Mouse Genetics – Tools for the functional analysis of genes important in development and disease
We analyze the function of signaling molecules and transcription factors in development of the nervous system and muscle, using the mouse as a model organism. The molecular genetics of mice is well developed, and homologous recombination combined with embryonic stem cell technology can be used to introduce deletions or insertions into the genome. A further development of the technique, the Cre/LoxP technology, allows us now to introduce conditional mutations that are restricted to a particular cell lineage. We have used these technologies to analyze signals that maintain muscle progenitor cells and that allow the formation of satellite cells, the stem cells of the adult muscle. In addition, we identified the function of several transcription factors in development of the nervous system. Among these is a novel factor, Insm1, that we found to unexpectedly perform also important functions in development of pancreatic beta-cells, the insulin-producing endocrine cells.
Nervous System Development Muscle Development