averof lab
Evolution
of development and morphology
Research / training fellowships (click
here)
Interests
Research on model
organisms has shown that some aspects of development are conserved in animals
as diverse as insects and vertebrates, and depend on homologous sets of regulatory genes. We are interested
in comparing developmental processes and gene functions among diverse
animals, to answer three types of broad questions: (a) how far we can
extrapolate from model organisms? (to what extent
are developmental processes really conserved?)
(b) can gene expression patterns and functions tell us something about
the origin of key evolutionary innovations, such as the insects' wings
and tracheal systems? and (c) can we discover specific genetic changes
that lie behind evolutionary changes in morphology? We focus on segmentation,
segment specialization, tracheal and appendage development in arthropods,
because the genetic basis of these processes is among the best understood
(primarily from studies in flies), and their evolution poses intriguing questions.
Research projects
Axis elongation and segmentation: Unlike Drosophila, the majority of
arthropods generate their segments sequentially from a posteriorly located
growth zone, a process known as 'short-germ' development. Parallels to this
can be found in vertebrates, where somites are generated sequentially from
a posteriorly located pre-somitic zone. The mechanisms underlying this process
are poorly understood. We are developing genetics and imaging approaches to study this process in two short-germ arthropods,
Hox genes and the evolution of segmental specialization:
All
arthropods share the same set of Hox genes, although their bodies
display strikingly diverse patterns of segmental specialization.
Differences in these patterns probably depend on changes in the
expression of Hox genes, and in the way these genes are able to
regulate their targets. We are developing transgenesis tools that will
allow us to explore these changes, by mis-expressing Hox genes and by
comparing the activity of their target cis-regulatory elements across
species.
Origin of key evolutionary novelties (wings and tracheae) in the evolution of insects: Our work has suggested
that insect wings and tracheal systems evolved from the gills of ancestral
aquatic arthropods. The book lungs, tracheae and spinnerets of spiders appear
to have evolved independently from related ancestral structures.
We are currently investigating the origin of respiratory organs
(tracheae) in other groups of terrestrial arthropods, and looking for
the actual molecular-developmental changes that were associated with
the evolution of these structures.
Transgenesis tools and RNAi for functional studies in
emerging model arthropods: Until
recently, functional genetic studies were limited to a small number of
model organisms. We are establishing RNAi and transgenesis tools that
will allow us to study developmental processes and gene functions in
new species of interest. We have used the Minos transposable element to establish transgenesis in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis. We are currently
developing tools for marking specific populations of cells and for mis-expressing genes in this species (reporter constructs, enhancer traps, heat-inducible and
GAL4/UAS mis-expression systems). We are also generating tools for mosaic analysis and
live imaging in the beetle Tribolium castaneum.
Publications
Pavlopoulos
A, Kontarakis Z, Liubicich D, Serano J, Akam M, Patel NH and Averof M
(2009) Probing the evolution of appendage specialization by Hox gene
mis-expression in an emerging model crustacean. PNAS 106: 13897-13902. PDF download PubMed
link
Liubicich
D, Serano J, Pavlopoulos A, Kontarakis Z, Protas ME, Kwan E, Chattergee
S, Tran KD, Averof M and Patel NH (2009) Knockdown of Parhyale
Ultrabithorax recapitulates evolutionary changes in crustacean
appendage morphology. PNAS 106: 12892-12896. PDF download PubMed
link
Franch-Marro X,
Martin N, Averof M and Casanova J (2006) Association of tracheal placodes
with leg primordia in Drosophila and implications for the origin of insect
tracheal systems. Development 133, 785-790. PDF download PubMed
link
Copf T, Rabet N and Averof M (2006) Knockdown of spalt function by RNAi causes de-repression of Hox genes and homeotic transformations in the crustacean Artemia franciscana. Dev Biol 298, 87-94. PDF download PubMed link
Kontarakis Z, Copf T and Averof M (2006) Expression of hunchback during trunk segmentation in the branchiopod crustacean Artemia franciscana . Dev Genes Evol 216, 89-93. PDF download PubMed link
Pavlopoulos A and
Averof M (2005) Establishing genetic transformation for comparative developmental
studies in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis. PNAS 102: 7888-7893. PDF download PubMed
link
Copf T, Schroder
R and Averof M (2004) Ancestral role of caudal genes in axis elongation and
segmentation. PNAS 101, 17711-17715.
