Profiles

Martin Wojtyniak

Graduate Student

B.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Connecticut, 2005.

ARX/ALR-1-dependent neurodevelopment in mammals and C. elegans

Mutations in the human aristaless-related homeobox gene (Arx) gene have been linked to multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. Diseases arising from Arx mutations in humans phenotypically range from non-syndromic mental retardation to profound defects in brain function and morphology suggesting that ARX is involved in multiple pathways. I am interested in exploring the mechanistic functions of ARX, and its C. elegans homolog (ALR-1) in neurodevelopment. My approaches include exploring signaling pathways and gene regulation during development in a comparative manner utilizing both mice and C. elegans as model systems. Through this work I aim to better understand how ARX functions in humans and what pathways are affected by ARX signaling.