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。这需要细胞之间的高水平通信。Rho GTP酶是控制这些事件的关键信号蛋白。然而，迄今为止，这些蛋白质的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蠕虫，秀丽隐杆线虫，作为一个模型系统来研究在胚胎发育的一个特定阶段，称为伸长的Rho GTdR的调节。这个发育阶段使球形胚胎转变为蠕虫状幼虫。胚胎的延长需要肌肉和表皮细胞之间的沟通，可能涉及五种不同的Rho GTP酶。我们最近确定了两个新的基因控制这些GTP酶在延长过程中的功能。我们的数据表明，这些蛋白质将控制细胞形状和大小的变化，细胞内膜的交通和调节细胞与细胞和细胞与基质的相互作用。我们的研究计划使用计算机科学和生物统计学来测试这些假设，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。我们的研究计划将提供一个更好地了解组织发育的多细胞生物。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。我们的工作将大大有助于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.