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Research Topic

We are investigating the mechanisms controlling germ cell fate and migration using zebrafish as an in vivo model. We study the control over the acquisition and maintenance of the germ cell fate and determine the precise roles specific molecules play in this critical developmental event. In addition, we are studying the process of germ cell motility and directed migration. A specific aspect of the second research direction relates to the formation of the gonad in the vertebrate organism. This topic is investigated in the context of the CRC where we focus on the identification of tissues and structures important for the positioning of the migratory germ cells. We  conduct functional analysis of specific molecules expressed in cells located within the region where the gonad develops. In this way we define the molecular mechanisms controlling cell-cell interactions that regulate the 3-dimensional organisation of the organ.

Selected Publications

  • Truszkowski, L., Batur, D., Long, H., Tarbashevich, K., Vos, B.E., Trappmann, B., Raz E. (2023). Primordial germ cells adjust their protrusion type while migrating in different tissue contexts in vivo. Development 150 (2): dev200603. doi: 10.1242/dev.200603.
  • Westerich, K.J., Tarbashevich, K., Schick, J., Gupta, A., Zhu, M., Hull, K., Romo, D., Zeuschner, D., Goudarzi, M., Gross-Thebing, T., Raz E. (2023) . Spatial organization and function of RNA molecules within phase-separated condensates in zebrafish are controlled by Dnd1. Developmental Cell, 11;58(17):1578-1592.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.06.009.
  • Labbaf, Z., Petratou, K., Ermlich, L., Backer, W. Tarbashevich, K., Reichman-Fried, M., Luschnig, S., Schulte-Merker, S., Raz, E. (2022). A robust and tunable system for targeted cell ablation in developing embryos. Developmental Cell, 57(16): P2026-2040. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.07.008.
  • Olguin-Olguin, A.*, Aalto, A.*, Maugis, B., Boquet-Pujadas, A., Hofmann, D., Ermlich, L., Betz, T., Gov, N.S., Reichman-Fried, M., Raz, E. (2021). Chemokine-biased robust self-organizing polarization of migrating cells in vivo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 118 (7) e2018480118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2018480118.* Equal contribution
  • Gross-Thebing, S*., Truszkowski, L*., Tenbrinck, D*+., Sánchez-Iranzo, H., Camelo, C.,  Westerich, K.J., Singh, A., Paul Maier, P., Prengel, J., Lange, P., Hüwel, J., Gaede, F., Sasse, R., Vos, E.B., Betz, T., Matis, M., Prevedel, R., Luschnig, S., Diz-Muñoz, A., Burger, M., Raz, E+. (2020). Using migrating cells as probes to illuminate features in live embryonic tissues. Science Advances (6) 49, eabc5546. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc5546. * Equal contribution , + co-corresponding authors