Biosciences Seminar Series - Autumn 2015
12 November 2015 - 1pm - Zoology Museum (Wallace 129)
Self-fertilising mangrove killifish as a genetic model for studying embryonic development
Dr Tetsu Kudoh
 |
| Suppression of melanin synthesis in mangrove killifish embryo by treatment with PTU - photo by Tetsu Kudoh |
From that primordial first cleavage to a ball of moving cells, through to shifting and folding cell sheets to a fully formed embryo - embryonic development has fascinated zoologists and biologists since long time. Many different processes and ultimately genes govern the growth and differentiation of a fertilized egg to a fully formed embryo, and many things can go wrong due to genetic and environmental causes. Our speaker of this week, Dr Tetsu Kudoh from the University of Exeter, is a developmental biologist interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying early embryonic development, from gene functions to the role of environmental disruption. Tetsu uses a variety of model organisms, including the fascinating mangrove killifish, the only vertebrate species able to self-fertilize, which will feature in his talk.
The mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus (Kmar), and another related species are the only known vertebrate species which can reproduce with self-fertilisation. The hermaphrodite adult fish have bilateral ovotestis and lay fertilised eggs as daily bases. This ability makes the animal as a very powerful and unique model for genetics studies. In the talk, I would like to discuss our screening and characterisation of the Kmar mutants which has abnormalities in early embryonic development of the trunk, tail and fin.
Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!
No comments:
Post a Comment