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langenhan

lab

leipzig

science.

science.

We study the molecular logic of adhesion GPCRs in health and disease.

We investigate molecular actors that belong to the class of adhesion-type G protein-coupled receptors. These molecules form a large group of surface receptors that constitute natural chimeras between an extracellular adhesion moiety and a transmembrane metabotropic signalling unit.

 

We have discovered that specific adhesion GPCRs control developmental processes such as planar cell polarity and cell migration, and have contributed to the understanding how adhesion and signalling is functionally combined within these mysterious surface receptors.

Recently we have defined adhesion GPCRs as mechanoreceptors suggesting a novel scientific angle to study and understand their physiological profiles in a multitude of tissues and cell types including neurons, glia, muscle, vasculature and the heart.

 

We are also harnessing our knowledge to understand how adhesion GPCR dysfunction results in disease with focus on cancers and neuropsychiatric disorders. To this end we closely collaborate with clinician scientists and human geneticists to identify adhesion GPCR gene variants that cause human ailments.

We study these phenomena using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster and the the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and employ their vast genetic, molecular biological, imaging and functional toolkits. This is complemented by in vitro and in silico approaches encompassing molecular modifications through genetic code expansion and bioorthogonal click chemistry, pharmacological and cell biological assays, super-resolution and atomic force microscopy, structural biology, and molecular dynamics simulations.

people.

people.

Elisabeth Triegel

MD candidate

Kathrin Michel

Student assistant

Svenja Kapplinghaus, MSc

Technician

Lara Brodmerkel

MD candidate

Helene Jöchel

MD candidate

Stephanie Häfner, PhD

Postdoc

Anne Bormann, MSc

PhD candidate

Bianca Löffler

Secretary

Kerstin Heise

Technician

William Hamlet, MSc

PhD candidate

Marvin Noß, MSc

MD candidate

Otto Naumann

Technician

Amelie Meyer-Mölck

MD candidate

Franz Müller

MD candidate

鍾炫坤 (Yin 'Alex' Chung), MSc

PhD candidate

Frank Struck

Technician

Dmitrij Ljaschenko, PhD

Group leader

Anne Dahse, MSc

PhD candidate

Michal Mitro, MSc

PhD candidate

Florentine Buss

MD candidate

Berkay Demirbas, MSc

PhD candidate

Lena Abicht

Student assistant

Lucia Ernst

MD candidate

Paula Beckmann, MSc

Technician

Hauke Staake

MD candidate

Tobias Langenhan, MSc, MD, DPhil

Head of Department

Beatriz Blanco-Redondo, PhD

Group leader

Achmed Mrestani, MD

Affiliated group leader (Dept of Neurology)

Prabarakan Annadurai, MSc

PhD candidate

Fabian Pohl, PhD

Postdoc

Max Buhlan

MD candidate

Marguerite Kemkemer

MD candidate

Marie Gläser

MD candidate

Nicole Scholz, PhD

Group leader

Marek Körner, MSc

PhD candidate

Genevieve Auger, MSc

PhD candidate

ALUMNI

Anna Beyer-Augst

MD Student (2023-2024)

Ina Brauer, MSc

PhD Student (2018-2022)

Mathias Böhme, PhD

Group leader (2021-2023)

Marina Bigl, PhD

Group Leader (2016-2021)

Steffen Altrichter, PhD

PhD Student (2015-2020)

Fernando Vieira Contreras, PhD

PhD Student (2018-2024)

Sasha Kaufmann

Student assistant (2022-2023)

Andrea Böhme

Technician (2016-2022)

Joris Lehmann

MSc Student, Biology (2020-2021)

Johanna Irmer

MSc Student, Molecular Life Sciences @ University of Lübeck (2018)

Paul Tarlatt

Student assistant (2021-2023)

Mareike Hemberger, MSc

MSc and PhD Student, Physics (2018-2022)

Sophia Schmidt, BSc

Student assistant (2020-2022)

Lena Müller

BSc and MSc Student, Biochemistry (2018-2020)

Lydia Morris

Erasmus Student, Cardiff University (2017-2018)

Maraike Czogalla

Student assistant (2022-2023)

Katharina Götze

MD Student, Medicine (2019-2023)

Carlo Eberlein, MSc

MSc student (2020-2021)

Robert Wieduwild, PhD

Group Leader (2018-2020)

Angelika Schäfer

Technician (2016-2018)

events

events.

 jobs. 

We are eager to take on new lab members at different stages in their career starting from lab interns, students striving for their bachelor and master projects, M.D. and Ph.D. candidates, as well as postdoctoral researchers.

