Lab Members

Contact

Institute of Molecular & Cellular Anatomy, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm
M24/Room 4307

Research Interest

Project: Functions of Bcl11a and Bcl11b in neocortical projection neurons
In this research project we are analyzing the functions of the evolutionary conserved zinc transcription factors Bcl11a and Bcl11b as well as their downstream genetic pathways that are relevant to the development of neocortical projection neurons. These neurons are the principal cells of our brains and can be divided into different subtypes based on their molecular profile, projection behavior, as well as neurophysiological properties. Both BCL11A and BCL11B have been implicated in neurodevelopmental diseases associated with intellectual disability, autism spectrum and speech disorders. We are using genetic models, FACS, ATAC-Seq, and scRNA-Seq to uncover conserved co-regulated molecular downstream programs in projection neuron subtypes, that are further explored by molecular biology, biochemistry, histology, imaging, and experimental embryology approaches. We expect to uncover novel molecular mechanisms that function in neocortical development and are also relevant to human disease

CV

Since 2009
Postdoctoral and senior researcher – Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm
University

2006-2008
Doctoral thesis (Dr. rer. nat.) – Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-
University, Freiburg

1998-2005
Diploma studies in Biology – Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin

Awards

2016 Nachwuchspreis of the Anatomische Gesellschaft

Other Qualifications

2019 Baden-Württemberg Certificate for Didactics in Higher Education
2007 Licenced for animal handling (FELASA-Cat. B)

Publications

2023 Wiegreffe, C., Ehricke, S., Schmid, L., Andratschke, J., and Britsch, S. (2023). Using i-GONAD for Cell-Type-
Specific and Systema5c Analysis of Developmental Transcrip5on Factors In Vivo. Biology (Basel) 12.

2022 Wiegreffe, C., Wahl, T., Joos, N.S., Bonnefont, J., Liu, P., and Britsch, S. (2022). Developmental cell death of
cortical projection neurons is controlled by a Bcl11a/Bcl6-dependent pathway. EMBO Rep 23, e54104.

2017 Wiegreffe, C., Feldmann, S., Gaessler, S., and Britsch, S. (2017). Time-lapse Confocal Imaging of Migrating
Neurons in Organotypic Slice Culture of Embryonic Mouse Brain Using In Utero Electroporation. J Vis Exp.7

2015 Wiegreffe, C., Simon, R., Peschkes, K., Kling, C., Strehle, M., Cheng, J., Srivatsa, S., Liu, P., Jenkins, N.A.,
Copeland, N.G., et al. (2015). Bcl11a (C5p1) Controls Migration of Cortical Projection Neurons through
Regulation of Sema3c. Neuron 87, 311-325.

2012 John, A., Brylka, H., Wiegreffe, C., Simon, R., Liu, P., JuVner, R., Crenshaw, E.B., 3rd, Luyten, F.P., Jenkins,
N.A., Copeland, N.G., et al. (2012). Bcl11a is required for neuronal morphogenesis and sensory circuit
formation in dorsal spinal cord development. Development 139, 1831-1841. 10.1242/dev.072850.

2012 Simon, R., Brylka, H., Schwegler, H., Venkataramanappa, S., Andratschke, J., Wiegreffe, C., Liu, P., Fuchs, E.,
Jenkins, N.A., Copeland, N.G., et al. (2012). A dual function of Bcl11b/Ctip2 in hippocampal neurogenesis.
EMBO J 31, 2922-2936. 10.1038/emboj.2012.142.