Curriculum Vitae

Luis Vidali

Biology Department

University of Massachusetts

Amherst, MA 01003

 

Work: (413) 545-2656

Cell: (617) 872-4717

 

E-mail: lvidali@bio.umass.edu

URL: http://www.bio.umass.edu/vidali/

 

Education

1999 Ph.D. Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA

1994 Physiology Course (Summer), Marine Biological Laboratory. Woods Hole, MA

1993 B.S. Basic Biomedical Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico

 

Fellowships, Awards and Academic Honors

 

2008 Travel Grant Award, ASPB meeting, Mérida, Mexico

2007 Minorities Affairs Committee Travel Award, ASCB meeting. Washington, DC

2005 Director’s Fund Fellowship, Keystone Symposia. Coeur d’Alene, ID

2002-2005 NIH Training Grant Fellowship, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA

1996 Graduate School Fellowship, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA

1994 Jacques Loeb Founder’s Scholarship Fund Fellowship, Physiology Course. Woods Hole, MA

1993-1998 Doctoral Fellowship, DGAPA. National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico

1993 Highest Honors, Bachelor’s Degree, National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico

1992 Bachelor’s Degree Thesis Fellowship, National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico

 

Research Experience

Postdoctoral Research

2006-present Research Associate, Biology Department. University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA Research adviser: Dr. Magdalena Bezanilla
Genetic and cellular analysis of polarized cell growth in the moss Physcomitrella patens

2005-2006 Scientist, New World Laboratories Inc. (Total ReCord Inc.) Worcester, MA
Developing treatments for spinal cord injury using cell biology and high content analysis (Cellomics) and automated microscopy

2001-2005 Research Fellow in Medicine, Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA
Research adviser: Dr. David J. Kwiatkowski
Conditional analysis of Rac1 function in the mouse nervous system and embryonic fibroblasts

Graduate Research

1993-2001 Research Assistant, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Research adviser: Dr. Peter K. Hepler
Analysis of the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in the pollen tube

Undergraduate Research

1991-1993 Undergraduate Honors Research, Plant Biology Department, Biotechnology Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico
Research adviser: Dr. Federico Sánchez
Purification and characterization of profilin from Phaseolus vulgaris

 

Professional societies

2007-present American Society of Plant Biologists

2002-present American Association for the Advancement of Science

1999-present The American Society for Cell Biology

 

Invited Lectures

2008 American Society of Plant Biologists, Annual Meeting, Mérida, Mexico

2008 North Carolina State University, Plant Biology Department, Raleigh, NC

2008 University of Massachusetts, Biology Department, Boston, MA

2008 University of New Mexico, Biology Department, Albuquerque, NM

2007 University of Massachusetts, Plant Biology Colloquium, Amherst, MA

2005 Harvard University, Bauer Center for Genomics Research. Boston, MA

2004 CICESE, Microbiology Department. Ensenada, Mexico

2004 University of Missouri, Division of Biological Sciences. Columbia, MO

2003 Keystone Symposia, Mol. Cellular Biol. Cell Migration and Invasion. Breckenridge, CO

2001 CICESE, Cell Biology Unit. Ensenada, Mexico

2001 X Natl. Congress Biochem. Molec. Biol. Plants & 4th Symp. Mexico-U.S.A. La Paz, Mexico

2001 University of Massachusetts, Plant Biology Colloquium, Amherst, MA

2001 Harvard Medical School, Division of Hematology. Boston, MA

2000 University of California, Biology Department. San Diego, CA

2000 NATO Advanced Research Workshop: Cell Biol. Plant Fungal Tip Growth. Siena, Italy

2000 Long Island University, Biology Department. Brooklyn, NY

1999 XVI International Botanical Congress. St. Louis, MO

1999 International Botanical Microscopy Meeting. St Andrews, Scotland

1998 Gordon Research Conference, Plant and Fungal Cytoskeleton. Andover, NH

1998 Long Island University, Biology Department. Brooklyn, NY

 

