At the crossroads between developmental and cell biology arises the question of how individual cell movements are coordinated to determine the final shape of an organ. During development, stereotyped morphogenetic movements control the architecture of tissues and organs, and consequently mutations in ‘morphogenetic genes’ can be the cause of common hereditary human diseases with unknown etiology. Although in general the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing tissue morphogenesis are poorly understood, there is a solid experimental basis that links the problem of morphogenesis to the control of cell polarity. 

In the frame of this rising field, we focus our interests on the identification of novel genes involved in the morphogenesis of polarized epithelial tissues, particularly in the context of the vertebrate nervous system. We characterize the role of “morphogenetic genes” in controlling cell polarity and cell behavior. To address these questions, we exploit the experimental advantages, such as powerful genetics and accessible experimental embryology, of the teleost fish: medaka (Oryzias latipes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio).

 

 

 

Currently we investigate the folding of the optic cup as an in vivo model for epithelial morphogenesis. We are conducting several parallel screens aimed at identifying novel components of the molecular machinery controlling eye morphogenesis.