Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

The VICC.ORG Investigator Directory

Christopher V. Wright, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology
VICC Member
Researcher

Contact Information:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
3140 Medical Research Building III
Nashville, TN 37232-8240
615-343-8256

Research Description:

Vertebrate embryos form from initially symmetric fertilized eggs as a result of progressively more complex interactions between differently programmed groups of daughter cells that arise from the cleavage of the zygote. We are studying secreted intercellular signaling molecules or transcription factors that dictate cell fates in different parts of the embryo. These include the TGF -superfamily members nodal and BMP4 (and their transmembrane kinase receptors), and homeodomain-containing transcription factors, which are expressed according to the type of extracellular signals received by a cell. Our main model systems are the frog and mouse. Frog embryos can be microinjected with plasmids, mRNA, proteins and antibodies, and the large number of embryos available allows biochemical studies. In contrast, the mouse allows genetic analysis of function. We can transgenically misexpress proteins, or genes can be inactivated or mutated by gene recombination in ES cells. The latter can be done globally, or tissue-specifically, by inactivation techniques that can be targeted to chosen tissues and switched on/off as required.

Proof of the power of these strategies comes from our finding that inactivating the pdx-1 homeobox gene completely prevents the formation of the pancreas; similar defects have been found in newborn humans with pdx-1 mutations.

Furthermore, PDX-1 is probably an essential transcriptional regulator of the insulin gene, and/or other genes involved in cell function in the Islets of Langerhans of the adult pancreas. We are determining the cis-elements activating pdx-1 in the embryonic pancreas and adult endocrine cells, studying endocrine/exocrine lineage pathways, and determining the precise role of pdx-1 and other transcriptional regulators such as the bHLH factor Ptf1a in pancreas formation, function and insulin expression. We are specifically interested in identifying pancreatic stem cells and finding ways to convert embryonic or adult stem cells (which may come from the bone marrow, nervous system, or from within the pancreas itself) into pancreatic tissue, ultimately for transplantation therapy of diabetes. We have recently found evidence that the expression of Ptf1a dictates an organ choice of endodermal stem cells between duodenal and pancreatic fates. These studies involved nactivating Ptf1a in mouse, together with lineage tracing techniques for following cells after inactivation.

Different vertebrates have variable numbers of nodal-related genes, which encode intercellular signaling molecules that induce profound alterations in cell fate or behaviours such as migration. A particularly exciting discovery made a few years ago was that a frog nodal-related gene, Xnr-1, is expressed only on the embryo's left side, where it acts to specify a "left-right" asymmetry involved in the formation of the stereotypical and required internal asymmetric anatomy of the heart, vascular system, and viscera. We are mapping the cis-acting sequences controlling Xnr-1 expression to characterize the factors activating its expression in these fascinating patterns, and investigating the extracellular regulation of this cell-cell signaling molecule. In addition, our finding that the classical zebrafish mutant, cyclops, corresponds to a lesion in a nodal-related gene has introduced new concepts regarding the timing and players involved in establishing precursors of the floor plate, an organizing tissue located ventrally in the neural tube that is required for normal CNS patterning.

Our long-term goal is to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for the coordinated development of complex organ systems, with deep relevance to human congenital birth defects.

Publications:

• Yang, YP, Thorel, F, Boyer, DF, Herrera, PL, Wright, CV Context-specific {alpha}-to-{beta}-cell reprogramming by forced Pdx1 expression. Genes Dev, 25(16), 1680-5, 2011.
• Dorrell, C, Grompe, MT, Pan, FC, Zhong, Y, Canaday, PS, Shultz, LD, Greiner, DL, Wright, CV, Streeter, PR, Grompe, M Isolation of mouse pancreatic alpha, beta, duct and acinar populations with cell surface markers. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 339(1-2), 144-50, 2011.
• Pan, FC, Wright, C Pancreas organogenesis: from bud to plexus to gland. Dev Dyn, 240(3), 530-65, 2011.
• Yang, YP, Wright, C Chemicals turn human embryonic stem cells towards beta cells. Nat Chem Biol, 5(4), 195-6, 2009.
• Anderson, KR, Torres, CA, Solomon, K, Becker, TC, Newgard, CB, Wright, CV, Hagman, J, Sussel, L Cooperative transcriptional regulation of the essential pancreatic islet gene NeuroD1 (beta2) by Nkx2.2 and neurogenin 3. J Biol Chem, 284(45), 31236-48, 2009.
• Skuntz, S, Mankoo, B, Nguyen, MT, Hustert, E, Nakayama, A, Tournier-Lasserve, E, Wright, CV, Pachnis, V, Bharti, K, Arnheiter, H Lack of the mesodermal homeodomain protein MEOX1 disrupts sclerotome polarity and leads to a remodeling of the cranio-cervical joints of the axial skeleton. Dev Biol, 332(2), 383-95, 2009.
• Wang, S, Yan, J, Anderson, DA, Xu, Y, Kanal, MC, Cao, Z, Wright, CV, Gu, G Neurog3 gene dosage regulates allocation of endocrine and exocrine cell fates in the developing mouse pancreas. Dev Biol, 2009.
