Victor R Ambros PHD
Title Professor
Institution University of Massachusetts Medical School
Department Program in Molecular Medicine
Address University of Massachusetts Medical School
373 Plantation Street
Worcester MA 01605
Telephone 508-856-6380
Email
Other Positions
Institution UMMS - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Department Bioinformatics & Computational Biology

Institution UMMS - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Department Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

Institution UMMS - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Department MD/PhD Program

Institution UMMS - Programs, Centers and Institutes
Department Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology

Institution UMMS - Programs, Centers and Institutes
Department RNA Therapeutics Institute
Narrative

Biography

Victor Ambros grew up in Vermont and graduated from MIT in 1975. He did his graduate research (1976-1979) with David Baltimore at MIT, studying poliovirus genome structure and replication. He began to study the genetic pathways controlling developmental timing in the nematode C. elegans as a postdoc in H. Robert Horvitz's lab at MIT, and continued those studies while on the faculty of Harvard (1984-1992), Dartmouth (1992-2007), and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (2008-present).  In 1993, members of the Ambros lab identified the first microRNA, the product of lin-4, a heterochronic gene of C. elegans. Since then, the role of microRNAs in development has been a major focus of his research.

Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences, Co-Director RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI)

Ambros Lab Web Page

 

Molecular and genetic control of animal development; microRNA regulatory mechanisms

We are interested in the genetic regulatory mechanisms that control animal development, and in particular the molecules that function during animal development to ensure the proper timing of developmental events. We have primarily employed the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for studying the function of regulators of developmental timing, which in C. elegans are known as the “heterochronic genes”, in  reference to the remarkable changes in relative timing of developmental event that are elicited by mutations in these genes. The heterochronic genes comprise a set of interrelated regulatory pathways that include proteins that regulate the transcription of other genes, and also a class of small RNA, known as microRNAs, that regulate the production of protein by the messenger RNAs of specific target genes. Much of our research in recent years has been aimed at understanding how microRNAs are integrated into broader regulatory networks related to animal development and human disease, and at uncovering the molecular mechanisms for how microRNAs exert their effects on gene expression. 

Victor's Worms

Publications
1. Zou Y, Chiu H, Zinovyeva A, Ambros V, Chuang CF, Chang C. Developmental decline in neuronal regeneration by the progressive change of two intrinsic timers. Science. 2013 Apr 19; 340(6130):372-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
2. Bossé GD, Rüegger S, Ow MC, Vasquez-Rifo A, Rondeau EL, Ambros VR, Großhans H, Simard MJ. The Decapping Scavenger Enzyme DCS-1 Controls MicroRNA Levels in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Cell. 2013 Apr 25; 50(2):281-7.
  View in: PubMed
 
3. Karp X, Ambros V. Dauer larva quiescence alters the circuitry of microRNA pathways regulating cell fate progression in C. elegans. Development. 2012 Jun; 139(12):2177-86.
  View in: PubMed
 
4. McManus DD, Ambros V. Circulating MicroRNAs in cardiovascular disease. Circulation. 2011 Nov 1; 124(18):1908-10.
  View in: PubMed
 
5. Ambros V. MicroRNAs and developmental timing. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2011 Aug; 21(4):511-7.
  View in: PubMed
 
6. Karp X, Hammell M, Ow MC, Ambros V. Effect of life history on microRNA expression during C. elegans development. RNA. 2011 Apr; 17(4):639-51.
  View in: PubMed
 
7. Karp X, Ambros V. The Developmental Timing Regulator hbl-1 Modulates the Dauer Formation Decision in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 2011 Jan; 187(1):345-53.
  View in: PubMed
 
8. Ambros V. MicroRNAs: genetically sensitized worms reveal new secrets. Curr Biol. 2010 Jul 27; 20(14):R598-600.
  View in: PubMed
 
9. Zheng G, Ambros V, Li WH. Inhibiting miRNA in Caenorhabditis elegans using a potent and selective antisense reagent. Silence. 2010; 1(1):9.
  View in: PubMed
 
