Investigating the role of Tjp2a and Tjp2b in zebrafish retinal development

Adaptor proteins tether upstream molecules on a cell membrane to downstream molecules further into the cell for signal propagation. Crk and CrkL are adaptor proteins that are required for proper retinal development in zebrafish. Using proteomics, we identified tight junction proteins (Tjp1 and Tjp2) as an upstream interactor of Crk and CrkL. Tjp1 and Tjp2 have known critical roles in cell-cell adhesion but their roles in retinal development are unexplored. This project will focus on Tjp2 in zebrafish retinal development by identifying the phenotypic consequence of loss of Tjp2a and Tjp2b. I will use CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis to knock down expression and observe changes in eye size, retinal layering, brain size, and neuronal mislocalization.