Edward De Robertis

Edward De Robertis was born on June 6, 1947, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while his father, neurobiologist Eduardo De Robertis, was an MIT postdoctoral fellow. From the age of three, he was reared in Uruguay, where he received his medical degree at age 24 from the Universidad de la República del Uruguay. This was followed by the completion of a Ph.D. in chemistry at the Leloir Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina.{{Cite web |title=Edward De Robertis – Molecular Biology Institute |url=https://www.mbi.ucla.edu/archives/faculty/edward-de-robertis |access-date=2022-09-26 |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124222554/https://www.mbi.ucla.edu/archives/faculty/edward-de-robertis |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Edward De Robertis - Biozentrum |url=https://www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/emeriti-former-professors/former-professors/edward-de-robertis |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=www.biozentrum.unibas.ch |archive-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002132146/https://www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/emeriti-former-professors/former-professors/edward-de-robertis |url-status=live }}

De Robertis' postdoctoral training (1974-1977) was with Nobel laureate Sir John Gurdon at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge England.

In 1984, De Robertis together with his late colleague Walter Gehring's and their laboratories cloned the first vertebrate development-controlling gene, today known as Hox-C6.{{Cite journal |last1=Hussain |first1=Imran |last2=Bhan |first2=Arunoday |last3=Ansari |first3=Khairul I. |last4=Deb |first4=Paromita |last5=Bobzean |first5=Samara A. M. |last6=Perrotti |first6=Linda I. |last7=Mandal |first7=Subhrangsu S. |date=2015-06-01 |title=Bisphenol-A induces expression of HOXC6, an estrogen-regulated homeobox-containing gene associated with breast cancer |journal=Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms |language=en |volume=1849 |issue=6 |pages=697–708 |doi=10.1016/j.bbagrm.2015.02.003 |issn=1874-9399 |pmc=4437882 |pmid=25725483}}{{Cite web |title=Edward M. De Robertis |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3008582.html |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=www.nasonline.org |archive-date=2019-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324143219/http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3008582.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last1=Nolte |first1=Christof |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6519/ |title=Expression of Hox Genes in the Nervous System of Vertebrates |last2=Krumlauf |first2=Robb |date=2013 |publisher=Landes Bioscience |language=en |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002132146/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6519/ |url-status=live }} Hox genes are responsible for anterior-to-posterior (head-to-tail) differentiation. The finding that Hox genes are conserved in both vertebrates and fruit flies heralded the beginning of the nascent scientific field of Evolution and Development, or Evo-Devo.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Edward De Robertis on exploring our ancient genetic toolbox |url=https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/dr-edward-de-robertis-on-the-complex-processes-behind-animal-development |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=UCLA |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024193844/https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/dr-edward-de-robertis-on-the-complex-processes-behind-animal-development |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=De Robertis |first=Eddy M. |date=April 2008 |title=Eddy M. De Robertis |journal=Current Biology |language=en |volume=18 |issue=8 |pages=R318–R320 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2008.02.037 |pmc=2606973 |pmid=18561377 }}

In the 1990s, the laboratory of De Robertis dissected systematically the molecular pathways that mediate embryonic induction.{{Cite journal |last=Niehrs |first=Christof |date=2020-08-05 |title=Lessons from the Organizer - an interview with Edward (Eddy) M. De Robertis |url=http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper/190298cn |journal=International Journal of Developmental Biology |language=en |volume=65 |issue=1–2–3 |pages=111–122 |doi=10.1387/ijdb.190298cn |issn=0214-6282 |pmid=32813267 |s2cid=221180740 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002132150/http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper/190298cn |url-status=live |doi-access=free }} Hans Spemann and Hilde Mangold discovered in 1924 an area of the amphibian embryo that, when transplanted, might promote the creation of Siamese twins.{{Cite web |title=Spemann-Mangold Organizer {{!}} The Embryo Project Encyclopedia |url=https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/spemann-mangold-organizer |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=embryo.asu.edu |archive-date=2022-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402153712/https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/spemann-mangold-organizer |url-status=live }} De Robertis identified the genes expressed in Xenopus embryos in this area, beginning with the goosecoid homeobox gene.{{Cite journal |last1=Robertis |first1=Edward M. De |last2=Gurdon |first2=John B. |date=2021-03-30 |title=A Brief History of Xenopus in Biology |url=http://cshprotocols.cshlp.org/content/early/2021/03/30/pdb.top107615 |journal=Cold Spring Harbor Protocols |volume=2021 |issue=12 |pages=pdb.top107615 |language=en |doi=10.1101/pdb.top107615 |issn=1940-3402 |pmid=33785561 |s2cid=232431470 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002132146/http://cshprotocols.cshlp.org/content/early/2021/03/30/pdb.top107615 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}

