García-Abreu

GROUP LEADER NAME (as it appears in publications): ABREU, JG or GARCIA ABREU, J or GARCIA-ABREU, J (Jose Garcia ABREU)

AFFILIATION: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas

TEL:*55-21-2562-6486/55-21-3449-6000

FAX:*55-21-2290-0587

EMAIL:*garciajr@icb.ufrj.br

WEB: http://lattes.cnpq.br/1716020620865231

GROUP NAME / RESEARCH INTEREST IN FEW WORDS: Laboratório de Embriologia de Vertebrados.

Vertebrate axis formation, anterior patterning, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, small molecules that modulate Wnt signaling.

SHORT SUMMARY OF RESEARCH INTEREST (MAX. 200 WORDS):

Our laboratory has been interested in cell signaling mechanisms involved in axial patterning during Xenopus developments. Three relevant findings of our projects are: 1) we pioneerly show that lipid rafts are essential for proper pre-chordal plate cell organization and head development. These results implicate lipid rafts in the control of Wnt signaling morphogenetic fields; 2) In a joint collaboration project with Professor Xi He (Harvard Medical School) we found a new Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor, expressed in the Spemann Organizer and essential for head development; 3) By screening small molecules from natural sources we found a flavonoid that inhibit Wnt/β-catenin in vivo. We obtained these results using Xeopus experimental embryology. We envision to use Zebrafish to advance our knowledge in this fields.

LIST OF UP TO FIVE RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:

1- Reis et al., (2012) Plasma membrane cholesterol depletion disrupts prechordal plate and affects early forebrain patterning. Under revision on Developmental Biology.

2- Amado NG, Fonseca BF, Cerqueira DM, Neto VM, Abreu JG. Flavonoids: potential Wnt/beta-catenin signaling modulators in cancer. Life Sci. 2011, 89(15-16):545-54. PMID: 21635906.

3- Wu G, Huang H, Garcia Abreu J, He X. Inhibition of GSK3 phosphorylation of beta-catenin via phosphorylated PPPSPXS motifs of Wnt coreceptor LRP6. PLoS One. 2009;4(3):e4926. PMID: 19293931.

4- Abreu JG, Ketpura NI, Reversade B, De Robertis EM. Connective-tissue growth factor (CTGF) modulates cell signalling by BMP and TGF-beta. Nat Cell Biol. 2002, 4(8):599-604. PMID: 12134160. 5- Garcia Abreu J, Coffinier C, Larraín J, Oelgeschläger M, De Robertis EM. Chordin-like CR domains and the regulation of evolutionarily conserved extracellular signaling systems. Gene. 2002, 287(1-2):39-47. PMID: 11992721

GROUP MEMBERS (NAME, POSITION, EMAIL):*

1-Fabio Mendes, Assistant Professor, mendes@icb.ufrj.br

2- Natalia Feitosa, Pos-doc, nfeitosa@gmail.com

3- Debora Malta Cerqueira, Pos-Doc, deboramalta@icb.ufrj.br

4- Alice Reis, PhD Student – alice@icb.ufrj.br

5- Ana Valesca, PhD Student – avalesca@gmail.com

6- Barbara Fonseca, Msc student – barbara@icb.ufrj.br

7- Fernanda Mirnada, MSc student – Fernanda@icb.ufrj.br

FISH FACILITIES (TYPE OF FISH SYSTEM/TANKS, CAPACITY, ETC.)*

We are building a fish facility. We have a frog Facility with 10 tanks (60L/each), 60 female and 12 males frogs (Xenopus laevis)

FISH LINES KEPT IN STOCK:*

none

OTHER EQUIPMENT RELATED TO ZEBRAFISH RESEARCH*

Microinjector, stereoscope with digital systems, micromanipulator.

LAB EXPERTISE AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES (RELATED TO ZEBRAFISH RESEARCH)*

In situ hybridization (frog), RT-PCR, cloning techniques, luciferase reporter assay, Morpholino knockdown, immunostaining, western blot.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:*

Our lab has recent granted with a Pos-Doc fellowship project to investigate anterior posterior axis using Zebrafish as model. This project will be led by Natalia Feitosa who returned from University of Cologne, Germany were she got her Phd working on Zebrafish as a model for skin disease.

The applicant assigning this form wish to participate in the LAZEN course to get background in Zebrafish concepts and technology to further understands the suitability of this model system for genetics and chemical screening mainly.