• Participation in “Cells in Motion”

    • Research interests: in vivo imaging, endothelial cell movements, zebrafish and mouse genetics, biomedical aspects of lymphedema formation in human patients, Hennekam Syndrome
    • Cells in Motion Professor of Cardiovascular Organogenesis and Regeneration
    • Supervisor in the CiM-IMPRS Graduate Programme
  • News & views

  • Papers in the research focus “cell dynamics and imaging”

    2025

    Uphoff K, Hußmann M, Schulte-Ostermann D, Huisman Y, Mörgelin M, Metzen F, Bazan JF, Koch M, Schulte-Merker S. SVEP1 enables efficient binding of Angiopoietin-2 to the TIE1 receptor, allowing receptor phosphorylation and downstream signaling 2025Abstract
    Weissenboeck FP, Pieper M, Schepers H, Hotte S, Klocker N, Huwel S, van Impel A, Schulte-Merker S, Rentmeister A. Spatiotemporal control of translation in live zebrafish embryos via photoprotected mRNAs. Commun Chem 2025;8: 16. Abstract

    2024

    Morooka N, Gui N, Ando K, Sako K, Fukumoto M, Hasegawa U, Hussmann M, Schulte-Merker S, Mochizuki N, Nakajima H. Angpt1 binding to Tie1 regulates the signaling required for lymphatic vessel development in zebrafish. Development 2024;151Abstract
    Petratou K, Stehling M, Müller F, Schulte-Merker S. Integration of ATAC and RNA-sequencing identifies chromatin and transcriptomic signatures in classical and non-classical zebrafish osteoblasts and indicates mechanisms of_entpd5a_regulation 2024Abstract
    Pham V-C, Rodel CJ, Valentino M, Malinverno M, Paolini A, Munch J, Pasquier C, Onyeogaziri FC, Lazovic B, Girard R, Koskimaki J, Hussmann M, Keith B, Jachimowicz D, Kohl F, Hagelkruys A, Penninger JM, Schulte-Merker S, Awad IA, Hicks R, Magnusson PU, Faurobert E, Pagani M, Abdelilah-Seyfried S. Epigenetic regulation by polycomb repressive complex 1 promotes cerebral cavernous malformations. EMBO Mol Med 2024;16: 2827-2855. Abstract
    Pham V-C, Rodel CJ, Valentino M, Malinverno M, Paolini A, Munch J, Pasquier C, Onyeogaziri FC, Lazovic B, Girard R, Koskimaki J, Hussmann M, Keith B, Jachimowicz D, Kohl F, Hagelkruys A, Penninger JM, Schulte-Merker S, Awad IA, Hicks R, Magnusson PU, Faurobert E, Pagani M, Abdelilah-Seyfried S. Epigenetic regulation by polycomb repressive complex 1 promotes cerebral cavernous malformations. EMBO Mol Med 2024;16: 2827-2855. Abstract
    Schmidt A, Hrupka B, van Bebber F, Sunil Kumar S, Feng X, Tschirner SK, Assfalg M, Muller SA, Hilger LS, Hofmann LI, Pigoni M, Jocher G, Voytyuk I, Self EL, Ito M, Hyakkoku K, Yoshimura A, Horiguchi N, Feederle R, De Strooper B, Schulte-Merker S, Lammert E, Moechars D, Schmid B, Lichtenthaler SF. The Alzheimer's disease-linked protease BACE2 cleaves VEGFR3 and modulates its signaling. J Clin Invest 2024;134Abstract
    Uphoff K, Suarez I, van Impel A, Schulte-Merker S. dab2 is required for the scavenging function of lymphatic endothelial cells in the zebrafish meninges. Sci Rep 2024;14: 27942. Abstract
    Uphoff K, Suarez I, van Impel A, Schulte-Merker S. dab2 is required for the scavenging function of lymphatic endothelial cells in the zebrafish meninges. Sci Rep 2024;14: 27942. Abstract

