Mark Q. Martindale
PhD University of Texas at Austin, 1985
Researcher, Kewalo Marine Laboratory (PBRC)
Kewalo Marine Laboratory
University of Hawaii
41 Ahui Street
Honolulu HI 96813
mqmartin@hawaii.edu
http://www.kewalo.hawaii.edu/labs/martindale/index.html

Evolutionary developmental biology
We are interested in a broad range of problems associated with the cellular, molecular, and evolutionary basis of biological pattern formation. My lab utilizes a variety of molecular and "classical" techniques of microinjection, cell labeling, ablation, and transplantation, to address fundamental problems in developmental biology in a phylogenetic context.

My lab is currently focused in three major areas. The first area of interest is to understand the relationship between radially symmetrical and bilaterally symmetrical organisms. Current theory predicts that bilaterians are derived from a radially symmetrical stock, yet there is little evidence for how such a transition might have occurred. For example, what is the relationship of the oral-aboral axis of radially symmetrical forms to the anterior-posterior of bilaterians? How did the dorsoventral axis arise? To what degree are the molecular events underlying patterning events conserved in this group of animals? We are investigating these and other aspects of early development in representatives of both anthozoan cnidarian (corals and sea anemones) and ctenophore embryos.

The second area is to understand the evolution of the third, "middle" embryonic germ layer (called mesoderm) and the evolution of the nervous system in phylogenetically important groups (e.g. including cnidarians, ctenophores, acoel flatworms, and chaetognaths) to see if networks of gene expression observed in bilaterian animals are used in similar ways throughout the Metazoa.

The third area of interest is to understand the role of the early cleavage program in the segregation of developmental potential in a wide variety of animals which share a mode of embryogenesis known as spiral cleavage (e.g. molluscs, annelids, nemerteans, sipunculids, echiurans, and flatworms..). Of particular interest is the mechanisms by which dorsoventral polarity is established in members of different spiralian phyla. We are also interested in understanding the significance of naturally evolved variations in the spiral cleavage program such as modifications associated with the abandonment of larval development in order to develop directly to a miniature adult form (direct development).

Representative publications
Finnerty, J.R., Pang, K., Burton, P., Paulson, D., and Martindale, M.Q. 2004. Deep Origins for Bilateral Symmetry: Hox and Dpp Expression in a sea anemone. Science, 304, 1335-1337.

Maslakova, S., Martindale, M.Q., and Norenberg, J.L. 2004. The vestigial prototroch in a basal nemertean Carinoma tremaphoros (Nemertea; Palaeonemertea). Evol. Dev., 6, 219-226.

Martindale, M.Q., Pang, K., and Finnerty, J.R. 2004. Investigating the origins of triploblasty: "Mesodermal" gene expression in a diploblastic animal, the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis (phylum, Cnidaria; Class Anthozoa). Development, 131, 2463-2474.

Henry, J.Q., Okusu, A., and Martindale, M.Q. 2004. The cell lineage of the polyplochphoran, Chaetopleura apiculata: variation in the spiralian program and implications for molluscan evolution. Dev. Bio., 272, 145-160.

Kusserow, A., Pang, K., Sturm, C., Hrouda, M., Lentfer, J., Technau, U., Hobmayer, B., Martindale M.Q., and Holstein, T.W. 2005. Unexpected complexity of Wnt gene family in a sea anemone. Nature, 433, 156-160. (cover image).

Extavour, C. G., Pang, K., Matus, D.Q. and Martindale, M.Q. 2005. vasa and nanos expression Patterns in a Sea Anemone and the Evolution of Bilaterian Germ Cell Specification Mechanisms. Evol. Dev., 7, 201-215.

Maxmen, A., Browne, W.E., Martindale, M.Q., and Gonzalo Giribet, G. 2005. Neuroanatomy of sea spiders: Implications for the evolution of the arthropod head. Nature, 437, 1144-1148.

Magie, C.R., Pang, K., Martindale, M.Q. 2005. Genomic inventory and expression of Sox and Fox genes in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Dev. Genes Evol., 215, 618-630.

Matus, D. Q., Thomsen, G.H., and Martindale, 2006. M.Q. "Dorso-ventral" genes are asymmetrically expressed and involved in germ layer demarcation during cnidarian gastrulation. Current Biology, 16, 499-505.

Lee, P.N., Kumburegama, S., Marlow, H., Martindale, M.Q. and Wikramanayake, A. H. 2007. Evolution of the primary egg axis in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. Dev. Bio. 310, 169-186.

Browne, W.E., Schmid, B.G.M., Wimmer, E.A., and Martindale, M.Q. 2006. Expression of otd orthologs in the amphipod crustacean, Parhyale hawaiensis. Dev. Genes Evol., 216: 581-595

Henry, J.Q., Perry, K., and Martindale, M.Q. 2006. Cell specification and the role of the polar lobe in the gastropod mollusc, Crepidula fornicata. Dev. Biol. 297:295-307

Matus, D. Q., Pang, K., Marlow, H., Dunn, C., Thomsen, G.H., and Martindale, M. Q. 2006. Molecular evidence for deep evolutionary roots of bilaterality in animal development. PNAS. 103, 11195-11200..

Hejnol, A., Martindale, M.Q., and Henry, J.J.Q. 2007. High-resolution fate map of the gastropod snail Crepidula fornicata: the origins of ciliary bands, nervous and muscular elements. Dev. Bio. 305, 63-76.

Lee, P.N., Kumburegama, S., Marlow, H., Martindale, M.Q. and Wikramanayake, A. H. 2007. Evolution of the primary egg axis in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. Dev. Bio. 310, 169-186.

Putnum, N., , Srivastava, M., Hellsten, U., Dirks, B., Chapman, J., Salamov, A., Terry, A., Shapiro, H., Lindquist, E., Kapitonov, V.V., Jurka, J., Genikhovich, G., Grigoriev, I., JGI Sequencing Team, Steele, R., Finnerty, J.R., Technau, U., Martindale, M.Q., and Rokhsar, D. 2007. Sea anemone genome reveals the gene repertoire and genomic organization of the eumetazoan ancestor. 2007, Science, 317, 86-94.

Adamska, M., Matus, D.Q., Adamski, M., Green, K., Martindale, M.Q., and Degnan, B.M. 2007. Evolutionary origin of hedgehog proteins. Current Biology, 17, R836-37.

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