Structural Brain Disorders

We investigate the biology of genes newly implicated in human cortical development through gene discovery at the Yale Program on Neurogenetics. For each of these novel genes, we generate and characterize relevant model organisms and patient-derived stem cell and cortical organoid models, employing cellular, molecular, biochemical, and omics approaches.

Publications

Microcephaly-associated protein WDR62 shuttles from the Golgi apparatus to the spindle poles in human neural progenitors.Dell'Amico C, Angulo Salavarria MM, Takeo Y, Saotome I, Dell'Anno MT, Galimberti M, Pellegrino E, Cattaneo E, Louvi A, Onorati M. Elife. 2023 Jun 5; 2023 Jun 5. PMID: 37272619.
Disruptions in asymmetric centrosome inheritance and WDR62-Aurora kinase B interactions in primary microcephaly.Sgourdou P, Mishra-Gorur K, Saotome I, Henagariu O, Tuysuz B, Campos C, Ishigame K, Giannikou K, Quon JL, Sestan N, Caglayan AO, Gunel M, Louvi A. Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 8; 2017 Mar 8. PMID: 28272472.
Mutations in KATNB1 cause complex cerebral malformations by disrupting asymmetrically dividing neural progenitors.Mishra-Gorur K, Çağlayan AO, Schaffer AE, Chabu C, Henegariu O, Vonhoff F, Akgümüş GT, Nishimura S, Han W, Tu S, Baran B, Gümüş H, Dilber C, Zaki MS, Hossni HA, Rivière JB, Kayserili H, Spencer EG, Rosti RÖ, Schroth J, Per H, Çağlar C, Çağlar Ç, Dölen D, Baranoski JF, Kumandaş S, Minja FJ, Erson-Omay EZ, Mane SM, Lifton RP, Xu T, Keshishian H, Dobyns WB, Chi NC, Šestan N, Louvi A, Bilgüvar K, Yasuno K, Gleeson JG, Günel M. Neuron. 2014 Dec 17. PMID: 25521378.
Recessive loss of function of the neuronal ubiquitin hydrolase UCHL1 leads to early-onset progressive neurodegeneration.Bilguvar K, Tyagi NK, Ozkara C, Tuysuz B, Bakircioglu M, Choi M, Delil S, Caglayan AO, Baranoski JF, Erturk O, Yalcinkaya C, Karacorlu M, Dincer A, Johnson MH, Mane S, Chandra SS, Louvi A, Boggon TJ, Lifton RP, Horwich AL, Gunel M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 26; 2013 Jan 28. PMID: 23359680.
Recessive LAMC3 mutations cause malformations of occipital cortical development.Barak T, Kwan KY, Louvi A, Demirbilek V, Saygı S, Tüysüz B, Choi M, Boyacı H, Doerschner K, Zhu Y, Kaymakçalan H, Yılmaz S, Bakırcıoğlu M, Cağlayan AO, Oztürk AK, Yasuno K, Brunken WJ, Atalar E, Yalçınkaya C, Dinçer A, Bronen RA, Mane S, Ozçelik T, Lifton RP, Sestan N, Bilgüvar K, Günel M. Nat Genet. 2011 Jun; 2011 May 15. PMID: 21572413.
Whole-exome sequencing identifies recessive WDR62 mutations in severe brain malformations.Bilgüvar K, Oztürk AK, Louvi A, Kwan KY, Choi M, Tatli B, Yalnizoğlu D, Tüysüz B, Cağlayan AO, Gökben S, Kaymakçalan H, Barak T, Bakircioğlu M, Yasuno K, Ho W, Sanders S, Zhu Y, Yilmaz S, Dinçer A, Johnson MH, Bronen RA, Koçer N, Per H, Mane S, Pamir MN, Yalçinkaya C, Kumandaş S, Topçu M, Ozmen M, Sestan N, Lifton RP, State MW, Günel M. Nature. 2010 Sep 9; 2010 Aug 22. PMID: 20729831.