Bambi and BMP Signaling

The Salk Institute For Biological Studies, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

0111090 Izpisua Belmonte The vertebrate eye is a highly complex structure that is induced early in development by two different tissue layers. Various proteins have been shown to be involved in this process. Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) belong to the TGF-b superfamily of secreted proteins, which have been shown to be crucial for correct vertebrate eye development. In the absence of BMP-signalling eyes fail to develop and/or are dramatically reduced in size. Experimentally induced over-activation of BMPs change the structure and pattern of the eye. A newly described regulator of BMP-signalling is BAMBI, an inhibitor of BMP-signaling. BAMBI is active wherever BMPs are functional and represents an important component in the regulation of BMP activity. The aim of this proposal is to investigate the function of BAMBI in mouse eye development by genetically mutating and thereby abolishing the function of BAMBI. The second goal of this proposal will be to abolish the function at later stages during development, and thus study the function of BAMBI in adult eyes. The study of the extracellular modulation of BMP-signaling during eye development may eventually lead to uncover a new set of interactions that are relevant for normal eye development. In addition, the results obtained in mice are likely to stimulate research for possible genetic alterations related to BMP-signaling in humans with congenital eye malformations.