Date of Completion
2024
Document Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Biology
Thesis Type
Honors College
First Advisor
Alicia Ebert
Keywords
FGF, retina, zebrafish, development, Fgfr1b
Abstract
Cellular communication, largely accomplished through the binding of ligands to cell receptors, is essential to proper embryonic development. Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are one class of these signaling molecules. Previous work in the Ebert Lab investigated Fgf8a in zebrafish at 48 hours post fertilization (hpf), finding that loss of its function leads to smaller eyes with fewer retinal cells and mispatterned retinal vasculature. The receptor being utilized was unknown, with there being five possibilities (Fgfr1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4). Co-localization of expression using in situ hybridization suggested the most likely candidate is Fgfr1b. This study sought to further elucidate the role of Fgfr1b in retinal development through Fgf8a signaling. We hypothesized that Fgf8a from retinal ganglion cells, is acting through Fgfr1b on vasculature to promote blood vessel branching and proper retinal development, predicting that a loss of Fgfr1b would phenocopy loss of Fgf8a. We found fgfr1b mutant phenotypes resemble those of ace mutants lacking Fgf8a, suggesting Fgf8a is likely signaling through Fgfr1b at this point in development.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Davin, Ryan Thomas, "Fgfr1b is Required for Proper Retinal Development in Zebrafish" (2024). UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College Senior Theses. 623.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses/623