BMPs were first identified for their bone-inducing properties. Subsequently it was discovered that BMPs control numerous events in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis including cell type specification, stem cell maintenance, cell death, and cell division. As BMPs play roles in a large variety of biological processes, defects in BMP activities are linked to various diseases including developmental defects and cancer. In order to further uncover the root causes of other developmental defects and diseases, identification of genes regulated by BMPs is essential. This project incorporates state-of-the-art molecular biology approaches to uncover the intricacies of BMP target gene regulation. The intellectual merits of this proposal are to provide a global view of BMP function in a depth that is unprecedented in the current literature. This project is likely to uncover the involvement of BMPs in various diseases and biological processes including the maintenance of stem cell properties. Findings from this project will also explain how BMP signaling has evolved to control development in different biological and evolutionary contexts. This project will also have an educational impact as over one dozen undergraduates and graduate students will be trained in the areas of molecular biology, developmental biology, and computational biology.
