C. elegans
embryo undergoing ventral
enclosure expressing a Pdlg-1::gfp transcriptional reporter pseudocolored
cyan, imaged using a Nikon 1.45 NA TIRF objective on our
Perkin-Elmer UltraView spinning disk confocal microscope
[Mark Sheffield].
We study how sheets of
cells (epithelial cells) rearrange, migrate, and adhere to
one another in the forming epidermis, or hypodermis, of the
early C. elegans embryo. We use a variety of approaches to
study epithelial morphogenesis, including genetics,
genomics, and advanced microscopy. Because the events we
study occur in all animal embryos, what we are discovering
has relevance for understanding fundamental processes
during normal embryonic development. By studying what
molecular processes control cell movements and cell
adhesion, we hope to shed light on basic mechanisms of
cancer metastasis, and on the events that lead to common
birth defects.
Why study worms? Click
here to learn more about why
C. elegans
is a powerful model system.
We study three major processes, all of
which occur in virtually all animal embryos (click to learn
more):
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Wnt signaling during directed cell rearrangement |
Actin networks during epithelial sheet sealing |
Cell adhesion complexes during morphogenesis |
We have also developed advanced microscopy techniques that have broad applications, including:
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