Enrique "Fadri" Martinez-Perez

About me

Experience:

2018 -

Present

Reader (Imperial College London)

2015 -

Present

Programme Leader (MRC LMS)

2013 -

2018

Senior Lecturer (Imperial College London)

2011 -

2013

Lecturer (Imperial College London)

2009 -

2011

BBSRC David Phillips Fellow & Programme Leader Track (MRC LMS)

2006 -

2009

BBSRC David Phillips Fellow (University of Sheffield, UK)

2001 -

2006

EMBO and Human Frontiers Postdoctoral Fellowships (Stanford University, USA)

1997 -

2001

PhD (John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK)

1998 -

MSc Biology (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain)

1997 -

BSc Biology (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain)

Joined LMS:

2009

About me:

I first became fascinated by how changes in chromosome structure allow the formation of haploid gametes from diploid germ cells as an undergraduate student in Madrid (Spain). During my PhD (John Innes Center, UK) and postdoctoral work (Stanford University, USA) I addressed different aspects of this question using plants and nematodes as model organisms and genetic and cytological experimental approaches. I established the Meiosis group at the LMS in 2009, where using an increasing number of experimental approaches, which now include biochemistry and single-imaging methods, we aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms controlling meiotic chromosome structure and function.

My awards and achievements:

BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship
EMBO Fellowship
Human Frontiers Fellowship

Impact of my work:

Ultimately, our research aims to better understand the causes of human infertility and aneuploidy – cells with an abnormal number of chromosomes. Aneuploidy can lead to miscarriages and several to genetic disorders including Down syndrome. We also aim to understand how alterations in the function of cohesin, a key determinant of chromosome structure, causes the developmental syndrome Cornelia de Lange.

My Research

Meiosis

The group focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that ensure the correct transmission of chromosomes into the gametes during meiosis. Defects in this process are leading cause of sterility, miscarriages, and birth defects in humans.

VIEW MY RESEARCH GROUP

Selected publications

Belan O, Barroso C, Kaczmarczyk A, Anand R, Federico S, O’Reilly N, Newton MD, Maeots E, Enchev RI, Martinez-Perez E, Rueda DS, Boulton SJ. (2021). Single-molecule analysis reveals cooperative stimulation of Rad51 filament nucleation and growth by mediator proteins. Molecular Cell 81 (5), 1058-1073.e7

Castellano-Pozo M, Pacheco S, Sioutas G, Jaso-Tamame AL, Dore MH, Karimi MM, Martinez-Perez E. (2020). Surveillance of cohesin-supported chromosome structure controls meiotic progression. Nature Communications 11 (1), 4345.

Beltran T, Barroso C, Birkle TY, Stevens L, Schwartz HT, Sternberg PW, Fradin H, Gunsalus K, Piano F, Sharma G, Cerrato C, Ahringer J, Martínez-Pérez E, Blaxter M, Sarkies P. (2019). Comparative Epigenomics Reveals that RNA Polymerase II Pausing and Chromatin Domain Organization Control Nematode piRNA Biogenesis. Developmental Cell 48 (6), 793-810.e6.

Link J, Paouneskou D, Velkova M, Daryabeigi A, Laos T, Labella S, Barroso C, Pinol SP, Montoya A, Kramer H, Woglar A, Baudrimont A, Markert SM, Stigloher C, Martinez-Perez E, Dammermann A, Alsheimer M, Zetka M, Jantsch V. (2018). Transient and Partial Nuclear Lamina Disruption Promotes Chromosome Movement in Early Meiotic Prophase, Developmental Cell 45 (2), 212-225.e7.

Ferrandiz N, Barroso C, Telecan O, Shao N, Kim H-M, Testori S, Faull P, Cutillas P, Snijders AP, Colaiacovo MP, Martinez-Perez E. (2018). Spatiotemporal regulation of Aurora B recruitment ensures release of cohesion during C. elegans oocyte meiosis. Nature Communications 9 (1), 834.

Crawley O, Barroso C, Testori S, Ferrandiz N, Silva N, Castellano-Pozo M, Jaso-Tamame AL, Martinez-Perez E. (2016). Cohesin-interacting protein WAPL-1 regulates meiotic chromosome structure and cohesion by antagonizing specific cohesin complexes. eLife 5: e10851.

View all Publications