PB-CSIC - Grupo de linajes celulares en la organogénesis
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Group Leader: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
AIMS
The research interest of our group is aimed at defining the molecular mechanisms that control the early development of the vertebrate nervous system. Our main objectives are:
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms that allow the progressive specification of a common progenitor cell into different cell types and
- Studying how some of these mechanisms are reused at later stages of development to establish proper connections among neurons
In the past years we have studied the role of different regulatory molecules in vertebrate eye development. Our work has demonstrated that Otx1/2 are necessary for the specification of the retina pigmented epithelium while Six3 and Six6 are transcriptional repressors that participate in the specification and proliferation of the neural retina.
We have contributed to demonstrate different functions for different signalling pathways: a) SFRP1, a component of Wnt signalling, contributes to the specification of the eye field and to regulate neurogenesis, b) a process that is initiated by FGF activity; c) the signalling pathway activated by BMP4 is responsible for the proliferation and apoptosis that occurs in the dorsal portion of the optic cup d) while Bmp7 is necessary for optic
fissure formation; e) the activity of some of these morphogens (Shh and Sfrp1) are later reused as axon
guidance cues.
Currently we are studying the transcriptional network that control optic vesicle specification, analysing the promoters of Six3, Six6 and Otx2 and searching for the their down-stream target genes. We are pursuing further functions for SFRP1 and SHH in ocular and their role in the control of retina ganglion cell growth cone movements.
Besides expanding our knowledge in development neurobiology, understanding eye development has the potential added value of pinpointing to the causes of specific ocular pathologies. In this respect, we are interested in understanding the molecular basis of congenital retinal dystrophies (RD), focusing on the role of Wnt signalling.