Investigating the Role of mrck-1 in C. elegans Excretory Cell Development

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are neurovascular lesions that cause myriad neurological symptoms, including seizure and hemorrhagic stroke. While the key genes responsible for CCM have been identified, the molecular basis for CCM remains an intense area of research. We have employed a nematode model to investigate the CCM signalling pathway in vivo. The Caenorhabiditis elegans excretory cell is a sensitive model of biological tubulogenesis. We previously found that the conserved disease-causing gene ccm-3 drives excretory canal extension by promoting CDC-42 signalling. My work shows that a CDC-42 effector, the kinase MRCK-1, signals downstream of CCM-3 in this process. I show that the myosin light chain is a key downstream target of the CCM-3 signalling pathway. My findings offer insight into a controversial signalling pathway and provide many avenues for further investigation.M.Sc.2017-11-30 00:00:0