Lab presentation
During animal development, the differentiation of cells, tissues and organs is tightly regulated through specific gene expression programs. Our group is particularly interested in studying the transcriptional and cell signaling mechanisms responsible for this control.
Using Drosophila as a model system, we have been dissecting the activities of repressor and co-repressor factors, as well as the responses induced by receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways during pattern formation and differentiation. One emerging theme has been the identification of the Capicua transcriptional repressor as a general sensor targeted by multiple RTK-initiated signals. Because the molecules and pathways that we study are conserved in evolution, our results have direct implications for human biology and disease.
To find out more about our lab, please visit also my ICREA website
Projects
Molecular analysis of Capicua, an RTK signaling sensor. The RTK-Ras-Erk signaling pathway regulates a myriad of cellular and developmental processes and is the most frequently mutated signaling pathway in human cancer. Using Drosophila as a model system, we are studying how RTK signaling directs specific gene responses in the nucleus. We have found that the HMG-box protein Capicua (Cic) is an important mediator of such responses. Cic acts antagonistically to RTK signaling in a relatively simple switch: in the absence of signaling, Cic represses RTK-induced targets, whereas RTK activation causes Cic downregulation and derepression of its targets. Importantly, Cic is similarly regulated by RTK signaling in mammals and has been implicated in human neurodegeneration and in various forms of cancer, where it behaves as a tumor suppressor. Recently, we have found that Cic employs a new mode of DNA binding that distinguishes it from other HMG-box factors and explains its mutation patterns in cancer
Transcriptional regulation in Drosophila embryonic patterning. Precise spatio-temporal control of gene expression is at the heart of animal development. We are interested in the mechanisms and factors that mediate this control during Drosophila development. In particular, we have studied several tiers of transcriptional regulation for the establishment and patterning of the Drosophila anteroposterior and dorsoventral embryonic axes, including a mechanism in which binding of Cic to distinct DNA sites controls the simultaneous spatial subdivision of both axes.
Function and specificity of transcriptional corepressors. We also have a long-term interest in eukaryotic transcriptional repression and corepressors. Corepressors usually serve as a link between DNA binding transcriptional repressors and the actual downstream mechanisms leading to transcriptional repression, such as chromatin compaction. However, what dictates the specificity of corepressors –their involvement in one particular regulatory context or another– is not well understood in most cases. We are addressing this question by studying the activities of two conserved corepressors, Groucho/TLE and Atrophin.
Lab people
Gerardo Jiménez
Principal investigator
Gerardo Jiménez is an ICREA Research Professor. He graduated in Biology from the University of Barcelona and obtained his PhD in 1993 for work carried out in the laboratories of Tariq Enver and Mel Greaves at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of David Ish-Horowicz at Cancer Research UK, in Oxford and in London. Since then, his research has centered on the molecular mechanisms and pathways that regulate gene expression during animal development. He is head of the Gene expression and signaling laboratory since 2002.
Sergio González-Crespo
Dolores Cortés
Laura Rodríguez
Clàudia Lagares
Sofía Gómez
Past students
Marta Forés
Aikaterini Papagianni
María José Andreu
Leiore Ajuría
Emma Cervera Tena
Selected publications
Capicua controls Toll/IL-1 signaling targets independently of RTK regulation
Papagianni A, Forés M, Shao W, He S, Koenecke N, Andreu MJ, Samper N, Paroush Z, González-Crespo S, Zeitlinger J, Jiménez G.
Proc Natl Acad Sci PNAS USA 2018, 115, 1807-1812. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1713930115
Inactivation of Capicua in adult mice causes T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma
Simón-Carrasco L, Graña O, Salmón M, Jacob HKC, Gutierrez A, Jiménez G, Drosten M, Barbacid M.
Genes Development 2017, 31, 1456-1468. doi: 10.1101/gad.300244.117
A new mode of DNA binding distinguishes Capicua from other HMG-box factors and explains its mutation patterns in cancer
Forés M, Simón-Carrasco L, Ajuria L, Samper N, González-Crespo S, Drosten M, Barbacid M, Jiménez G.
