In 2023 I finished my habilitation at the Georg-August University Göttingen in developmental neurobiology and we moved the lab to UCC.
Remarkably, our nervous system contains trillions of connections but only a few hundred growth/guidance cues. Therefore, one important question is how this small number of cues coordinates the wiring of a disproportionally large number of connections. This process is regulated through diversification- a mechanism that amplifies the number of signaling decisions a neuron can make. For example, we found that receptors are able to change their downstream signaling targets over time, which allows adaptation to the required demands. Our findings are then applied translationally to study neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. To answer the above questions, we use model systems such as primary neurons from mouse and chick, iPSC-derived sensory and motor neurons and apply several imaging techniques (e.g. confocal, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), stimulated emission depletion (STED), electron- or spinning-disk microscopy) and biochemistry.
BC3008 Biochemistry of the Brain
BC4011 Cell and Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative disease
Biography
I studied biology at the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart) and did my diploma thesis at the Max-Planck-Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried, Munich. I then moved to Cardiff, UK to obtain my PhD in developmental neurobiology, followed by two postdoctoral positions at the IBDML in Marseille, Luminy, France. I returned to Germany in 2014 on an independent postdoctoral position at the European Neuroscience Institute (ENI) in Göttingen. In 2017, I became a group leader within the Department of Neurology at the University Medical Center Göttingen. In July 2022 I was appointed as a lecturer in the School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at UCC.In 2023 I finished my habilitation at the Georg-August University Göttingen in developmental neurobiology and we moved the lab to UCC.
Research Interests
Our group focuses on how activated receptors transmit their signals within neurons, an essential process during development and – if this process is failing- in neurodegeneration. During the development of neural circuits, neurites grow toward their targets guided by cues in the extracellular environment. These cues are sensed by receptors at the surface that trigger intracellular signaling event, modulating the cytoskeleton. This direction-mediated process allows neurons to find and innervate their appropriate targets in order to form functional synapses. Failure of many of these processes result in neuronal degeneration.Remarkably, our nervous system contains trillions of connections but only a few hundred growth/guidance cues. Therefore, one important question is how this small number of cues coordinates the wiring of a disproportionally large number of connections. This process is regulated through diversification- a mechanism that amplifies the number of signaling decisions a neuron can make. For example, we found that receptors are able to change their downstream signaling targets over time, which allows adaptation to the required demands. Our findings are then applied translationally to study neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. To answer the above questions, we use model systems such as primary neurons from mouse and chick, iPSC-derived sensory and motor neurons and apply several imaging techniques (e.g. confocal, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), stimulated emission depletion (STED), electron- or spinning-disk microscopy) and biochemistry.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EndophilinAs regulate endosomal sorting of BDNF-TrkB to mediate survival signaling in hippocampal neurons | Other: Not Listed | 01-FEB-15 | 30-JUN-17 | €37,700.00 | |
| Endosomal Sorting in Development and Disease | 01-JUL-19 | 30-JUN-20 | €37,820.00 | ||
| DFG Cluster of Excellence University Medical Center Göttingen | Other: Not Listed | 01-JUL-17 | 31-DEC-18 | €83,200.00 | |
| Receptor sorting through tubular microdomains of Rab7-positive endosomes in Charcot- Marie-Tooth disease 2B | Other: Not Listed | 01-JUL-19 | 31-DEC-23 | €379,750.00 | |
| Role of endophilins on endosomal transport | Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) | 15-JUL-14 | 31-JAN-15 | €9,500.00 | |
| Activated receptor sorting in development and disease | Other: Not Listed | 01-JUL-19 | 30-JUN-22 | €62,150.00 | |
| Pathomechanisms in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | Other: Not Listed | 01-NOV-21 | 31-DEC-23 | €20,000.00 |
Publications
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | The endocytosis, trafficking, sorting and signaling of neurotrophic receptors. Katja Burk (2022) The endocytosis, trafficking, sorting and signaling of neurotrophic receptors. Netherlands: Elsevier. [DOI] [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | 'Axon guidance receptors: Endocytosis, trafficking and downstream signaling from endosomes' Pasterkamp RJ;Burk K; (2021) 'Axon guidance receptors: Endocytosis, trafficking and downstream signaling from endosomes'. Progress In Neurobiology, 198 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Held Up in Traffic-Defects in the Trafficking Machinery in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease' Markworth R;Bähr M;Burk K; (2021) 'Held Up in Traffic-Defects in the Trafficking Machinery in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease'. Frontiers in molecular neuroscience, 14 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Tubular microdomains of Rab7-positive endosomes retrieve TrkA, a mechanism disrupted in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 2B' Markworth R;Dambeck V;Steinbeck LM;Koufali A;Bues B;Dankovich TM;Wichmann C;Burk K; (2021) 'Tubular microdomains of Rab7-positive endosomes retrieve TrkA, a mechanism disrupted in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 2B'. Journal of Cell Science, 134 (20) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Disrupted neuronal trafficking in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis' Burk K;Pasterkamp RJ; (2019) 'Disrupted neuronal trafficking in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis'. Acta Neuropathologica, 137 (6) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Synaptotagmin-3 drives AMPA receptor