| Nathan Hart, Ph.D., Professor C228 Nelson labs 604 Allison Road Piscataway, NJ 08854-6999 VOICE: (732) 445-2802 FAX: (732) 445-1794 hart@biology.rutgers.edu Visit the Hart Lab |
Research Summary
Fertilization and normal development
Fertilization triggers a complex cascade of cellular activities required for normal vertebrate development. Dramatic changes in egg organization accompany re-entry into the cell cycle with formation of the second polar body. Current research in Prof. Nathan Hart’s lab focuses on the role(s) of the actin-based cytoskeleton in this process using the zebrafish egg. Image: SEM of polar body site at time of abscission.
Developmental biology, fertilization, cytoskeleton, zebrafish egg
Fertilization of the vertebrate egg triggers a complex cascade of responses at the cell surface, including secretion of vesicles by exocytosis, the retrieval of membrane by endocytosis, movement of the sperm into the egg cytoplasm, and formation of the second polar body with re-entry into the cell cycle. These events of early development are tightly regulated both temporally and spatially. The research in my laboratory is focused on egg structure, the role(s) of the cortical actin-based cytoskeleton in modulating these early changes in egg organization, and the intracellular signals involved in regulating actin organization. Our model system for analysis is the zebrafish egg.