Prof. Dr. Hermann Rohrer
Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7
D-60590 Frankfurt, Germany
Tel +49-176 72391448
E-Mail: rohrer@med.uni-frankfurt.de
Scientific Focus
The major topic of our research in recent years is the control of neurogenesis in sympathetic ganglia and adrenal medulla and aberrant development leading to neuroblastoma (NB). Our vision is that understanding normal sympathetic nervous system development will help us to find the important abnormal events that initiate NB development. Thus, we address the endogenous function of signaling pathways that are upregulated or mutated in NB and investigate effects of potential tumor drivers in cultures of sympathetic neuroblasts and in mouse NB models.
Methods
To identify and characterize molecules involved in normal sympathoadrenal development and NB initiation we use a combination of molecular, cellular and embryological approaches. In vivo transgenic approaches in mouse, retroviral expression in chick embryos and in vitro cultures of mouse and avian sympathetic neuroblasts are used for gain- and loss-of-function studies.
Selected Publications
Boeva, V., Louis-Brennetot, C., Peltier,A., Durand, S., Pierre-Eugène, C., Raynal, V., Etchevers, H.C., Thomas, S., Lermine, A., Daudigeos-Dubus, E., Goerger, B., Orth, M.F., Grünewald, T.G.P., Diaz, E., Ducos, B., Surdez, D., Carcaboso, A.M., Medvedeva, I., Deller, T., Combaret, V., Lapoule, E., Pierron, G., Grossetête-Lalami, S., Baulande, S., Schleiermacher, G., Barillot, E., Rohrer, H., Delattre, O., Janoueix-Lerosey, I. (2017) Heterogeneity of neuroblastoma cell identity defined by transcriptional circuitries. Nat. Genet. 49:1408-1413.
Kramer, M.,Ribeiro, D., Arsenian-Henriksson, M., Deller, T., Rohrer, H. (2016) Proliferation and survival of embryonic sympathetic neuroblasts by MYCN and activated ALK signaling. J. Neurosci. 36:10425-10439.
Tsarovina, K., Reiff, T., Stubbusch, J., Kurek, D., Grosveld, F.G., Parlato, R., Schütz, G., Rohrer, H. (2010) The Gata3 transcription factor is required for the survival of embryonic and adult sympathetic neurons. J. Neurosci. 11, 10833-10843.
Schneider, C., Wicht, H., Enderich, J., Wegner, M., Rohrer, H. (1999) Bone morphogenetic proteins are required in vivo for the generation of sympathetic neurons. Neuron 24, 861-870.
Ernsberger, U., Sendtner, M., Rohrer, H. (1989) Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) Interferes with the Proliferation of Embryonic Chick Sympathetic Neurons and Induces the Expression of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP), Neuron 2, 1275-1284