Cytoskeleton in Development and Disease

In our lab we investigate how cells reshape their cytoskeleton in order to accommodate different functions throughout different developmental stages.

Graphical Abstract

  • MTs&Oocytes - Microtubule organization in Human oocytes.
    Jan 2022 – Jun 2023; EXPL/MED-OUT/0972/. Funded by the Portuguese research council (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT). In Collaboration with the fertility clinic IVI RMA, Lisboa.

  • Centrosomes&Differentiation - Regulation of microtubule organizing centers during development.
    Oct 2018 – Sept 2022; PTDC/BIA-BID/32225/2017. Funded by FCT.

  • Regulation of a Centriole Maintenance Program.
    Jan 2017 – Dec 2019; Awarded by L’Oréal, FCT and UNESCO.

  • Pimenta-Marques A*#., Perestrelo T*., Rodrigues P., Duarte P., Lince-Faria M., Bettencourt-Dias M., (2022). Ana1/CEP295 is an essential player in the centrosome maintenance program regulated by Polo kinase. (in submission). DOI: 10.1101/2022.04.06.487296.
    * Equal 1st Author Contribution. # Corresponding author.
    Pimenta-Marques A., Bettencourt-Dias M., (2020). Pericentriolar Material. Curr. Biol. 30(12): R687-R689. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.064.
  • Warner S., Pimenta-Marques A., Bettencourt-Dias M., (2017). Maintaining centrosomes and cilia. J. Cell Science. 130(22):3789-3800. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.203505.
  • Pimenta-Marques A.*#, Bento I.*#, Lopes CA., Duarte P., Jana SC., Bettencourt-Dias M., (2016). A mechanism for the elimination of the female gamete centrosome in Drosophila melanogaster. Science. pii: aaf4866. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4866.
    * Equal 1st Author Contribution. # Corresponding author.
  • Cunha-Ferreira I., Bento I., Pimenta-Marques A., Jana SC., Lince-Faria M., Duarte P., Borrego-Pinto J., Gilberto S, Amado T., Brito D, Rodrigues-Martins A., Debski J., Dzhindzhev N., Bettencourt-Dias M., (2013). Regulation of autophosphorilation controls PLK4 Self-destruction and centriole number. Curr. Biol. 23(22):2245-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.037.
  • Guilgur LG., Prudêncio P., Ferreira T., Pimenta-Marques AR., Martinho RG., (2012). Drosophila aPKC is required for mitotic spindle orientation during symmetric division of epithelial cells. Development. 139(3):503-13. DOI: DOI: 10.1242/dev.071027.
  • Van Damme P.*, Hole K.*, Pimenta-Marques A.*, Helsens K., Vandekerckhove J., Martinho R.G., Gevaert K., Arnesen T., (2011). NatF contributes to an evolutionary shift in protein N-terminal acetylation and is important for normal chromosome segregation. PLoS Genetics. 7(7):e1002169. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002169.
    * Equal 1st Author Contribution.
  • Ramos A., Marques A., Rodrigues M., Henriques N., Baumgartner A., Castilho R., Brenig B., Varela JC. (2009). Molecular and functional characterization of a cDNA encoding 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut2-enyl diphosphate reductase from Dunaliella salina. J Plant Physiology. 166(9):968-77. DOI:10.1016/j.jplph.2008.11.008.
  • Pimenta-Marques, A., Tostões, R., Marty, T., Barbosa, V., Lehmann, R., Martinho R.G. (2008). Differential requirements of a mitotic acetyltransferase in somatic and germ line cells. Dev. Biol. 323(2):197-206. DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.08.021.
  • Ramos, A., Coesel, S., Marques, A., Rodrigues, M., Baungartner, A., Noronha, J., Rauter, A., Brenig, B., Varela, J. (2008). Isolation and characterization of a stress-inducible Dunaliella salina Lcy-beta gene encoding a functional lycopene beta-cyclase. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 79(5): 819-28. DOI: 10.1007/s00253-008-1492-4.
  • Broco, M., Marques, A., Oliveira, S., Pousada, C. (2005). Characterisation of the 11 Kb DNA region adjacent to the gene encoding Desulfovibrio gigas flavoredoxin. DNA sequence. 16(3): 207-216. DOI: 10.1080/10425170500088296.
  • 2021 Prize for the 3rd best oral presentation. Portuguese Drosophila Meeting. held virtually. Portugal, Molecular Regulation of Centrosome Stability.
  • 2020 Investigator Contract: FCT Stimulus of Scientific Employment (CEEC-IND; FCT).
  • 2016 Medals of Honor L’Oréal for Women in Science 2016 (L’Oreal Foundation).
  • 2011 Individual Post-Doc fellowship, FCT.
  • 2007 FCT Individual PhD fellowship, FCT.

Principal Investigator

Ana Pimenta Marques
Investigadora Principal

Team

Ana Silva
MSc Student
Jessica Irina Cabrita
MSc Student