Ira Lawrence Blitz
Senior Scientist, Developmental & Cell Biology
School of Biological Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1993, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
University of California, Irvine
4410 Natural Sciences II
Mail Code: 2305
Irvine, CA 92697
4410 Natural Sciences II
Mail Code: 2305
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Cell fate specification, vertebrate embryogenesis, intercellular signaling, gene regulatory networks, gastrulation, CRISPR/Cas9, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq
Publications
40. I.L. Blitz (in press). Primordial germ cell transplantation for CRISPR/Cas9-based leapfrogging in Xenopus. JoVE
39. I.L. Blitz (in press). Leapfrogging: Targeting CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing to the Germline in Xenopus. In Genome Editing & Engineering. (ed. K. Appasani). Cambridge University Press.
38. R.M. Charney, K.D. Paraiso, I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (2017). A gene regulatory program controlling early Xenopus mesendoderm formation: Network conservation and motifs. Sem Cell Dev Biol. 66:12-24. (PMID:28341363)
37. R.M. Charney, E. Forouzmand, J.S. Cho, J. Cheung, K.D. Paraiso, Y. Yasuoka, S. Takahashi, M. Taira, I.L. Blitz, X. Xie, and K.W.Y. Cho. (2017). Foxh1 occupies cis-regulatory modules prior to dynamic transcription factor interactions controlling the mesendoderm gene program. Dev Cell. 40:1-13. (PMID:28341363)
36. I.L. Blitz, K.D. Paraiso, I. Patrushev, W.T.Y. Chiu, K.W.Y. Cho and M.J. Gilchrist. (2017). A catalog of Xenopus tropicalis transcription factors and their regional expression in the early gastrula stage embryo. Dev Biol. 426:409–417. (PMID: 27475627)
35. I.L. Blitz, M.B. Fish and K.W.Y. Cho. (2016). Leapfrogging: Primordial Germ Cell Transplantation Permits Recovery of CRISPR/Cas9-Induced Mutations in Essential Genes. Development. 143:2868-2875. (PMID: 27385011)
34. E. Forouzmand, N.D.L. Owens, I.L. Blitz, M.J. Gilchrist, M.K. Khokha, X. Xie and K.W.Y. Cho. (2017). Developmentally regulated long non-coding RNAs in Xenopus tropicalis. Dev. Biol. 426:401-408. (PMID: 27418388)
33. N.D.L. Owens, **I.L. Blitz, M.A. Lane, I. Patrushev, J.D. Overton, M.J. Gilchrist, K.W.Y. Cho, and M.K. Khokha (2016). Measuring Absolute RNA Copy Numbers at High Temporal Resolution Reveals Transcriptome Kinetics in Development. Cell Rep. 14:632-647. **SHARED FIRST AUTHORSHIP** (PMID: 26774488).
32. T. Nakayama, I.L Blitz, M.B. Fish, A.O. Odeleye, A. Sumanth, K.W.Y. Cho and R.M. Grainger (2014). Cas9-based genome editing in Xenopus tropicalis. Methods in Enzymology. 546:345-355. (PMID:25398349).
31. W.T.Y. Chiu, R. Le, Y. Li, J. Biesinger, I.L. Blitz, X. Xie and K.W.Y. Cho. (2014). Transcriptional Regulatory Logic Governing The Nodal Signaling Network During Mesendoderm Development. Development. 141:4537-4547. (PMID:25359723).
30. I.L. Blitz, M. Luong, W.T.Y. Chiu and K.W.Y. Cho. (2014). Applications of Deep Sequencing to Developmental Systems. In Principles of Developmental Genetics, Second edition (ed. S.A. Moody). Academic Press. (ISBN-13: 978-0124059450; ISBN-10: 0124059457)
29. Z. Zheng, S. Christley, W.T. Chiu, I.L. Blitz, X. Xie, K.W.Y. Cho, Q. Nie. (2014). Inference of the Xenopus tropicalis Embryonic Regulatory Network and Spatial Gene Expression Patterns. BMC Systems Biol. 8:3. (PMID:24397936).
28. I.L. Blitz, J. Biesinger, X. Xie and K.W.Y. Cho. (2013). Biallelic genome modification in F0 Xenopus tropicalis embryos using the CRISPR/Cas system. Genesis 51:827–834. (PMID:24123579).