• Betley, JN, Wright, CV, Kawaguchi, Y, Erdélyi, F, Szabó, G, Jessell, TM, Kaltschmidt, JA Stringent specificity in the construction of a GABAergic presynaptic inhibitory circuit. Cell, 139(1), 161-74, 2009.
• Burlison, JS, Long, Q, Fujitani, Y, Wright, CV, Magnuson, MA Pdx-1 and Ptf1a concurrently determine fate specification of pancreatic multipotent progenitor cells. Dev Biol, 316(1), 74-86, 2008.
• Dokmanovic-Chouinard, M, Chung, WK, Chevre, JC, Watson, E, Yonan, J, Wiegand, B, Bromberg, Y, Wakae, N, Wright, CV, Overton, J, Ghosh, S, Sathe, GM, Ammala, CE, Brown, KK, Ito, R, LeDuc, C, Solomon, K, Fischer, SG, Leibel, RL Positional cloning of "Lisch-Like", a candidate modifier of susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in mice. PLoS Genet, 4(7), e1000137, 2008.
• Fukuda, A, Kawaguchi, Y, Furuyama, K, Kodama, S, Horiguchi, M, Kuhara, T, Kawaguchi, M, Terao, M, Doi, R, Wright, CV, Hoshino, M, Chiba, T, Uemoto, S Reduction of Ptf1a gene dosage causes pancreatic hypoplasia and diabetes mellitus in mice. Diabetes, 2008.
• Gannon, M, Ables, ET, Crawford, L, Lowe, D, Offield, MF, Magnuson, MA, Wright, CV pdx-1 function is specifically required in embryonic beta cells to generate appropriate numbers of endocrine cell types and maintain glucose homeostasis. Dev Biol, 314(2), 406-17, 2008.
• Ohi, Y, Wright, CV Anteriorward shifting of asymmetric Xnr1 expression and contralateral communication in left-right specification in Xenopus. Dev Biol, 301(2), 447-63, 2007.
• Pascual, M, Abasolo, I, Mingorance-Le Meur, A, Martínez, A, Del Rio, JA, Wright, CV, Real, FX, Soriano, E Cerebellar GABAergic progenitors adopt an external granule cell-like phenotype in the absence of Ptf1a transcription factor expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 104(12), 5193-8, 2007.
• Keller, DM, McWeeney, S, Arsenlis, A, Drouin, J, Wright, CV, Wang, H, Wollheim, CB, White, P, Kaestner, KH, Goodman, RH Characterization of pancreatic transcription factor Pdx-1 binding sites using promoter microarray and serial analysis of chromatin occupancy. J Biol Chem, 282(44), 32084-92, 2007.
• Jarikji, ZH, Vanamala, S, Beck, CW, Wright, CV, Leach, SD, Horb, ME Differential ability of Ptf1a and Ptf1a-VP16 to convert stomach, duodenum and liver to pancreas. Dev Biol, 304(2), 786-99, 2007.
• Wiebe, PO, Kormish, JD, Roper, VT, Fujitani, Y, Alston, NI, Zaret, KS, Wright, CV, Stein, RW, Gannon, M Ptf1a binds to and activates area III, a highly conserved region of the Pdx1 promoter that mediates early pancreas-wide Pdx1 expression. Mol Cell Biol, 27(11), 4093-104, 2007.
• Morton, JP, Mongeau, ME, Klimstra, DS, Morris, JP, Lee, YC, Kawaguchi, Y, Wright, CV, Hebrok, M, Lewis, BC Sonic hedgehog acts at multiple stages during pancreatic tumorigenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 104(12), 5103-8, 2007.
• Westmoreland, JJ, Takahashi, S, Wright, CV Xenopus Lefty requires proprotein cleavage but not N-linked glycosylation to inhibit nodal signaling. Dev Dyn, 2007.
• Ijichi, H, Chytil, A, Gorska, AE, Aakre, ME, Fujitani, Y, Fujitani, S, Wright, CV, Moses, HL Aggressive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in mice caused by pancreas-specific blockade of transforming growth factor-beta signaling in cooperation with active Kras expression. Genes Dev, 20(22), 3147-60, 2006.
• Boyer, DF, Fujitani, Y, Gannon, M, Powers, AC, Stein, RW, Wright, CV Complementation rescue of Pdx1 null phenotype demonstrates distinct roles of proximal and distal cis-regulatory sequences in pancreatic and duodenal expression. Dev Biol, 298(2), 616-31, 2006.
• Cha, YR, Takahashi, S, Wright, CV Cooperative non-cell and cell autonomous regulation of Nodal gene expression and signaling by Lefty/Antivin and Brachyury in Xenopus. Dev Biol, 290(2), 246-64, 2006.
• Fukuda, A, Kawaguchi, Y, Furuyama, K, Kodama, S, Horiguchi, M, Kuhara, T, Koizumi, M, Boyer, DF, Fujimoto, K, Doi, R, Kageyama, R, Wright, CV, Chiba, T Ectopic pancreas formation in Hes1 -knockout mice reveals plasticity of endodermal progenitors of the gut, bile duct, and pancreas. J Clin Invest, 116(6), 1484-93, 2006.
