Lawrence C. Smith, DVM, MSc, PhD

5 Dec 2017

Contact information

Research interests

  • Epigenetic control of early embryo development
  • Stem cell reprogramming and differentiation
  • Assisted reproductive technologies

Our main field of interest is to investigate the role of epigenetics modifications during early embryogenesis in mammals. Using domestic and laboratory animal models, we have focused our investigations in understanding the consequences of cellular reprogramming on parent-specific genomic imprints in embryos and animals derived by somatic cell nuclear transfer (animal cloning) and induced pluripotent stem cells. Translational research projects have aimed at improving assisted reproductive techniques and in developing methods for the use of pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine.

Members of the laboratory

Bianca de Oliveira Horvath Pereira, Agr.Eng, MSc
PhD student
horvath@usp.br

Fatima Mostefai
PhD student
fmostefai090@gmail.com

Ricardo Perecin Nociti, DVM, MSc, PhD
Postdoc fellow
rnociti@gmail.com

Jacinthe Therrien, BSc, MSc
Research assistant
jacinthe.therrien@umontrelal.ca

Luis M. Aguila Paredes, DMV, PhD
Visiting professor
luis.aguila.paredes@gmail.com

Publications

Christopher Price, PhD

23 Nov 2017

Research interests

  • Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and follicle development
  • Role of mycotoxins in fertility
  • Myokines and ovarian function

Using culture models of ovine and bovine ovarian cells (granulosa, theca and endothelial), we are investigating the role of FGFs in follicle development. Our research has shown that one particular FGF (FGF18) is secreted from capillary endothelial cells in response to TGFB and BMP4, and increases the rate of granulosa cell death. Further, high fecundity Booroola sheep have lower levels of FGF18, showing a unique regulation of fertility by the vasculature.

Mycotoxins are prevalent in animal feed worldwide and impact livestock growth and fertility, particularly pigs. We have demonstrated that a common mycotoxin, DON, negatively affects granulosa cell function in cattle. In cattle, DON is converted to a metabolite (called DOM-1) that is generally considered to be non-toxic, however, our research has shown that DOM-1 seriously reduces theca cell growth and function, and causes follicle regression in vivo. These results show that mycotoxin metabolites may not be as inert as previously believed.

Dairy cattle undergo a period of infertility post-partum owing to the energy drain of lactation, and they mobilize significant stores of fat from adipose tissue. We are looking at the role of hormones secreted by adipose tissue (adipokines) and muscle (myokines) in ovarian function. Irisin is a recently discovered ‘exercise hormone’ secreted by muscle in humans and rodents, and we have found significant mRNA and protein abundance in subcutaneous adipose tissue in cattle. Plasma concentrations of irisin are elevated in cattle post-partum, and irisin increases granulosa cell metabolism but decreases function (estradiol secretion). Theca cells respond differently, as irisin decreases cell metabolism and has no effect on function (androgen secretion). These data suggest that post-partum anestrus in cattle may be exacerbated by irisin secreted from adipose tissue.

Members of the laboratory

Mathilde Daudon, MSc
Étudiante au doctorat
mathilde.daudon@umontreal.ca

El-Arbi Abulghasem, MSc
PhD student
el.abulghasem@gmail.com

Europa Mesa Serrano, MSc
PhD student
europa.meza.serrano@umontreal.ca

Publications

Makoto Nagano, PhD, DVM

23 Nov 2017

Contact information

Research interests

  • Spermatogonial stem cells: Fate decision control
  • Spermatogonial stem cells: Male fertility preservation and restoration for boys and men
  • Technology: Cell separation, Transplantation, Stem cell propagation culture, Drug development

If a 6-year old boy must take cancer chemotherapy and will likely become infertile, no techniques are currently available that help him have genetic children in the future. For adults, sperm-banking is the option but it is not an option for prepubertal and adolescent boys. This is an important quality of life issue to the patient himself, but also to the patient’s family and his future partner. I investigate sperm-producing stem cells (spermatogonial stem cells, SSCs), which exist from the time of birth and throughout life, and critically, these cells provide an irreplaceable resource to preserve fertility of boys and men at any age. We expect that SSCs can be harvested from a patient before therapy, and following cryopreservation, transplanted back to the patient, resulting in the production of his own sperm. This scheme has already been realized in animal models. Why not with humans? This is our research goal.

Our current research focuses on three critical issues in SSC research.

First is to generate a fate map of SSC commitment in mice and humans. We ask, what are the steps of SSCs commitment to differentiation until they lose their stemness, and what occurs during the process? Through these efforts, we eventually want to “see” SSCs with our own eyes, which no one has been able to do since the first SSC concept proposed in 1885. Over several years, we have accumulated the abundance of important data using flow cytometry and the SSC transplantation assay. We can now purify mouse SSCs to the level that has not been reported before without using a transgenic marker gene or modifying cells in any way. We are currently analyzing single cell transcriptome data and hope to report our finding in the near future. A glimpse of this research activity can be seen on a YouTube video.

The second area is to develop novel technologies to increase the SSC homing efficiency after transplantation. We collaborate with developmental biologists, clinical andrologists, and chemical engineers at McGill and have been designing and producing novel compounds in order to allow for more SSCs to engraft and regenerate spermatogenesis after transplantation. We envision that our new approach should make the restoration of male fertility after SSC transplantation more efficient and effective. The animal testing phase is near completion and we plan to move on to preclinical human studies.

