Genetic analysis of skin development and wound healing in zebrafish

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Matthias Hammerschmidt
• Subject Area: Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2007 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 43701099

We will analyze the epidermal defects of zebrafish lacking the Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor Hai1 or its substrate Matriptase. A particular focus on will be on epithelialmesenchymal transitions suppressed during skin homeostasis, but possibly activated during wound healing. Furthermore, we will analyze mutants with defects during larval skin development and wound healing, which we have isolated during an ENU mutagenesis screen. Finally, we will perform new screens for adult wound healing. Positional cloning will reveal the molecular nature of genes affected in selected mutants.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants