Control of stem cell identity and homeostasis in the ciliary marginal zone of the vertebrate retina (A03)

• Subject Area: Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2010 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 122491522

Vertebrate neural stem cells have retained a life-long proliferative potential. Fish and amphibia, in addi-tion, show continuous growth of the central nervous system including the retina. Here, the ciliary mar-ginal zone (CMZ) acts as stem cell niche and hosts multipotent retinal stem cells whose fate determina-tion and proliferation are dependent on the transcription factor Rx2. Our studies uncovered an unex-pected link to the immune system likely eliminating stem cells. We will address how niche homeostasis is maintained by the interplay between Rx-mediated proliferation control and stem cell elimination via mononuclear phagocytes.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 873: Maintenance and Differentiation of Stem Cells in Development und Disease
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Joachim Wittbrodt