Members

Konstantinos Zarbalis
Associate Investigator, Shriners Hospitals for Children
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UCD SOM
2425 Stockton Blvd, Room 671, Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 453-2189
kzarbalis (at) ucdavis.edu
Education
- Postdoctoral Training, Developmental Neurobiology, UCSF
- PhD, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Technical University Munich, Germany
- MS, Biology, Technical University Munich, Germany
Research Interests
Our work focuses on the processes that guide the development of the brain and craniofacial skeleton and use this insight to expand our understanding of neurodevelopmental and craniofacial disorders. Our goal is to use knowledge gained into the mechanisms underlying these disorders to develop better diagnostic tools, preventive measures, and pathways to intervention.
Current work focuses on three main areas. First, investigating the mechanisms by which the autophagy and autism risk factor WDFY3 regulates the development of the brain by orchestrating neuronal migration and connectivity. Second, to research the interface between ribosomopathies and neurocristopathies and resulting birth defects, such as facial clefts. We are particularly interested on how possibly unique requirements of neural crest cells disproportionally affect craniofacial structures if ubiquitous ribosome biosynthesis is impaired. Third, we are conducting work on the role that maternal micronutrient supply during pregnancy may play in cerebral cortical development and how inadequate supply may precipitate neurodevelopmental disorders.
* equal contribution
TITLE | AUTHOR(s) | YEAR | DOWNLOAD |
Pathogenic WDFY3 variants cause neurodevelopmental disorders associated with macro- and microcephaly. Brain (2019). doi:10.1093/brain/awz198. | Le Duc D., Giulivi C., Hiatt S. M., Napoli E., Panoutsopoulos A., De Crescenzo A., Kotzaeridou U., Syrbe S., Anagnostou E., Azage M., Bend R., Begtrup A., Brown N. J., Büttner B., Cho M., Cooper M., Doering J. H., Dubourg C., Everman D. B., Hildebrand M. S., SantoS F. J. R., Kellam B., Keller-Ramey J., Lemke J. R., Liu S., Niyazov D., Payne K., Person R., Quélin C., Roberts W., Schnur R. E., Smith B. T. , Strober J., Szatmari P., Walker S., Wallis M., Walsh L., YangS., Yuen R., Ziegler A., Sticht H., Pride M. C., Orosco L., Martínez-Cerdeño V., Silverman J. Crawley J. N., Scherer S. W., Zarbalis K. S.*, Jamra R.* | 2019 | HTML |
Beyond autophagy: novel role of the autism-linked Wdfy3 gene in brain mitophagy. Sci Rep. (2018) Jul 27;8(1):11348. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29421-7. | Napoli E., Song G., Panoutsopoulos A., Riyadh M. A., Kaushik G., Halmai J., Levenson R., Zarbalis K. S.*, Giulivi C.* | 2018 | HTML |
Lipid-based DNA/siRNA transfection agents disrupt neuronal bioenergetics and mitophagy. Biochem J. (2017) pii: BCJ20170632. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20170632. | Napoli E., Liu S., Marsilio I., Zarbalis K., Giulivi C. | 2017 | HTML |
Germline Chd8 haploinsufficiency alters brain development in mouse. Nat. Neuro. (2017). doi: 10.1038/nn.4592. | Gompers A. S., Su-Feher L., Ellegood J., Copping N. A, Riyadh M. A., Stradleigh T. W., Pride M. C. Schaffler M. D., Wade A. A, Catta-Preta R., Zdilar I., Louis S., Kaushik G., Mannion B., Plajzer-Frick I., Afzal V., Visel A., Pennacchio L., Dickel D., Lerch J. P., Crawley J. N., Zarbalis K. S., Silverman J. L., Nord A. S. | 2017 | HTML |
Autophagy-linked FYVE containing protein Wdfy3 interacts with TRAF6 and modulates RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. J Autoimmun. 2016 Sep;73:73-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2016.06.004. | Wu D., Gu R., Sarin R., Zavodovskaya R., Chen C-P., Christiansen, B. A., Zarbalis K. S., Adamopoulos I. E. | 2016 | HTML |
Maternal exposure to carbamazepine at environmental concentrations can cross intestinal and placental barriers. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 474(2):291-5 (2016). doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.04.088. | Kaushik G., Huber D. P., Aho K., Finney B., Bearden S., Zarbalis K. S. Thomas M. A.: | 2016 | HTML |
Prenatal neurogenesis in autism spectrum disorders. Front. Chem. 4 (2016). doi: 10.3389/fchem.2016.00012 | Kaushik G., Zarbalis K. S.: | 2016 | HTML |
The subventricular zone continues to generate corpus callosum and rostral migratory stream astroglia in normal adult mice. J. Neurosci. 35(9) (2015) 3756-3763. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3454-14.2015. | Sohn J., Orosco L. A., Guo F., Chung S. H., Bannerman P., Mills Ko E., Zarbalis K. S., Deng W., Pleasure D. | 2015 | HTML |
