The Research

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Cardiac Development and Remodelling
Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Braun

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Pharmacology
Prof. Dr. Stefan Offermanns

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Developmental Genetics
Dr. Didier Stainier

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Lung Development and Remodelling
Prof. Dr. Werner Seeger

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Zhou Lab

Epigenetic mechanisms underlying muscle stem cell and heart progenitor cell fate determination

Scientific focus

Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are essential for establishing and conveying gene expression pattern during stem cell commitment/differentiation. The chromatin structure of adult muscle stem cells (satellite cells) undergoes massive changes during cell differentiation, making satellite cells an ideal mammalian model system to investigate epigenetic mechanisms regulating large-scale chromatin alterations. Recently we have identified several epigenetic modifiers that are causally involved in genome wide chromatin resetting during satellite cell differentiation. The underlying molecular mechanisms are being elucidated and a lentivirus mediated shRNA knockdown library screening of chromatin factors controlling satellite cell homeostasis is being established. Meanwhile we are intriguing in the function and molecular mechanism of the NAD+ dependent histone deacetylase Sirt1 and Sirt6 in embryonic heart development and muscle stem cell differentiation in vivo. We believe that a better understanding of the mechanisms that control chromatin reconfiguration will help to unveil the role of epigenetic circuits in adult stem cells and their function in the regulation of self-renewal and differentiation.