Research in my laboratory focuses on the question how cell proliferation and terminal differentiation is regulated during neurogenesis (and later in adult life).   In the context of these questions we utilize the model system Drosophila melanogaster for the   initial characterization of critical regulatory interactions, that can subsequently   be further studied in mammalian   systems. We are presently working on two main projects: One project analyzes the regulatory functions of several nervous system specific transcription factors in the regulation of critical cell cycle regulatory genes and in the control of neuron and glia differentiation. In a second project we are analyzing the function of two newly identified transmembrane proteins, that belong to a new family of IgC2 receptors, in the regulation of the Notch and EGF signaling pathways.

fredRNAi causes ectopic sensory organ precursors

in wing discs (for details see Chandra et al., 2003)

• Klämbt, C., Vaessin, H. 2005. Neurogenesis in Drosophila: a genetic approach. In: Key experiments in Practical Developmental Biology. Ed. M. Marí-Beffa and J. Knight. Cambridge University Press; pp 282-295.
• Farooqui, T., Vaessin, H., Smith BH. 2004. Octopamine receptors in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) brain and their disruption by RNA-mediated interference. J Insect Physiol 50:701-713.
• Ahmed*, A., Chandra*, S., Magarinos, M., Vaessin, H. 2003. echinoid mutants exhibit neurogenic phenotypes and show synergistic interactions with the Notch signaling pathway. Development 130: 6295-304. (*first two authors contributed equally)
• Farooqui, T., Robinson, K., Vaessin, H., Smith, BH. 2003. Modulation of Early Olfactory Processing by an Octopaminergic Reinforcement Pathway in the Honeybee. J. Neuroscience; in press
• Chandra, S., Ahmed, A., Vaessin, H. 2003. The Drosophila IgC2 domain Protein Friend-of-Echinoid, a Paralogue of Echinoid, Limits the Number of Sensory Organ Precursors in the Wing Disc and Interacts With the Notch Signaling Pathway. Dev. Biol. 256: 302-316.
• Liu, T.-H., Li, L., Vaessin, H. 2002. Transcription of the Drosophila CKI gene dacapo is regulated by a modular array of cis- regulatory sequences. MOD 112:25-36 .
• Li, L., H. Vaessin. 2000. Pan-neural Prospero terminates Cell Proliferation during Drosophila neurogenesis. Genes&Dev. 14: 147-151.
• Wallace, K, Liu, T.-H., Vaessin, H. 2000. The pan-neural bHLH proteins DEADPAN and ASENSE regulate mitotic activity and cdk inhibitor dacapo expression in the Drosophila larval optic lobes. Genesis 26: 77-85