Section on Molecular Morphogenesis

Head: Yun Bo Shi

We are exploring molecular mechanisms in amphibian metamorphosis. The control of this developmental process by thyroid hormone (TH) offers a unique paradigm for studying gene function in postembryonic organ development. During metamorphosis, organs undergo vastly different changes. Some, like the tail, undergo complete resorption while others, such as the limb, develop de novo. Most larval organs persist through metamorphosis but undergo dramatic remodeling. For example, in Xenopus laevis, tadpole intestine is a simple tubular structure consisting largely of a single layer of primary epithelial cells. During metamorphosis, specific cell death and selective cell proliferation and differentiation transform the intestine into an organ of a multiply folded adult epithelium surrounded by elaborate connective tissue and muscles. The wealth of knowledge from earlier research, coupled with the ability to manipulate amphibian metamorphosis in vivo by using transgenesis or hormone treatment of whole animals and in vitro in organ cultures, offers an excellent basis (1) for studying the developmental function of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their underlying mechanisms in vivo and (2) for identifying and functionally characterizing genes critical for postembryonic organ development in vertebrates.

Resources

• Employee Listing
• E-Mail the Lab: shi@helix.nih.gov
• SMM Home Page