During embryonic development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, cell fates are specified by asymmetric segregation of cell fate determinants and via cell-cell signaling events. Specification of the eight-cell stage blastomere E, the endoderm progenitor cell, requires both cell signaling and asymmetric cell division. At the four-cell stage, a polarity-inducing signal from the P2 cell is required for the EMS cell to divide asymmetrically to produce an anterior daughter MS, and posterior daughter E. In the absence of signal, the EMS cell divides symmetrically to produce two daughters that adopt the MS fate. This thesis describes the identification and analyses of seven genes required to tranduce this polarity-inducing signal and specify endoderm formation. The mom-1, mom-2, mom-5, apr-1, and wrm-1 genes are homologous to components of the Wnt/Wingless signal transduction pathway, and the mom-4, and lit-1 genes are related to components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Biochemical analysis of these signaling molecules reveal a novel convergence of these pathways at the level of the LIT-1 and WRM-1 proteins, which appear to function as a kinase complex and are required for the downregulation of POP-1. Together these genes constitute components of a complex genetic pathway required for specification of the E cell fate.

The pancreas is located below the liver and adjacent to the small intestine where it connects to the duodenum. It consists of exocrine and endocrine components. The exocrine portion makes enzymes which are deposited in the duodenum to digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Exocrine tissue also makes bicarbonates that neutralize stomach acids. The endocrine portion produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon which are released into the blood stream. These hormones regulate glucose transport into the body's cells and are crucial for energy production. The pancreas is associated with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Annular pancreas and Nesidioblastosis. Annular pancreas and Nesidioblastosis are congenital malformations associated with excess endocrine tissue of the pancreas and its structures. Understanding the development of the pancreas might lead to insight of these diseases. The pancreas arises from the endoderm. In zebrafish, Nodal signaling activates mix-type and gata genes that then function together to regulate sox32 expression which is necessary and sufficient to induce endoderm formation. Interestingly, sox32 is exclusive to zebrafish and works synergistically with pou5f1 to regulate its own expression and turn on sox17 expression. sox17is evolutionarily conserved from zebrafish to mouse and is necessary for endoderm formation. Signals from within the endoderm and the surrounding mesoderm specify regions in the endoderm to develop into the pancreas and other endodermal organs. Sonic hedgehog (shh) expression in the foregut establishes the anterior boundary of the pancreas primordium while cdx4 expression establishes the posterior boundary, but what regulates these factors is unclear. We determined that two Three Amino Acid Loop Extension (TALE) homeodomain transcription cofactors, Meis3 and Pbx4, regulate shh expression in the anterior endoderm. Disrupting either meis3 or pbx4 reduces shh expression in the anterior endoderm. As a result, anterior ectopic insulin expression occurs outside the normal pancreatic domain. Therefore, we discovered upstream regulatory factors of shhexpression in the anterior endoderm, which is necessary for patterning the endoderm and pancreas primordium. We performed an ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosurea) haploid screen to look for endocrine pancreas mutants and to find other factors involved in pancreas development and patterning. From the screen, we characterized two mutants. We identified an aldh1a2 mutant, aldh1a2um22, which blocks the production of Retinoic Acid (RA) from vitamin A. While RA is known to be necessary for differentiation of the pancreas and liver, we also found it to be necessary for intestine differentiation. Two other aldh family genes exist in the zebrafish genome, but our data suggests that aldh1a2is the only Aldh that functions in endoderm differentiation and it is maternally deposited. From the screen, we discovered a second mutant, 835.4, that spontaneously arose within the background. pou5f1 expression is normal in mutant embryos, but sox32 expression is reduced and sox17 expression is lost. Downstream endoderm genes of sox17 are also lost and as a result no endodermal organs develop. Rescue experiments indicate that the mutation is located between sox32 and sox17 in the endoderm pathway. We currently have not been successful at mapping this mutation and therefore are unable to rule out the possibility that it lies in the sox17 gene. However, our data suggest that the mutation occurs in a new gene that is necessary for sox17 expression, potentially working with sox32 and/or pou5f1.

