School of Life Sciences

University of Dundee

Professor Kate Storey FRSE FMedSci FRSB

Cellular and molecular mechanism regulating neural differentiation
Position: 
Professor of Neural Development and Head of the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology
Affiliation: 
Cell and Developmental Biology
Address: 
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee
Full Telephone: 
+44 (0) 1382 385691, int ext 85691
Email: 

Research

Cell division in the neural tube

Researchers in Kate Storey’s laboratory investigate how the nervous system forms during embryonic development. 

 

We all come from a single cell, the fertilised egg. As this cell divides to generate the embryo individual cells begin to specialise in a process known as cellular differentiation.  

 We wish to understand how neural cells arise in the embryo and how their differentiation is controlled.  

 

The spinal cord is generated progressively as the embryonic body is laid down and this helps us to identify and investigate the distinct steps that underlie its formation. These include when and how neural precursor cells stop dividing and become nerve cells, and how these cells then change shape and ultimately make connections to form functional neural circuitry.  

 

Our team uses a wide range of techniques, including gain and loss of gene function approaches and genome-wide analyses, as well as live imaging assays, which allow us to monitor changes in cell behaviour during differentiation.  

 

Our overall aim is to discover cellular and molecular mechanisms that control neural differentiation. Elucidating these mechanisms helps us to understand better how the developing nervous system is impacted by cellular stress and may inform strategies for therapeutic treatment of neural injury and disease. 

 

Teaching

Contributes lectures to:
 
Stem Cells in Development and Disease – year 4
Cell Biology of Disease – MSc Res
 
Graduate student super-seminars – x2
 
and supervision for:
 
Honours student projects – 10-week projects x2
Rotation projects – 3-month rotations
Graduate student supervision

Publications

Dady, A., Davidson L., Halley, P.A., Storey, K.G., (2021) Human spinal cord differentiation proceeds rapidly in vitro and only initially maintains differentiation pace in a heterologous environment. bioRxiv pre-print Read Article  

Tait, C., Chinnaiya, K., Manning, E., Murtaza, M., Ashton, J.P., Furley, N., Hill, C.J., Alves, H.C., Wijnholds, J., Erdmann, K.S., Furley, A., Rashbass, P., Das, R.M.,  Storey, K.G., Placzek, M (2020) Crumbs2 mediates ventricular layer remodelling to form the spinal cord central canal. PLoS Biol, 18 (3), e3000470. doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000470 PMID 32150534 Read Article

Poncet N., Halley P.A., Lipina C., Gierliński M., Dady A., Singer G.A., Febrer M., Shi Y.B., Yamaguchi T.P., Taylor P.M., Storey, K.G (2020) Wnt regulates amino acid transporter Slc7a5 and so constrains the integrated stress response in mouse embryos. EMBO reports21(1) doi/10.15252/embr.201948469 PMCID 6944906 PMID 31789450 Read Article

Cañizares M.A, Albors A.R., Singer G., Suttie N., Gorkic M., Felts P., Storey K.G (2019) Multiple steps characterise ventricular layer attrition to form the ependymal cell lining of the adult mouse spinal cord central canal. Journal of anatomy 236 (2), 334-350. doi/10.1111/joa.13094 PMID 31670387 Read Article

Rodrigo Albors, A., Halley, P., Storey, K.G (2018) Lineage tracing of axial progenitors using Nkx1-2CreERT2 mice defines their trunk and tail contributions. Development 2018 145: dev164319. doi/10.1242/dev.164319 PMCID 6198475 PMID 30201686 Read Article

Mastromina I, Verrier L, Clara Silva J, Storey K.G, Dale J.K (2018) MYC activity is required for maintenance of the Neuromesodermal Progenitor signalling network and for correct timing of segmentation clock gene oscillations in mouse. Development. 145:1-14. doi/10.1242/dev.161091 PMCID 6078331 PMID 30061166 Read Article

Verrier, L., Davidson, L., Gierlinski, M., Dady, A., Storey, K.G (2018) Neural differentiation, selection and transcriptomic profiling of human neuromesodermal progenitors-like cells in vitro. Development. 145(11). doi/10.1242/dev.166215 PMCID 6124542 PMID 29899136 Read Article

