Investigating the role of Wnt signaling effectors on the neuron-glia switch and OPC specification during development and after injury.

Summary

This project investigates the molecular signals, specifically Wnt signaling effectors, that regulate the neuron-glia switch and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) specification during nervous system development and regeneration, using zebrafish as a model.

What they want

The research will determine how axin1 modulates wnt expression in pMN progenitors to activate a transcriptional switch in tcf7l2 and drive a neuron-glia switch to specify pMN progenitor cells into pre-OPCs. It will also identify transcriptional interactions with neuronal and oligodendrocyte-specific genes in pMN progenitors using single-cell multi-omics to establish a gene regulatory network. Finally, pharmacological and genetic tools will be used to manipulate wnt expression after spinal cord injury to induce a neuron-glia switch in vivo and drive gliogenesis in endogenous neural progenitor cells.

Deliverables

Uncover molecular regulators of pMN progenitor specification
Highlight the role of the neuron-glia switch in nervous system development and regeneration

Technical requirements

Immunohistochemistry
Transgenic imaging techniques
CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis strategies
Single-cell multi-omics techniques
Pharmacological tools
Genetic tools