BIOL 186 |
| Embryonic development depends on exquisite spatial and temporal control of gene function. Therefore, advancing our molecular understanding of embryogenesis requires methods for perturbing gene expression and simultaneously observing the resultant phenotypes. The zebrafish has emerged as a powerful system for studying vertebrate development, as its embryos are optically transparent, develop rapidly ex-utero, and recapitulate many of the physiological processes observed in mammals. In contrast to these attributes, our ability to alter zebrafish gene expression through reverse-genetic technologies is underdeveloped. To address this limitation, we have devised a novel chemical methodology that permits conditional gene inactivation in zebrafish. We demonstrate the ability of this technology to regulate a transcription factor required for axial patterning, revealing spatial and temporal aspects of its function. |
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Frontiers in Chemical Biology
5:00 PM-7:00 PM, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster
Division of Biological Chemistry |