Andreas Wodarz

Center for Anatomy

Prof. Dr. Andreas Wodarz CECAD Cologne
Prof. Dr. Andreas Wodarz

Principal Investigator

Curriculum Vitae

Research Areas

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Cell Polarity and Stem Cells

The general research interest in our group is to unravel the molecular mechanisms that control cell polarity in different cell types. In this context we study epithelial morphogenesis and the regulation of asymmetric division of stem cells.

Confocal image of the follicular epithelium of a Drosophila ovary stained for DE-cadherin (red) Discs-Large (blue), Smallish-GFP (green) and DNA (white). Smallish-GFP is overexpressed in randomly induced cell clones and causes apical constriction of epithelial cells.
Confocal image of the follicular epithelium of a Drosophila ovary stained for DE-cadherin (red) Discs-Large (blue), Smallish-GFP (green) and DNA (white). Smallish-GFP is overexpressed in randomly induced cell clones and causes apical constriction of epithelial cells.

Research Focus

Cell polarity is a key feature of epithelia and stem cells. Morphogenesis of epithelial tissues requires cell polarity to allow cell shape changes driven by local activation of actomyosin contractility, for instance, apical constriction or junctional remodeling during convergent extension movements. Stem cells polarize prior to asymmetric cell division, resulting in daughter cells with different fates. We investigate the mechanisms controlling cell polarity and morphogenesis in the model organism Drosophila.

I  am convinced that basic research in model organisms is extremely important to understand the normal function of our body. This in turn is crucial for understanding the cellular and molecular basis of diseases and what we can do to treat them.

Our Goals

Confocal image of the 3rd instar larval midgut of Drosophila stained for GFP (green) marking peripheral cells forming the stem cell niche around adult midgut progenitor cells (AMPs). DNA is stained in blue.
Confocal image of the 3rd instar larval midgut of Drosophila stained for GFP (green) marking peripheral cells forming the stem cell niche around adult midgut progenitor cells (AMPs). DNA is stained in blue.
  • We study the regulation of actomyosin contractility in epithelia. The planar polarized protein Smash regulates junctional tension and interacts with Rho kinase (Rok), the key activator of non-muscle myosin II. We investigate how Rok activity is modulated during morphogenesis and investigate the interactomes of Rok, Smash and other factors by TurboID proximity labeling. We also use CRISPR/Cas9 for genomic GFP-tagging of proteins to analyze dynamic changes in their subcellular localization.
     
  • A second project deals with the Tip60 chromatin remodeling complex in the regulation of stem cell maintenance. We found that functional impairment of the Tip60 complex leads to premature differentiation of stem cells in the brain and the larval gut. We have mapped the target genes of the Tip60 complex by targeted DamID and are now pursuing the detailed analysis of the Tip60 knockdown phenotype by single cell RNAseq to identify the genes required for stem cell maintenance and proper differentiation of their progeny.

Key Publications

  1. Koehler, S., Odenthal, J., Ludwig, V., Unnersjö Jess, D., Höhne, M., Jüngst, C., Grawe, F., Helmstädter, M., Janku, J. L., Bergmann, C., Hoyer, P. F., Hagmann, H. H. H., Walz, G., Bloch, W., Niessen, C., Schermer, B., Wodarz, A., Denholm, B., Benzing, T., Iden, S., Brinkkoetter, P. T. (2022). Scaffold polarity proteins Par3A and Par3B share redundant functions while Par3B acts independent of atypical protein kinase C/Par6 in podocytes to maintain the kidney filtration barrier. Kidney Int Apr;101(4):733-751. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.11.030. Epub 2021 Dec 17. PMID: 34929254

  2. Rust, K., Wodarz, A. (2021). Transcriptional control of apical-basal polarity regulators. Int J Mol Sci Nov 15;22(22):12340. doi: 10.3390/ijms222212340. PMID: 34830224

  3. Tiwari, M. D., Zeitler, D. M., Meister, G. Wodarz, A. (2019). Molecular profiling of stem cell-like female germ line cells in Drosophila delineates networks important for stemness and differentiation. Biol Open 8, doi:10.1242/bio.046789. PMID: 31649115.

  4. Rust, K., Tiwari, M., Mishra, V. K., Grawe, F., Wodarz, A. (2018). Myc and the Tip60 chromatin remodeling complex control neuroblast maintenance and polarity in Drosophila. EMBO J, 37, e98659. PMID: 29997178

  5.  Beati, H., Peek, I., Hordowska, P., Honemann-Capito, M., Glashauser, J., Renschler, F. A., Kakanj, P., Ramrath, A., Leptin, M., Luschnig, S., Wiesner, S., Wodarz, A. (2018). The adherens junction-associated LIM domain protein Smallish regulates epithelial morphogenesis. J Cell Biol 217, 1079-1095.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Wodarz CECAD Cologne
Prof. Dr. Andreas Wodarz

Principal Investigator

Curriculum Vitae

Research Areas

1
2
3