Jennifer A. Schumacher
Biographical Information
The cardiovascular system is the first organ system to form and function in all vertebrate animals. Improper formation of the cardiovascular system during fetal development leads to congenital heart defects, which occur in up to 1% of live human births. My lab studies the molecular signaling networks that guide development of the endocardium, which is the inner vascular lining of the heart. The endocardium connects the heart to the vasculature, establishing a closed circuit for blood flow. It also plays a key role in forming heart valves, which ensure the unidirectional flow of blood through the heart. Despite the critical importance of the endocardium for cardiovascular function, little is known about its early development in the embryo.
My lab uses the zebrafish as a model organism to focus on two key steps of endocardial formation: 1) how a specific subset of cells in the early embryo is instructed to become endocardium; 2) how endocardial cells move to form the proper shape within the heart. We combine embryology, molecular biology, genetics, and genome editing techniques to investigate how endocardial cells communicate with their surrounding environment to drive specific patterns of gene expression and to promote organized cell migration events that form the proper heart structure.
Ultimately, understanding the molecular signaling pathways that instruct the proper formation of the cardiovascular system will allow us to better understand the causes of congenital cardiovascular defects, which may lead to better prevention strategies and treatments.
Selected Publications
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Schumacher, J.A., Wright, Z.A., Owen, M.L, Bredemeier, N.O., and Sumanas, S. (2020) Integrin α5 and Integrin α4 cooperate to promote endocardial differentiation and heart morphogenesis. Developmental Biology 465(1):46-57.
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Pociute, K., Schumacher, J.A., Sumanas, S. (2019) Clec14a genetically interacts with Etv2 and Vegf signaling during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in zebrafish. BMC Developmental Biology 19(1):6.
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Casie Chetty, S., Rost, M.S., Enriquez, J.R., Schumacher, J.A., Baltrunaite, K., Rossi, A., Stainier, D.Y., and Sumanas, S. (2017) Vegf signaling promotes vascular endothelial differentiation by modulating etv2 expression. Developmental Biology 424(2): 147-161.
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Palencia-Desai, S., Rost, M.S., Schumacher, J.A., Ton, Q.T., Craig, M.P., Baltrunaite, K., Koenig, A., Wang, J., Poss, K.D., Chi, N.C., Stainier, D.Y.R., and Sumanas, S. (2015) Myocardium and BMP signaling are required for endocardial differentiation. Development 142(13): 2304-2315.
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Schumacher, J.A., Zhao, E.J., Kofron, M.J., and Sumanas, S. (2014) Two color fluorescent in situ hybridization using chromogenic substrates in zebrafish. Biotechniques 57(5): 254-256.
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Glenn, N.O.*, Schumacher, J.A*., Kim, H.J., Zhao, E., Skerniskyte, J., and Sumanas, S. (2014) Distinct regulation of the anterior and posterior myeloperoxidase expression by Etv2 and Gata1 during primitive neutropoiesis in zebrafish. Developmental Biology 393(1): 149-159. * indicates co-first authors
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Schumacher, J.A.*, Bloomekatz, J.*, Garavito-Aguilar, Z.V., and Yelon, D. (2013) tal1 regulates the formation of intercellular junctions and the maintenance of identity in the endocardium. Developmental Biology 383(2): 214-226. * indicates co-first authors
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Glenn, N.O.*, Schumacher, J.A*., Kim, H.J., Zhao, E., Skerniskyte, J., and Sumanas, S. (2014) Distinct regulation of the anterior and posterior myeloperoxidase expression by Etv2 and Gata1 during primitive neutropoiesis in zebrafish. Developmental Biology 393(1): 149-159. * indicates co-first authors
Courses Taught
- BIO 171/172 Human Anatomy and Physiology
- BIO 342 Genetics