• Fukuda, A, Kawaguchi, Y, Furuyama, K, Kodama, S, Kuhara, T, Horiguchi, M, Koizumi, M, Fujimoto, K, Doi, R, Wright, CV, Chiba, T Loss of the major duodenal papilla results in brown pigment biliary stone formation in pdx1 null mice. Gastroenterology, 130(3), 855-67, 2006.
• Takahashi, S, Onuma, Y, Yokota, C, Westmoreland, JJ, Asashima, M, Wright, CV Nodal-related gene Xnr5 is amplified in the Xenopus genome. Genesis, 44(7), 309-321, 2006.
• Hruban, RH, Rustgi, AK, Brentnall, TA, Tempero, MA, Wright, CV, Tuveson, DA Pancreatic cancer in mice and man: the Penn Workshop 2004. Cancer Res, 66(1), 14-7, 2006.
• Miyatsuka, T, Kaneto, H, Shiraiwa, T, Matsuoka, TA, Yamamoto, K, Kato, K, Nakamura, Y, Akira, S, Takeda, K, Kajimoto, Y, Yamasaki, Y, Sandgren, EP, Kawaguchi, Y, Wright, CV, Fujitani, Y Persistent expression of PDX-1 in the pancreas causes acinar-to-ductal metaplasia through Stat3 activation. Genes Dev, 20(11), 1435-40, 2006.
• Fujitani, Y, Fujitani, S, Luo, H, Qiu, F, Burlison, J, Long, Q, Kawaguchi, Y, Edlund, H, MacDonald, RJ, Furukawa, T, Fujikado, T, Magnuson, MA, Xiang, M, Wright, CV Ptf1a determines horizontal and amacrine cell fates during mouse retinal development. Development, 133(22), 4439-50, 2006.
• Fujitani, Y, Fujitani, S, Boyer, DF, Gannon, M, Kawaguchi, Y, Ray, M, Shiota, M, Stein, RW, Magnuson, MA, Wright, CV Targeted deletion of a cis-regulatory region reveals differential gene dosage requirements for Pdx1 in foregut organ differentiation and pancreas formation. Genes Dev, 20(2), 253-66, 2006.
• Ripley, AN, Osler, ME, Wright, CV, Bader, D Xbves is a regulator of epithelial movement during early Xenopus laevis development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103(3), 614-9, 2006.
• Jepeal, LI, Fujitani, Y, Boylan, MO, Wilson, CN, Wright, CV, Wolfe, MM Cell-specific expression of glucose-dependent-insulinotropic polypeptide is regulated by the transcription factor PDX-1. Endocrinology, 146(1), 383-91, 2005.
• Zhang, H, Fujitani, Y, Wright, CV, Gannon, M Efficient recombination in pancreatic islets by a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase. Genesis, 42(3), 210-7, 2005.
• Pedersen, JK, Nelson, SB, Jorgensen, MC, Henseleit, KD, Fujitani, Y, Wright, CV, Sander, M, Serup, P, , Endodermal expression of Nkx6 genes depends differentially on Pdx1. Dev Biol, 288(2), 487-501, 2005.
• Mead, PE, Parganas, E, Ohtsuka, S, Morishita, K, Gamer, L, Kuliyev, E, Wright, CV, Ihle, JN Evi-1 expression in Xenopus. Gene Expr Patterns, 5(5), 601-8, 2005.
• Nomura, S, Settle, SH, Leys, CM, Means, AL, Peek, RM, Leach, SD, Wright, CV, Coffey, RJ, Goldenring, JR Evidence for repatterning of the gastric fundic epithelium associated with Ménétrier's disease and TGFalpha overexpression. Gastroenterology, 128(5), 1292-305, 2005.
• Means, AL, Chytil, A, Moses, HL, Coffey, RJ, Wright, CV, Taketo, MM, Grady, WM Keratin 19 gene drives Cre recombinase expression throughout the early postimplantation mouse embryo. Genesis, 42(1), 23-7, 2005.
• Chea, HK, Wright, CV, Swalla, BJ Nodal signaling and the evolution of deuterostome gastrulation. Dev Dyn, 234(2), 269-78, 2005.
• Means, AL, Meszoely, IM, Suzuki, K, Miyamoto, Y, Rustgi, AK, Coffey, RJ, Wright, CV, Stoffers, DA, Leach, SD Pancreatic epithelial plasticity mediated by acinar cell transdifferentiation and generation of nestin-positive intermediates. Development, 132(16), 3767-76, 2005.
• Glasgow, SM, Henke, RM, Macdonald, RJ, Wright, CV, Johnson, JE Ptf1a determines GABAergic over glutamatergic neuronal cell fate in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Development, 132(24), 5461-9, 2005.
