FOR 2325 - WP08: Detailed role of Wnt signaling in blood-brain barrier development

Basic data for this project

Description

The blood-brain barrier is a permeability barrier established by the neurovascular unit to ensure brain tissue homeostasis and prevent toxic substances or pathogens from entering the central nervous system.Here we propose to perform a detailed analysis of the role of Wnt signaling in establishing and maintaining this barrier function in developing zebrafish embryos and larvae. We will characterize the spatial alignment of the neurovascular unit, specifically of the endothelial and the glial cells and their junctional molecules and properties. We will also identify by which transcriptional targets the Wnt signaling pathway is involved in regulating development and functionality of the blood-brain barrier.For this work, we will exploit the advantages of the zebrafish as a model organism, especially its amenability to live imaging and fast transgenesis and genome editing (using CRISPR/Cas9).We expect to gain novel insights into how development and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier are regulated.