Judith Eisen

The vertebrate nervous system is composed of a large number of neurons with diverse characteristics. My lab is interested in how neuronal diversity is generated during development: how are the correct number of cells specified for specific neuronal fates at particular times and in particular locations? Most of our attention has been focused on a small, early-developing set of individually identified spinal motoneurons and on the neural crest, a transient embryonic cell population that generates a diverse set of derivatives, including the neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system. We use a combined cellular, molecular and genetic approach to learn the mechanisms underlying cell fate specification. For example, we study the timing of critical events during development of motoneurons and neural crest cells by labeling individual cells and following their development in living embryos and by transplanting individual cells to new locations. We are isolating genes encoding molecules that may regulate motoneuron and neural crest development and testing the roles of the proteins encoded by these genes during motoneuron and neural crest specification and differentiation. We are also isolating mutations that alter motoneuron or neural crest cell fate with the goal of identifying new genes involved in the development of these cells.

Pineda, R. H., Svoboda, K.R., Taylor, A.D., Novak, A. E., Gamse, J.T., Eisen, J.S. and Ribera, A.B. (2006) Knock-down of Nav1.6a sodium channels affects zebrafish motor neuron development. Development 133:3827-2836

Hutchinson, S. A., and Eisen, J. S. (2006) Islet1 and Islet2 have equivalent abilities to promote motoneuron formation and to specify motoneuron subtype identity. Development 133:2137-47.

Tallafuss, A., Hale, L. A., Yan, Y. L., Dudley, L., Eisen, J. S., and Postlethwait, J. H. (2006) Characterization of retinoid-X receptor genes rxra, rxrba, rcrbb and rxrg during zebrafish development. Gene Expr Patterns 6:556-65

Hale, L. A., Tallafuss, A., Yan, Y. L., Dudley, L., Eisen, J. S., and Postlethwait, J. H. (2006) Characterization of the retinoic acid receptor genes raraa, rarab and rarg during zebrafish development. Gene Expr Patterns 6:546-55.

Honjo, Y., and Eisen, J. S. (2005) The role of slow muscle during migration of zebrafish trunk neural crest Development 132:4461-4470.

Lewis, K. E., Bates, J., and Eisen, J. S. (2005) Regulation of iro3 expression in the zebrafish spinal cord. Dev Dyn 232:140-8.

Cornell, R.A., Yemm, E., Bonde, G., Li, W., d’Alencon, C., Wegman, L., Eisen, J., and Zahs, A. (2004) Touchtone promotes survival of embryonic melanophores in zebrafish. Mec. Dev 121:1365-1376.

Reyes, R., Haendel, M., Grant, D., Melancon, E., and Eisen, J. S. (2004) Slow degeneration of zebrafish Rohon-Beard neurons during programmed cell death. Dev Dyn 229:30-41.

O'Brien, E. K., d'Alencon, C., Bonde, G., Li, W., Schoenebeck, J., Allende, M. L., Gelb, B. D., Yelon, D., Eisen, J. S., and Cornell, R. A. (2004) Transcription factor Ap-2alpha is necessary for development of embryonic melanophores, autonomic neurons and pharyngeal skeleton in zebrafish. Dev Biol 265:246-61.

Lewis, K. E., and Eisen, J. S. (2004) Paraxial mesoderm specifies zebrafish primary motoneuron subtype identity. Development 131:891-902.

Cheesman, S. E., Layden, M. J., Von Ohlen, T., Doe, C. Q., and Eisen, J. S. (2004) Zebrafish and fly Nkx6 proteins have similar CNS expression patterns and regulate motoneuron formation. Development 131:5221-32.

Cheesman, S. E., and Eisen, J. S. (2004) gsh1 demarcates hypothalamus and intermediate spinal cord in zebrafish. Gene Expr Patterns 5:107-12.

Appel B and JS Eisen. (2003) Retinoids run rampant: multiple roles during spinal cord and motor neuron development. Neuron 40:461-4. Review.

Lewis KE and JS Eisen. (2003) From cells to circuits: development of the zebrafish spinal cord. Prog Neurobiol . 69(6):419-49. Review

Wilson SW, Brand M and JS Eisen. (2003) Patterning the zebrafish central nervous system. Results Probl Cell Differ . 40:181-215. Review.

Cornell, R.A. and Eisen, J.S. (2002) Delta/Notch signaling promotes formation of zebrafish neural crest by repressing Neurogenin 1 function. Development 129:2639-2648.

Grunwald, D.J. and J.S. Eisen (2002) Timeline - Headwaters of the zebrafish emergence of a new model vertebrate. Nat. Rev. Genet. 3:717-724.

Morin-Kensicki, E.M., Melançon, E., and Eisen, J.S. (2002) Segmental relationship between somites and vertebral column in zebrafish. Development 129:3851-3860.

Wilson, S.W., M. Brand and J.S Eisen (2002) Patterning the zebrafish central nervous system. Results Probl. Cell Differ. 40:181-215.

Wilson, S.W., M. Brand and J.S Eisen (2002) Patterning the zebrafish central nervous system. In Pattern Formation in Zebrafish, L. Solnica-Krezel, ed. Springer-Verlag.

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Judith S. Eisen