# CELL-SURFACE PROTEINS AND VERTEBRATE DEVELOPMENT

> **NIH NIH P01** · SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE · 1994 · $821,757

## Abstract

The central theme of this program project is the study of interactions of
cell surface proteins in the development of the vertebrate embryo. Two of
these proteins are involved in the differentiation of the nervous system
and two others will be tested for their role in the morphogenesis of skin
and the development of the bony skeleton. These surface proteins are
being investigated at three levels of biological organization; the cell,
the tissue and the organism. The NILE glycoprotein will be studied for
its role in mediating interactions between nerve cells, and a new surface
glycoprotein, GP90, will be investigated for its function in the
communication of nerve cells with non-neuronal tissues such as muscle. A
cell surface-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan will be studied for
its role in the morphogenesis of the embryonic skin, and the membrane
glycoprotein alkaline phosphatase will be considered for a possible
structural role in the morphogenesis of the skin and the bony skeleton.
All projects will use the most up-to-date methods in recombinant DNA
technology, immunology, protein chemistry and cell biology to investigate
in detail the structure and function of these surface proteins that are
highly relevant to vertebrate development. The structure of the proteins
will be deduced from the nucleotide sequence of cDNAs that encode them.
Their functions will be investigated by identifying the functional
domains on the molecules themselves and of the ligands with which they
interact. An animal model system for the human inherited disorder
hypophosphatasia will be developed as part of one project by introducing
mutated forms of the normal allele into the germ line of mice. This
transgenic system will serve as a paradigm for later studies on the role
of the other cell surface molecules in the development of vertebrate
embryos. Two core facilities will be established for this program
project. One will support the molecular biological studies and the second
one will be established for the quantitative analysis of the behavior of
cells as a function of the surface molecules that are being studied. With
this facility we will be able to record, store and process images of
cells behaving under defined conditions and evaluate changes in their
shape and motility as a response to other cells or their extracellular
matrix.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2199771
- **Project number:** 5P01HD025938-05
- **Recipient organization:** SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE
- **SAM.gov UEI:** PHMKYKKJLQS1
- **Principal Investigator:** BARBARA RANSCHT
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $821,757
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-09-01 → 1994-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2199771

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2199771, CELL-SURFACE PROTEINS AND VERTEBRATE DEVELOPMENT (5P01HD025938-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2199771. Licensed CC0.

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