Mission Statement

“Understanding the functional role of Drosophila nephrocytes as key modulators of fly physiology”

— Sybille Köhler, PhD

Team Members

PhD student

Karl King Alornyo

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Research

©Sybille Köhler, created with BioRender

The Drosophila (fruit fly) kidney consists out of the Malpighian tubules and nephrocytes, the latter representing the homologue cells to mammalian kidney podocytes, as they share a high similarity in morphology and the molecular make-up of the filtration barrier. One major functional role of nephrocytes is to filter and endocytose factors from the haemolymph (blood). This is crucial for fly physiology in states of health and disease, as Drosophila has an open circulatory system. The group of Dr. Sybille Köhler therefore investigates the role of nephrocytes as key modulators of fly physiology in disease states such as diabetes and during aging. In detail, inter-organ signalling including the cross-talk between nephrocytes and the heart, immune system and gut are investigated. In addition, nephrocytes serve as a great tool to study molecular mechanisms such as mechanosensation and protein function. The findings obtained within the fly model will be translated into the mammalian organism to understand mechanisms during podocyte injury in greater detail.

Sybille Köhler, PhD

Principle Investigator
Junior Group Leader

III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Martinistr. 52
20246 Hamburg, Germany

CV

Current Position
since 2022

Principal Investigator STOP-FSGS consortium Project 3

since 2021 Junior Group Leader, III. Department of Medicine (Prof. Tobias Huber), Hamburg, Germany
University Training
2008 - 2011

Studies in economics, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany                     

2005 - 2010 Studies in biology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany   
Academic qualifications
2011 - 2016

PhD student, Department II of Internal Medicine, Nephrolab (Prof. T. Benzing), Cologne                 

2011 Bachelor thesis, Institut for Management, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany                     
2010 Diploma thesis, Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital Mainz (Dr. S. Horke), Mainz, Germany
Previous professional career

Scientific postgraduate education:

2019 - 2021

PostDoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh (Dr. Barry Denholm), Scotland, UK

2016 - 2019

PostDoc, Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine (Prof. P. Brinkkötter), Cologne, Germany

Selected awards and honors
2022 - 2020 Rahel Liebeschütz-Plaut Mentoring Programme, Mentee 
2022 - 2020

AJP-Renal Early Career Editorial Fellowship

2019

Research fellowship from the Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft (DFG), Fellow

2017

Fritz-Scheler-Stipendium from the German Society of Nephrology

2017

NetEX Professorinnenprogramm of the University of Cologne

Selected publications

1.

A protective role for Drosophila Filamin in nephrocytes via Yorkie mediated hypertrophy. Koehler S, Huber TB, Denholm B. Life Sci Alliance. 2022 Aug 3;5(12):e202101281. 

2.

Scaffold polarity proteins Par3A and Par3B share redundant functions while Par3B acts independent of atypical protein kinase C/Par6 in podocytes to maintain the kidney filtration barrier.
Koehler S, Odenthal J, Ludwig V, Jess DU, Höhne M, Jüngst C, Grawe F, Helmstädter M, Janku JL, Bergmann C, Hoyer PF, Hagmann HHH, Walz G, Bloch W, Niessen C, Schermer B, Wodarz A, Denholm B, Benzing T, Iden S, Brinkkoetter PT. Kidney Int. 2021 Dec 17:S0085-2538(21)01150-9. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.11.030.

3.

The Atypical Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 (Cdk5) Guards Podocytes from Apoptosis in Glomerular Disease While Being Dispensable for Podocyte Development.
Mangold N, Pippin J, Unnersjoe-Jess D, Koehler S, Shankland S, Brähler S, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT, Hagmann H. Cells. 2021 Sep 18;10(9):2464.

4.

Proteome Analysis of Isolated Podocytes Reveals Stress Responses in Glomerular Sclerosis..
Koehler S, Kuczkowski A, Kuehne L, Jüngst C, Hoehne M, Grahammer F, Eddy S, Kretzler M, Beck BB, Höhfeld J, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT, Rinschen MM. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Mar;31(3):544-559.

5.

Injured Podocytes Are Sensitized to Angiotensin II–Induced Calcium Signaling.
Binz-Lotter J, Jüngst C, Rinschen MM, Koehler S, Zentis P, Schauss A, Schermer B, Benzing T, Hackl MJ. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Mar;31(3):532-542.

6.

Anaerobic Glycolysis Maintains the Glomerular Filtration Barrier Independent of Mitochondrial Metabolism and Dynamics.
Brinkkoetter PT, Bork T, Salou S, Liang W, Mizi A, Özel C, Koehler S, Hagmann HH, Ising C, Kuczkowski A, Schnyder S, Abed A, Schermer B, Benzing T, Kretz O, Puelles VG, Lagies S, Schlimpert M, Kammerer B, Handschin C, Schell C, Huber TB. Cell Rep. 2019 Apr 30;27(5):1551-1566.e5.

7.

Protein half-life determines expression of proteostatic networks in podocyte differentiation.
Schroeter CB, Koehler S, Kann M, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT,  Rinschen MM. FASEB J. 2018 Sep;32(9):4696-4713.

8.

Construction of a viral T2A-peptide based knock-in mouse model for enhanced Cre recombinase activity and fluorescent labeling of podocytes.
Koehler S, Brähler S, Braun F, Hagmann H, Rinschen MM, Späth MR, Höhne M, Wunderlich FT, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT. Kidney Int. 2017 Feb 7. pii: S0085-2538(16)30745-1.

9.

A Single and Transient Ca2+ Wave in Podocytes does not induce Changes in Glomerular Filtration and Perfusion.
Koehler S, Brähler S, Binz J, Hackl M, Hagmann H, Kuczkowski A, Vogt M, Wunderlich C, Wunderlich T, Schweda F, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT. Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 19;6:35400.

10.

Par3A is dispensable for the function of the glomerular filtration barrier of the kidney.
Koehler S, Tellkamp F, Niessen C, Bloch W, Kerjaschki D, Schermer B, Benzing T, Brinkkoetter PT. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2016 Jul 1;311(1):F112-9.

Funding

News

November 1-5, 2023 | Philadelphia, PA

ASN Kidney Week 2023

October 9-10, 2023 | News

Visiting Professor - Sanja Sever

September 19, 2023 | Lecture, Dr. Regine Dress

Myeloid Cells

Martinistraße 52
Campus Research N27
20246 Hamburg Germany
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University Medical Center Hamburg - Eppendorf