Study of highly and precisely controlled genetic programs that are responsible for animal development, from gametogenesis to adulthood.
Objectives :
The aim of this course is to introduce functional genetics and the genetic tools used to understand the principles that control animal development.
An introduction to Developmental Biology
· How do cells build a multicellular organism from the same genome ?
· What are the genotype/phenotype relationships ?
· Remember the principles of genetic analysis and model organisms : the nature of mutations, loss of function and gain of function mutations (definition of a master gene), clonal analysis (of somatic or germ cells)
Study of regulatory elements
· Establishment of transgenetic lines, enhancer trap lines, reporter genes… using model organisms (Drosophila, C. elegans, mice…)
· Use of the systems FLP/FRT, CRE-LOX, UAS-GAL4-GAL80, AttpP/B-PhiC31 etc
Positional Information, maternal gene effects and asymmetry
· Models and mechanisms of positional information (induction, organizers, morphogenesis)
Establishment of body axes : antero-posterior, dorsal-ventral and proximo-distal/ left-right axes
· Genetic screens
· Cellular communication, signaling pathways and gene networks
Invertebrate and vertebrate segmentation :
· Segmentation genes (gap, « pair rule » and polarity genes)
· Transcriptional regulation of gene expression during development, regulatory sequences during evolution
Segmental identity and Hox homeotic genes
· Spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression
· Epigenetic regulation and 3D architecture of the genome.
· Evo-Devo concepts
· Seminars on various topics (sex determination, epigenetic control by polycomb complexes, temporal control of transcription, temporal control of transcription, etc)