Willi Halfter

Halfter, Willi M.
Associate Professor, Neurobiology
Ph.D., University of Tubingen, Germany (1981)
Address: W1443 BSTWR
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2536
Telephone: 412-648-9424
Fax: 412-648-1441
E-mail: whalfter@pitt.edu

Axonal pathfinding in the developing chick visual system

During early embryonic development, axons grow with high accuracy to specific target areas, navigating along protein cues provided by the environment. A major goal of Dr. Halfter's laboratory is to identify the proteins that are involved in the early neurite outgrowth event. Because extracellular matrix proteins are likely to play a role in axonal migration, a detailed biochemical analysis of this class of molecules in the developing chick visual system is underway. Other investigations in Dr. Halfter's laboratory involve tissue culture experiments and transplanta-tions in live embryos in order to identify the mechanisms underlying the orientation of growing nerve fibers.

Trainees in Dr. Halfter's lab have the opportunity to learn how to culture nerve cells, produce monoclonal antibodies, and identify proteins in the developing central nervous system by peptide sequencing and cDNA cloning in phage libraries.

Sample Publications:

Nanoscale Topographic and Biomechanical Studies of the Human Inner Limiting Membrane.
Henrich PB, Monnier CA, Halfter W, Haritoglou C, Strauss RW, Lim RY, Loparic M.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Mar 12.

Retinal ectopias and mechanically weakened basement membrane in a mouse model of muscle-eye-brain (MEB) disease congenital muscular dystrophy.
Hu H, Candiello J, Zhang P, Ball SL, Cameron DA, Halfter W.
Mol Vis. 2010 Jul 28;16:1415-28.

Molecular interactions in the retinal basement membrane system: A proteomic approach.
Balasubramani M, Schreiber EM, Candiello J, Balasubramani GK, Kurtz J, Halfter W.
Matrix Biol. 2010 Apr 18 (in press).

Age-dependent changes in the structure, composition and biophysical properties of a human basement membrane.
Candiello J, Cole GJ, Halfter W.
Matrix Biol. 2010 Jun;29(5):402-10.

Change in embryonic eye size and retinal cell proliferation following intravitreal injection of glycosaminoglycans.
Halfter W.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Aug;49(8):3289-98.

Biomechanical properties of native basement membranes.
Candiello J, Balasubramani M, Schreiber EM, Cole GJ, Mayer U, Halfter W, Lin H.
FEBS J. 2007 Jun;274(11):2897-908.

Regulation of eye size by the retinal basement membrane and vitreous body.
Halfter, W, Winzen U, Bishop PN, Eller A.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006 Aug;47(8):3586-94.

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