    2023

    Chen Q, Leshkowitz D, Li H, van Impel A, Schulte-Merker S, Amit I, Rizzoti K, Levkowitz G. Neural plate progenitors give rise to both anterior and posterior pituitary cells. Dev Cell 2023;58: 2652-2665.e6. Abstract
    Clahsen T, Hadrian K, Notara M, Schlereth SL, Howaldt A, Prokosch V, Volatier T, Hos D, Schroedl F, Kaser-Eichberger A, Heindl LM, Steven P, Bosch JJ, Steinkasserer A, Rokohl AC, Liu H, Mestanoglu M, Kashkar H, Schumacher B, Kiefer F, Schulte-Merker S, Matthaei M, Hou Y, Fassbender S, Jantsch J, Zhang W, Enders P, Bachmann B, Bock F, Cursiefen C. The novel role of lymphatic vessels in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023;96: 101157. Abstract
    van Rooijien E, Schulte-Merker S, Logister I, Voest E, Giles R. Abstract IA013: A zebrafish model for VHL and hypoxia signaling 2023;83: Ia013-Ia013. Abstract

    2022

    Labbaf Z, Petratou K, Ermlich L, Backer W, Tarbashevich K, Reichman-Fried M, Luschnig S, Schulte-Merker S, Raz E. A robust and tunable system for targeted cell ablation in developing embryos. Dev Cell 2022;57: 2026-2040.e5. Abstract
    Siret C, van Lessen M, Bavais J, Jeong HW, Reddy Samawar SK, Kapupara K, Wang S, Simic M, de Fabritus L, Tchoghandjian A, Fallet M, Huang H, Sarrazin S, Sieweke MH, Stumm R, Sorokin L, Adams RH, Schulte-Merker S, Kiefer F, van de Pavert SA. Deciphering the heterogeneity of the Lyve1(+) perivascular macrophages in the mouse brain. Nat Commun 2022;13: 7366. Abstract

    2020

    Wang G, Muhl L, Padberg Y, Dupont L, Peterson-Maduro J, Stehling M, le Noble F, Colige A, Betsholtz C, Schulte-Merker S, van Impel A. Specific fibroblast subpopulations and neuronal structures provide local sources of Vegfc-processing components during zebrafish lymphangiogenesis. Nat Commun 2020;11: 2724. Abstract

    2018

    Lleras Forero L, Narayanan R, Huitema LFA, VanBergen M, Apschner A, Peterson-Maduro J, Logister I, Valentin G, Morelli LG, Oates A, Schulte-Merker S. Segmentation of the zebrafish axial skeleton relies on notochord sheath cells and not on the segmentation clock. Elife 2018;7: e33843. Abstract
    Lopez-Baez JC, Simpson DJ, LLeras Forero L, Zeng Z, Brunsdon H, Salzano A, Brombin A, Wyatt C, Rybski W, Huitema LFA, Dale RM, Kawakami K, Englert C, Chandra T, Schulte-Merker S, Hastie ND, Patton EE. Wilms Tumor 1b defines a wound-specific sheath cell subpopulation associated with notochord repair. Elife 2018;7Abstract
    Mauri C, Wang G, Schulte-Merker S. From fish embryos to human patients: lymphangiogenesis in development and disease. Curr Opin Immunol 2018;53: 167-172. Abstract
    Nadarajah N, Schulte D, McConnell V, Martin-Almedina S, Karapouliou C, Mortimer PS, Jeffery S, Schulte-Merker S, Gordon K, Mansour S, Ostergaard P. A Novel Splice-Site Mutation in VEGFC Is Associated with Congenital Primary Lymphoedema of Gordon. Int J Mol Sci 2018;19: 2259. Abstract
    Wopat S, Bagwell J, Sumigray KD, Dickson AL, Huitema LFA, Poss KD, Schulte-Merker S, Bagnat M. Spine Patterning Is Guided by Segmentation of the Notochord Sheath. Cell Reports 2018;22: 2026-2038. Abstract

