SzSA YearBook 2016/17
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SZENT-GYÖRGYI MENTORS<br />
JÁNOS SZABAD<br />
Department of Biology,<br />
University of Szeged<br />
Address: Somogyi u. 4., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary<br />
E: szabad.janos@med.u-szeged.hu<br />
T: +36 62/545-131<br />
RESEARCH AREA<br />
It has been quite well known that genes govern ontogenesis.<br />
Many of these genes do it through maternal effect:<br />
their products - mRNA and/or protein molecules - are present<br />
in the cytoplasm of the egg cells and persist in the<br />
zygotes to determine the initial steps of embryogenesis.<br />
Obviously, in absence of any of the maternal effect gene<br />
function the zygotes die and the females are sterile. Which<br />
are the maternal effect genes? What are their functions?<br />
How do they govern early embryogenesis? To answer these<br />
questions our group made use of the fruit fly (Drosophila<br />
melanogaster), one of the model species in developmental<br />
biology research. We generated mutations that prevent<br />
the commencement of embryogenesis. By making use as<br />
„tools” of the mutations we got to understand the molecular<br />
function of a number of the normal genes. Combining<br />
the techniques of „genetic dissection” with molecular, cell<br />
and developmental biology our laboratory discovered novel<br />
features of nuclear protein import, formation of the nuclear<br />
envelope, functions of the microtubules as well as chromosome<br />
segregation and unwinding at the end of mitosis.<br />
We also developed genetic-based techniques that allow the<br />
detection of environmental agents to induce point mutations,<br />
chromosome breakages and abnormal chromosome<br />
segregation.<br />
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS<br />
Szikora, S., Gáspár, I., Szabad, J. (2013) Poking microtubules<br />
bring about nuclear wriggling to position nuclei. J Cell Sci<br />
126: 254-262.<br />
Szabad, J., Bellen, H.J. and Venken, K.J.T. (2012) An assay to<br />
detect in vivo Y chromosome loss in Drosophila wing disc<br />
cells. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 2: 1095-1102.<br />
Villányi, Z., Gáspár, I., Szikora, S., Puskás, L.G., Szabad, J.<br />
(2011) Importin-β and peroxiredoxin-6005 are involved in<br />
mitochondrial biogenesis. Mech Dev 128: 191-199.<br />
Szabad, J. (2010) Putting together rather than taking apart.<br />
EMBO Reports 11: 904-906.<br />
Szalontai T., Gáspár I., Belecz I., Kerekes I., Erdélyi M., Boros<br />
M., Szabad J. (2009) Horka, a chromosome instability-causing<br />
mutation in Drosophila, is a dominant-negative allele<br />
of lodestar. Genetics 181: 367-377.<br />
TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE IN THE LAB<br />
The technical repertoire of our laboratory includes (or better<br />
to say used to include) Drosophila genetics, molecular<br />
cloning, the generation of transgenic Drosophila lines,<br />
construction of germ-line and ovarian chimeras (through<br />
the transplantation of cells or larval ovaries), fluorescent-illumination<br />
of different cell components, confocal microscopy<br />
and image processing.<br />
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