Teaching experience

2000 Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, Biology 574, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA
Actin and actin binding proteins section (3 lectures)

1998 Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, Biology 574, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA
Actin and actin binding proteins section (3 lectures)

1996 Advanced Cellular Biology, MCB 641, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA
Actin and actin binding proteins section (3 lectures)

1995 Physiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
Teaching Assistant, plant genetics section (summer course)

1994 Advanced Molecular Biology, MCB 643, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA
Teaching Assistant, classroom support (1 semester)

1993 Biochemistry Laboratory, Biochemistry 421, University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA
Teaching Assistant, laboratory section (1 semester)

 

Publications

Augustine, R.C., Vidali, L., Kleinman, K.P., and Bezanilla, M. (2008) Actin depolymerizing factor is essential for viability in plants and its phosphoregulation is important for tip growth. Plant Journal (In press)

Herrera-Abreu, M.T.,  Castellanos-Penton, P. , Kwok, V., Shalloway, D., Vidali, L., Lee, W. McCulloch, C.A., and Downey, G.P. (2007) Tyrosine phosphatase PTP regulates focal adhesion remodeling through Rac1 activation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol (In press)

Vidali, L., Augustine, R.C., Kleinman, K.P., and Bezanilla, M. (2007) Profilin is essential for tip growth in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Plant Cell. 19:3705-3722

Feng, Y., Chen, M.H., Moskowitz, I., Lu, Q., Liu, J., Mendonza, A.M., Yoshida, Y., Vidali, L., Nakanura, F., Jessell, T.M., Flanagan, J.G., Kwiatkowski, D.J., and Walsh, C.A. (2006) Filamin A is required for cell-cell contact in vascular development and cardiac morphogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A. 103: 19836-19841

Vidali, L., Chen, F., Cicchetti, G., Ohta, Y., and Kwiatkowski, D.J. (2006) Rac1-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts are motile and respond to platelet-derived growth factor. Mol. Bio. Cell 17:2377-2390 (Highlighted in InCytes, ASCB newsletter)

McKenna, S.T., Vidali, L., and Hepler, P.K. (2004) Profilin inhibits pollen tube growth through actin-binding, but not poly-L-proline-binding. Planta 218:906-915

Yokota, E., Vidali, L., Tominaga, M., Tahara, H., Orii, H., Morizane, Y., Hepler, P.K., and Shimmen, T. (2003) Plant 115-kDa-actin-filament-bundling protein, P-115-ABP, is a homologue of plant villin and is widely distributed in cells. Plant Cell Physiol. 44:1088-1099

Valster, A., Vidali, L., and Hepler, P.K. (2003) Localization of profilin during the cell cycle in living Tradescantia virginiana stamen hair cells. Protoplasma 222: 85-95

Chen, C.Y., Wong, .Y., Vidali, L., Estavillo, A., Hepler, P.K., Wu, H-M., and Cheung, A.Y. (2002) The regulation of actin organization by actin-depolymerizing factor in elongating pollen tubes. Plant Cell 14:2175-2190

Cheung, A.Y., Chen, C.Y-h., Glaven R.H., de Graaf, B., Vidali, L., Hepler, P.K., and Wu, H-m. (2002) Rab2 GTPase regulates vesicle trafficking between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi bodies and is important in pollen tubes growth. Plant Cell 14:945-962

Hepler, P.K., Vidali, L., and Cheung, A.Y. (2001) Polarized cell growth in higher plants. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 17:159–187

Vidali, L., McKenna, S.T. and Hepler, P.K. (2001) Actin polymerization is essential for pollen tube growth. Mol. Biol. Cell 12: 2534-2545

Vidali, L., and Hepler, P.K. (2001) Actin and pollen tube growth. Protoplasma 215:64-67

