Hochgeschwender, Ute
M.D.
Biography
Ute Hochgeschwender is a professor at the College of Medicine and a faculty member of the Graduate Programs in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology. She graduated from the Free University in Berlin, Germany, with degrees in medicine (MD) and philosophy (MA), which she combined into a life-long interest in studying the brain. She received postdoctoral training in molecular and cellular immunology and molecular neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology in Freiburg, Germany, and The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, respectively. First at the intramural research program of the National Institute of Mental Health and then at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, as part of her research program studying the molecular basis of brain function, she genetically engineered and studied mice lacking genes for somatostatin, somatostatin receptors 3 and 4, dynorphin, and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). After moving to Duke University, she re-focused her efforts on engineering better tools for studying the relationship between neural circuit function and behavior. By developing tools that use biological light, bioluminescence, delivered by a luciferase to activate optogenetic elements, light-sensing ion channels and pumps, she integrated opto- and chemo-genetic approaches for manipulation of neural activity over a range of spatial and temporal scales in the same experimental animal. Since coming to Central Michigan University she is heading the Bioluminescent Optogenetics Lab. The main focus of activities is on further advancing the concept of using biological light to activate light-sensing photoreceptors (ion moving opsins and non-ion moving photoswitches) and applying the developed tools to investigate the underlying mechanisms and potential for non-invasive treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, The W.M. Keck Foundation, and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
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Publications & Presentations
Slaviero AN, Gorantla N, Simkins J, Crespo EL, Ikefuama EC, Tree MO, Prakash M, Björefeldt A, Barnett LM, Lambert GG, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Shaner NC, Hochgeschwender U (2024). Engineering luminopsins with improved coupling efficiencies. Neurophotonics.
Björefeldt A, Murphy J, Crespo EL, Lambert GG, Prakash M, Ikefuama EC, Friedman N, Brown TM, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U, Shaner NC (2024). Efficient opto- and chemogenetic control in a single molecule driven by FRET-modified bioluminescence. Neurophotonics.
Petersen ED, Lapan AP, Castellanos Franco EA, Fillion AJ, Crespo EL, Lambert GG, Grady CJ, Zanca AT, Orcutt R, Hochgeschwender U, Shaner NC, Gilad AA (2023). Bioluminescent Genetically Encoded Glutamate Indicators for Molecular Imaging of Neuronal Activity. ACS synthetic biology.
Lambert GG, Crespo EL, Murphy J, Boassa D, Luong S, Hu J, Sprecher B, Tree MO, Orcutt R, Heydari D, Bell AB, Torreblanca Zanca A, Hakimi A, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U, Shaner NC (2023). CaBLAM! A high-contrast bioluminescent Ca (2+) indicator derived from an engineered Oplophorus gracilirostris luciferase. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
Crespo EL, Pal A, Prakash M, Silvagnoli AD, Zaidi Z, Gomez-Ramirez M, Tree MO, Shaner NC, Lipscombe D, Moore C, Hochgeschwender U (2023). A Bioluminescent Activity Dependent (BLADe) Platform for Converting Neuronal Activity to Photoreceptor Activation. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
Anderson KA, Whitehead BJ, Petersen ED, Kemme MR, Wedster A, Hochgeschwender U, Sandstrom MI (2023). Behavioral context improves optogenetic stimulation of transplanted dopaminergic cells in unilateral 6-OHDA rats. Behavioural brain research.
Petersen ED, Sharkey ED, Pal A, Shafau LO, Zenchak-Petersen J, Peña AJ, Aggarwal A, Prakash M, Hochgeschwender U (2022). Restoring Function After Severe Spinal Cord Injury Through BioLuminescent-OptoGenetics. Frontiers in neurology.
Prakash M, Murphy J, St Laurent R, Friedman N, Crespo EL, Bjorefeldt A, Pal A, Bhagat Y, Kauer JA, Shaner NC, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U (2022). Selective control of synaptically-connected circuit elements by all-optical synapses. Communications biology.
