Lab Prof. Dr. Tanja Vogel

We aim to answer these questions with regard to the developing central nervous system using mouse models, mouse stem cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells, and organoids. Methods include amongst others high throughput sequencing techniques, e.g. ChIP-seq, (single cell) RNA-seq, (single cell) ATAC-seq with bioinformatics analyses, and imaging techniques like smFISH.

Hear Tanja explain our research in episode 114 of Active Motif's Epigenetics podcast: https://www.activemotif.com/podcasts-tanja-vogel

Three new publications on the role of DOT1L in development:

We show that DOT1L activity affects neural stem cell division mode and reduces differentiation and ASNS expression

And that DOT1L deletion impairs the development of cortical parvalbumin-expressing interneurons

Together with nucleophosmin 1, DOT1L preserves peri-nucleolar heterochromatin organization

Scientific projects

1. Epigenetic modifications instruct stem cells during central nervous system development

Stem cells are the basis for tissue generation and renewal. A tightly regulated balance between cell division and exit from the cell cycle ensures proper cell differentiation and tissue development. An imbalance in either direction can result in cancer and diseases.

One molecular mechanism in place is control of gene activity, for example by chemical modification of the DNA at the chromatin level, i.e. through epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modifications include for example histone modifications,that impact on CNS development.

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2. FOXG1 and the aetiology of FOXG1-syndrome

The transcription factor FOXG1 is necessary for proper brain development and its mutation causes severe neurodevelopment defects. We are interested to understand the diverse molecular functions of FOXG1, and what renders it as essential player in the developing forebrain. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches we are studying the effects of altered expression of the mouse and human FOXG1.

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3. Signaling to chromatin

Signaling pathways connect the environment, in which a cell is embedded, with the molecular machinery localized in the cell's interior. Through a cascade of events, information is transported from the outside to the nucleus and translated into a particular gene activity. Several pathways are important for organ development, function, homeostasis and further cellular mechanisms. We studied in the context of forebrain stem cells the Transforming growth factor β and Insulin-like growth factor.

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