Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research

Prof. Dr. Ünal Coskun
Group leader
Research focus
The overarching topic of my research group is membrane biochemistry of cellular signalling. We investigate the interdependence of lipid-protein interactions through an interdisciplinary approach combining cell biology and synthetic biology as well as protein biochemistry, structural biology and biophysics. Our strong expertise enables us to study phenomena based on lipid-protein interactions at different levels - from the organ and cell systems down to minimally synthetic systems in which we can control both proteins and lipids, for example to observe the allosteric effects of certain lipids on basic receptors such as the EGF receptor (Coskun et al., 2011, PNAS) and the insulin receptor.
Specific expertise
- Membrane Biochemistry
- cellular Signaling
- Lipid-Protein Interactions
- Membrane Targeting
- Lipidomics
Funding
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Paul-Langerhans Institut Dresden
Lab Members
Albahra, Obadah | PhD student | |
Artik, Gizem Olay | PhD student | |
Brankatschk, Beate | Technician | |
Can-Yakac, Fatma Betül | PhD student | |
Prof. Dr. Coskun, Ünal | Group leader | E-Mail |
Dr. Grzybek, Michal | Senior Scientist | |
Hermann, Sarah | Technician | |
Krüger, Dana | Administration | |
Dr. Palladini, Alessandra | Postdoc | |
Dr. Penkov, Sider | Postdoc | E-Mail |
Sala, Pia | PhD-Student |
Selected Publications
- Ansarullah, Jain, C; Far, F. F; Homberg, S. Wissmiller, K., von Hahn, F. G, Raducanu, A., Schirge, S., Sterr, M., Bilekova, S., Siehler, J., Wiener, J., Oppenlander, L., Morshedi, A., Bastidas-Ponce, A., Collden, G., Irmler, M., Beckers, J., Feuchtinger, A., Grzybek, M., Ahlbrecht, C., Feederle, R., Plettenburg, O., Muller, T. D., Meier, M., Tschop, M. H., Coskun, U.and Lickert, H. Inceptor counteracts insulin signalling in beta-cells to control glycaemia. Nature 590 (7845); 326-331 (2021)
- T. Gutmann, I. B. Schafer, C. Poojari, B. Brankatschk, I. Vattulainen, M. Strauss and U. Coskun. Cryo-EM structure of the complete and ligand-saturated insulin receptor ectodomain. J Cell Biol219(2020)
- M. Grzybek, A. Palladini, V. I. Alexaki, M. A. Surma, K. Simons, T. Chavakis, C. Klose and U. Coskun. Comprehensive and quantitative analysis of white and brown adipose tissue by shotgun lipidomics. Mol Metab22: 12-20 (2019)
- I. Kourtzelis, X. Li, I. Mitroulis, D. Grosser, T. Kajikawa, B. Wang, M. Grzybek, J. von Renesse, A. Czogalla, M. Troullinaki, A. Ferreira, C. Doreth, K. Ruppova, L. S. Chen, K. Hosur, J. H. Lim, K. J. Chung, S. Grossklaus, A. K. Tausche, L. A. B. Joosten, N. M. Moutsopoulos, B. Wielockx, A. Castrillo, J. M. Korostoff, U. Coskun, G. Hajishengallis and T. Chavakis. DEL-1 promotes macrophage efferocytosis and clearance of inflammation. Nat Immunol20: 40-49 (2019)
- I. Mitroulis, K. Ruppova, B. Wang, L. S. Chen, M. Grzybek, T. Grinenko, A. Eugster, M. Troullinaki, A. Palladini, I. Kourtzelis, A. Chatzigeorgiou, A. Schlitzer, M. Beyer, L. A. B. Joosten, B. Isermann, M. Lesche, A. Petzold, K. Simons, I. Henry, A. Dahl, J. L. Schultze, B. Wielockx, N. Zamboni, P. Mirtschink, U. Coskun, G. Hajishengallis, M. G. Netea and T. Chavakis. Modulation of Myelopoiesis Progenitors Is an Integral Component of Trained Immunity. Cell172: 147-161 e12 (2018)
- M. Brankatschk, T. Gutmann, O. Knittelfelder, A. Palladini, E. Prince, M. Grzybek, B. Brankatschk, A. Shevchenko, U. Coskun and S. Eaton. A Temperature-Dependent Switch in Feeding Preference Improves Drosophila Development and Survival in the Cold. Dev Cell47: 257-259 (2018)
- T. Gutmann, K. H. Kim, M. Grzybek, T. Walz and U. Coskun. Visualization of ligand-induced transmembrane signaling in the full-length human insulin receptor. J Cell Biol217: 1643-1649 (2018)
- E. Bilkova, R. Pleskot, S. Rissanen, S. Sun, A. Czogalla, L. Cwiklik, T. Rog, I. Vattulainen, P. S. Cremer, P. Jungwirth and U. Coskun. Calcium Directly Regulates Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Headgroup Conformation and Recognition. J Am Chem Soc139: 4019-4024 (2017)
- K. Kaszuba, M. Grzybek, A. Orlowski, R. Danne, T. Rog, K. Simons, U. Coskun and I. Vattulainen. N-Glycosylation as determinant of epidermal growth factor receptor conformation in membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A112: 4334-9 (2015)
- U. Coskun, M. Grzybek, D. Drechsel and K. Simons. Regulation of human EGF receptor by lipids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A108: 9044-8 (2011)
- X. Cao, U. Coskun, M. Rossle, S. B. Buschhorn, M. Grzybek, T. R. Dafforn, M. Lenoir, M. Overduin and K. Simons. Golgi protein FAPP2 tubulates membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A106: 21121-5 (2009)