Use of micromass cultures to study how sICD effects cell fate.

Bone, cartilage, and fat muscles are all formed from a common pool of embryonic mesoderm cells. The type of tissue (bone, fat or cartilage) that develops depends on specific stimulation that is produced through cellular signals. Signals involved in bone formation (osteogenesis), cartilage (chondrogenesis) and fat muscle (adipogenesis) are not well known.  Shown in the diagram below, we plan to use murine C3H10T1/2 cells to analyze the effect of sICD on osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, and adipogenesis. We will further look at the genes that are affected by these assays to identify potential regulators of these cellular differentiation processes.