Genetics of zebrafish germ layer formation

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project 1) Dr. Feldman has continued to direct Jamie Dieer, who is continuing to write her thesis. The work she has done will go towards a manuscript on how extraembryonic signals drive mesoderm patterning. Project 2) A manuscript on RhoGEF functions during gastrulation was submitted and Dr. Feldman is currently addressing reviewer comments. Project 3) Using RNA-seq data generated last year, we defined a comprehensive list of transcription factors expressed during blastula stages of development. We have obtained a nanostring codeset for 50% of these transcription factor genes and we are in the process of obtaining a codeset for the remaining 50%. These two code sets will be used to generate a high-resolution temporal profile of transcription factor expression, which will be a valuable resource for assembling developmental gene regulatory networks. Project 4) We are currently analyzing data from experiments performed last year, which will lead to two manuscripts describing a new strategy for quantifying the activity of ectopically expressed genes in zebrafish as applied to candidate human holoprosencephaly genes. A manuscript from related work was published this year.