¹Division of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, ²College of Life Science and Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, ³ National Tsing-Hua University, Department of Biological Science & Technology, National Chiao Tung University

The study on gene regulatory networks is an emerging field in the bioscience. In our lab, we use the systematic analysis to examine how the endoderm forms using zebrafish as a model organism. To decipher the underlying mechanism of embryo specification and differentiation, we first survey the literature to reconstruct gene regulatory networks (GRNs) underlying development from literature and built a website for our result (poster #1). The development of early embryo is control by a cascade of transcription factors and signal transduction machinery. We further analysis the subcircuits for sox32 and sox17 (poster #2), the evolutionary conserved Kernel of gata5, gata6 and otx (poster #3), and the transcription regulation of six3a gene (poster #4).

We further use zebrafish as model system to study the disease and vasculogenesis. We conduct a series of experiments on the effects of zebrafish embryonic development and angiogenesis, and to establish the base of stem cell and cardiovascular diseases related research with wnk1 protein kinase (poster #5), and dissect the mechanisms related to rock2a and nestin in neurogenesis using zebrafish embryo (Dr. Chen’s oral presentation). From our mouse HBx induced Hepatocellular carcinoma study; we identify the biomarkers, describe in details the interrelationships responsible for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, and identify the pathways in different stages of tumor formation (poster #6). Furthermore, over expression of selected candidate genes will be tested in Zebrafish animal model for their effect on carcinogenesis. Using this comparative oncogenomic study, we will find out the carcinogenesis pathways, the usefulness of finding a new diagnostic biomarkers as well as the mechanism of the oncogenesis.

The development of target-based drugs, translational research is considered to be essential. We use zebrafish as a model organism to explore the basic problem in life science; Gene regulatory networks represent the causality of developmental processes, and execute the construction of multiple states of differentiation. We also hope to use zebrafish as model to study the mechanism for angiogenesis, stem cell formation, neurogenesis and carcinogenesis. We wish to link the basic research to human disease, and with the usage of zebrafish model system, our research will benefit human being by translational research.