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Ahmed Balboula

Ahmed Balboula

Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences

Animal Sciences,

abalboula@missouri.edu

573-882-3570

Research Emphasis

My laboratory uses transgenic mouse models, genetic constructs, and time-lapse live imaging to understand how two critical events during meiosis I, spindle formation and positioning, are regulated at the molecular levels.

Research Interests

  • Meiotic regulation
  • Early embryonic development

Education

  • Ph.D. 2010, Reproductive Biology, National Agricultural Research Institute, Japan and Mansoura University, Egypt
  • MS, Reproductive Biology, Mansoura University, Egypt
  • BS, Veterinary Medical Sciences, Mansoura University

Selected Publications

Simintiras CA., Dhakal P., Ranjit C., Fitzgerald H., Balboula AZ. and Spencer TE. (2021). Capture and metabolomic analysis of the human endometrial epithelial organoid secretome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 13;118(15): e2026804118.

D.L. Vasquez, K. Rodriguez-Lukey, S.K. Behura, A.Z. Balboula. (2020). Cytoplasmic microtubule organizing centers regulate meiotic spindle positioning in mouse oocyte. bioRxiv, 2020.2006.2025.172684, doi:10.1101/2020.06.25.172684

Yamamura S, Goda N, Akizawa H, Kohri N, Balboula AZ, Kobayashi K, Bai H, Takahashi M, Kawahara M. (2020). Yes-associated protein 1 translocation through actin cytoskeleton organization in trophectoderm cells. Developmental Biology, 468 (1-2): 14-25.

J. Kincade J, A.Z. Balboula. (2020). Initial spindle formation at the oocyte center protects against incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachment and aneuploidy in mice. bioRxiv,
2020.2006.2028.176594, doi:10.1101/2020.06.28.176594

A.Z. Balboula, Karen Schindler, Tomoya Kotani, Manabu Kawahara, Masashi TakahashI (2020). Vitrification-induced activation of lysosomal cathepsin B perturbs spindle assembly
checkpoint function in mouse oocytes, Molecular Human Reproduction, 26 (9): 689-701.

A.Z. Balboula, M. Aboelenain, J. Li, H. Bai, M. Kawahara, M.A. Abdel-Ghani, M. Takahashi. (2020). Inverse relationship between autophagy and CTSK is related to bovine embryo quality,
Reproduction, 159 (6): 757-766.

Li J, Balboula AZ, Aboelenain M, Fujii T, Moriyasu S, Bai H, Kawahara M, Takahashi M. (2020). Effect of autophagy induction and cathepsin B inhibition on developmental competence of poor
quality bovine oocytes, Journal of Reproduction and Development, 14; 66 (1): 83-91.

Li J, Maeji M, Balboula AZ, Aboelenain M, Fujii T, Moriyasu S, Bai H, Kawahara M, Takahashi M.J. (2020). Dynamic status of lysosomal cathepsin in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos, Journal of Reproduction and Development, 14; 66 (1): 9-17.

Behura SK, Dhakal P, Kelleher AM, Balboula A, Patterson A, Spencer TE. (2019). The brain placental axis: Therapeutic and pharmacological relevancy to pregnancy, Pharmacological Research, 149:104468.

M.A. Ezz, A. Elweza, M. Marey, T. Kawai, M. Heppelmann, C. Pfarrer, A.Z. Balboula, A. Montaser, K. Imakawa, S.M. Zaabel, M. Shimada, and A. Miyamoto. (2019). TLR2/4 signaling pathway mediates sperm-induced inflammation in bovine endometrial epithelial
cells in vitro, PLoS One, 17;14(4): e0214516.

A.Z. Balboula, C.S. Blengini, A.S. Gentilello, M. Takahashi, K. Schindler. (2017). Maternal RNA regulates Aurora C kinase during mouse oocyte maturation in a translation-independent fashion,
Biology of Reproduction, 96 (6), pp. 1197-1209 (selected for cover art issue).

A.Z. Balboula, A. Nguyen, A. Gentilello, S. M. Quartuccio, D. Drutovic, P. Solc and K. Schindler. (2016). Haspin kinase regulates microtubule-organizing center clustering and stability through Aurora kinase C in mouse oocytes, Journal of Cell Science, 129 (19), pp. 3648-3660.

A.Z. Balboula, P. Stein, RM Schultz and K. Schindler. (2015). RBBP4 regulates histone deacetylation and bipolar spindle assembly during oocyte maturation, Biology of Reproduction, 92 (4), pp. 1-12.

A.Z. Balboula and K. Schindler. (2014). Selective disruption of Aurora C kinase reveals distinct functions from Aurora B kinase during meiosis in mouse oocytes, PLoS Genetics, 10 (2), e1004194.

A.Z. Balboula, P. Stein, R.M. Schultz and K. Schindler. (2014). Knockdown of RBBP7 unveils a requirement of histone deacetylation for CPC function in mouse oocytes, Cell Cycle, 13 (4), pp. 600-611.

A.Z. Balboula, K. Yamanaka, M. Sakatani, M. Kawahara, A.O. Hegab, S.M. Zaabel and M. Takahashi. (2013). Cathepsin B activity has a crucial role in the developmental competence of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes exposed to heat shock during in vitro maturation, Reproduction, 146 (4), pp. 407-417.

A.Z. Balboula, K. Yamanaka, M. Sakatani, A.O. Hegab, S.M. Zaabel and M. Takahashi. (2010). Intracellular cathepsin B activity is inversely correlated with the quality and developmental
competence of bovine preimplantation embryos, Molecular Reproduction and Development 12 (77), pp. 1031-1039.

A.Z. Balboula, K. Yamanaka, M. Sakatani, A.O. Hegab, S.M. Zaabel and M. Takahashi. (2010). Cathepsin B Activity is Related to the Quality of Bovine Cumulus Oocyte Complexes and Its Inhibition Can Improve Their Developmental Competence, Molecular Reproduction and Development 5 (77), PP. 439-448.