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Mailing Address |
Department of Cell & Systems Biology University of Toronto 25 Harbord St. Toronto, ON M5S 3G5 Canada |
Contact Information |
Office phone: 416-978-4445 Office: RW 620A Lab: RW 620 / 621 Lab phone: 978-1790/946-0592 Email: r.winklbauer@utoronto.ca URL: |
Research Areas |
Cell Biology Developmental Biology Quantitative Biology |
Research |
Gastrulation is the first major morphogenetic event in animal development, which establishes the basic body plan of the organism. We study the cellular basis and the molecular control of gastrulation processes such as cell migration, cell rearrangement, and tissue boundary formation, using the Xenopus embryo as a model system. Molecularly, we focus on the role of cadherin-mediated adhesion, Eph receptor/ephrin ligand signalling, and non-canonical Wnt signalling in boundary formation and cell rearrangement, and on PDGF- and non-canonical Wnt signalling in cell migration. We also explore the mechanical properties of gastrula tissues, which determine the forces generated in the embryo, embryo structure, and the rate of tissue shape changes. For example, important mechanical parameters are tissue surface tension and tissue viscosity, and we developed methods to measure these in the Xenopus embryo, to see how they are correlated with gastrulation movements and controlled by molecular mechanisms such as Eph signalling. Altogether, our studies shed light not only on the fundamental process of gastrulation, but help to clarify basic general processes such as boundary formation and cell movement. |
Publications |
2015Top |
PAPC mediates self/non-self-distinction during Snail1-dependent tissue separation.Luu O, Damm EW, Parent SE, Barua D, Smith TH, Wen JW, Lepage SE, Nagel M, Ibrahim-Gawel H, Huang Y, Bruce AE, Winklbauer R. J. Cell Biol. 2015 Mar;208(6):839-856 pubmed |
2014Top |
Ephrin-Eph signaling in embryonic tissue separation.Fagotto F, Winklbauer R, Rohani N. Cell Adh Migr 2014;8(4):308-26 pubmed |
Tissue cohesion and the mechanics of cell rearrangement.David R, Luu O, Damm EW, Wen JW, Nagel M, Winklbauer R. Development 2014 Oct;141(19):3672-82 pubmed |
Variable combinations of specific ephrin ligand/Eph receptor pairs control embryonic tissue separation.Rohani N, Parmeggiani A, Winklbauer R, Fagotto F. PLoS Biol. 2014 Sep;12(9):e1001955 pubmed |
EphA4-dependent Brachyury expression is required for dorsal mesoderm involution in the Xenopus gastrula.Evren S, Wen JW, Luu O, Damm EW, Nagel M, Winklbauer R. Development 2014 Oct;141(19):3649-61 pubmed |
2012Top |
Internalizing the vegetal cell mass before and during amphibian gastrulation: vegetal rotation and related movements.Winklbauer R, Damm EW. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol 2012 Mar-Apr;1(2):301-6 pubmed |
Cadherin function during Xenopus gastrulation.Winklbauer R. Subcell. Biochem. 2012;60:301-20 pubmed |
Cadherin-dependent differential cell adhesion in Xenopus causes cell sorting in vitro but not in the embryo.Ninomiya H, David R, Damm EW, Fagotto F, Niessen CM, Winklbauer R. J. Cell. Sci. 2012 Apr;125(Pt 8):1877-83 pubmed |
Mink1 regulates β-catenin-independent Wnt signaling via Prickle phosphorylation.Daulat AM, Luu O, Sing A, Zhang L, Wrana JL, McNeill H, Winklbauer R, Angers S. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2012 Jan;32(1):173-85 pubmed |
2011Top |
Mesoderm layer formation in Xenopus and Drosophila gastrulation.Winklbauer R, Müller HA. Phys Biol 2011 Aug;8(4):045001 pubmed |
EphrinB/EphB signaling controls embryonic germ layer separation by contact-induced cell detachment.Rohani N, Canty L, Luu O, Fagotto F, Winklbauer R. PLoS Biol. 2011 Mar;9(3):e1000597 pubmed |
Knockdown of SPARC leads to decreased cell-cell adhesion and lens cataracts during post-gastrula development in Xenopus laevis.Huynh MH, Zhu SJ, Kollara A, Brown T, Winklbauer R, Ringuette M. Dev. Genes Evol. 2011 Mar;220(11-12):315-27 pubmed |
Large-scale mechanical properties of Xenopus embryonic epithelium.Luu O, David R, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2011 Mar;108(10):4000-5 pubmed |
PDGF-A controls mesoderm cell orientation and radial intercalation during Xenopus gastrulation.Damm EW, Winklbauer R. Development 2011 Feb;138(3):565-75 pubmed |
2009Top |
Cell adhesion in amphibian gastrulation.Winklbauer R. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol 2009;278:215-75 pubmed |
An adhesion-independent, aPKC-dependent function for cadherins in morphogenetic movements.Seifert K, Ibrahim H, Stodtmeister T, Winklbauer R, Niessen CM. J. Cell. Sci. 2009 Jul;122(Pt 14):2514-23 pubmed |
Role of p21-activated kinase in cell polarity and directional mesendoderm migration in the Xenopus gastrula.Nagel M, Luu O, Bisson N, Macanovic B, Moss T, Winklbauer R. Dev. Dyn. 2009 Jul;238(7):1709-26 pubmed |
Tissue surface tension measurement by rigorous axisymmetric drop shape analysis.David R, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R, Neumann AW. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2009 Sep;72(2):236-40 pubmed |
Axisymmetric drop shape analysis for estimating the surface tension of cell aggregates by centrifugation.Kalantarian A, Ninomiya H, Saad SM, David R, Winklbauer R, Neumann AW. Biophys. J. 2009 Feb;96(4):1606-16 pubmed |
2008Top |
Frizzled-7-dependent tissue separation in the Xenopus gastrula.Winklbauer R, Luu O. Methods Mol. Biol. 2008;469:485-92 pubmed |
Regulation of convergent extension by non-canonical Wnt signaling in the Xenopus embryo.Petersen LF, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R. Methods Mol. Biol. 2008;469:477-84 pubmed |
Control of gastrula cell motility by the Goosecoid/Mix.1/ Siamois network: basic patterns and paradoxical effects.Luu O, Nagel M, Wacker S, Lemaire P, Winklbauer R. Dev. Dyn. 2008 May;237(5):1307-20 pubmed |
Epithelial coating controls mesenchymal shape change through tissue-positioning effects and reduction of surface-minimizing tension.Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R. Nat. Cell Biol. 2008 Jan;10(1):61-9 pubmed |
2004Top |
Antero-posterior tissue polarity links mesoderm convergent extension to axial patterning.Ninomiya H, Elinson RP, Winklbauer R. Nature 2004 Jul;430(6997):364-7 pubmed |
Guidance of mesoderm cell migration in the Xenopus gastrula requires PDGF signaling.Nagel M, Tahinci E, Symes K, Winklbauer R. Development 2004 Jun;131(11):2727-36 pubmed |