27. I.L. Blitz. (2012). Navigating the Xenopus tropicalis genome. In Methods Mol. Biol. Volume 917, pp 43-65, (ed. S. Hoppler and P.D. Vize). Humana Press. (ISBN13: 9781617799914, PMID:22956082).
26. C. Alexander, E. Zuniga, I.L. Blitz, N. Wada, P. Le Pabic, Y. Javidan, T. Zhang, K.W.Y. Cho, J.G. Crump and T.F. Schilling. (2011). Combinatorial roles for Bmps and Endothelin 1 in patterning the dorsal-ventral axis of the craniofacial skeleton. Development 138:5135-5146. (PMID22031543).
25. T. Onai, Jr.-K. Yu, I.L. Blitz, K.W.Y. Cho and L.Z. Holland (2010). Opposing Nodal/Vg1 and BMP Signals Mediate Axial Patterning in Embryos of the Basal Chordate Amphioxus. Dev. Biol. 344:377-839. (PMID20488174). Corrigendum published in 2011.
24. U. Hellsten, R.M. Harland, M.J. Gilchrist, D. Hendrix, J. Jurka, V. Kapitonov, I. Ovcharenko, N.H. Putnam, S. Shu, L. Taher, I.L. Blitz, B. Blumberg, D.S. Dichmann, I. Dubchak, E. Amaya, J.C. Detter, R. Fletcher, D.S. Gerhard, D. Goodstein, T. Graves, I.V. Grigoriev, J. Grimwood, T. Kawashima, E. Lindquist, S.M. Lucas, P.E. Mead, T. Mitros, H. Ogino, Y. Ota, A.V. Poliakov, N. Pollet, J. Robert, A. Salamov, A.K. Sater, J. Schmutz, A. Terry, P.D. Vize, W.C. Warren, D. Wells, A. Wills, L.B. Zimmerman, R. Grainger, T. Grammer, M.K. Khokha, P.M. Richardson, and D.S. Rokhsar. (2010). The Genome of the Western Clawed Frog Xenopus tropicalis. Science 328:633-636. (PMID20431018).
23. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (2009). Finding Partners: How BMPs Find Their Targets. Dev Dyn. 238:1321-1331. (PMID19441058).
22. T. Hayata, I.L. Blitz, N. Iwata and K.W.Y. Cho. (2009). Identification of embryonic pancreatic genes using Xenopus DNA microarrays. Dev Dyn. 238:1455-1466. (PMID: 19191222).
21. L.-C. Yao, I.L. Blitz, D.A. Peiffer, S. Phin, Y. Wang, S. Ogata, K.W.Y. Cho, K. Arora and R. Warrior. (2006). Schnurri Transcription Factors From Drosophila and Vertebrates Can Mediate BMP Signaling Through a Phylogenetically Conserved Mechanism. Development 133:4025-34. (PMID17008448).
20. I.L. Blitz, G. Andelfinger and M. Horb. (2006). Germ Layers to Organs: Using Xenopus to Study “Later” Development . Sem. Cell Dev. Biol.17:133-145. (PMID16337415).
19. A. von Bubnoff, D.A. Peiffer,, I.L. Blitz, T. Hayata, S. Ogata, K. Q. Zeng, M. Trunnell and K.W.Y. Cho. (2005). Phylogenetic Footprinting and Genome Scanning Identify Vertebrate BMP Response Elements and New Target Genes. Developmental Biology 281:210-226. (PMID15893974).
18. B. Reinhardt, M. Broun, I.L. Blitz and H.R. Bode. (2004). HyBMP5-8b, a BMP5-8 Orthologue, Acts During Axial Patterning and Tentacle Formation in Hydra. Developmental Biology 267:43-59. (PMID14975716).
17. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (2004). Short vs. Long-Range Effects of Spemann’s Organizer. In “The Vertebrate Organizer.” Ed. H. Grunz. Berlin Heidelberg Springer-Verlag.
16. I.L. Blitz, K.W.Y. Cho and C. Chang (2003). Twisted Gastrulation Loss-of-Function Analysis Support its Role as a BMP Inhibitor During Early Xenopus Embryogenesis Development 130:4975-4988. (PMID12952901).
15. Y. Yoshida, A. von Bubnoff, N. Ikematsu, I.L. Blitz, J.K. Tsuzuku, E.H. Yoshida, H. Umemori, K. Miyazono, T. Yamamoto and K.W.Y. Cho. (2003). Tob Proteins Enhance Inhibitory Smad-Receptor Interactions to Repress BMP Signaling. Mech. Dev. 120:629-637. (PMID12782279).
