Research Topics:Auditory, Developmental Biology, Epigenetics, Gene Regulation, Genetics, Genomics, Human Genetics and Genetic Disorders, Inner Ear, Kidney, Knockout Mice, Neuroscience, Organogenesis, Protein Phosphatases, Regeneration
Multi-Disciplinary Training AreasDevelopmental and Stem Cell Biology [DSCB], Genetics and Genomic Sciences [GGS], Neuroscience [NEU]
PhD, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan
Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women's Hospital
Recipient of 50th Anniversary Program for Scholars in Medicine Fellowship
Individual National Research Service Award
Pin-Xian Xu’s laboratory studies regulatory networks that drive organogenesis. In particular, our lab is interested in the general question of how cell diversity in our body is created. A major focus of our research is auditory and renal development and maintenance, where we seek to identify the pathways by which EYA1 drives a small group of progenitor cells to become functional sensory neurons and hair cells in the inner ear or nephrons in the kidney. For more detailed information, please consult our lab website.
Nie X, Sun J, Gordon RE, Cai CL, Xu PX. SIX1 acts synergistically with TBX18 in mediating ureteral smooth muscle formation. Development (Cambridge, England) 2010 Mar; 137(5).
Chen B, Kim EH, Xu PX. Initiation of olfactory placode development and neurogenesis is blocked in mice lacking both Six1 and Six4. Developmental Biology 2009 Feb; 326(1).
Zou D, Erickson C, Kim EH, Jin D, Fritzsch B, Xu PX. Eya1 gene dosage critically affects the development of sensory epithelia in the mammalian inner ear. Human Molecular Genetics 2008 Nov; 17(21).
Hoskins BE, Cramer CH, Silvius D, Zou D, Raymond RM, Orten DJ, Kimberling WJ, Smith RJ, Weil D, Petit C, Otto EA, Xu PX, Hildebrandt F. Transcription factor SIX5 is mutated in patients with branchio-oto-renal syndrome. American Journal of Human Genetics 2007 Apr; 80(4).
Grifone R, Demignon J, Giordani J, Niro C, Souil E, Bertin F, Laclef C, Xu PX, Maire P. Eya1 and Eya2 proteins are required for hypaxial somitic myogenesis in the mouse embryo. Developmental Biology 2007 Feb; 302(2).
Zou D, Silvius D, Rodrigo-Blomqvist S, Enerbäck S, Xu PX. Eya1 regulates the growth of otic epithelium and interacts with Pax2 during the development of all sensory areas in the inner ear. Developmental Biology 2006 Oct; 298(2).
Zou D, Silvius D, Davenport J, Grifone R, Maire P, Xu PX. Patterning of the third pharyngeal pouch into thymus/parathyroid by Six and Eya1. Developmental Biology 2006 May; 293(2).
Sajithlal G, Zou D, Silvius D, Xu PX. Eya 1 acts as a critical regulator for specifying the metanephric mesenchyme. Developmental Biology 2005 Aug; 284(2).
Zou D, Silvius D, Fritzsch B, Xu PX. Eya1 and Six1 are essential for early steps of sensory neurogenesis in mammalian cranial placodes. Development (Cambridge, England) 2004 Nov; 131(22).
Grifone R, Laclef C, Spitz F, Lopez S, Demignon J, Guidotti JE, Kawakami K, Xu PX, Kelly R, Petrof BJ, Daegelen D, Concordet JP, Maire P. Six1 and Eya1 expression can reprogram adult muscle from the slow-twitch phenotype into the fast-twitch phenotype. Molecular and Cellular Biology 2004 Jul; 24(14).
Ruf RG, Xu PX, Silvius D, Otto EA, Beekmann F, Muerb UT, Kumar S, Neuhaus TJ, Kemper MJ, Raymond RM, Brophy PD, Berkman J, Gattas M, Hyland V, Ruf EM, Schwartz C, Chang EH, Smith RJ, Stratakis CA, Weil D, Petit C, Hildebrandt F. SIX1 mutations cause branchio-oto-renal syndrome by disruption of EYA1-SIX1-DNA complexes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2004 May; 101(21).
Zheng W, Huang L, Wei ZB, Silvius D, Tang B, Xu PX. The role of Six1 in mammalian auditory system development. Development (Cambridge, England) 2003 Sep; 130(17).
Xu PX, Zheng W, Huang L, Maire P, Laclef C, Silvius D. Six1 is required for the early organogenesis of mammalian kidney. Development (Cambridge, England) 2003 Jul; 130(14).
Buller C, Xu X, Marquis V, Schwanke R, Xu PX, Peters H, Xu X. Molecular effects of Eya1 domain mutations causing organ defects in BOR syndrome. Human Molecular Genetics 2001 Nov; 10(24).
Xu X, Xu PX, Marquis V, Schwanke R, Xu PX. A modified cryosection method for mouse testis tissue. Tissue & Cell 2001 Apr; 33(2).
Xu PX, Adams J, Peters H, Brown MC, Heaney S, Maas R. Eya1-deficient mice lack ears and kidneys and show abnormal apoptosis of organ primordia. Nature Genetics 1999 Sep; 23(1).