Molecular Biology and Genetics Seminars: Assoc. Prof. Stefan H. Fuss
Assoc. Prof. Stefan H. Fuss from Boğaziçi University will be the next guest of the seminar series organized by KHAS Molecular Biology and Genetics with his speech “Tissue regeneration and regulation of neuronal stem cell activity in the adult zebrafish olfactory system” on Thursday, October 13 at 4:00 pm in Fener Hall.
Abstract: The olfactory epithelium is a nervous tissue with an unusually high capacity for cellular self-renewal and repair, which makes it an insightful model to study cellular and molecular mechanisms of post-developmental neurogenesis, tissue regeneration, and the regulation of stem cell activity. Maintenance and regeneration of the zebrafish OE are supported by distinct progenitor cell populations that occupy discrete stem cell niches and respond to different tissue conditions. Globose basal cells (GBCs) are constitutively active under physiological conditions and replace sporadically dying olfactory sensory neurons, while horizontal basal cells (HBCs) are selectively activated by acute injury conditions that affect the morphological integrity of the OE. We are interested in identifying and functionally characterizing molecular signals that selectively activate GBCs and HBCs. We found that GBC activity can be modulated by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPS) and undergo increased proliferation when exposed to purine compounds that are released from dying neurons. In contrast, HBCs respond to the heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), which is highly upregulated in the injured tissue and signals through the EGF receptor to stimulate stem cell expansion and olfactory sensory neurogenesis to support tissue regeneration.
About the Speaker:
BSc: 1996, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany (Biology)
MSc: 1997, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany (Neuroscience)
PhD: 2002, Universität zu Köln, Germany (Genetics)
Postdoc: 2002-2006, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA (Neurogenetics)
Asst. Prof.: 2006-2017, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
Assoc. Prof.: 2017-ongoing, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
General Secretary: 2018-ongoing, European Chemoreception Research Organization (ECRO)