PLOS Genetics 2017, 11, e1006622. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006622
Minibrain and Wings apart control organ growth and tissue patterning through down-regulation of Capicua
Yang L, Paul S, Trieu KG, Dent LG, Froldi F, Forés M, Webster K, Siegfried KR, Kondo S, Harvey K, Cheng L, Jiménez G, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A
Proc Natl Acad Sci PNAS USA 2017, 113, 10583-10588. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1609417113
EGFR/Ras signaling controls Drosophila intestinal stem cell proliferation via Capicua-regulated genes
Jin Y, Ha N, Forés M, Xiang J, Glaßër C, Maldera J, Jiménez G, Edgar BA.
PLOS Genetics 2015, 11, e1005634. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005634
Origins of context-dependent gene repression by Capicua
Forés M, Ajuria L, Samper N, Astigarraga S, Nieva C, Grossman R, González-Crespo S, Paroush Z, Jiménez G.
PLOS Genetics 2015, 11, e1004902. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004902
Kinetics of gene derepression by ERK signaling
Lim B, Samper N, Lu H, Rushlow C, Jiménez* G, Shvartsman* SY.
Proc Natl Acad Sci PNAS USA 2013, 110, 10330-10335. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1303635110
Mirror represses pipe expression in follicle cells to initiate dorsoventral axis formation in Drosophila
Andreu MJ, González-Pérez E, Ajuria L, Samper N, González-Crespo S, Campuzano S, Jiménez G. Development 2012, 139, 1110-1114. doi: 10.1242/dev.076562
The Capicua repressor – a general sensor of RTK signaling in development and disease
Jiménez G, Shvartsman S, Paroush Z.
Journal of Cell Science 2012, 125, 1383-1391. doi: 10.1242/jcs.092965
Capicua DNA-binding sites are general response elements for RTK signaling in Drosophila
Ajuria L, Nieva C, Winkler C, Kuo D, Samper N, Andreu MJ, Helman A, González-Crespo S, Paroush Z, Courey AJ, Jiménez G.
Development 2011, 138, 915-924. doi: 10.1242/dev.057729
Phosphorylation of Groucho mediates RTK feddback inhibition and prolonged pathway target gene expression
Helman A, Cinnamon E, Mezuman S, Hayouka Z, von Ohlen T, Orian, A, Jiménez G., Paroush Z. Current Biology 2011, 21, 1102-1110. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.05.043
Substrate-dependent control of MAPK phosphorylation in vivo
Kim Y, Paroush Z, Nairz K, Hafen E, Jiménez* G, Shvartsman* SY.
Molecular Systems Biology 2011, 7, article number 467. doi: 10.1038/msb.2010.121
A MAPK docking site is critical for downregulation of Capicua by Torso and EGFR RTK signaling
Astigarraga S, Grossman R, Díaz-Delfín J, Caelles C, Paroush Z, Jiménez G.
The EMBO Journal 2007, 26, 668-677. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7601532
The Tailless nuclear receptor acts as a dedicated repressor in the early Drosophila embryo
Morán E, Jiménez G.
Molecular and Cellular Biology 2006, 26, 3446-3454. doi: 10.1128/MCB.26.9.3446-3454.2006
All publications
Capicua controls Toll/IL-1 signaling targets independently of RTK regulation
Papagianni A, Forés M, Shao W, He S, Koenecke N, Andreu MJ, Samper N, Paroush Z, González-Crespo S, Zeitlinger J, Jiménez G.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2018, 115, 1807-1812.
The Capicua tumor suppressor: a gatekeeper of Ras signaling in development and cancer
Simón-Carrasco L, Jiménez G, Barbacid M, Drosten M.
Cell Cycle 2018, 17, 702-711.
Inactivation of Capicua in adult mice causes T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma
Simón-Carrasco L, Graña O, Salmón M, Jacob HKC, Gutierrez A, Jiménez G, Drosten M, Barbacid M.
Genes Dev 2017, 31, 1456-1468.
A new mode of DNA binding distinguishes Capicua from other HMG-box factors and explains its mutation patterns in cancer
Forés M, Simón-Carrasco L, Ajuria L, Samper N, González-Crespo S, Drosten M, Barbacid M, Jiménez G.
PLOS Genet 2017, 11, e1006622.
ERK Signaling: Methods and Protocols
Jiménez G (ed)
Methods in Molecular Biology, Springer, New York, 2017.
Using CRISPR-Cas9 to study ERK signaling in Drosophila
Forés M., Papagianni A, Rodríguez-Muñoz L, Jiménez G.
Methods Mol Biol 2017, 1487, 353-365.
