Transcriptional Control of Differentiation

It is apparent that the transcriptional control of retinal determination had been extensively studied, elegantly dissected, and is notably conserved in many visual systems across taxa.  However, this conserved pathway has yet to explain the differentiation of the two fundamental types of visual photoreceptors that exist today – rhabdomeric and ciliary.  We utilize two insects, Drosophila and Tribolium, and one crustacean, Daphnia, to delineate the conserved transcriptional cascade for directing photoreceptor differentiation as well as the key effector molecules for photoreceptor morphogenesis. 

Models for Retinal Degeneration

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by the degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptor cells and can be inherited in X-linked, autosomal recessive and dominant fashions. In today’s world of genomics, rapid progress has been made in identifying genes responsible for many Retinitis Pigmentosa conditions. However, the challenge remains to make new progress toward effective therapeutic intervention, which will require better understanding of the molecular and cellular roles of these gene products in normal and diseased photoreceptors. Furthermore, given the complexity of the human retina, these advancements will require the use of genetically amenable model systems.   Here, we uitilize Drosophila (and now Zebrafish) to investigate the cellular mechanisms of autosomal recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa 25 (arRP25)/EYS/Spacemaker and Prominin induced retinal degeneration.

Developmental Mechanisms Conferring Adaptive Transitions in the Evolution of Compound Eyes

A comprehensive understanding of eye evolution is no longer limited to morphological comparisons between visual systems. Many developmental mechanisms responsible for generating the various anatomical organizations have been identified.  Here we utilize the combination of insects and crustaceans (Drosophila, Tribolium, and Daphnia) to  understand how conserved cellular mechanisms are adapted, modified, or eliminated to generate novel and adaptive morphological organizations.