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Associate Professor, Human Genetics Department Associate Professor, Internal Medicine Department |
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| 2047 BSRB 109 Zina Pitcher Place Ann Arbor, MI 48109 -2200 |
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The mammalian visual system develops from the anterior forebrain and surface ectoderm through a series of inductive tissue interactions and cell fate determination steps. These events are controlled by a network of transcription factors, which have been deeply conserved during evolution. Mutations in the underlying genes are responsible for human eye diseases such as microphthalmia, aniridia, coloboma and optic nerve hypoplasia, which affect the lens, cornea and retina, often leading to blindness.
My lab uses conventional and genetically engineered mutant mice to investigate the mechanisms of early patterning in the optic primordia, and cell fate determination within the retina. Our recent studies have focused on the genetics of microphthalmia and the development of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), projection neurons that relay all visual information from the eye to the brain. This work has involved detailed analysis of the PAX6, RX, and ATOH7 (Math5) transcription factors. We also screen relevant clinical samples for mutations in these genes.
Two further projects explore the genetics of the auditory hindbrain development and general aspects of tissue growth control in mice. This last area involves analysis of somatic and constitutional ribosomal protein gene mutations, cell competition, and tissue compartmentation effects.
2003 American Society for Clinical Investigation
2001 Jerome W. Conn Award for Distinguished Research by a Junior Faculty Member, University of Michigan, Dept of Internal Medicine
1994 - 1999 HHMI Assistant Investigator, University of Michigan
1984 - 1990 Medical Scientist Training Program Fellowship, Harvard Medical School
1979 - 1984 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
1991 Harvard Medical School M.D.
1988 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D. Biology
1979 Stanford University M.S. Biology
1979 Stanford University B.S Biology
Oliver ER, Saunders TL, Tarle SA and Glaser T. Ribosomal protein L24 defect in Belly spot and tail (Bst), a mouse Minute. Development 131:3907-3920, 2004.
Brown NL, Dagenais SL, Chen C-M and Glaser T. Molecular characterization and mapping of ATOH7, a human atonal homolog with a predicted role in retinal ganglion cell development. Mammalian Genome 13:95-101, 2002.
Brown NL, Patel S, Brzezinski J and Glaser T. Math5 is required for retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve formation. Development 128:2497-2508, 2001.
Tucker P, Laemle L, Munson A, Kanekar S, Oliver ER, Brown NL, Schlecht H, Vetter M and Glaser T. The eyeless mouse mutation (ey1) removes an alternative start codon from the Rx/rax homeobox gene. Genesis 31:43-53, 2001.
Lauderdale JD, Wilensky JS, Oliver ER, Walton DS and Glaser T. 3' deletions cause aniridia by preventing PAX6 expression. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:13755-13759, 2000.
Brown, NL, Kanekar S, Vetter ML, Tucker PK, Gemza D and Glaser T. Math5 encodes a murine basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor expressed during early stages of neurogenesis. Development 125:4821-4833, 1998.
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