Staff Profile

Dr David Weinkove

Contact Dr David Weinkove (email at david.weinkove@durham.ac.uk)

C. elegans research lab

We address major biological and biomedical problems using the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. Our current projects include investigating the links between nutrition, microbes and ageing. The strengths of the C. elegans system are that conditions can be tightly controlled and the animal is very well characterised through a concerted effort of labs around the world. Further, the short lifecycle and lifespan means that experiments can be conducted very quickly. We combine the techniques of genetics, biochemistry and microscopy to understand basic biological processes in our animal model. Where possible we try to use the strengths of research in physics, chemistry and mathematics to increase our ability to understand animal biology.

In the lab, C. elegans is cultured with the live microbe Escherichia coli as a food source. We have found that perturbing folate synthesis in E. coli increases C. elegans lifespan. We use our experimental system as model for the relationship between animals, microbes and their diet. We can manipulate the growth media, the E. coli and the animal.

I have ten years of experience of postdoctoral research using C. elegans, having worked in four different labs (Plasterk, Divecha, Jorgensen and Gems). In each lab I learnt and developed new techniques that I can apply to our current research and provide training to all members of the research group.

How to pronounce Weinkove (courtesy of cousin Ben).

Research Groups

• Biomolecular Interactions
• Development and Regeneration
• Durham Centre for Bioimaging Technology

Supervises

• Miss Bhupinder Virk
• Miss Razan Bakheet

Research Interests

• C. elegans
• Ageing
• Folate metabolism
• Phosphoinositide signalling
• Oxidative stress response

Publications

Journal papers: academic

• Cabreiro, F., Au, C., Leung, K.-Y. Vergara-Irigaray, N., Cocheme, H.M., Noori, T., Weinkove, D., Schuster, E., Greene, N.D.E. & Gems, D. (2013). Metformin retards aging in C. elegans by altering microbial folate and methionine metabolism. Cell 153(1): 228-239.
• Virk, B, Correia, G, Dixon, DP, Feyst, I, Jia, J, Oberleitner, N, Briggs, Z, Hodge, E, Edwards, R, Ward, J, Gems, D & Weinkove, D (2012). Excessive folate synthesis limits lifespan in the C. elegans: E. coli aging model. BMC Biology 10: 67.
• Panbianco, C, Weinkove, D, Zanin, E, Jones, D, Divecha, N, Gotta, M & Ahringer, J (2008). A casein kinase 1 and PAR proteins regulate asymmetry of a PIP2 synthesis enzyme for asymmetric spindle positioning. Developmental Cell 15(2): 198-208.
• Weinkove, D, Bastiani, M, Chessa, TAM, Joshi, D, Hauth, L, Cooke, FT, Divecha, N & Schuske, K (2008). Overexpression of PPK-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans Type I PIP kinase, inhibits growth cone collapse in the developing nervous system and causes axonal degeneration in adults. Developmental Biology 313(1): 384-397.
• Bass, TM, Weinkove, D, Houthoofd, K, Gems, D & Partridge, L (2007). Effects of resveratrol on lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Mechanisms Of Ageing And Development 128(10): 546-552.
• Weinkove, D, Halstead, JR, Gems, D & Divecha, N (2006). Long-term starvation and ageing induce AGE-1/PI 3-kinase-dependent translocation of DAF-16/FOXO to the cytoplasm. BMC Biology 4: 13.
• Jansen, G, Weinkove, D & Plasterk, RHA (2002). The G-protein gamma subunit gpc-1 of the nematode C. elegans is involved in taste adaptation. EMBO Journal 21(5): 986-994.
• Weinkove, D & Leevers, SJ (2000). The genetic control of organ growth: insights from Drosophila. Current Opinion In Genetics & Development 10(1): 75-80.
• Weinkove, D, Neufeld, TP, Twardzik, T, Waterfield, MD & Leevers, SJ (1999). Regulation of imaginal disc cell size, cell number and organ site by Drosophila class I-A phosphoinositide 3-kinase and its adaptor. Current Biology 9(18): 1019-1029.
• Weinkove, D, Poyatos, JA, Greiner, H, Oltra, E, Avalos, J, Fukshansky, L, Barrero, AF & Cerda-Olmedo, E (1998). Mutants of Phycomyces with decreased gallic acid content. Fungal Genetics And Biology 25(3): 196-203.
• Weinkove, D, Leevers, SJ, MacDougall, LK & Waterfield, MD (1997). p60 is an adaptor for the Drosophila phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Dp110. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 272(23): 14606-14610.
• Leevers, SJ, Weinkove, D, MacDougall, LK, Hafen, E & Waterfield, MD (1996). The Drosophila phosphoinositide 3-kinase Dp110 promotes cell growth. EMBO Journal 15(23): 6584-6594.