A fundamental goal of this research is to predict and manipulate the expression of a gene in the nervous system, based solely on the knowledge of its nucleotide sequence. To achieve this goal, we use a multifaceted approach that combines several model systems. Therefore, analysis of cell-specific gene regulation in OT and VP neurons is simplified compared to the other parts of the brain. The second component of our approach is to use the zebrafish as a model organism.
Zebrafish eggs are externally fertilized, the embryos develop rapidly and are optically transparent.
These characteristics simplify genetic analyses, and allow for injection of gene constructs into the eggs and subsequent rapid analysis of the resulting gene expression patterns. The third component takes advantage of comparative genomics. The regulation of the OT and VP genes is evolutionarily conserved. This is true even though there are no obvious similarities in the nucleotide sequences of these genes among distantly related vertebrate species. Through this analysis we determine what nucleotide sequence information is necessary to either turn on or turn off the OT and VP genes.