Robert M. Grainger | University of Virginia School of Medicine

Bio & Overview

My laboratory is investigating how the axial properties of vertebrate embryos are first established and then how particular tissues are determined within defined regions of the embryo. Research projects concerning axis formation focus on how the anterior/posterior neural axis is established, and research regarding tissue determination centers on development of the eye. We are studying these developmental processes at two levels: first, trying to understand the tissue interactions that control these events, and then, to establish whether the action of particular regulatory genes is important in these early developmental decisions. An analysis of axis formation was initiated because of our observations indicating that establishment of anterior/posterior axial properties in the nervous system (delineation of the brain from the spinal cord) is completed surprisingly late, some time after the initial stimulus activating formation of neural tissue. Experiments are underway to define the tissue interactions in the embryo that eventually lead to the orderly arrangement of neural tissues along the anterior/posterior axis. Experiments on eye determination have concerned mainly the formation of the lens, which is formed in close association with the retina. The developing retina has long been thought to cause lens formation in overlying ectoderm by transmitting a signal to it. This is one of the classic examples of embryonic induction which has been studied intensively because the relative simplicity of the interaction between retina and lens allows it to be examined more carefully than the interactions leading to determination of many other tissues. Our recent work has helped to define more clearly the important tissue interactions required for lens formation and has led to a significantly revised view of how this process occurs. In addition to characterizing the tissue interactions leading to lens formation, studies are underway to determine the chemical signals involved in these interactions. As a complement to these studies of tissue interactions we have examined gene activities that are likely to be responsible for some of these early axis- forming and tissue- determining events. Until the last few years very few genes had been identified that might be important in regulating establishment of such developmental properties in the embryonic head. We have now identified several genes likely to have such functions; they encode transcription factors that are expressed specifically in the anterior forebrain and eye tissues. Studies are presently underway to examine exactly how these genes may control important events of determination.

Academic Information

Department: Biology

Academic Title: Professor

Primary Education

AB, Biology, Stanford University, 1970
PhD, Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, 1974
Postdoc, Biology, Yale University, 1976

Other Appointments

Professor, Neuroscience
Professor, BMBG
Professor, MCDB

Other Affiliations

Member, Cancer Cell Signaling Program
Professor, BIMS

Research Interests

Molecular embryology--gene regulation in cells committed to specific developmental lineages

Research Disciplines

Bioinformatics and Genomics
Biology
Genetics
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience

Research Opportunities

Bioinformatics & Genomics
Genetics
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience

Selected Publications

2023

Nakayama, T., Gray, J., & Grainger, R. M. (2023). Production of Transgenic F₀ Animals and Permanent Lines by Sperm Nuclear Transplantation in Xenopus tropicalis.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2023(6), pdb.prot107003. doi:10.1101/pdb.prot107003

Grainger, R. M., Lauderdale, J. D., Collins, J. L., Trout, K. L., Krantz, S. M., Wolfe, S. S., & Netland, P. A. (2023). Report on the 2021 Aniridia North America symposium on PAX6, aniridia, and beyond. OCULAR SURFACE, 29, 423-431. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2023.05.010

Nakayama, T., & Grainger, R. M. (2023). Best Practices for Xenopus tropicalis Husbandry.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2023(5), pdb.top106252. doi:10.1101/pdb.top106252

2022

Nakayama, T., Grainger, R. M., & Cha, S. -W. (2022). Homology-Directed Repair by CRISPR-Cas9 Mutagenesis in Xenopus Using Long Single-Stranded Donor DNA Templates via Simple Microinjection of Embryos.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2022(12), 606-615. doi:10.1101/pdb.prot107599

Nakayama, T., Cox, A., Howell, M., & Grainger, R. M. (2022). Gynogenetic Production of Embryos in Xenopus tropicalis Using a Cold Shock Procedure: Rapid Screening Method for Gene Editing Phenotypes.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2022(12), 616-623. doi:10.1101/pdb.prot107648

Nakayama, T., Roubroeks, J. A. Y., Veenstra, G. J. C., & Grainger, R. M. (2022). Preparation of Intact Nuclei for Single-Nucleus Omics Using Frozen Cell Suspensions from Mutant Embryos of Xenopus tropicalis.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2022(12), 641-652. doi:10.1101/pdb.prot107825