10. Ambros V. In the tradition of science: an interview with Victor Ambros. PLoS Genet. 2010; 6(3):e1000853.
  View in: PubMed
 
11. Ambros V. pRB/CKI pathways at the interface of cell cycle and development. Cell Cycle. 2009 Nov 1; 8(21):3433-4.
  View in: PubMed
 
12. Hammell CM, Karp X, Ambros V. A feedback circuit involving let-7-family miRNAs and DAF-12 integrates environmental signals and developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Nov 3; 106(44):18668-73.
  View in: PubMed
 
13. Hong X, Hammell M, Ambros V, Cohen SM. Immunopurification of Ago1 miRNPs selects for a distinct class of microRNA targets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Sep 1; 106(35):15085-90.
  View in: PubMed
 
14. Zhang L, Hammell M, Kudlow BA, Ambros V, Han M. Systematic analysis of dynamic miRNA-target interactions during C. elegans development. Development. 2009 Sep; 136(18):3043-55.
  View in: PubMed
 
15. Hammell CM, Lubin I, Boag PR, Blackwell TK, Ambros V. nhl-2 Modulates microRNA activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell. 2009 Mar 6; 136(5):926-38.
  View in: PubMed
 
16. Martinez NJ, Ow MC, Reece-Hoyes JS, Barrasa MI, Ambros VR, Walhout AJ. Genome-scale spatiotemporal analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans microRNA promoter activity. Genome Res. 2008 Dec; 18(12):2005-15.
  View in: PubMed
 
17. Ambros V. The evolution of our thinking about microRNAs. Nat Med. 2008 Oct; 14(10):1036-40.
  View in: PubMed
 
18. Ow MC, Martinez NJ, Olsen PH, Silverman HS, Barrasa MI, Conradt B, Walhout AJ, Ambros V. The FLYWCH transcription factors FLH-1, FLH-2, and FLH-3 repress embryonic expression of microRNA genes in C. elegans. Genes Dev. 2008 Sep 15; 22(18):2520-34.
  View in: PubMed
 
19. Martinez NJ, Ow MC, Barrasa MI, Hammell M, Sequerra R, Doucette-Stamm L, Roth FP, Ambros VR, Walhout AJ. A C. elegans genome-scale microRNA network contains composite feedback motifs with high flux capacity. Genes Dev. 2008 Sep 15; 22(18):2535-49.
  View in: PubMed
 
20. Hammell M, Long D, Zhang L, Lee A, Carmack CS, Han M, Ding Y, Ambros V. mirWIP: microRNA target prediction based on microRNA-containing ribonucleoprotein-enriched transcripts. Nat Methods. 2008 Sep; 5(9):813-9.
  View in: PubMed
 
21. Sokol NS, Xu P, Jan YN, Ambros V. Drosophila let-7 microRNA is required for remodeling of the neuromusculature during metamorphosis. Genes Dev. 2008 Jun 15; 22(12):1591-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
22. Miska EA, Alvarez-Saavedra E, Abbott AL, Lau NC, Hellman AB, McGonagle SM, Bartel DP, Ambros VR, Horvitz HR. Most Caenorhabditis elegans microRNAs are individually not essential for development or viability. PLoS Genet. 2007 Dec; 3(12):e215.
  View in: PubMed
 
23. Hinas A, Reimegård J, Wagner EG, Nellen W, Ambros VR, Söderbom F. The small RNA repertoire of Dictyostelium discoideum and its regulation by components of the RNAi pathway. Nucleic Acids Res. 2007; 35(20):6714-26.
  View in: PubMed
 
24. Ambros V, Chen X. The regulation of genes and genomes by small RNAs. Development. 2007 May; 134(9):1635-41.
  View in: PubMed
 
25. Long D, Lee R, Williams P, Chan CY, Ambros V, Ding Y. Potent effect of target structure on microRNA function. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2007 Apr; 14(4):287-94.
  View in: PubMed
 
