Eurico Morais de Sá
Epithelial Polarity & Cell Division
Group leader
Eurico Morais-de-Sá graduated at the University of Porto. Biochemist at heart, his first research experience was in X-ray protein Crystallography at IBMC, Porto.. The GABBA PhD program made him trade the beauty of symmetric crystals for the challenge of asymmetric cells. This led him to the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge (UK) to study cell polarity and body-axis specification for his PhD. In 2011, he obtained EMBO postdoctoral and Marie Curie Fellowships to come full circle, joining IBMC to understand how epithelial cells remodel their spatial organization to cope with the many challenges of cell division. He leads the Epithelial Polarity & Cell Division group since 2018.
Selected Publications
di Pietro F., Osswald M., De las Heras J.M., Cristo I., López-Gay J., Wang Z., Pelletier S., Gaugué I., Leroy A., Martin C., Morais-de-Sá E., Bellaïche Y.
Systematic analysis of RhoGEF/GAP localizations uncovers regulators of mechanosensing and junction formation during epithelial cell division. Current Biology33(5):858-874.e7, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 9] [IF: 8.1]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.028 SCOPUS: 85149976826
Osswald M., Barros-Carvalho A., Carmo A.M., Loyer N., Gracio P.C., Sunkel C.E., Homem C.C.F., Januschke J., Morais-de-Sá E.
aPKC regulates apical constriction to prevent tissue rupture in the Drosophila follicular epithelium. Current Biology32(20):4411-4427.e8, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 11] [IF: 9,2]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.063 SCOPUS: 85140317779
Barros-Carvalho A., Morais-De-sá E.
Balancing cell polarity PARts through dephosphorylation. Journal of Cell Biology221(10):, 2022. [Journal: Article] [IF: 7,8]
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202208008 SCOPUS: 85138457767
Figueiredo J., Ferreira R.M., Xu H., Gonçalves M., Barros-Carvalho A., Cravo J., Maia A.F., Carneiro P., Figueiredo C., Smith M.L., Stamenović D., Morais-de-Sá E., Seruca R.
Integrin β1 orchestrates the abnormal cell-matrix attachment and invasive behaviour of E-cadherin dysfunctional cells. Gastric Cancer25(1):124-137, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 18] [IF: 7,4]
DOI: 10.1007/s10120-021-01239-9 SCOPUS: 85114350265
Zeng J., Santos A.F., Mukadam A.S., Osswald M., Jacques D.A., Dickson C.F., McLaughlin S.H., Johnson C.M., Kiss L., Luptak J., Renner N., Vaysburd M., McEwan W.A., Morais-de-Sá E., Clift D., James L.C.
Target-induced clustering activates Trim-Away of pathogens and proteins. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology28(3):278-289, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 49] [IF: 18,4]
DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00560-2 SCOPUS: 85101745267
Ventura G., Moreira S., Barros-Carvalho A., Osswald M., Morais-de-Sá E.
Lgl cortical dynamics are independent of binding to the Scrib-Dlg complex but require Dlg-dependent restriction of aPKC. Development147(15):, 2020. [Journal: Article] [CI: 14] [IF: 6,9]
DOI: 10.1242/dev.186593 SCOPUS: 85089300645
Moreira S., Osswald M., Ventura G., Gonçalves M., Sunkel C.E., Morais-de-Sá E.
PP1-Mediated Dephosphorylation of Lgl Controls Apical-basal Polarity. Cell Reports26(2):293-301.e7, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 8,1]
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.060 SCOPUS: 85059397223
Carvalho C.A., Moreira S., Ventura G., Sunkel C.E., Morais-De-Sá E.
Aurora a triggers Lgl cortical release during symmetric division to control planar spindle orientation. Current Biology25(1):53-60, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 61] [IF: 9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.053 SCOPUS: 84920415073
Morais-De-Sá E., Sunkel C.
