University of Hawaii
Kewalo Marine Laboratory
41 Ahui Street
Honolulu, HI 96813


Telephone: (808) 539-7330
Fax: (808) 599-4817
E-mail Address: mqmartin@hawaii.edu

Research Interests:

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 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 polyclad 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 origins and 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). The use of intracellular cell lineage labeling and cell ablation techniques in a wide variety of species are consistently used for experiments.

The second area 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? Is there evidence for the origins of major cleavage patterns in bilaterian development (e.g., spiral and radial cleavage) in radially symmetrical forms? 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 and ctenophore embryos.

The third area is to understand the origin of the "middle" germ layer (mesoderm) and the evolution of the nervous system in the Metazoa. We have initiated studies with both cnidarians (the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis) and ctenophores to identify conserved molecular mechanisms. We have had considerable success with this approach and are now utilizing functional techniques to address the molecular patterning of both neural and mesodermal derivatives.

Bibliography of recent publications:

• Giribet, G., Dunn, C.W., Edgecombe, G.D., Hejnol, A., Martindale, M.Q., Rouse,G.W. 200X. Assembling the Spiralian Tree of Life. In: “The Evolution of the Animals”, Oxford University Press. In Press.
• Pang, K. and Martindale, M.Q. 2008. Ctenophores. Quick Guide, Curr. Biol., In Press.
• Pang, K. and Martindale, M.Q. 2008. Ctenophores. In: "Emerging Model Organisms", Cold Spring Harbor Press.
• Hejnol, A. and Martindale, M.Q. 2008. Acoel development indicates the independent evolution of the bilaterian mouth and anus. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature07309.
• Marlow, H.Q., Srivastave, M.,  Matus, D.Q., Rohksar, D., and Martindale, M.Q. 2008. Anatomy and Development of the Nervous system of Nematostella vectensis, an Anthozoan Cnidarian.  Dev. Neurobiol. In Press.
• Hejnol, A. and Martindale, M.Q.  2008. The mouth, the anus and the blastopore: Open questions about questionable openings.  In: "The Evolution of Animals." Oxford University Press.
• Pang, K. and Martindale, M.Q., Developmental expression of homeobox genes in the ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi. Dev. Genes Evol.  218, 307-319.
• Henry, J.Q.,  Perry, K.J., Wever, J.,  Seaver, E., and  Martindale, M.Q. 2008.  B-catenin is required for the establishment of vegetal embryonic fates in the nemertean, Cerebratulus lacteus. Dev. Biol. 317, 368-379. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.02.042.
• Magie, C.R. and Martindale, M.Q. 2008.  Cell-cell adhesion in the Cnidaria: insights into the evolution of tissue morphogenesis.  Biol. Bull.  214, 218-232.
• Dunn, C.W., Hejnol, A., Matus, D.Q., Pang, K., Browne, W.E., Smith, S.A., Seaver, E., Rouse, Obst, M.,  Edgecombe, G.D., Sørensen, M.V., Haddock, S.H.D.,  G.,  Schmidt-Rhaesa, A., Okusu, A., Kristensen, R., Wheeler, W.C.,  Martindale, M.Q., and  Giribet, G.  Broad taxon sampling improves resolution of the Animal Tree of Life in phylogenomic analyses.  Nature,  452, 745-750.
• Hejnol, A. and Martindale, M.Q. 2008. Acoel development supports a simple planula-like Urbilaterian.  Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. B.  363, 1493-1501.
• Matus, D.Q., Pang, K., Martindale, M.Q., and Thomsen, G.H.,  2008.  The Hedgehog gene family of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis and implications for understanding metazoan hedgehog pathway evolution. Dev. Biol., 313, 501-518.
• Browne, W.E., Haddock, S.H.D., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007.  Examination of lineage relationships among Hyperiid amphipods as revealed by analysis of COI gene variation.  Integ. Comp. Biol.  47, 815-830.
• Henry, J.Q.,  Hejnol, A.,  Perry, K.J., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007.   Homology of Ciliary Bands in Spiralian Trochophores and Other Larvae.  Integ. Comp. Biol.  865-871.
• Matus, D.Q., Halanych, K.,  and Martindale, M.Q.  2007.  The Hox Complement of a Pelagic Chaetognath, Flaccisagitta enflata: Insights into Metazoan Phylogeny. Integ. Comp. Biol.  47,854-865.
• 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. 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. Curr. Biol., 17, R836-37.
• Browne, W.E., Haddock, S.H.D., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007. Examination of lineage relationships among Hyperiid amphipods as revealed by analysis of COI gene variation. Integ. Comp. Biol., In Press.
