Evolution and Development Laboratory - Honours projects available in 2009
An Honours project undertaken in this lab would be administered by the Discipline of Anatomy & Histology.
- Embryonic origins of vertebrate muscle
Supervisor + contact details:
- Dr Nicholas Cole
Limb muscles are formed by the long-range migration of precursor cells from the developing embryonic somites. Zebrafish fin muscle precursors possess molecular and morphogenetic identity with these limb muscle precursors. The mechanisms controlling precursor specification, initiation, migration and differentiation are yet to be determined. In addition the embryonic origin of many other muscle groups is still unknown. We now have a unique opportunity to utilise the resolving power of novel transgenic tools to permanently in vivo track the derivatives of muscle precursors in real time and therefore determine the spatial and temporal origins of migratory muscles. A deeper understanding of muscle lineage specification will provide insights into the normal, as well as pathological, aspects of skeletal muscle, heart and craniofacial development.
- Determining the position and timing of limb initiation
Supervisor + contact details:
- Dr Nicholas Cole
The developmental origins and molecular processes that generate our legs and associated musculature have not been fully defined. To date, only two hind-limb specific genes have been discovered (Pitx1 & Tbx4). Tetrapod hind-limbs evolved from the pelvic fins of ancestoral fish and the signaling centres involved in limb formation are similarly involved in fin formation, for example, Pitx1 and Tbx5 are required for pelvic fin development. Therefore, examining the genetic control of pelvic fin development will shed light upon the developmental mechanisms of correct hind limb formation. We will utilize the power of the zebrafish vertebrate model to investigate the genes responsible for pelvic fin specification, initiation and outgrowth. In addition, we have pelvic fin and pectoral fin (evolutionary forerunner to tetrapod fore-limb) deficient zebrafish. Elucidating the gene or signaling centre responsible for these morphologies will highlight genes involved in limb development and disease.
