Rudolf Winklbauer
Professor Emeritus
Campus
St. George (downtown)
CSB Appointment
Emeritus
Research Areas
Animal Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Quantitative Biology /Modelling
Education
Ph.D. University of Tubingen, Germany 1983
M.Sc. University of Tubingen 1979
Primary Undergraduate Department
Cell & Systems Biology
Graduate Programs
Cell & Systems Biology
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Research Description
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.
Contact Information
Office Phone: 416-978-4445
Office: RW620A
Lab: RW 620 / RW621
Lab Phone: 416-978-1790 / 416-946-0592
Email
Mailing Address
Department of Cell & Systems Biology
University of Toronto
25 Harbord St.
Toronto, ON M5S 3G5
Canada
Recent News
Publications
2024
A fibronectin gradient remodels mixed-phase mesoderm.
Zhu M, Gu B, Thomas EC, Huang Y, Kim YK, Tao H, Yung TM, Chen X, Zhang K, Woolaver EK, Nevin MR, Huang X, Winklbauer R, Rossant J, Sun Y, Hopyan S
2024, Science advances, 10, eadl6366, 39028807
Cell contacts and pericellular matrix in the Xenopus gastrula chordamesoderm.
Luu O, Barua D, Winklbauer R
2024, PloS one, 19, e0297420, 38346069
2023
Polarized contact behavior in directionally migrating gastrula mesendoderm.
Nagel M, Winklbauer R
2023, The International journal of developmental biology, 67, 79-90, 37732810
Two-phase kinetics and cell cortex elastic behavior in Xenopus gastrula cell-cell adhesion
Parent SE, Luu O, Bruce AE, Winklbauer R
2023, Developmental Cell, 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.014
2022
Characterization of convergent thickening, a major convergence force producing morphogenic movement in amphibians.
Shook DR, Wen JWH, Rolo A, O\'Hanlon M, Francica B, Dobbins D, Skoglund P, DeSimone DW, Winklbauer R, Keller RE
2022, eLife, 11, 35404236
Eph/ephrin signaling controls cell contacts and formation of a structurally asymmetrical tissue boundary in the Xenopus gastrula
Barua D, Winklbauer R
2022, Developmental Biology, 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.07.007
Cell cortex regulation by the planar cell polarity protein Prickle1
Huang Y, Winklbauer R
2022, Journal of Cell Biology, 10.1083/jcb.202008116
2021
Cell–cell contact landscapes in Xenopus gastrula tissues
Barua D, Nagel M, Winklbauer R
2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2107953118
Capillarity and active cell movement at mesendoderm translocation in the Xenopus gastrula
Nagel M, Barua D, Damm EW, Kashef J, Hofmann R, Ershov A, Cecilia A, Moosmann J, Baumbach T, Winklbauer R
2021, Development, 10.1242/dev.198960
2020
Mesoderm and endoderm internalization in the Xenopus gastrula
Winklbauer R
2020, Current Topics in Developmental Biology, 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.09.002
Brachyury in the gastrula of basal vertebrates
Bruce AE, Winklbauer R
2020, Mechanisms of Development, 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103625
2019
Gulp1 controls Eph/ephrin trogocytosis and is important for cell rearrangements during development
Gong J, Gaitanos TN, Luu O, Huang Y, Gaitanos L, Lindner J, Winklbauer R, Klein R
2019, Journal of Cell Biology, 10.1083/jcb.201901032
Dynamic cell–cell adhesion mediated by pericellular matrix interaction – a hypothesis
Winklbauer R
2019, Journal of Cell Science, 10.1242/jcs.231597
2018
PDGF-A suppresses contact inhibition during directional collective cell migration
Nagel M, Winklbauer R
2018, Development, 10.1242/dev.162651
Cell migration in the Xenopus gastrula
Huang Y, Winklbauer R
2018, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Developmental Biology, 10.1002/wdev.325
2017
Forces driving cell sorting in the amphibian embryo
Winklbauer R, Parent SE
2017, Mechanisms of Development, 10.1016/j.mod.2016.09.003
Ingression-type cell migration drives vegetal endoderm internalisation in the Xenopus gastrula
Wen JW, Winklbauer R
2017, eLife, 10.7554/eLife.27190
Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. I. Modeling Gaps in a Compact Tissue
Parent SE, Barua D, Winklbauer R
2017, Biophysical Journal, 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.062
Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. II. Gap Characteristics in Xenopus Embryonic Ectoderm
Barua D, Parent SE, Winklbauer R
2017, Biophysical Journal, 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.063