Minibrain and Wings apart control organ growth and tissue patterning through downregulation of Capicua
Yang L, Sayantanee P, Trieu KG, Dent LG, Froldi F, Forés M, Webster K, Siegfried KR, Kondo S, Harvey K, Cheng LY, Jiménez G, Shvartsman SY, Veraksa A.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016, 113, 10583-10588.
A systematic ensemble approach to thermodynamic modeling of gene expression from sequence data
Samee MAH, Lim B, Samper N, Lu H, Rushlow CA, Jiménez G, Shvartsman SY, Sinha S.
Cell Syst 2015, 1, 396-407.
EGFR/Ras signaling controls Drosophila intestinal stem cell proliferation via Capicua-regulated genes
Jin Y, Ha N, Forés M, Xiang J, Gläβer C, Maldera J, Jiménez G, Edgar BA.
PLOS Genet 2015, 11, e1005634.
Origins of context-dependent gene repression by Capicua
Forés M, Ajuria L, Samper N, Astigarraga S, Nieva C, Grossman R, González-Crespo S, Paroush Z, Jiménez G.
PLOS Genet 2015, 11, e1004902.
Kinetics of gene derepression by ERK signaling
Lim B, Samper N, Lu H, Rushlow C, Jiménez* G, Shvartsman* SY.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2013, 110, 10330-10335.
EGFR-dependent downregulation of Capicua and the establishment of Drosophila dorsoventral polarity
Andreu MJ, Ajuria L, Samper N, González-Pérez E, Campuzano S, González-Crespo S, Jiménez G.
Fly (Austin) 2012, 6, 234-239.
Mirror represses pipe expression in follicle cells to initiate dorsoventral axis formation in Drosophila
Andreu MJ, González-Pérez E, Ajuria L, Samper N, González-Crespo S, Campuzano S, Jiménez G.
Development 2012, 139, 1110-1114.
The Capicua repressor – a general sensor of RTK signaling in development and disease
Jiménez G, Shvartsman SY, Paroush Z.
J Cell Sci 2012, 125, 1383-1391.
RTK signaling modulates the Dorsal gradient
Helman A, Lim B, Andreu MJ, Kim Y, Shestkin T, Lu H, Jiménez G, Shvartsman SY, Paroush Z.
Development 2012, 139, 3032-3039.
Phosphorylation of Groucho mediates RTK feedback inhibition and prolonged pathway target gene expression
Helman A, Cinnamon E, Mezuman S, Hayouka Z, Von Ohlen T, Orian A, Jiménez G, Paroush Z.
Curr Biol 2011, 21, 1102-1110.
Gene regulation by MAPK substrate competition
Kim Y, Andreu MJ, Lim B, Chung K, Terayama M, Jiménez G, Berg CA, Lu H, Shvartsman SY.
Dev Cell 2011, 20, 880-887.
Capicua DNA-binding sites are general response elements for RTK signaling in Drosophila
Ajuria L, Nieva C, Winkler C, Kuo D, Samper N, Andreu MJ, Helman A, González-Crespo S, Paroush Z, Courey AJ, Jiménez, G.
Development 2011, 138, 915-924.
Substrate- dependent control of MAPK phosphorylation in vivo
Kim Y, Paroush Z, Nairz K, Hafen E, Jiménez* G, Shvartsman* SY.
Mol Syst Biol 2011, 7, article number 467.
MAPK substrate competition integrates patterning signals in the Drosophila embryo
Kim Y, Coppey M, Grossman R, Ajuria L, Jiménez G, Paroush Z and Shvartsman SY.
Curr Biol 2010, 20, 446-451.
Multiple RTK pathways downregulate Groucho-mediated repression in Drosophila embryogenesis
Cinnamon E, Helman A, Ben-Haroush Schyr R, Orian A, Jiménez G, Paroush Z.
Development 2008, 135, 829-837.
A MAPK docking site is critical for downregulation of Capicua by Torso and EGFR RTK signaling
Astigarraga S, Grossman R, Díaz-Delfín J, Caelles C, Paroush Z, Jiménez G.
EMBO J 2007, 26, 668-677.
The Tailless nuclear receptor acts as a dedicated repressor in the early Drosophila embryo
Morán E, Jiménez G.
Mol Cell Biol 2006, 26, 3446-3454.