The third area of our research is to apply human SSCs to clinical settings, including developing a reliable and reproducible human SSC culture to expand them and assess their genetic and epigenetic integrity during the culture period. We also believe that our first research aim (fate map) is a very essential research process to realize human SSC propagation in vitro, which has not been successful. For this aim, we collaborate with clinicians at the MUHC and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh

The Nagano lab constantly looks for new lab members, the enthusiastic people who are full of curiosity for nature, biology, and the mystery of creatures with whom we cannot share a language. At the level of postdoc, grad students, research assistant, or lab technician.  If you are interested, please email me at makoto.nagano@mcgill.ca.

Members of the laboratory

Sayaka Hansen
Summer Student
sayaka.hansen@mail.mcgill.ca

Youngmin Song, BSc
MSc Student
youngmin.song2@mail.mcgill.ca

Amanda Baumholtz, PhD
Postdoc

Xiangfan Zhang, M.D, BSc
Research assistant

Joelle Desmarais, PhD
Research associate

Liang Ning, M.D
Visiting scholar

Publications

Vilceu Bordignon, DMV, MSc, PhD

23 Nov 2017

Contact information

Research interests

  • Reproductive biology
  • Embryo development
  • Animal biotechnology

Embryo development:

Normal development depends upon the integrity and homeostasis of the few cells, present at the beginning of embryonic life. Embryonic mortality is an important element affecting fertility and production in domestic animal species. Our lab is using porcine and bovine embryos produced in vitro by different protocols (e.g., fertilization, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, nuclear transfer, parthenogenetic activation), to investigate how early stage embryos deal with stressful conditions (e.g., genome damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress) by regulating coping mechanisms that allow them to survive and develop.

Cell reprogramming:

Cell differentiation and reprogramming hold great promise for understanding disease mechanisms and developing cell-based therapies.  Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) into enucleated oocytes was the original method used to confirm that differentiated somatic cells can be completely reprogrammed through a second round of development. We are performing SCNT to investigate cellular and epigenetic reprogramming in porcine and bovine embryos.

Genome editing and creation of pig models for research:

Swine are an ideal animal model for biomedical research since they adequately represent features of human physiology, anatomy, metabolic profile and pathophysiology responses. Consequently, there has been an exponential increase in the use of pigs – particularly miniature pigs – in the study of the underlying mechanisms of human diseases. Our lab is using genome editing tools (CRISPR/Cas system) along with SCNT and in vitro embryo production to create gene-edited pigs that can be used to study development, metabolism and pathophysiology mechanisms.

Members of the laboratory

Renée Duffy
MSc student
renee.duffy@mail.mcgill.ca

Allison Ojero
MSc student
allison.ojero@mail.mcgill.ca

Fernanda Facioli, MSc
PhD student
fernanda.facioli@mail.mcgill.ca

Marc Maserati, MSc
PhD student
marc.maserati@mail.mcgill.ca

Mariana Priotto de Macedo, MSc
PhD student
mariana.priottodemacedo@mail.mcgill.ca

Luke Currin, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher
luke.currin@mail.mcgill.ca

Zigomar da Silva, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher
zigomar.dasilva@mail.mcgill.ca

Vanessa Guay, MSc
Research assistant
vanessa.guay2@mail.mcgill.ca

Hernan Baldassarre
Research associate
hernan.baldassarre@mcgill.ca

Publications

Jocelyn Dubuc, DVM, MSc, DVSc

13 Oct 2017

Contact information

Research interests

  • Reproductive management of dairy herds
  • Metabolic and reproductive tract diseases in postpartum dairy cows
  • Observational and controlled field studies conducted on commercial dairy farms

I work as a professor in bovine population medicine at the bovine ambulatory clinic of the Université de Montréal in St-Hyacinthe (Qc). My work duties include veterinary clinical work of preventive medicine on commercial dairy farms, teaching to undergraduate and graduate students, and applied field research. My main interests in research are on reproduction management and on health management during the peripartum period.

In our lab, we have the ability to perform large-scale field studies at the cow and herd levels. For examples, we conducted multiple herd-level studies in which we recruited 100 dairy herds or more to determine the prevalence of various diseases. Such studies usually involve between 2,000 and 4,000 cows. One example of such studies is presented in this paper.

We also develop and validate various diagnostic tests for postpartum reproductive tract diseases such as purulent vaginal discharge, cytological endometritis and leukocyte esterase endometritis. Once validated, we use these tests in large-scale epidemiological studies to determine the prevalence of disease, risk factors and impacts. We can also perform randomized clinical trials to quantify the treatment efficacy against these diseases. Here is an example of such studies: Randomized clinical trial of intrauterine cephapirin infusion in dairy cows for the treatment of purulent vaginal discharge and cytological endometritis.

In the field of reproductive management of dairy herds, we work to develop tools and approaches for farmers in order to improve the reproductive performance of their dairy herd. For example, we are currently working on the validation of a pregnancy diagnostic test than can be done in cows as soon as 20 days after the last insemination and that uses a color-flow doppler ultrasonography technology. Other projects focus on increasing the insemination rate of dairy herds such as developing breeding strategies for cows diagnosed non-pregnant at pregnancy diagnosis.

We welcome any students or researchers to contact us for further information about our research projects or for enrolling in one of our available education programs.

Members of the laboratory

Anne-Michelle Ward, BSc
MSc student
anne-michelle.ward@umontreal.ca

Jairo Penagos Wilches, DVM
MSc student
jairo.alberto.penagos.wilches@umontreal.ca

Maria Puerto Parada, DVM, MSc
PhD student
maria.puerto@umontreal.ca

Nicolas Barbeau-Grégoire, BSc, MSc
PhD student
nicolas.barbeau-gregoire@umontreal.ca

Jean-Philippe Pelletier
Animal health technician
jean-philippe.pelletier.4@umontreal.ca

Publications

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