AG Lautenschläger
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CYTOSKELETAL FIBERS
CYTOSKELETAL FIBERS
Welcome to the research group of Prof. Dr. Franziska Lautenschläger

Updates

ABOUT US

We are an interdisciplinary workgroup in the field of cellular biophysics. Topics of our research include the role of the cytoskeleton (especially actin and vimentin) in cell migration, - mechanics, and cellular adhesion and polarity. In order to examine cellular behavior we use different types of microfabrication as well as different microscopy types (bright field microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, time lapse microscopy, super resolution techniques (e.g. TIRF, STORM, and atomic force microscopy) as well as laser techniques to investigate cellular dynamics (FRAP, Laserablation).

RESEARCH

What triggers migration? And how can we control and influence it? Although many parameters do play a role in the answer of such big questions, we focuss on one particular aspect: the role of cytoskeletal elements in migrating cells. We investigate the role of actin waves in erratic motion, of intermediate filaments (especially vimentin) on immune cell migration and the interplay of vimentin with actin. We are also working on the influence of extracellular cytoskeletal elements on migration. For all migration projects, we are mainly using fluorescent live cell microscopy at different levels of resolution (epi florescence, spinning disc confocal microscopy, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy).

What is the role of the actin cortex for particular cellular functions, such as migration? Does the cortex structure, dynamics or mechanics alter during adhesion? After the application of particular cytoskeletal drugs? Or with the composition of the cytoskeletal elements in general? In order to answer such questions, we are using fluorescent recovery after photobleaching, super resolution and electron microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy. This project is embedded in the SFB 1027.

Mechanical properties of cells have a high impact on cellular functions, such as the capacity to invade tissue or to migrate. We are testing the impact of cytoskeletal elements on mechanical properties, e.g. the effect of vimentin in immune cells or the presence of microtubules in microtentancles. Furthermore, we are interested in potential alterations of mechanical properties due to nanoparticles or particular chemical substances. For measuring cell mechanics, we are using different techniques depending on the state of adhesion of the cells, e.g. AFM, microfluidic devices, or rheometer.

How does the shape of a cell changes from a symmetric, non-polar form to a polar one with a well-defined front and back? Which role do cytoskeletal elements play in the establishment of polarity? And how can we alter this symmetry breaking? We are using micropatterns and fluorescence microscopy to answer such questions.

OUR TEAM

Boss

Prof. Dr. Franziska Lautenschläger

Group Leader

Boss

Dr. Divyendu Goud Thalla

Postdoc

Boss

Lucina Kainka

PhD Student

Boss

Lukas Schuster

PhD Student



Boss

Carsten Baltes

PhD Student

Boss

Sripada Samhita Thalla

PhD Student

Boss

Erbara Gjana

PhD Student

Boss

Enrique Colina Araujo

PhD Student


Boss

Christoph Anton

PhD Student

Boss

Mona Grünewald

Technician

MASTER BACHELOR
Gagan Sharma Yanic Veit
Valentin Warken Kristin Sander
Aleksandra Damnjanovic
Noa Kirsch
Annalena Laurent

PUBLICATIONS


Cytoskeleton adaptation to stretchable surface relaxation improves adherent cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells
Saskia Altmaier Cryobiology 25 September 2024
Link

A stretchable human lung‐on‐chip model of alveolar inflammation for evaluating anti‐inflammatory drug response
Clémentine Richter, Lorenz Latta, Daria Harig, Patrick Carius, Janick D. Stucki, Nina Hobi, Andreas Hugi, Paul Schumacher, Tobias Krebs, Alexander Gamrekeli, Felix Stöckle, Klaus Urbschat, Galia Montalvo, Franziska Lautenschläger, Brigitta Loretz, Alberto Hidalgo, Nicole Schneider-Daum, Claus-Michael Lehr Bioengineering & Translational Medicine September 2024
Link

The structure and mechanics of the cell cortex depend on the location and adhesion state
D. A. D. Flormann, L. Kainka, G. Montalvo, C. Anton, J. Rheinlaender, D. Thalla, D. Vesperini, M. O. Pohland, K. H. Kaub, M. Schu, F. Pezzano, V. Ruprecht, E. Terriac, R. J. Hawkins, and F. Lautenschläger PNAS July 2024
Link

Soft Synthetic Cells with Mobile Membrane Ligands for Ex Vivo Expansion of Therapy-Relevant T Cell Phenotypes
Anna Burgstaller, Nils Piernitzki, Nadja Küchler, Marcus Koch, Thomas Kister, Hermann Eichler, Tobias Kraus, Eva C. Schwarz, Michael L. Dustin, Franziska Lautenschläger, Oskar Staufer Small May 2024
Link

Engineering Material Properties of Transcription Factor Condensates to Control Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells and Mice
Alexandra A.M. Fischer, Hanah B. Robertson, Deqiang Kong, Merlin M. Grimm, Jakob Grether, Johanna Groth, Carsten Baltes, Manfred Fliegauf, Franziska Lautenschläger, Bodo Grimbacher, Haifeng Ye, Volkhard Helms, Wilfried Weber Small April 2024
Link

