9600662 Schubiger Regeneration is a process necessary for survival. Some tissues like the epidermis continuously regenerate while others, like the bone, only after injury. Many aspects of regeneration are similar in different organisms. For example, upon wounding in both Drosophila imaginal discs and amphibian limbs a blastema of dividing cells is generated. Blastema cells divide rapidly and regenerate the missing structures. There are indications that the same or homologous gene products are involved in the regeneration process. Dr. Schubiger already has defined the role of the protooncogene wingless in stimulating regeneration and transdetermination. Thus, we have a molecular entry point on regeneration. He plans to define how wingless interacts with decapentaplegic (dpp) in inducing regeneration and transdetermination. Also a genetic screen will be initiated that will isolate mutations whose normal gene products interact with wingless in the regeneration process. Dr. Schubiger study regeneration in imaginal, discs of the fly Drosophila because this system is accessible to a molecular genetic approach. Dr. Schubiger also anticipates that many genes that function in the regeneration process are evolutionarily conserved.
