# Signal Integration During Eye Formation

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2021 · $342,652

## Abstract

Project Summary: 
 
A long-­standing question in biology is how cells respond to multiple signaling inputs with a specific response. 
This proposal investigates the intersections of Notch and Hh signaling pathways, which are widely required 
during development, and basic mechanisms congenital eye disease. Both signaling systems regulate cell 
proliferation, morphogenesis, cell polarity, differentiation, apoptosis and stem cell maintenance.  However, the 
spatiotemporal contexts for each differs at the cellular and tissue levels during optic vesicle morphogenesis 
and growth. This proposal will use in vivo complex conditional (cre-­lox) mouse genetics, mouse transgenics, 
embryology, iPSC-­derived retinal organoids, histology, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, in situ 
hybridization, qPCR and bioinformatics technologies to investigate basic, mechanistic questions about the 
initiation and progression of eye formation from the embryonic brain.  We will address several important 
questions: 1) What are the spatial and temporal constraints for Notch versus Hh in controlling growth, 
morphogenesis, patterning, tissue polarity and the timing of differentiation in the optic vesicle, optic cup, RPE 
and optic stalk?  3) What are the optimal conditions by which Notch and Shh pathways contribute to the 
generation of retinal ganglion cell and cone photoreceptor neurons in retinal organoid culture? 1) How do the 
Notch and Hh pathways regulate the eye expression domains of a common target gene, Hes1?

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10245151
- **Project number:** 5R01EY031724-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Nadean L Brown
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $342,652
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10245151

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10245151, Signal Integration During Eye Formation (5R01EY031724-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10245151. Licensed CC0.

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