- patrick.steinmetz@uib.no
- Phone number
- +47 90026482
- +47 55584351
- +47 900 26482
- Visitor address
-
Thormøhlensgt. 55
5008 Bergen - Room: 216H1
- Postal address
-
P.O. Box 7800NO-5020 BergenNorway
Research
My lab aims to understand the cellular and molecular links between growth, reproduction and food availability using the simple sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Sea anemones grow when fed and shrink when starved. We use the sea anemones Nematostella vectensis and Exaiptasia pallida to study how these processes are regulated on a cellular and molecular level. Our research combines aspects of body size regulation, nutrient transport, stem cell biology and cell cycle control to get a systemic understanding of one of the oldest physiological growth control mechanisms in animals.
Sea anemones show extreme responses to the presence or absence of food. Growth and cell division rates are high when food is abundant. In contrast, starvation leads to a strong and rapid decline in cell division rates, followed by a controlled body shrinkage. We aim to leverage the extreme, nutrient-controlled body plasticity and cell division dynamics of Nematostella vectensis to get a comprehensive understanding of nutrient-controlled body plasticity at the organismal, epithelial, cellular, transcriptomic and genomic levels. We have recently started to include the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida to study how symbionts affect growth and starvation resilience.
Current projects focus on:
- Nutritional control of stem and progenitor cell proliferation
- Transcriptome response to feeding and starvation
- Body patterning during starvation-induced shrinkage
- Molecular control of starvation-induced apoptosis
- Systemic nutrient uptake and transport
Nematostella provides a simple organismal framework to study body plasticity due to a simple body plan that consists of only two epithelia and lacks a centralised nervous system or a circulatory system. We combine a diverse set of state-of-the-art molecular and genetic techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated generation of mutant or knock-in lines or transgenic lines, together with more traditional molecular, physiological and ultrastructural methods to study nutrient-controlled growth and cell proliferation control.
Teaching
Co-lecturer in BIO103 and MOL213.
Publications
2023
- Lemaitre, Quentin Indiana Bruno; Bartsch, Natascha; Kouzel, Ivan et al. (2023). NvPrdm14d-expressing neural progenitor cells contribute to non-ectodermal neurogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. (external link)
- Cole, Alison G.; Jahnel, Stefan M.; Kaul, Sabrina et al. (2023). Muscle cell-type diversification is driven by bHLH transcription factor expansion and extensive effector gene duplications. (external link)
- Gahan, James Michael; Cartwright, Paulyn; Nicotra, Matthew L. et al. (2023). Cnidofest 2022: hot topics in cnidarian research. (external link)
- Steinmetz, Patrick (2023). Development: Sea anemone segments polarise. (external link)
2017
- Holz, Oliver; Apel, David; Steinmetz, Patrick et al. (2017). Bud detachment in hydra requires activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor and a Rho–ROCK–myosin II signaling pathway to ensure formation of a basal constriction. (external link)
- Steinmetz, Patrick; Aman, Andy; Kraus, Johanna et al. (2017). Gut-like ectodermal tissue in a sea anemone challenges germ layer homology. (external link)