|
Graduate Students: Hanovice, NicholasKoenig, KristenSeritrakul, PawatUribe, RosaPost Doc Students: Hartsock, AndreaLee, Chan JaeLee, JiwoonShoemaker-Daly, ChristinaTittle, Rachel
Research Summary:
Our research focuses on vertebrate eye development largely utilizing the zebrafish as a model system. Recently, we've begun to extend some projects into the mouse, and we have developed an interest in eye evolution using the squid embryo as a model. For our zebrafish work, we combine forward genetic screens with reverse genetic and embryological manipulations we hope to understand the molecular, cellular and developmental events that regulate eye formation and visual function. Current areas of interest in the lab include studies focusing on the development and maintenance of the lens and retinal pigment epithelium and elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate morphogenesis of the eye. Our research combines molecular, cellular, biochemical, transgenic and in vivo imaging techniques to address these questions. It is our hope that these studies will ultimately lead to a better understanding of visual system disorders such as macular degeneration, cataracts and ocular colobomas that often result in blindness in afflicted patients.
Research Images:
Publications:| Midkine-A functions upstream of Id2a to regulate cell cycle kinetics in the developing vertebrate retina (2012) Neural Development 7(1), 33. | | An ENU mutagenesis screen in zebrafish for visual system mutants identifies a novel splice-acceptor site mutation in patched2 that results in colobomas (2012) Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 53(13), 8214-21. | | Integrin alpha5/Fibronectin and Focal adhesion kinase are required for normal lens development in zebrafish (2012) Molecular Biology of the Cell 23 (24), 4725-38. | | Id2a functions to limit Notch pathway activity and thereby influence the transition from proliferation to differentiation of retinoblasts during zebrafish retinogenesis (2012) Developmental Biology 371, 280-292 . | | Ectopic proliferation contributes to retinal dysplasia in the juvenile zebrafish patched2 mutant eye. (2011) Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 52(12), 8868-77. | | Towards a better understanding of human eye disease: insights from the zebrafish, Danio rerio (2011) Progress in Nucleic Acid Research and Molecular Biology 100, 287-330. | | Uhrf1 and Dnmt1 are required for zebrafish lens development (2011) Developmental Biology 350, 50-63. | | Id2a influences neuron and glia formation in the zebrafish retina by modulating retinoblast cell cycle kinetics (2010) Development 137, 3763-3774. | | Expanded progenitor populations, vitreo-retinal abnormalities, and Müller glial reactivity in the zebrafish leprechaun/patched2 retina (2009) BMC Developmental Biology 9, 52. | | Zebrafish mutations in gart and paics identify crucial roles for de novo purine synthesis in vertebrate pigmentation and ocular development (2009) Development 136(15), 2601-11. | | The Vacuolar-ATPase Complex Regulates Retinoblast Proliferation and Survival, Photoreceptor Morphogenesis and Pigmentation in the Zebrafish Eye (2009) Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 50, 893-905. | | Expression profiling during optic fissure closure identifies two Nlz genes with a critical role in fissure closure (2009) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, 1462-7. | | Zebrafish blowout provides genetic evidence for Patched1-mediated negative regulation of Hedgehog signaling within the proximal optic vesicle of the vertebrate eye (2008) Developmental Biology 319, 10-22. | | Laminin Beta 1 and Gamma 1 Containing Laminins are Essential for Basement Membrane Integrity in the Zebrafish Eye (2007) Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 48, 2483-2490. | | Shroom2 (APXL) regulates melanosome biogenesis and localization in the retinal pigment epithelium (2006) Development 133, 4109-4118 . |
|
