# Molecular mechanisms regulating and interpreting BMP signaling

> **NIH NIH R35** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $531,605

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Molecular mechanisms regulating and interpreting BMP signaling
The highly conserved bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway regulates multiple
developmental and homeostatic processes. Malfunction of the pathway can cause a myriad of
somatic and hereditary disorders in humans, including skeletal and cardiovascular diseases,
and cancer. Thus BMP signaling must be tightly regulated to ensure that signaling happens at
the right time, place, level and duration. Due to the vital developmental functions of BMP
signaling, it has been proposed that therapeutically targeting specific BMP modulators is a more
productive way for treating different diseases caused by defects in BMP signaling. C. elegans
provides an excellent model to study the regulation of BMP signaling at single cell resolution
during the development of an intact animal. Using a highly specific and sensitive genetic screen,
we have identified multiple evolutionarily conserved modulators of the BMP pathway. These
modulators include cell surface integral membrane or membrane-anchored proteins,
extracellular secreted proteins, as well as transcription factors. Our research goals under this
MIRA are to determine mechanistically how different BMP modulators function in regulating
BMP signaling, and how BMP signaling is interpreted in specific cellular contexts. We propose
to use a multifaceted approach that combines classical molecular genetic studies with cutting-
edge imaging, proteomic and metabolomic approaches to dissect the functions of the BMP
modulators in C. elegans. Findings from our proposed studies will yield important insights into
the complex and intricate mechanisms regulating and interpreting BMP signaling in a
multicellular living animal. They may also provide potential therapeutic targets for the different
diseases caused by mutations in the BMP pathway.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10764558
- **Project number:** 2R35GM130351-06
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jun Liu
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $531,605
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2028-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10764558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10764558, Molecular mechanisms regulating and interpreting BMP signaling (2R35GM130351-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10764558. Licensed CC0.

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