Together with his colleagues, he discovered Chordin, a protein secreted by dorsal cells that binds Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) growth factors, facilitating their transport to the ventral side of the embryo, where Chordin is digested by a protease called Tolloid, allowing BMPs to signal once more.{{Cite journal |last1=Plouhinec |first1=Jean-Louis |last2=Zakin |first2=Lise |last3=Moriyama |first3=Yuki |last4=De Robertis |first4=Edward M. |date=2013-12-17 |title=Chordin forms a self-organizing morphogen gradient in the extracellular space between ectoderm and mesoderm in the Xenopus embryo |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=110 |issue=51 |pages=20372–20379 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1319745110 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=3870759 |pmid=24284174|bibcode=2013PNAS..11020372P |doi-access=free }}{{Cite web |title=Untitled Document |url=https://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/EDR_MS/chd_page/chordin.html |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=www.hhmi.ucla.edu |archive-date=2020-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021181426/http://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/EDR_MS/chd_page/chordin.html |url-status=live }}{{Citation |last1=De Robertis |first1=Edward M. |title=Chapter Thirteen - The Chordin Morphogenetic Pathway |date=2016-01-01 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0070215315001015 |journal=Current Topics in Developmental Biology |volume=116 |pages=231–245 |editor-last=Wassarman |editor-first=Paul M. |series=Essays on Developmental Biology, Part A |publisher=Academic Press |language=en |doi=10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.10.003 |access-date=2022-10-02 |last2=Moriyama |first2=Yuki|pmid=26970622 |s2cid=13919776 }}{{Cite journal |last1=De Robertis |first1=Edward M. |last2=Moriyama |first2=Yuki |last3=Colozza |first3=Gabriele |date=September 2017 |title=Generation of animal form by the Chordin/Tolloid/BMP gradient: 100 years after D'Arcy Thompson |journal=Development, Growth & Differentiation |language=en |volume=59 |issue=7 |pages=580–592 |doi=10.1111/dgd.12388 |pmid=28815565 |s2cid=22076923 |doi-access=free }} In most bilateral species, such as fruit flies, spiders, early chordates, and mammals, this flow of growth factors dictates dorsal (back) to ventral (belly) cell and tissue differentiation. The Chordin/BMP/Tolloid biochemical pathway is cross-regulated by interactions with other signalling pathways such as Wnt. His lab has recently established a link between the canonical Wnt pathway, macropinocytosis, multivesicular endosomes, lysosomes, and protein degradation_.{{Cite journal |last1=Albrecht |first1=Lauren V. |last2=Tejeda-Muñoz |first2=Nydia |last3=De Robertis |first3=Edward M. |date=2021-10-06 |title=Cell Biology of Canonical Wnt Signaling |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-023657 |journal=Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology |language=en |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=369–389 |doi=10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-023657 |pmid=34196570 |s2cid=235698046 |issn=1081-0706 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802110208/https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-023657 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/EDR_MS/MVBs_and_Wnt_page/MVBs_and_Wnt.html |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=www.hhmi.ucla.edu |title=Archived copy |archive-date=2017-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708070914/http://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/EDR_MS/MVBs_and_Wnt_page/MVBs_and_Wnt.html |url-status=live }}

He has also served for over two decades on the scientific board of the Pew Charitable Trusts Latin American Fellows programme.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

De Robertis was born in the United States to Argentine parents who were exiled by Juan Perón. Through his father, Eduardo De Robertis, he is of Italian descent.{{cite web|title=Eduardo De Robertis (1913–1988)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256133238|access-date=5 July 2016|language=en}} His daughter, Caro De Robertis, is an author and professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-carolina-de-robertis-20150719-story.html|title=Carolina De Robertis talks about dancing through history with her novel 'The Gods of Tango'|last=Lee|first=Nicole|website=Los Angeles Times|date=17 July 2015 |access-date=2018-03-15}}

• Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2013.
• Doctor Honoris Causa, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, 2013.{{Cite web | url=http://www.upmc.fr/fr/universite/histoire_et_personnalites/les_docteurs_honoris_causa/dhc2013/edward_m_de_robertis.html | title=Sorbonne Université | access-date=2016-08-15 | archive-date=2016-09-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921081903/http://www.upmc.fr/fr/universite/histoire_et_personnalites/les_docteurs_honoris_causa/dhc2013/edward_m_de_robertis.html | url-status=live }}
• Academician, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Vatican, 2009.
• Ross Harrison Prize in Developmental Biology, 2009.
• Membre Honoré, Societé de Biologie, Paris, France, 2008.
• Corresponding Member, Latin American Academy of Sciences, 2002.
• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2000.
• Public lecture series and Medal of the Collège de France, Paris, 1997.
• Member, European Molecular Biology Organization, 1982.
• Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund postdoctoral fellow, 1976-1977.

• Carrasco, A.E., McGinnis, W., Gehring, W.J. and De Robertis, E.M. (1984). Cloning of an Xenopus laevis gene expressed during early embryogenesis that codes for a peptide region homologous to Drosophila homeotic genes: implications for vertebrate development. Cell 37, 409-414.{{Cite journal |last1=Carrasco |first1=A. E. |last2=McGinnis |first2=W. |last3=Gehring |first3=W. J. |last4=De Robertis |first4=E. M. |date=June 1984 |title=Cloning of an X. laevis gene expressed during early embryogenesis coding for a peptide region homologous to Drosophila homeotic genes |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6327066 |journal=Cell |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=409–414 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(84)90371-4 |issn=0092-8674 |pmid=6327066 |s2cid=30114443 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2020-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721150350/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6327066/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last1=Poli |first1=Stefano |last2=Facchin |first2=Domenico |last3=Rizzetto |first3=Francesca |last4=Rebellato |first4=Luca |last5=Daleffe |first5=Elisabetta |last6=Toniolo |first6=Mauro |last7=Miconi |first7=Antonella |last8=Altinier |first8=Alessandro |last9=Lanera |first9=Corrado |last10=Indrigo |first10=Stefano |last11=Comisso |first11=Jennifer |last12=Proclemer |first12=Alessandro |date=2019-01-08 |title=Prognostic role of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia detected with remote interrogation in a pacemaker population |journal=International Journal of Cardiology. Heart & Vasculature |volume=22 |pages=92–95 |doi=10.1016/j.ijcha.2018.12.011 |issn=2352-9067 |pmc=6327066 |pmid=30671534 }}
• De Robertis, E.M. and Sasai, Y. (1996). A common plan for dorso-ventral patterning in Bilateria. Nature 380, 37-40.{{Cite journal |last1=De Robertis |first1=E. M. |last2=Sasai |first2=Y. |date=1996-03-07 |title=A common plan for dorsoventral patterning in Bilateria |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8598900 |journal=Nature |volume=380 |issue=6569 |pages=37–40 |doi=10.1038/380037a0 |issn=0028-0836 |pmid=8598900 |bibcode=1996Natur.380...37D |s2cid=4355458 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617011324/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8598900/ |url-status=live }}
• De Robertis, E.M. and Tejeda-Muñoz N. (2022). Evo-Devo of Urbilateria and its larval forms. Dev. Biol., 487, 10-20.{{Cite journal |last1=De Robertis |first1=Edward M. |last2=Tejeda-Muñoz |first2=Nydia |date=2022-07-01 |title=Evo-Devo of Urbilateria and its larval forms |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012160622000641 |journal=Developmental Biology |language=en |volume=487 |pages=10–20 |doi=10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.003 |pmid=35443190 |s2cid=248234939 |issn=0012-1606|doi-access=free }}
• Cho, K.W.Y, Blumberg, B., Steinbeisser, H. and De Robertis, E.M. (1991). Molecular Nature of Spemann's Organizer: the Role of the Xenopus Homeobox Gene goosecoid. Cell 67, 1111-1120.{{Cite journal |last1=Blum |first1=M. |last2=Gaunt |first2=S. J. |last3=Cho |first3=K. W. |last4=Steinbeisser |first4=H. |last5=Blumberg |first5=B. |last6=Bittner |first6=D. |last7=De Robertis |first7=E. M. |date=1992-06-26 |title=Gastrulation in the mouse: the role of the homeobox gene goosecoid |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1352187 |journal=Cell |volume=69 |issue=7 |pages=1097–1106 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(92)90632-m |issn=0092-8674 |pmid=1352187 |s2cid=16692357 |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-date=2022-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121040210/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1352187/ |url-status=live }}