2015
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
2015, The Journal of cell biology, 208, 839-856, 25778923
PTEN regulates cilia through Dishevelled
Shnitsar I, Bashkurov M, Masson GR, Ogunjimi AA, Mosessian S, Cabeza EA, Hirsch CL, Trcka D, Gish G, Jiao J, Wu H, Winklbauer R, Williams RL, Pelletier L, Wrana JL, Barrios-Rodiles M
2015, Nature Communications, 10.1038/ncomms9388
Cell adhesion strength from cortical tension – an integration of concepts
Winklbauer R
2015, Journal of Cell Science, 10.1242/jcs.174623
2014
Variable combinations of specific ephrin ligand/Eph receptor pairs control embryonic tissue separation
Rohani N, Parmeggiani A, Winklbauer R, Fagotto F
2014, PLoS biology, 12, e1001955, 25247423
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
2014, Development (Cambridge, England), 141, 3649-61, 25209247
Tissue cohesion and the mechanics of cell rearrangement
David R, Luu O, Damm EW, Wen JW, Nagel M, Winklbauer R
2014, Development (Cambridge, England), 141, 3672-82, 25249459
Ephrin-Eph signaling in embryonic tissue separation
Fagotto F, Winklbauer R, Rohani N
2014, Cell adhesion & migration, 8, 308-26, 25482630
2012
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
2012, Journal of cell science, 125, 1877-83, 22328523
Cadherin function during Xenopus gastrulation
Winklbauer R
2012, Sub-cellular biochemistry, 60, 301-20, 22674077
2011
Internalizing the vegetal cell mass before and during amphibian gastrulation: vegetal rotation and related movements
Winklbauer R, Damm EW
2012, Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology, 1, 301-6, 23801444
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
2012, Molecular and cellular biology, 32, 173-85, 22037766
Mesoderm layer formation in Xenopus and Drosophila gastrulation
Winklbauer R, Müller HA
2011, Physical biology, 8, 045001, 21750361
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
2011, Development genes and evolution, 220, 315-27, 21384171
EphrinB/EphB signaling controls embryonic germ layer separation by contact-induced cell detachment
Rohani N, Canty L, Luu O, Fagotto F, Winklbauer R
2011, PLoS biology, 9, e1000597, 21390298
Large-scale mechanical properties of Xenopus embryonic epithelium
Luu O, David R, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R
2011, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108, 4000-5, 21368110
PDGF-A controls mesoderm cell orientation and radial intercalation during Xenopus gastrulation
Damm EW, Winklbauer R
2011, Development (Cambridge, England), 138, 565-75, 21205800
2009
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
2009, Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists, 238, 1709-26, 19504461
An adhesion-independent, aPKC-dependent function for cadherins in morphogenetic movements
Seifert K, Ibrahim H, Stodtmeister T, Winklbauer R, Niessen CM
2009, Journal of cell science, 122, 2514-23, 19549688
Tissue surface tension measurement by rigorous axisymmetric drop shape analysis
David R, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R, Neumann AW
2009, Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 72, 236-40, 19442498
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
2009, Biophysical journal, 96, 1606-16, 19217876
Cell adhesion in amphibian gastrulation
Winklbauer R
2009, International review of cell and molecular biology, 278, 215-75, 19815180
2008
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
2008, Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists, 237, 1307-20, 18407556
Frizzled-7-dependent tissue separation in the Xenopus gastrula
Winklbauer R, Luu O
2008, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 469, 485-92, 19109728
Regulation of convergent extension by non-canonical Wnt signaling in the Xenopus embryo
Petersen LF, Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R
2008, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 469, 477-84, 19109727
2007
Epithelial coating controls mesenchymal shape change through tissue-positioning effects and reduction of surface-minimizing tension
Ninomiya H, Winklbauer R
2008, Nature cell biology, 10, 61-9, 18084283
2004
Antero-posterior tissue polarity links mesoderm convergent extension to axial patterning
Ninomiya H, Elinson RP, Winklbauer R
2004, Nature, 430, 364-7, 15254540