Abdelfattah AS, Ahuja S, Akkin T, Allu SR, Brake J, Boas DA, Buckley EM, Campbell RE, Chen AI, Cheng X, Čižmár T, Costantini I, De Vittorio M, Devor A, Doran PR, El Khatib M, Emiliani V, Fomin-Thunemann N, Fainman Y, Fernandez-Alfonso T, Ferri CGL, Gilad A, Han X, Harris A, Hillman EMC, Hochgeschwender U, Holt MG, Ji N, Kılıç K, Lake EMR, Li L, Li T, Mächler P, Miller EW, Mesquita RC, Nadella KMNS, Nägerl UV, Nasu Y, Nimmerjahn A, Ondráčková P, Pavone FS, Perez Campos C, Peterka DS, Pisano F, Pisanello F, Puppo F, Sabatini BL, Sadegh S, Sakadzic S, Shoham S, Shroff SN, Silver RA, Sims RR, Smith SL, Srinivasan VJ, Thunemann M, Tian L, Tian L, Troxler T, Valera A, Vaziri A, Vinogradov SA, Vitale F, Wang LV, Uhlířová H, Xu C, Yang C, Yang MH, Yellen G, Yizhar O, Zhao Y (2022). Neurophotonic tools for microscopic measurements and manipulation: status report. Neurophotonics.
Fricker LD, Lemos Duarte M, Jeltyi A, Lueptow L, Fakira AK, Tashima AK, Hochgeschwender U, Wetsel WC, Devi LA (2022). Mice heterozygous for a null mutation of CPE show reduced expression of carboxypeptidase e mRNA and enzyme activity but normal physiology, behavior, and levels of neuropeptides. Brain research.
Ikefuama EC, Kendziorski GE, Anderson K, Shafau L, Prakash M, Hochgeschwender U, Petersen ED (2022). Improved Locomotor Recovery in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury by BioLuminescent-OptoGenetic (BL-OG) Stimulation with an Enhanced Luminopsin. International journal of molecular sciences.
Medendorp WE, Bjorefeldt A, Crespo EL, Prakash M, Pal A, Waddell ML, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U (2021). Selective postnatal excitation of neocortical pyramidal neurons results in distinctive behavioral and circuit deficits in adulthood. iScience.
Crespo EL, Bjorefeldt A, Prakash M, Hochgeschwender U (2021). Bioluminescent Optogenetics 2.0: Harnessing Bioluminescence to Activate Photosensory Proteins In Vitro and In Vivo. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.
Crespo EL, Prakash M, Bjorefeldt A, Medendorp WE, Shaner NC, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U (2021). Bioluminescent optogenetic (BL-OG) activation of neurons during mouse postnatal brain development. STAR protocols.
Fricker LD, Tashima AK, Fakira AK, Hochgeschwender U, Wetsel WC, Devi LA (2021). Neuropeptidomic Analysis of a Genetically Defined Cell Type in Mouse Brain and Pituitary. Cell chemical biology.
Celinskis D, Friedman N, Koksharov M, Murphy J, Gomez-Ramirez M, Borton D, Shaner N, Hochgeschwender U, Lipscombe D, Moore C (2020). Miniaturized Devices for Bioluminescence Imaging in Freely Behaving Animals. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference.
Halem HA, Hochgeschwender U, Rih JK, Nelson R, Johnson GA, Thiagalingam A, Culler MD (2020). TBR-760, a Dopamine-Somatostatin Compound, Arrests Growth of Aggressive Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas in Mice. Endocrinology.
Berglund K, Fernandez AM, Gutekunst CN, Hochgeschwender U, Gross RE (2020). Step-function luminopsins for bimodal prolonged neuromodulation. Journal of neuroscience research.
Gomez-Ramirez M, More AI, Friedman NG, Hochgeschwender U, Moore CI (2020). The BioLuminescent-OptoGenetic in vivo response to coelenterazine is proportional, sensitive, and specific in neocortex. Journal of neuroscience research.
Park SY, Song SH, Palmateer B, Pal A, Petersen ED, Shall GP, Welchko RM, Ibata K, Miyawaki A, Augustine GJ, Hochgeschwender U (2020). Novel luciferase-opsin combinations for improved luminopsins. Journal of neuroscience research.
Prakash M, Medendorp WE, Hochgeschwender U (2020). Defining parameters of specificity for bioluminescent optogenetic activation of neurons using in vitro multi electrode arrays (MEA). Journal of neuroscience research.
Zenchak JR, Palmateer B, Dorka N, Brown TM, Wagner LM, Medendorp WE, Petersen ED, Prakash M, Hochgeschwender U (2020). Bioluminescence-driven optogenetic activation of transplanted neural precursor cells improves motor deficits in a Parkinson's disease mouse model. Journal of neuroscience research.
