Maternal Regulation of Zebrafish Germ Layer Patterning

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

0078303 Kimelman The establishment of the three germ layers is a major issue for every embryo. While the ectoderm appears to be the default state of the embryo, the mesoderm and endoderm arise through the use of inductive signals. Within the last decade, many of the key signaling molecules that induce the formation of the mesendoderm in the vertebrate embryo have been identified, but the mechanisms that precisely subdivide the germ layers are still largely unknown. This laboratory has identified a new T-box gene, TbxM, which is proposed to play a major role in the early patterning of the mesoderm and endoderm of zebrafish embryos. The role of TbxM in the inductive process leading to mesendoderm formation will be defined, and its interaction with other proposed maternal components will be studied. Finally, the mechanism of localization of TbxM transcripts during the early cleavage stages will be analyzed. These studies will provide insight into the fundamental mechanisms that pattern the early zebrafish