26. Gaur A, Jewell DA, Liang Y, Ridzon D, Moore JH, Chen C, Ambros VR, Israel MA. Characterization of microRNA expression levels and their biological correlates in human cancer cell lines. Cancer Res. 2007 Mar 15; 67(6):2456-68.
  View in: PubMed
 
27. Ambros V. The 2007 George W. Beadle Medal. Robert K. Herman. Genetics. 2007 Feb; 175(2):465-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
28. Lee RC, Hammell CM, Ambros V. Interacting endogenous and exogenous RNAi pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans. RNA. 2006 Apr; 12(4):589-97.
  View in: PubMed
 
29. Hristova M, Birse D, Hong Y, Ambros V. The Caenorhabditis elegans heterochronic regulator LIN-14 is a novel transcription factor that controls the developmental timing of transcription from the insulin/insulin-like growth factor gene ins-33 by direct DNA binding. Mol Cell Biol. 2005 Dec; 25(24):11059-72.
  View in: PubMed
 
30. Karp X, Ambros V. Developmental biology. Encountering microRNAs in cell fate signaling. Science. 2005 Nov 25; 310(5752):1288-9.
  View in: PubMed
 
31. Kuhlmann M, Borisova BE, Kaller M, Larsson P, Stach D, Na J, Eichinger L, Lyko F, Ambros V, Söderbom F, Hammann C, Nellen W. Silencing of retrotransposons in Dictyostelium by DNA methylation and RNAi. Nucleic Acids Res. 2005; 33(19):6405-17.
  View in: PubMed
 
32. Sokol NS, Ambros V. Mesodermally expressed Drosophila microRNA-1 is regulated by Twist and is required in muscles during larval growth. Genes Dev. 2005 Oct 1; 19(19):2343-54.
  View in: PubMed
 
33. Abbott AL, Alvarez-Saavedra E, Miska EA, Lau NC, Bartel DP, Horvitz HR, Ambros V. The let-7 MicroRNA family members mir-48, mir-84, and mir-241 function together to regulate developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Cell. 2005 Sep; 9(3):403-14.
  View in: PubMed
 
34. Ambros V. The functions of animal microRNAs. Nature. 2004 Sep 16; 431(7006):350-5.
  View in: PubMed
 
35. Pepper AS, McCane JE, Kemper K, Yeung DA, Lee RC, Ambros V, Moss EG. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-46 affects developmental timing at two larval stages and encodes a relative of the scaffolding protein gephyrin. Development. 2004 May; 131(9):2049-59.
  View in: PubMed
 
36. Sempere LF, Freemantle S, Pitha-Rowe I, Moss E, Dmitrovsky E, Ambros V. Expression profiling of mammalian microRNAs uncovers a subset of brain-expressed microRNAs with possible roles in murine and human neuronal differentiation. Genome Biol. 2004; 5(3):R13.
  View in: PubMed
 
37. Lee R, Feinbaum R, Ambros V. A short history of a short RNA. Cell. 2004 Jan 23; 116(2 Suppl):S89-92, 1 p following S96.
  View in: PubMed
 
38. Ambros V, Lee RC. Identification of microRNAs and other tiny noncoding RNAs by cDNA cloning. Methods Mol Biol. 2004; 265:131-58.
  View in: PubMed
 
39. Carrington JC, Ambros V. Role of microRNAs in plant and animal development. Science. 2003 Jul 18; 301(5631):336-8.
  View in: PubMed
 
40. Sempere LF, Sokol NS, Dubrovsky EB, Berger EM, Ambros V. Temporal regulation of microRNA expression in Drosophila melanogaster mediated by hormonal signals and broad-Complex gene activity. Dev Biol. 2003 Jul 1; 259(1):9-18.
  View in: PubMed
 
41. Ambros V. MicroRNA pathways in flies and worms: growth, death, fat, stress, and timing. Cell. 2003 Jun 13; 113(6):673-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
42. Ambros V, Lee RC, Lavanway A, Williams PT, Jewell D. MicroRNAs and other tiny endogenous RNAs in C. elegans. Curr Biol. 2003 May 13; 13(10):807-18.
  View in: PubMed
 