14. J.-K. Yu, L.Z. Holland, M. Jamrich, I.L. Blitz, and N.D. Holland. (2002). AmphiFoxE4, an amphioxus winged helix/forkhead gene encoding a protein closely related to vertebrate thyroid transcription factor-2: expression during pharyngeal development. Evol. Dev. 4:9-15. (PMID11868660).
13. I.C. Scott, **I.L. Blitz, W.N. Pappano, S. Maas, K.W.Y. Cho and D.S. Greenspan. (2001). Twisted Gastrulation Homologs are Extracellular Cofactors in Antagonism of BMP Signaling. Nature 410: 475-478. [erratum in Nature 411: 720.] **SHARED FIRST AUTHORSHIP** (PMID11260715).
12. I.L. Blitz, O. Shimmi, K. Wunnenberg-Stapleton, M.B. O’Connor and K.W.Y. Cho. (2000). Is Chordin a Long-Range or Short-Range Acting Factor? Roles for BMP1-related Metalloproteases in Regulating Chordin Action. Dev. Biol. 223:120-138. (PMID10864466).
11. K. Wunnenberg-Stapleton, I.L. Blitz, C. Hashimoto and K.W.Y. Cho. (1999). Involvement of the Small GTPases XRhoA and XRnd1 in Cell Adhesion and Head Formation in Early Xenopus Development. Development 126:5339-5351. (PMID10556059).
10. I.C. Scott, I.L. Blitz, W.N. Pappano, Y. Imamura, T.G. Clark, B.M. Steiglitz, C.L. Thomas, S.A. Maas, K. Takahara, K.W.Y. Cho and D. Greenspan. (1999). Mammalian BMP-1/Tolloid-Related Metalloproteinases, Including Novel Family Member Mammalian Tolloid-Like-2, Have Differential Enzymatic Activities and Distributions of Expression Relevant to Patterning and Skeletogenesis. Dev. Biol. 213:283-300. (PMID10479448).
9. K.M. Smith, L. Gee, I.L. Blitz and H.R. Bode. (1999). CnOtx, A Member of the Otx Gene Family, Has a Role in Cell Movement in Hydra. Dev. Biol. 212:392-404. (PMID10433829).
8. K.W.Y. Cho and I.L. Blitz. (1998). BMPs, Smads and Metalloproteases: Extracellular and Intracellular Modes of Negative Regulation. Curr. Op. Gen. Dev. 8:443-449. (PMID9729721).
7. I. Flink, I.L. Blitz and E. Morkin. (1998). Characterization of Cellular Nucleic Acid Binding Protein From Xenopus laevis: Expressed in Ectodermal and Mesodermal Tissues During Early Embryogenesis. Dev. Dyn. 211:123-130. (PMID9489766).
6. M.N. Laurent, I.L. Blitz, C. Hashimoto, U. Rothbacher and K.W.Y. Cho. (1997). The Xenopus Homeobox Gene Twin Mediates Wnt Induction of Goosecoid in Establishment of Spemann's Organizer. Development 124:4905-4916. (PMID9428427).
5. M. Artinger, I.L. Blitz, K. Inoue, U. Tran and K.W.Y. Cho. (1997). Interaction of Goosecoid and Brachyury in Mesoderm Patterning. Mech. Dev. 65: 187-196. (PMID9256355).
4. U. Rothbacher, M.N. Laurent, I.L. Blitz, T. Watabe, J.L. Marsh and K.W.Y. Cho. (1995). Functional Conservation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway Revealed by Ectopic Expression of Drosophila Dishevelled in Xenopus. Dev. Biol. 170:717-721. (PMID7649396).
3. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (1995). Anterior Neurectoderm is Progressively Induced During Gastrulation: The Role of the Xenopus Homeobox Gene Orthodenticle. Development 121:993-1004. (PMID7743941).
2. P. Monini, I.L. Blitz and E. Cassai. (1993). Cooperative DNA Binding of the Bovine Papillomavirus E2 Transcriptional Activator is Antagonized by Truncated E2 Polypeptides. J. Virol. 67:5668-5676. (PMID8394466).
1. I.L. Blitz and L.A. Laimins. (1991). The 68-kD E1 Protein of Bovine Papillomavirus Type 1 is a DNA-Binding Phosphoprotein Which Interacts with the E2 Transcriptional Activator In Vitro. J. Virol. 65:649-656. (PMID1846189).
