Detail

Keywords

Autoimmune Diseases; Endocytosis; Immune System; Inflammation; Muscles; Neuromuscular Junction; Protein Trafficking; Proteomics; Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; Signal Transduction

Research group(s)

• Transport and Signal Transduction of Surface Receptors
  Head: Ruth Herbst
  Research Area: We are interested in how receptor tyrosine kinases induce intracellular signaling cascades thereby regulating crucial cellular process including cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Further, we are interested in trafficking processes such as endocytosis and recycling of surface proteins. We study processes in the muscle and in immune cells.
  Members:
  Ruth Herbst
  Jakob Prömer

Research interests

My research focuses on understanding how receptor tyrosine kinases activate intracellular signaling pathways, which control key cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and function. My long-term work centers on the receptor tyrosine kinase MuSK, a key regulator of the neuromuscular junction. The neuromuscular junction controls all voluntary movements, including breathing, making it essential for survival.

As a postdoctoral fellow and later as an independent group leader, my lab and I have made important contributions to understanding MuSK function and the signaling pathways it activates. Our long-term goal is to uncover the spatial and temporal mechanisms that drive the development of a mature and functional neuromuscular junction.

More recently, I have also become interested in protein trafficking and how signaling and endocytosis are connected. In this context, we identified a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor, called Rin-like, which may play a role in T cell responses during inflammation. Our goal is to understand how Rin-like influences immune cell differentiation and function.

For more information visit https://pii.meduniwien.ac.at/signaltransduction

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

We use a wide range of molecular, biochemical, and cell biology techniques. To investigate molecular mechanisms, we work with conventional cell lines, primary cells, and animal models. Our multidisciplinary approach also includes proteomics, advanced imaging, and virus-mediated gene expression in both in vitro and in vivo systems.

Grants

• Interactome mapping of Rin-like signaling in T cells (2024)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Principal Investigator Project
  Principal Investigator
• Mapping the Signaling Network of Muscle-Specific Kinase (2024)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Principal Investigator Project
  Principal Investigator

Selected publications

1. Sandner, L. et al. (2023) ‘The guanine nucleotide exchange factor Rin-like controls Tfh cell differentiation via CD28 signaling’, Journal of Experimental Medicine, 220(11). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20221466.
2. Gemza, A. et al. (2022) ‘Internalization of Muscle-Specific Kinase Is Increased by Agrin and Independent of Kinase-Activity, Lrp4 and Dynamin’, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.780659.
3. Camurdanoglu, B.Z. et al. (2016) ‘MuSK Kinase Activity is Modulated By A Serine Phosphorylation Site in The Kinase Loop’, Scientific Reports, 6(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep33583.
4. Dürnberger, G. et al. (2014) ‘Global Analysis of Muscle-specific Kinase Signaling by Quantitative Phosphoproteomics’, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 13(8), pp. 1993–2003. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1074/mcp.m113.036087.
5. Hanada, T. et al. (2013) ‘CLP1 links tRNA metabolism to progressive motor-neuron loss’, Nature, 495(7442), pp. 474–480. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11923.