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Paschalis Kratsios

TitleAssociate Professor
InstitutionUniversity of Chicago
DepartmentNeurobiology
AddressChicago IL 60637
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    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    My lab uses the specific strengths of two model systems (C.elegans and mice) to reveal the gene regulatory mechanisms that control motor neuron development and function. To reveal such mechanisms we employ novel methodology, such as whole genome sequencing, CRISPR genome editing, ATAC-seq and cell type-specific transcriptome profiling. Our laboratory aims to systematically test whether the function of the gene regulatory factors we discover in C.elegans is conserved across phylogeny using mouse genetics and novel genomic approaches.

    A detailed understanding of how the motor neurons develop and function may provide novel entry points into the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of motor neuron disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). From the basic science perspective, our research will reveal novel transcription factors, their targets and the cis-regulatory elements (motifs) through which these factors act. Such decoding of cis-regulatory information is a vital step toward understanding genome function.
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)Ph.D.05/2009Developmental Biology
    Columbia UniversityPostdoctoral training02/2016Developmental Neurobiology
    Collapse awards and honors
    2013 - 2018K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, National Institute of Health
    2017 - 2019Award for Basic Research in Neurobiology, Whitehall Foundation

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
    R01NS118078     (KRATSIOS, PASCHALIS)Jun 15, 2020 - Mar 31, 2025
    NIH
    Molecular mechanisms of motor neuron terminal identity
    Role: Principal Investigator

    R01NS116365     (KRATSIOS, PASCHALIS)Mar 15, 2020 - Jan 31, 2025
    NIH
    Hox-dependent mechanisms for establishment and maintenance of motor neuron terminal identity
    Role: Principal Investigator

    R21NS108505     (KRATSIOS, PASCHALIS)Mar 15, 2019 - Feb 28, 2021
    NIH
    Identification of the transcriptional targets of three conserved regulatory factors necessary for motor neuron subtype function - Resubmission 01
    Role: Principal Investigator

    R00NS084988     (KRATSIOS, PASCHALIS)Mar 1, 2016 - Feb 28, 2019
    NIH
    Gene regulatory mechanisms that assign and maintain motor neuron terminal differe
    Role: Principal Investigator

    K99NS084988     (KRATSIOS, PASCHALIS)Sep 20, 2013 - Aug 31, 2015
    NIH
    Gene regulatory mechanisms that assign and maintain motor neuron terminal differe
    Role: Principal Investigator

