Diego Safian

Keywords: organ and cell evolution, EvoDevo, reproduction

Evolutionary developmental biologist interested in understanding how new structures (e.g. organs) originate and diversify. To this end, I have been using different fish species (e.g., flounders, zebrafish, Poeciliidae family) because of their remarkable diversity.

Publications:

• Safian D, Ahmed M, van Kruistum H, Furness AI, Reznick DN, Wiegertjes GF & Pollux BJA (2023). Repeated independent origins of the placenta reveal convergent and divergent organ evolution within a single fish family (Poeciliidae). Science Advances. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf3915​
• Safian D, Wiegertjes GF & Pollux BJA (2021) The fish family poeciliidae as a model to study the evolution and diversification of regenerative capacity in vertebrates. Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.613157
• Crespo D, Assis LHC, Zhang YT, Safian D, Coomans C, Furmanek T, Skaftnesmo KO, Norberg B, Ge W, Broeder M, Legler J, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2021). Insulin-like 3 affects zebrafish spermatogenic cells directly and via Sertoli cells. Communications Biology. 4, 204.
• Crespo D, Lemos M, Zhang YT, Safian D, Norberg B, Bogerd J, Schulz RW (2020). PGE2 inhibits spermatogonia differentiation in zebrafish: interaction with Fsh and androgen. Journal of Endocrinology, 244, 163-175.
• Safian D, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2019). Regulation of spermatogonial development by Fsh: The complementary roles of locally produced Igf and Wnt in adult zebrafish testis. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 284. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113244.​​​
• Crespo D, Assis L, van de Kant H, de Waard S, Safian D, Lemos M, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2019). Endocrine and local signaling interact to regulate spermatogenesis in zebrafish: Follicle-stimulating hormone, retinoic acid and androgens. Development. doi: 10.1242/dev.178665.
• Safian D, Ryane N, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2018a). Fsh stimulates Leydig cell Wnt5a production, enriching zebrafish type A spermatogonia. Journal of Endocrinology, 239, 351-363.
• Safian D, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2018b). Igf3 activates β-catenin signaling to stimulate spermatogonial differentiation in zebrafish. Journal of Endocrinology, 238, 245-257.
• Safian D, van der Kant H, Crespo C, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2017). Fsh regulates igfbp gene expression directly or via downstream effectors to modulate Igf3 effects on zebrafish spermatogenesis. Frontier in Endocrinology, 8:328. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00328.
• Safian D, Morais RD, Bogerd J & Schulz RW (2016). Igf binding proteins protect undifferentiated spermatogonia in the zebrafish testis against excessive differentiation. Endocrinology, 157, 4423-4433.
• Fuentes EN, Safian D, Valdés JA, Alvarez M & Molina A (2013). Nutritional status modulates the Leptin/AMPK axis linked to mitochondrial biogenesis and protein synthesis/cell growth: implications in cell metabolism and growth in the skeletal muscle of the fine flounder. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 186, 172-180.
• Safian D, E.N. Fuentes JA Valdés & A Molina (2012). Dynamic transcriptional regulation of autocrine/paracrine igfbp1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the skeletal muscle of fine flounder during different nutritional statuses. Journal of Endocrinology. 214; 95-108. 
• Fuentes EN, Safian D, Valdés JA & Molina A (2012). Isolation and selection of suitable reference genes for real-time PCR analyses in the skeletal muscle of fine flounder in responses to nutritional status: assessment and normalization of gene expression of growth-related genes. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry. DOI 10.1007/s10695-012-9739-5.
• ​Escobar S, Fuentes E, Poblete E, Valdés JA, Safian D, Reyes A, Alvarez M & Molina A (2011). Molecular cloning of IGF-1 and IGF-1 receptor and their expression pattern in the Chilean flounder (Paralichthys adspersus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 159: 140-147.