Genetic regulation of morphogenesis

器官形成是动物发育过程中的主要事件之一。在器官发生过程中，几种不同的细胞类型发育并排列成规则的和可再生的空间模式。这些形态发生过程决定了器官的结构、形状和功能。为了研究支配形态发生的细胞和分子机制，我选择了一种遗传学方法，使用果蝇的性腺作为模型系统。性腺由发育成卵子或精子的生殖细胞和在支持配子发育方面具有多种任务的体细胞组成。生殖细胞和体细胞之间通过分子信号进行的广泛通信对于正常生殖细胞发育和成熟至关重要。因此，生殖细胞的发育依赖于体细胞组织的正常发育，果蝇中影响体细胞性腺组织分化的突变是不育的。这种不育突变体的分析是一个重要的工具，以深入了解性腺morphogenesis.here的分子机制，我提出了进一步表征的交通堵塞因素，我的实验室已被证明是一个关键的调节性腺发育的分子。这种分子是生殖腺中生殖细胞和体细胞正常结合所必需的。该因子属于大Maf转录因子家族，其分子功能是控制其他基因的表达。为了了解交通堵塞如何调节体细胞性腺细胞的分化，我的实验室将识别和分析受此因素控制并与此因素相互作用的基因。这项工作将提高我们对调节细胞空间排列和细胞分化的机制的理解。哺乳动物中的Maf因子已被证明在血细胞和主要器官（如后脑、眼睛、肾脏和胰腺）的发育中起重要作用。它们也与癌症有关。我期望我们对交通堵塞的研究将有助于更好地理解Maf因子的一般功能。

Organ formation, or organogenesis is one of the major events in animal development. During organogenesis several distinct cell types develop and arrange into a regular and reproducible spatial pattern. These morphogenetic processes determine structure, shape and function of an organ. To study the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern morphogenesis I have chosen a genetic approach using the gonads of the fruit fly Drosophila as a model system. Gonads consist of germ cells that develop into eggs or sperm, and somatic cells that have multiple tasks in supporting the development of gametes. Extensive communication between germ cells and somatic cells through molecular signals is essential for normal germ cell development and maturation. Therefore, germ cell development relies on the normal development of somatic tissues, and mutations in Drosophila that affect the differentiation of somatic gonadal tissues are sterile. The analysis of such sterile mutants is an important tool to gain insights into molecular mechanisms of gonad morphogenesis.Here, I propose the further characterization of the Traffic Jam factor, a molecule that my laboratory has shown to be a key regulator of gonad development. This molecule is required for the normal association of germ cells and somatic cells in the gonads. The molecular function of this factor, which belongs to the family of large Maf transcription factors, is to control the expression of other genes. To understand how Traffic jam regulates the differentiation of somatic gonadal cells, my laboratory will identify and analyze the genes that are controlled by this factor and interact with this factor. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the spatial arrangements of cells and the differentiation of cells. Maf factors in mammals have been shown to play an important role in the development of blood cells and of major organs, such as hindbrain, eyes, kidney and pankreas. They have also been implicated in cancer. I anticipate that our study of Traffic Jam will help gain a better understanding of the function of Maf factors in general.