 

If you are interested in joining our research party get in touch at

tobi ÄT langenhan-lab.org with your motivation, project ideas and transcripts.

jobs.

READY FOR A FUN AND

AMBITIOUS PHD PROJECT?

What?

Several fixed-term for 3 years PhD positions are open at the Langenhan Lab based at the University of Leipzig. The successful candidates will work at the interface between molecular pharmacology, physiology and biophysics in a project of the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry.

Scientific goal?

The projects concern the investigation of novel class of surface receptor molecules that function as mechanosensors and are markers of cancer progression. 

Central questions concern the fundamental physiological tasks, pharmacological principles and viscoelastic properties of these receptors and their expressing cells and tissues. The main objective is the determination how these receptors’ activation and signaling mechanism is implemented at the molecular and cellular scale. The projects will rest on the close collaboration between biomedical researchers, structural biologists and physicists. The experimental measurements will be facilitated by in-house theoretical and experimental support.

The successful candidates will establish structure-function studies and pharmacological signaling assays of receptor activity, and combine those with biophysical measurements, genetic, biofinformatical and physiological assays using Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo model for adhesion GPCR signaling.

Who are you?

The candidates should have a MSc. degree in physics, material science, biology or related fields, be fluent in English and have solid background in physics or molecular biology. Experience with the investigation of biomolecules with physical methods (e.g. AFM-FS, magnetic or optical tweezers), molecular biology or Drosophila is beneficial but not mandatory.

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

OR GROUP LEADER POSITION

What?

Applications are sought from strong candidates working in any area of biomedicine that complements or builds upon existing research strengths in the department. This search is open, but preference is given to those applicants with experience in neurobiology, molecular pharmacology or biochemistry holding or seeking their own post-doctoral fellowship.

Scientific goal?

This is for you to define. We'll help and advise you to get you started,

build up your own team, procure funding and excel with your research ideas.

Who are you?

Candidates must hold a Doctorate in a biological subject (ideally medicine, biology, bioinformatics, or biochemistry). Candidates are given the opportunity to establish their own research program, and assistance will be available to attract the necessary funding for the successful applicant.

Who are we?

The PhD students will have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, which are located at the Institute of Biochemistry and partner institutions in Leipzig. The international and interdisciplinary environment at the department provides an excellent infrastructure allowing dynamic scientific exchange across the traditional disciplines. The lab has also a central role in the German (www.adhesiongpcr.de) and international adhesion GPCR communities (www.adhesiongpcr.org) and successful candidates will gain immediate access to a young yet rapidly emerging field in biomedicine with substantial long-term career potential.

Where?

Leipzig is a pretty sassy place to be at in Germany, of not the trendiest ... say not only we but also the New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and others.

In addition, Leipzig University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increase the proportion of women in academia. Consequently, we actively encourage applications by female colleagues. Female candidates with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered within the framework of the legal possibilities. We also welcome applications from candidates with severe disabilities. Disabled candidates with equivalent qualifications will be preferentially considered.


 

How?
Please submit your application by email with the usual documents (cover letter, CV, three references,

Master’s transcript, Ph.D. certificate if applicable) to:​

Prof. Tobias Langenhan

Faculty of Medicine

Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry

Division of General Biochemistry

Leipzig University

E: jobs ÄT langenhan-lab.org​

publications.

publications.

Modularization of adhesion G protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR) structure: how alternative splicing regulates synaptogenesis

2024

Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

9(1):106

Langenhan T

Experimental modulation of physiological force application on leg joint neurons in intact Drosophila melanogaster

2024

Nature Protocols

19(1):113-126

Buhlan M, Ljaschenko D, Scholz N#, Langenhan T#

The adhesion G protein-coupled receptor mayo/CG11318 controls midgut development in Drosophila

2024

Cell Reports

43(1):113640

Vieira Contreras F*, Auger GM*, Müller L, Richter V, Huetteroth W, Seufert F, Hildebrand PW, Scholz N, Thum AS, Ljaschenko D, Blanco-Redondo B#, Langenhan T#

Molecular symmetry breaking in the Frizzled-dependent planar polarity pathway

2023

Current Biology

33(24):5340-5354

Strutt H#, Warrington S, Madathil ACK, Langenhan T, Strutt D#

Optimized genetic code expansion technology for time-dependent induction of adhesion GPCR-ligand engagement

2023

Protein Science

32(4):e4614

Streit M*, Hemberger M*, Häfner S*, Knote F, Langenhan T#, Beliu G#

7TM domain structures of adhesion GPCRs: what’s new and what’s missing?

