Research

The focus of our research is on the role of glycoconjugates in brain and tumor development with a particular emphasis on polysialic acid as a posttranslational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM. We also study the role of other, newly identified protein carriers of polysialic acid such as SynCAM 1 in NG2 cells or neuropilin-2 and E-selectin ligand 1 in microglia and macrophages. Another interest is to explore the possible links between altered polysialic acid synthesis and neurodevelopmental predisposition to schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Experimental approaches include neuroanatomical, cellular and molecular analyses of mouse models deficient for polysialic acid biosynthesis as well as organotypic and cell culture systems.