Pavlopoulos A, Berghammer AJ, Averof M and Klingler M (2004) Efficient transformation of the beetle Tribolium castaneum using the Minos transposable element: quantitative and qualitative analysis of genomic integration events. Genetics 167, 737-746. PDF download PubMed link
Copf T, Rabet N, Celniker SE and Averof M (2003) Posterior patterning genes and the identification of a unique body region in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. Development 130, 5915-5927. PDF download PubMed link
Damen WGM, Saridaki
T and Averof M (2002) Diverse adaptations of an ancestral gill: A common evolutionary
origin for wings, breathing organs and spinnerets. Current Biology 12, 1711-1716. PDF download PubMed
link
Averof M (2002)
Arthropod Hox genes: insights on the evolutionary forces that shape gene functions.
Curr Op Genetics and Development 12, 386-392 (review). PDF download PubMed
link
Pavlopoulos A and
Averof M (2002) Developmental evolution: Hox proteins
ring the changes. Current Biology 12: R291-293 (review). PDF
download PubMed
link
Averof M and Patel NH (1997) Crustacean appendage evolution associated with changes in Hox gene expression. Nature 388, 682-686. PDF download PubMed link
Averof M and Cohen
SM (1997) Evolutionary origin of insect wings from ancestral gills. Nature 385, 627-630. PDF download PubMed
link
Averof M and Akam
M (1995) Hox genes and the diversification of insect and crustacean body plans. Nature 376,
420-423. PDF download PubMed
link
Averof M and Akam M (1995) Insect-crustacean relationships: Insights from comparative developmental and molecular studies. Phil Trans R Soc B 347, 293-303. PDF download
Current
lab
members
Haris Kontarakis (kontar@imbb.forth.gr)
Vassilis Douris (vdouris@imbb.forth.gr)
Past
lab members
Petros Ligoxygakis (1999, currently has his own group in Oxford)
Maurijn van
der Zee
(2000-01, currently in Paul Brakefield's lab, Leiden)
Valia
Stamataki (2001-03,
currently in Pat Simpson's lab, Cambridge)
Tassos Pavlopoulos (2000-04, currently in Michael Akam's lab, Cambridge)
Theodora Saridaki (2001-04, currently in Fabrizio Chiti's lab, Florence)
Tijana Copf (2000-05, currently in Wes Grueber's lab, New York)
Alexandros Kiupakis (2006-08)
Visitors
Eduardo Moreno (1999 EMBO short-term from Morata lab, Madrid)
Cassandra
Extavour
(2001 EMBO short-term from Akam lab, Cambridge)
Lab
environment and facilities
Our
lab is located at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
(IMBB), a few kilometers from the city of Iraklio, in Crete. The
Institute provides an excellent environment and infrastructure for molecular biology,
microscopy (transmission/Nomarski, fluorescence, laser scanning and
spinning disc confocals), and insect transgenesis, with expertise on microinjection and transgenesis in
diverse species.
The
IMBB
participates in a joint graduate programme with the
Departments of Biology and Medicine of the University of Crete (both
located
nearby). Although the majority of students are Greek, our
labs also
attract a significant number of PhD students and post-docs from abroad.
All seminars and group meetings are conducted in English.
We share our lab with the group of Christos Delidakis (working on Drosophila neurogenesis), sharing many reagents, ideas, group meetings and coffee breaks.
Funding
EMBO Young
Investigators' Award (2000-03)
EPAN programme "Establishing
transgenic technology for functional genomic studies in a model crustacean"
(2003-05)
EPAN programme "Establishing
transgenic technology for functional genomic studies in a model crustacean"
(2006-08)
Marie Curie Early
Stage Training FAMED "Functional analysis of microRNAs during early development"
(2005-2008)
Marie Curie Research
Training Network ZOONET "Development and evolution of animal form: training
modern comparative zoologists" (2005-08)
Michalis Averof
Institute
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB)
711
10 Iraklio Crete, Greece
Tel.: +30-2810-391158
(office), +30-2810-391148 (lab)
Fax:
+30-2810-391104
Email:
averof@imbb.forth.gr
| go to the IMBB home page | go to the Research Groups |