2023

Trends in Biochemical Sciences

48(8):726-739

Seufert F*, Chung YK*, Hildebrand PW#, Langenhan T#

The concise guide to pharmacology 2023/24: G protein-coupled receptors

2023

British Journal of Pharmacology

180 Suppl 2:S23-S144

Alexander SPH & CGTP Collaborators

Nanoscaled RIM clustering at presynaptic active zones revealed by endogenous tagging

2023

Life Science Alliance

6(12):e202302021

Mrestani A*, Dannhäuser S*, Pauli M, Kollmannsberger P, Hübsch M, Morris L, Langenhan T, Heckmann M#, Paul MM#

Adhesion GPCRs in glioblastoma revisited

2023

Cell Reports

42(1):113474

Langenhan T

Unveiling Mechanical Activation: GAIN Domain Unfolding and Dissociation in Adhesion GPCRs

2023

Nano Letters

23(20):9179-9186

Fu C, Huang W, Tang Q, Niu M, Guo S, Langenhan T, Song G#, Yan J#

Molecular sensing of mechano- and ligand-dependent adhesion GPCR dissociation

2023

Nature

615(7954):945-953

Scholz N*,#, Dahse A-K*, Kemkemer M, Bormann A, Auger GM, Contreras FV, Ernst LF, Staake H, Körner MB, Buhlan M, Meyer-Mölck A, Chung YK, Blanco-Redondo B, Klose F, Jarboui MA, Ljaschenko D, Bigl M, Langenhan T#

Altered gene expression profiles impair the nervous system development in individuals with 15q13.3 microdeletion

2022

Scientific Reports

12(1):13507

Körner MB*, Velluva A*, Bundalian L, Radtke M, Lin CC, Zacher P, Bartolomaeus T, Kirstein AS, Mrestani A, Scholz N, Platzer K, Teichmann AC, Hentschel J, Langenhan T, Lemke JR, Garten A, Abou Jamra R#, Le Duc D#

The human cognition-enhancing CORD7 mutation increases active zone number and synaptic release

2022

Brain

145(11):3787-3802

Paul MM*, Dannhäuser S*, Morris L*, Mrestani A*, Hübsch M, Gehring J, Hatzopoulos GN, Pauli M, Auger GM, Bornschein G, Scholz N, Ljaschenko D, Müller M, Sauer M, Schmidt H, Kittel RJ, DiAntonio A, Vakonakis I, Heckmann M#, Langenhan T#

Improving one-step scarless genome editing in
Drosophila melanogaster by combining ovoD co-CRISPR selection with sgRNA target site masking

2022

Biology Methods & Protocols

7(1):bpac003

Götze KJ*, Mrestani A*, Beckmann P, Krohn K, Le Duc D, Velluva A, Böhme MA, Heckmann M, Abou Jamra R, Lemke JR, Bläker H, Scholz N, Ljaschenko D#, Langenhan T#

Tethered agonist exposure in intact adhesion/class B2 GPCRs through intrinsic structural flexibility of the GAIN domain

2021

Molecular Cell

81(5):905-921

Beliu G*, Altrichter S*, Guixà-González R*, Hemberger M, Brauer I, Dahse AK, Scholz N, Wieduwild R, Kuhlemann A, Batebi H, Seufert F, Pérez-Hernández G, Hildebrand PW#, Sauer M#, Langenhan T#

The concise guide to pharmacology 2021/22: G protein-coupled receptors

2021

British Journal of Pharmacology

178 Suppl 1:S27-S156

Alexander SPH & CGTP Collaborators

Obituary: Alexander Georgievich Petrenko (1959–2021)

2021

FEBS Journal

288(23):6680-6682

Ushkaryov YA, Langenhan T

Central synaptopathy is the most conserved feature of motor circuit pathology across spinal muscular atrophy mouse models

2021

iScience

24(11):103376

Buettner JM*, Sime Longang JK*, Gerstner F, Apel KS, Blanco-Redondo B, Sowoidnich L, Janzen E, Langenhan T, Wirth B, Simon CM

Antinociceptive modulation by the adhesion-GPCR CIRL promotes mechanosensory signal discrimination

2020

eLife

9:e56738

Dannhäuser S, Lux TJ, Hu C, Selcho M, Chen JT, Ehmann N, Sachidanandan, Stopp S, Pauls D, Pawlak M, Langenhan T, Soba P, Rittner HL#, Kittel RJ#

G12/13 is activated by acute tethered agonist exposure in the adhesion GPCR ADGRL3

