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David J. Kozlowski, Ph.D.
E-mail:
Research Emphasis:
Hearing
disorders affect a significant portion of the population; it is estimated that
~1 in 2,000 live births are affected by hearing impairment and 30-35% of the
population experiences age-related hearing loss.
Current goals of this laboratory are to identify genes and pathways that
control development of the inner ear and to understand how their dysregulation
impacts morphogenesis and function.
We use the zebrafish (Danio rerio)
embryo as a model vertebrate system because of its rapid development, optical
clarity and amenability to both embryological and genetic manipulations.
Importantly, the fish inner ear is functionally and structurally similar
to that of mammals.
Currently, our laboratory is characterizing several mutant lines with
defects affecting development and function of the inner ear.
We are also generating transgenic zebrafish that express green
fluorescent protein (a gene reporter that can be visualized in live embryos)
under the control of inner ear specific gene promoter elements.
These transgenic fish will aid in the analysis of mutants as well as
provide new information about patterns of gene expression, cell lineage, and
cell fates in the developing otic vesicle.
Projects in our lab utilize molecular (PCR, cloning), cell biological
(microinjection, in situ
hybridization, fate mapping), and genomic (gene mapping, positional cloning)
technologies.
Selected Publications:
Kozlowski, D.J., Murakami, T., Ho, R.K., and Weinberg, E.S. (1997) Regional cell
movement and tissue patterning in the zebrafish embryo revealed by fate mapping
with caged fluorescein. Biochem Cell Biol. 75:551-562.
Kozlowski, D.J. and Weinberg, E.S.
(2000) Photoactivatable (caged) fluorescein as a cell tracer for fate mapping in
the zebrafish embryo. Methods Mol Biol. 135:349-55.
Kelly, C., Chin, A.J., Leatherman, J., Kozlowski, D.J., and Weinberg, E.W.
(2000) Maternally controlled b-catenin-mediated
signaling is required for organizer formation in the zebrafish. Development 127:3899-3911.
Gee, K.R., Weinberg, E.S., and Kozlowski, D.J. (2001) Caged Q-Rhodamine Dextran:
A new Photoactivated Fluorescent Tracer Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 11:2181-2183.