Ryan Lecture 1 Flashcards
what do animal models let us do
understand biological phenomena (manipulate cells and groups and their connection to other tissues)
Distinguish between genetic and environmental contributions to a disorder/phenotype
Explore causes and treatments for human diseases (doing similar experimentation on humans either unethical or not feasible)
What to consider when choosing a model system
Evolutionary conservation of pathways, genetic info,etc (understand basic phenotype, more complicated models = more complicated it is)
Accessibility = is it amenable for manipulation (to study in dev,)
Timing of development of organ under study (accessible)
Short vs long life cycle (most = 2–>21 day gestation period, drosophila and worms = shorter generation time, chickens = lay fertilized eggs)
Techniques for genetic manipulation (available , enough material)
Size
Generation time (can afford to house and study animal, consider for grad student, grant money)
Do embryos resemble adults
No
Period of dev, does not resemble adults
Fetal development = looks more like adult
How does a single egg become a complex multicellular 3d organisms
Process requires =
Generating diff cell types (10^14 in mammals, diff types of cells, mainly in brain)
Assigning them diff shapes and functions
Patterning throughout time the embryo in 3 dimensions (know orientation early on, to organisms and where in tissues)
What are the 3 components to building embryos
Cells
DNA
Patterning
Describe cells - building embryos
Gametes
Zygotes (give rise to diff cells then=)
Tissues
Describe dna - building embryo
Genome - within
Epigenome - epigenetic chances
Variation - enhancers
Describe patterning - building embryo
Signalling
Mechanical forces - shaping early embryo
Environment= if restricts =can have defects -go awry
Expressed in diff number or shapes of cells - this matters
Define patterning
The developmental mechanisms (any and all) that cause cells that are initially equal to acquire different identities
Define induction
Process where signals from a cell or group alter fate of another (different) cell
- inducing signals
Define competence
Ability to respond to inducing signal (has potential to change fate)
Cells may be competent to respond to >1 signal
If not competent = no change = incompetent
Important for patterning of tissues
What is an important part of development
Cell death
Name the stages of cell potential
Totipotent
Pluripotent
Multipotent
Unipotent
Compare pluripotent and multipotent cells
Pluripotent = uncommitted cells
Multipotent = committed cells (to a limited subset cells)
Describe totipotent cell potential
Gives rise to anything
Any cells, eventually become unipotent
Single cell to 8 cell morula (mouse embryo), can use for genotyping
Describe pluripotent cell potential
Blastula stage - mouse embryo
Te cells = support embryo
Icm = embryo itself
Describe multipotent cells
Grown out laterally = limb bud ex
Gives rise to diff cells in arm
Describe unipotent cell potential
Specific function = cells WILL NOT change fate in response to signals
Describe cell commitment
Specification —> determination —> differentiation
Describe specified cell
Follows a specific pathway if left alone
But fate is flexible
Can respond to other signals - can become smothering diff if change position
Describe determined cell
Fate irreversible
Can no longer change its fate in response to new signals
Know what it will become, can still respond to signals but wont become something else
Describe a differentiated cell
Mature and specialized
Final developmental stage
End of a lineage
At end of pathway = final function
Describe cell A
Committed to a specific differentiation pathway in absence of signal
If differentiation of cell A can be altered in response to signal = cell is specific but not determined
It is competent to respond to the signal
Describe Cell B
Differentiation of cell B cannot be altered in response to a signal then cell B is said to be determined = not competent to respond to the signal
Name the 3 types of specification
Autonomous
Syncytial
Conditional
What species use autonomous specification
Most invertebrates
Describe autonomous specification
Cells develop according to early fate
Asymmetric distribution of cytoplasmic content (tfs, proteins, have diff info - between daughter cells)
Usually in embryos with invariant cleavages
If blastomere removed - cannot be replaced (remaining cells cannot compensate, will lack structures removed)
Describe ex of autonomous specification in tunicate - sea squirt
Each blastomere already contains positional info - if remove cells = others wont compensate
Already specific fate - ectoderm, endoderm, mesenchyme, muscle, notochord
Set from very beginning - not by gastrulation, like usual in embryo
Describe asymmetric cell division in 1 cell c elegant embryo
From first division
2nd division = more symmetric
Labelled with gfp
What does autonomous specification depend on
Asymmetric cell division
Name the 2 things that happens during autonomous specification - division
- Symmetrical parent cell becomes polarized due to asymmetric segregation of fate determinants (cell fate determinants segregates in diff cells)
- Production of distinct daughter cells depends on alignment of mitotic spindle = need asymmetric localization and spindle to line up properly
Describe determination gradient
Asymmetric distribution of determinants = 2 poles = diff factors, but asymmetry depends on how cells divide - mitotic spindle
Also could be random or cues within field of cells that would help dictate = polarity in field of cells
Describe how get identical daughter cells
Spindle perpendicular = 90degrees to determination gradient
Metaphase plate parallel to determination gradient
= symmetrical divison
Describe how get NON identical daughter cell
Spindle parallel to determination gradient
Metaphase plate perpendicaulr to determination gradient
= asymmetrical division