Nicolás Cumplido Salas, Ph.D.

Research

In the McMenamin lab, I will explore the role that retinoic acid plays in the development of the zebrafish tail fin. Retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A, influences developmental processes by interacting with a receptor protein that can either activate or repress target genes. In preliminary studies, I found that in zebrafish, the initial formation of the tail fin relies on a distinct set of developmental genes that are inhibited by retinoic acid. However, tail fin growth—and regeneration in later adulthood—are both activated by retinoic acid. Now, using cutting-edge techniques in developmental genetics, pharmacology, and genomics, I will determine how retinoic acid signaling switches from being repressive to being required during the course of tail fin development, a duality that likely depends on elements present in the DNA and the local tissue environment. Because both vitamin A deficiency and vitamin A overabundance can cause developmental defects in humans, these findings could lead to novel strategies for the prevention or treatment of congenital disorders.