Faculty

William H. Kinsey, PhD
Professor Anatomy & Cell Biology
Director Post Doctoral Training Program in Reproductive Biology

Research Description

Role of Src-family tyrosine protein kinases in signal transduction and growth control during fertilization and pre-implantation development: Tyrosine protein kinase activity is required for several steps in the egg activation process. The objective of this study is to determine which PTK functions at each step of egg activation and zygotic development. Using the zebrafish and mouse fertilization systems, we are using a dominant negative approach to identify the functions of the Src, Fyn, & Yes kinases in the fertilized egg and during preimplantation embryonic development. The approaches used include biochemical and molecular biological techniques. In addition, confocal microscopy is used to detect highly localized changes in kinase activity and calcium signaling events.

Representative Publications

Sharma D, Kinsey WH. Fertilization triggers localized activation of Src-family protein kinases in the zebrafish egg. Devel Biol 2006; 295: 604-614.

Meng L, Luo JP, Li C, Kinsey WH. Role of SH2 domain-mediated PTK signaling in mouse zygotic development. Reproduction 2006; In Press.

Sharma D, Holets L, Zhang W, Kinsey WH. Role of Fyn kinase in signaling associated with epiboly during zebrafish development Devel Biol 2005; 285: 462-476.

Tsai WB, Zhang W, Sharma D, Wu W, Kinsey WH. Role of yes kinase during early zebrafish development. Devel Biol 2004; 277: 129-141.

Talmor-Cohen A, Tomashov-Matar R, Tsai WB, Kinsey WH, Shagli R. Fyn kinase tubulin interactions during meiosis of rat eggs. Reproduction 2004; 128: 387-393.

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