A5046270274- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Congenital heart defects research
- Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Studies
- 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Cell Adhesion Molecules Research
- Pluripotent Stem Cells Research
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Micro and Nano Robotics
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Erythrocyte Function and Pathophysiology
- Cancer-related gene regulation
- Connexins and lens biology
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- RNA Research and Splicing
- Congenital gastrointestinal and neural anomalies
Universidad Mayor
2023-2025
University College London
2016-2025
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
2023
U.S. National Science Foundation
2020
UCL Australia
2008
Millennium Science Initiative
2000-2007
University of Chile
1997-2007
Fundación Ciencia and Vida
2005
National Institute for Health Research
1993
Directional collective migration is now a widely recognized mode of during embryogenesis and cancer. However, how cluster cells responds to chemoattractants not fully understood. Neural crest are among the most motile in embryo, their behavior has been likened malignant invasion. Here, we show that neural collectively attracted toward chemokine Sdf1. While involved initially polarizing cells, Sdf1 directionally stabilizes cell protrusions promoted by contact. At this contact, N-cadherin...
ABSTRACT The earliest sign of the prospective neural crest Xenopus is expression ectodermal component Xsna (the homologue snail) in a low arc on dorsal aspect stage 11 embryos, which subsequently assumes horseshoe shape characteristic folds as convergence-extension movements plate. A related zinc-finger gene called Slug (Xslu) expressed specifically this tissue (i.e. crest) when convergence extension are completed. Sub-sequently, Xslu found pre- and post-migratory cranial trunk also lateral...
Collective cell migration is a mode of movement crucial for morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. However, little known about how migratory cells coordinate collectively. Here we show that mutual cell-cell attraction (named here coattraction) required to maintain cohesive clusters migrating mesenchymal cells. Coattraction can counterbalance the natural tendency disperse via mechanisms such as contact inhibition epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Neural crest are coattracted complement...
Contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) is the process through which cells move away from each other after cell-cell contact, and it contributes to malignant invasion developmental migration. Various cell types exhibit CIL, whereas others remain in contact collision may form stable junctions. To investigate what determines this differential behavior, we study neural crest cells, a migratory stem population whose invasiveness has been likened cancer metastasis. By comparing pre-migratory show...
Migration of neural crest cells is an elaborate process that requires the delamination from epithelium and cell movement into extracellular matrix. In this work, it shown for first time non-canonical Wnt signalling [planar polarity (PCP) or Wnt-Ca2+] pathway controls migration cells. By using specific Dsh mutants, we show canonical needed induction, while required migration. Grafts tissue expressing as well cultured in vitro, indicate PCP works a cell-autonomous manner to control Expression...
There is evidence in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos that the neural crest/neural folds are specified at border of plate by a precise threshold concentration Bmp gradient. In order to understand molecular mechanism which gradient able specify crest, we analyzed how expression targets, Msx genes, regulated role genes has crest specification. As directly downstream Bmp, gene after experimental modification level activity grafting bead soaked with noggin into embryos, expressing ectoderm...
Directed cell migration is crucial for development, but most of our current knowledge derived from in vitro studies. We analyzed how neural crest (NC)cells migrate the direction their target during embryonic development. show that proteoglycan Syndecan-4 (Syn4) expressed migrating Xenopus and zebrafish embryos. Loss-of-function studies using an antisense morpholino against syn4 this molecule required NC migration, not induction. Inhibition Syn4 does affect velocity significantly reduces...
The complex sequence of inductive events responsible for the generation neural crest at border between plate and epidermis, triggers a genetic cascade involving several families transcription factors. Two members Snail family, Slug, have both been implicated in this cascade. In chick Xenopus, loss- gain-of-function experiments provided evidence that Slug plays key role development. However, contrast to chick, rather than is expressed premigratory mouse and, precedes expression population....