Kasioulis, I., Storey, K.G (2018) Cell biological mechanisms regulating chick neurogenesis.  International Journal of Developmental Biology. 62(1/2/3): 167-175. doi/10.1387/ijdb.170268ks PMID 29616725 Read Article

Kasioulis, I., Das, R. M., Storey, K.G (2017) Inter-dependent apical microtubule and actin dynamics orchestrate centrosome retention and neuronal delamination. eLife. doi/10.7554/eLife.26215  PMCID 5653239  PMID 29058679 Read Article

Rodrigo Albors, A., Storey, K.G (2016) Mapping body-building potential. eLife. 5, e14830.  doi/10.7554/eLife.14830  PMCID 4798963 PMID 26949247 Read Article

Verrier, L. Davidson, L. Gierliński, M. Storey, K.G (2016) Generation, selection and transcriptomic profiling of human neuromesodermal and spinal cord progenitors in vitro. Development 2018 145:dev166215.  doi/10.1101/182279 Read Article

Rodrigo Albors, A., Halley, P.A., Storey, KG (2016) Fate mapping caudal lateral epiblast reveals continuous contribution to neural and mesodermal lineages and the origin of secondary neural tube.  doi/10.1101/045872 Read Article

Henrique, D., Abranches, E., Verrier, L. and Storey, K.G (2015) Neuromesodermal progenitors and the making of the spinal cord. Development. 142, 2864-2875.  doi/10.1242/dev.119768 PMCID 4958456 PMID 26329597 Read Article

Olivera-Martinez, I., Schurch, N., Li, R., Song, J., Halley, P.A., Das, R.M., Burt, D.W., Barton, G.J., Storey, K.G (2014) Major transcriptome re-organisation and abrupt changes in signalling, cell cycle and chromatin regulation at neural differentiation in vivo. Development 2014 141: 3266-3276 doi/10.1242/dev.112623 PMCID 4197544 PMID 25063452 Read Article

Kalcheim, C., Storey, K.G (2014) Neural-mesodermal progenitor interactions in pattern formation: an introduction to the collection. F1000Research. 3, 275.  doi/10.12688/f1000research.5657.1 PMCID 4288398 PMID 25580236 Read Article

Das, R. M., Storey, K.G (2014) Apical abscission alters cell polarity and dismantles the primary cilium during neurogenesis. Science. 343, 200-204.  doi/10.1126/science.1247521 PMCID 4066580 PMID 24408437 Read Article

Schurch, N.J., Cole, C., Sherstnev, A., Song, J., Duc, C., Storey, K.G., McLean, W.H., Brown, S.J., Simpson, G.G., Barton, G.J (2014) Improved annotation of 3' untranslated regions and complex loci by combination of strand -specific direct RNA sequencing, RNA-Seq and EST's. PloS one. 9, e94270.  doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0094270 PMCID 3983147 PMID 24722185 Read Article

Patel, N.S., Rhinn, M., Semprich, C.I., Halley, P.A., Dolle, P., Bickmore, W.A. and Storey, K. (2013) FGF signalling regulates chromatin organisation during neural differentiation via mechanisms that can be uncoupled from transcription. PLoS genetics. 9, e1003614. doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003614 PMCID 3715432 PMID 23874217 Read Article

Das, R.M., Storey, K.G. (2012) Mitotic spindle orientation can direct cell fate and bias Notch activity in chick neural tube. EMBO reports. 13, 448-454.  doi/10.1038/embor.2012.42 PMCID 3343353 PMID 22491029 Read Article

Halpern, M.E., Storey, K.G (2012) Layers of complexity: diverse molecular mechanisms transforming germ layers into organisms.  doi/10.1016/j.gde.2012.07.007 PMID 22841369 Read Article

Olivera-Martinez, I., Harada, H., Halley, P.A., Storey, K.G (2012) Loss of FGF-dependent mesoderm identity and rise of endogenous retinoid signalling determine cessation of body axis elongation. PLoS biology. 10, e1001415.  doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001415 PMCID 3484059 PMID 23118616 Read Article

