BIOTEC - Biotechnology Center TU Dresden

Abstract
Cell fate control from multipotent progenitor cells of key importance to understanding organ formation, origins of congenital defects, and regeneration. We study the emergence of cardiovascular cell fates within the context of mesoderm patterning with cellular, molecular, and evolutionary approaches using zebrafish as principal model. We have uncovered gene-regulatory elements that reveal the developmental stages from earliest cardiovascular prongenitor formation to subsequent organ patterning. Decoding the upstream input for these regulatory elements, we uncovered an ancient molecular program that drives the formation of cardiovascular-competent mesoderm. Our approaches further instruct the discovery and mechanistic follow-up of genotype-phenotype associations in congential cardiovascular diseases.

5 most recent papers
1) Felker A, Prummel KD, Merks AM, Mickoleit M, Brombacher EC, Huisken J, Panáková D, Mosimann C. Continuous addition of progenitors forms the cardiac ventricle in zebrafish. Nat Commun. 2018 May 21;9(1):2001. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04402-6.

2) Cantù C, Felker A, Zimmerli D, Prummel KD, Cabello EM, Chiavacci E, et al.. Mutations in Bcl9 and Pygo genes cause congenital heart defects by tissue-specific perturbation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling Genes Dev. accepted, in print.

3) Maximizing mutagenesis with solubilized CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes. Burger A, Lindsay H, Felker A, Hess C, Anders C, Chiavacci E, Zaugg J, Weber LM, Catena R, Jinek M, Robinson MD, Mosimann C. Development. 2016 Jun 1;143(11):2025-37. doi: 10.1242/dev.134809. Epub 2016 Apr 29.

4) Lindsay H, Burger A, Biyong B, Felker A, Hess C, Zaugg J, Chiavacci E, Anders C, Jinek M, Mosimann C, Robinson MD. CrispRVariants charts the mutation spectrum of genome engineering experiments. Nat Biotechnol. 2016 Jul 12;34(7):701-2. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3628.

5) Mosimann C, Panáková D, Werdich AA, Musso G, Burger A, et al. Chamber identity programs drive early functional partitioning of the heart. Nat Commun. 2015 Aug 26;6:8146. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9146.

Abstract
Our group studies the evolution of primates. We are interested in the molecular forces that shape phenotypic differences between primate species. I am most fascinated by the differences in brain size and cognitive abilities. Our main focus is on the impact of Gene regulatory factors, such as transcription factors and non-coding RNAs, on differences in transcriptomes, gene regulatory networks, and ultimately the phenotype. We use computational and wet-lab methods to understand the evolution of human specific phenotypes.

5 most recent papers
Kutsche, L.K., Gysi, D.M.*, Fallmann, J., Lenk, K., Petri, R., Swiersy, A., Klapper, S.D., Pircs, K., Khattak, S., Stadler, P.F., Jakobsson, J., Nowick, K. and Busskamp, V. (2018) Combined experimental and system-level analyses reveal the complex regulatory network of miR-124 during human neurogenesis, Cell Systems in press (*my PhD student is shared first author)

Berto, S. and Nowick, K. (2018) Species-specific changes in a primate transcription factor network provide insights into the molecular evolution of the primate prefrontal cortex, Genome Biology and Evolution 2018 Jul 30. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evy149

Berto, S., Perdomo-Sabogal, A., Gerighausen, D., Qin, J., Nowick, K. (2016) A transcription factor consensus network of the human frontal lobe: insights into the molecular mechanisms of human cognitive abilities, Frontiers in Genetics: Special on Systems biology of transcriptional regulation

Perdomo-Sabogal, A., Nowick, K.*, Piccini, I., Sudbrak, R., Lehrach, H., Yaspo, ML., Warnatz, HJ.†, Querfurth, R.*† (2016) Human lineage-specific transcriptional regulation through GA binding protein transcription factor alpha (GABPa), Molecular Biology and Evolution 2016 May; 33(5):1231-44. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msw007 (*shared corresponding author)

Perdomo-Sabogal, A., Kanton, S., Walter, M.B.C., Nowick, K. (2014) The roles of gene regulatory factors in the history of human evolution, Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 9;29C: 60-67

Abstract
The functions of proteins have traditionally been linked to their well-defined three-dimensional, folded structures. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that many proteins perform essential functions without being folded. Single-molecule spectroscopy provides new opportunities for investigating the structure, dynamics, and interaction mechanisms of such unfolded or 'intrinsically disordered' proteins (IDPs). I will focus on a recent example of two IDPs that bind one another with very high affinity yet remain unstructured. This type of interaction has interesting ramifications for kinetic mechanisms of binding and cellular regulation.

