Cell Growth and Differentiation
ABOUT
Our group studies the regulation of cellular properties by transcriptional and signaling networks during organogenesis. The complex coordination of these processes makes mandatory the use of in vivo contexts for the characterization of key genes and genetic networks. For that aim, we use two genetically tractable model organisms: the fruit fly and zebrafish.
RESEARCH
Line 1: Functional genomics approaches to study cell growth and differentiation in Drosophila
RESEARCH TEAM: Paulo Pereira, Lígia Tavares, Cláudia Leite, Nádia Eusébio, Marta Pinho, Rita Matos, Joanna Saab.
Myc cooperates with the TGFb signaling pathways to regulate tissue growth, patterning and differentiation. At the cellular and molecular level we are looking at novel mechanisms mediating the tissue-specific control of cell growth and differentiation by Myc and TGFb pathways. In parallel, we are exploring in vivo tissue-targeted screens to identify genes that interact with these pathways (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000029). Subsequent functional analyses of validated targets will focus on genes potentially relevant for the generation of models for human disease. In particular, we explore the Drosophila eye as a model to gain a better understanding of the control of photoreceptor neurons and retinal glia development and crosstalk (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000008).
Line 2: Genetics and morphogenesis during development and cancer.
RESEARCH TEAM: Renata Freitas (PI), Carla Beviano, Ana Paço, Madalena Real, Benedita Portugal.
Hox genes encode transcription factors that are crucial during embryonic development having inputs on tissue growth, patterning and differentiation. Hox genes mutations are frequently associated to human malformations and altered Hox expression patterns have been documented during tumor progression. The main focus of our research is to unravel the mechanisms activated by the Hox transcription factors during embryonic development and cancer and how they are regulated at the transcriptional level. Currently we are characterizing the mechanisms directly regulated by Hox proteins in zebrafish, to better understand how their expression levels affect limb morphogenesis. In parallel we are also characterizing the mechanisms triggered by Hox de-regulation in epithelial derived carcinomas using zebrafish as preferential vertebrate model to perform in vivo assays (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029).
Team
Selected Publications
The Pebble/Rho1/Anillin pathway controls polyploidization and axonal wrapping activity in the glial cells of the Drosophila eye. Developmental Biology473:90-96, 2021. [Journal: Article] [IF: 3,6 (*)]
DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.02.002 SCOPUS: 85101016149
de Bessa Garcia S.A., Araújo M., Pereira T., Mouta J., Freitas R.,
HOX genes function in Breast Cancer development. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Reviews on Cancer1873(2):, 2020. [Journal: Review] [CI: 33] [IF: 10,7]
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188358 SCOPUS: 85082425239
Pinho M., Macedo J.C., Logarinho E., Pereira P.S.,
NoL12 repression induces nucleolar stress-driven cellular senescence and is associated with normative aging. Molecular and Cellular Biology39(12):, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 5] [IF: 3,6]
DOI: 10.1128/MCB.00099-19 SCOPUS: 85066485467
García-Morales D., Navarro T., Iannini A., Pereira P.S., Míguez D.G., Casares F.,
Dynamic Hh signalling can generate temporal information during tissue patterning. Development146(8):, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 1] [IF: 5,6]
DOI: 10.1242/dev.176933 SCOPUS: 85065344120
Gonçalves O., Freitas R., Ferreira P., Araújo M., Zhang G.J., Mazan S., Cohn M.J., Castro L.F.C., Wilson J.M.,
Molecular ontogeny of the stomach in the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula. Scientific Reports9(1):, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 1] [IF: 4]
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36413-0 SCOPUS: 85060527294
Eusebio N., Tavares L., Pereira P.S.,
CtBP represses Dpp-dependent Mad activation during Drosophila eye development. Developmental Biology442(1):188-198, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 3] [IF: 2,9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.07.018 SCOPUS: 85050401082
Tavares L., Correia A., Santos M.A., Relvas J.B., Pereira P.S.,
