Research Interests

Cell polarity and migration in Xenopus development

Research Area

We have 2 main avenues of research addressing cell polarity and cell migration during Xenopus development. 1) Signaling by the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Ror2 . The type of co-receptor recruited to the Frizzled receptor complex influences the differential activation of Wnt signaling cascades. LRP 5/6 containing receptor complexes activate the canonical Wnt pathway while RTK-type co-receptors induce activation of non-canonical Wnt pathways. Interestingly, LRP6 and the non-canonical coreceptor Ror2 are regulated by the same kinases and similar to LRP6 Ror2 has also been found associated with different membrane microdomains. As subproject 5 in the newly funded Research Training Group RTG 1962 “Dynamic Interactions at Biological Membranes – from Single Molecules to Tissue” (www.biomembranes.org) we are investigating the mechanisms of Ror2 localization to membrane microdomains and how Ror2 signaling is affected by its subcellular localization. 2) . β-Arrestin and Dishevelled protein complexes as intracellular signaling hub. The different Wnt pathways are intimately linked by interactions, cross-talk and antagonistic regulation, which led to the emerging opinion that Wnt signaling might be a signaling network rather than a group of distinct pathways. β-Arrestin 2 (Arrb2) is a central protein in different Wnt pathways that interacts with different binding partners and thereby contributes to signal specificity and signal integration. By quantitative functional proteomics (collaboration with Marc Gentzel and Andrej Shevchenko, MPI-CBG Dresden) we have characterized the protein-protein interactions of β-Arrestin / Dishevelled protein complexes and identified new interacting proteins, which we are following up in functional studies in Xenopus embryogenesis.

Current Members

Schambony, Alexandra (Principal Investigator/Director)

Contact

Institution: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Address:
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Department of Biology
Developmental Biology
Staudtstrasse 5
Erlangen
91058, Germany

Web Page: https://www.entwbio.nat.fau.eu/startseite/forschung/group-prof-dr-schambony/

General/Lab Phone: +49-(0)9131-85 28245