Human anatomy and embryology

Organisation profile:The laboratory currently characterizes enteric neurons in embryonic and in adult zebrafish. Zebrafish is an excellent model system for the study of developmental disorders, including Hirschsprung disease (HSCR). In the intestines of patients with HSCR, the enteric ganglia are partially or completely absent, leading to motility disorders and chronic constipation, megacolon and eventually enterecolitis. One of the many available mutant zebrafish, the lessen mutant, shows the same phenotypic properties as patients with HSCR. Before this mutant model can be adequately used in the research field, it needs to be validated. First the morphological structure of enteric neurons will be determined in the intestines of adult zebrafish (and later in embryonic stages). In the next phase, the content of these neurons will be examined, a process called neurochemical coding. In the last phase, the neurons will be submitted to electrophysiological recordings. The acquired information will help to classify the enteric neurons in different types according to morphology and function. These data will be compared and evaluated with the mutant zebrafish. This project is an association between four research groups: 'Human Anatomy & Embryology', 'Cell biology & Histology', 'Ecophysiology, Biochemistry & Toxicology' from the University of Antwerp and the research group 'Genetics, Cell & Developmental Biology' from Emory University, Atlanta. Methods: - General zebrafish handling and care - Breeding and raising of zebrafish embryos - Microinjection - Tissue culture - Preparation of whole mounts - Preparation and making of cryosections and paraffine sections - Immunohistochemical antibody labelling - Immuno-enzymatic labeling - In situ hybridisation - Light, fluorescent and confocal microscopy

Keywords:EARLY DEVELOPMENT, EMBRYOLOGY, WOUND HEALING

Disciplines:Animal biology, Genetics, Morphological sciences, Veterinary medicine