2020

Nature Chemical Biology

16(12):1343-1350

Mathiasen S, Palmisano T, Perry NA, Stoveken HM, Vizurraga A, McEwen DP, Okashah N, Langenhan T, Inoue A, Lambert NA, Tall GG, Javitch JA

Revisiting the classification of adhesion GPCRs

2019

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

1456(1):80-95

Scholz N, Langenhan T*,#, Schöneberg T*,#

Implications of the Sap47 null mutation for synapsin phosphorylation, longevity, climbing proficiency and behavioural plasticity in adult Drosophila

2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

222(Pt 19):jeb203505

Blanco-Redondo B#, Nuwal N, Kneitz S, Nuwal T, Halder P, Liu Y, Ehmann N, Scholz N, Mayer A, Kleber J, Kähne T, Schmitt D, Sadanandappa MK, Funk N, Albertova V, Helfrich-Förster C, Ramaswami M, Hasan G, Kittel RJ, Langenhan T, Gerber B, Buchner E#

Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors - candidate metabotropic mechanosensors and novel drug targets

2019

Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology

126 Suppl 6:5-16

Langenhan T

The concise guide to pharmacology 2019/20: G protein-coupled receptors

2019

British Journal of Pharmacology

176 Suppl 1: S21-S141

Alexander SPH & CGTP Collaborators

Complexin cooperates with Bruchpilot to tether synaptic vesicles to the active zone cytomatrix

2019

Journal of Cell Biology

218(3):1011-1026

Scholz N*, Ehmann N*, Sachidanandan D, Imig C, Cooper BH, Jahn O, Reim K, Brose N, Pauli M, Heckmann M, Stigloher C, Langenhan T#, Kittel RJ#

Parallel genomic engineering of two Drosophila genes using orthogonal attB/attP sites

2018

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

8(9):3109-3118

Blanco-Redondo B, Langenhan T

Mechano-dependent signaling by Latrophilin/CIRL quenches cAMP in proprioceptive neurons

2017

eLife

6:e28360

Scholz N*, Guan C*, Nieberler M*, Grotemeyer A*, Maiellaro I, Gao S, Beck S, Pawlak M, Sauer M, Asan E, Rothemund S, Winkler J, Prömel S, Nagel G, Langenhan T#, Kittel RJ#

Adhesion GPCRs as a Putative Class of Metabotropic Mechanosensors

2016

Handbook Experimental Pharmacology

234: 221-247

Scholz N#, Monk KR, Kittel RJ, Langenhan T#

Effects of transgenic expression of botulinum toxins in Drosophila

2016

Journal of Neurogenetics

30(1):22-31

Backhaus P, Langenhan T, Neuser K

Control of Adhesion GPCR Function Through Proteolytic Processing

2016

Handbook Experimental Pharmacology

234:83-109

Nieberler M, Kittel RJ, Petrenko AG, Lin HH#, Langenhan T#

Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in nervous system development and disease

2016

Nature Reviews Neuroscience

17(9):550-61

Langenhan T#, Piao X#, Monk KR#

International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCIV. Adhesion G Protein–Coupled Receptors

2015

Pharmacological Reviews

67(2):338-367

Hamann J*,#, Aust G*, Araç D, Engel FB, Formstone C, Fredriksson R, Hall RA, Harty BL, Kirchhoff C, Knapp B, Krishnan A, Liebscher I, Lin HH, Martinelli DC, Monk KR, Peeters MC, Piao X, Prömel S, Schöneberg T, Schwartz TW, Singer K, Stacey M, Ushkaryov YA, Vallon M, Wolfrum U, Wright MW, Xu L, Langenhan T*, Schiöth HB*,#

The Adhesion GPCR Latrophilin/CIRL shapes mechanosensation

2015

Cell Reports

11(6):866-874

Scholz N*, Gehring J*, Guan C*, Ljaschenko D, Fischer R, Lakshmanan V, Kittel RJ#, Langenhan T#

Adhesion GPCRs: From in vitro pharmacology to in vivo mechanisms

2015

Molecular Pharmacology

88(3):617-23

Monk K, Hamann J, Langenhan T, Nijmeijer S, Schöneberg T, Liebscher I

Model organisms in G protein–coupled receptor research

2015

Molecular Pharmacology

88(3):596-603

Langenhan T#, Barr MM, Bruchas MR, Ewer J, Griffith LC, Maiellaro I, Taghert PH, White BH, Monk KR#

New functions and signaling mechanisms for the class of adhesion G protein–coupled receptors