• Hoshino, M, Nakamura, S, Mori, K, Kawauchi, T, Terao, M, Nishimura, YV, Fukuda, A, Fuse, T, Matsuo, N, Sone, M, Watanabe, M, Bito, H, Terashima, T, Wright, CV, Kawaguchi, Y, Nakao, K, Nabeshima, YI Ptf1a, a bHLH Transcriptional Gene, Defines GABAergic Neuronal Fates in Cerebellum. Neuron, 47(2), 201-213, 2005.
• Brissova, M, Blaha, M, Spear, C, Nicholson, W, Radhika, A, Shiota, M, Charron, MJ, Wright, CV, Powers, AC Reduced PDX-1 expression impairs islet response to insulin resistance and worsens glucose homeostasis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 288(4), E707-14, 2005.
• Means AL, Ray KC, Singh AB, Washington MK, Whitehead RH, Harris RC, Wright CVE, Coffey RJ, Leach SD Overexpression of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in mouse pancreas results in fibrosis and epithelial metaplasia.. Gastroenterology, 124(4), 1020-36, 2003.
• Suzuki R, Tobe K, Terauchi Y, Komeda K, Kubota N, Eto K, Yamauchi T, Azuma K, Kaneto H, Taguchi T, Koga T, German MS, Watada H, Kawamori R, Wright CVE, Kajimoto Y, Kimura S, Nagai R, Kadowaki T Pdx1 expression in Irs2 deficient mouse beta -cells is regulated in a strain-dependent manner.. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(44), 43691-43698, 2003.
• Hingorani SR, Petricoin EF, Maitra A, Rajapakse V, King C, Jacobetz MA, Ross S, Conrads TP, Veenstra TD, Hitt BA, Kawaguchi Y, Johann D, Liotta LA, Crawford HC, Putt ME, Jacks T, Wright CVE, Hruban RH, Lowy AM, Tuveson DA Preinvasive and invasive ductal pancreatic cancer and its early detection in the mouse. Cancer Cell, 4(6), 437-50, 2003.
• Mankoo, BS, Skuntz, S, Harrigan, I, Grigorieva, E, Candia, A, Wright, CVE, Arnheiter, H, Pachnis, V The concerted action of Meox homeobox genes is required upstream of genetic pathways essential for the formation, patterning and differentiation of somites.. Development, 130(19), 4655-64, 2003.
• Chytil A, Magnuson MA, Wright CVE, Moses HL Conditional inactivation of the TGF-beta type II receptor using Cre:Lox. Genesis, 32(2), 73-5, 2002.
• Samaras SE, Cissell MA, Gerrish K, Wright CVE, Gannon M, Stein R Conserved sequences in a tissue-specific regulatory region of the pdx-1 gene mediate transcription in Pancreatic beta cells: role for hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 beta and Pax6. Mol Cell Biol, 22(13), 4702-13, 2002.
• Kushner JA, Ye J, Schubert M, Burks DJ, Dow MA, Flint CL, Dutta S, Wright CVE, Montminy MR, White MF Pdx1 restores beta cell function in Irs2 knockout mice. J Clin Invest, 109(9), 1193-201, 2002.
• Shih DQ, Heimesaat M, Kuwajima S, Stein R, Wright CVE, Stoffel M Profound defects in pancreatic beta-cell function in mice with combined heterozygous mutations in Pdx-1, Hnf-1alpha, and Hnf-3beta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 99(6), 3818-23, 2002.
• Brissova M, Shiota M, Nicholson WE, Gannon M, Knobel, Susan M, Piston DW, Wright CVE, Powers AC Reduction in pancreatic transcription factor PDX-1 impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. J Biol Chem, 277(13), 11225-32, 2002.
• Nakae J, Biggs WH, Kitamura T, Cavenee WK, Wright CVE, Arden KC, Accili D Regulation of insulin action and pancreatic beta-cell function by mutated alleles of the gene encoding forkhead transcription factor Foxo1. Nat Genet, 32(2), 245-53, 2002.
• Wright CVE, Halpern ME Specification of left-right asymmetry.. Results Probl Cell Differ, 4096-116, 2002.
• Kitamura T, Nakae J, Kitamura Y, Kido Y, Biggs WH, Wright CVE, White MF, Arden KC, Accili D The forkhead transcription factor Foxo1 links insulin signaling to Pdx1 regulation of pancreatic beta cell growth.. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1101839-47, 2002.
• Kawaguchi Y, Cooper B, Gannon M, Ray M, MacDonald RJ, Wright CVE The role of the transcriptional regulator Ptf1a in converting intestinal to pancreatic progenitors. Nat Genet, 32(1), 128-34, 2002.
• Hui, H., Wright, C.V.E. and Perfetti, R GLP-1 induces differentiation of IDX-1 positive pancreatic ductal cells into insulin secreting cell. Diabetes, 50785-796, 2001.
• Wright, C V Mechanisms of left-right asymmetry: what''s right and what''s left. Dev Cell, 1(2), 179-86, 2001.
• Wright CVE, Cheng AMS, Osada S, Hamada H "Negative feedback inhibiting Nodal signalling during asymmetrical morphogenesis." HFSP Workshop 10 Report, 2001.
