Molecular Control Of Cell Proliferation In Early Mouse Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,009.00
Summary
Elucidation of cell cycle regulation in the proliferating pluripotent cells of the early mammalian embryo is likely to have important impact on basic scientific knowledge, and on the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Investigation of this problem, in vitro and in vivo, requires specialist skills in cell cycle analysis, and experimental manipulation of mammalian embryos and pluripotent cells. This application will seek to address these fundamental issues of early development and cell p ....Elucidation of cell cycle regulation in the proliferating pluripotent cells of the early mammalian embryo is likely to have important impact on basic scientific knowledge, and on the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Investigation of this problem, in vitro and in vivo, requires specialist skills in cell cycle analysis, and experimental manipulation of mammalian embryos and pluripotent cells. This application will seek to address these fundamental issues of early development and cell proliferation using molecular approaches. The general aims will be: 1. to obtain a detailed description of cell cycles in pluripotent and differentiating cells of the mouse embryo 2. use this information to build a molecular description of cell cycle events during early embryogenesis 3. investigate the relationship between rapid cell proliferation in the embryo and pluripotencyRead moreRead less
Cell death by a special process called apoptosis is a means of deleting unwanted and harmful cells from the body. Extensive apoptosis occurs during foetal development which is required to get rid of many excess cells produced during the growth of the embryo. Selective apoptosis is also essential for the formation of different tissues and organs in developing foetus. In the adult, apoptosis is required for proper functioning of the immune system, to remove virus infected and cancer cells and, in ....Cell death by a special process called apoptosis is a means of deleting unwanted and harmful cells from the body. Extensive apoptosis occurs during foetal development which is required to get rid of many excess cells produced during the growth of the embryo. Selective apoptosis is also essential for the formation of different tissues and organs in developing foetus. In the adult, apoptosis is required for proper functioning of the immune system, to remove virus infected and cancer cells and, in general, to maintain the correct number of cells in the body. As such, misregulation of apoptosis is associated with the pathogenesis of a wide array of diseases. To understand, manage and treat disorders that result from aberrant apoptosis, we need to know at molecular and cellular level, how apoptosis is brought about and how it is regulated. We have been studying these processes in detail for several years. Central to the apoptotic execution of cell death are a group of proteases called caspases, that target many cellular proteins for specific cleavage. The activation of caspases is the crucial step in the initiation of apoptosis and therefore each cell has developed complex ways to control this process. If we understand how these regulatory mechanisms operate, we can then formulate strategies that are targeted towards pathologies involving abnormal apoptosis. In this proposal we will use vinegar fly as a model to study the function of caspases in development. We believe that results from this proposal will have several major benefits. Firstly, they will provide important insight into the mechanisms of developmental apoptosis thereby filling many gaps in our current knowledge. Secondly, the study will endeavour to identify new molecules-pathways that lead to caspase activation. Finally, the proposed studies will shed light on the function of caspases in non-apoptotic pathways.Read moreRead less