疾病。-艾滋病、ES细胞胚胎培养组织特异性基因敲除

For prevention and cure of AIDS, it is important to know the mechanism of how cell lineage for T lymphocyte is determined during embryonic development. T lymphocytes are derived from hematopoietic stem cells, however, it is still unclear how hematopoietic cells are developed from undifferentiated mesodermal tissues. We are focusing on the function of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs), the members of TGF-beta superfamily, during mouse development. BMPs have function to specify the fate of mesodermal tissues more ventral. Hematopoietic cells are derived from the most ventral mesoderm, therefore, BMPs are hypothesized to play important roles during specification of T lymphocyte lineage in the hematopietic tissues. To reveal the function of BMP signaling during hematopoiesis, we will set up hematopoietic cell specific disruption of BMP receptor genes using embryonic stem cell technology. The knowledge that will be acquired through this research may give us better understanding for etilogy of AIDS and hopefully for prevention and cure of this fatal disease. - AIDS, ES cells embryo culture tissue specific knock-out