Washington University in St. Louis

There is still a great deal to learn about the design principles that guide vertebrate development.  Since all cells in an organism contain the same genes, transcribing different sets of genes confers a cell’s specialized role.  Which genes get turned on or off to create a particular cell type at the right time, in the right place during the development of an organism?  This is one of the pivotal questions in developmental biology.  The research team has developed a technology, Transposon “Calling Cards,” to attack this question in a novel way, and has shown that it works in yeast and mammalian cell cultures.  They propose to develop this technology, which allows them to mark every place in the genome where genes are active, for use in a living animal.  If successful, they will be able to record gene expression along different cell lineages throughout the development of a living vertebrate.  The team will be able to produce a complete record of gene activation at different stages of vertebrate development, watching as cells and their progeny specialize and form organs.  These data would contribute to the field of developmental biology by providing a blueprint for the generation of all cell types, and could ultimately guide the reprogramming of embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells to produce specific cell types for personalized transplants, such as pancreatic beta cells to treat diabetes.