Adherens junctions determine the apical position of the midbody during follicular epithelial cell division. EMBO Reports14(8):696-703, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 69] [IF: 7,9]
DOI: 10.1038/embor.2013.85 SCOPUS: 84881480225
Morais-de-Sá E., Mirouse V., St Johnston D.
aPKC Phosphorylation of Bazooka Defines the Apical/Lateral Border in Drosophila Epithelial Cells. Cell141(3):509-523, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 221] [IF: 32,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.02.040 SCOPUS: 77951911203
Systematic analysis of RhoGEF/GAP localizations uncovers regulators of mechanosensing and junction formation during epithelial cell division. Current Biology33(5):858-874.e7, 2023. [Journal: Article] [CI: 9] [IF: 8.1]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.028 SCOPUS: 85149976826
Osswald M., Barros-Carvalho A., Carmo A.M., Loyer N., Gracio P.C., Sunkel C.E., Homem C.C.F., Januschke J., Morais-de-Sá E.
aPKC regulates apical constriction to prevent tissue rupture in the Drosophila follicular epithelium. Current Biology32(20):4411-4427.e8, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 11] [IF: 9,2]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.063 SCOPUS: 85140317779
Barros-Carvalho A., Morais-De-sá E.
Balancing cell polarity PARts through dephosphorylation. Journal of Cell Biology221(10):, 2022. [Journal: Article] [IF: 7,8]
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202208008 SCOPUS: 85138457767
Figueiredo J., Ferreira R.M., Xu H., Gonçalves M., Barros-Carvalho A., Cravo J., Maia A.F., Carneiro P., Figueiredo C., Smith M.L., Stamenović D., Morais-de-Sá E., Seruca R.
Integrin β1 orchestrates the abnormal cell-matrix attachment and invasive behaviour of E-cadherin dysfunctional cells. Gastric Cancer25(1):124-137, 2022. [Journal: Article] [CI: 18] [IF: 7,4]
DOI: 10.1007/s10120-021-01239-9 SCOPUS: 85114350265
Zeng J., Santos A.F., Mukadam A.S., Osswald M., Jacques D.A., Dickson C.F., McLaughlin S.H., Johnson C.M., Kiss L., Luptak J., Renner N., Vaysburd M., McEwan W.A., Morais-de-Sá E., Clift D., James L.C.
Target-induced clustering activates Trim-Away of pathogens and proteins. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology28(3):278-289, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 49] [IF: 18,4]
DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00560-2 SCOPUS: 85101745267
Ventura G., Moreira S., Barros-Carvalho A., Osswald M., Morais-de-Sá E.
Lgl cortical dynamics are independent of binding to the Scrib-Dlg complex but require Dlg-dependent restriction of aPKC. Development147(15):, 2020. [Journal: Article] [CI: 14] [IF: 6,9]
DOI: 10.1242/dev.186593 SCOPUS: 85089300645
Moreira S., Osswald M., Ventura G., Gonçalves M., Sunkel C.E., Morais-de-Sá E.
PP1-Mediated Dephosphorylation of Lgl Controls Apical-basal Polarity. Cell Reports26(2):293-301.e7, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 8,1]
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.060 SCOPUS: 85059397223
Carvalho C.A., Moreira S., Ventura G., Sunkel C.E., Morais-De-Sá E.
Aurora a triggers Lgl cortical release during symmetric division to control planar spindle orientation. Current Biology25(1):53-60, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 61] [IF: 9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.053 SCOPUS: 84920415073
Morais-De-Sá E., Sunkel C.
Adherens junctions determine the apical position of the midbody during follicular epithelial cell division. EMBO Reports14(8):696-703, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 69] [IF: 7,9]
DOI: 10.1038/embor.2013.85 SCOPUS: 84881480225
Morais-de-Sá E., Mirouse V., St Johnston D.
aPKC Phosphorylation of Bazooka Defines the Apical/Lateral Border in Drosophila Epithelial Cells. Cell141(3):509-523, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 221] [IF: 32,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.02.040 SCOPUS: 77951911203