• Dutta S, Gannon MA, Peers B, Wright CVE, Bonner-Weir S, Montminy M PDX:PBX complexes are required for normal proliferation of pancreatic cells during development. PNAS, 98(3), 1065-1070, 2001.
• Gannon, M, Gamer, L W, Wright, C V Regulatory regions driving developmental and tissue-specific expression of the essential pancreatic gene pdx1. Dev Biol, 238(1), 185-201, 2001.
• Erter, C E, Wilm, T P, Basler, N, Wright, C V, Solnica-Krezel, L Wnt8 is required in lateral mesendodermal precursors for neural posteriorization in vivo. Development, 128(18), 3571-83, 2001.
• Thisse, B, Wright, C V, Thisse, C Activin- and Nodal-related factors control antero-posterior patterning of the zebrafish embryo. Nature, 403(6768), 425-8, 2000.
• Osada, S I, Saijoh, Y, Frisch, A, Yeo, C Y, Adachi, H, Watanabe, M, Whitman, M, Hamada, H, Wright, C V Activin/nodal responsiveness and asymmetric expression of a Xenopus nodal-related gene converge on a FAST-regulated module in intron 1. Development, 127(11), 2503-14, 2000.
• Gannon, M, Shiota, C, Postic, C, Wright, C V, Magnuson, M Analysis of the Cre-mediated recombination driven by rat insulin promoter in embryonic and adult mouse pancreas. Genesis, 26(2), 139-42, 2000.
• Ishimaru Y, Yoshioka H, Tao H, Thisse B, Thisse C, Wright CVE, Hamada H, Ohuchi H, Noji S Asymmetric expression of antivin/lefty-1 in the early chick embryo. Mechanisms of Development, 90(1), 115-118, 2000.
• Schumpert B, Keefer A, Wright CVE, Swalla BJ "Evolution of Left-Right Asymmetry: Expression of Ascidian Nodal." Amer. Zool., 3977A#456, 2000.
• Gonzalez, E M, Fekany-Lee, K, Carmany-Rampey, A, Erter, C, Topczewski, J, Wright, C V, Solnica-Krezel, L Head and trunk in zebrafish arise via coinhibition of BMP signaling by bozozok and chordino. Genes Dev, 14(24), 3087-92, 2000.
• Gannon, M, Herrera, P L, Wright, C V Mosaic Cre-mediated recombination in pancreas using the pdx-1 enhancer/promoter. Genesis, 26(2), 143-4, 2000.
• Gerrish, K, Gannon, M, Shih, D, Henderson, E, Stoffel, M, Wright, C V, Stein, R Pancreatic beta cell-specific transcription of the pdx-1 gene. The role of conserved upstream control regions and their hepatic nuclear factor 3beta sites. J Biol Chem, 275(5), 3485-92, 2000.
• Gannon, M, Ray, M K, Van Zee, K, Rausa, F, Costa, R H, Wright, C V Persistent expression of HNF6 in islet endocrine cells causes disrupted islet architecture and loss of beta cell function. Development, 127(13), 2883-95, 2000.
• Cheng, A M, Thisse, B, Thisse, C, Wright, C V The lefty-related factor Xatv acts as a feedback inhibitor of nodal signaling in mesoderm induction and L-R axis development in xenopus. Development, 127(5), 1049-61, 2000.
• Lawson, K A, Dunn, N R, Roelen, B A, Zeinstra, L M, Davis, A M, Wright, C V, Korving, J P, Hogan, B L Bmp4 is required for the generation of primordial germ cells in the mouse embryo. Genes Dev, 13(4), 424-36, 1999.
• Song, S Y, Gannon, M, Washington, M K, Scoggins, C R, Meszoely, I M, Goldenring, J R, Marino, C R, Sandgren, E P, Coffey, R J, Wright, C V, Leach, S D Expansion of Pdx1-expressing pancreatic epithelium and islet neogenesis in transgenic mice overexpressing transforming growth factor alpha. Gastroenterology, 117(6), 1416-26, 1999.
• Koffron M, Demel T, Xanthos J, Lohr J, Sive H, Osada S-I, Wright CVE, Wylie C, Heasman J Medoserm induction in Xenopus is a zygotic event regulated by maternal VegT via TGFβ growth factors. Development, 126(24), 5759-5770, 1999.
• Mankoo, B S, Collins, N S, Ashby, P, Grigorieva, E, Pevny, L H, Candia, A, Wright, C V, Rigby, P W, Pachnis, V Mox2 is a component of the genetic hierarchy controlling limb muscle development. Nature, 400(6739), 69-73, 1999.
• Kritzik, M.R., Jones, E., Chen, Z., Krakowski, M., Krahl, T., Good, A., Wright, C.V.E., Fox, H., and Sarvetnick, N PDX-1 and msx-2 expression in the regenerating and developing pancreas. J. Endocrinology, 163(3), 523-530, 1999.
• Osada, S I, Wright, C V Xenopus nodal-related signaling is essential for mesendodermal patterning during early embryogenesis. Development, 126(14), 3229-40, 1999.
