M. Todd Valerius' profile
What I do
I’m a Developmental Biologist studying kidney development in the mouse. I’m in the laboratory of Andy McMahon.
Affiliations
Current affiliations
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- Position
- Research Associate/Project Coordinator
- Company
- Harvard University
- Further information
Location
- City:
- None chosen
- Hub:
- Boston
Interests
My core interest is in understanding the molecular processes driving changes in cell state that are necessary for proper organ formation.
Projects
I have been learning about a particular cell population in the developing kidney called the “cap mesenchyme.” These cells are induced to form a nephron by interactions with the epithelial ureteric bud, the structure that gives rise to the branched collecting duct system of the kidney. Using transgenic animals, I have fate mapped these cells and modulated two signaling pathways (Notch and beta-catenin) in this population. This work has shown that these cells give rise specifically to nephron epithelia and therefore are the nephron progenitors. Furthermore, these nephron progenitors are readily altered to specific outcomes by modulating these two pathways (e.g. proximal fate bias with Notch gain-of-function). Current work is focused on understanding how this progenitor population is maintained during development and removing these cells for studies in culture.
Publications
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Brunskill E, Aronow B, Georgas K, Rumballe B, Valerius M, Aronow J, Kaimal V, Jegga A, Grimmond S, McMahon A, Patterson L, Little M, Potter S. Atlas of gene expression in the developing kidney at microanatomic resolution. Developmental cell (5) , 781-91 (2008) PubMed ID:(19000842)
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Humphreys B, Valerius M, Kobayashi A, Mugford J, Soeung S, Duffield J, McMahon A, Bonventre J. Intrinsic epithelial cells repair the kidney after injury. Cell stem cell (3) , 284-91 (2008) PubMed ID:(18371453)
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Kobayashi A, Valerius M, Mugford J, Carroll T, Self M, Oliver G, McMahon A. Six2 defines and regulates a multipotent self-renewing nephron progenitor population throughout mammalian kidney development. Cell stem cell (2) , 169-81 (2008) PubMed ID:(18682239)
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Valerius M, McMahon A. Transcriptional profiling of Wnt4 mutant mouse kidneys identifies genes expressed during nephron formation. Gene expression patterns : GEP (5) , 297-306 (2008) (Epub 09 Feb 2008) PubMed ID:(18346943)
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Notch2, but not Notch1, is required for proximal fate acquisition in the mammalian nephron. Development (Cambridge, England) , 801-11 (2007) (Epub 17 Jan 2007) doi: 10.1242/dev.02773 PubMed ID:(17229764)
Groups and Forums
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