Josien van Wolfswinkel, PhD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyCards
Contact Info
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
260 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
United States
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Biography
Josien van Wolfswinkel received her M.Sc. in Cell Biology from Utrecht University, Netherlands. For her graduate research she worked in the laboratories of Ronald Plasterk, Albert Heck, and Rene Ketting at Utrecht University and the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology to study the molecular mechanism of RNA interference in the nematode C. elegans. She did her postdoctoral research in the lab of Peter Reddien at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research / MIT, working on the RNA biology of stem cells using the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea as a model system. She now continues this work in her own lab in the Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology.
Departments & Organizations
- Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BQBS)
- Center for RNA Science and Medicine
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
- Yale Center for Research on Aging (Y-Age)
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Stem Cell Center
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Whitehead Institute / MIT (2015)
- PhD
- Utrecht University, Hubrecht Institute, Chemistry (2009)
- MSc
- Utrecht University, Molecular Cell Biology (2002)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
ORCID
0000-0003-4221-3218- View Lab Website
Van Wolfswinkel Lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Geoffrey Thomson, PhD
Regeneration
Pluripotent Stem Cells
Germ Cells
Cell Lineage
Genomics
Publications
2024
PIWI-interacting RNAs: who, what, when, where, why, and how
Haase A, Ketting R, Lai E, van Rij R, Siomi M, Svoboda P, van Wolfswinkel J, Wu P. PIWI-interacting RNAs: who, what, when, where, why, and how. The EMBO Journal 2024, 43: 5335-5339. PMID: 39327528, PMCID: PMC11574264, DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00253-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPIWI-interacting RNAsPiRNA biologySelfish genetic elementsAdult mammalian testisGerm cell biologyRegulate gene expressionPIWI proteinsMammalian testisGenetic elementsEvolutionary biologistsAntiviral defenseGene expressionCell biologyBiologyPIWIRNATestisGeneticistsBiologistsProteinGermPlanariaDefenseExpressionBiochemistsA comparative roadmap of PIWI-interacting RNAs across seven species reveals insights into de novo piRNA-precursor formation in mammals
Konstantinidou P, Loubalova Z, Ahrend F, Friman A, Almeida M, Poulet A, Horvat F, Wang Y, Losert W, Lorenzi H, Svoboda P, Miska E, van Wolfswinkel J, Haase A. A comparative roadmap of PIWI-interacting RNAs across seven species reveals insights into de novo piRNA-precursor formation in mammals. Cell Reports 2024, 43: 114777. PMID: 39302833, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114777.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPIWI-interacting RNAsPiwi-interacting RNA clustersPiRNA clustersPiRNA biologySilencing mobile genetic elementsGenomic piRNA clustersSingle-stranded precursorsMobile genetic elementsSafeguarding genome integrityGerm cell biologySpecies-specific variationGenome invadersTranscriptional readthroughTransposon insertionGenetic elementsGenome integrityRetroviral invasionMolecular mechanismsCell biologyRNAMammalsSpeciesBiologyTransposonReadthroughGene-edited Mtsoc1 triple mutant Medicago plants do not flower
Poulet A, Zhao M, Peng Y, Tham F, Jaudal M, Zhang L, van Wolfswinkel J, Putterill J. Gene-edited Mtsoc1 triple mutant Medicago plants do not flower. Frontiers In Plant Science 2024, 15: 1357924. PMID: 38469328, PMCID: PMC10926907, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1357924.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsTriple mutant linesSingle mutantsFlowering timeMutant linesMultiple gene duplication eventsGene duplication eventsSOC1-like genesModel Arabidopsis thalianaMADS transcription factorsWild-type backgroundRegulation of floweringOptimal flowering timeNon-flowering plantsShort-day photoperiodCRISPR-Cas9 gene editingGene expression analysisDuplication eventsArabidopsis thalianaSOC1 genesDelayed floweringFloral promotersCrop productionFlower developmentFlowering pathwayMedicago truncatula
2023
piRNA generation is associated with the pioneer round of translation in stem cells
Parambil S, Li D, Zelko M, Poulet A, van Wolfswinkel J. piRNA generation is associated with the pioneer round of translation in stem cells. Nucleic Acids Research 2023, 52: 2590-2608. PMID: 38142432, PMCID: PMC10954484, DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1212.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSMEDWI-1Pioneer roundStem cellsPlanarian stem cellsStem cell maintenanceStem cell stateNon-coding transcriptsPiRNA pathwayPIWI proteinsTransposon repressionBiogenesis pathwayPiRNA generationGenomic integritySmall RNAsCell maintenanceSuch transcriptsCell statesCytoplasmic poolTranscriptsCell coloniesCell healthPiRNAsDynamic poolTranscriptomeCellsChromatin analysis of adult pluripotent stem cells reveals a unique stemness maintenance strategy