• Gannon, M., K. Gerrish, R. Stein and C.V.E. Wright "pdx-1 in pancreas development and glucose homeostasis." American Diabetes Association, Proceedings of the Scottsdale meeting on MODY genes. Pub. Karger Press. Eds. F. Matschinsky and M. Magnuson, 1999.
• Swift, G H, Liu, Y, Rose, S D, Bischof, L J, Steelman, S, Buchberg, A M, Wright, C V, MacDonald, R J An endocrine-exocrine switch in the activity of the pancreatic homeodomain protein PDX1 through formation of a trimeric complex with PBX1b and MRG1 (MEIS2). Mol Cell Biol, 18(9), 5109-20, 1998.
• Gannon M, Wright CVE "Endodermal patterning and organogenesis." Cell Lineage and Fate Determination, S. Moody Ed.(San Diego: Academic Press), 583-615, 1998.
• Sampath, K, Rubinstein, A L, Cheng, A M, Liang, J O, Fekany, K, Solnica-Krezel, L, Korzh, V, Halpern, M E, Wright, C V Induction of the zebrafish ventral brain and floorplate requires cyclops/nodal signalling. Nature, 395(6698), 185-9, 1998.
• Wright, C V Lateral asymmetry in multicellular organisms. Seminars in Cell Developmental Biology, 9(1), 31-3, 1998.
• Dutta, S., Bonner-Weir, S., Montminy, M. and Wright, C.V.E Regulatory factor linked to late-onset diabetes?. Nature, 392560, 1998.
• Jetton, T L, Moates, J M, Lindner, J, Wright, C V, Magnuson, M A Targeted oncogenesis of hormone-negative pancreatic islet progenitor cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 95(15), 8654-9, 1998.
• Frisch, A, Wright, C V XBMPRII, a novel Xenopus type II receptor mediating BMP signaling in embryonic tissues. Development, 125(3), 431-42, 1998.
• Erter, C E, Solnica-Krezel, L, Wright, C V Zebrafish nodal-related 2 encodes an early mesendodermal inducer signaling from the extraembryonic yolk syncytial layer. Dev Biol, 204(2), 361-72, 1998.
• Fernandes, A, King, L C, Guz, Y, Stein, R, Wright, C V, Teitelman, G Differentiation of new insulin-producing cells is induced by injury in adult pancreatic islets. Endocrinology, 138(4), 1750-62, 1997.
• Peshavaria, M, Henderson, E, Sharma, A, Wright, C V, Stein, R Functional characterization of the transactivation properties of the PDX-1 homeodomain protein. Mol Cell Biol, 17(7), 3987-96, 1997.
• Sampath, K, Cheng, A M, Frisch, A, Wright, C V Functional differences among Xenopus nodal-related genes in left-right axis determination. Development, 124(17), 3293-302, 1997.
• Wu, K L, Gannon, M, Peshavaria, M, Offield, M F, Henderson, E, Ray, M, Marks, A, Gamer, L W, Wright, C V, Stein, R Hepatocyte nuclear factor 3beta is involved in pancreatic beta-cell-specific transcription of the pdx-1 gene. Mol Cell Biol, 17(10), 6002-13, 1997.
• Woychik R, Hogan B, Bryant S, Eichele G, Kimelman D, Noden D, Schoenwolf G, Wright C "Pattern formation." Reproductive Toxicology, 11(2-3), 339-344, 1997.
• Jones, C M, Dale, L, Hogan, B L, Wright, C V, Smith, J C Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) acts during gastrula stages to cause ventralization of Xenopus embryos. Development, 122(5), 1545-54, 1996.
• Lowe, L A, Supp, D M, Sampath, K, Yokoyama, T, Wright, C V, Potter, S S, Overbeek, P, Kuehn, M R Conserved left-right asymmetry of nodal expression and alterations in murine situs inversus. Nature, 381(6578), 158-61, 1996.
• Candia, A F, Wright, C V Differential localization of Mox-1 and Mox-2 proteins indicates distinct roles during development. Int J Dev Biol, 40(6), 1179-84, 1996.
• Offield, M F, Jetton, T L, Labosky, P A, Ray, M, Stein, R W, Magnuson, M A, Hogan, B L, Wright, C V PDX-1 is required for pancreatic outgrowth and differentiation of the rostral duodenum. Development, 122(3), 983-95, 1996.
• Gamer, L W, Wright, C V Autonomous endodermal determination in Xenopus: regulation of expression of the pancreatic gene XlHbox 8. Dev Biol, 171(1), 240-51, 1995.
• Zhang, X, Wright, C V, Hanks, S K Cloning of a Xenopus laevis cDNA encoding focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and expression during early development. Gene, 160(2), 219-22, 1995.
• Conlon, F L, Wright, C V, Robertson, E J Effects of the TWis mutation on notochord formation and mesodermal patterning. Mech Dev, 49(3), 201-9, 1995.
• Guz, Y, Montminy, M R, Stein, R, Leonard, J, Gamer, L W, Wright, C V, Teitelman, G Expression of murine STF-1, a putative insulin gene transcription factor, in beta cells of pancreas, duodenal epithelium and pancreatic exocrine and endocrine progenitors during ontogeny. Development, 121(1), 11-8, 1995.
