The developmental processes underlying the development of organ systems within the vertebrate embryo are almost completely unknown. Classical studies have indicated the need for interactions between different embryonic tissues and these interactions are almost certainly mediated by growth factors. Via signal transduction pathways, these growth factors will activate the gene cascade leading to development of the organ. In order to study formation of a specific organ, it will be necessary to identify and characterize the specific growth factors and downstream transcription factors that are required for its development.
Work in my laboratory is aimed towards understanding the early development of the heart and blood vessels at the molecular level. The heart is the first organ to develop in the vertebrate embryo and so is particularly amenable to investigation. We use embryos of the frog, Xenopus, as the experimental organism. Research focuses on the role of growth factors and receptors and relevant downstream transcription factors in initiating and maintaining the pathways leading to cardiovascular development.
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Cox, C.M., S.L. D'Agostino, M.K. Miller, R.L. Heimark, and P.A. Krieg. 2006. Apelin, the ligand for the endothelial G-protein-coupled receptor, APJ, is a potent angiogenic factor required for normal vascular development in the frog embryo. Developmental Biology 296: 177-189.
Small, E.M., A.S. Warkman, D.-Z. Wang, L.B. Sutherland, E.N. Olson, and P.A. Krieg. 2005. Myocardin is sufficient and necessary for cardiac gene expression in Xenopus. Development 132: 987-997.
Garriock, R.J, S.L. D'Agostino, KC. Pilcher, and P.A. Krieg. 2005. Wnt11-R, a protein closely related to mammalian Wnt11, is required for heart morphogenesis in Xenopus. Developmental Biology 279: 179-192.
Vokes, S.A., T.A. Yatskievych, R.L. Heimark, J. McMahon, A. McMahon, P.B. Antin, and P.A. Krieg. 2004. Hedgehog signaling is essential for endothelial tube formation during vasculogenesis. Development 131: 4371-4380.
Small, E.M., and P.A. Krieg. 2004. Molecular regulation of cardiac chamber-specific gene expression. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine 14: 13-18.
Small, E.M., and P.A. Krieg. 2003. Transgenic analysis of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) promoter: Nkx2-5 and GATA-4 binding sites are required for atrial specific expression of ANF. Developmental Biology 261: 116-131.
