The overarching goal of my research is to understand the cellular and molecular bases of early development. We focus primarily on events related to proper development of the cardiovascular system. Blood vessel development is essential not only for embryo survival and development in the uterus, but also for normal tissue healing in the adult and for growth of abnormal tissue like tumors. We have learned from mouse embryos deficient for YAP65 that this protein is critical for cardiovascular development. We have identified an essential YAP requirement at the earliest stages of both blood vessel and placental development. Moreover, recent studies suggest that YAP and the closely-related protein WWTR1, may function in cell and tissue homeostasis in ways potentially relevant to both cancer development and prevention. Our current research aims to shed light on the role of YAP in vasculogenesis and early placentation and the mechanisms that underlie these vital YAP requirements. We pursue many experimental questions using biochemical and molecular techniques at the bench and cellular assays in tissue culture. Given the critical role of “context” to developmental outcomes, we further explore and validate our findings using the mouse model system. Results of these experiments will provide insight on YAP function, blood vessel and placental development, and have the potential to impact therapies for early pregnancy loss, tissue ischemia and cancer.

Please visit my website for more information on my research.

Morin-Kensicki EM, Boone BN, Howell M, Stonebraker JR, Teed, J, Alb JG, Magnuson TR, O’Neal W, and Milgram SL. Defects in yolk sac vasculogenesis, chorioallantoic fusion, and embryonic axis elongation in mice with targeted disruption of Yap65. Mol Cell Biol. 26:77-87. 2006

Thomson JM, Newman M, Parker JS, Morin-Kensicki EM, Wright T, Hammond SM. Extensive post-transcriptional regulation of microRNAs and its implications for cancer. Genes Dev. 20:2202-7. 2006

Fan Y, Nikitina T, Morin-Kensicki EM, Zhao J, Magnuson TR, Woodcock CL, Skoultchi AI. H1 linker histones are essential for mouse development and affect nucleosome spacing in vivo. Mol Cell Biol. 23:4559-72. 2003

Morin-Kensicki EM, Faust C, LaMantia C, Magnuson T. Cell and tissue requirements for the gene eed during mouse gastrulation and organogenesis. Genesis. 31:142-6. 2001

Morin-Kensicki EM, Melancon E, Eisen JS. Segmental relationship between somites and vertebral column in zebrafish. Development.129:3851-60. 2002

Morin-Kensicki EM, Eisen JS. Sclerotome development and peripheral nervous system segmentation in embryonic zebrafish. Development.124:159-67. 1997