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Myosin-1a membrane binding in microvilli
Feb. 29, 2012—One of the most abundant components of the enterocyte brush border is the actin-based monomeric motor, myosin-1a (Myo1a). Within brush border microvilli, Myo1a carries out a number of critical functions at the interface between membrane and actin cytoskeleton. Proper physiological function of Myo1a depends on its ability to bind to microvillar membrane, an interaction mediated...
Kathy Gould elected as an AAAS Fellow
Feb. 8, 2012—"In November 2011, the AAAS Council elected 539 members as Fellows of AAAS. These individuals will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on 18 February 2012 during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The new Fellows will receive a certificate and a blue and...
A new Cdk1 substrate Nsk1 regulates kinetochore
Dec. 8, 2011—Jun-Song Chen1,2, Lucy X. Lu1,2, Melanie D. Ohi2, Kevin M. Creamer3,4, Chauca English2, Janet F. Partridge4, Ryoma Ohi2, and Kathleen L. Gould1,2 1 Howard Hughes Medical Institute & 2 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37212 3 Integrated Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center,...
GABAergic synapses in C. elegans
Dec. 7, 2011—Author contributions: S.C.P., J.D.W., J.E.R., and D.M.M. designed research; S.C.P., J.D.W., and J.E.R. performed research; M.S. and W.W.W. contributed unpublished reagents/analytic tools; S.C.P., J.D.W., J.E.R., and D.M.M. analyzed data; S.C.P. and D.M.M. wrote the paper. Abstract Although transcription factors are known to regulate synaptic plasticity, downstream genes that contribute to neural circuit remodeling are largely...
Diabetes Day
Nov. 28, 2011—Jennifer Plank, a current student in Cell and Developmental Biology, received the award in the graduate student category. Working with Patricia Labosky, Ph.D., Jennifer studies regulators of pancreatic beta cell mass expansion. She has identified important roles for the neural crest and for the transcription factor Foxd3 in the beta cell. The findings from both...
Susan Wente named by the ASCB’s Women in Cell Biology (WICB)
Oct. 19, 2011—Susan Wente, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences, and Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, was named by the ASCB’s Women in Cell Biology (WICB) Committee to receive the 2011 WICB Senior Award. Wente is a world-recognized leader and has made seminal advances in three key...
Loss of Foxd3 results in decreased beta cell proliferation and glucose intolerance during pregnancy
Oct. 19, 2011—Jennifer L. Plank, Audrey Y. Frist, Alison W. LeGrone, Mark A. Magnuson and Patricia A. Labosky – Author Affiliations Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (J.L.P., A.Y.F., A.W.L., M.A.M., P.A.L.), Center for Stem Cell Biology (J.L.P., A.Y.F., A.W.L., M.A.M., P.A.L.), Program in Developmental Biology (J.L.P., A.Y.F., A.W.L., M.A.M., P.A.L.), Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics...
Genetic interactions between hepatocyte nuclear factor-6 and notch signaling
Sep. 20, 2011—Genetic interactions between hepatocyte nuclear factor-6 and notch signaling regulate mouse intrahepatic bile duct development in vivo Charles Vanderpool1, Erin E. Sparks2, Kari A. Huppert2, Maureen Gannon3, Anna L. Means4, Stacey S. Huppert2,*,† DOI: 10.1002/hep.24631 Abstract Notch signaling and hepatocyte nuclear factor-6 (HNF-6) are two genetic factors known to affect lineage commitment in the bipotential...
Mechanism of plus-end targeting by the kinesin-8 Kif18A
Sep. 1, 2011—A Tethering Mechanism Controls the Processivity and Kinetochore-Microtubule Plus-End Enrichment of the Kinesin-8 Kif18A Jason Stumpff2, 4, Yaqing Du1, 4, Chauca A. English1, Zoltan Maliga3, Michael Wagenbach2, Charles L. Asbury2, Linda Wordeman2, 4, , and Ryoma Ohi1, 4, 1 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232 2 Department of Physiology and...
cell reprogramming by forced Pdx1 expression
Sep. 1, 2011—Context-specific α-to-β-cell reprogramming by forced Pdx1 expression Yu-Ping Yang1,Fabrizio Thorel2,Daniel F. Boyer1,Pedro L. Herrera2 and Christopher V.E. Wright1,3 1Vanderbilt University Program in Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA; 2Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland Abstract...
Neural crest stem cell multipotency requires Foxd3
Apr. 19, 2011—eural crest stem cell multipotency requires Foxd3 to maintain neural potential and repress mesenchymal fates Nathan A. Mundell1,2,3 and Patricia A. Labosky1,2,3,4,* 1 Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0494, USA. 2 Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0494, USA. 3 Program in Developmental Biology,...
Coupling chromosome segregation and cytokinesis involves signaling scaffold ubiquitination
Feb. 25, 2011—EMBO J. 2011 Jan 19;30(2):341-54. Epub 2010 Dec 3. Dma1 ubiquitinates the SIN scaffold, Sid4, to impede the mitotic localization of Plo1 kinase. Johnson AE, Gould KL. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA. Abstract Proper cell division requires strict coordination between mitotic exit and cytokinesis. In the...
Casagrande’s contributions to anatomical science honored
Feb. 17, 2011—Casagrande’s contributions to anatomical science honored BY: BILL SNYDER 2/10/2011 – Vivien Casagrande, Ph.D., professor of Cell & Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University, has been named a fellow of the American Association of Anatomists. Vivien Casagrande, Ph.D. The honor recognizes “excellence in science and in … overall contributions to the anatomical sciences.” Casagrande, who also is...
The neural crest regulates beta cell proliferation and maturation
Feb. 17, 2011—Influence and timing of arrival of murine neural crest on pancreatic beta cell development and maturation Received 30 June 2010; revised 27 October 2010; accepted 5 November 2010. Available online 14 November 2010. Abstract Interactions between cells from the ectoderm and mesoderm influence development of the endodermally-derived pancreas. While much is known about how mesoderm...
Defects in hepatic Notch signaling
Feb. 11, 2011—Defects in hepatic Notch signaling result in disruption of the communicating intrahepatic bile duct network in mice. Sparks EE, Perrien DS, Huppert KA, Peterson TE, Huppert SS. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Abstract Abnormal Notch signaling in humans results in...