    T32HD055164     (HORNE-BADOVINAC, SALLY)Jun 1, 2007 - Apr 30, 2029
    NIH
    Training Program in Developmental Biology
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Correa E, Mialon M, Cizeron M, Bessereau JL, Pinan-Lucarre B, Kratsios P. UNC-30/PITX coordinates neurotransmitter identity with postsynaptic GABA receptor clustering. Development. 2024 Aug 15; 151(16). PMID: 39190555; PMCID: PMC11385328.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    2. Sharma N, Marques F, Kratsios P. Protocol for auxin-inducible protein degradation in C. elegans using different auxins and TIR1-expressing strains. STAR Protoc. 2024 Sep 20; 5(3):103133. PMID: 38878287; PMCID: PMC11234035.
      Citations:    Fields:    
    3. Catela C, Assimacopoulos S, Chen Y, Tsioras K, Feng W, Kratsios P. The Iroquois (Iro/Irx) homeobox genes are conserved Hox targets involved in motor neuron development. bioRxiv. 2024 May 30. PMID: 38853975; PMCID: PMC11160718.
      Citations:    
    4. Smith JJ, Taylor SR, Blum JA, Feng W, Collings R, Gitler AD, Miller DM, Kratsios P. A molecular atlas of adult C. elegans motor neurons reveals ancient diversity delineated by conserved transcription factor codes. Cell Rep. 2024 Mar 26; 43(3):113857. PMID: 38421866; PMCID: PMC11091551.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    5. Correa E, Mialon M, Cizeron M, Bessereau JL, Pinan-Lucarre B, Kratsios P. UNC-30/PITX coordinates neurotransmitter identity with postsynaptic GABA receptor clustering. bioRxiv. 2024 Feb 14. PMID: 38405977; PMCID: PMC10888783.
      Citations:    
    6. Sharma N, Marques F, Kratsios P. Efficacy of auxin-inducible protein degradation in C. elegans tissues using different auxins and TIR1-expressing strains. bioRxiv. 2024 Jan 19. PMID: 38293206; PMCID: PMC10827146.
      Citations:    
    7. Zou J, Mitra K, Anees P, Oettinger D, Ramirez JR, Veetil AT, Gupta PD, Rao R, Smith JJ, Kratsios P, Krishnan Y. A DNA nanodevice for mapping sodium at single-organelle resolution. Nat Biotechnol. 2024 Jul; 42(7):1075-1083. PMID: 37735265; PMCID: PMC11004682.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    8. Sonobe Y, Lee S, Krishnan G, Gu Y, Kwon DY, Gao FB, Roos RP, Kratsios P. Translation of dipeptide repeat proteins in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD through unique and redundant AUG initiation codons. Elife. 2023 09 07; 12. PMID: 37675986; PMCID: PMC10541178.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    9. Smith JJ, Taylor SR, Blum JA, Gitler AD, Miller DM, Kratsios P. A molecular atlas of adult C. elegans motor neurons reveals ancient diversity delineated by conserved transcription factor codes. bioRxiv. 2023 Aug 06. PMID: 37577463; PMCID: PMC10418256.
      Citations:    
    10. Destain H, Prahlad M, Kratsios P. Maintenance of neuronal identity in C. elegans and beyond: Lessons from transcription and chromatin factors. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2024 02 15; 154(Pt A):35-47. PMID: 37438210; PMCID: PMC10592372.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    11. Li Y, Smith JJ, Marques F, Osuma A, Huang HC, Kratsios P. Cell context-dependent CFI-1/ARID3 functions control neuronal terminal differentiation. Cell Rep. 2023 03 28; 42(3):112220. PMID: 36897776; PMCID: PMC10124151.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    12. Smith JJ, Kratsios P. Hox gene functions in the C. elegans nervous system: From early patterning to maintenance of neuronal identity. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2024 Jan-Feb; 152-153:58-69. PMID: 36496326; PMCID: PMC10244487.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    
    13. Feng W, Destain H, Smith JJ, Kratsios P. Maintenance of neurotransmitter identity by Hox proteins through a homeostatic mechanism. Nat Commun. 2022 10 15; 13(1):6097. PMID: 36243871; PMCID: PMC9569373.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    14. Reilly MB, Tekieli T, Cros C, Aguilar GR, Lao J, Toker IA, Vidal B, Bhattacharya A, Cook SJ, Smith JJ, Kovacevic I, Gulez B, Fernandez RW, Bradford EF, Ramadan YH, Kratsios P, Bao Z, Hobert O, Leyva-Díaz E. Widespread employment of conserved C. elegans homeobox genes in neuronal identity specification. PLoS Genet. 2022 09; 18(9):e1010372. PMID: 36178933; PMCID: PMC9524666.