• Adamska, M., Matus, D.Q., Adamski, M., Green, K., Martindale, M.Q., and Degnan, B.M. 2007. Domain shuffling and the evolution of hedgehog signaling in early metazoans. Curr. Biol., 17, R836-37.
• Matus, D.Q., Pang, K., Martindale, M.Q., and Thomsen, G.H. 2007. The Hedgehog gene family of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis and implications for understanding metazoan hedgehog pathway evolution. Dev. Biol., 313, 501-518.
• Matus, D.Q., Halanych, K., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007. The Hox Complement of a Pelagic Chaetognath, Flaccisagitta enflata: Insights into Metazoan Phylogeny. Integ. Comp. Biol., 47, 854-864.
• Putnam, 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 Rokshar, D. 2007. Sea anemone genome reveals the gene repertoire and genomic organization of the eumetazoan ancestor. Science., 317, 86-94.
• Lee, P.N., Kumburegama, S., Marlow, H., Martindale, M.Q, and Wikramanayake, A.H. 2007. Asymmetric developmental potential along the animal-vegetal axis in the anthozoan cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis, is mediated by Dishevelled. Dev. Biol., 310, 169-186.
• Henry, J.Q., Hejnol. A., Perry, J.K., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007. Homology of Ciliary Bands in Spiralian Trochophores and Other Larvae. Integ. Comp. Biol., 47, 865-871.
• Marlow, H.Q. and Martindale, M.Q.  2007. Embryonic development in two species of scleractinian coral embryos: zooxanthellae localization and gastrulation mechanism. Evol. Dev., 9, 355-367.
• Hejnol, A., Martindale, M.Q., and Henry, J.Q. 2007. High-resolution fate map of the snail Crepidula fornicata: The origins of ciliary bands, nervous system, and muscular elements. Dev. Biol., 305, 63-76.
• Magie, C., Daly, M., and Martindale, M.Q. 2007.  Gastrulation in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis occurs via invagination not ingression. Dev. Biol., 305, 483-497.
• Yamada, A., Pang, K., Martindale, M.Q.,  and Tochinai, S.   2007.  Surprisingly complex T-box gene complement in diploblastic metazoans.  Evol. Dev.,  9, 220-230.
• Ryan, J.F., Mazza, M.E., Pang, K., Matus, D.Q., Baxevanis, A.D., Martindale, M.Q., and Finnerty, J.R. 2007. Pre-Bilaterian Origins of the Hox Cluster and the Hox Code: Evidence from the Sea Anemone, Nematostella vectensis  . PLoS ONE 2(1): e153.
• Mazza, M.E.,  Pang, K., Martindale, M.Q., Finnerty, J. R.  2007.  Genomic organization, gene structure, and developmental expression of three clustered otx genes in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. J. Exp. Zool. B Mol. Dev. Evol., 308, 494-506.
• Matus, D.Q., Martindale, M.Q., and Thomsen, G.H.,  2007.  FGF signaling in gastrulation and neural development of Nematostella vectensis, an anthozoan cnidarian.  Dev. Genes Evol., 217, 137-148.
• Matus, D., Pang, K., Daly, M., and Martindale, M.Q.  Expression of Pax gene family members in the anthozoan cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis.  Evol. Dev.,  9, 25-38.
• 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.
• Matus, D. Q., Copley, R. R., Dunn, C., Hejnol, A., Eccleston, , H., Halanych, K. M., Martindale, M. Q., and Telford, M.J.   2006.  Phylogenetic analyses of 85 genes suggest chaetognaths are basal lophotrochozoans.  Curr. Biol.,  16, R575-576.
• 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.
• 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., 216, 581-595.
• Matus, D. Q., Thomsen, G.H., and Martindale, M.Q. 2006.  "Dorso-ventral" genes are asymmetrically expressed and involved in germ layer demarcation during cnidarian gastrulation.  Curr. Biol., 16, 499-505.
• Lee, P.N., Pang, K., Matus, D.Q., and Martindale, M.Q.   2006.  A Wnt of things to come:  Wnt signaling in basal metazoans.   Semin. Cell Dev. Biol., 17, 157-167.
• Martindale, M.Q.  2005.  The evolution of metazoan axial properties.  Nature Rev. Genet.,  6,  917-927.
• Magie, C.R., Pang, K., and Martindale, M.Q.  2005.  Genomic inventory and expression of Sox and Fox genes in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis.  Dev. Genes Evol.,  215, 618-630.
• Maxmen, A., Browne, W.E.,  Martindale, M.Q., and Giribet, G. 2005.  Neuroanatomy of sea spiders:  Implications for the evolution of the arthropod head. Nature, 437, 1144-1148.
• 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 Specifications Mechanisms. Evol. Dev., 7, 201-215.
• 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)