Resumo: A produção in vitro (PIV) de embriões e a transferência de embriões (TE) tratam-se de biotecnologias da reprodução, as quais são rotineiramente aplicadas no melhoramento genético da espécie bovina. No entanto, resta determinar até que ponto sua utilização implica na disseminação de patógenos no rebanho. A fim de elucidar a possibilidade de transmissão do BoHV-5 através de células germinativas e/ou embriões, após exposição experimental in vitro, uma série de 3 experimentos foram realizados. Estes consistiram na exposição de oócitos, espermatozóides e embriões bovinos ao BoHV-5, tendo como critério de avaliação o desenvolvimento embrionário, bem como a detecção do vírus através de emprego da técnica de hibridização in situ (ISH) e PCR, além da apoptose, determinada pelo teste de TUNEL e pela imunomarcação dos fatores pro-apoptóticos (anexina-V, caspase-2 e -3) e antiapoptóticos (BCl-2). O experimento I foi realizado durante o período de maturação oocitária, sendo dividido em I (controle + 10% SFB), II (vírus + 10% SFB; BoHV-SFB) e III (vírus + 1 mg/mL PVA; BoHV-PVA); o experimento II foi realizado na etapa de fertilização, sendo dividido em I (controle) e II (exposto; BoHV-SPTZ); e o experimento III foi feito no período de cultura embrionária, sendo dividido em I (controle) e II (exposto; BoHV-PZ). A análise estatística para os resultados de desenvolvimento embrionário será feita pela ANOVA e teste-t de Bonferroni para os dados dos oócitos infectados e pelo teste t não pareado para os resultados de espermatozóides e embriões infectados, já para a análise da apoptose e marcadores apoptóticos será empregado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis e Dunn, diferenças serão consideradas significativas quando p<0,05. / Abstract: The in vitro production (IVP) of embryos and embryo transfer (ET) are reproduction biotechnologies, which are routinely applied in breeding bovine. However, it remains to determine if these techniques can promote spread of pathogens in the herd. In order to elucidate the possibility of transmission of BoHV-5 by germ cells and/or embryos after in vitro experimental exposure, a total of 3 experiments were performed. These consisted of exposure of oocytes, sperm and embryos to BoHV-5, with the evaluation embryonic development, and detection of the virus through use of the technique of in situ hybridization (ISH) and PCR, in addition to apoptosis, determined by TUNEL test and by immunostaining of the factors pro-apoptotic (annexin-V, caspase-2 and -3) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2). The first experiment was conducted during the period of oocyte maturation and was divided into I (control + 10% FBS), II (virus + 10% fetal calf serum; BoHV-SFB) and III (virus + 1 mg / ml PVA, BoHV-PVA ), the second trial was conducted at the stage of fertilization, was divided into I (control) and II (exposure, BoHV-SPTZ), and experiment III was done during the growing stage, and divided into I (control) and II (exposure; BoHV-PZ). Statistical analysis for the results of embryo development will be made by ANOVA and Bonferroni-t test to the data from exposed oocytes and the unpaired t test for the results of sperm and embryos exposed, as for the analysis of apoptosis will be used the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn, differences are considered significant when p <0.05. / Orientadora: Tereza Cristina Cardoso / Coorientador: Alicio Martins Júnior / Banca: José Fernando Garcia / Banca: Magali D'Angelo / Mestre

The Snail protein functions as a transcriptional regulator to establish early mesodermal cell fate in Drosophila. Later, in germ band-extended embryos, Snail is considered a pan-neural protein based on its extensive expression in neuroblasts. The evidence presented in thesis links snail expression and function in CNS. Cloning and functional characterization of a novel snail homologue, in Drosophila, are also described here. Cloning of this gene, worniu (Chinese for snail), revealed that the neural function of snail is masked by this and another closely related gene escargot. Both Escargot and Worniu contain zinc finger domains that are highly homologous to that of Snail. These three members of Snail protein family are redundantly required for CNS development. Although not affecting formation of neuroblasts, the loss of expression of these three members correlates with disruption of Nb asymmetry and division. Downstream targets of Snail protein family, in these processes, are inscuteable and string. In mutant embryos, which have the three genes deleted, the RNA expression of inscuteable and string is significantly lowered. Consistent with the gene expression defects, the mutant embryos have loss of asymmetric localization of prospero RNA in neuroblasts and nuclear localization of Prospero protein in ganglion mother cells. Transgenic expression of inscuteable and string together, in the snail family deletion mutant, efficiently restores the Prospero expression in GMC, demonstrating that the two genes are key targets of Snail in Nbs. Like in the mesoderm, in CNS Snail function depends on interaction with dCtBP co-repressor. These results suggest that Sna [Snail] family of proteins control both asymmetry and cell division of neuroblasts by activating, perhaps indirectly, the expression of inscuteable and string.