• Stoffel, M, Stein, R, Wright, C V, Espinosa, R, Le Beau, M M, Bell, G I Localization of human homeodomain transcription factor insulin promoter factor 1 (IPF1) to chromosome band 13q12.1. Genomics, 28(1), 125-6, 1995.
• Toyama, R, O''Connell, M L, Wright, C V, Kuehn, M R, Dawid, I B Nodal induces ectopic goosecoid and lim1 expression and axis duplication in zebrafish. Development, 121(2), 383-91, 1995.
• Jones, C M, Kuehn, M R, Hogan, B L, Smith, J C, Wright, C V Nodal-related signals induce axial mesoderm and dorsalize mesoderm during gastrulation. Development, 121(11), 3651-62, 1995.
• Olson, L K, Sharma, A, Peshavaria, M, Wright, C V, Towle, H C, Rodertson, R P, Stein, R Reduction of insulin gene transcription in HIT-T15 beta cells chronically exposed to a supraphysiologic glucose concentration is associated with loss of STF-1 transcription factor expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 92(20), 9127-31, 1995.
• Candia, A F, Wright, C V The expression pattern of Xenopus Mox-2 implies a role in initial mesodermal differentiation. Mech Dev, 52(1), 27-36, 1995.
• Barnes, J D, Crosby, J L, Jones, C M, Wright, C V, Hogan, B L Embryonic expression of Lim-1, the mouse homolog of Xenopus Xlim-1, suggests a role in lateral mesoderm differentiation and neurogenesis. Dev Biol, 161(1), 168-78, 1994.
• Pierceall, W E, Reale, M A, Candia, A F, Wright, C V, Cho, K R, Fearon, E R Expression of a homologue of the deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene in the nervous system of developing Xenopus embryos. Dev Biol, 166(2), 654-65, 1994.
• Lawler, S, Candia, A F, Ebner, R, Shum, L, Lopez, A R, Moses, H L, Wright, C V, Derynck, R The murine type II TGF-beta receptor has a coincident embryonic expression and binding preference for TGF-beta 1. Development, 120(1), 165-75, 1994.
• Peshavaria, M, Gamer, L, Henderson, E, Teitelman, G, Wright, C V, Stein, R XIHbox 8, an endoderm-specific Xenopus homeodomain protein, is closely related to a mammalian insulin gene transcription factor. Mol Endocrinol, 8(6), 806-16, 1994.
• Candia, A F, Kovalik, J P, Wright, C V Amino acid sequence of Mox-2 and comparison to its Xenopus and rat homologs. Nucleic Acids Res, 21(21), 4982, 1993.
• Wall, N A, Blessing, M, Wright, C V, Hogan, B L Biosynthesis and in vivo localization of the decapentaplegic-Vg-related protein, DVR-6 (bone morphogenetic protein-6). J Cell Biol, 120(2), 493-502, 1993.
• Wright, CV Hox genes and the hindbrain. Curr Biol, 3(9), 618-21, 1993.
• Gamer, L W, Wright, C V Murine Cdx-4 bears striking similarities to the Drosophila caudal gene in its homeodomain sequence and early expression pattern. Mech Dev, 43(1), 71-81, 1993.
• Jegalian, B G, Miller, R W, Wright, C V, Blum, M, De Robertis, E M A Hox 3.3-lacZ transgene expressed in developing limbs. Mech Dev, 39(3), 171-80, 1992.
• Jones, C M, Lyons, K M, Lapan, P M, Wright, C V, Hogan, B L DVR-4 (bone morphogenetic protein-4) as a posterior-ventralizing factor in Xenopus mesoderm induction. Development, 115(2), 639-47, 1992.
• Wall, N A, Jones, C M, Hogan, B L, Wright, C V Expression and modification of Hox 2.1 protein in mouse embryos. Mech Dev, 37(3), 111-20, 1992.
• Candia, A F, Hu, J, Crosby, J, Lalley, P A, Noden, D, Nadeau, J H, Wright, C V Mox-1 and Mox-2 define a novel homeobox gene subfamily and are differentially expressed during early mesodermal patterning in mouse embryos. Development, 116(4), 1123-36, 1992.
• Hogan B, Wright C The making of the ear. Nature, 355(Feb 06), 494-495, 1992.
• Wright C, Hogan B "Another hit for gene targeting." Nature, 350(11 April), 458-459, 1991.
• Blumberg, B, Wright, C V, De Robertis, E M, Cho, K W Organizer-specific homeobox genes in Xenopus laevis embryos. Science, 253(5016), 194-6, 1991.
• Cho, K W, Morita, E A, Wright, C V, De Robertis, E M Overexpression of a homeodomain protein confers axis-forming activity to uncommitted Xenopus embryonic cells. Cell, 65(1), 55-64, 1991.
• Wright, PF, Kim-Farley, RJ, de Quadros, CA, Robertson, SE, Scott, RM, Ward, NA, Henderson, RH Strategies for the global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000. N Engl J Med, 325(25), 1774-9, 1991.