Vidali, L., Holdaway-Clarke, T.L., and Hepler, P.K. (2001) The calcium/cytoskeleton connection in pollen tube growth. In: A. Geitmann, M. Cresti and I.B. Heath (eds) Cell Biology of Plant Fungal Tip growth. IOS Press. Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp 27-35

Vidali, L., and Hepler, P.K. (2000) Actin in pollen and pollen tubes. In: C. J. Staiger, F. Baluska, D. Volkmann and P. Barlow (eds) Actin: A Dynamic Framework for Multiple Plant Cell Functions. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 323-345

Pflügl-Hill, M., Vidali, L., Vos, J.W., Hepler, P.K., and Lütz-Meindl, U. (2000) Changes of the actin filament system in the green alga Micrasterias induced by different cytoskeleton inhibitors. Protoplasma 212: 206-216

Tominaga, M., Yokota, E., Vidali, L., Sonobe, S., Hepler, P.K., and Shimmen, T. (2000) The role of plant villin in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, cytoplasmic streaming and the architecture of the transvacuolar strand in root hair cells of Hydrocharis. Planta 210: 836-843

Guillén, G. Valdés-López, V. Noguez, R. Olivares, J. Rodríguez-Zapata, L.C., Pérez, H. Vidali, L. Villanueva, M.A. and Sánchez, F. (1999) Profilin in Phaseolus vulgaris is encoded by two genes (only one expressed in root nodules) but multiple isoforms are generated in vivo by phosphorylation on tyrosine residues. Plant J. 19: 497-508

Igarashi, H., Vidali, L., Yokota, E., Sonobe, S., Hepler, P.K., and Shimmen, T. (1999) Actin filaments purified from tobacco cultured BY-2 cells can be translocated by plant myosin. Plant Cell Physiol. 40: 1167-1171

Vidali, L., Yokota, E., Cheung, A.Y., Shimmen, T., and Hepler, P.K. (1999) The 135 kDa actin-bundling protein from Lilium longiflorum pollen is the plant homologue of villin. Protoplasma 209: 283-291

Cárdenas, L., Vidali, L., Domínguez, J., Pérez, H., Sánchez, F., Hepler, P., and Quinto, C. (1998) Rearrangement of actin microfilaments in plant root hairs responding to Rhizobium nodulation signals. Plant Physiol. 116:871-877

Vidali, L., and Hepler, P.K. (1997) Characterization and localization of profilin in pollen grains and tubes of Lilium longiflorum. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 36:323-338

Vidali, L., Pérez, H.E., Valdés, V., Noguez, R., Zamudio, F., and F. Sánchez, F. (1995) Purification, characterization and cDNA cloning of profilin from Phaseolus vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 108:115-123

Pérez, HE., Sánchez, N., Vidali, L., Hernández, J.M. Lara, M. and Sánchez, F. (1994) Actin isoforms in non-infected roots and symbiotic root-nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Planta 193:51-56

 

Oral and Poster Presentations

Vidali, L., Augustine, R., and Bezanilla, M. (2007) The fringe: an F-actin cortical structure is conserved in tip growing cells. In the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting. (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L., Augustine, R., and Bezanilla, M. (2006) Polarized growth in the moss Physcomitrella patens is dependent on profilin function and regulation. In the Gordon Research Conference on the Plant and Fungal Cytoskeleton. Andover, NH (Poster presentation

Ahlfors, J.E., Adams, D., Hartey, J., Ungurean, V., Vidali, L., and Mackin, W. (2006) Human blood derived regeneration matrix (RMX (TM)) promotes neuronal cell functional responses and loco-motor recovery in animal models of traumatic spinal cord injury. J. Neurotrauma 23: 994

Vidali, L.  Chen, F., Cicchetti, G., Yasutaka, O., and Kwiatkowski.(2005). Life without Rac: Rac1 null mouse embryonic fibroblasts are motile and respond to PDGF. In the Keystone Symposia on Cytoskeletal Systems Interactions in Cellular Morphogenesis.  Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Poster Presentation)