    2017

    Hogan BM, Schulte-Merker S. How to Plumb a Pisces: Understanding Vascular Development and Disease Using Zebrafish Embryos. Dev Cell 2017;42: 567-583. Abstract
    Karpanen T, Padberg Y, van de Pavert SA, Dierkes C, Morooka N, Peterson-Maduro J, van de Hoek G, Adrian M, Mochizuki N, Sekiguchi K, Kiefer F, Schulte D, Schulte-Merker S. An Evolutionarily Conserved Role for Polydom/Svep1 During Lymphatic Vessel Formation. Circ Res 2017;120: 1263-1275. Abstract
    Padberg Y, Schulte-Merker S, van Impel A. The lymphatic vasculature revisited-new developments in the zebrafish. Methods Cell Biol 2017;138: 221-238. Abstract
    van Lessen M, Shibata-Germanos S, van Impel A, Hawkins TA, Rihel J, Schulte-Merker S. Intracellular uptake of macromolecules by brain lymphatic endothelial cells during zebrafish embryonic development. Elife 2017;6: e25932. Abstract
    Wild R, Klems A, Takamiya M, Hayashi Y, Strahle U, Ando K, Mochizuki N, van Impel A, Schulte-Merker S, Krueger J, Preau L, le Noble F. Neuronal sFlt1 and Vegfaa determine venous sprouting and spinal cord vascularization. Nat Commun 2017;8: 13991. Abstract

    2016

    de Bruin A, A Cornelissen PW, Kirchmaier BC, Mokry M, Iich E, Nirmala E, Liang K-H, D Vegh AM, Scholman KT, Groot Koerkamp MJ, Holstege FC, Cuppen E, Schulte-Merker S, Bakker WJ. Genome-wide analysis reveals NRP1 as a direct HIF1alpha-E2F7 target in the regulation of motorneuron guidance in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2016;44: 3549-3566. Abstract
    Spiegler S, Kirchmaier B, Rath M, Korenke GC, Tetzlaff F, van de Vorst M, Neveling K, Acker-Palmer A, Kuss AW, Gilissen C, Fischer A, Schulte-Merker S, Felbor U. FAM222B Is Not a Likely Novel Candidate Gene for Cerebral Cavernous Malformations. Mol Syndromol 2016;7: 144-152. Abstract

    2015

    Hermkens DMA, van Impel A, Urasaki A, Bussmann J, Duckers HJ, Schulte-Merker S. Sox7 controls arterial specification in conjunction with hey2 and efnb2 function. Development 2015;142: 1695-1704. Abstract
    Kok FO, Shin M, Ni C-W, Gupta A, Grosse AS, van Impel A, Kirchmaier BC, Peterson-Maduro J, Kourkoulis G, Male I, DeSantis DF, Sheppard-Tindell S, Ebarasi L, Betsholtz C, Schulte-Merker S, Wolfe SA, Lawson ND. Reverse Genetic Screening Reveals Poor Correlation between Morpholino-Induced and Mutant Phenotypes in Zebrafish. Dev Cell 2015;32: 97-108. Abstract
    Mackay EW, Apschner A, Schulte-Merker S. Vitamin K reduces hypermineralisation in zebrafish models of PXE and GACI. Development 2015;142: 1095-1101. Abstract
    Roukens MG, Peterson-Maduro J, Padberg Y, Jeltsch M, Leppanen V-M, Bos FL, Alitalo K, Schulte-Merker S, Schulte D. Functional Dissection of the CCBE1 Protein: A Crucial Requirement for the Collagen Repeat Domain. Circ Res 2015;116: 1660-1669. Abstract

    2013

    Helker CSM, Schuermann A, Karpanen T, Zeuschner D, Belting H-G, Affolter M, Schulte-Merker S, Herzog W. The zebrafish common cardinal veins develop by a novel mechanism: lumen ensheathment. Development 2013;140: 2776-2786. Abstract