ZFIN ID: ZDB-PERS-180226-1
Pearson, Bret
Email: pearsobr@ohsu.edu
URL: https://www.bretpearsonlab.org
Affiliation: Pearson Lab
Address: Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics Oregon Health & Science University 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. LBRB 305; L481 Portland, OR 97239
Country: United States
Phone: 503-494-7979
Fax:
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3473-901X


BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH INTERESTS
Education
Ph.D. Biology, University of Oregon (March 2005)
B.S. Degrees: Genetics and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (May, 1998)

Research History
10/2021-present
Professor of Pediatrics
Oregon Heath & Science University
Portland, OR, USA

07/2016-10/2021
Senior Scientist – Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
Investigator II – Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Associate Professor - University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

06/2010-06/2016
Scientist – Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
New Investigator – Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Stem Cell Program
Assistant Professor - University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

05/2005-05/2010 Advisor: Dr. Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
Postdoctoral Fellow
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Adult stem cells and tumorigenesis in Planarians

08/1999-05/2005 Advisor: Dr. Chris Q. Doe
Graduate Student
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Institutes of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
Temporal identity in Drosophila neuroblast lineages

05/1998-08/1999 Advisor: Dr. Nansi Jo Colley
Laboratory Technician
Department of Opthalmology
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Potassium-dependent sodium/calcium exchangers in Drosophila development

05/1997-05/1998 Advisor: Dr. Sean B. Carroll
Undergraduate Research
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Department of Genetics
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Evolution of butterfly wingspot patterns


PUBLICATIONS
Burgess, J., Burrows, J.T., Sadhak, R., Chiang, S., Weiss, A., D'Amata, C., Molinaro, A.M., Zhu, S., Long, M., Hu, C., Krause, H.M., Pearson, B.J. (2020) An optimized QF-binary expression system for use in zebrafish. Developmental Biology. 465(2):144-156
Burrows, J.T., Pearson, B.J., Scott, I.C. (2015) An In Vivo Requirement for the Mediator Subunit Med14 in the Maintenance of Stem Cell Populations. Stem Cell Reports. 4(4):670-84
Ochi, H., Pearson, B.J., Chuang, P.T., Hammerschmidt, M., and Westerfield, M. (2006) Hhip regulates zebrafish muscle development by both sequestering Hedgehog and modulating localization of Smoothened. Developmental Biology. 297(1):127-140

NON-ZEBRAFISH PUBLICATIONS
Nicole Lindsay-Mosher, Sarah Lusk, and Bret J Pearson (2023)
“Planarians require ced-12/elmo-1 to clear dead cells by excretion through the gut”
Cell Reports 2023

Mallory Wiggans, Shu Jun Zhu, Alyssa M. Molinaro, and Bret J Pearson (2023)
“The BAF chromatin remodeling complex licenses planarian stem cells access to ectodermal and mesodermal cell fates”
BMC Biology 21(1):227 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-023-01730-y PMID: 37864247

Zaleena Akheralie, Tanner J. Scidmore, and Bret J Pearson (2023)
“aristaless-like homeobox-3 is wound induced and promotes a low-Wnt environment required for planarian head regeneration”
Development 150(18). https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.201777. PMID: 37681295

Andy Chan, Sophia Ma, Bret J Pearson*, and Danny Chan* (2021)
“Collagen IV differentially regulates planarian stem cell pluripotency and lineage progression”
PNAS 118(16) https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2021251118

Michael Pryszlak*, Mallory Wiggans*, Xin Chen, Julia E. Jaramillo, Sarah E. Burns, Laura Richards, Trevor J. Pugh, David R. Kaplan, Xi Huang, Peter B. Dirks, and Bret J. Pearson (2021)
“The DEAD-box helicase DDX56 is a highly-conserved stemness regulator in normal and cancer stem cells”
Cell Reports 34(13):108903, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108903

Alyssa M. Molinaro, Nicole Lindsay-Mosher, and Bret J. Pearson (2021)
“TOR is required for injury-induced activation of slow-cycling neoblasts in planarians”
EMBO Reports 22(3):e50292 https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202050292

Jeffrey Burrows, Delphine Depierreux, Max L. Nibert, and Bret J. Pearson (2020)
“A Novel Taxon of Monosegmented Double-Stranded RNA Viruses Endemic to Triclad Flatworms”
J. Virology 94(22):e00623-20 https://doi.org/10.1101/551184

Maria Brooun, Alexander Klimovich, Mikhail Bashkurov, Bret J. Pearson, Robert E. Steele, and Helen McNeill (2020)
“Ancestral roles of atypical cadherins”
PNAS 117(32):19310-19320 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917570117

Nicole Lindsay-Mosher, Andy Chan, and Bret J. Pearson (2020)
“Planarian EGF-repeat containing genes megf6 and hemicentin are required to restrict the stem cell compartment”
PLoS Genetics 16(2):e1008613 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008613

Ross, KG, Molinaro, AM, Romero, C, Dockter, B, Cable, KL, Gonzalez, K, Zhang, S, Collins, EMS, Pearson, BJ and Zayas, RM (2018)
“SoxB1 activity regulates sensory regeneration and function in planarians”
Developmental Cell 47.331-347.