Willsey, H. R., Guille, M., & Grainger, R. M. (2022). Modeling Human Genetic Disorders with CRISPR Technologies in Xenopus.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2022(3). doi:10.1101/pdb.prot106997

2020

Louie, S. H., Fisher, M., & Grainger, R. M. (2020). Elucidating the framework for specification and determination of the embryonic retina. EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH, 397(2). doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112316

2019

Fisher, M., & Grainger, R. M. (2019). Special Considerations for Making Explants and Transplants with Xenopus tropicalis.. Cold Spring Harbor protocols, 2019(6). doi:10.1101/pdb.prot097428

2016

Nakayama, T., Nakajima, K., Cox, A., Fisher, M., Howell, M., Fish, M. B., . . . Grainger, R. M. (2017). no privacy, a Xenopus tropicalis mutant, is a model of human Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome and allows visualization of internal organogenesis during tadpole development. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 426(2), 472-486. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.08.020

Plautz, C. Z., Williams, H. C., & Grainger, R. M. (2016). Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System. JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS, (107). doi:10.3791/53518

2015

Nakayama, T., Fisher, M., Nakajima, K., Odeleye, A. O., Zimmerman, K. B., Fish, M. B., . . . Grainger, R. M. (2015). Xenopus pax6 mutants affect eye development and other organ systems, and have phenotypic similarities to human aniridia patients. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 408(2), 328-344. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.02.012

2014

Plautz, C. Z., Zirkle, B. E., Deshotel, M. J., & Grainger, R. M. (2014). Early Stages of Induction of Anterior Head Ectodermal Properties in Xenopus Embryos Are Mediated by Transcriptional Cofactor ldb1. DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, 243(12), 1606-1618. doi:10.1002/dvdy.24193

Fish, M. B., Nakayama, T., Fisher, M., Hirsch, N., Cox, A., Reeder, R., . . . Grainger, R. M. (2014). Xenopus mutant reveals necessity of rax for specifying the eye field which otherwise forms tissue with telencephalic and diencephalic character. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 395(2), 317-330. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.09.004

Nakayama, T., Blitz, I. L., Fish, M. B., Odeleye, A. O., Manohar, S., Cho, K. W. Y., & Grainger, R. M. (2014). Cas9-Based Genome Editing in Xenopus tropicalis. USE OF CRISPR/CAS9, ZFNS, AND TALENS IN GENERATING SITE-SPECIFIC GENOME ALTERATIONS, 546, 355-375. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801185-0.00017-9

2013

Nakayama, T., Fish, M. B., Fisher, M., Oomen-Hajagos, J., Thomsen, G. H., & Grainger, R. M. (2013). Simple and Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis in Xenopus tropicalis. GENESIS, 51(12), 835-843. doi:10.1002/dvg.22720

2012

Jin, H., Fisher, M., & Grainger, R. M. (2012). Defining progressive stages in the commitment process leading to embryonic lens formation. GENESIS, 50(10), 728-740. doi:10.1002/dvg.22038

Pearl, E. J., Grainger, R. M., Guille, M., & Horb, M. E. (2012). Development of xenopus resource centers: The national xenopus resource and the european xenopus resource center. GENESIS, 50(3), 155-163. doi:10.1002/dvg.22013

Grainger, R. M. (2012). Xenopus tropicalis as a model organism for genetics and genomics: past, present, and future.. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 917, 3-15. doi:10.1007/978-1-61779-992-1_1

2011

Wei, S., Xu, G., Bridges, L. C., Williams, P., Nakayama, T., Shah, A., . . . DeSimone, D. W. (2012). Roles of ADAM13-regulated Wnt activity in early Xenopus eye development. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 363(1), 147-154. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.12.031

Fish, M. B., Nakayama, T., & Grainger, R. M. (2012). Simple, fast, tissue-specific bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis in Xenopus. GENESIS, 50(3), 307-315. doi:10.1002/dvg.20819

Harland, R. M., & Grainger, R. M. (2011). Xenopus research: metamorphosed by genetics and genomics. TRENDS IN GENETICS, 27(12), 507-515. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2011.08.003