© Raphael Schleutker

Research Topic

We are interested in the development and function of Drosophila glial cells. The nervous system comprises six different glial cells types. Within the nervous system several distinct cell types guarantee its functionality. The wrapping glia forms membrane ensheathment around axons in the peripheral nervous system, which resemble the differentiation of vertebrate Schwann cells.  Within this CRC we ask how glial cells can recognize axonal bundles and how they can establish the axonal ensheathment employing advance Drosophila genetics, imaging and biochemistry. Two other glial cell types establish the blood-brain barrier.  We address how this barrier is established and stays intact in the growing organism and we analyze how transport of nutrients is organized across this barrier.  Finally, glial cells such as the ensheathing glia and the astrocyte-like glial cells are able to modulate synaptic function.  We study these properties by using advanced larval tracking hard- and software (http://fim.uni-muenster.de/) that had been established in the lab.

Selected Publications

  • Kottmeier, R., Bittern, J., Schoofs, A., Scheiwe, F., Matzat, T., Pankratz, M. and Klämbt, C. (2020). Wrapping glia regulates neuronal signaling speed and precision in the peripheral nervous system of Drosophila. Nature communications 11, 4491-4417. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18291-1.
  • Otto, N., Marelja, Z., Schoofs, A., Kranenburg, H., Bittern, J., Yildirim, K., Berh, D., Bethke, M., Thomas, S., Rode, S., et al. (2018). The sulfite oxidase Shopper controls neuronal activity by regulating glutamate homeostasis in Drosophila ensheathing glia. Nature communications 9, 3514. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05645-z.
  • Pogodalla, N., Kranenburg, H., Rey, S., Rodrigues, S., Cardona, A. and Klämbt, C. (2021). Drosophila ßHeavy-Spectrin is required in polarized ensheathing glia that form a diffusion-barrier around the neuropil. Nature communications 12, 6357-6318. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26462-x.
  • Rey, S., Ohm, H., Moschref, F., Zeuschner, D., Praetz, M. and Klämbt, C. (2023). Glial-dependent clustering of voltage-gated ion channels in Drosophila precedes myelin formation. eLife 12, e85752. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.85752.
  • Yildirim, K., Winkler, B., Pogodalla, N., Mackensen, S., Baldenius, M., Garcia, L., Naffin, E., Rodrigues, S. and Klämbt, C. (2022). Redundant functions of the SLC5A transporters Rumpel, Bumpel, and Kumpel in ensheathing glial cells. Biol Open 11. doi: 10.1242/bio.059128.