Research

Research Overview

The Wynne Lab studies the process of cell division using genetics and cell biology. Below is a short description of some of our ongoing research projects

Microscope image of a dissected gonad from C. elegans with DNA stained in cyan and modified histone proteins shown in red. The modification shown only occurs in dividing cells due to the activity of a protein kinase called HASP-1 in C. elegans (Haspin in humans).

How do chromosomes end up in the right place during cell division?

This is the central question that our work in the Wynne Lab is trying to address. Occasionally, this process has errors and the resulting daughter cells have the wrong number of chromosomes, which can cause cancers if the error occurs during normal cell division (mitosis) or infertility and birth defects if the error occurs during the production of gametes (meiosis).

Luckily, a large network of regulatory proteins has evolved to monitor the chromosomes during cell divisions and prevent errors. Even better, many of these proteins are found in all animals, so we can work on better understanding them in C. elegans, where they are easy to study because of the many genetic and cell biological tools that we can use in this organism.

Do the watchdogs act the same way in all types of cells?

A more specific question that the Wynne lab hopes to address is whether the regulatory mechanisms that act in one cell type are doing the same thing in other types of cells. We already know that cancer cells, for example, often lose their ability to monitor chromosome segregation. Human egg cells (oocytes) are often made with the wrong numbers of chromosomes. Why is that?

Again, we use C. elegans to try to address these questions because it allows us to observe and control the activity of genes in a variety of cell types. Currently, we are looking at stem cells that divide by mitosis in the germline, as well as germ cells like spermatocytes and oocytes (see schematic). We use a variety of genetic "tricks" to knockdown the function of different genes in the germline to test hypotheses about how they are working together.

Schematic of the types of cells in the C. elegans germline highlighting the different types of cell divisions.
Genetic pathway showing some of the genes involved in monitoring chromosomes during cell division. Genes the Wynne Lab are currently studying are highlighted in yellow.

Recent Publications

* indicates undergraduate co-author


Genetic analysis of C. elegans Haspin-like genes shows that hasp-1 plays multiple roles in the germline. 2022

Macaraeg*, J., Reinhard*, I, Ward*, M., Carmeci*, D., Stanaway*, M., Moore*, A., Hagmann*, E., Brown*, K., Wynne, D. J.

Biology Open Jun. 6; doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.059277


Vibrio vulnificus iron transport mutant has normal pathogenicity in C. elegans 2019

Bowles*, A.K., Wynne, D. J., Kenton, R. J.

microPublication Biology. doi: https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.000124


Older Publications

Link to Google Scholar for D. J. Wynne