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-03-25. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:25:26Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-00228.pdf: 734554 bytes, checksum: 03a62f6cd8681b4c0355ed94322eac86 (MD5) / Objetivo: verificar a relacao entre as concentracoes no meio de cultura dos aminoacidos glutamina, alanina, do dipeptideo alanil-glutamina e da amonia com a qualidade embrionaria, a ocorrencia de gravidez e a relacao com o estimulo hormonal administrado. Metodo: foi realizado um estudo prospectivo caso controle com o meio de cultura de 62 embrioes produzidos por 20 mulheres que foram submetidas ao programa de Reproducao Assistida da UNIFESP. Como criterios de inclusao foram considerados idade (igual ou inferior a 37 anos), de um a quatro embrioes transferidos no 3o dia de cultivo, desde que tenha realizado o protocolo da ICSI e que tenham recebido hCG recombinante. Os grupos experimentais foram subdivididos de acordo com a qualidade morfologica dos embrioes no 2o e 3o dia de cultivo, evolucao homogenea (embrioes classificados como bons no 2o e 3o dia de cultivo) ou heterogenea, hormonio administrado durante o estimulo (FSH ou FSH e LH), e ocorrencia ou nao de gravidez, avaliada de acordo com o ƒÀ-hCG serico. As aliquotas dos meios de cultura foram coletadas apos a transferencia dos embrioes e analisadas por cromatografia liquida de alto desempenho (HPLC) para quantificar os aminoacidos glutamina e alanina, o dipeptideo alanil-glutamina e amonia presentes em cada amostra. As variaveis numericas foram comparadas entre os grupos utilizando o teste T de Student para amostras nao-pareadas (variaveis heterocedasticas foram transformadas), e frequencias utilizando Qui-quadrado de Pearson ou um teste exato de Fisher. Um modelo logistico foi construido utilizando idade das pacientes, hormonios utilizados para a estimulacao, qualidade embrionaria, e os metabolitos mensurados, uma vez que maximizasse a preditibilidade da ocorrencia de gravidez. Os dados estao apresentados como media; desvio padrao. Resultados: no grupo de embrioes que foram transferidos para mulheres que atingiram a gravidez, quando comparado com aquelas que nao atingiram, foram observados niveis menores de glutamina normalizada (1.4; 0,7 e 1.9; 0.7, respectivamente, p=0,004) e amonia (0.2; 0.01 e 0.3; 0.1, respectivamente, p=0,008). Niveis maiores de alanil-glutamina normalizada foram observados nos embrioes com melhor qualidade morfologica no 2o e 3o dia e naqueles com evolucao homogenea. Embrioes de pacientes que receberam FSH e LH, quando comparados com aquelas pacientes que receberam somente FSH, apresentaram maiores concentracoes de alanil-glutamina absoluta (334.9; 95.2 e 282.9; 62.4, respectivamente, p=0.017). Na regressao logistica, o melhor modelo preditivo para gravidez incluiu todos os valores normalizados de alanina, glutamina, idade, tipo de hormonio na estimulacao, e evolucao embrionaria (77.4%, p=0.00005). Conclusao: nas condicoes deste estudo, nossos resultados permitem concluir que, (i) embrioes que possuem um desenvolvimento homogeneo e com boa qualidade no segundo e terceiro dia de cultivo embrionario apresentam maior quantidade de alanil-glutamina no meio de cultura, (ii) niveis menores de amonia absoluta e glutamina normalizada no meio de cultura durante o cultivo embrionario estao relacionados com maior ocorrencia de gestacao e (iii) pacientes que receberam como estimulo hormonal FSH e LH apresentam niveis maiores de alanil-glutamina absoluta no meio de cultura. / Objective: to verify the relations between culture media concentrations of ammonia, alanine, glutamine, and alanyl-glutamine and embryo quality, pregnancy, and type of hormonal stimulation. Methods: a prospective case-control study was carried out including 62 embryos from 20 women submitted to assisted reproduction at the Sao Paulo Federal University. Inclusion criteria were age (up to 37 years old), one to four embryos transferred at day 3 of embryo culture, couples submitted to ICSI, and LH peak achieved through hCG administration. Experimental