Lyons Research Lab

Welcome to the Lyons Lab

Image of growth plates of vertebrate tissues.

Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UCLA/ Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Signaling pathways controlling formation of the growth plate

The growth plate is one of the few tissues in vertebrates in which cells are stratified according to their differentiation status. This makes it possible to use phenotypic analysis of mice to investigate the functions of genes in specific aspects of commitment, maintenance, proliferation, differentiation. The Growth Plate >

CCN protein function

Close-up view of matricellular proteins.

Matricellular proteins have been defined as residing in the ECM, but having regulatory rather than structural roles. The CCN family of matricellular proteins includes connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF), CCN1/Cyr61, CCN3/NOV, and CCN4/Wisp1. Matricellular proteins >