Mentor: Michael Robinson, Ph.D.

Transcription factors (TFs) are regulatory proteins that control gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences and influencing transcription. One area of development TF become increasingly important is cranial placodes. During early development, cranial placodes arise from a shared region of multipotent surface ectoderm. For example, both the lens placode and olfactory placode originate from this common surface ectoderm tissue before differentiating into distinct cell types. In the lens, FOXE3 is a forkhead transcription factor that is specifically expressed in the lens, a non nerual tissue, where it regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. In contrast, the olfactory placode gives rise to both neural and non-neural tissues but does not naturally express FOXE3. To study gene function in this system, the RCAS method, an avian specific retrovirus-based approach, can be used to deliver genes into cells to be incorporated into the host genome and subsequently expressed.

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