26. C. Alexander, E. Zuniga, I.L. Blitz, N. Wada, P. Le Pabic, Y. Javidan, T. Zhang, K.W.Y. Cho, J.G. Crump and T.F. Schilling. (2011). Combinatorial roles for Bmps and Endothelin 1 in patterning the dorsal-ventral axis of the craniofacial skeleton. Development 138:5135-5146. (PMID22031543).
25. T. Onai, Jr.-K. Yu, I.L. Blitz, K.W.Y. Cho and L.Z. Holland (2010). Opposing Nodal/Vg1 and BMP Signals Mediate Axial Patterning in Embryos of the Basal Chordate Amphioxus. Dev. Biol. 344:377-839. (PMID20488174). Corrigendum published in 2011.
24. U. Hellsten, R.M. Harland, M.J. Gilchrist, D. Hendrix, J. Jurka, V. Kapitonov, I. Ovcharenko, N.H. Putnam, S. Shu, L. Taher, I.L. Blitz, B. Blumberg, D.S. Dichmann, I. Dubchak, E. Amaya, J.C. Detter, R. Fletcher, D.S. Gerhard, D. Goodstein, T. Graves, I.V. Grigoriev, J. Grimwood, T. Kawashima, E. Lindquist, S.M. Lucas, P.E. Mead, T. Mitros, H. Ogino, Y. Ota, A.V. Poliakov, N. Pollet, J. Robert, A. Salamov, A.K. Sater, J. Schmutz, A. Terry, P.D. Vize, W.C. Warren, D. Wells, A. Wills, L.B. Zimmerman, R. Grainger, T. Grammer, M.K. Khokha, P.M. Richardson, and D.S. Rokhsar. (2010). The Genome of the Western Clawed Frog Xenopus tropicalis. Science 328:633-636. (PMID20431018).
23. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (2009). Finding Partners: How BMPs Find Their Targets. Dev Dyn. 238:1321-1331. (PMID19441058).
22. T. Hayata, I.L. Blitz, N. Iwata and K.W.Y. Cho. (2009). Identification of embryonic pancreatic genes using Xenopus DNA microarrays. Dev Dyn. 238:1455-1466. (PMID: 19191222).
21. L.-C. Yao, I.L. Blitz, D.A. Peiffer, S. Phin, Y. Wang, S. Ogata, K.W.Y. Cho, K. Arora and R. Warrior. (2006). Schnurri Transcription Factors From Drosophila and Vertebrates Can Mediate BMP Signaling Through a Phylogenetically Conserved Mechanism. Development 133:4025-34. (PMID17008448).
20. I.L. Blitz, G. Andelfinger and M. Horb. (2006). Germ Layers to Organs: Using Xenopus to Study “Later” Development . Sem. Cell Dev. Biol.17:133-145. (PMID16337415).
19. A. von Bubnoff, D.A. Peiffer,, I.L. Blitz, T. Hayata, S. Ogata, K. Q. Zeng, M. Trunnell and K.W.Y. Cho. (2005). Phylogenetic Footprinting and Genome Scanning Identify Vertebrate BMP Response Elements and New Target Genes. Developmental Biology 281:210-226. (PMID15893974).
18. B. Reinhardt, M. Broun, I.L. Blitz and H.R. Bode. (2004). HyBMP5-8b, a BMP5-8 Orthologue, Acts During Axial Patterning and Tentacle Formation in Hydra. Developmental Biology 267:43-59. (PMID14975716).
17. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (2004). Short vs. Long-Range Effects of Spemann’s Organizer. In “The Vertebrate Organizer.” Ed. H. Grunz. Berlin Heidelberg Springer-Verlag.
16. I.L. Blitz, K.W.Y. Cho and C. Chang (2003). Twisted Gastrulation Loss-of-Function Analysis Support its Role as a BMP Inhibitor During Early Xenopus Embryogenesis Development 130:4975-4988. (PMID12952901).
15. Y. Yoshida, A. von Bubnoff, N. Ikematsu, I.L. Blitz, J.K. Tsuzuku, E.H. Yoshida, H. Umemori, K. Miyazono, T. Yamamoto and K.W.Y. Cho. (2003). Tob Proteins Enhance Inhibitory Smad-Receptor Interactions to Repress BMP Signaling. Mech. Dev. 120:629-637. (PMID12782279).
