Michel Bagnat

Michel Bagnat, Ph.D. (EMBL, Heidelberg)

Professor of Cell Biology, Nanaline Duke Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine
HHMI Faculty Scholar

Email: michel.bagnat@duke.edu

333B Nanaline Duke Bldg., Box 3709
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC 27710

Telephone 919-681-9268
Fax 919-684-5481

Lab Site

Cellular and Physiologic Mechanisms Controlling Morphogenesis

Our laboratory is interested in studying how basic cellular processes define the shape and size of complex multicellular structures such as organs. Fluid movement into enclosed luminal or intracellular spaces creates hydrostatic pressure that can serve as a driving force for organogenesis and long range morphogenetic events such as axis elongation.

Our major goal to understand the role hydrostatic pressure plays as a developmental force. Using zebrafish we investigate:

1-The regulation of fluid secretion and the role of fluid pressure in organogenesis. Specifically, the mechanisms controlling the biogenesis and function of fluid-filled vacuoles in the notochord during embryogenesis and spine morphogenesis.

2-The role of the notochord in patterning the segmented vertebral column.

3-Cellular mechanisms controlling epithelial polarization and lumen formation in the gut tube.

Recent Publications:

Levic DS, Ryan S, Marjoram L, Honeycutt J, Bagwell J, Bagnat M* (2020) Distinct roles for luminal acidification in apical protein sorting and trafficking in zebrafish. JCB (Link).

Bagwell J, Norman J, Ellis K, Peskin B, Hwang J, Ge X, Nguyen S, McMenamin SK, Stainier DYR, Bagnat M* (2020) Notochord vacuoles absorb compressive bone growth during zebrafish spine formation. eLife (Link).

Park J, Levic D, Sumigray K, Bagwell J, Eroglu O, Block C, Eroglu C, Barry R, Lickwar C, Rawls J, Watts S, Lechler T, Bagnat M (2019) Lysosome-Rich Enterocytes Mediate Protein Absorption in the Vertebrate Gut. Developmental Cell 51, 1-14.

Wopat S, Bagwell J, Sumigray KD, Dickson AL, Huitema LFA, Poss KD, Schulte-Merker S, Bagnat M* (2018) Spine patterning is guided by segmentation of the notochord sheath. Cell Reports 22(8): 2026-2038.

Garcia, Jamie, Bagwell, Jennifer, Njaine, Brian, Norman, James, Levic, Daniel S., Wopat, Susan, Miller, Sara E., Liu, Xiaojing, Locasale, Jason W., Stainier, Didier Y.R., Bagnat, Michel. (2017). Sheath Cell Invasion and Trans-differentiation Repair Mechanical Damage Caused by Loss of Caveolae in the Zebrafish Notochord. Current Biology. 0960-9822.

Cao J, Navis A, Cox BD, Dickson AL, Gemberling M, Karra R, Bagnat M, Poss KD. (2016). Single epicardial cell transcriptome sequencing identifies Caveolin 1 as an essential factor in zebrafish heart regeneration. Development 143(2): 232-43.

***Marjoram L, Alvers A, Deerhake ME, Bagwell J, Mankiewicz J, Cocchiaro J, Beerman RW, Willer J, Katsanis N, Tobin DM, Rawls JF, Goll M, Bagnat M (2015). Epigenetic control of intestinal barrier function and inflammation in zebrafish. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 112:2770-75.

Marjoram L, Bagnat M. (2015). Infection, Inflammation and Healing in Zebrafish: Intestinal Inflammation. Curr Pathobiol Rep. 1;3(2):147-153.

Rodríguez-Fraticelli AE, Bagwell J, Bosch-Fortea M, Boncompain G, Reglero-Real N, Andrés G, Alonso MA, Millán J, Perez F, Bagnat M and Martín-Belmonte F (2015). Developmental regulation of apical endocytosis controls epithelial patterning in vertebrate tubular organs. Nat. Cell Bio. 17:241-50.

Navis A, Bagnat M. (2015). Developing pressures: fluid forces driving morphogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 32:24-30.

Navis A and Bagnat M (2015). Loss of cftr function leads to pancreatic destruction in juvenile zebrafish. Dev. Bio. 2:237-248.

Alvers AL, Ryan S, Scherz PJ, Huisken J, Bagnat M (2014). Single continuous lumen formation in the zebrafish gut is mediated by smoothened-dependent tissue remodeling.  Development. 141:1110-1119.

Gray RS, Wilm TP, Smith J, Bagnat M, Dale RM, Topczewski J, Johnson SL, Solnica-Krezel, L (2014). Loss of col8a1a function during zebrafish embryogenesis results in congenital vertebral malformations.  Dev. Biol. 386:72-85.

Ryan S, Willer J, Marjoram L, Bagwell J, Mankiewicz J, Leshchiner I, Goessling W, Bagnat M, and Katsanis N (2013). Rapid identification of kidney cyst mutations by whole exome sequencing in zebrafish Development. 140:4445-4451.

Ellis K, Hoffman BD, Bagnat M (2013). The vacuole within: How cellular organization dictates notochord function. Bioarchitecture.  26;3(3).

Ellis K, Bagwell J, Bagnat M (2013). Notochord vacuoles are lysosome-related organelles that function in axis and spine morphogenesis. J. Cell Biol. 200(5):667-679.
**This article is featured in:In Focus: Notochord vacuoles make a rod for the vertebrate back. J Cell Biol. 200(5):553- and: SCIENCENOW: and: Science in the Clouds

Click here for a full list of Publications.