Lakshmipuram Seshadri Swapna, Alyssa M. Molinaro, Bret J. Pearson* and John Parkinson* (2018)
“Comparative transcriptomic analyses and single-cell RNA sequencing of the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea identify major cell types and pathway conservation.”
Genome Biology 19(1):124. doi: 10.1186/s13059-018-1498-x

Shu Jun Zhu and Bret J. Pearson (2018)
“Smed-myb-1 regulates epidermal lineage progression in planarians”
Cell Reports 25:38

David D.R. Brown, Alyssa M. Molinaro, and Bret J. Pearson (2018)
“The planarian TCF/LEF factor Smed-tcf1 is required for the regeneration of dorsal-lateral neuronal subtypes”
Developmental Biology 433:374-383

Xinwen He*, Nicole Lindsay-Mosher*, Yan Li, Alyssa M. Molinaro, Jason Pellettieri, and Bret J. Pearson (2017)
“FOX and ETS family transcription factors regulate the pigment cell lineage in planarians”
Development 144:4540-4551

Alex Y.T. Lin and Bret J. Pearson (2017)
“Yorkie is required to restrict injury responses in planarians”
PLoS Genetics 13(7):e1006874. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006874

Currie, KW, Molinaro, AM, and Pearson BJ (2016)
“Neuronal sources of hedgehog modulate neurogenesis in the adult planarian brain”
eLife doi: 10.7554/eLife.19735

Stubenhaus, B, Dustin, J, Neverett, E, Beaudry, M, Nadeau, L, Burk-McCoy, E, He, X, Pearson, BJ, and Pellettieri, J (2016)
“Light-induced depigmentation in planarians: an animal model of acute porphyrias”
eLife 5:e14175 doi: 10.7554/eLife.14175

Alyssa M. Molinaro and Bret J. Pearson (2016)
“In silico lineage tracing through single cell transcriptomes identifies a neural stem cell population in planarians”
Genome Biology 17:87, doi: 10.1186/s13059-016-0937-9

Currie, KW, Brown, DDR, Zhu, SJ, Xu, C, Voisin, V, Bader GD and Pearson BJ (2016)
“HOX complement and expression in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea”
EvoDevo 7:7 doi:10.1186/s13227-016-0044-8

Zhu, SJ, Hallows, S., Currie, KW, Xu, CJ and Pearson, BJ (2015)
“A mex3 homolog is required for differentiation during planarian stem cell lineage development”
eLife 4:e07025 doi: 10.7554/eLife.07025

Talbot, JA, Currie, KW, Pearson, BJ, and Collins, EMS (2014)
“Smed-dynA-1 is a planarian nervous system specific dynamin 1 homolog required for normal locomotion”
Biology Open 3:627-634.

Alex Y.T. Lin and Bret J. Pearson (2014)
“The pleiotropic roles of yorkie/YAP in planarian biology”
Development 141:1197-1208.

Martis W. Cowles, David D.R. Brown, Sean V. Nisperos, Brianna N. Stanley, Bret J. Pearson, and Ricardo M. Zayas (2013)
“Genome-wide analysis of the bHLH gene family in planarians identifies factors required for adult neurogenesis”
Development 140:4691-4702.

Ko W. Currie and Bret J. Pearson (2013)
“Cilia-driven locomotion in planarians requires serotonergic neurons specified by lhx1/5-1 and pitx transcription factors”
Development 140:3577-3588.

Zhu, SJ and Pearson, BJ (2012)
“Retinoblastoma is required for stem cell maintenance in planarians”
Developmental Biology 373:442-453.

Labbé, RM., Irimia, M., Currie, KW., Lin, A., Zhu, SJ., Brown, DDR., Ross, EJ., Voisin, V., Bader, GD., Blencowe, BJ., Pearson, BJ (2012)
“A comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals conserved features of stem cell pluripotency in planarians and mammals”
Stem Cells 30:1743-1745.

Bocchinfuso, DG., Taylor, P., Ross, E., Ignatchenko, A., Ignatchenko, V., Kislinger, T., Pearson, BJ., Moran, MF. (2012)
“Proteomic profiling of the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea and its mucous reveals similarities with human secretions and those predicted for parasitic flatworms”
Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 11:681-91.

Tu, KC, Pearson, BJ, Sánchez Alvarado, A. (2012)
“TORC1 is required to balance cell proliferation and cell death in planarians”
Developmental Biology 365:458-69.

Bret J. Pearson and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado (2010)
“A Planarian p53 Homolog Regulates Proliferation and Self-Renewal in Adult Stem Cell Lineages”
Development 137:213-221.