2014

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

1333(1):43-64

Liebscher I, Ackley B, Arac D, Ariestanti DM, Aust G, Bae B-I, Bista BR, Bridges JP, Duman JG, Engel FB, Giera S, Goffinet AM, Hall RA, Hamann J, Hartmann N, Lin, H-H, Liu M, Luo R, Mogha A, Monk KR, Peeters MC, Prömel S, Ressl S, Schiöth HB, Sigoillot SM, Song H, Talbot WS, Tall GG, White JP, Wolfrum U, Xu L, Piao X

Channelrhodopsin-2-XXL, a powerful optogenetic tool for low-light applications

2014

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA

111(38):13972-7

Dawydow A*, Gueta R*, Ljaschenko D, Ullrich S, Hermann M, Ehmann N, Gao S, Fiala A, Langenhan T, Nagel G#, Kittel RJ#

Sticky Signaling — Adhesion Class G Protein–Coupled Receptors Take the Stage

2013

Science Signaling

6(276):re3

Langenhan T*,#, Aust G*, Hamann J*

Matching structure with function: the GAIN domain of Adhesion-GPCR and PKD1-like proteins

2013

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences

34 (8):470-478

Prömel S*, Langenhan T*,#, Araç D*,#

Adhäsions-G-Protein-gekoppelte Rezeptoren — rätselhafte Riesen

2013

Biospektrum

19(7):717-719

Prömel S, Aust G, Langenhan T, Schöneberg T

Characterization and functional study of a cluster of four highly conserved orphan adhesion-GPCRs in mouse

2012

Developmental Dynamics

241(10):1591-1602

Prömel S#, Waller-Evans H, Dixon J, Zahn D, Colledge WH, Doran J, Carlton MBL, Grosse J, Schöneberg T, Russ AP, Langenhan T#

The GPS motif is a molecular switch for bimodal activities of Adhesion-class G protein-coupled receptors

2012

Cell Reports

2(2):321-331

Prömel S, Frickenhaus M, Hughes S, Mestek L, Staunton D, Woollard A, Vakonakis I, Schöneberg T, Schnabel R, Russ AP*, Langenhan T*,#

Dissecting signaling and functions of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors

2012

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

1276(1):1-25

Araç D, Aust G, Calebiro D, Engel FB, Formstone C, Goffinet A, Hamann J, Kittel RJ, Liebscher I, Lin HH, Monk KR, Petrenko A, Piao X, Prömel S, Schiöth HB, Schwartz TW, Stacey M, Ushkaryov YA, Wobus M, Wolfrum U, Xu L, Langenhan T

Presynaptic NMDARs in the hippocampus facilitate transmitter release at theta frequency

2010

Neuron

68(6):1109–1127

McGuinness L, Taylor C, Taylor RDT, Yau C, Langenhan T, Hart ML, Christian H, Tynan PW, Donnelly P, Emptage NJ

Waller-Evans H, Prömel S, Langenhan T, Dixon J, Zahn D, Colledge WH, Doran J, Carlton MBL, Davies B, Aparicio SAJR, Grosse J, Russ AP

2010

PLoS One

5(11):e14047

Waller-Evans H, Prömel S, Langenhan T, Dixon J, Zahn D, Colledge WH, Doran J, Carlton MBL, Davies B, Aparicio SAJR, Grosse J, Russ AP

Latrophilin signalling in tissue polarity and morphogenesis

2010

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

706:37-48

Langenhan T#, Russ AP#

Latrophilin signaling links anterior-posterior tissue polarity and oriented cell divisions in the C. elegans embryo

2009

Developmental Cell

17(4):494-504

Langenhan T, Prömel S, Mestek L, Esmaeili B, Waller-Evans H, Hennig C, Kohara Y, Avery L, Vakonakis I, Schnabel R, Russ AP

Solution structure and sugar-binding mechanism of mouse latrophilin-1 RBL: a 7TM receptor-attached lectin-like domain

2008

Structure

16(6):944-953

Vakonakis I, Langenhan T, Prömel S, Russ A, Campbell ID

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in the olfactory system of rats and mice

2006

Annals of Anatomy

188(5):411–413

Langenhan T

Ciliary neurotrophic factor-immunoreactivity in olfactory sensory neurons

2005

Neuroscience

134(4):1179–1194

Langenhan T, Sendtner M, Holtmann B, Carroll P, Asan E

Ciliary neurotrophic factor in the olfactory bulb of rats and mice

2003

Neuroscience

120(1):99–112

Asan E, Langenhan T, Holtmann B, Bock H, Sendtner M, Carroll P

contact.

contact.

Tobi Langenhan

Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry

Division of General Biochemistry. Medical Faculty. Leipzig University

Johannisallee 30. 04103 Leipzig. Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 341 97-22100

tobi ÄT langenhan-lab.org

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