      Citations: 6     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    15. Catela C, Chen Y, Weng Y, Wen K, Kratsios P. Control of spinal motor neuron terminal differentiation through sustained Hoxc8 gene activity. Elife. 2022 03 22; 11. PMID: 35315772; PMCID: PMC8940177.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    16. Feng W, Li Y, Kratsios P. Emerging Roles for Hox Proteins in the Last Steps of Neuronal Development in Worms, Flies, and Mice. Front Neurosci. 2021; 15:801791. PMID: 35185450; PMCID: PMC8855150.
      Citations: 4     
    17. Smith JJ, Xiao Y, Parsan N, Medwig-Kinney TN, Martinez MAQ, Moore FEQ, Palmisano NJ, Kohrman AQ, Chandhok Delos Reyes M, Adikes RC, Liu S, Bracht SA, Zhang W, Wen K, Kratsios P, Matus DQ. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling assemblies BAF and PBAF differentially regulate cell cycle exit and cellular invasion in vivo. PLoS Genet. 2022 01; 18(1):e1009981. PMID: 34982771; PMCID: PMC8759636.
      Citations: 9     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    18. Sonobe Y, Aburas J, Krishnan G, Fleming AC, Ghadge G, Islam P, Warren EC, Gu Y, Kankel MW, Kiskinis E, Gendron TF, Gao FB, Roos RP, Kratsios P, Brown AEX. A C. elegans model of C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD uncovers a conserved role for eIF2D in RAN translation. Nat Commun. 2021 10 15; 12(1):6025. PMID: 34654821; PMCID: PMC8519953.
      Citations: 16     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    19. Li Y, Kratsios P. Transgenic reporter analysis of ChIP-Seq-defined enhancers identifies novel target genes for the terminal selector UNC-3/Collier/Ebf. MicroPubl Biol. 2021; 2021. PMID: 34549172; PMCID: PMC8449256.
      Citations: 2     
    20. Chakraborty K, Anees P, Surana S, Martin S, Aburas J, Moutel S, Perez F, Koushika SP, Kratsios P, Krishnan Y. Tissue-specific targeting of DNA nanodevices in a multicellular living organism. Elife. 2021 07 28; 10. PMID: 34318748; PMCID: PMC8360651.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    21. Li Y, Osuma A, Correa E, Okebalama MA, Dao P, Gaylord O, Aburas J, Islam P, Kratsios P, Brown AE. Establishment and maintenance of motor neuron identity via temporal modularity in terminal selector function. Elife. 2020 10 01; 9. PMID: 33001031; PMCID: PMC7529460.
      Citations: 12     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    22. Serrano-Saiz E, Gulez B, Pereira L, Gendrel M, Kerk SY, Vidal B, Feng W, Wang C, Kratsios P, Rand JB, Hobert O. Modular Organization of Cis-regulatory Control Information of Neurotransmitter Pathway Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 2020 07; 215(3):665-681. PMID: 32444379; PMCID: PMC7337081.
      Citations: 10     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    23. Feng W, Li Y, Dao P, Aburas J, Islam P, Elbaz B, Kolarzyk A, Kratsios P, Brown AE. A terminal selector prevents a Hox transcriptional switch to safeguard motor neuron identity throughout life. Elife. 2020 01 03; 9. PMID: 31902393; PMCID: PMC6944445.
      Citations: 17     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    24. Catela C, Kratsios P. Transcriptional mechanisms of motor neuron development in vertebrates and invertebrates. Dev Biol. 2021 07; 475:193-204. PMID: 31479648.
      Citations: 8     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    25. Catela C, Correa E, Wen K, Aburas J, Croci L, Consalez GG, Kratsios P. An ancient role for collier/Olf/Ebf (COE)-type transcription factors in axial motor neuron development. Neural Dev. 2019 01 18; 14(1):2. PMID: 30658714; PMCID: PMC6339399.
      Citations: 12     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    26. Hobert O, Kratsios P. Neuronal identity control by terminal selectors in worms, flies, and chordates. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2019 06; 56:97-105. PMID: 30665084.
      Citations: 77     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    27. Kratsios P, Hobert O. Nervous System Development: Flies and Worms Converging on Neuron Identity Control. Curr Biol. 2018 10 08; 28(19):R1154-R1157. PMID: 30300603.