• 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. Biol., 272. 145-160.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Pang, K., Matus, D.Q., and Martindale, M.Q. 2004. The ancestral role of COE helix loop helix genes was in chemoreception: Evidence from the development of the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis (phylum, Cnidaria; Class Anthozoa). Dev. Genes Evol., 214, 134-138.
• Maslakova, S., Martindale, M.Q., and Norenberg, J.L. 2004. Fundamental properties of spiralian cleavage program are displayed by the basal nemertean Carinoma tremaphoros (Palaeonemertea; Nemertea). Dev. Biol., 267, 342-360.
• Henry, J.Q. and Martindale, M.Q. 2004. Inductive Timing and Equivalence Groups in the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Evol. Dev., 6, 17-24.
• Wikramanayake, A.H., Hong, M., Lee, P.N., Pang, K., Byrum, C., Bince, J.M., Xu, R., and Martindale, M.Q. 2003. An ancient role for nuclear B-catenin in the evolution of axial polarity and germ layer segregation. Nature, 426, 446-450.
• Lee, P.N., Callaerts, P., de Couet, H.G. and Martindale, M.Q. 2003. Cephalopod Hox genes and the origin of morphological novelties. Nature, 324, 1061-65.
• Finnerty, J.R., Paulson, D., Burton, P., and Martindale, M.Q. 2003. Early Evolution of a Homeobox Gene: The ParaHox Gene Gsx in the Cnidaria and the Bilateria. Evol. Dev., 5, 331-345.
• Pasquinelli, A.E., McCoy, A.M., Jimenez, A., Salo, E., Ruvkun, G., Martindale, M.Q., and Baguna, J. 2003. Expression of the 22nd nucleotide let-7 hetechronic RCA throught the Metazoa: A role in life history evolution? Evol. Dev., 5., 372-378.
• Schneider, S.Q. Finnerty, J.R., and Martindale, M.Q. 2003. Unraveling the evolutionary history of the beta-catenin gene: A phylogenetic approach to structure and function. J. Exp. Zool. B Mol. Dev. Evol., 295B, 25-44.
• Schneider, S.Q., Finnerty, J.R., and Martindale, M.Q. 2003. Unraveling the evolutionary history of the beta-catenin gene: A phylogenetic approach to structure and function. J. Exp. Zool. B Mol. Dev. Evol., 295, 25-44.
• Freeman, G. and Martindale, M.Q. 2002. Intracellular fate mapping and the origin of mesoderm in Phoronids. Dev. Biol., 252, 301-311.
• Martindale, M.Q., Finnerty, J.R., and Henry, J.Q. 2002. The Radiata and the evolutionary origins of the bilaterian body plan. Mol. Phylogen. Evol., 24. 358-365.
• Yamada, A. and Martindale, M.Q. 2002. The ctenophore Brain Factor-1 forkhead gene ortholog (ctenoBF-1) is expressed in the presumptive oral region and feeding apparatus: implications for axial organization in the Metazoa. Dev. Genes Evol., 212, 338-348.
• Henry, J.Q., Tagawa, K., and Martindale, M.Q. 2001. Deuterostome evolution: Early development in the enteropneust hemichordate Ptychodera flava. Evol. Dev., 3, 375-390.
• Henry, J.Q. and Martindale, M.Q. 2001. Multiple inductive signals are involved in the development of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Dev. Biol., 238, 40-46.
• Seaver, E.C., Paulson, D., Irvine, S.Q., and Martindale, M.Q. 2001. The spatial and temporal expression of Ch-en, the engrailed gene in the polychaete Chaetopterus does not support a role in body axis segmentation. Dev. Biol., 236, 195-209.
• Martindale, M.Q. 2000. Ctenophora. In: "The Atlas of Marine Invertebrate Larvae. Chapter 4, Phylum Ctenophora." pp 109-122. Academic Press. eds C.M. Young, M.A. Sewell, and M.E. Rice. San Diego.
• Irvine , S., and Martindale, M.Q. 2000. Comparative analysis of polychaete Hox gene expression: implications for the evolution of body plan regionalization. Amer. Zool., 41, 640-651.
• Kourakis, M. and Martindale, M.Q. 2001. Hox Gene duplication and deployment in the annelid leech Helobdella. Evol. Dev., 3, 145-153.
• Pasquinelli, A.E. Reinhard, B., Clack, F., Martindale, M.Q., Kuroda, M.I., Maller, B., Hayward, D., Ball, E., Degnan, B., Mueller, P., Spring, J., Srinivasan,A., Fishman, M., Finnerty, J., Corbo, J., Lelvine, M., Leahy, P., Davidson, E., Ruvkun, G., 2000. Conservation across animal phylogeny of the sequence and temporal regulation of the 21 nucleotide C. elegans let-7 hetechronic regulatory RNA. Nature, 408, 86-89.
• Henry, J.Q. and Martindale, M.Q. 2000. Regulation and regeneration in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis. Dev. Biol., 227, 720-733.
• Kourakis, M., and Martindale, M.Q. 2000. A combined-method phylogenetic analysis of hox and parahox genes of the metazoa. J. Exp. Zool. B Mol. Dev. Evol., 288, 175-191.
• Henry, J.Q., Martindale, M.Q., and Boyer, B.C. 2000 The unique developmental program of the acoel flatworm, Neochildia fusca. Dev. Biol., 220, 285-295.
• Irvine, S.Q. and Martindale, M.Q. 2000. Expression patterns of anterior hox genes in the polychaete Chaetopterus: Correlation with morphological boundaries. Dev. Biol., 217, 333-351.
  

mqmartin@hawaii.edu