Poulet A, Kratkiewicz A, Li D, van Wolfswinkel J. Chromatin analysis of adult pluripotent stem cells reveals a unique stemness maintenance strategy. Science Advances 2023, 9: eadh4887. PMID: 37801496, PMCID: PMC10558129, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh4887.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAdult pluripotent stem cellsPluripotent stem cellsStem cell genesStem cellsCell genesPluripotency-related gene expressionStem cell-specific genesTissue-specific genesCell-specific genesTissue-specific promotersChromatin stateChromatin organizationRegenerative organismsChromatin analysisConstitutive genesRegulatory logicTranscription factorsGene expressionSequence featuresGenesDefault statePromoterLong-term maintenanceCellsISWIInsights in piRNA targeting rules
van Wolfswinkel J. Insights in piRNA targeting rules. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews - RNA 2023, 15: e1811. PMID: 37632327, PMCID: PMC10895071, DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1811.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPIWI-interacting RNAsTarget transcriptsProtein-RNA interactionsRNA-RNA interactionsPotential target transcriptsPIWI proteinsProtein-RNARNA interactionsSequence complementarityCells of animalsTranscriptionEffective downregulationStructural studiesProteinPIWITransposonGermlineStem cellsRNATargetCleavageDownregulationDefenseThe Histone Chaperone Network Is Highly Conserved in Physarum polycephalum
Poulet A, Rousselot E, Téletchéa S, Noirot C, Jacob Y, van Wolfswinkel J, Thiriet C, Duc C. The Histone Chaperone Network Is Highly Conserved in Physarum polycephalum. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences 2023, 24: 1051. PMID: 36674565, PMCID: PMC9864664, DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021051.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHistone chaperonesEukaryotic treeChaperone networkBranching eukaryotesChaperone interactionsYeast complexCellular lifeDiverse proteinsPlant kingdomChaperone expressionRNA sequencingChaperonesKey residuesFunctional domainsHistonesCell cycleS phaseChromatinPhysarum polycephalumPlantsDistinct patternsEukaryotesOrthologuesCladeConserved
2022
MtING2 encodes an ING domain PHD finger protein which affects Medicago growth, flowering, global patterns of H3K4me3, and gene expression
Jaudal M, Mayo‐Smith M, Poulet A, Whibley A, Peng Y, Zhang L, Thomson G, Trimborn L, Jacob Y, van Wolfswinkel J, Goldstone D, Wen J, Mysore K, Putterill J. MtING2 encodes an ING domain PHD finger protein which affects Medicago growth, flowering, global patterns of H3K4me3, and gene expression. The Plant Journal 2022, 112: 1029-1050. PMID: 36178149, PMCID: PMC9828230, DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15994.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGene-edited mutantsGene expressionWinter-annual ArabidopsisWild-type plantsPlant homeodomain (PHD) fingerStrong mutant phenotypePHD finger proteinChIP-seq analysisRNA sequencing experimentsExpression of activatorsPHD fingerMutant phenotypeFinger proteinMedicago truncatulaImportant physiological roleAbnormal leavesInsertion mutantsMutant studiesEpigenetic mechanismsMost plantsSmall seedsGrowth genesKey regulatorWild typeMutantsNODeJ: an ImageJ plugin for 3D segmentation of nuclear objects
Dubos T, Poulet A, Thomson G, Péry E, Chausse F, Tatout C, Desset S, van Wolfswinkel JC, Jacob Y. NODeJ: an ImageJ plugin for 3D segmentation of nuclear objects. BMC Bioinformatics 2022, 23: 216. PMID: 35668354, PMCID: PMC9169307, DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04743-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsImageJ pluginCommand-line optionsChromatin organizationThree-dimensional imaging technologyArabidopsis thaliana nucleiDNA FISH experimentsNodeJSSource codePublic datasetsProgram segmentsReduced processing timePluginProcessing timeAbiotic stressesHeterochromatin domainsLaplacian convolutionFISH experimentsSubnuclear structuresCellular processesHigh-throughput analysisPlant systemsProcessing methodsDiverse setImaging technologyImages
2021
PIWI-mediated control of tissue-specific transposons is essential for somatic cell differentiation
Li D, Taylor D, van Wolfswinkel J. PIWI-mediated control of tissue-specific transposons is essential for somatic cell differentiation. Cell Reports 2021, 37: 109776. PMID: 34610311, PMCID: PMC8532177, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109776.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPIWI-interacting RNAsPIWI proteinsCell differentiationDefective cell differentiationLineage-specific genesSubset of transposonsAdult pluripotent stem cellsSomatic cell differentiationStem cell systemStem cell biologyPluripotent stem cellsTransposon derepressionAnimal germlineSpecific chromatinRegenerative animalsPlanarian neoblastsCell biologyTransposonStem cellsProteinDifferentiationIntricate interplayCell systemAddition causesTissue dysfunction
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Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
260 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
United States
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Yale Science Building
260 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511