Michael Granato, Ph.D.
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Department: Cell and Developmental Biology
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
1210 BRB II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058
Office: 215-898-2745
Fax: 215-898-9871
Fax: 215-898-9871
Email:
GRANATOM@MAIL.MED.UPENN.EDU
GRANATOM@MAIL.MED.UPENN.EDU
Publications
Education:
(Biochemistry)
Diplom, University of Tübingen, Germany. Thesis with Dr. Heinke Schnabel: Molecular analysis of the organ specific gene pha-1 of C. elegans, 1989.
Ph.D.
University of Tübingen, Germany and Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany. Supervisors: Dr. Heinke Schnabel and Dr. Ralf Schnabel. Thesis: Positional cloning and functional characterization of the organ specific differentiation gene pha-1 in C. elegans, 1993.
(Biochemistry)
Diplom, University of Tübingen, Germany. Thesis with Dr. Heinke Schnabel: Molecular analysis of the organ specific gene pha-1 of C. elegans, 1989.
Ph.D.
University of Tübingen, Germany and Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany. Supervisors: Dr. Heinke Schnabel and Dr. Ralf Schnabel. Thesis: Positional cloning and functional characterization of the organ specific differentiation gene pha-1 in C. elegans, 1993.
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Neuroscience graduate group faculty webpage.
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Lab Home Page
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Permanent linkSearch PubMed for articles
Neuroscience graduate group faculty webpage.
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Lab Home Page
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Description of Research Expertise
Research InterestsAxonal guidance and motor behavior regulation in the zebrafish
Key words: zebrafish, axon, guidance, motoneuron, visual system, neural development, neuropsychiatric disease, startle response, schizophrenia.
Description of Research
One research area focuses on how motor axons find their way to their muscle targets. In genetic screens we have identified several mutants in which motor axons go astray: instead of finding their correct targets, they get lost in the maze. Through the analysis of these mutants, we have identified a specialized group of cells producing multiple signals. Each of the signals is essential for motor axons to navigate particular portions of the maze. Through positional cloning, we have identified some of the mutated genes, and a central focus in the lab is now to understand the molecular mechanisms by which these signals direct axons.
A second research area focuses on neural circuits relevant to neuropsychiatric disease. To navigate their local environment, animals integrate a multitude of sensory information to appropriately modulate their motor behaviors. In vertebrates, a prominent motor behavior elicited by abrupt sensory stimuli, is the startle response. The startle response is mediated by neural architecture that appears conserved amongst vertebrates, including zebrafish and mammals. In humans, deficits in modulating the acoustic startle response are a feature of several complex genetic psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The goal of our studies is to establish the zebrafish as a model system to study the genetic basis of acoustic startle response regulation and thereby to identify genetic lesions underlying abnormal motor control in psychiatric diseases.
Rotation Projects
Rotation projects are available in three research areas:
1. Motor axon guidance
2. Axonal degeneration/regeneration
3. Behavior and neural circuits
Please contact me directly (granatom@mail.med.upenn.edu) if you are interested in these research areas and like to explore working with zebrafish.
Lab personnel:
Santanu Banerjee, postdoctoral fellow
Laura Gordon, NS student
Jesse Isaacman-Beck NS student
Roshan Jain, postdoctoral fellow
Laura Liss, research specialist
Allison Rosenberg, DB student
Rajiv Sainath, NS student
Elena Shtibin, research specialist
Marc Wolman, postdoctoral fellow
Selected Publications
Jing Lili, Lefebvre Julie L, Gordon Laura R, Granato Michael: Wnt signals organize synaptic prepattern and axon guidance through the zebrafish unplugged/MuSK receptor. Neuron 61(5): 721-33, Mar 2009.Burgess HA, Granato M. : Sensorimotor gating in larval zebrafish. J Neurosci. 27(18): 4984-94, May 2007 Notes: (cover photo).
Palaisa, K. A. , Granato, M.: The zebrafish sidetracked gene reveals a novel role for plexin-A3 during intraspinal motor axon guidance Development , Development 134: 3251-3257, August 2007.
Lefebvre JL, Jing L, Becaficco S, Franzini-Armstrong C, Granato M.: Differential requirement for MuSK and dystroglycan in generating patterns of neuromuscular innervation Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104(7): 2483-8, February 2007.
Schneider VA, Granato M.: The myotomal diwanka (lh3) glycosyltransferase and type XVIII collagen are critical for motor growth cone migration. Neuron 50(5): 683-95, June 2006.
Zhang J, Lefebvre JL, Zhao S, Granato M: Zebrafish unplugged reveals a role for muscle-specific kinase homologs in axonal pathway choice. Nat Neurosci 7(12): 1303-9, Dec 2004 Notes: Cover Photo.