      Citations: 6     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    28. Kratsios P, Kerk SY, Catela C, Liang J, Vidal B, Bayer EA, Feng W, De La Cruz ED, Croci L, Consalez GG, Mizumoto K, Hobert O. An intersectional gene regulatory strategy defines subclass diversity of C. elegans motor neurons. Elife. 2017 07 05; 6. PMID: 28677525; PMCID: PMC5498135.
      Citations: 28     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    29. Kerk SY, Kratsios P, Hart M, Mourao R, Hobert O. Diversification of C. elegans Motor Neuron Identity via Selective Effector Gene Repression. Neuron. 2017 Jan 04; 93(1):80-98. PMID: 28056346; PMCID: PMC5777325.
      Citations: 42     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    30. Pereira L, Kratsios P, Serrano-Saiz E, Sheftel H, Mayo AE, Hall DH, White JG, LeBoeuf B, Garcia LR, Alon U, Hobert O. A cellular and regulatory map of the cholinergic nervous system of C. elegans. Elife. 2015 Dec 25; 4. PMID: 26705699; PMCID: PMC4769160.
      Citations: 143     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    31. Kratsios P, Kerk SY, Weinreb A, Bessereau JL, Hobert O, Pinan-Lucarré B. Transcriptional coordination of synaptogenesis and neurotransmitter signaling. Curr Biol. 2015 May 18; 25(10):1282-95. PMID: 25913400; PMCID: PMC4465358.
      Citations: 35     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    32. Kratsios P, Stolfi A, Levine M, Hobert O. Coordinated regulation of cholinergic motor neuron traits through a conserved terminal selector gene. Nat Neurosci. 2011 Nov 27; 15(2):205-14. PMID: 22119902; PMCID: PMC3267877.
      Citations: 98     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    33. Tursun B, Patel T, Kratsios P, Hobert O. Direct conversion of C. elegans germ cells into specific neuron types. Science. 2011 Jan 21; 331(6015):304-8. PMID: 21148348; PMCID: PMC3250927.
      Citations: 121     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    34. Catela C, Kratsios P, Hede M, Lang F, Rosenthal N. Serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) is necessary for vascular remodeling during angiogenesis. Dev Dyn. 2010 Aug; 239(8):2149-60. PMID: 20568246.
      Citations: 18     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    35. Kratsios P, Catela C, Salimova E, Huth M, Berno V, Rosenthal N, Mourkioti F. Distinct roles for cell-autonomous Notch signaling in cardiomyocytes of the embryonic and adult heart. Circ Res. 2010 Feb 19; 106(3):559-72. PMID: 20007915.
      Citations: 58     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    36. Kratsios P, Huth M, Temmerman L, Salimova E, Al Banchaabouchi M, Sgoifo A, Manghi M, Suzuki K, Rosenthal N, Mourkioti F. Antioxidant amelioration of dilated cardiomyopathy caused by conditional deletion of NEMO/IKKgamma in cardiomyocytes. Circ Res. 2010 Jan 08; 106(1):133-44. PMID: 19850942.
      Citations: 36     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    37. Catela C, Bilbao-Cortes D, Slonimsky E, Kratsios P, Rosenthal N, Te Welscher P. Multiple congenital malformations of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome are recapitulated in Fgfrl1 null mice. Dis Model Mech. 2009 May-Jun; 2(5-6):283-94. PMID: 19383940; PMCID: PMC2675798.
      Citations: 39     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    38. Mourkioti F, Kratsios P, Luedde T, Song YH, Delafontaine P, Adami R, Parente V, Bottinelli R, Pasparakis M, Rosenthal N. Targeted ablation of IKK2 improves skeletal muscle strength, maintains mass, and promotes regeneration. J Clin Invest. 2006 Nov; 116(11):2945-54. PMID: 17080195; PMCID: PMC1626136.
      Citations: 154     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    39. Platsoucas CD, Lu S, Nwaneshiudu I, Solomides C, Agelan A, Ntaoula N, Purev E, Li LP, Kratsios P, Mylonas E, Jung WJ, Evans K, Roberts S, Lu Y, Layvi R, Lin WL, Zhang X, Gaughan J, Monos DS, Oleszak EL, White JV. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a specific antigen-driven T cell disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Nov; 1085:224-35. PMID: 17182939.
      Citations: 18     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
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