The ε-subunit of ATP synthase is required for normal spindle orientation during the Drosophila embryonic divisions
Kidd T, Abu-Shumays R, Katzen A, Sisson JC, Jiménez G, Pinchin S, Sullivan W, Ish-Horowicz D.
Genetics 2005, 170, 697-708.
Capicua integrates input from two maternal systems in Drosophila terminal patterning
Cinnamon E, Gur-Wahnon D, Helman A, St Johnston D, Jiménez G, Paroush Z.
EMBO J 2004, 23, 4571-4582.
EGFR signalling inhibits Capicua-dependent repression during specification of Drosophila wing veins
Roch F, Jiménez G, Casanova J.
Development 2002, 129, 993-1002.
Cell surface proteins Nasrat and Polehole stabilize the Torso-like extracellular determinant in Drosophila oogenesis
Jiménez G, González-Reyes A, Casanova J.
Genes Dev 2002, 16, 913-918.
Relief of gene repression by Torso RTK signaling: role of capicua in Drosophila terminal and dorsoventral patterning
Jiménez G, Guichet A, Ephrussi A, Casanova J.
Genes Dev 2000, 14, 224-231.
Transcriptional repression by Pax5 (BSAP) through interaction with corepressors of the Groucho family
Eberhard D, Jiménez G, Heavy B, Busslinger M.
EMBO J 2000, 19, 2292-2303.
Huckebein repressor activity in Drosophila terminal patterning is mediated by Groucho
Goldstein RE, Jiménez G, Cook O, Gur D, Paroush Z.
Development 1999, 126, 3747-3755.
A conserved motif in Goosecoid mediates Groucho-dependent repression in Drosophila embryos
Jiménez G, Verrijzer CP, Ish-Horowicz D.
Mol Cell Biol 1999, 19, 2080-2087.
Groucho acts as a corepressor for a subset of negative regulators, including Hairy and Engrailed
Jiménez G, Paroush Z, Ish-Horowicz D.
Genes Dev 1997, 11, 3072-3082.
A chimeric Enhancer-of-split transcriptional activator drives neural development and achaete-scute expression
Jiménez G, Ish-Horowicz D.
Mol Cell Biol 1997, 17, 4355-4362.
In vivo interactions of the Drosophila Hairy and Runt transcriptional repressors with target promoters
Jiménez G, Pinchin SM, Ish-Horowicz D.
EMBO J 1996, 15, 7088-7098.
Analysis of the developmental and transcriptional potentiation functions of 5’HS2 of the murine β-globin locus control region in transgenic mice
Enver T, Li Q, Gale KB, Hu M, May GE, Karlinsey JE, Jiménez G, Papayannopoulou T, Costantini F.
Dev Biol 1994, 165, 574-584.
Multiple changes in chromatin structure precede the transcriptional activation of the human growth hormone locus in placental cells
Jiménez G, Ford AM, Enver T, Boronat A.
Mol Cell Endocrinol 1993, 96, 53-60.
Activation of the β-globin locus control region precedes commitment to the erythroid lineage
Jiménez G, Griffiths S, Ford AM, Greaves MF, Enver T.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1992, 89, 10618-10622.
The mouse β-globin locus control region: hypersensitive sites 3 and 4
Jiménez G, Gale KB, Enver T.
Nucleic Acids Res 1992, 20, 5797-5803.
SphI RFLP at the human growth hormone gene cluster
Jiménez G, Ford AM, Boronat A.
Nucleic Acids Res 1992, 20, 1169.
Project funding
2018-2020
Transcriptional interpretation of RTK signaling
Funded by the Spanish Government (Ref. BFU2017-87244-P)
Role: PI
Proyecto BFU2017-87244-P financiado por:
2018-2020
Chromatin and gene expression
Funded by the Catalan Government (Ref. 2017 SGR 475)
Role: Co-PI
2015-2017
Transcriptional regulation by RTK signaling
Funded by the Spanish Government (Ref. BFU2014-52863-P)
Role: PI
2013-2016
Molecular analysis of Capicua, a novel tumor suppressor involved in RTK signaling and transcriptional repression
Funded by the Marató de TV3 (Ref. 20131730)
Role: Co-PI and Coordinator
2003-2014
Four consecutive projects funded by the Spanish Government
Role: PI
Vacancies/Jobs
We welcome enquiries from prospective undergraduate students, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Please contact us by e-mail (gjcbmc@ibmb.csic.es).
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