Gertraud Robinson, Ph.D.
Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology
LGP
DEVELOPMENT & METABOLISM SECTION
NIDDK, National Institutes of Health
Building 8, Room 101
8 Center Dr.
Bethesda, MD 20892-0822
Tel: 301-496-5004
Fax: 301-480-7312
Email: gertraur@bdg10.niddk.nih.gov
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Research Website:
Education / Previous Training and Experience:
- Agricultural University Vienna, Austria Diploma 1973 Microbiology
- University of Salzburg, Austria Doctorate 1981 Genetics
- NIH/NCI and NIDDK Postdoctorate 1983-1986 Genetics
Positions and Honors
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Salzburg 1986 – 1989 Group Leader
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 1990 - 1993 - Senior Research Fellow, National Research Council
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 1993 - 1997 - Senior Staff Fellow, Developmental Biology Section
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 1997 - present - Staff Scientist, Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology
· International Fogarty Fellowship (1983 - 1984)
· National Research Council Senior Fellowship (1990 - 1993)
· Study Section, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Program (1999, 2000)
· Editorial Board, Breast Cancer Research (1999-present)
· Review papers for Genes and Development, Development, Endocrinology, Molecular Endocrinology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cancer Research
Research Statement:
Since my days as a graduate student with Klaus Kratochwil in Salzburg, Austria, I have been studying many aspects of mammary gland development. Using gene targeted strains I analyzed a number of mutants with defects in mammary gland development to identify genes that regulate ductal and alveolar development during puberty and pregnancy. Among them are activinB, the transcription factors C/EBPbeta, and Id-2, Shh, connexins, SOCS3 and Notch signals. Presently, I am investigating the role of the Jak2/Stat5 pathway in the proliferation and differentiation of secretory epithelial cells and the role of Notch signaling in lineage decisions in mammary epithelium. I collaborate with several researchers performing mammary epithelial transplantations, particularly of anlagen from mutants that do not survive to adulthood. I am also very interested in the development of the embryonic mammary anlage, which is controlled by tissue interactions rather than hormones.
Selected Publications:
Annual Report Titles:
Genetic approaches to understanding organ development
Selected peer-reviewed publications (out of more than 60)
- Hennighausen, L., Robinson, G.W. Interpretation of cytokine signalling through the transcription factors STAT5A and STAT5B. Genes & Dev. 22: 711-721. 2008.
- Robinson, G.W. (2007) Cooperation of signalling pathways in embryonic mammary gland development. Nature Reviews Genetics, 8, 963-972.
- Buono, K.D., Robinson, G.W., Martin, C., Shi, S., Stanley, P., Tanigaki, K., Honjo, T., Hennighausen, L. (2006) The canonical Notch/RBP-J signaling pathway controls the balance of cell lineages in the mammary epithelium during pregnancy. Dev Biol 293, 565-580.
- Hennighausen, L. and Robinson, G.W. (2005) Information networks in the mammary gland. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 6, 715-725.
- Robinson, G.W. (2004) Identification of signaling pathways in early mammary gland development by mouse genetics. Breast Cancer Res 6, 105-108.
- Gallego, M.I., Beachy, P.A., Hennighausen, L., Robinson, G.W. (2002) Differential requirements for Shh in mammary tissue and hair follicle morphogenesis. Dev Biol 249, 131-139.
- Miyoshi, K., Meyer, B., Gruss, P., Cui, K., Renou, J.-P., Morgan, F., Smith, G.H., Shani, M., Hennighausen, L., Robinson, G.W. (2002) Mammary epithelial cells are not able to undergo pregnancy dependent differentiation in the absence of the helix-loop-helix inhibitor Id2. Mol Endo 16, 2892-2901.
- Hennighausen, L. and Robinson, G.W. (2001) Signaling pathways in the mammary gland. Develop Cell 1, 467-475.
- Robinson, G.W., Wagner, K.-U., Hennighausen, L. (2001) Functional mammary gland development and oncogene-induced tumor formation are not affected by the absence of the retinoblastoma gene. Oncogene 20, 7115-7119.
- Robinson, G.W., Karpf, A.B.C., Kratochwil, K. (1999) Regulation of mammary gland development by tissue interaction. J Mam Gland Biol Neopl 4, 9-19.
- Dunbar, M.E., Dann, P.R., Robinson, G.W., Hennighausen, L., Zhang, J.-P., Wysolmerski, J.J. (1999) Parathyroid hormone-related protein signaling is necessary for sexual dimorphism during embryonic mammary development. Development 126, 3485-3493.
- Hennighausen, L. and Robinson, G.W. (1998) Think globally, act locally: the making of a mouse mammary gland. Genes & Dev 12, 449-455.
- Robinson, G.W., Johnson, P.F., Hennighausen, L. and Sterneck, E. (1998) The C/EBPb transcription factor regulates epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation in the mammary gland. Genes & Dev 12, 1907-1916.
- Robinson, G.W. and Hennighausen, L. (1997) Inhibins and activins regulate mammary epithelial cell differentiation through mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. Development 124, 2701-2708.
- Robinson, G.W., McKnight, R.A., Smith, G.H. and Hennighausen, L. (1995) Mammary epithelial cells undergo differentiation in cycling virgins but require pregnancy for the establishment of terminal differentiation. Development 121, 2079-2090.
- Robinson, G.W., Mahon, K.A. (1994) Differential and overlapping expression domains of Dlx-2 and Dlx-3 suggest distinct roles for Distal-less homeobox genes in craniofacial development. Mech Dev 48, 199-215.
- Robinson, G.W., Wray, S., Mahon, K.A. (1991) Spatially restricted expression of a member of a new family of murine Distal-less homeobox genes in the developing forebrain. The New Biologist 3, 1183-1194.
- Wasner, G., Simons, S.S.,Jr. (1987) Differential sensitivity of HTC and FU5-5 cells for induction of tyrosine aminotransferase. Mol Endo 1, 109-120.
- Wasner, G., Hennermann, I., Kratochwil, K. (1983) Ontogeny of mesenchymal androgen receptors in the embryonic mammary gland. Endocrinology 113, 1771-1780.
Page last updated: February 07, 2008
