Although the zebrafish has emerged as an ideal model of vertebrate biology, methods for evaluating zebrafish gene function remain underdeveloped. This application describes two interdisciplinary strategies for temporally and spatially controlling gene expression in zebrafish through chemical reagents. One method builds upon the zebrafish community's use of morpholino oligomers to selectively inhibit gene expression and involves the synthesis of caged morpholinos that become fluorescent upon their activation by light. The other approach uses ecdysone receptor agonists to induce transcriptional activation, with photoactivatable agonists providing additional spatial control. Both strategies will generate zebrafish with tailored gene expression patterns, providing new opportunities for understanding vertebrate physiology at the molecular and systems levels. Since zebrafish are used to study multiple aspects of vertebrate biology, these new experimental capabilities will advance our understanding of human development, physiology, and disease. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM072600-03
Application #
7255409
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-CB-B (50))
Program Officer
Tompkins, Laurie
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2007-07-01
Budget End
2008-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$293,622
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
009214214
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
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