Zhu L, Dattaroy D, Pham J, Wang L, Barella LF, Cui Y, Wilkins KJ, Roth BL, Hochgeschwender U, Matschinsky FM, Kaestner KH, Doliba NM, Wess J (2019). Intra-islet glucagon signaling is critical for maintaining glucose homeostasis. JCI insight.
Nouls JC, Virgincar RS, Culbert AG, Morand N, Bobbert DW, Yoder AD, Schopler RS, Bashir MR, Badea A, Hochgeschwender U, Driehuys B (2019). Applications of 3D printing in small animal magnetic resonance imaging. Journal of medical imaging (Bellingham, Wash.).
Petersen ED, Zenchak JR, Lossia OV, Hochgeschwender U (2018). Neural Stem Cells Derived Directly from Adipose Tissue. Stem cells and development.
Helseth AR, Hunanyan AS, Adil S, Linabarger M, Sachdev M, Abdelnour E, Arehart E, Szabo M, Richardson J, Wetsel WC, Hochgeschwender U, Mikati MA (2018). Novel E815K knock-in mouse model of alternating hemiplegia of childhood. Neurobiology of disease.
Medendorp WE, Petersen ED, Pal A, Wagner LM, Myers AR, Hochgeschwender U, Jenrow KA (2018). Altered Behavior in Mice Socially Isolated During Adolescence Corresponds With Immature Dendritic Spine Morphology and Impaired Plasticity in the Prefrontal Cortex. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience.
Shall G, Menosky M, Decker S, Nethala P, Welchko R, Leveque X, Lu M, Sandstrom M, Hochgeschwender U, Rossignol J, Dunbar G (2018). Effects of Passage Number and Differentiation Protocol on the Generation of Dopaminergic Neurons from Rat Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells. International journal of molecular sciences.
Stewart AN, Matyas JJ, Welchko RM, Goldsmith AD, Zeiler SE, Hochgeschwender U, Lu M, Nan Z, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2017). SDF-1 overexpression by mesenchymal stem cells enhances GAP-43-positive axonal growth following spinal cord injury. Restorative neurology and neuroscience.
Rossello RA, Pfenning A, Howard JT, Hochgeschwender U (2016). Characterization and genetic manipulation of primed stem cells into a functional naïve state with ESRRB. World journal of stem cells.
Berglund K, Clissold K, Li HE, Wen L, Park SY, Gleixner J, Klein ME, Lu D, Barter JW, Rossi MA, Augustine GJ, Yin HH, Hochgeschwender U (2016). Luminopsins integrate opto- and chemogenetics by using physical and biological light sources for opsin activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
Berglund K, Tung JK, Higashikubo B, Gross RE, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U (2016). Combined Optogenetic and Chemogenetic Control of Neurons. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.).
Bhagat SL, Qiu S, Caffall ZF, Wan Y, Pan Y, Rodriguiz RM, Wetsel WC, Badea A, Hochgeschwender U, Calakos N (2016). Mouse model of rare TOR1A variant found in sporadic focal dystonia impairs domains affected in DYT1 dystonia patients and animal models. Neurobiology of disease.
Zhu H, Aryal DK, Olsen RH, Urban DJ, Swearingen A, Forbes S, Roth BL, Hochgeschwender U (2016). Cre-dependent DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) mice. Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000).
Tung JK, Berglund K, Gutekunst CA, Hochgeschwender U, Gross RE (2016). Bioluminescence imaging in live cells and animals. Neurophotonics.
Hunanyan AS, Fainberg NA, Linabarger M, Arehart E, Leonard AS, Adil SM, Helseth AR, Swearingen AK, Forbes SL, Rodriguiz RM, Rhodes T, Yao X, Kibbi N, Hochman DW, Wetsel WC, Hochgeschwender U, Mikati MA (2015). Knock-in mouse model of alternating hemiplegia of childhood: behavioral and electrophysiologic characterization. Epilepsia.
Dai R, Rossello R, Chen CC, Kessler J, Davison I, Hochgeschwender U, Jarvis ED (2014). Maintenance and neuronal differentiation of chicken induced pluripotent stem-like cells. Stem cells international.
Birkner E, Berglund K, Klein ME, Augustine GJ, Hochgeschwender U (2014). Non-invasive activation of optogenetic actuators. Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering.
Berglund K, Birkner E, Augustine GJ, Hochgeschwender U (2013). Light-emitting channelrhodopsins for combined optogenetic and chemical-genetic control of neurons. PloS one.