groups were subdivided according to embryo morphologic quality on days 2 and 3, homogenous (good embryos on days 2 and 3) or heterogeneous evolution, type of hormonal stimulation used (FSH or FSH and LH), and occurrence of pregnancy evaluated by serum ƒÒ-hCG. Culture media aliquots were collected after the embryos were transferred. Analysis of alanine, glutamine, alanyl-glutamine, and ammonia concentrations was performed using HPLC. Numerical variables were compared between groups using unpaired Student¡¦s T-test (heteroscedastic variables were transformed), and frequencies using Pearson¡¦s Chi-square or Fisher¡¦s exact test. Logistic models were constructed using female age, type of hormone used for stimulation, embryo quality, and the measured metabolites, in order to maximize predictability of occurrence of pregnancy. Data are presented as mean; standard deviation. Results: In the embryos transferred to women who achieved pregnancy, when compared to those who did not achieve pregnancy, lower levels of normalized glutamine (1.4; 0.7 and 1.9; 0.7, respectively, p=0.004) and ammonia (0.2; 0.01 and 0.3; 0.1, respectively, p=0.008) were observed. Higher levels or normalized alanyl-glutamine were observed in higher quality embryos on days 2 and 3, and on those who presented homogeneous evolution. Embryos from patients who received FSH with LH, when compared to those from patients who received only FSH, presented higher absolute values of alanyl-glutamine (334.9; 95.2 and 282.9; 62.4, respectively, p=0.017). In logistic regression, the model which best predicted pregnancy included all the normalized values of alanine, glutamine, age, type of hormone, and evolution (77.4% correct, p=0.00005). Conclusion: Our results allow us to conclude that, in our conditions: (i) embryos with better quality on days 2 and 3 and with a homogenous evolution are associated with higher contents of alanyl-glutamine in their culture media, (ii) lower levels of ammonia and glutamine in the culture media are associated to higher pregnancy rates, and (iii) FSH with LH during hormonal stimulation is associated to higher levels of alanyl-glutamine in the culture media. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-12-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:55:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 frade_cs_me_araca.pdf: 946830 bytes, checksum: 2ebd66c2e30b659729f39b6245809148 (MD5) / A produção in vitro (PIV) de embriões e a transferência de embriões (TE) tratam-se de biotecnologias da reprodução, as quais são rotineiramente aplicadas no melhoramento genético da espécie bovina. No entanto, resta determinar até que ponto sua utilização implica na disseminação de patógenos no rebanho. A fim de elucidar a possibilidade de transmissão do BoHV-5 através de células germinativas e/ou embriões, após exposição experimental in vitro, uma série de 3 experimentos foram realizados. Estes consistiram na exposição de oócitos, espermatozóides e embriões bovinos ao BoHV-5, tendo como critério de avaliação o desenvolvimento embrionário, bem como a detecção do vírus através de emprego da técnica de hibridização in situ (ISH) e PCR, além da apoptose, determinada pelo teste de TUNEL e pela imunomarcação dos fatores pro-apoptóticos (anexina-V, caspase-2 e -3) e antiapoptóticos (BCl-2). O experimento I foi realizado durante o período de maturação oocitária, sendo dividido em I (controle + 10% SFB), II (vírus + 10% SFB; BoHV-SFB) e III (vírus + 1 mg/mL PVA; BoHV-PVA); o experimento II foi realizado na etapa de fertilização, sendo dividido em I (controle) e II (exposto; BoHV-SPTZ); e o experimento III foi feito no período de cultura embrionária, sendo dividido em I (controle) e II (exposto; BoHV-PZ). A análise estatística para os resultados de desenvolvimento embrionário será feita pela ANOVA e teste-t de Bonferroni para os dados dos oócitos infectados e pelo teste t não pareado para os resultados de espermatozóides e embriões infectados, já para a análise da apoptose e marcadores apoptóticos será empregado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis e Dunn, diferenças serão consideradas significativas quando p<0,05. / The in vitro production (IVP) of embryos and embryo transfer (ET) are reproduction biotechnologies, which are routinely applied in breeding bovine. However, it remains to determine if these techniques can promote spread of pathogens in the herd. In order to elucidate the possibility of transmission of BoHV-5 by germ cells and/or embryos after in vitro experimental exposure, a total of 3 experiments were performed. These consisted of exposure of oocytes, sperm and embryos to BoHV-5, with the evaluation embryonic development, and detection of the virus