# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# overview
We are currently investigating how organismal level cues regulate the onset of stem cell division during development. Our primary system is the neuroblasts in the brain of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The trol gene of Drosophila encodes the fly homolog of the mammalian heparan sulfate glycoprotein, Perlecan. Perlecan is found in mice, humans, and C. elegans, and is widely known as a co-receptor for the growth factor FGF. We have shown that Trol, the Drosophila Perlecan homolog, is required for signaling by FGF. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that Trol is also a likely candidate for the Hedgehog co-receptor. Hedgehogs are peptide growth factors which are conserved in mammals and require heparan sulfate glycoproteins for their movement and long-range signaling; however, until now the identity of the protein core was unknown. Our studies demonstrate genetic interactions between trol and hedgehog or patched mutations (patched is the Hedgehog receptor). Further studies reveal that both FGF and Hedgehog signaling activate stem cell division. Current projects involve determining how Trol stimulates FGF and Hedgehog signaling through genetic, molecular, and biochemical analyses.

# keywords[]
30 Agricultural, Veterinary And Food Sciences

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of California, San Diego - (San Diego, California, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - (Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States)

# publications[].label
Role of heparan sulfate 2-o-sulfotransferase in prostate cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and growth factor signaling.

# publications[].label
FURTHER APPLICATION OF DUAL SUBSTITUENT PARAMETER AND DUAL SUBSTITUENT PARAMETER NON-LINEAR RESONANCE METHODS IN MODELING C-13 SUBSTITUENT CHEMICAL-SHIFTS IN BETA-SUBSTITUTED STYRENES

# publications[].label
Rational use of blood and blood components in paediatric practice.

# publications[].label
Treatment of thalassoemia--the current scenario.

# publications[].label
Mutation of the central nervous system neuroblast proliferation repressor ana leads to defects in larval olfactory behavior.

# publications[].label
Inhibition of prostate cancer proliferation by interference with SONIC HEDGEHOG-GLI1 signaling.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].label
DUAL SUBSTITUENT PARAMETER TREATMENT OF C-13 SUBSTITUENT CHEMICAL-SHIFTS IN 5-SUBSTITUTED 2-THENYLIDENEMALONONITRILES AND MOLECULAR-ORBITAL THEORETICAL-ANALYSIS AT THE CNDO/2 LEVEL

# publications[].label
Studies in sulphur heterocycles. Part 6. Convenient synthesis of 5-substituted benzo[b]thiophene derivatives and a facile entry to the thieno[2,3-g]indole system

# publications[].label
Recurrent intracranial hemorrhage in brain tumor.

# publications[].label
Cellular and subcellular distribution of a cAMP-regulated prestalk protein and prespore protein in Dictyostelium discoideum: a study on the ontogeny of prestalk and prespore cells.

# publications[].label
Activation of neuroblast proliferation in explant culture of the Drosophila larval CNS.

# publications[].label
Uncomplicated falciparum malaria complicated by salmonella septicaemia: cause not coincidence.

# publications[].label
Drosophila homeobox gene eve enhances trol, an activator of neuroblast proliferation in the larval CNS.

# publications[].label
Enhancer detector analysis of the extent of genomic involvement in nervous system development in Drosophila melanogaster.

# publications[].label
Analysis of cis and trans elements involved in cAMP-inducible gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum.

# publications[].label
Perlecan signaling: helping hedgehog stimulate prostate cancer growth.

# publications[].label
An 80-bp cis-acting regulatory region controls cAMP and development regulation of a prestalk gene in Dictyostelium.

# publications[].label
Molecular biology in Dictyostelium: tools and applications.

# publications[].label
Anterior segment dysgenesis and absent lens caused by amniotic bands.

# publications[].label
Spatial and temporal regulation of a foreign gene by a prestalk-specific promoter in transformed Dictyostelium discoideum.

# publications[].label
Branchless and Hedgehog operate in a positive feedback loop to regulate the initiation of neuroblast division in the Drosophila larval brain.

# publications[].label
Visual evoked response in different types of amblyopia before and after occlusion therapy.

# publications[].label
Induction of string rescues the neuroblast proliferation defect in trol mutant animals.

# publications[].label
Perlecan, a candidate gene for the CAPB locus, regulates prostate cancer cell growth via the Sonic Hedgehog pathway.

# publications[].label
Control of proliferation activation in quiescent neuroblasts of the Drosophila central nervous system.

# publications[].label
Regulation of cell-type-specific gene expression in Dictyostelium.

# publications[].label
Management of choroidal metastasis: a report.

# publications[].label
Arabidopsis vegetative storage protein is an anti-insect acid phosphatase.

# publications[].label
Mutation of the central nervous system neuroblast proliferation repressor ana leads to defects in larval olfactory behavior

# publications[].label
Drosophila perlecan modulates FGF and hedgehog signals to activate neural stem cell division.

# publications[].label
A case of psychogenic purpura in a female child.

# publications[].label
Expression of cyclin E or DP/E2F rescues the G1 arrest of trol mutant neuroblasts in the Drosophila larval central nervous system.

# publications[].label
CONTROL OF PROLIFERATION ACTIVATION IN QUIESCENT NEUROBLASTS OF THE DROSOPHILA CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM

# publications[].label
Sonic Hedgehog signaling in advanced prostate cancer.

# publications[].label
Decentralization: an effective method of financial management at the grassroots (evidence from India)

# publications[].label
even skipped is required to produce a trans-acting signal for larval neuroblast proliferation that can be mimicked by ecdysone.

# publications[].label
Curable genetic instability of a gal4 transgene in Drosophila.

# publications[].label
The Drosophila Perlecan gene trol regulates multiple signaling pathways in different developmental contexts.

# publications[].label
l(1)trol and l(1)devl, loci affecting the development of the adult central nervous system in Drosophila melanogaster.

# streetAddress
Texas A&M University; Honors Program; 4233 TAMU

# organizations[]
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# schools[]
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# inTheNews[].label
2 Texas A&M Students Awarded Astronaut Scholarships

# etdChairOf[].label
Lindner, Jonathan Ryan (2012-02). The Regulation of Growth Factor Signaling in Drosophila Development and Disease. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Ferguson, Brent Wade (2012-02). Regulation of PERLECAN and 2OST Expression in Prostate Cancer Progression by Stress-activated Transcription Factors. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Barrett, Andrea Lynn (2009-05). A FGF-Hh feedback loop controls stem cell proliferation in the developing larval brain of drosophila melanogaster. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Clarke, Douglas Nelson (2012-02). Perlecan Domain V Induces VEGF Secretion in Brain Endothelial Cells Through ?5?1 Integrin Dependent Mechanism a Novel Insight in Brain Tissue Recovery Following Ischemia. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Hernandez, Ana Maria (2009-05). Perlecan regulation of sonic hedgehog signaling: from drosophila to humans. Doctoral Dissertation.