Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), defined by the complete lack of spermatozoa in the ejaculate, is clinically the most severe form of male infertility. Despite of this knowledge, the precise cause and molecular diagnosis for the majority of NOA men remains elusive and are diagnosed as ‘idiopathic’ or unexplained infertility. With advent of next-generation sequencing methods, a continuously...
Motile ciliopathies are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders caused by dysfunction of motile cilia in various organ systems. A common motile ciliopathy is the multisystem disorder primary ciliary dyskinesia, characterized by recurrent respiratory symptoms. Motile ciliopathies also play an important role in the etiology of male infertility, as sperm flagella defects often occur in...
Microtubules, composed of alpha and beta tubulin heterodimers, are part of the
extensive cytoskeleton network in the cell that performs a wide range of activities in
different cell and tissue systems. Recently, a focus on the contribution of microtubule-
based forces has revealed its role in governing cell and tissue morphogenesis. The
patterning of the microtubule array plays a central...
T.B.A.
Neuronal information conductance depends on transmission of action potentials. The
conductance of action potentials is based on three physical parameters: The axial resistance of
the axon, the axonal insulation by glial membranes, and the positioning of voltage-gated ion
channels. In vertebrates, myelin and channel clustering allow fast saltatory conductance. Here
we show that in...
The circadian clock allows organisms to stay in sync with their ecological niche. Virtually, all organisms from bacteria to humans, have an endogenous circadian clock that ticks with a period of about 24h. In order to stay synchronised, the circadian clock uses rhythmic environmental parameters (also called Zeitgeber) for its resetting (entrainment), the main ones being light and temperature....
The molecular machinery of synapses, including neurotransmitters and postsynaptic receptor ensemble, are essential for quality and salience of transmitted information; But so is their exact placement along a neuron’s arbor. Therefore, locations and numbers are tightly regulated and stereotypic. We showed that such delicately placed synapses are key to general memory computations and...
Recessive mutations in the gene OSGEP cause Galloway-Mowat syndrome, defined by developmental brain defects and progressive glomerulosclerosis in paediatric patients. OSGEP is part of a multiprotein complex that catalyzes post-transcriptional modifications of tRNA and thereby regulates protein translation. Previous studies reported an accumulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress following...
In a world characterized by regular fluctuations, biological systems have developed mechanisms to
anticipate and respond to environmental changes to increase their fitness and survival. Circadian
clocks consist of highly preserved molecular feedback loops allowing organisms to adapt their behavior to the 24 hours environmental light and temperature changes. Circadian clocks enable...
Neurite pruning, the elimination of specific axonal or dendritic branches, is an essential mechanism to refine developing neural circuitry. Following local microtubule and actin disassembly, Drosophila sensory c4da neurons prune their dendrites during metamorphosis. We previously found that the uniform plus end-in orientation of dendritic microtubules is required for efficient pruning by...
Cation chloride cotransporters (CCCs) are evolutionary conserved proteins mediating the electroneutral transport of Cl-, K+ and/or Na+. While KCCs export chloride out of the cell, the opposing N(K)CCs function as chloride importers. Their activity is reciprocally regulated by phosphorylation through chloride-sensitive Wnk and SPAK/OSR1 (D.m.: Fray) kinases, resulting in tight regulation of...
Coordinated rearrangements of cytoskeletal structures govern cell and tissue morphogenesis. In contrast to actin-based forces, our knowledge of microtubule (MT)-based forces is still limited. In recent years, we have shown that the Ft-PCP signaling pathway globally patterns the MT cytoskeleton to coordinate local cell behavior during Drosophila wing morphogenesis. Interestingly, in ft-PCP...
In life sciences, light microscopy imaging systems are key instruments for various research areas as they are capable to record multidimensional data delivering major insights into the biology of molecules, cells, and whole organisms. The generated data shows a high diversity in terms of content and size, and is saved in a myriad of proprietary file formats [1]. To quantitatively and...