• Sasai, Y., Lu, B., Steinbeisser, H., Geissert, D., Gont, L.K. and De Robertis, E.M. (1994). Xenopus chordin: a novel dorsalizing factor activated by organizer-specific homeobox genes. Cell 79, 779-790.{{Cite journal |last1=Sasai |first1=Y. |last2=Lu |first2=B. |last3=Steinbeisser |first3=H. |last4=Geissert |first4=D. |last5=Gont |first5=L. K. |last6=De Robertis |first6=E. M. |date=1994-12-02 |title=Xenopus chordin: a novel dorsalizing factor activated by organizer-specific homeobox genes |journal=Cell |volume=79 |issue=5 |pages=779–790 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(94)90068-x |issn=0092-8674 |pmc=3082463 |pmid=8001117 }}
• Piccolo, S., Sasai, Y., Lu, B. and De Robertis, E.M. (1996). Dorsoventral patterning in Xenopus: Inhibition of ventral signals by direct binding of Chordin to BMP-4. Cell 86, 589-598.{{Cite journal |last1=Piccolo |first1=S. |last2=Sasai |first2=Y. |last3=Lu |first3=B. |last4=De Robertis |first4=E. M. |date=1996-08-23 |title=Dorsoventral patterning in Xenopus: inhibition of ventral signals by direct binding of chordin to BMP-4 |journal=Cell |volume=86 |issue=4 |pages=589–598 |doi=10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80132-4 |issn=0092-8674 |pmc=3070603 |pmid=8752213 }}
• Piccolo, S., Agius, E., Lu, B., Goodman, S., Dale, L. and De Robertis, E.M. (1997). Cleavage of Chordin by the Xolloid metalloprotease suggests a role for proteolytic processing in the regulation of Spemann organizer activity. Cell 91, 407-416.{{Cite journal |last1=Piccolo |first1=S. |last2=Agius |first2=E. |last3=Lu |first3=B. |last4=Goodman |first4=S. |last5=Dale |first5=L. |last6=De Robertis |first6=E. M. |date=1997-10-31 |title=Cleavage of Chordin by Xolloid metalloprotease suggests a role for proteolytic processing in the regulation of Spemann organizer activity |journal=Cell |volume=91 |issue=3 |pages=407–416 |doi=10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80424-9 |issn=0092-8674 |pmc=3070600 |pmid=9363949 }}
• Lee, H.X., Ambrosio, A.L., Reversade, B. and De Robertis, E.M. (2006). Embryonic dorsal-ventral signaling: secreted Frizzled-related proteins as inhibitors of Tolloid proteinases. Cell 124, 147-159.{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Hojoon X. |last2=Ambrosio |first2=Andrea L. |last3=Reversade |first3=Bruno |last4=De Robertis |first4=E. M. |date=2006-01-13 |title=Embryonic dorsal-ventral signaling: secreted frizzled-related proteins as inhibitors of tolloid proteinases |journal=Cell |volume=124 |issue=1 |pages=147–159 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2005.12.018 |issn=0092-8674 |pmc=2486255 |pmid=16413488 }}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/ De Robertis Laboratory Home Page]
• [http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/derobertis_bio.html Howard Hughes Medical Institute]
• [http://faculty.biolchem.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel%5fid=45782 UCLA Biological Chemistry]
• [http://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/doc/Our%20Papers/2008/Q%20&%20A%20CurrBiol_08.pdf Interview with Current Biology]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100712011851/http://www.cancer.ucla.edu/Index.aspx?page=644&recordid=284 Pope Appoints Cancer Researcher to Prestigious Scientific Academy]
• [http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/academicians/ordinary/derobertis.html Pontifical Academy of Sciences]
• [http://www.hhmi.ucla.edu/derobertis/doc/Our%20Papers/2013/DeRobertis_PNAS_Profile_13_1.pdf NAS Profile]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:De Robertis, Edward}}

Category:Living people

Category:1947 births

Category:American embryologists

Category:American people of Argentine descent

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:Members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty

Category:Physicians from Cambridge, Massachusetts

Category:Howard Hughes Medical Investigators

Category:Presidents of the International Union of Biological Sciences

Category:American expatriates in Uruguay