43. Ambros V, Bartel B, Bartel DP, Burge CB, Carrington JC, Chen X, Dreyfuss G, Eddy SR, Griffiths-Jones S, Marshall M, Matzke M, Ruvkun G, Tuschl T. A uniform system for microRNA annotation. RNA. 2003 Mar; 9(3):277-9.
  View in: PubMed
 
44. Sempere LF, Dubrovsky EB, Dubrovskaya VA, Berger EM, Ambros V. The expression of the let-7 small regulatory RNA is controlled by ecdysone during metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol. 2002 Apr 1; 244(1):170-9.
  View in: PubMed
 
45. Ambros V. microRNAs: tiny regulators with great potential. Cell. 2001 Dec 28; 107(7):823-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
46. Lee RC, Ambros V. An extensive class of small RNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans. Science. 2001 Oct 26; 294(5543):862-4.
  View in: PubMed
 
47. Ambros V. Development. Dicing up RNAs. Science. 2001 Aug 3; 293(5531):811-3.
  View in: PubMed
 
48. Ambros V. The temporal control of cell cycle and cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans. Novartis Found Symp. 2001; 237:203-14; discussion 214-20.
  View in: PubMed
 
49. Ambros V. Control of developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2000 Aug; 10(4):428-33.
  View in: PubMed
 
50. Slack FJ, Basson M, Liu Z, Ambros V, Horvitz HR, Ruvkun G. The lin-41 RBCC gene acts in the C. elegans heterochronic pathway between the let-7 regulatory RNA and the LIN-29 transcription factor. Mol Cell. 2000 Apr; 5(4):659-69.
  View in: PubMed
 
51. Hong Y, Lee RC, Ambros V. Structure and function analysis of LIN-14, a temporal regulator of postembryonic developmental events in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Cell Biol. 2000 Mar; 20(6):2285-95.
  View in: PubMed
 
52. Olsen PH, Ambros V. The lin-4 regulatory RNA controls developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans by blocking LIN-14 protein synthesis after the initiation of translation. Dev Biol. 1999 Dec 15; 216(2):671-80.
  View in: PubMed
 
53. Feinbaum R, Ambros V. The timing of lin-4 RNA accumulation controls the timing of postembryonic developmental events in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Biol. 1999 Jun 1; 210(1):87-95.
  View in: PubMed
 
54. Ambros V. Cell cycle-dependent sequencing of cell fate decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans vulva precursor cells. Development. 1999 May; 126(9):1947-56.
  View in: PubMed
 
55. Hong Y, Roy R, Ambros V. Developmental regulation of a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor controls postembryonic cell cycle progression in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development. 1998 Sep; 125(18):3585-97.
  View in: PubMed
 
56. Moss EG, Lee RC, Ambros V. The cold shock domain protein LIN-28 controls developmental timing in C. elegans and is regulated by the lin-4 RNA. Cell. 1997 Mar 7; 88(5):637-46.
  View in: PubMed
 
57. Euling S, Ambros V. Reversal of cell fate determination in Caenorhabditis elegans vulval development. Development. 1996 Aug; 122(8):2507-15.
  View in: PubMed
 
58. Euling S, Ambros V. Heterochronic genes control cell cycle progress and developmental competence of C. elegans vulva precursor cells. Cell. 1996 Mar 8; 84(5):667-76.
  View in: PubMed
 
59. Liu Z, Kirch S, Ambros V. The Caenorhabditis elegans heterochronic gene pathway controls stage-specific transcription of collagen genes. Development. 1995 Aug; 121(8):2471-8.
  View in: PubMed
 
60. Rougvie AE, Ambros V. The heterochronic gene lin-29 encodes a zinc finger protein that controls a terminal differentiation event in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development. 1995 Aug; 121(8):2491-500.
  View in: PubMed
 
