This five-year National Science Foundation project grant of $1,153,200 will fund research into the genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution of shoulder girdle bones in vertebrates transitioning from fish to tetrapods. Led by Rutgers, The State University under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), the award aims to identify the roles of GLI family genes in specifying the two types of bones - intramembranous and endochondral - found in vertebrates. The research focuses on the pectoral girdle, which was key to enabling terrestrial locomotion as vertebrates evolved from fish to four-limbed animals. Specifically, the project will characterize phenotypes in GLI gene knockout fish, test how GLI levels regulate genes involved in bone cell differentiation, and use transgenic fish to assess the function of GLI target genes in ossification pathway specification. Insights gained will further understanding of how distinct bone formation processes were regulated during the critical fish-to-tetrapod evolutionary transition. The award period is from August 2022 to July 2027.
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