
The Siegfried Lab
We go nuts for gonads
At the Siegfried laboratory we investigate genetic regulation underlying development of the gonad. How do germ cells develop to form functional gametes and how are these differences between the sexes manifested during development? Answering these questions helps us uncover the underlying developmental processes that are essential for fertility and reproduction

PROJECTS
Gonadal Sex Determination and Differentiation
How is sex determined and how does each gonad control differentiation into distinct cell types?
Germ Line Maintenance
How does the testis continuously produce a new supply of sperm in a controlled fashion to maintain fertility throughout life?
Telomere regulation of Meiosis
How does telomere maintenance affect fertility and meiosis?

Publications
-
The zebrafish dmrt family genes have cooperative and antagonistic roles in sex determination and oogenesis - Steinfeld JS, Ameya KK, Wood CG, Johnston RM, Johnson Escauriza AJ, Torija EG, Quiles K, Venkataramani K, MacNeil JN, Siegfried KR - bioRxiv - 2022
-
The RNA-binding protein Adad1 is necessary for germ cell maintenance and meiosis in zebrafish - bioRxiv - 2022
-
The Zebrafish Meiotic Cohesin Complex Protein Smc1b Is Required for Key Events in Meiotic Prophase I - Islam KN, Modi MM, Siegfried KR - Front Cell Dev Biol - 2021
-
Susceptibility-associated genetic variation in NEDD9 contributes to prostate cancer initiation and progression - D Han, JN Owiredu, BM Healy, M Li, M Labaf, JS Steinfeld, S Patalano, S Gao, M Liu, J A Macoska, K Zarringhalam, K R Siegfried, X Yuan, T Rebbeck, C Cai - Cancer Research - 2021
-
Histological Analysis of Gonads in Zebrafish - KR Siegfried, JS Steinfeld -Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, NJ) 2218, 253-2631 - 2021
-
The Reproductive System - KR Siegfried, BW Draper - The Zebrafish in Biomedical Research, 151-1642 - 2020
-
Cyclin-dependent kinase 21 is a novel regulator of proliferation and meiosis in the male germline of zebrafish - KA Webster, K Henke, DM Ingalls, A Nahrin, MP Harris, KR Siegfried - Reproduction 157 (4), 383-3985 - 2019
-
It starts at the ends: The zebrafish meiotic bouquet is where it all begins - KR Siegfried - PLoS genetics 15 (1), e10078541 - 2019
-
Germ cells in the teleost fish medaka have an inherent feminizing effect -T Nishimura, K Yamada, C Fujimori, M Kikuchi, T Kawasaki, KR Siegfried, N Sakai, M Tanaka - PLoS genetics 14 (3), e100725923 - 2018
-
A new and improved algorithm for the quantification of chromatin condensation from microscopic data shows decreased chromatin condensation in regenerating axolotl limb cells - J Sosnik, WA Vieira, KA Webster, KR Siegfried, CD McCusker - PloS one 12 (10), e01852928 - 2017
-
Dmrt1 is necessary for male sexual development in zebrafish - KA Webster, U Schach, A Ordaz, JS Steinfeld, BW Draper, KR Siegfried - Developmental biology 422 (1), 33-46149 - 2017
-
Molecular and Chromosomal Aspects of Sex Determination - KR Siegfried -Elsevier - 2017
-
Minibrain and Wings apart control organ growth and tissue patterning through down-regulation of Capicua - L Yang, S Paul, KG Trieu, LG Dent, F Froldi, M Forés, K Webster, K R Siegfried, S Kondo, K Harvey, L Cheng, G Jiménez, S Y Shvartsman, A Veraksa - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (38), 10583-10588 - 2016
-
Differentiation of zebrafish spermatogonial stem cells to functional sperm in culture - T Kawasaki, KR Siegfried, N Sakai - Development 143 (4), 566-57423 - 2016
-
A K+-selective CNG channel orchestrates Ca2+ signalling in zebrafish sperm -S Fechner, L Alvarez, W Bönigk, A Müller, TK Berger, R Pascal, C Trötschel, A Poetsch, G Stölting, K R Siegfried, E Kremmer, R Seifert, U B Kaupp - Elife 4,e0762434 - 2015

Contact Us
Dr. Kellee Siegfried
ISC 5500
Department of Biology,
UMass Boston

We are located at the beautiful Integrated Sciences Building!