Rosselló RA, Chen CC, Dai R, Howard JT, Hochgeschwender U, Jarvis ED (2013). Mammalian genes induce partially reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells in non-mammalian vertebrate and invertebrate species. eLife.
Manion CV, Hochgeschwender U, Edmundson AB, Hugli TE, Gabaglia CR (2011). Dietary aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester delays osteoarthritis and prevents associated bone loss in STR/ORT mice. Rheumatology (Oxford, England).
Costa JL, Forbes S, Brennan MB, Hochgeschwender U (2011). Genetic modifications of mouse proopiomelanocortin peptide processing. Molecular and cellular endocrinology.
Saedler K, Hochgeschwender U (2011). Impaired neonatal survival of pro-opiomelanocortin null mutants. Molecular and cellular endocrinology.
Donahoo WT, Hernandez TL, Costa JL, Jensen DR, Morris AM, Brennan MB, Hochgeschwender U, Eckel RH (2009). Plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone: sex differences and correlations with obesity. Metabolism: clinical and experimental.
Qiu C, Zeyda T, Johnson B, Hochgeschwender U, de Lecea L, Tallent MK (2008). Somatostatin receptor subtype 4 couples to the M-current to regulate seizures. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
Nixon JC, Ferrell S, Miner C, Oldham AL, Hochgeschwender U, Webb CF (2008). Transgenic mice expressing dominant-negative bright exhibit defects in B1 B cells. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950).
Karpac J, Czyzewska K, Kern A, Brush RS, Anderson RE, Hochgeschwender U (2008). Failure of adrenal corticosterone production in POMC-deficient mice results from lack of integrated effects of POMC peptides on multiple factors. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism.
Karpac J, Kern A, Hochgeschwender U (2007). Pro-opiomelanocortin peptides and the adrenal gland. Molecular and cellular endocrinology.
Costa JL, Hochgeschwender U, Brennan M (2006). The role of melanocyte-stimulating hormone in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatments in endocrinology.
Yakovleva T, Bazov I, Cebers G, Marinova Z, Hara Y, Ahmed A, Vlaskovska M, Johansson B, Hochgeschwender U, Singh IN, Bruce-Keller AJ, Hurd YL, Kaneko T, Terenius L, Ekström TJ, Hauser KF, Pickel VM, Bakalkin G (2006). Prodynorphin storage and processing in axon terminals and dendrites. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Ostwald D, Karpac J, Hochgeschwender U (2006). Effects on hippocampus of lifelong absence of glucocorticoids in the pro-opiomelanocortin null mutant mouse reveal complex relationship between glucocorticoids and hippocampal structure and function. Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN.
Luque RM, Gahete MD, Hochgeschwender U, Kineman RD (2006). Evidence that endogenous SST inhibits ACTH and ghrelin expression by independent pathways. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism.
Karpac J, Ostwald D, Bui S, Hunnewell P, Shankar M, Hochgeschwender U (2005). Development, maintenance, and function of the adrenal gland in early postnatal proopiomelanocortin-null mutant mice. Endocrinology.
Costa JL, Bui S, Reed P, Dores RM, Brennan MB, Hochgeschwender U (2004). Mutational analysis of evolutionarily conserved ACTH residues. General and comparative endocrinology.
Hochgeschwender U (2004). POMC peptides in adrenal maintenance and function. Endocrine research.
Brennan MB, Costa JL, Forbes S, Reed P, Bui S, Hochgeschwender U (2003). Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone is a peripheral, integrative regulator of glucose and fat metabolism. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Videau C, Hochgeschwender U, Kreienkamp HJ, Brennan MB, Viollet C, Richter D, Epelbaum J (2003). Characterisation of [125I]-Tyr0DTrp8-somatostatin binding in sst1- to sst4- and SRIF-gene-invalidated mouse brain. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology.
Hochgeschwender U, Costa JL, Reed P, Bui S, Brennan MB (2003). Altered glucose homeostasis in proopiomelanocortin-null mouse mutants lacking central and peripheral melanocortin. Endocrinology.
Costa JL, Brennen MB, Hochgeschwender U (2002). The human genetics of eating disorders lessons from the leptin/melanocortin system. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America.
Credentials, Certifications & Awards
President’s Award for Research and Creative Activity
Education
M.A., Free University of Berlin, Berlin