Ph.D, 1987, Washington University

Catherine E. Ovitt, Ph.D

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Genetics,Center for Oral Biology

Contact Information:
University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry
601 Elmwood Ave, Box 611
Rochester, New York 14642
Medical Center G-9634
Phone (585) 275-1434
Fax (585) 276-0190

Email:
Catherine_Ovitt@urmc.rochester.edu

Research: Application of mouse genetics to the analysis of genes involved in salivary gland function.

OVERVIEW

The mouse is the premier mammalian model system for developmental and biomedical research. The powerful technology afforded by the manipulation of embryonic stem cells allows the introduction of loss-of-function and other mutations into specific genes in the mouse germline. This has led to the establishment of an increasing number of mouse strains in which the analysis of gene function can be undertaken in the context of an intact vertebrate organism. Targeted mutagenesis of countless genes, encoding proteins as diverse as transcription factors, enzymes, and receptors, has been instrumental in the development of numerous valuable disease models that have significantly advanced medical research.

Mouse models have been extensively used to characterize the physiology of salivary fluid secretion. Targeted mutagenesis of specific membrane channels and ion exchangers has provided insight into the functions of these proteins, many of which act in concert with one another. Further examination of these interactions requires the ability to perturb more than one gene at a time, a state that is not always compatible with viability of the whole organism. For this reason, the Cre recombinase system has been adopted to conditionally inactivate target genes specifically within either acinar or duct cells of the salivary gland. This system provides a means to analyze the interactions or redundancy between key molecules involved in salivary gland function.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Click to see publications by Dr. Ovitt indexed in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.