Amy Bejsovec | Scholars@Duke

Amy Bejsovec
Associate Professor of Biology

My laboratory explores the molecular mechanisms of pattern formation in developing embryos. We focus on the Wingless(Wg)/Wnt class of secreted growth factor: these molecules promote cell-cell communication leading to important cell fate decisions during the development of both vertebrate and invertebrate embryos. In addition, this highly conserved pathway is essential for maintaining stem cell populations and is associated with human cancers when inappropriately activated in adult tissues. Wg/Wnt molecules have proven difficult to work with biochemically because they associate tightly with cell membranes. Therefore, we exploit the powerful genetic and molecular techniques available in Drosophila to approach basic questions about Wg/Wnt signal transduction. Current work in the lab includes analysis of genes discovered as suppressors or enhancers of wg mutant phenotypes, which may identify new control mechanisms for the pathway. In earlier work, we found that the Wg-activated transcription factor, dTCF, can act as either a repressor or an activator of Wg target genes, and our screens have uncovered other factors that may influence this genetic switch. We have also characterized a Drosophila homolog of the human tumor suppressor, APC, which negatively regulates the Wg/Wnt signaling pathway, and we are currently studying other genes that show similar properties. We use cultured human cells to determine whether gene activities we have discovered and characterized in the fly embryo are relevant to the mammalian Wnt pathway as well.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Biology, Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2000

Contact Information

Box 90338, Dept. Of Biology, Durham, NC 27708-0338
Rm. 4312 French Family Science Center, Dept. Of Biology, Durham, NC 27708
bejsovec@duke.edu (919) 613-8162
Bejsovec Lab

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin at Madison 1988
- M.S., University of Wisconsin at Madison 1985
- B.S., Cornell University 1982
Duke Appointment History
- Member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers 2000 - 2015
Recognition
In the News
- SEP 8, 2014
  