5 most recent papers
Borgia, A., Borgia, M., Bugge, K., Kissling, V.M., Heidarsson, P.O., Fernandes, C.B., Sottini, A., Soranno, A., Buholzer, K., Nettels, D., Kragelund, B.B., Best, R.B., & Schuler, B. (2018) Extreme disorder in an ultra-high-affinity protein complex. Nature, 555, 61-66.

Zosel, F., Mercadante, D., Nettels, D. & Schuler, B. (2018) A proline switch explains kinetic heterogeneity in a coupled folding and binding reaction. Nat. Comm. 9:3332

Soranno, A., Holla, A., Dingfelder, F., Nettels, D., Makarov, D.E. & Schuler, B. (2017) Integrated view of internal friction in unfolded proteins from single-molecule FRET, contact quenching, theory, and simulations. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 114, E1833-E1839.

Schuler, B. (2018) Perspective: Chain dynamics of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins from nanosecond fluorescence correlation spectroscopy combined with single-molecule FRET. J. Chem. Phys. 149, 010901

Schuler, B., Hofmann, H., Nettels, D. & Soranno, A. (2016) Single-molecule FRET spectroscopy and the polymer physics of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins. Annu. Rev. Biophys. 45, 207-231.

Der 10. Netzhaut-Informationstag bietet Ihnen aktuelle Informationen zu Themen aus der Grundlagen- und klinischen Forschung, sowie neue Möglichkeiten der Anwendung und Selbsthilfe. Im Mittelpunkt stehen die Erkrankungen Retinitis Pigmentosa, Makuladegeneration und das manifeste Glaukom.

Programm

10:00 Uhr
Grußwort von Karin Papp, Stellvertretende Vorstandsvorsitzende, PRO RETINA Deutschland e. V.
Grußwort von Sächsischer Staatsministerin für Soziales und Verbraucherschutz Barbara Klepsch verlesen durch Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Knust, Direktorin, MPI-CBG

10:20 Uhr
Prof. Dr. Marius Ader, CRTD, Dresden
Zell-Transplantation in die Netzhaut - aktueller Stand der Forschung

10:40 Uhr
Vortrag des Universitätsklinikums Dresden

11:00 Uhr
Kaffeepause, Informationsstände

11:40 Uhr
Prof. Dr. Domink Fischer, Universität Tübingen, Forschungsinstitut für Augenheilkunde
Wie funktioniert Gentherapie am Auge?

12:00 Uhr
Carola Engelmann, SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH
Das neue Bundesteilhabegesetz - Erweiterte Regelungen zu Nachteilsausgleichen

12:10 Uhr
Dario Rizzo, SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH
Selbstbestimmt und eigenständig - auch mit Sehbehinderung! Angebote zur Rehabilitation

12:20 Uhr
Mittagspause, Informationsstände

13:20 - 14:20 Uhr
Frageforum - Von der Entdeckung im Labor zur Therapie für den Patienten. Die Referenten der Vorträge beantworten Ihre Fragen rund um das Thema Retina
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Knust

15:00 Uhr
Ende der Veranstaltung

DFG-Forschungszentrum für Regenerative Therapien an der Technischen Universität Dresden
Begehbares Augenmodell - Die Welt aus der Sicht von Patienten mit Netzhauterkrankungen erleben

PRO RETINA Deutschland e.V.
Informationen zum Angebot der Selbsthilfegruppe

Blinden- und Sehbehinderten Verband Sachsen e.V. (BSVS)
Informationen zum Projekt "Blickpunkt Auge" und zu den Angeboten des BSVS

SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH
Informationen zu Rehabilitationsangeboten

Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus
Beratung der Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde

Sehzentrumfachgeschäft Dresden & Blinden- und Sehbehinderten Verband Sachsen e.V.
Fragen rund um den Blindenführhund

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