Meeting Abstract

P1.96  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30  Small GTPases and the cell biology of early development in the cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis ALANAZI, A.; KHALILI, S.; WHALEN, W.; MAGIE, C.R.*; Quinnipiac University; California State University, Fresno; California State University, Fresno; Quinnipiac University craig.magie@quinnipiac.edu

Understanding how morphogenesis is controlled in early-branching metazoans, coupled with comparisons across the animal kingdom, will help clarify the evolution of morphogenetic mechanisms. To this end we are examining the cell biology underlying gastrulation in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, which is a member of the Cnidaria and therefore a valuable sister taxon to the Bilateria. Gastrulation strategies require the precise control of cell dynamics, making gastrulation an excellent context in which to study the molecular mechanisms underlying morphogenesis. Gastrulation in Nematostella occurs through invagination, though the molecular details underlying this process remain to be elucidated. To this end we are examining the expression and function of a number of small GTPases (including Rho, Rac, and Cdc42) during gastrulation in Nematostella. Rho GTPases have been shown to be important regulators of cellular behavior through their effects on a variety of processes, including actin cytoskeletal rearrangement, transcriptional activation, and regulation of cell adhesion. We are currently utilizing a morpholino-based approach to perturb function of these small GTPases, as well as a pharmacological approach to inhibit the function of their downstream effectors. Our data suggest that the molecular mechanisms underlying Rho function in Nematostella may be distinct from those in bilaterian taxa.