dMyc is required in retinal progenitors to prevent JNK-mediated retinal glial activation. PLoS Genetics13(3):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 7] [IF: 5,5]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006647 SCOPUS: 85016620416
Neto M., Naval-Sánchez M., Potier D., Pereira P.S., Geerts D., Aerts S., Casares F.,
Nuclear receptors connect progenitor transcription factors to cell cycle control. Scientific Reports7(1):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 7] [IF: 4,1]
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04936-7 SCOPUS: 85021927654
Martins T., Eusebio N., Correia A., Marinho J., Casares F., Pereira P.S.,
TGFß/Activin signalling is required for ribosome biogenesis and cell growth in Drosophila salivary glands. Open Biology7(1):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 8] [IF: 3,3]
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160258 SCOPUS: 85012931855
Tavares L., Pereira E., Correia A., Santos M.A., Amaral N., Martins T., Relvas J.B., Pereira P.S.,
Drosophila PS2 and PS3 integrins play distinct roles in retinal photoreceptors-glia interactions. GLIA63(7):1155-1165, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 11] [IF: 6]
DOI: 10.1002/glia.22806 SCOPUS: 84928206519
Marinho J., Martins T., Neto M., Casares F., Pereira P.S.,
The nucleolar protein Viriato/Nol12 is required for the growth and differentiation progression activities of the Dpp pathway during Drosophila eye development. Developmental Biology377(1):154-165, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 13] [IF: 3,6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.02.003 SCOPUS: 84876321493
Freitas R., Gómez-Marín C., Wilson J.M., Casares F., Gómez-Skarmeta J.L.,
Hoxd13 Contribution to the Evolution of Vertebrate Appendages. Developmental Cell23(6):1219-1229, 2012. [Journal: Article] [CI: 66] [IF: 12,9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.10.015 SCOPUS: 84870845601
Caldeira J., Simões-Correia J., Paredes J., Pinto M.T., Sousa S., Corso G., Marrelli D., Roviello F., Pereira P.S., Weil D., Oliveira C., Casares F., Seruca R.,
CPEB1, a novel gene silenced in gastric cancer: A Drosophila approach. Gut61(8):1115-1123, 2012. [Journal: Article] [CI: 38] [IF: 10,7]
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2011-300427 SCOPUS: 84863719147
Martin D., Pantoja C., Fernández-Miñán A., Valdes-Quezada C., Moltó E., Matesanz F., Bogdanovic O., De La Calle-Mustienes E., Domínguez O., Taher L., Furlan-Magaril M., Alcina A., Cañóon S., Fedetz M., Blasco M.A., Pereira P.S., Ovcharenko I., Recillas-Targa F., Montoliu L., Manzanares M., Guigó R., Serrano M., Casares F., Gómez-Skarmeta J.L.,
Genome-wide CTCF distribution in vertebrates defines equivalent sites that aid the identification of disease-associated genes. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology18(6):708-714, 2011. [Journal: Article] [CI: 65] [IF: 12,7]
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2059 SCOPUS: 79958834622
Marinho J., Casares F., Pereira P.S.,
The Drosophila Nol12 homologue viriato is a dMyc target that regulates nucleolar architecture and is required for dMyc-stimulated cell growth. Development138(2):349-357, 2011. [Journal: Article] [CI: 17] [IF: 6,6]
DOI: 10.1242/dev.054411 SCOPUS: 78751553525
Freitas R., Zhang G.J., Cohn M.J.,
Evidence that mechanisms of fin development evolved in the midline of early vertebrates. Nature442(7106):1033-1037, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 151] [IF: 26,7]
DOI: 10.1038/nature04984 SCOPUS: 33748305741
Pereira P.S., Teixeira A., Pinho S., Ferreira P., Fernandes J., Oliveira C., Seruca R., Suriano G., Casares F.,
E-cadherin missense mutations, associated with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) syndrome, display distinct invasive behaviors and genetic interactions with the Wnt and Notch pathways in Drosophila epithelia. Human Molecular Genetics15(10):1704-1712, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 28] [IF: 8,1]
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddl093 SCOPUS: 33745184835
Freitas R., Cohn M.J.,
Genomic regulation of Hox collinearity. Developmental Cell10(1):8-9, 2006. [Journal: Short Survey] [CI: 3] [IF: 13,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2005.12.008 SCOPUS: 29744445744
Pereira P.S., Pinho S., Johnson K., Couso J.P., Casares F.,
A 3' cis-regulatory region controls wingless expression in the Drosophila eye and leg primordia. Developmental Dynamics235(1):225-234, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 24] [IF: 3,2]
DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20606 SCOPUS: 33644990828