Award
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 5R01AR082708-05
Genetic studies of a pleiotropic transmembrane protease: insight from color variation in non-model organisms
Recipient
Stanford University
Award Amount
$645,553.00
Ceiling
$645,553.00
Awarded
June 23, 2026
Identifier
5R01AR082708-05
This award supports research on the genetic basis of pigmentation variation in non-model organisms to understand the function of the transmembrane protease Taqpep and its role in various biological tissues, using forward genetics in animals and experimental genetics in mice.
Description
Mendelian variation in pigmentation is a rich genetic resource to understand signaling pathways relevant to human biology and has led to the identification of a novel transmembrane protease, Transmembrane aminopeptidase Q/Laeverin (Taqpep/LVRN), involved in biology of the placenta, hair, palate, and gut. This application uses pigmentary variation in animals to discover new genes that interact with Taqpep, and to better understand Taqpep function by studying knockout mice.