Assistant Member of the Staff
The Forsyth Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology
email:
University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1985, Zoology
University of Washington, Ph.D., 1994, Zoology
I am fascinated by epigenetic control of morphogenesis. Of course, the question of how genes are regulated and how proteins construct the elegant signalling events that lead to differentiated cell types, is central to understanding how complex multicelluar organisms grow from the fertilized egg. My interest, however, is in discovering the mechanisms by which embryos exploit Physics, rather than Chemistry, to accomplish the tasks of developing the correct cell differentiation and tissue morphology. In the past, I have studied how mechanical force is generated and directed to achieve correct body form. Currently I study how electricity is generated and directed to achieve correct patterning of tissue placement during embryonic development and during regeneration of amputated limbs.
My current projects include the study of proton flux in the establishment of left-right asymmetry of vertebrate embryos; ion flux in the renegeration of severed tadpole tails; proton flux in the normal differentiation of anterior neural tube and cephalic neural crest derivatives including eyes, pigmentation and jaw.
Adams DS, Masi A, Levin M. 2007 H+ pump-dependent changes in membrane voltage are an early mechanism necessary and sufficient to induce Xenopus tail regeneration. Development. 134(7):1323-35.
Adams DS, Levin M. 2006. Inverse drug screens: a rapid and inexpensive method for implicating molecular targets. Genesis. 44 (11):530-40
Adams DS, Robinson KR, Fukumoto T, Yuan S, Albertson RC, Yelick P, Kuo L, McSweeney M, Levin M. 2006. Early, H+-V-ATPase-dependent proton flux is necessary for consistent left-right patterning of non-mammalian vertebrates. Development 133(9) :1657–1671. (Featured in Science 312(5773):501)
Shin JB, Adams DS, Paukert M, Siba M, Sidi S, Levin M, Gillespie PG, Grunder S. 2005. Xenopus TRPN1 (NOMPC) localizes to microtubule-based cilia in epithelial cells, including inner ear hair cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102(35):12572–12577.
Powell JA, Molgó J, Colasante C, Adams DS, Williams A, Bohlen M, Jaimovich E. 2003. IP3 receptors and associated Ca2+ signals localize to Satellite cells and to components of the neuromuscular junction in skeletal muscle. J. Neurosci. 23 (23) :8185–81 92.
Adams DS. 2003. Teaching critical thinking in a Developmental Biology course at an American liberal arts college. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 47(2/3):145–151.
Powell JA, Carrasco MA, Adams DS, Drouet B, Rios J, Müller M, Jaimovich E. 2001. IP3 receptor function and localization in myotubes: An unexplored Ca2+ signaling pathway in skeletal muscle. J. Cell Sci. 114(20):3673– 3683.
Adams DS. 1992. Mechanisms of cell shape change: The cytomechanics of cellular response to chemical environment and mechanical loading. J. Cell Biol. 117(1):83–93.
Adams DS, Keller RE, Koehl MAR. 1990. The mechanics of notochord elongation, straightening and stiffening in the embryo of Xenopus laevis. Development 110(1):115–130.
Adams DS. 1989. Dynamic mechanical properties of Physarum cytoplasm. In. Akkas N. (ed). Biomechanics of Active Movement and Deformation of Cells. Springer-Verlag.
Koehl MAR, Adams DS, Keller RE. 1989. Mechanical development of the notochord in Xenopus early tail-bud embryos. In: Akkas N. (ed). Biomechanics of Active Movement and Deformation of Cells. Springer-Verlag.
