Maria M Viveiros
Contact information
Rm. 122, Myrin Building
New Bolton Center
382 W. Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
New Bolton Center
382 W. Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Office: 610-925-6255
Fax: 610-925-8121
Fax: 610-925-8121
Email:
viveiros@vet.upenn.edu
viveiros@vet.upenn.edu
Education
B. Sc. (Biology)
McMaster University, Hamilton ON, Canada, 1988.
M. Sc. (Developmental Biology)
University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada, 1992.
Ph.D (Developmental Biology)
University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada, 1996.
Permanent linkB. Sc. (Biology)
McMaster University, Hamilton ON, Canada, 1988.
M. Sc. (Developmental Biology)
University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada, 1992.
Ph.D (Developmental Biology)
University of Guelph, Guelph ON, Canada, 1996.
Description of Research Expertise
RESEARCH INTERESTSregulation of Meiosis I, meiotic spindle formation in mammalian oocytes, aneuploidy
KEY WORDS:
oocyte, meiotic division, spindle formation, reproductive biology
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH:
Gametes have the incomparable task of transmitting the genome to successive generations and an understanding of the cellular and molecular processes that enable this to occur with high fidelity is of fundamental biological importance. In all sexually reproducing organisms one indispensable requirement is the precise reduction of the chromosome number during a unique division -meiosis. Errors in meiotic division disrupt the genomic stability of gametes and developing embryos upon fertilization, and are a significant cause of birth defects as well as pregnancy loss. Female gametes (oocytes) are particularly vulnerable to inaccuracies in chromosome disjunction as approximately 80% of trisomies and monosomies are attributed to errors in maternal Meiosis I. Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control chromosome segregation during Meiosis I in mammalian oocytes. Current projects include: (1) Studies on the mechanisms that regulate meiotic spindle formation and stability, (2) Control of anaphase I onset, (3) Identifying meiotic defects linked to oocyte activation and the development of ovarian teratormas.
Selected Publications
Ma W, Koch JA, and Viveiros MM : Protein Kinase C-delta (PKCd) interacts with microtubule organizing center (MTOC)–associated proteins and participates in meiotic spindle organization. Developmental Biology in press, 2008.Tanaka M, Kihara M, Hennebold, JD, Eppig JJ, Viveiros MM, Emery BR, Carrell DT, Kirkman NJ, Meczekalski B, Zhou J, Bondy CA, Becker M, Schultz RM, Misteli T, De La Fuente R, King, GJ and Adashi EY : H1FOO is coupled to the initiation of oocyte growth. Biology of Reproduction 72: 135-142, 2005.
De La Fuente R, Viveiros MM, Burns KH, Adashi EY, Matzuk MM and Eppig JJ : Major chromatin remodeling in the germinal vesicle (GV) of mammalian oocytes is dispensable for global transcriptional silencing but required for centromeric heterochromatin function. Developmental Biology 275(2): 447-458, 2004.
De La Fuente R, Viveiros MM, Wigglesworth K, and Eppig JJ : ATRX, a member of the SNF2 family of Helicase /ATPases, is required for chromosome alignment and meiotic spindle organization in metaphase II stage mouse oocytes. Developmental Biology 272(1): 1-14, 2004.
Viveiros MM, O'Brien M, and Eppig JJ : Protein kinase C (PKC) activity regulates the onset of anaphase I in mouse oocytes. Biology of Reproduction 71: 1525-1532, 2004.
Eppig JJ, Viveiros MM, Bivens C and De La Fuente R : Regulation of Mammalian Oocyte Maturation. The Ovary 2nd Edition. P.C.K. Leung & E.Y. Adashi (eds.). Elsevier Science Publishers San Diego CA. Page: 113-12, 2004.
Viveiros MM, O'Brien M, Wigglesworth K and Eppig JJ : Characterization of protein kinase C- in mouse oocytes throughout meiotic maturation and following egg activation. Biology of Reproduction 69: 1494-1499, 2003.
Wu X, Viveiros MM, Eppig JJ, Bai Y, Fitzpatrick S and Matzuk MM : Zygotic arrest (Zar1) a novel maternal effect gene critical for the oocyte to embryonic transition. Nature Genetics 33(2): 187-191, 2003.
Burns KH*, Viveiros MM*, Ren Y* (equal contribution), Wang P, DeMayo F, Eppig JJ, Frail D and Matzuk MM : Role of mammalian nucleoplasmin 2 in nuclear and nucleolar organization. Science 300: 633-636, 2003.
Viveiros MM, Hirao Y and Eppig JJ: Evidence that protein kinase C (PKC) participates in the meiosis I to meiosis II transition in mouse oocytes. Developmental Biology 235: 330-342, 2001.