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Jonathan Slack, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development E-mail: slack017@umn.edu

Research Interests:

Transdifferentiation

Different cell types can sometimes be interconverted by introduction of genes for the appropriate transcription factors.  We are interested in possible therapeutic applications of this technique. Current projects are being conducted both in vitro and in vivo , using adenovirus to introduce the genes.

• Reprogramming of hepatocytes to pancreatic beta cells
• Reprogramming of biliary epithelium to pancreatic beta cells
• Cell lineage of ectopic endocrine cells
• Molecular mechanisms of Barrett's oesophagus 

Regeneration

Some animals are able to regenerate missing parts.  Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this could have important implications for human health.  We are presently studying the mechanisms of regeneration of the nervous system and the muscle in the Xenopus tadpole tail.

Selected Publications:

Thowfeequ, S., Ralphs, K., Yu, W.Y., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. Betacellulin inhibits amylase and glucagon expression and promotes b -cell differentiation in mouse embryonic pancreas. Diabetologia in press.

Shen, C.N., Petiot , A., Dickson , C., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. (2007). All-trans retinoic acid suppresses exocrine differentiation and branching morphogenesis in the embryonic pancreas. Differentiation 75, 62-74.

Tosh, D. Shen, C.N., Alison, M.R., Sarraf, C.E. and Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Copper-deprivation in rats induces islet hyperplasia and hepatic metaplasia in the pancreas. Biology of the Cell 99, 37-44 .

Dutton, J. R., Chillingworth, N.L., Eberhard, D., Brannon, C.R., Hornsey, M.A., Tosh, D and Slack, J.M.W. . (2007). Beta cells occur naturally in extrahepatic bile ducts of mice. J. Cell Science 120 , 239-245.

Lin, G. Chen, Y. and Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Regeneration of melanophores and other neural crest derivatives in the Xenopus tadpole tail. BMC Developmental Biology , 7:56

Chen, Y., Lin, G. and Slack, J.M.W. (2006) Control of muscle regeneration in the Xenopus tadpole tail by Pax7. Development 133, 2303-2313 .

Quinlan, J.M., Yu, W.Y., Hornsey, M.A., Tosh, D. and Slack, J.M.W. (2006) In vitro culture of embryonic mouse intestinal epithelium: cell differentiation and introduction of reporter genes. BMC Developmental Biology 6 : 24.

Westmacott, A., Burke, Z.D., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. (2006). C/EBP a and C/EBP b are markers of early liver development. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 50: 653-657 .

Beck, C.W., Christen, B., Barker, D. and Slack, J.M.W. (2006). Temporal requirement for bone morphogenetic proteins in regeneration of the tail and limb of Xenopus tadpoles. Mech. Dev. 123 , 674-688