Bio:
B.A., Chemistry, with Honors; Cornell UniversityPh.D., Life Sciences; The Rockefeller University, New York, NY Postdoctoral Experience: New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY; Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, England; and University of Washington, Seattle, WA 1976 -present: Faculty, University of Washington, Departments of Zoology and Biology 1992-1993: Visiting Scientist, Whitehead Institute, MIT, Cambridge MA 1999-2000: Visiting Scientist, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Research Interests:
Migration of cells during zebrafish morphogenesis: The movement of cells is mediated by actin structures stimulated by integrins, extracellular matrix, and ligands. Migration or cell polarization is then activated by, for example, interaction of Rho GTPases and focal adhesion complexes, and/or interactions of cadherins with p120ctn and the Rho GTPases. We are studying molecules that define the pathways of cell migration and tissue migration in zebrafish embryos. These molecules include focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, zyxin, cadherins, p120ctn, and the Rho GTPases, Rho, Rac and cdc42. We have shown that phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is seen on tissue boundaries such as that the notochord-somite boundary and intersomitic boundaries, consistent with a role for FAK in boundary formation. We have shown using the knypek;trilobite double mutant that the polarization of Fak mRNA distribution in somite border cells is independent of internal mesenchyme cells and likely dependent on the polarization of somite border cells (Henry et al. 2000, 2001). We have also shown that the focal adhesion protein paxillin is localized in a novel manner to either adherens or tight junctions the epithelial enveloping layer of the zebrafish. FAK is also localized to these epithelial adherens or tight junctions, but is phosphorylated in a non-canonical manner, and not on Tyr-397 (Crawford et al. submitted, 9/02). We are currently studying the roles of cadherins, p120ctn, Rho GTPases in cell polarization and migration and the cooperation of adherens junction and focal adhesions in the enveloping epithelial layer, the mesenchymal deep cells, intercalating notochord cells, and forming somites. |
Selected Publications:
Garcia ML, Toney SJ, and Hille MB. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression and phosphorylation in sea urchin embryos. Gene Expression Patterns 4, 223-224, 2004Crawford BD, Henry CA, Clason TA, Becker AL, Hille MB. Activity and distribution of paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, and cadherin indicate cooperative roles during zebrafish morphogenesis. Mol Biol Cell. 14(8): 3065-3081, 2003 Henry CA, Crawford BD, Yan Y-L, Postlethwait J, Cooper MS, and Hille MB. Roles for zebrafish focal adhesion kinase in notochord and somite morphogenesis. Developmental Biology. 240(2): 474-487, 2001 Henry CA, Hall LA, Hille MB, Solnica-Krezel L, Cooper MS. Somites in zebrafish doubly mutant for knypek and trilobite form without internal mesenchymal cells or compaction. Current Biology. 10(17): 1063-1066, 2000 Lee SJ, Stapleton G, Greene JH, Hille MB. Protein kinase C-related kinase 2 phosphorylates the protein synthesis initiation factor eIF4E in starfish oocytes. Developmental Biology. 228(2): 166-180, 2000 Stapleton G, Nguyen CP, Lease KA, Hille MB. Phosphorylation of protein kinase C-related kinase PRK2 during meiotic maturation of starfish oocytes. Developmental Biology. 193(1): 36-46, 1 Jan 1998
Teaching Interests:
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