| title: | Mammalian homologues of the Drosophila gene neuralized |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5555 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
1.6-1.9. Chemistry and Molecular Biology 3. Medical Sciences |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics |
| head of project: | Tõnis Timmusk |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | Recent studies of the brain development in the two leading model systems, Drosophila and mouse, indicate that many basic molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in neurogenesis are highly conserved. Inactivation of neuralized and other neurogenic genes in Drosophila results in neuronal hypertrophy suggesting that their putative vertebrate homologues could also act as n regulators of neuronal fate and phenotype. Our preliminary data about the expression pattern, function, and molecular interactions of the mammalian homologues of Drosophila neu makes neu family an attractive candidate for proteins that participate in important developmental and functional pathways of the mammalian nervous system. The aim of this project is to characterize mammalian homologues of the Drosophila neurogenic gene neuralized, potential regulators of neuronal fate and phenotype. The specific aims of the project are to study: 1. Expression patterns of mammalian neu genes; 2. Subcellular localization of neu mRNAs and proteins: 2.1. Intracellular localization of neu proteins; Dendritic localization of neu mRNAs; 3. Posttranslational modifications of neu proteins; 4. Mechanism of action of neu proteins: 4.1. Transcriptional activities of neu proteins; 4.2. Interactors of mammalian neu proteins. 5. Effects of neu family on neuronal specification. It is expected that the results of the present research proposal about the function and molecular mechanisms of action of the neu family will help to better understand the development and functioning of nervous system. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms controlling neu family of genes could also lead to the development of methods how to change expression of these proteins in target cells of interest during treatments of different clinical conditions. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Kaia Palm | NICB | Research scientist | |
| 2. | Marko Piirsoo | KBFI | Research scientist | |
| 3. | Tõnis Timmusk | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics | Senior research scientist | |