Vidali, L. Chen, F. Marks, P.W. and Kwiatkowski, D.J. (2003) Critical functions of Rac1 in mammalian cells. In the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting. (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L. Chen, F. Marks, P.W. and Kwiatkowsk, D.J. (2003)  Rac1 deficiency in neuronal progenitors causes exencephaly in the mouse embryo.  In the Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology “Cell Migration and Invasion.” Breckenridge, Colorado (Abstract selected for oral presentation)

Vidali, L. McKenna, S.T. Cardenas, L. and Hepler, P.K. (2001) Cell wall thickness oscillations during pollen tube growth. In the X National Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants and 4th Symposium Mexico-U.S.A., La Paz, BCS, Mexico (Oral presentation)

McKenna, S.T. Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (2001) Poly-L-proline modulates pollen tube growth and streaming independently of profilin. Mol. Biol. Cell 12:1576a

Vidali, L. McKenna, S.T. and Hepler, P.K. (2000) Actin polymerization is necessary for pollen tube growth. In the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting. (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (2000) Actin polymerization is necessary for pollen tube growth. In the NATO Advanced Research Workshop: “Cell Biology of Plant and Fungal Tip Growth.” Siena, Italy (Oral presentation)

Vidali, L. Wong, E. Yokota, E. Cheung, A.Y. Wu, H-M. Shimmen, T. and Hepler, P.K. (2000) Pollen villins.  In the Gordon Research Conference on the Plant and Fungal Cytoskeleton. Andover, NH (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L. Yokota, E. Cheung, A.Y. Shimmen, T. and Hepler, P.K. (1999) P-135-ABP from Lilium longiflorum is the plant homologue of villin. In the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting. (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (1999) Evidence of a direct participation of actin dynamics in pollen tube growth. In the XVI International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, MO (Oral presentation)

Vidali, L. Yokota, E. Cheung, A.Y. Shimmen, T. and Hepler, P.K. (1999) Characterization of villin from Lilium longiflorum pollen.  In the VI International Botanical Microscopy, Meeting Plant Cell Biology, Royal Microscopical Society, St Andrews, Scotland. (Oral presentation)

Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (1998) In vivo evidence that profilin acts as an actin sequestering protein in pollen tubes. In the Gordon Research Conference on the Plant and Fungal Cytoskeleton. Andover, NH. (Oral presentation)

Sánchez, F. Quinto, C. Cárdenas, L. Guillén, G. Villanueva, M. Hepler, P.K. Vidali, L. (1997) Intracellular calcium changes, actin microfilament rearrangements and differential expression of actin cytoskeleton genes in the Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium symbiotic interaction. Plant Physiol. [suppl] 114: 99

Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (1997) Increasing the intracellular concentration of profilin inhibits cytoplasmic streaming and polarized growth in pollen tubes from Lilium longiflorum. In the XVI Annual Symposium in Current Topics in Plant Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Biology: “Signs and Roadways: Protein Traffic and the Cytoskeleton.” University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (Poster presentation)

Vidali L, and Hepler P.K. (1996) Purification and characterization of actin from Lilium longiflorum pollen. In the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting. (Poster presentation)

Sánchez, F. Cárdenas, L. van Spronsen, P. Villanueva, M.A. Valdez, V. Guillén, G. Rongcai, M. Noguez, E. Dantán, E. Vidali, L. Pérez, H. Hepler, P. and Quinto, C. (1996) Actin cytoskeleton expression and organization during root nodule development. Plant Physiol. [suppl] 111: 3

Vidali, L. and Hepler, P.K. (1995) Localization of profilin in pollen tubes. In the Gordon Research Conference on the Plant and Fungal Cytoskeleton. Andover, NH (Poster presentation)

Vidali, L. Pérez H, Sánchez N. Sánchez F. (1992) Purification of a vegetal actin-binding protein: profilin. In the VII Pan-American Association of Biochemical Societies Congress, Ixtapa, Mexico (Poster presentation)