• Wright, C V Vertebrate homeobox genes. Curr Opin Cell Biol, 3(6), 976-82, 1991.
• Molven, A, Wright, C V, Bremiller, R, De Robertis, E M, Kimmel, C B Expression of a homeobox gene product in normal and mutant zebrafish embryos: evolution of the tetrapod body plan. Development, 109(2), 279-88, 1990.
• De Robertis, E M, Oliver, G, Wright, C V Homeobox genes and the vertebrate body plan. Sci Am, 263(1), 46-52, 1990.
• Cridland, N A, Wright, C V, McKenzie, E A, Knowland, J Selective photochemical treatment of oestrogen receptor in a Xenopus liver extract destroys hormone binding and transcriptional activation but not DNA binding. EMBO J, 9(6), 1859-66, 1990.
• Wright, C V, Morita, E A, Wilkin, D J, De Robertis, E M The Xenopus XIHbox 6 homeo protein, a marker of posterior neural induction, is expressed in proliferating neurons. Development, 109(1), 225-34, 1990.
• De Robertis, E M, Oliver, G, Wright, C V Determination of axial polarity in the vertebrate embryo: homeodomain proteins and homeogenetic induction. Cell, 57(2), 189-91, 1989.
• Fritz, A F, Cho, K W, Wright, C V, Jegalian, B G, De Robertis, E M Duplicated homeobox genes in Xenopus. Dev Biol, 131(2), 584-8, 1989.
• Wright, C V, Cho, K W, Hardwicke, J, Collins, R H, De Robertis, E M Interference with function of a homeobox gene in Xenopus embryos produces malformations of the anterior spinal cord. Cell, 59(1), 81-93, 1989.
• Wright, C V, Cho, K W, Oliver, G, De Robertis, E M Vertebrate homeodomain proteins: families of region-specific transcription factors. Trends Biochem Sci, 14(2), 52-6, 1989.
• Wright, C V, Schnegelsberg, P, De Robertis, E M XlHbox 8: a novel Xenopus homeo protein restricted to a narrow band of endoderm. Development, 105(4), 787-94, 1989.
• Oliver, G, Wright, C V, Hardwicke, J, De Robertis, E M A gradient of homeodomain protein in developing forelimbs of Xenopus and mouse embryos. Cell, 55(6), 1017-24, 1988.
• Oliver G, Wright CVE, Cho KWY, De Robertis E "Characterization and distributional analysis of a homeobox-containing gene in Xenopus and mouse embryos." NATO ASI Series, (Cell to Cell Signals in Development), 1988.
• Oliver, G, Wright, C V, Hardwicke, J, De Robertis, E M Differential antero-posterior expression of two proteins encoded by a homeobox gene in Xenopus and mouse embryos. EMBO J, 7(10), 3199-209, 1988.
• Cho, K W, Goetz, J, Wright, C V, Fritz, A, Hardwicke, J, De Robertis, E M Differential utilization of the same reading frame in a Xenopus homeobox gene encodes two related proteins sharing the same DNA-binding specificity. EMBO J, 7(7), 2139-49, 1988.
• De Robertis EM, Buerglin TR, Fritz A, Wright CVE, Jegalian B, Schnegelsberg P, Bittner D, Morita E, Oliver G, Cho KWY "Families of vertebrate homeodomain proteins." UCLA Symposia "DNA-Protein Interactions in Transcription" Ed. J. Gralla, 95107-116, 1988.
• De Robertis, E M, Burglin, T R, Fritz, A, Oliver, G, Cho, K, Wright, C V Sequence conservations in vertebrate homeo-box mRNAs. Arch Biol Med Exp (Santiago), 21(3-4), 443-7, 1988.
• Fritz, A F, Martin, G, Wright, C V, De Robertis, E M Site-specific inversions in repeated Xenopus laevis homeobox gene 2 sequences. Nucleic Acids Res, 16(18), 9058, 1988.
• Wright, C V, Cho, K W, Fritz, A, Bürglin, T R, De Robertis, E M A Xenopus laevis gene encodes both homeobox-containing and homeobox-less transcripts. EMBO J, 6(13), 4083-94, 1987.
• Bürglin, T R, Wright, C V, De Robertis, E M Translational control in homoeobox mRNAs. Nature, 330(6150), 701-2, 1987.
• De Robertis EM, Fritz A, Goetz J, Matin G, Mattaj IW, Salo E, Smith GD, Wright C, Zeller R "The Xenopus homeo boxes." Cold Spring Harbor Symposia Quantitative Biology, (L), 271-275, 1985.
• Knowland, J, Theulaz, I, Wright, C V, Wahli, W Injection of partially purified estrogen receptor protein from Xenopus liver nuclei into oocytes activates the silent vitellogenin locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 81(18), 5777-81, 1984.
• Wright, C V, Wright, S C, Knowland, J Partial purification of estradiol receptor from Xenopus laevis liver and levels of receptor in relation to estradiol concentration. EMBO J, 2(6), 973-7, 1983.