Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM)
IMM Research Groups
AG Groß
Extracellular Signal Transduction
AG Hammann
RNA-mediated Gene Regulation & Infection
AG Hanley
Chemotaxis, Phagocytosis and Myosins
We study the initial steps of viral entry into bacterial cells, analyzing bacteriophage interactions with Gram-negative hosts, using biophysical and biochemical methods on the level of individual phage particles. To understand the dynamical interplay between bacterial envelopes and bacteriophages our research focus is on phage interactions with bacterial glycans, membrane model systems, vesicles and biofilm matrices.
The research of the Gross group is focussed on extracellular vesicles (EVs), their role in cellular communication, disease processes, and diagnostic applications. Key findings cover mechanismes of EV biogenesis and Wnt signaling, with contributions to cardiovascular and cancer pathology, and biomarker potential. Together with colleagues from ISEV and GSEV we are advancing standardized EV research methodologies for data-sharing and analysis.
Our research interests are the function of catalytic RNA molecules and (RNA) Biology in the eukaryotic model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. In the amoeba, we study functional aspects of ribosomal and transfer RNA maturation, retrotransposon control by regulatory RNA molecules and mechanisms of infection.
We are interested in understanding how macrophages move and navigate along chemoattractant gradients, as well as how they capture and ingest particles such as opsonized red blood cells, bacteria, or yeast. Another focus of our research is on class XVIII motor proteins, specifically myosins XVIIIA and XVIIIB, and their role in sarcomere development in cardiomyocytes.
AG Kramer
Neuronal Development And Maintenance
AG Pfirrmann (UbiCilia)
Cellular Protein Quality Control Mechanisms
AG Stumpff
Ion Channels In Epithelial Transport
Our research group focuses on the development and maintenance of the nervous system at a molecular and cellular level. This is crucial to understanding Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by the premature death of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. We are seeking to understand the causes and mechanisms that lead to nerve cell death.
At AG Pfirrmann, we investigate how cells regulate protein turnover, focusing on the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) and the GID/CTLH complex, an essential ubiquitin ligase. This complex operates at the primary cilium - the cell's "antenna" - and plays a key role in regulating metabolism through protein homeostasis. By studying the GID complex’s influence on metabolism and lifespan, we aim to uncover new insights into potential treatments for metabolic diseases and cellular aging.
In the AG Stumpff, we are working on the function of ion channels in epithelial transport processes. Our laboratory combines electrophysiological methods such as the patch-clamp technique, the Ussing chamber technique and TEER measurements on cells, organoids and native tissues with molecular biological approaches. Our aim is to gain a better understanding of the role of ion channels in regulating and mediating transport and barrier function of the human gastrointestinal tract.
Latest Publications of IMM Group Members
2024
- Horsthemke, M., Arnaud, C. A., & Hanley, P. J. (2024). Are the class 18 myosins Myo18A and Myo18B specialist sarcomeric proteins?. Frontiers in physiology, 15, 1401717. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1401717
- Gerstenmaier, L., Colasanti, O., Behrens, H., Kolonko, M., Hammann, C., & Hagedorn, M. (2024). Recruitment of both the ESCRT and autophagic machineries to ejecting Mycobacterium marinum. Molecular microbiology, 121(3), 385–393. https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.15075
- Welsh, J. A., Goberdhan, D. C. I., O'Driscoll, L., Buzas, E. I., Blenkiron, C., Bussolati, B., Cai, H., Di Vizio, D., Driedonks, T. A. P., Erdbrügger, U., Falcon-Perez, J. M., Fu, Q. L., Hill, A. F., Lenassi, M., Lim, S. K., Mahoney, M. G., Mohanty, S., Möller, A., Nieuwland, R., Ochiya, T., … Witwer, K. W. (2024). Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches. Journal of extracellular vesicles, 13(2), e12404. https://doi.org/10.1002/jev2.12404
- Pfaller, A. M., Kaplan, L., Carido, M., Grassmann, F., Díaz-Lezama, N., Ghaseminejad, F., Wunderlich, K. A., Glänzer, S., Bludau, O., Pannicke, T., Weber, B. H. F., Koch, S. F., Bonev, B., Hauck, S. M., & Grosche, A. (2024). The glucocorticoid receptor as a master regulator of the Müller cell response to diabetic conditions in mice. Journal of neuroinflammation, 21(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-024-03021-x
2023
- Hanley P. J. (2023). Elusive physiological role of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP): generation of choline for sperm motility via auto-and paracrine cholinergic signaling. Frontiers in physiology, 14, 1327769. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1327769
- Helm, M., Bohnsack, M. T., Carell, T., Dalpke, A., Entian, K. D., Ehrenhofer-Murray, A., Ficner, R., Hammann, C., Höbartner, C., Jäschke, A., Jeltsch, A., Kaiser, S., Klassen, R., Leidel, S. A., Marx, A., Mörl, M., Meier, J. C., Meister, G., Rentmeister, A., Rodnina, M., … Stafforst, T. (2023). Experience with German Research Consortia in the Field of Chemical Biology of Native Nucleic Acid Modifications. ACS chemical biology, 18(12), 2441–2449. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.3c00586
- Vignane, T., Hugo, M., Hoffmann, C., Katsouda, A., Petric, J., Wang, H., Miler, M., Comas, F., Petrovic, D., Chen, S., Miljkovic, J. Lj., Morris, J. L., Chowdhury, S. R., Prudent, J., Polovic, N., Murphy, M. P., Papapetropoulos, A., Milovanovic, D. & Filipovic, M. R. (2023). Protein thiol alterations drive aberrant phase separation in aging. BioRxiv (PrePrint). https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.07.566021
- Stephan, M. S., Dunsing, V., Pramanik, S., Chiantia, S., Barbirz, S., Robinson, T., & Dimova, R. (2023). Biomimetic asymmetric bacterial membranes incorporating lipopolysaccharides. Biophysical journal, 122(11), 2147–2161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2022.12.017