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MSc Exit Seminar – Ru Yun Chiang (Tropepe lab)
September 28, 2015 @ 10:10 am - 10:40 am
MSc Exit Seminar
Monday September 28th, 10:10 am – Ramsay Wright Building, Rm. 432
Ru Yun Chiang (Tropepe lab)
“The Role of Notch Signaling Pathway during Postembryonic Retinal Neurogenesis in Danio rerio“
Abstract
The retina of teleost fish, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio), exhibits a remarkable capacity for continuous neurogenesis and regeneration throughout life – unlike the mammalian retina. The neurogenic process in the postembryonic zebrafish retina is contributed by two major types of retinal precursor cells: the active stem/progenitor cells in the ciliary/circumferential marginal zone (CMZ) and the Müller glia in the differentiated retina. However, our current understanding of how proliferation and differentiation are regulated in these retinal niches is limited. Notch signaling has been demonstrated to regulate embryonic retinal stem cell behavior in many vertebrate model systems and previous studies have reported the expression of Notch pathway components in the adult zebrafish CMZ. Here I take advantage of the robust neurogenic ability of the zebrafish retina to reveal the expression pattern and functional roles of the Notch signaling pathway during postembryonic retinal development. My research revealed that: (1) Notch signaling is activated predominantly in the differentiated Müller glia; (2) the CMZ cells, despite the expression of Notch receptors, do not exhibit Notch activity and do not require Notch signaling for retinal stem cell maintenance; and (3) Notch signaling is required and sufficient for the proper differentiation of retinal cells in the CMZ, including Müller glia, cone photoreceptor and bipolar cells. These studies demonstrate how different levels of Notch activity regulate retinal stem/progenitor cell behavior and provide insight into how to reactivate/reprogram mammalian adult retinal stem cells in vivo.
Ramsay Wright is a wheelchair accessible building.