  Tie-Dye Fly
Expertise
Subject Headings
Research
Selected Grants
- Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology awarded by National Institutes of Health 2001 - 2022
- Genetics Training Grant awarded by National Institutes of Health 1979 - 2020
- Organization and Function of Cellular Structure awarded by National Institutes of Health 1975 - 2020
- Regulation of Wingless/Wnt signaling in Drosophila awarded by National Science Foundation 2016 - 2020
- Developmental regulation by nuclear pore complex proteins awarded by National Institutes of Health 2015 - 2018
- Genetic modulation of Wingless/Wnt signaling awarded by National Institutes of Health 2009 - 2014
- Mechanisms of Intercellular Communication in Drosophila awarded by National Science Foundation 2006 - 2011
- Genetic Control of Cell Fate Diversity in Drosophila awarded by National Institutes of Health 1999 - 2005
- Career: Mechanisms of Intercellular Communication in Drosophila awarded by National Science Foundation 2000 - 2005
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Bejsovec, A. "Wingless Signaling: A Genetic Journey from Morphogenesis to Metastasis." Genetics 208, no. 4 (April 2018): 1311-1336. (Review) Full Text
  - Rizzo, NP, and Bejsovec, A. "SoxNeuro and Shavenbaby act cooperatively to shape denticles in the embryonic epidermis of Drosophila." Development (Cambridge, England) 144, no. 12 (June 2017): 2248-2258. Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Greer, ER, Chao, AT, and Bejsovec, A. "Pebble/ECT2 RhoGEF negatively regulates the Wingless/Wnt signaling pathway." Development 140, no. 24 (December 2013): 4937-4946. Full Text Link to Item
  - Bejsovec, A. "Wingless/Wnt signaling in Drosophila: the pattern and the pathway." Mol Reprod Dev 80, no. 11 (November 2013): 882-894. (Review) Full Text Link to Item
  - Bejsovec, A, and Chao, AT. "crinkled reveals a new role for Wingless signaling in Drosophila denticle formation." Development (Cambridge, England) 139, no. 4 (February 2012): 690-698. Full Text
  - Jones, WM, Chao, AT, Zavortink, M, Saint, R, and Bejsovec, A. "Cytokinesis proteins Tum and Pav have a nuclear role in Wnt regulation." J Cell Sci 123, no. Pt 13 (July 1, 2010): 2179-2189. Full Text Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Gregory, SL, Ebrahimi, S, Milverton, J, Jones, WM, Bejsovec, A, and Saint, R. "Cell division requires a direct link between microtubule-bound RacGAP and Anillin in the contractile ring." Current Biology : Cb 18, no. 1 (January 2008): 25-29. Full Text
  - Chao, AT, Jones, WM, and Bejsovec, A. "The HMG-box transcription factor SoxNeuro acts with Tcf to control Wg/Wnt signaling activity." Development (Cambridge, England) 134, no. 5 (March 2007): 989-997. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A. "Flying at the head of the pack: Wnt biology in Drosophila." Oncogene 25, no. 57 (December 4, 2006): 7442-7449. (Review) Full Text Link to Item
  - McCartney, BM, Price, MH, Webb, RL, Hayden, MA, Holot, LM, Zhou, M, Bejsovec, A, and Peifer, M. "Testing hypotheses for the functions of APC family proteins using null and truncation alleles in Drosophila." Development (Cambridge, England) 133, no. 12 (June 2006): 2407-2418. Full Text
  - Zavortink, M, Contreras, N, Addy, T, Bejsovec, A, and Saint, R. "Tum/RacGAP50C provides a critical link between anaphase microtubules and the assembly of the contractile ring in Drosophila melanogaster." Journal of Cell Science 118, no. Pt 22 (November 2005): 5381-5392. Full Text
  - Jones, WM, and Bejsovec, A. "RacGap50C negatively regulates wingless pathway activity during Drosophila embryonic development." Genetics 169, no. 4 (April 2005): 2075-2086. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A. "Wnt pathway activation: new relations and locations." Cell 120, no. 1 (January 2005): 11-14. (Review) Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A, Lecuit, T, and Modolell, J. "The fly Olympics: faster, higher and stronger answers to developmental questions. Conference on the Molecular and Developmental Biology of Drosophila." EMBO Rep 5, no. 11 (November 2004): 1037-1040. Full Text Link to Item
  - Chao, AT, Dierick, HA, Addy, TM, and Bejsovec, A. "Mutations in eukaryotic release factors 1 and 3 act as general nonsense suppressors in Drosophila." Genetics 165, no. 2 (October 2003): 601-612. Link to Item
  - Jones, WM, and Bejsovec, A. "Wingless signaling: an axin to grind." Curr Biol 13, no. 12 (June 17, 2003): R479-R481. (Review) Link to Item
  - Ostrowski, S, Dierick, HA, and Bejsovec, A. "Genetic control of cuticle formation during embryonic development of Drosophila melanogaster." Genetics 161, no. 1 (May 2002): 171-182.