through use of the technique of in situ hybridization (ISH) and PCR, in addition to apoptosis, determined by TUNEL test and by immunostaining of the factors pro-apoptotic (annexin-V, caspase-2 and -3) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2). The first experiment was conducted during the period of oocyte maturation and was divided into I (control + 10% FBS), II (virus + 10% fetal calf serum; BoHV-SFB) and III (virus + 1 mg / ml PVA, BoHV-PVA ), the second trial was conducted at the stage of fertilization, was divided into I (control) and II (exposure, BoHV-SPTZ), and experiment III was done during the growing stage, and divided into I (control) and II (exposure; BoHV-PZ). Statistical analysis for the results of embryo development will be made by ANOVA and Bonferroni-t test to the data from exposed oocytes and the unpaired t test for the results of sperm and embryos exposed, as for the analysis of apoptosis will be used the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn, differences are considered significant when p <0.05.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-08-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:06:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 alonso_rv_me_araca.pdf: 634055 bytes, checksum: 34e27dc3df85046bfbf38cde5c4733bf (MD5) / O crescente avanço da produção in vitro de embriões bovinos intensificou a utilização de outras biotecnologias da reprodução tais como a micro-manipulação embrionária e o diagnóstico genético pré-implantacional, sendo a identificação do sexo embrionário utilizada na rotina comercial de laboratórios de produção in vitro. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as interações de diferentes fatores sobre a taxa de mortalidade embrionária e a proporção do sexo de embriões bovinos submetidos ao processo de sexagem. Foi realizado levantamento no banco de dados da Transfix – Transplante de Embriões Ltda, Patrocínio Paulista / Brasil, referente a 4.650 embriões produzidos in vitro e sexados entre 2005 e 2007. Os embriões foram submetidos à micro-manipulação pela técnica de micro-aspiração, e as biópsias à reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR). Somente as fêmeas foram transferidas para receptoras previamente sincronizadas. O diagnóstico de gestação e a determinação do sexo fetal foram realizados por ultra-sonografia. As variáveis foram classificadas de acordo com o sexo dos embriões (macho, fêmea e indeterminado), cinco laboratórios (A, B, C, D e E), seis raças bovinas (Nelore, Brahman, Girolando, Simental, Holandês e Jersey), estágio embrionário (MO, BI, BL, BX e BE), qualidade embrionária (1, 2 e 3) e qualidade da biópsia (“dentro do padrão” e “fora do padrão”). As análises estatísticas foram realizadas pelos testes 2 de associação, 2 de aderência para proporção 1:1 e pela análise de regressão logística com o método de Hosmer-Lameshow utilizando o procedimento logístico (PROC LOGISTIC) programa computacional SAS. A PCR apresentou eficiência de 93,3%, acurácia de 93,2% e taxa de machos e fêmeas de 52,9% e 47,1%, respectivamente. A taxa de mortalidade dos embriões... / Crescent progress of in vitro bovine embryo production has improved the use of other reproductive biotechnologies, as embryo micromanipulation and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, being embryo sexing used in commercial routine of in vitro embryo production laboratories. The present study aimed to evaluate the interactions among different factors on the mortality rate and sex ratio of in vitro produced bovine embryos. A survey was performed in the Transfix – Transplante de Embriões Ltda, Patrocínio Paulista / Brazil data base, referring to 4.650 in vitro produced bovine embryos sexed during years 2005/2007. Embryos were submited to the biopsy by the microaspiration technique, and biopsies to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Only female embryos were transferred to synchronized recipients. Pregnancy diagnosis and fetal sex determination were carried out by ultrasound. The variables were classified according embryo sex (male, female and indeterminate), five laboratories (A, B, C, D and E), six bovine breeds (Nellore, Brahman, Girolando, Simmental, Holstein and Jersey), embryo stage (MO, EB, BL, XB and HB), embryo quality (1, 2, and 3) and biopsy quality (“standard” and “non standard”). The statistical analysis was carried out by association 2 test, 2 for 1:1 ratio and logistic regression analysis with Hosmer- Lameshow method using logistic procedure (PROC LOGISTIC) of SAS package. The PCR showed 93.3% efficiency, 93.2% accuracy and male and female ratio of 52.9% and 47.1%, respectively. Mortality rate of biopsied embryos was 10.3% and pregnancy rate was 31.7%. Although no significant differences were observed between male and female ratio, indeterminate embryos possess greater possibility to die after micromanipulation. For quality 2 and 3 embryo mortality rate after biopsy was 3.19 and 11.37 fold higher, respectively, than for quality 1 embryo. For those whose biopsy... