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| Ajay Chitnis, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., Investigator |
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Dr. Chitnis received his M.B.B.S. from the University of Bombay, India, in 1984. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1991, where with John Kuwada he examined how early neurons establish brain tracts in the zebrafish embryo. Dr. Chitnis did postdoctoral training with Chris Kintner at the Salk Institute, where he studied the role of Notch signaling in selecting cells that become early neurons in the Xenopus neural plate, and then with Wolfgang Driever at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he identified zebrafish mutants with an aberrant pattern of early neurons. In 1997, Dr. Chitnis joined the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics in NICHD as an Investigator. His group uses a combination of cellular, molecular, genetic and computational approaches to understand how a relatively simple pattern of early neurons is established in the zebrafish neural plate.
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Staff:
Research Interests:
Each organ in our body represents a vast community of cells with distinct fate and morphology. The broad goal of the Section on Neural Developmental Dynamics is to understand how interactions between cells ensure that different types of cells differentiate in the correct number and location in a developing nervous system. They also investigate how, as cells begin to differentiate, progenitor populations are maintained to ensure the growth and development of the developing brain. They use a combination of cellular, molecular, genetic and computational approaches to understand the process of self-organization of the zebrafish nervous system during early development.
The research primarily examines the role of the Notch signaling pathway in determining cell diversity, in maintaining progenitors, and in determining the morphology of cells as they acquire distinct fates during neural development. Work in this area began with the analysis of zebrafish mutants with aberrant patterns of early neurogenesis. One of these mutants, mind bomb (mib), was found to encode a RING ubiquitin ligase responsible for promoting endocytosis of Delta. Having shown that Mib-mediated endocytosis of Delta is essential for effective Notch activation in a neighboring cell studies are now directed at understanding how the cell biology of Delta and Notch trafficking contributes to Notch signaling. The identification of additional Mib interacting proteins has led to studies directed at understanding the role of Mib in diverse cellular biological mechanisms including organization of cell polarity and morphogenesis in the nervous system. Finally, computational models are developed to understand the dynamic function of Notch signaling and to visualize how interactions between cells regulate neurogenesis in the developing brain.
Specific Goals:
A. Understand the function of Mind bomb and the cell biology of Delta-Notch signaling
B. Functional analysis of Mib interacting proteins
C. Define mechanisms that establish and maintain neuronal progenitors
D. Explore potential morphogenetic functions of Delta, Notch and Mib
E. Develop computational models of genetic networks involving Notch signaling
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Selected Recent Publications:
Itoh M, Chitnis AB (2001) Expression of proneural and neurogenic genes in the zebrafish lateral line primordium correlates with selection of hair cell fate in neuromasts. , Mech Dev 102, 263-6.
Full Text/Abstract
Contact Information:
Dr. Ajay Chitnis
Vertebrate Neural Development Unit
Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, NICHD
Building 6B, Room 3B315
6 Center Drive MSC 4510
Bethesda, MD 20895-4510
Telephone: (301) 435-8262 (office),
(301) 435-8263 (laboratory),
(301) 496-0243 (fax)
Email: chitnisa@mail.nih.gov
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