Dr. Martin Office Tel. 7136777558 Lab Tel. 7136777538 Email:. jmartin@ibt.tamhsc.edu

Homeobox Genes Vertebrate Embryogenesis Mouse Genetics Birth Defects

James F. Martin

Biography

James F. Martin graduated magna cum laude in chemistry from Fordham University, Bronx, New York, and earned his M.D. from the University of Texas-Houston Medical School, where he also did a residency in general surgery. He then earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas-Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Prior to coming to IBT in 1996, Dr. Martin was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.  He is a Professor, a member of the Center for Cancer Biology and Nutrition at IBT, and the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center.  Dr. Martin is Director of the IBT Transgenic Mouse Models Core.

Research

The focus of my lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling cell growth and differentiation in the context of vertebrate embryogenesis and thus to advance our understanding of the causes of birth defects. Using the mouse as a model system, we study the role of homeobox genes in cell growth and differentiation within the craniofacial skeleton. Our experimental approaches include creating targeted gene mutations through "knock-out" technology, as well as other transgenic techniques to express genes of interest in the mouse. A related interest of our lab is to understand how environmental factors such as teratogens interact with the genome to generate congenital defects.

Lu, M-F., Cheng, H-T., Kern, M.J., Potter, S.S., Tran, B., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Martin, J.F. (1999) prx-1 functions cooperatively with another paired-related homeobox gene, prx-2, to maintain cell fates within the craniofacial mesenchyme. Development 126, 495-504.

Lu, M-F., Pressman, C., Dyer, R., Johnson, R.L., and Martin, J.F. (1999) Function of Rieger syndrome gene in left-right asymmetry and craniofacial development. Nature 401: 276-278.

Liu, C., Liu, W., Lu, M.F., Brown, N. and Martin, J.F. (2001) Regulation of left-right asymmetry by thresholds of pitx2c activity. Development 128: 2039-2048.

Liu, C., Liu, W., Palie, J, Lu, M.F., Brown N, and Martin, J.F. (2002) Pitx2c patterns anterior myocardium and aortic arch vessels and is required for local cell movement into atrioventricular cushions. Development 129: 5081-5091.

Liu, W., Selever, J., Wang, D., Lu, M.F., Moses, K.A., Schwartz, R.J. and Martin, J.F. (2004) Bmp4 signaling is required for outflow tract septation and branchial arch artery remodeling. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 101: 4489-4494.

Publications 2005

Liu, W. Sun, X., Braut, A., Mishina, Y., Behringer, R.R., Mina, M., and Martin, J.F. (2005) Distinct functions for Bmp signaling in lip and palate fusion in mice. Development 132: 1463-1461.

Liu, W., Selever, J., Murali, D., Sun, X., Brugger, S.M., Ma, L., Schwartz, R.J., Maxson, R., Furuta, Y. and Martin, J.F. (2005) Threshold-specific requirements for Bmp4 in mandibular development. Devel. Biol. 283:282-93.

Ma, L., and Martin, J. F. (2005) Generation of a Bmp2 conditional null allele. Genesis (2005) 42: 203-6.

Zhang, Z., Cerrato, F., Xu, H., Vitelli, F., Morishima, M., Vincentz, J., Furuta, Y., Ma, L., Martin, J. F., Baldini, A., and Lindsay, E. (2005). Tbx1 expression in pharyngeal epithelia is necessary for pharyngeal arch artery development. Development 132: 5307-15.

Ma, L., M. Lu, R. J. Schwartz, and Martin J. F. Bmp2 is essential for atrioventricular cushion formation and myocardial patterning. (2005) Development 132: 5601-5611.

Akiyama, H., Kim, J. E., Nakashima, K., Balmes, G., Iwai, N., Deng, J. M., Zhang, Z., Martin, J. F., Behringer, R.R., Nakamura, T., and de Crombrugghe B. (2005). Osteo-chondroprogenitor cells are derived from Sox9 expressing precursors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102: 14665-70 [Epub 2005 Oct 3].

Publications 2006

Anderson, D. M., Arredondo, J., Hahn, K., Valente, G., Martin, J. F., Wilson-Rawls, J. and Rawls, A. (2006). Mohawk is a novel homeobox gene expressed in the developing mouse embryo. Dev Dyn 235, 792-801.

Ovchinnikov, D. A., Selever, J., Wang, Y., Chen, Y. T., Mishina, Y., Martin, J. F. and Behringer, R. R. (2006). BMP receptor type IA in limb bud mesenchyme regulates distal outgrowth and patterning. Dev. Biol. 2006 295: 103-115 [Epub 2006 Apr 19].

Ai, D., Liu, W., Ma, L,, Lu, M.F., Dong, F, Verzi, M.P., Cai,C., Gage, P.J., Evans, S., Black, B.L., Brown, N.A. and Martin, J.F. (2006) Pitx2 regulates cardiac left right asymmetry by patterning second cardiac lineage-derived myocardium. Dev. Biol. 296: 437-439 [Epub 2006 Jun 14].

Dong, F., Sun, X., Liu, W., Ai, D., Klysik, E., Lu, M.F., Hadley, J., Antoni, L., Chen, L., Baldini, A., Francis-West, P. and Martin, J.F. (2006) Pitx2 promotes development of splanchnic mesoderm-derived branchiomeric muscle. Development 133: 4891-9 [Epub 2006 Nov 15].

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