Examining the mechanism of the gene simplet (smp) in nerve-dependent appendage regeneration of the zebrafish

• Applicant: Dr. Christopher Antos
• Subject Area: General and Visceral Surgery
• Term: from 2009 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 157311488

To identify genes activated during the initiation of organ regeneration, we performed microarray profiling of regenerating heart, liver, and fin tissues. We identified the gene simplet (smp) from our microarray profiles of these regenerating tissues, and we found that it is required for cell proliferation during regenerative outgrowth. We also found that knockdown of smp deregulated the expression of sonic hedgehog (shh), a morphogen required for regenerative outgrowth and for regulation of progenitor cell populations. The only other publication of the gene shows that smp is also required for cell proliferation and patterning during early development. Little is known about the molecular mechanism(s) through which Smp regulates cell proliferation and shh transcription. Because cell proliferation and the regulation of shh are integral components of tissue development and regeneration, we intend to determine how smp functions by structure function analysis of the Smp protein, by identifying interaction partners, by testing their involvement in smp activity, by determining how smp is regulated, and by assessing whether it is involved in signaling transduction of nerve-dependent appendage regeneration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants