Kristen Wells, PhD

Publications

• Schaaf C, Docherty FM, Rodriguez MX, McGrath PS, Hill CJ, Wells KL, Sussel L. Human NKX2.2 influences islet endocrine cell fate choices through regulation of WNT pathway genes. bioRxiv. 2025 Sep 27. PubMed PMID: 41040286
• Wortham M, Ramms B, Zeng C, Benthuysen JR, Sai S, Pollow DP, Liu F, Schlichting M, Harrington AR, Liu B, Prakash TP, Pirie EC, Zhu H, Baghdasarian S, Lee ST, Ruthig VA, Wells KL, Auwerx J, Shirihai OS, Sander M. The protein deacetylase SIRT2 exerts metabolic control over adaptive ß cell proliferation. J Clin Invest. 2025 Oct 1;135(19). PubMed PMID: 40762838
• Sarbaugh DK, Oliveira TG, Guney MA, Hoelscher VM, Hill CJ, Michel CR, Wells KL, Benninger RKP, Sussel L. The Chromatin Remodeler Protein CHD4 Cooperates With NKX2.2 to Regulate Pancreatic Beta Cell Integrity. bioRxiv. 2025 Jun 17. PubMed PMID: 40667117
• Hansen MS, Hill CJ, Sussel L, Wells KL. Optimizing Single-Cell Long-Read Sequencing for Enhanced Isoform Detection in Pancreatic Islets. bioRxiv. 2025 Sep 19. PubMed PMID: 40475445
• Nicholas CA, Tensun FA, Evans SA, Toole KP, Prendergast JE, Broncucia H, Hesselberth JR, Gottlieb PA, Wells KL, Smith MJ. Activated polyreactive B cells are clonally expanded in autoantibody positive and patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes. Cell Rep. 2025 Apr 22;44(4):115425. PubMed PMID: 40117290
• Brooks EP, Casey MR, Wells KL, Liu TY, Van Orman M, Sussel L. NKX2.2 and KLF4 cooperate to regulate a-cell identity. Genes Dev. 2025 Feb 3;39(3-4):242-260. PubMed PMID: 39797760
• Rotti PG, Yi Y, Gasser G, Yuan F, Sun X, Apak-Evans I, Wu P, Liu G, Choi S, Reeves R, Scioneaux AE, Zhang Y, Winter M, Liang B, Cunicelli N, Uc A, Norris AW, Sussel L, Wells KL, Engelhardt JF. CFTR represses a PDX1 axis to govern pancreatic ductal cell fate. iScience. 2024 Dec 20;27(12):111393. PubMed PMID: 39687022
• Haemmerle MW, Scota AV, Khosravifar M, Varney MJ, Sen S, Good AL, Yang X, Wells KL, Sussel L, Rozo AV, Doliba NM, Ghanem LR, Stoffers DA. RNA-binding protein PCBP2 regulates pancreatic ß cell function and adaptation to glucose. J Clin Invest. 2024 Jun 17;134(12). PubMed PMID: 38950317
• Zhang ET, Wells KL, Bergman AJ, Ryan EE, Steinmetz LM, Baker JC. Uterine injury during diestrus leads to placental and embryonic defects in future pregnancies in mice†. Biol Reprod. 2024 Apr 11;110(4):819-833. PubMed PMID: 38206869
• Kim YK, Kim YR, Wells KL, Sarbaugh D, Guney M, Tsai CF, Zee T, Karsenty G, Nakayasu ES, Sussel L. PTPN2 Regulates Metabolic Flux to Affect ß-Cell Susceptibility to Inflammatory Stress. Diabetes. 2024 Mar 1;73(3):434-447. PubMed PMID: 38015772
• Zhang ET, Wells KL, Bergman AJ, Ryan EE, Steinmetz LM, Baker JC. Uterine injury during diestrus leads to placental and embryonic defects in future pregnancies in mice†. Biol Reprod. 2024 Apr 11;110(4):819-833. PubMed PMID: 38206869
• Haemmerle MW, Scota AV, Khosravifar M, Varney MJ, Sen S, Good AL, Yang X, Wells KL, Sussel L, Rozo AV, Doliba NM, Ghanem LR, Stoffers DA. RNA-binding protein PCBP2 regulates pancreatic ß cell function and adaptation to glucose. J Clin Invest. 2024 Jun 17;134(12). PubMed PMID: 38950317
• Nicholas CA, Tensun FA, Evans SA, Toole KP, Broncucia H, Hesselberth JR, Gottlieb PA, Wells KL, Smith MJ. Islet-antigen reactive B cells display a unique phenotype and BCR repertoire in autoantibody positive and recent-onset type 1 diabetes patients. bioRxiv. 2024 Jun 25. PubMed PMID: 38979376
• Kim YK, Kim YR, Wells KL, Sarbaugh D, Guney M, Tsai CF, Zee T, Karsenty G, Nakayasu ES, Sussel L. PTPN2 Regulates Metabolic Flux to Affect ß-Cell Susceptibility to Inflammatory Stress. Diabetes. 2024 Mar 1;73(3):434-447. PubMed PMID: 38015772
• Stensland ZC, Magera CA, Broncucia H, Gomez BD, Rios-Guzman NM, Wells KL, Nicholas CA, Rihanek M, Hunter MJ, Toole KP, Gottlieb PA, Smith MJ. Identification of an anergic BND cell-derived activated B cell population (BND2) in young-onset type 1 diabetes patients. J Exp Med. 2023 Aug 7;220(8). PubMed PMID: 37184563
• Abarinov V, Levine JA, Churchill AJ, Hopwood B, Deiter CS, Guney MA, Wells KL, Schrunk JM, Guo Y, Hammelman J, Gifford DK, Magnuson MA, Wichterle H, Sussel L. Major ß cell-specific functions of NKX2.2 are mediated via the NK2-specific domain. Genes Dev. 2023 Jun 1;37(11-12):490-504. PubMed PMID: 37364986
• Yuan F, Gasser GN, Lemire E, Montoro DT, Jagadeesh K, Zhang Y, Duan Y, Ievlev V, Wells KL, Rotti PG, Shahin W, Winter M, Rosen BH, Evans I, Cai Q, Yu M, Walsh SA, Acevedo MR, Pandya DN, Akurathi V, Dick DW, Wadas TJ, Joo NS, Wine JJ, Birket S, Fernandez CM, Leung HM, Tearney GJ, Verkman AS, Haggie PM, Scott K, Bartels D, Meyerholz DK, Rowe SM, Liu X, Yan Z, Haber AL, Sun X, Engelhardt JF. Transgenic ferret models define pulmonary ionocyte diversity and function. Nature. 2023 Sep;621(7980):857-867. PubMed PMID: 37730992
• Moss ND, Wells KL, Theis A, Kim YK, Spigelman AF, Liu X, MacDonald PE, Sussel L. Modulation of insulin secretion by RBFOX2-mediated alternative splicing. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 25;14(1):7732. PubMed PMID: 38007492
• Kim YK, Walters JA, Moss ND, Wells KL, Sheridan R, Miranda JG, Benninger RKP, Pyle LL, O'Brien RM, Sussel L, Davidson HW. Zinc transporter 8 haploinsufficiency protects against beta cell dysfunction in type 1 diabetes by increasing mitochondrial respiration. Mol Metab. 2022 Dec;66:101632. PubMed PMID: 36347424
• Sanders BE, Wolsky R, Doughty ES, Wells KL, Ghosh D, Ku L, Pressey JG, Bitler BB, Brubaker LW. Small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT): A review and novel case with dual germline SMARCA4 and BRCA2 mutations. Gynecol Oncol Rep. 2022 Dec;44:101077. PubMed PMID: 36249907
• Miranda JG, Schleicher WE, Wells KL, Ramirez DG, Landgrave SP, Benninger RKP. Dynamic changes in ß-cell [Ca(2 )] regulate NFAT activation, gene transcription, and islet gap junction communication. Mol Metab. 2022 Mar;57:101430. PubMed PMID: 34979329
• Kim Y.K., Kim Y.J., Wells K.L., Guney M., Tsai C., Zee T., Karsenty G., Nakayasu E.S., Sussel L. IPTPN2 regulates metabolic flux to affect beta cell susceptibility to inflammatory stress. Diabetes
• Rotti, P.G., Yi, Y., Gasser, G., Yuan, F., Sun, X., Apak-Evans, I., Wu, P., Liu, G., Choi, S, Reeves R., Scioneaux, A.E., Zhang, Y., Winter, M., Liang, B., Cunicelli, N., Uc, A., Norris, A.W., Sussel, L., Wells, K.L.**, Engelhardt, J.F.** CFTR Repressed a PDX1 Axis to Govern Pancreatic Ductal Cell Fate. Accepted iScience