Bruce H. Reed

Bachelor of Science (BSc) Guelph, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Cambridge UK

Email: reed@uwaterloo.ca

Telephone: (519) 888-4567 ext. 38085

Office: B1 293A

Lab: Biology 1 287, ext. 38413

On Sabbatical:  September 1, 2012 - August 31, 2013

Drosophila background and training

PhD: Michael Ashburner (Cambridge, UK)
PDF (Life Sciences): Terry Orr-Weaver (Whitehead Institute and M.I.T.)
Research Associate: Howard Lipshitz (University of Toronto and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto)

Research interests

Our lab uses green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based methods of live imaging in the model genetic organism Drosophila (the fruit fly) to study how cells are genetically programmed to die when they lose contact with their surroundings. The failure of this type of cell death – known as anoikis &nsah; contributes to cancer metastasis and tumour invasiveness in humans.

As a model system for anoikis we are studying the dynamics and interactions of the amnioserosa and the yolk membrane during embryonic development. One of the players in the interaction of these extraembryonic tissues during Drosophila development is basigin (Reed et al., 2004: Current Biology 14 , 372-380), also known as EMMPRIN, which is a transmembrane integrin-associated glycoprotein. Mammalian homologues of basigin have established roles in tumour invasiveness but also function as a part of normal embryo implantation.

Live Imaging sequence showing degeneration of the AS perimeter cells labelled by vital enhancer trap line YET1.

Recent publications

• Cormier, O., Mohseni, N., Voytyuk, I & Reed, B.H.  Autophagy can promote but is not required for epithelial cell extrusion in the amnioserosa of the Drosophila embryo.  Autophagy (8):2, 1-13; February 2012
• Reed, B.H., McMillan, S.C. & Chaudhary, R. (2009) The preparation of Drosophila embryos for live-imaging using drop protocol. J. Vis. Exp. (25). pii: 1206. doi. 10.3791/1206. (E-publication: http://www.jov.com/index/Details.stp?ID=1206)
• Wilk, R., Pickup, A.T., Hamilton, J., Reed, B.H. and Lipshitz, H.D. (2004) Dose-Sensitive Autosomal Modifiers Identify Candidate Genes for Tissue Autonomous and Tissue Nonautonomous Regulation by the Drosophila Nuclear Zinc-Finger Protein, Hindsight. Genetics 168(1): 281-300.
• Reed, B.H. , Wilk, R., Schock, F. and Lipshitz, H.D. (2004) Integrin-dependent apposition of Drosophila extra-embryonic membranes promotes morphogenesis and prevents anoikis. Curr. Biol. 14: 372-380. (Commentary in Faculty of 1000)
• Tadros, W., Houston , S.A. , Bashirullah, A., Cooperstock, R.L., Semotok, J.L., Reed, B.H. and Lipshitz, H.D. (2003) Regulation of maternal transcript destabilization during egg activation in Drosophila. Genetics 164(3): 989-1001.
• Kashevsky, H., Wallace, J.A., Reed, B.H. , Lai, C., Hayashi-Hagihara, A., Orr-Weaver, T.L. (2002) The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome is required during development for modified cell cycles. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99(17):11217-11222.
• Reed, B.H., Wilk, R., Lipshitz, H.D. (2001) Downregulation of Jun kinase signaling in the amnioserosa is essential for dorsal closure of the Drosophila embryo. Curr. Biol. 11(14):1098-1108.
  • Commentary in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2: 641 (2001).
  • Commentary in Current Biology 11(17), R705-7 (2001).
• Wilk, R., Reed, B.H., Tepass, U., Lipshitz, H.D. (2000) The hindsight gene is required for epithelial maintenance and differentiation of the tracheal system of Drosophila . Developmental Biology 219: 183-196.