Sive Lab research is supported in part by grants from
the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation


Sunny Gupta

I am using zebrafish as a tool to investigate function of genes associated with autism in central nervous system (CNS) development. My study utilizes a recent observation that copy number variation in a specific region of human chromosome 16 is strongly associated to 1% of all autism cases. Early CNS development in humans and zebrafish is conserved both on the level of genetics and anatomy, our lab has significantly contributed towards this understanding and continue to further the knowledge by specifically investigating morphogenesis of the early brain. The investigation is based on the hypothesis that alteration in early brain development is one of the primary contributing factors in the autism phenotype. I am aiming to understand the genetics of this complex disorder by utilizing the expertise of our lab and using the fascinating zebrafish model system as a tool.



Jennifer Gutzman

My current research is focused on how the neural tube changes during morphogenesis to form the early three dimensional shape of the embryonic brain. There are many factors that may contribute to brain morphogenesis including filling of the ventricle space with fluid on the inside of the neural tube, changing of cell and tissue shape of the neuroepithelium itself, and the extracellular matrix which surrounds the neural tube on the basal surface. All of these factors, and their complex signaling components, combine to form the embryonic brain and ventricle space within. I use zebrafish as a model system to study this process which allows for live imaging of the developing brain and the ability to follow single cells and shape changes over time.





 

 

 

 

 



Figure: 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) wild type zebrafish embryo stained with laminin antibody which outlines the neural tube in green and counterstained with propidium iodide to label the nuclei in red.



Shuhong Li

The cement gland forms at the front-most part of the frog embryo, and we have been using it as a marker for anterior-posterior studies. Our research is focused on the identification of transcription factors that regulate the expression of cement gland marker genes using a sperm mediated transgenic approach. Our results show that multiple factors cooperate to define the expression of these genes to the cement gland.

Figure: in situ hybridization of a transgenic embryo showing the expression of reporter gfp in the cement gland (bracket) by the promoter of gob4 gene.



Radek Sindelka

My research is focused on basement membrane metabolism. The most anterior part of the embryo (especially the primary mouth region) serves as a model and my goal is to determine function and role of genes exclusively expressed there.

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