Rho GTPase regulation during caenorhabditis elegans embryonic elongation

在多细胞生物中，组织和器官的发育涉及细胞大小、形状和组织的变化。这需要细胞间的高度交流。Rho gtpase是控制这些事件的关键信号蛋白。然而，到目前为止，这些蛋白质被调节和控制组织形成的方式几乎不为人所知。我们使用显微镜下的线虫秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）作为模型系统来研究Rho GTPase在胚胎发育的特定阶段（称为伸长）中的调控。这个发育阶段使球形胚胎转变为蚓状幼虫。胚胎的伸长需要肌肉和表皮细胞之间的交流，可能涉及五种不同的Rho gtpase。我们最近发现了两个新的基因控制这些gtpase在伸长过程中的功能。我们的数据表明，这些蛋白质会控制细胞形状和大小的变化，细胞膜内的交通和细胞-细胞和细胞-基质相互作用的调节。我们的研究计划使用计算机科学和生物统计学来检验这些假设，并确定控制伸长的新基因。它还使用遗传学和细胞生物学方法来验证这些假设。我们的研究项目将为多细胞生物的组织发育提供更好的理解。这将是对细胞和发育生物学的重大贡献。这项工作也将导致新的生物信息学方法的发展，以确定基因之间的功能关系。我们的工作将大大促进系统生物学在加拿大的进步。

In multicellular organisms, tissue and organ development involves changes of cell size, shape and organization. This requires a high level of communication between cells. Rho GTPases are key signaling proteins controlling these events. However, to date, the way these proteins are regulated and control tissue formation is barely understood. We use the microscopic hearth worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, as a model system to study the regulation of Rho GTPase during a specific stage of embryonic development called elongation. This developmental stage enables transformation of the spherical embryo into a vermiform larva. Elongation of the embryo requires communication between muscles and epidermal cells and may involve five different Rho GTPases. We recently identified two novel genes controlling the function of these GTPases during elongation. Our data suggest data these proteins would control changes of cell shape and size, the traffic of intracellular membranes and the modulation of cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction. Our research program uses computer sciences and biostatistics to test these hypotheses and to identify new genes controlling elongation. It also uses genetics and cell biology approaches to validate these hypotheses. Our research program will provide a better understanding of tissue development in multicellular organisms. This will constitute a major contribution to cell and developmental biology. This work will also lead to the development of novel bioinformatics methods to identify functional relationship between genes. Our work will then significantly contribute to the advancement of systems biology in Canada.