This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are interested in investigating mechanisms underlying responses of zebrafish keratocytes to electric fields. Keratocytes are epithelial cells on fish scales. When a wound is created on fish skin, keratocytes migrate towards the wound to reform the epithelial layer. The cues for directional migration of those cells are not well characterized. We found that zebrafish keratocytes migrated towards the cathodes in electric fields in vitro. How those cells sense the electric fields is not known. Calcium is involved in cytoskeleton dynamics. Thus we want to test whether the temporal and spatial distributions of calcium ions are affected by electric fields and whether calcium dynamics is required for responses of keratocytes to electric fields. We also detected that at the wound of zebrafish skin there were outward electric currents. This indicates that endogenous electric fields exist and are involved in directing migration so keratocytes during wound healing. Our research will provide useful information for the studies on wound healing.
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