Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Associate Professor
Expertise

Molecular Genetics | Regenerative Medicine | Reproductive Physiology | Toxicology

Biography

Research Interests

  • ​Regulation of Large-Scale Chromatin Structure and Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression during Oogenesis
  • Role of Chromatin Modifications during Meiosis
  • Cancer Epigenetics and Chromosome Instability

Educational Background

  • ​DVM Veterinary Medicine (1989) National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • MSc Biomedical Sciences (1993) University of Guelph
  • PhD Biomedical Sciences (1998) University of Guelph

Teaching Experience

  • ​Endocrinology and Reproduction (VPHY-5150)
  • Assisted Reproductive Technologies (LAMS-5395)

Selected Publications

  • ​Publications by Dr. De La Fuente may be found at PubMed.
  • ​Baumann C., Daly CM., McDonnell SM., Viveiros MM., De La Fuente R. (2011) Chromatin configuration and epigenetic landscape at the sex chromosome bivalent during equine spermatogenesis. Chromosoma (Epub ahead of print) doi:10.1007/s00412-010-0306-5
  • Baumann C., De La Fuente R. (2011) Role of Polycomb group protein CBX2/M33 in meiosis onset and maintenance of chromosome stability in the mammalian germline. Genes 2(1), 59-80. doi:10.3390/genes2010059
  • Stanley A., Fayrer-Hosken R., Hill N., Christian M., De La Fuente R., Baumann C., Jones L., Heusner G. (2011) Effect of ergot alkaloid toxins on stallion spermatogenesis and sperm cells.Animal Reproduction Science (Submitted)
  • Baumann C., Vivieros MM., De La Fuente R. (2011) Oocyte Physiology and Development in Domestic Animals. Chapter 7: Epigenetic Modifications During Mammalian Oocyte Growth and Meiotic Progression; 1st Edition. R. Krisher (ed.). Wiley-Blackwell Ltd. (Submitted)
  • Zeng W.*, Baumann C.*, Schmidtmann A., Honaramooz A., Tang L., Bondareva A., Dores C., FanT., Xi S., Geiman T., Rathi R., de Rooij D., De La Fuente R., Muegge K., Dobrinski I. (2011) Lymphoid specific helicase (HELLS) is essential for meiotic progression in mouse spermatocytes. Biol Reprod (Epub ahead of print) *equal contribution
  • De La Fuente R., Baumann C., Viveiros MM. (2011) Epigenetic Mechanisms of X Chromosome Inactivation: Implications for Human Disease. Reproduction (Epub ahead of print)
  • Baumann C., Viveiros MM., De La Fuente R. (2010) Loss of maternal ATRX function results in centromere instability and aneuploidy in the mammalian oocyte and pre-implantation embryo.PLoS Genetics Sep 6(9): e1001137. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1001137
  • De La Fuente R., Baumann C., Yang F., Vivieros MM. (2010) Oogenesis: The Universal Process.Chapter 18; 1st Edition. M. H. Verlhac (ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Ltd, London, U.K.
  • Vanderwall DK., Baumann C., Viveiros M., Sertich P., Kelleman A., Maenhoudt, C., Jacobson, C., De La Fuente R. (2010) Characterizing the meiotic spindle configuration and chromosome complement of in vivo matured equine oocytes. Animal Reproduction Science 121(1-2, Supplement 1):234-236.
  • Yang F., Baumann C., and De La Fuente R. (2009) Persistence of histone H2AX phosphorylation after meiotic chromosome synapsis and abnormal centromere cohesion in Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) null oocytes. Dev Biol July 15: 331: (326-338). PMID: 19463809
  • Baumann C. and De La Fuente R. (2009) ATRX marks the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in somatic cells and during imprinted X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in trophoblast stem cells.Chromosoma 118(2): 209-22. E-Pub Nov 13, 2008. PMID: 19005673
  • Baumann C., Schmidtmann A., Muegge K., and De La Fuente R. (2008) Association of ATRX with pericentric heterochromatin and the Y Chromosome of Neonatal Mouse Spermatogonia.BMC Mol Biol Mar 13; 9:29 (1-18) PMID: 18366812
  • De La Fuente R., Baumann C., Fan T., Schmidtmann A., Dobrinski I., Muegge K. (2006) Lsh is required for meiotic chromosome synapsis and retrotransposon silencing in female germ cells.Nature Cell Biology (8); 12:1448-1454. PMID: 17115026
  • De La Fuente R. (2006). Chromatin modifications in the germinal vesicle (GV) of mammalian oocytes. Dev Biol 292:1-12. PMID: 16466710
  • Yang F., De La Fuente R., Leu NA., Baumann C., McLaughlin KJ., Wang PJ. (2006) Mouse SYCP2 is required for synaptonemal complex assembly and chromosomal synapsis during male meiosis. J Cell Biol 173 (4):497-507. PMID: 16717126
  • Tanaka M., Kihara M., Hennebold JD., Eppig JJ., Viveiros MM., Emery BR., Carrell DT., Kirkman NJ., Zhou J., Bondy CA., Becker M., Misteli T., Schultz RM., De La Fuente R., King GJ. and Adashi EY. (2005). Expression of the oocyte-specific H1 linker histone gene (mH1fo) is temporally coupled to the initiation of oocyte growth. Biol Reprod 72(1):135-42. PMID: 15371275
  • De La Fuente R., Viveiros MM., Burns KH., Adashi EY., Matzuk MM., and Eppig JJ. (2004) Major Chromatin Remodeling in the Germinal Vesicle (GV) of Mammalian Oocytes is Dispensable for Global Transcriptional Silencing but Required for Centromeric Heterochromatin Function.Dev Biol 275:447-458. PMID: 15242786
  • De La Fuente R., Viveiros MM., Wigglesworth K. and Eppig JJ. (2004) ATRX, a Member of the SNF2 Family of Helicase /ATPases, is required for Chromosome Alignment and Meiotic Spindle Organization in Metaphase II Stage Mouse Oocytes. Dev Biol 272: 1-14. PMID: 12730498
  • Hübner K., Fuhrmann G., Christenson LK., Kehler J., Reinbold R., De La Fuente R., Wood J., Strauss, III J., Boiani M., and Schöler HR. (2003). Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in Culture give rise to Oocytes. Science 300: 1251-1256. PMID: 12730498
  • Libby BJ., Cobb J., De La Fuente R., O’Brien M., Wigglesworth K., Handel MA., Eppig JJ., Schimenti JC. (2002). The mouse meiotic mutation mei 1 disrupts chromosome synapsis with sexually dimorphic consequences for meiotic progression. Dev Biol 242(2):174-87.
  • De La Fuente R., Eppig JJ. (2001). Transcriptional activity of the mouse oocyte genome: companion granulosa cells modulate transcription and chromatin remodeling. Dev Biol 229:224-236.

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