Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy

Research Area: The Role of Centrosome Inheritance in Neurogenesis

Neural progenitors, as many other progenitor cell types, divide both symmetrically, producing two daughters of the same cell type, or asymmetrically producing two daughters of different cell types. Asymmetric division is critical in order for the system to generate differentiated cell types while maintaining the progenitor pool. Prior to cell division, the centrosome self-replicates resulting in a mother and a daughter centrosome. Mother centrosomes can be differentiated from daughter centrosomes by their possession of satellites bearing proteins such as cenexin and ninein which daughter centrosomes do not inherit until one and a half cell cycles after their generation (Wang et al., 2009). In Drosophila, asymmetric inheritance of centrosomes has been correlated with cell fate (Yamashita et al., 2007). In the mammalian neocortex, inheritance of the mother centrosome is important in maintaining the radial glial progenitor pool (Wang et al., 2009). In the Link lab we use the zebrafish retina to study how cell biological mechanisms, such as centrosome inheritance, influence neurogenesis. I have developed transgenic zebrafish lines that label mother or daughter centrosomes which I will be using to determine whether centrosome inheritance influences cell fate decisions in the retina.

Education and Training:

2008-2010 – Postdoctoral research with Dr. Monica Vetter, University of Utah
2008 – Ph.D., Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah (Supervised by: Dr. Monica Vetter)
2001 – B.S., Biology, University of Utah

Publications:

Agathocleus M, Iordanova I, Willardsen MI, Xue Y, Vetter ML, Harris WA, Moore KB. (2009). A directional Wnt/-catenin-Sox2-Proneural pathway regulates the transition from proliferation to differentiation in the Xenopus retina. Development.

Willardsen MI, Suli A, Pan Y, Marsh-Armstrong N, Chien CB, El-Hodiri H, Brown NL, Moore KB, Vetter ML. (2009). Temporal regulation of Ath5 gene expression during eye development. Dev. Biol. 326, 471-481. 

Riesenberg AN, Le TT, Willardsen MI, Blackburn DC, Spencer ML, Vetter ML, Brown NL. (2009). Initiation of mouse retinal neurogenesis via Pax6 regulation of Math5. Genesis 47, 175-187.

Hutcheson DA, Hanson MI, Moore KB, Le TT, Brown NL, Vetter ML bHLH-dependent and -independent modes of Ath5 gene regulation during retinal development. (2005). Development 132, 829-839.