61. Ambros V, Moss EG. Heterochronic genes and the temporal control of C. elegans development. Trends Genet. 1994 Apr; 10(4):123-7.
  View in: PubMed
 
62. Lee RC, Feinbaum RL, Ambros V. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-4 encodes small RNAs with antisense complementarity to lin-14. Cell. 1993 Dec 3; 75(5):843-54.
  View in: PubMed
 
63. Mello CC, Kramer JM, Stinchcomb D, Ambros V. Efficient gene transfer in C.elegans: extrachromosomal maintenance and integration of transforming sequences. EMBO J. 1991 Dec; 10(12):3959-70.
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64. Papp A, Rougvie AE, Ambros V. Molecular cloning of lin-29, a heterochronic gene required for the differentiation of hypodermal cells and the cessation of molting in C.elegans. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Feb 11; 19(3):623-30.
  View in: PubMed
 
65. Liu ZC, Ambros V. Heterochronic genes control the stage-specific initiation and expression of the dauer larva developmental program in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genes Dev. 1989 Dec; 3(12B):2039-49.
  View in: PubMed
 
66. Hodgkin J, Papp A, Pulak R, Ambros V, Anderson P. A new kind of informational suppression in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 1989 Oct; 123(2):301-13.
  View in: PubMed
 
67. Ambros V. A hierarchy of regulatory genes controls a larva-to-adult developmental switch in C. elegans. Cell. 1989 Apr 7; 57(1):49-57.
  View in: PubMed
 
68. Ruvkun G, Ambros V, Coulson A, Waterston R, Sulston J, Horvitz HR. Molecular genetics of the Caenorhabditis elegans heterochronic gene lin-14. Genetics. 1989 Mar; 121(3):501-16.
  View in: PubMed
 
69. Ambros V, Horvitz HR. The lin-14 locus of Caenorhabditis elegans controls the time of expression of specific postembryonic developmental events. Genes Dev. 1987 Jun; 1(4):398-414.
  View in: PubMed
 
70. Ambros V, Horvitz HR. Heterochronic mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Science. 1984 Oct 26; 226(4673):409-16.
  View in: PubMed
 
71. Ambros V, Baltimore D. Purification and properties of a HeLa cell enzyme able to remove the 5'-terminal protein from poliovirus RNA. J Biol Chem. 1980 Jul 25; 255(14):6739-44.
  View in: PubMed
 
72. Ambros V, Pettersson RF, Baltimore D. An enzymatic activity in uninfected cells that cleaves the linkage between poliovirion RNA and the 5' terminal protein. Cell. 1978 Dec; 15(4):1439-46.
  View in: PubMed
 
73. Ambros V, Baltimore D. Protein is linked to the 5' end of poliovirus RNA by a phosphodiester linkage to tyrosine. J Biol Chem. 1978 Aug 10; 253(15):5263-6.
  View in: PubMed
 
74. Pettersson RF, Ambros V, Baltimore D. Identification of a protein linked to nascent poliovirus RNA and to the polyuridylic acid of negative-strand RNA. J Virol. 1978 Aug; 27(2):357-65.
  View in: PubMed
 
75. Hewlett MJ, Rozenblatt S, Ambros V, Baltimore D. Separation and quantitation of intracellular forms of poliovirus RNA by agarose gel electrophoresis. Biochemistry. 1977 Jun 14; 16(12):2763-7.
  View in: PubMed
 
76. Flanegan JB, Petterson RF, Ambros V, Hewlett NJ, Baltimore D. Covalent linkage of a protein to a defined nucleotide sequence at the 5'-terminus of virion and replicative intermediate RNAs of poliovirus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Mar; 74(3):961-5.
  View in: PubMed
 
77. Ambros VR, Chen LB, Buchanan JM. Surface ruffles as markers for studies of cell transformation by Rous sarcoma virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Aug; 72(8):3144-8.
  View in: PubMed
 
78. Gruberg ER, Ambros VR. A forebrain visual projection in the frog (Rana pipiens). Exp Neurol. 1974 Aug; 44(2):187-97.
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