Directory

Research Interests 

Signal transduction in embryonic development: The laboratory specializes in using Drosophila embryonic development to model different kinds of signal transduction. The approach couples genomic engineering with live imaging and optogenetic technologies. Projects include Wnt signaling pathway analysis in adhesion and transcription, MAP Kinase activation in patterning, and the role of PTK7 in cellular polarity.

Adult models for analysis of aging and age-related disease: A more recent focus for the laboratory has been to investigate aging and age-related disease. Projects include investigation of neurodegeneration through light induced Amyloid oligomerization, stem cell maintenance by Wnt signaling, and amelioration of age-related decline through senolytics and stem cell rejuvenation.  

A full list of publications can be viewed on Google Scholar or ORCID. 

Wnt signaling pathways meet Rho GTPases

Genes and Development – Karni Schlessinger, Alan Hall, Nicholas Tolwinski (2009)

23 (3); 265-277

Wg/Wnt signal can be transmitted through arrow/LRP5, 6 and Axin independently of Zw3/Gsk3ß activity

Developmental Cell – Tolwinski NS, Wehrli M, Rives A, Naz Erdeniz, Stephen DiNardo, Eric Wieschaus (2003)

(4); 407-418

Activation of the MKK/ERK pathway during somatic cell mitosis: direct interactions of active ERK with kinetochores and regulation of the mitotic 3F3/2 phosphoantigen

The Journal of Cell Biology – Paul S Shapiro, Eugeni Vaisberg, Alan J Hunt, Nicholas S Tolwinski, Anne M Whalen, J Richard McIntosh, Natalie G Ahn (1998)

142 (6); 1533-1545

Wnt signaling in disease

Cells – Li Fang Ng, Prameet Kaur, Nawat Bunnag, Jahnavi Suresh, Isabelle Chiao Han Sung, Qian Hui Tan, Jan Gruber, Nicholas S Tolwinski (2019)

8 (8);

Rethinking Wnt signaling

Trends in Genetics – Nicholas S Tolwinski, Eric Wieschaus (2004)

20 (4); 177-181

PTK7/Otk interacts with Wnts and inhibits canonical Wnt signalling

The EMBO Journal – Hanna Peradziryi, Nicole A Kaplan, Martina Podleschny, Xiaoping Liu, Peter Wehner, Annette Borchers, Nicholas S Tolwinski (2009)

30 (18); 3729-3740

A nuclear function for armadillo/β-catenin

PLoS Biology – Nicholas Tolwinski, Eric Wieschaus (2004)

2 (4);

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase activates topoisomerase IIalpha through a mechanism independent of phosphorylation.

Molecular and cellular biology – Shapiro P S, Whalen A M, Tolwinski N S, Wilsbacher J, Froelich-Ammon S J, Garcia M, Osheroff N, Ahn N G (1999)

19 (5); 3551-3560

Armadillo nuclear import is regulated by cytoplasmic anchor Axin and nuclear anchor dTCF/Pan.

Development (Cambridge, England) – Tolwinski N S, Wieschaus E (2001)

128 (11); 2107-2117

Introduction: Drosophila-A Model System for Developmental Biology.

Journal of developmental biology – Tolwinski Nicholas S (2017)

5 (3);

The many roles of PTK7: a versatile regulator of cell-cell communication.

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics – Peradziryi Hanna, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Borchers Annette (2012)

524 (1); 71-76

Nuclear localization of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MKK1) is promoted by serum stimulation and G2-M progression. Requirement for phosphorylation at the activation lip and signaling downstream of MKK.

The Journal of biological chemistry – Tolwinski N S, Shapiro P S, Goueli S, Ahn N G (1999)

274 (10); 6168-6174

Decoding temporal interpretation of the morphogen Bicoid in the early embryo.

eLife – Huang Anqi, Amourda Christopher, Zhang Shaobo, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Saunders Timothy E (2017)

6

An insect symbiosis is influenced by bacterium-specific polymorphisms in outer-membrane protein A.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America – Weiss Brian L, Wu Yineng, Schwank Jonathon J, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Aksoy Serap (2008)

105 (39); 15088-15093

Drug Synergy Slows Aging and Improves Healthspan through IGF and SREBP Lipid Signaling.

Developmental cell – Admasu Tesfahun Dessale, Chaithanya Batchu Krishna, Barardo Diogo, Ng Li Fang, Lam Vanessa Yuk Man, Xiao Linfan, Cazenave-Gassiot Amaury, Wenk Markus R, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Gruber Jan (2018)

47 (1); 67-79

Pharmacologic inhibitors of MKK1 and MKK2.

Methods in enzymology – Ahn N G, Nahreini T S, Tolwinski N S, Resing K A (2001)

332 417-431

Wnt pathway activation by ADP-ribosylation.

Nature communications – Yang Eungi, Tacchelly-Benites Ofelia, Wang Zhenghan, Randall Michael P, Tian Ai, Benchabane Hassina, Freemantle Sarah, Pikielny Claudio, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Lee Ethan, Ahmed Yashi (2016)

7 (1);

'Lnc'-ing Wnt in female reproductive cancers: therapeutic potential of long non-coding RNAs in Wnt signalling.

British journal of pharmacology – Ong Mei S, Cai Wanpei, Yuan Yi, Leong Hin C, Tan Tuan Z, Mohammad Asad, You Ming L, Arfuso Frank, Goh Boon C, Warrier Sudha, Sethi Gautam, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Lobie Peter E, Yap Celestial T, Hooi Shing C, Huang Ruby Y, Kumar Alan P (2017)

174 (24); 4684-4700

Developmental Drift and the Role of Wnt Signaling in Aging.

Cancers – Gruber Jan, Yee Zhuangli, Tolwinski Nicholas S (2016)

8 (8);

Reptin and Pontin function antagonistically with PcG and TrxG complexes to mediate Hox gene control.

EMBO reports – Diop Soda Balla, Bertaux Karine, Vasanthi Dasari, Sarkeshik Ali, Goirand Benjamin, Aragnol Denise, Tolwinski Nicholas S, Cole Michael D, Pradel Jacques, Yates John R, Mishra Rakesh K, Graba Yacine, Saurin Andrew J (2008)

9 (3); 260-266