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) and Retinoic acid (RA) are known to be involved in patterning the posterior embryo. Work has shown that Fgf can convert anterior tissue into posterior fates and that embryos deficient in Fgf signaling lack posterior trunk and tail structures. Likewise, studies performed on RA have shown that overexpression of RA posteriorizes anterior tissue, while disrupting RA signaling yields a loss of posterior fates. While it appears these signals are necessary for posterior development, the role Fgf and RA play in development of the hindbrain is still enigmatic. A detailed study of the requirements for Fgf and RA in the early vertebrate hindbrain are lacking, namely due to a deficiency in gene markers for the presumptive hindbrain at early developmental stages. In this study, we make use of recently isolated genes, which are expressed in the presumptive hindbrain region at early developmental stages, to explore Fgf and RA regulation of the early vertebrate hindprain. We employed both overexpression and loss of function approaches to explore the role of Fgf in early vertebrate development with an emphasis on the presumptive hindbrain region in zebrafish embryos. By loss of function analysis, we show that Fgf regulates genes expressed exclusively in the hindbrain region (meis3 and hoxbla) as well as genes whose expression domains encompass both the hindbrain and more caudal regions (nlz and hoxb1b), thus demonstrating a requirement for Fgf signaling throughout the anteroposterior axis of the hindbrain (rostral to caudal hindbrain) by mid-gastrula stages. To further characterize early gene regulation by Fgf, we utilized an in vitro system and found that Fgf is sufficient to induce nlz directly and hoxb1b indirectly, while it does not induce meis3 or hoxb1a. Furthermore, in vivo work demonstrates that Fgf soaked beads can induce nlz and hoxb1b adjacent to the bead and meis3at a distance. Given the regulation of these genes in vitro and in vivo by Fgf and their position along the rostrocaudal axis of the embryo, our results suggest an early acting Fgf resides in the caudal end of the embryo and signals at a distance to the hindbrain. We detect a similar regulation of hindbrain genes by RA at gastrula stages as well, suggesting that both factors are essential for early hindbrain development. Interestingly however, we find that the relationship between Fgf and RA is dynamic throughout development. Both signals are required at gastrula stages as disruption of either pathway alone disrupts hindbrain gene expression, but a simultaneous disruption of both pathways at later stages is required to disrupt the hindbrain. We suggest that Fgf and RA are present in limiting concentrations at gastrula stages, such that both factors are required for gene expression or that one factor is necessary for activation of the other. Our results also reveal a changing and dynamic relationship between Fgf and RA in the regulation of the zebrafish hindbrain, suggesting that at segmentation stages, Fgf and RA may no longer be limiting or that they are no longer interdependent. As we have demonstrated that an early Fgf signal is required for gastrula stage hindbrain development, we next questioned which Fgf performed this function. We have demonstrated that the early Fgf signal required for hindbrain development is not Fgf3 or Fgf8, two Fgfs known to be involved in signaling centers at the mid-hindbrain boundary (MHB) and rhombomere (r) 4. We further show that two recently identified Fgfs, Fgf4 and Fgf24 are also insufficient alone or in combination with other known Fgfs to regulate hindbrain gene expression. However, as Fgfs may act combinatorially, we do not rule out the possibility of their involvement in early hindbrain gene regulation. However, as time passes and additional Fgfs are isolated and cloned, the elusive Fgf signal required for early hindbrain development will likely be identified. Taken together, we propose that an early acting Fgf residing in the caudal end of the embryo regulates hindbrain genes together with RA at gastrula stages. We suggest that both Fgf and RA are required for gene expression at gastrula stages, but this requirements changes over time as Fgf and RA become redundant. We also demonstrate that the Fgf required for gastrula stage hindbrain development has yet to be identified.