Bret J. Pearson*, George T. Eisenhoffer*, Kyle A. Gurley*, Jochen C. Rink*, Diane E. Miller, and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado (2009)
“A Formaldehyde-based Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization Method for Planarians”
Developmental Dynamics 238:443-450.

Oviedo, NJ, Pearson, BJ, Levin, M and Sánchez Alvarado, A (2008)
“Planarian PTEN homologs regulate stem cells and regeneration through TOR signaling”
Disease Models and Mechanisms 1:131-143.

Grosskortenhaus, R., Pearson, BJ., Marusich, A., and CQ Doe (2005)
“Regulation of temporal identity transitions in Drosophila neuroblast lineages”
Developmental Cell, 8(2):193-202.

Robert J. Winkfein, Bret Pearson, Rebecca Ward, Robert T. Szerencsei, Nansi J. Colley, and Paul P. Schnetkamp (2004)
“Molecular Characterization, Functional Expression and Tissue Distribution of a Second NCKX Na+/Ca2+-K+ Exchanger from Drosophila”
Cell Calcium 36(2):147-155.

Pearson, BJ., and CQ. Doe (2003)
“Regulation of neuroblast competence in Drosophila”
Nature 425:624-628.

Takako Isshiki, Bret Pearson, Scott Holbrook, and Chris Q. Doe (2001)
“Drosophila Neuroblasts Sequentially Express Transcription Factors which Specify the Temporal Identity of Their Neuronal Progeny”
Cell 106:511-521.

Pierce-Shimomura Jonathan T. Faumont Serge. Gaston Michelle R. Pearson Bret J. Lockery Shawn R (2001)
“The homeobox gene lim-6 is required for distinct chemosensory representations in C. elegans”
Nature 410:694-698.

Haug-Collet K. Pearson B. Webel R. Szerencsei R T. Winkfein R J. Schnetkamp P M. Colley N J (1999)
“Cloning and characterization of a potassium-dependent sodium/calcium exchanger in Drosophila”
Journal of Cell Biology 147(3):659-669.

Keys David N., Lewis David L., Selegue Jane E., Pearson Bret J., Goodrich Lisa V., Johnson Ronald L., Gates Julie, Scott Matthew P., Carroll Sean B (1999)
“Recruitment of a hedgehog regulatory circuit in butterfly eyespot evolution”
Science 283:532-534.

Review Articles and Book Chapters (all peer-reviewed)

Bret J. Pearson (2022)
“Finding the potency in planarians”
Communications Biology, 5(1):970 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03905-9

Nicole Lindsay-Mosher, Alyssa M. Molinaro, and Bret J. Pearson (2022)
“An RNA/DNA-based flow cytometry approach for isolating slow-cycling stem cells”
Book Chapter: Methods in Molecular Biology 2680:157-168. PMID: 37428376

Mallory Wiggans and Bret J. Pearson (2020)
“One Stem Cell to Rule Them All?”
FEBS Journal 288(11):3394-3406 https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.15598

Nicole Lindsay-Mosher and Bret J. Pearson (2019)
“The true colours of the flatworm: mechanisms of pigment biosynthesis and pigment cell lineage development in planarians”
Seminars in Cell and Dev. Bio. 87:37-44. doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.05.010

Alyssa M. Molinaro and Bret J. Pearson (2018)
“Myths vs. FACS: what do we know about planarian stem cell lineages?”
Int. J. Dev. Bio 62:527-535.

David D.R. Brown and Bret J. Pearson (2017)
“A brain unfixed: unlimited neurogenesis and regeneration of the adult planarian nervous system”
Frontiers in Neuroscience 11:289 doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00289

Ross, K., Currie, KW., Pearson, BJ., Zayas, R. (2017)
“Nervous system regeneration in planarians”
WIREs Developmental Biology 6(3) doi: 10.1002/wdev.266

Shujun Zhu and Bret J Pearson (2016)
“(Neo)blast from the past: new insights into planarian stem cell lineages”
Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 40:74-80

David D. R. Brown and Bret J Pearson (2015)
“One FISH, dFISH, three FISH: Sensitive methods of whole-mount fluorescent in situ hybridization in freshwater planarians”
Book Chapter: In situ hybridization methods: Neuromethods 99:127-150

Pearson, B.J. and Sánchez-Alvarado, A. (2009)
“Regeneration, Stem cells and the Evolution of Tumor Suppression”
Cold Spring Harbor Annual Symposium Vol. 73 Control and Regulation of Stem Cells.

Pearson, B.J. and C.Q. Doe (2004)
“Specification of temporal identity in the developing nervous system”
Ann. Rev. Cell Dev. Bio. Vol. 20:619-647.

Webel R, Haug-Collet K, Pearson B, Szerencsei RT, Winkfein RJ, Schnetkamp PP, Colley NJ (2002)
“Potassium-Dependent Sodium-Calcium Exchange through the Eye of the Fly”
Ann N Y Acad. Sci. 976:300-314.