  - McCartney, BM, McEwen, DG, Grevengoed, E, Maddox, P, Bejsovec, A, and Peifer, M. "Drosophila APC2 and Armadillo participate in tethering mitotic spindles to cortical actin." Nature Cell Biology 3, no. 10 (October 2001): 933-938. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A. "Wnt signaling: an embarrassment of receptors." Curr Biol 10, no. 24 (December 14, 2000): R919-R922. (Review) Link to Item
  - Moline, MM, Dierick, HA, Southern, C, and Bejsovec, A. "Non-equivalent roles of Drosophila Frizzled and Dfrizzled2 in embryonic wingless signal transduction." Current Biology : Cb 10, no. 18 (September 2000): 1127-1130. Full Text
  - Fujioka, M, Jaynes, JB, Bejsovec, A, and Weir, M. "Production of transgenic Drosophila." Methods Mol Biol 136 (2000): 353-363. (Review) Full Text Link to Item
  - Moline, MM, Southern, C, and Bejsovec, A. "Directionality of wingless protein transport influences epidermal patterning in the Drosophila embryo." Development 126, no. 19 (October 1999): 4375-4384. Link to Item
  - Bejsovec, A. "Wnt signalling shows its versatility." Curr Biol 9, no. 18 (September 23, 1999): R684-R687. (Review) Link to Item
  - McCartney, BM, Dierick, HA, Kirkpatrick, C, Moline, MM, Baas, A, Peifer, M, and Bejsovec, A. "Drosophila APC2 is a cytoskeletally-associated protein that regulates wingless signaling in the embryonic epidermis." The Journal of Cell Biology 146, no. 6 (September 1999): 1303-1318. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A. "Signal transduction: Wnt signalling shows its versatility." Current Biology 9, no. 18 (1999): R684-R687. Full Text
  - Dierick, H, and Bejsovec, A. "Cellular mechanisms of wingless/Wnt signal transduction." Current Topics in Developmental Biology 43 (January 1999): 153-190. (Review)
  - Dierick, HA, and Bejsovec, A. "Functional analysis of Wingless reveals a link between intercellular ligand transport and dorsal-cell-specific signaling." Development (Cambridge, England) 125, no. 23 (December 1998): 4729-4738.
  - Cavallo, RA, Cox, RT, Moline, MM, Roose, J, Polevoy, GA, Clevers, H, Peifer, M, and Bejsovec, A. "Drosophila Tcf and Groucho interact to repress Wingless signalling activity." Nature 395, no. 6702 (October 1998): 604-608. Full Text
  - Hays, R, Gibori, GB, and Bejsovec, A. "Wingless signaling generates pattern through two distinct mechanisms." Development 124, no. 19 (October 1997): 3727-3736. Link to Item
  - Pai, LM, Orsulic, S, Bejsovec, A, and Peifer, M. "Negative regulation of Armadillo, a Wingless effector in Drosophila." Development (Cambridge, England) 124, no. 11 (June 1997): 2255-2266.
  - van de Wetering, M, Cavallo, R, Dooijes, D, van Beest, M, van Es, J, Loureiro, J, Ypma, A, Hursh, D, Jones, T, Bejsovec, A, Peifer, M, Mortin, M, and Clevers, H. "Armadillo coactivates transcription driven by the product of the Drosophila segment polarity gene dTCF." Cell 88, no. 6 (March 1997): 789-799. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A, and Wieschaus, E. "Signaling activities of the Drosophila wingless gene are separately mutable and appear to be transduced at the cell surface." Genetics 139, no. 1 (January 1995): 309-320. Link to Item
  - Bejsovec, A, and Wieschaus, E. "Segment polarity gene interactions modulate epidermal patterning in Drosophila embryos." Development 119, no. 2 (October 1993): 501-517. Link to Item
  - Peifer, M, and Bejsovec, A. "Knowing your neighbors: Cell interactions determine intrasegmental patterning in Drosophila." Trends in Genetics 8, no. 7 (January 1, 1992): 243-249. (Review) Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A, and Martinez Arias, A. "Roles of wingless in patterning the larval epidermis of Drosophila." Development 113, no. 2 (October 1991): 471-485. Link to Item
  - González, F, Swales, L, Bejsovec, A, Skaer, H, and Martinez Arias, A. "Secretion and movement of wingless protein in the epidermis of the Drosophila embryo." Mech Dev 35, no. 1 (August 1991): 43-54. Link to Item
  - Bejsovec, A, and Anderson, P. "Functions of the myosin ATP and actin binding sites are required for C. elegans thick filament assembly." Cell 60, no. 1 (January 1990): 133-140. Full Text
  - Bejsovec, A, and Anderson, P. "Myosin heavy-chain mutations that disrupt Caenorhabditis elegans thick filament assembly." Genes & Development 2, no. 10 (October 1988): 1307-1317. Full Text
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Presentations & Appearances
Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
- President. National Drosophila Board. 2013 2013
- President-elect. National Drosophila Board. 2012 2012
- Member. Flybase Scientific Advisory Board. 2010 - 2015 2010 - 2015
- Co-chair. Wnt Meeting. 2009 - 2009 2009
Service to the Profession
- Chair. Elections Committee. National Drosophila Board. 2015 2015

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Subject Headings

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Recent Courses

Presentations & Appearances

Outreach & Engaged Scholarship

Service to the Profession