Loss of Wdfy3 in mice alters cerebral cortical neurogenesis reflecting aspects of the autism pathology. Nat. Commun. 5:4692. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5692. (2014). | Orosco L. A., Ross A. P., Cates S. L, Scott S. E., Wu D., Sohn J., Pleasure D., Pleasure S. J., Adamopoulos I. E., Zarbalis K. S. | 2014 | HTML |
Il-17A induces bone destruction and epidermal hyperplasia associated with psoriatic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204782 (2014). | Adamopoulos I. E., Suzuki E., Chao C., Gorman D., Shin H., Laface D., Maverakis E., Zarbalis K. S., Geissler R., Gershwin M. E., Bowman E. P. | 2014 | HTML |
Neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells require Wnt signaling for their development and drive invagination of the telencephalic midline. PLoS One 9(2): e86025 (2014). | Youngshik C., Zarbalis K. S., Pleasure S. J. | 2014 | HTML |
The emerging roles of ribosome biogenesis in craniofacial development. Front. Physiol. 5:26. (2014). | Ross A. P., Zarbalis K. S. | 2014 | HTML |
A mutation in mouse Pak1ip1 causes orofacial clefting while human PAK1IP1 maps to 6p24 translocation breaking points associated with orofacial clefting. PLoS One 8(7): e69333 (2013). | Ross A., Mansilla M. A., Youngshik C., Helminski S., Maute R. L., May S. R., Hozyasz K. K., Wójcicki P., Mostowska A., Davidson B., Adamopoulos I. E., Pleasure S. J., Murray J.C., Zarbalis K. S. | 2013 | HTML |
PEDF is a novel oligodendrogenic morphogen acting on the adult SVZ and corpus callosum. J. Neurosci. (2012), in press. | Sohn J., Selvaraj V., Wakayama K., Orosco L. A., Lee E., Guo F., Horiuchi M., Zarbalis K., Itoh T., Deng W., Pleasure D. | 2012 | |
Meningeal defects alter the tangential migration of cortical interneurons in Foxc1hith/hith mice. Neural Development 7:2 (2012). | Zarbalis K., Choe, Y., Siegenthaler J. A., Orosco L. A., Pleasure S. J. | 2012 | HTML |
A mutation in the pericentrin gene causes abnormal interneuron migration to the olfactory bulb in mice. Dev. Biol. 340 (2010) 41-53. | Endoh-Yamagami S., Karkar K. M., May S. R., Cobos I., Thwin M. T., Long J. E., Ashique A. A., Zarbalis K., John L.R. Rubenstein, Andrew S. Peterson. | 2010 | HTML |
Extracellular Engrailed participates in the topographic guidance of retinal axons in vivo. Neuron 64 (2009) 355-366. | Wizenmann A., Brunet I., Lam J., Sonnier L., Beurdeley M., Zarbalis K., Weisenhorn-Vogt D., Weinl C., Dwivedy A., Joliot A., Holt C., Wurst W., Prochiantz A. | 2009 | HTML |
Retinoic acid from the meninges regulates cortical neuron generation. Cell 139 (2009) 597-609. | Siegenthaler J. A., Ashique A. M.*, Zarbalis K.*, Patterson K. P., Hecht J. H., Kane M. A., Folias A. E., Choe Y., May S. R., Kume T., Napoli J. L., Peterson A. S., Pleasure S. J. | 2009 | HTML |
Cortical dysplasia and skull defects in mice with a novel Foxc1 allele reveal the role of meningeal differentiation in regulating cortical development. PNAS 104 (2007) 14002–14007. | Zarbalis K.*, Siegenthaler J. A.*, Choe Y., May S. R., Peterson A. S., Pleasure S. J. | 2007 | HTML |
EphA-Ephrin-A-mediated beta cell communication regulates insulin secretion from pancreatic islets. Cell 129 (2007) 359-370. | Konstantinova I., Nikolova G., Ohara-Imaizumi M., Meda P., Kucera T., Zarbalis K., Wurst W., Nagamatsu S., Lammert E. | 2007 | HTML |
The tumour-suppressor Scribble dictates cell polarity during directed epithelial migration: regulation of Rho GTPase recruitment to the leading edge. Oncogene 26 (2007) 2272-2282 [with correction in 26 (2007) 5692]. | Dow L. E., Kauffman J. S., Caddy J., Zarbalis K., Peterson A. S., Jane S. M., Russell S. M., Humbert P. O. | 2007 | HTML |
Loss of the retrograde motor for IFT disrupts localization of Smo to cilia and prevents the expression of both activator and repressor functions of Gli. Dev Biol. 287 (2005) 378-89. | May S. R., Ashique A. M., Karlenc M., Wang B., Shen Y., Zarbalis K., Reiter J., Ericson J., Peterson A. S. | 2005 | HTML |
A focused and efficient genetic screening strategy in the mouse: Identification of mutations that disrupt cortical development. PLoS Biology 2 (2004) 1177-1187. | Zarbalis, K.*, May, R. S.*, Shen, Y., Ekker, M., Rubenstein, J. L. R., Peterson, A. | 2004 | HTML |
Multiple roles of ephrins during the formation of thalamocortical projections: Maps and more. J. Neurobiol. 59 (2004) 82-94. | Bolz, J., Mühlfriedel, S., Güllmar, A., Peuckert, C., Zarbalis, K., Wurst, W., Masaaki, T., Levitt, P. | 2004 | HTML |
Miswiring of limbic thalamocortical projections in the absence of ephrin-A5. J. Neurosci. 22 (2002) 9352-9357. | Uziel D., Mühlfriedel S., Zarbalis K., Wurst W., Levitt P., Bolz J. | 2002 | HTML |
A role for the EphA family in the topographic targeting of vomeronasal axons. Development 128 (2001) 895-906. | Knöll B.*, Zarbalis K.*, Wurst W., Drescher U. | 2001 | HTML |
Expression domains of murine ephrin-A5 in the pituitary and hypothalamus. Mech. Dev. 93 (2000) 165-168. | Zarbalis K. and Wurst W. | 2000 | HTML |