Pilot Research Project Three

Molecular Analysis of Myogenic Regulatory Genes During De-Differentiation and Re-Differentiation of the Regenerating Tail of Adult Vertebrate Teleosts

Co-Principal Investigators:
Graciela Unguez, Ph.D. – NMSU
Stephen Tapscott, M.D., Ph.D. – FHCRC

The overall goal of this work is to study some of the molecular mechanisms of dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation of muscle-derived tissue that occurs during regeneration in a teleost vertebrate after tail amputation. This is a topic of great importance because stimulation of regeneration in vivo from healthy residual tissues can help replace tissues and organs damaged by injury or disease. S. macrurus is unique among vertebrates in its ability to regenerate its tail including spinal cord, skin, skeleton, muscle, and electric organ following amputation. Differentiated mesenchymal cells of S. macrurus have the ability to respond to tail amputation by reentry to the cell cycle. Our main objective is to use tail regeneration in S. macrurus to begin to identify and study the role of signals that control the transformation of differentiated myogenic cells.

Our specific aims are to:

	Characterize the expression of candidate molecular factors during dedifferentiation following induction of regeneration in vivo,
	Determine the capability of blastema cells to induce dedifferentiation of fully mature tissue.
	Determine whether the mammalian muscle cells are capable of responding to the signals from the blastemal cells.

Dr. Unguez has built a strong foundation on the amenability of S. macrurus tissue to experimental manipulation, both in vivo and in vitro. Dr. Tapscott has experience with the molecular regulation of muscle cell specification and differentiation, using both in vivo and in vitro systems. This work will be conducted as a collaborative project between both laboratories. This collaboration will maximize its potential for successful completion due to the accessibility of shared resources, inclusion of complementary expertise, and active intellectual interactions.

For More Information:

Interested NMSU faculty and students may contact Dr. Graciela Unguez at gunguez@nmsu.edu or Dr. Stephen Tapscott at stapscot@fhcrc.org to learn more about this pilot research project.