# Induction of retinal development by the peripodial epithelium in Drosophila

> **NIH NIH R01** · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $454,032

## Abstract

Project Summary: Induction, the process by which one tissue signals to and influences the development of
another, is a central feature of metazoan development. Some of the most famous and best studied examples
of inductive interactions include the communication that takes place between the ectoderm, mesoderm, and
endoderm during early embryonic development. Other examples include the signaling that leads to proper
neural plate, somite, and brain development. Relevant to this proposal are the inductive cues that are sent by
the vertebrate lens to ensure proper specification, positioning, and patterning of the adjacent retina. Mutations
that either disrupt transcriptional networks within and signaling emanating from the lens lead to catastrophic
retinal disorders. As such, there is intense interest in identifying and understanding the mechanisms underlying
the induction of retinal development by the adjoining lens. This application is focused on using the eye-
antennal disc of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as an experimental system for studying inductive events
during eye formation. The eye-antennal disc is a sac-like structure that contains three different tissues. The
retina develops from a columnar epithelium called the disc proper. Overlying the disc proper is a sheet of
squamous cells called the peripodial epithelium. These two layers are stitched together along their edges by a
strip of cuboidal cells called the margin (which is itself derived from the peripodial epithelium). As such, the
eye-antennal disc resembles a closed pillowcase. Evidence from the published literature indicates that
signaling from the peripodial epithelium is important for inducing fate specification, growth, patterning, and cell
fate choices within the retina. While the vertebrate lens and fly peripodial epithelium are non-homologous
structures it appears that both tissues make use of common regulatory modules to induce developmental
changes in the retina. For example, recent studies have shown that Pax6 and BMP4/TGFβ signaling are both
required in the lens and peripodial epithelium for retinal development. In this proposal we will address a
number of exciting questions that go to the heart understanding how development of the retina is induced by
neighboring tissues. Using modern molecular, cellular, and genetic methods we will develop a state-of-the-art
contemporary perspective on how the peripodial epithelium influences the development of the eye and directly
contributes to formation of the head. As part of these studies we will pursue the identification of transcription
factors and signaling pathways that are important in the peripodial epithelium for retinal development. These
gene regulatory networks will be relevant to understanding how the vertebrate lens communicates to the
adjacent retina. We will test the specific hypotheses that Pax6 and the So-Eya complex regulate the production
of ligands for the TGFβ and Notch signaling pathways. From the aims...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10093048
- **Project number:** 5R01EY030847-02
- **Recipient organization:** TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Justin P Kumar
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $454,032
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10093048

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10093048, Induction of retinal development by the peripodial epithelium in Drosophila (5R01EY030847-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10093048. Licensed CC0.

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