Bouskila, M., Esoof, N., Gay, L., Fang, E.H., Deak, M., Begley, M.J., Cantley, L.C., Prescott, A., Storey, K.G., Alessi, D.R. (2011) TTBK2 kinase substrate specificity and the impact of spinocerebellar-ataxia-causing mutations on expression, activity, localization and development. doi/10.1042/BJ20110276  PMCID 3739326 PMID 21548880 Read Article

Li, R.A., Storey, K.G (2011) An emerging molecular mechanism for the neural vs mesodermal cell fate decision. Cell Research volume21, pages708–710.  doi/10.1038/cr.2011.54 PMCID 3203676 PMID 21445099 Read Article

Martinez-Morales, P.L., Diez del Corral, R., Olivera-Martinez, I., Quiroga, A.C., Das, R.M., Barbas, J. A., Storey, K.G., Morales, A.V (2011) FGF and retinoic acid activity gradients control the timing of neural crest cell emigration in the trunk.  J Cell Biol. 2011 Aug 8;194(3):489-503.doi/10.1083/jcb.201011077 PMCID 3153641 PMID 21807879 Read Article

Shiau, C. E., Das, R.M., Storey, K.G (2011) An effective assay for high cellular resolution time-lapse imaging of sensory placode formation and morphogenesis. BMC Neurosci. 2011 May 9;12:37. doi/10.1186/1471-2202-12-37 PMCID 3115907 PMID 21554727 Read Article

Vilas-Boas, F., Fior, R., Swedlow, J.R., Storey, K.G., Henrique, D (2011) A novel reporter of notch signalling indicates regulated and random notch activation during vertebrate neurogenesis.  BMC Biol. 2011 Aug 31;9:58.  doi/10.1186/1741-7007-9-58  PMCID 3201213 PMID 21880129 Read Article

Fishwick, K.J., Li, R.A., Halley, P., Deng, P., Storey, K.G (2010) Initiation of neuronal differentiation requires PI3-kinase/TOR signalling in the vertebrate neural tube. Dev Biol. 2010 Feb 15;338(2):215-25. doi/10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.12.001  PMID 20004186 Read Article

Stavridis, M.P., Collins, B.J., Storey, K.G (2010) Retinoic acid orchestrates fibroblast growth factor signalling to drive embryonic stem cell differentiation. Development 2010 137: 881-890.  doi/10.1242/dev.043117 PMCID 2834455 PMID 20179094 Read Article

Collins, B.J., Olivera-Martinez, I., Stavridis, M.P., Storey, K.G (2009) Mechanisms regulating differentiation onset in the embryonic axis and ES cells. Mechanisms of Development 126, S29-S29. doi.org/10.1016/j.mod.2009.06.1061 Read Article

Ekerot, M., Stavridis, M.P.,  Delavaine, L., Mitchell, M.P., Staples, C., Owens, DM., Keenan, I.D., Dickinson, R.J., Storey, K.G & Keyse, S.M (2008) Negative-feedback regulation of FGF signalling by DUSP6/MKP-3 is driven by ERK1/2 and mediated by Ets factor binding to a conserved site within the DUSP6/MKP-3 gene promoter.  Biochemical Journal, vol. 412, no. 2, pp. 287-298. doi.org/10.1042/BJ20071512 Read Article

Ferrandl, A.I., Storey, K.G., Swedlow, J.R (2009) Neurogenesis, mitosis and centrosome: the role of DYRK1A. Mechanisms of Development, vol. 126, no. Supplement, 06-P028, pp. S128-S128. doi.org/10.1016/j.mod.2009.06.254 Read Article

Olivera-Martinez, I., Halley, P., Storey, K (2009) Body length is defined by the endogenous balance of retinoid and fibroblast growth factor signalling. Mechanisms of Development, vol. 126, no. Supplement, 13-P036, pp. S205-S205. doi.org/10.1016/j.mod.2009.06.509 

Wilson, V., Olivera-Martinez, I., Storey, K.G (2009) Stem cells, signals and vertebrate body axis extension. Development, vol. 136, no. 10, pp. 1591-1604. doi.org/10.1242/dev.021246 PMID 19395637 Read Article