Asymmetric cell divisions constitute a basic foundation of animal development, providing a mechanism for placing specific cell types at defined positions in a developing organism. In a 4-cell stage embryo in Caenorhabditis elegansthe EMS cell divides asymmetrically to specify intestinal cells, which requires a polarizing signal from the neighboring P2 cell. Here we describe how the extracellular signal from P2 is transmitted from the membrane to the nucleus during asymmetric EMS cell division, and present the identification of additional components in the pathways that accomplish this signaling. P2/EMS signaling involves multiple inputs, which impinge on the Wnt, MAPK-like, and Src pathways. Transcriptional outputs downstream of these pathways depend on a homolog of β-catenin, WRM-1. Here we analyze the regulation of WRM-1, and show that the MAPK-like pathway maintains WRM-1 at the membrane, while its release and nuclear translocation depend on Wnt/Src signaling and sequential phosphorylation events by the major cell-cycle regulator CDK-1 and by the membrane-bound GSK-3 during EMS cell division. Our results provide novel mechanistic insights into how the signaling events at the cortex are coupled to the asymmetric EMS cell division through WRM-1. To identify additional regulators in the pathways governing gut specification, we performed suppressor genetic screens using temperature-sensitive alleles of the gutless mutant mom-2/Wnt, and extra-gut mutant cks-1. Five intragenic suppressors and three semi-dominant suppressors were isolated in mom-2 suppressor screens. One extragenic suppressor was mapped to the locus ifg-1, eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4G. From the suppressor screen using cks-1(ne549), an allele of the self-cleaving nucleopore protein npp-10 was identified as a suppressor of cks-1(ne549)and other extra-gut mutants. Taken together, these results help us better understand how the fate of intestinal cells are specified and regulated in early C. elegans embryos and broaden our knowledge of cell polarity and fate specification.

The Hedgehog (Hh) family of proteins are secreted growth factors that play an essential role in the embryonic development of all organisms and the main components in the pathway are conserved from insects to humans. These proteins affect patterning and morphogenesis of multiple tissues. Therefore, mutations in the Hh pathway can result in a wide range of developmental defects and oncogenic diseases. Because the main components in the pathway are conserved from insects to humans, Drosophilahas been shown to provide a genetically tractable system to gain insight into the processes that Hh is involved in. In this study, the roles of Hh cholesterol modification and endocytosis during gradient fonnation are explored in the Drosophila larval wing imaginal disc. To exclude the possibility of looking at a redistribution of preexisting Hh instead of Hh movement, a spatially and temporally regulated system has been developed to induce Hh expression. Functional Hh-GFP with and without the cholesterol-modification was expressed in a wild-type or shi-tslendocytosis mutant background. The Gal80 system was used to temporally express (pulse) the Hh-GFP transgenes to look at the rate of Hh gradient formation over time and determine whether this process was affected by cholesterol modification and/or endocytosis. Hh with and without cholesterol were both largely detected in punctate structures and the spreading of the different forms of Hh was quantified by measuring distances of these particles from the expressing cells. Hh without cholesterol showed a greater range of distribution, but a lower percentage of particles near the source. Loss of endocytosis blocked formation of intracellular Hh particles, but did not dramatically alter its movement to target cells. Staining for Hh, its receptor Ptc and cortical actin revealed that these punctate structures could be classified into four types of Hh containing particles: cytoplasmic with and without Ptc, and cell surface with and without Ptc. Cholesterol is specifically required for the formation of cytoplasmic particles lacking Ptc. While previous studies have shown discrepancies in the localization of Hh following a block in endocytosis, Hh with and without cholesterol is detected at both apical and basolateral surfaces, but not at basal surfaces. In the absence of cholesterol and endocytosis, Hh particles can be observed in the extracellular space. Through three-dimensional reconstruction and quantitative analysis, this study concludes that the cholesterol modification is required to restrict Hh movement. In addition, the cholesterol modification promotes Ptc-independent internalization. This study also observes that Dynamin-dependent endocytosis is necessary for internalization but does not play an essential role in Hh distribution. The data in this thesis supports the model in which Hh movement occurs via planar diffusion.