14. J.-K. Yu, L.Z. Holland, M. Jamrich, I.L. Blitz, and N.D. Holland. (2002). AmphiFoxE4, an amphioxus winged helix/forkhead gene encoding a protein closely related to vertebrate thyroid transcription factor-2: expression during pharyngeal development. Evol. Dev. 4:9-15. (PMID11868660).
13. I.C. Scott, **I.L. Blitz, W.N. Pappano, S. Maas, K.W.Y. Cho and D.S. Greenspan. (2001). Twisted Gastrulation Homologs are Extracellular Cofactors in Antagonism of BMP Signaling. Nature 410: 475-478. [erratum in Nature 411: 720.] **SHARED FIRST AUTHORSHIP** (PMID11260715).
12. I.L. Blitz, O. Shimmi, K. Wunnenberg-Stapleton, M.B. O’Connor and K.W.Y. Cho. (2000). Is Chordin a Long-Range or Short-Range Acting Factor? Roles for BMP1-related Metalloproteases in Regulating Chordin Action. Dev. Biol. 223:120-138. (PMID10864466).
11. K. Wunnenberg-Stapleton, I.L. Blitz, C. Hashimoto and K.W.Y. Cho. (1999). Involvement of the Small GTPases XRhoA and XRnd1 in Cell Adhesion and Head Formation in Early Xenopus Development. Development 126:5339-5351. (PMID10556059).
10. I.C. Scott, I.L. Blitz, W.N. Pappano, Y. Imamura, T.G. Clark, B.M. Steiglitz, C.L. Thomas, S.A. Maas, K. Takahara, K.W.Y. Cho and D. Greenspan. (1999). Mammalian BMP-1/Tolloid-Related Metalloproteinases, Including Novel Family Member Mammalian Tolloid-Like-2, Have Differential Enzymatic Activities and Distributions of Expression Relevant to Patterning and Skeletogenesis. Dev. Biol. 213:283-300. (PMID10479448).
9. K.M. Smith, L. Gee, I.L. Blitz and H.R. Bode. (1999). CnOtx, A Member of the Otx Gene Family, Has a Role in Cell Movement in Hydra. Dev. Biol. 212:392-404. (PMID10433829).
8. K.W.Y. Cho and I.L. Blitz. (1998). BMPs, Smads and Metalloproteases: Extracellular and Intracellular Modes of Negative Regulation. Curr. Op. Gen. Dev. 8:443-449. (PMID9729721).
7. I. Flink, I.L. Blitz and E. Morkin. (1998). Characterization of Cellular Nucleic Acid Binding Protein From Xenopus laevis: Expressed in Ectodermal and Mesodermal Tissues During Early Embryogenesis. Dev. Dyn. 211:123-130. (PMID9489766).
6. M.N. Laurent, I.L. Blitz, C. Hashimoto, U. Rothbacher and K.W.Y. Cho. (1997). The Xenopus Homeobox Gene Twin Mediates Wnt Induction of Goosecoid in Establishment of Spemann's Organizer. Development 124:4905-4916. (PMID9428427).
5. M. Artinger, I.L. Blitz, K. Inoue, U. Tran and K.W.Y. Cho. (1997). Interaction of Goosecoid and Brachyury in Mesoderm Patterning. Mech. Dev. 65: 187-196. (PMID9256355).
4. U. Rothbacher, M.N. Laurent, I.L. Blitz, T. Watabe, J.L. Marsh and K.W.Y. Cho. (1995). Functional Conservation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway Revealed by Ectopic Expression of Drosophila Dishevelled in Xenopus. Dev. Biol. 170:717-721. (PMID7649396).
3. I.L. Blitz and K.W.Y. Cho. (1995). Anterior Neurectoderm is Progressively Induced During Gastrulation: The Role of the Xenopus Homeobox Gene Orthodenticle. Development 121:993-1004. (PMID7743941).
2. P. Monini, I.L. Blitz and E. Cassai. (1993). Cooperative DNA Binding of the Bovine Papillomavirus E2 Transcriptional Activator is Antagonized by Truncated E2 Polypeptides. J. Virol. 67:5668-5676. (PMID8394466).
1. I.L. Blitz and L.A. Laimins. (1991). The 68-kD E1 Protein of Bovine Papillomavirus Type 1 is a DNA-Binding Phosphoprotein Which Interacts with the E2 Transcriptional Activator In Vitro. J. Virol. 65:649-656. (PMID1846189).
Research Centers
Developmental Biology Center
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5534
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5534
Last updated
12/20/2017
12/20/2017