Role of Wnt signaling in embryonic neural stem cells (B03)

• Subject Area: Hematology, Oncology
• Term: from 2010 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 122491522

The WNT signaling pathway plays a key role in stem cell biology, including neural stem cell prolifera-tion and differentiation. Cyclin Y and Cyclin Y like-1 (CCNY/CCNYL1) are mitotic Cyclins, which regulate the phosphorylation of the WNT co-receptor LRP6. We have created CCNY/CCNYL1 double knockout (DKO) mice, which display severe embryonic brain defects. Preliminary analysis indicates that CCNY/CCNYL1 are required for progenitor proliferation and differentiation. We plan to systematically characterize DKO embryos and neurosphere cultures at the tissue and cellular level, focusing on cell division and differentiation. We will investigate the role of nontranscriptional WNT/LRP6/GSK3 signaling plays in this context.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 873: Maintenance and Differentiation of Stem Cells in Development und Disease
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Head: Professor Christof Niehrs, Ph.D.