Epithelial cell polarization in Nematostella vectensis
Alejandra Figueroa-Clarevega
Epithelial organization is a defining feature of metazoans, although some major structural differences distinguish epithelia in commonly studied vertebrate and invertebrate systems. To complement our studies in Drosophila and develop an evolutionary perspective on mechanisms of epithelial morphogenesis, we are beginning studies on the model cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis. Our long term goal is to better understand the architecture of cnidarian epithelia, and to determine the developmental function of genes that are know to play a crucial and conserved role in apico-basal and planar cell polarization. Technically, we are using a combination of bioinformatics, morpholino/RNAi knockdown experiments, and imaging.