PIEZO1‐mediated mechanosensing governs NK‐cell killing efficiency and infiltration in three‐dimensional matrices
Archana K. Yanamandra, Jingnan Zhang, Galia Montalvo, Xiangda Zhou, Doreen Biedenweg, Renping Zhao, Shulagna Sharma, Markus Hoth, Franziska Lautenschläger, Oliver Otto, Aránzazu del Campo, Bin Qu European Journal of Immunology January 2024
Link


Extracellular vimentin: Battle between the devil and the angel
Divyendu Goud Thalla,Franziska Lautenschlaeger Current Opinion in Cell Biology October 2023
Link

IL-3 receptor signalling suppresses chronic intestinal inflammation by controlling mechanobiology and tissue egress of regulatory T cells
K Ullrich, J Derdau, C Baltes, G Rosso, S Uderhardt, L L Schulze, L J Liu, M Dedden, M Spocinska, L Kainka, M Kubánková, T M Müller, N M Schmidt, E Becker, I Atreya, S Neurath-Finotto, I Prots, B Weigmann, R López-Posadas, R Atreya, A B Ekici, F Lautenschläger, J Guck, M F Neurath, S Zundler Gut August 2023
Link

A low-cost alternative method of generating fibronectin micropatterned lines for cellular applications
Johanna Elisabeth Becher, Franziska Lautenschläger and Divyendu Goud Thalla Methods X June 3, 2023
Link


Amoeboid Cell Migration through Regular Arrays of Micropillars under Confinement
Zeinab Sadjadi, Doriane Vesperini, Annalena M. Laurent, Lena Barnefske, Emmanuel Terriac, Franziska Lautenschläger and Heiko Rieger Biophysical Journal December 6, 2022
Link

Distinct speed and direction memories of migrating dendritic cells diversify their search strategies
M. Reza Shaebani, Matthieu Piel, Franziska Lautenschläger Biophysical Journal September 30, 2022
Link

Cytoskeletal vimentin regulates cell size and autophagy through mTORC1 signaling
Ponnuswamy Mohanasundaram, Leila S Coelho Rato, Mayank Modi, Marta Urbanska, Franziska Lautenschläger, Fang Cheng, John E Eriksson PLOS Biology September 13, 2022
Link

Effects of vimentin on the migration, search efficiency, and mechanical resilience of dendritic cells
M. Reza Shaebani, Luiza Stankevicins, Doriane Vesperini,Marta Urbanska,Daniel A.D.Flormann,Emmanuel Terriac,Annica K.B.Gad,Fang Cheng,John E.Eriksson,Franziska Lautenschläger Biophysical Journal 2 September 2022
Link

Actin stabilization in cell migration
Carsten Baltes, Divyendu Goud Thalla, Uli Kazmaier and Franziska Lautenschläger Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 11 August 2022
Link

Extracellular vimentin is expressed at the rear of activated macrophage-like cells: Potential role in enhancement of migration and phagocytosis
Divyendu Goud Thalla, Ashish Chand Rajwar, Annalena Maria Laurent, Johanna Elisabeth Becher, Lucina Kainka and Franziska Lautenschläger Front. Cell Dev. Biol., 18 July 2022
Link

Metastasising Fibroblasts Show an HDAC6-Dependent Increase in Migration Speed and Loss of Directionality Linked to Major Changes in the Vimentin Interactome
Caroline A. Evans, Hyejeong Rosemary Kim, Sarah C. Macfarlane, Poppy I. A. Nowicki, Carsten Baltes, Lei Xu, Jerker Widengren, Franziska Lautenschläger, Bernard M. Corfe and Annica K. B. Gad Int.J.Mol.Sci 10 February 2022
Link


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FoPra

Fortgeschrittenenpraktikum Physik: Lebende Zellen in Microfluidic-Kanälen Dieses Fortgeschrittenenpraktikum soll Sie an die Arbeitsweisen in einem biophysikalischen Labor heranführen. Ziel des Experiments ist es, die Rolle von Myosin II bei der amöboiden Migration zu bewerten. Wir bitten Sie darum, sich vor dem Experiment bei uns anzumelden, um einen Film über die Experimente zu sehen. In diesem Film werden die Experimente beschrieben, für die Sie selbst keine Zeit haben und welche wir im Voraus für Sie erledigt haben.

Fortgeschrittenenpraktikum Physik: Zellpolarität Orientierung von Zellorganellen kommen sehr häufig in der Natur vor, beispielsweise bei Nervenzellen zur Reizübertragung oder bei Darmzellen zum Stofftransport ins Blut. Zellen, die eine solche Funktionalität verleihende Organisation besitzen, bezeichnet man als polar. Dieses Fortgeschrittenenpraktikum behandelt die Polarität der Zellen in Abhängigkeit von Ihrer Form.

TEACHING

WS 2022/23

SS 2023

WS 2023/24

CONTACT

Prof. Dr. Franziska Lautenschläger

Campus D2 2, 66123 Saarbrücken

+49 681 9300 460

f.lautenschlaeger(at)physik.uni-saarland.de


Sekretariat:

Stephanie Victoria Uhrig

stephanie.uhrig(at)uni-saarland.de

Tel.:+49 (0) 681 302-68555

FUNDING



COLLABORATION