endocytosis, depression of synapse strength, and forgetting' Awasthi A;Ramachandran B;Ahmed S;Benito E;Shinoda Y;Nitzan N;Heukamp A;Rannio S;Martens H;Barth J;Burk K;Wang YT;Fischer A;Dean C; (2019) 'Synaptotagmin-3 drives AMPA receptor endocytosis, depression of synapse strength, and forgetting'. Science, 363 (6422) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Sensory Axon Growth Requires Spatiotemporal Integration of CaSR and TrkB Signaling' Markworth R;Adolfs Y;Dambeck V;Steinbeck LM;Lizé M;Pasterkamp RJ;Bähr M;Dean C;Burk K; (2019) 'Sensory Axon Growth Requires Spatiotemporal Integration of CaSR and TrkB Signaling'. The Journal of Neuroscience, 39 (30) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Regulation of Dendritic Spine Morphology in Hippocampal Neurons by Copine-6' Burk K;Ramachandran B;Ahmed S;Hurtado-Zavala JI;Awasthi A;Benito E;Faram R;Ahmad H;Swaminathan A;McIlhinney J;Fischer A;Perestenko P;Dean C; (2018) 'Regulation of Dendritic Spine Morphology in Hippocampal Neurons by Copine-6'. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 28 (4) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'EndophilinAs regulate endosomal sorting of BDNF-TrkB to mediate survival signaling in hippocampal neurons' Burk K;Murdoch JD;Freytag S;Koenig M;Bharat V;Markworth R;Burkhardt S;Fischer A;Dean C; (2017) 'EndophilinAs regulate endosomal sorting of BDNF-TrkB to mediate survival signaling in hippocampal neurons'. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Post-endocytic sorting of Plexin-D1 controls signal transduction and development of axonal and vascular circuits' Burk K;Mire E;Bellon A;Hocine M;Guillot J;Moraes F;Yoshida Y;Simons M;Chauvet S;Mann F; (2017) 'Post-endocytic sorting of Plexin-D1 controls signal transduction and development of axonal and vascular circuits'. Nature Communications, 8 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Capture of Dense Core Vesicles at Synapses by JNK-Dependent Phosphorylation of Synaptotagmin-4' Bharat V;Siebrecht M;Burk K;Ahmed S;Reissner C;Kohansal-Nodehi M;Steubler V;Zweckstetter M;Ting JT;Dean C; (2017) 'Capture of Dense Core Vesicles at Synapses by JNK-Dependent Phosphorylation of Synaptotagmin-4'. Cell Reports, 21 (8) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Navigation rules for vessels and neurons: cooperative signaling between VEGF and neural guidance cues' Chauvet S;Burk K;Mann F; (2013) 'Navigation rules for vessels and neurons: cooperative signaling between VEGF and neural guidance cues'. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 70 (10) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Agrin-signaling is necessary for the integration of newly generated neurons in the adult olfactory bulb' Burk K.;Desoeuvre A.;Boutin C.;Smith M.A.;Kröger S.;Bosio A.;Tiveron M.C.;Cremer H. (2012) 'Agrin-signaling is necessary for the integration of newly generated neurons in the adult olfactory bulb'. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32 (11):3759-3764 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2011) | 'Ephrin Bs are essential components of the Reelin pathway to regulate neuronal migration' Sentürk A;Pfennig S;Weiss A;Burk K;Acker-Palmer A; (2011) 'Ephrin Bs are essential components of the Reelin pathway to regulate neuronal migration'. Nature, 472 (7343) [DOI] [Details] |
Reviews
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | Axon guidance receptors: Endocytosis, trafficking and downstream signaling from endosomes. Pasterkamp R.J.;Burk K. (2021) Axon guidance receptors: Endocytosis, trafficking and downstream signaling from endosomes. Reviews [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | Held Up in Traffic—Defects in the Trafficking Machinery in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. Markworth R.;Bähr M.;Burk K. (2021) Held Up in Traffic—Defects in the Trafficking Machinery in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. Reviews [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | Disrupted neuronal trafficking in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Burk K.;Pasterkamp R.J. (2019) Disrupted neuronal trafficking in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Reviews [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | Navigation rules for vessels and neurons: Cooperative signaling between VEGF and neural guidance cues. Chauvet S.;Burk K.;Mann F. (2013) Navigation rules for vessels and neurons: Cooperative signaling between VEGF and neural guidance cues. Reviews [DOI] [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Habilitation | Georg-August Universität Göttingen |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Committee UCC | Chair | 2024 / | |
| Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) PhD and Postdoc Med 5 Panel | commitee member | 2022 / | |
| Research Committee UCC | Committee member | 2022 / | |
| Health and Safety Committee UCC | Committee member | 2022 / | |
| PhD advisory board | PhD advisor | 2017 / 2019 | |
| PhD advisory board | PhD advisor | 2017 / 2021 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | University of Hohenheim | Diploma | Biology | |
| 2005 | Max Planck Institute od Neurobiology | Diploma Thesis | Developmental Neurobiology | |
| 2010 | Cardiff University | PhD | Developmental Neurobiology | |
| 2023 | Georg-August University Göttingen | Habilitation | Developmental Neurobiology |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| German | Fluent | Fluent | Fluent | |
| French | Functional | Basic | Functional | |
| English | Fluent | Fluent | Fluent |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell And Tissue Research | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Molecular Psychiatry | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Communications Biology | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Journal Of Cell Science | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Neurodegeneration | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Cells | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Frontiers Of Neurology And Neuroscience | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Mechanisms Of Ageing & Development | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Frontiers Of Neurology And Neuroscience | Editor | - |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
BC1443 and BC1024 BiomoleculesBC3008 Biochemistry of the Brain
BC4011 Cell and Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative disease