Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

- Research
- Lecturer on the MRes course "Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine"
- Supervision of Postgraduates (PhD and MRes students)
- Supervision of Undergraduates
- PDR conduction
- Management of the 'Dermatological Sciences Journal Cub' and the 'Research in Progress' seminar series

Qualifications

- Venia legendi (PD), University of Bonn, Germany
- Habilitation (habil.) in Genetics, University of Bonn, Germany
- PhD in Human Biology (Dr. rer. physiol.), University of Marburg, Germany
- Diploma in Human Biology (major subjects: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Immunology), University of Marburg, Germany

Previous Positions

- PI, Biochemistry I, University of Cologne, Germany
- Assistant Professor, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany
- Postdoc, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany
- Postdoc, Institute of Genetics, University of Bonn, Germany

Memberships

- The Physiological Society
- British Society for Investigative Dermatology (BSID)
- Deutscher Hochschulverband (DHV) 

Languages

German, Spanish, French

Research Interests

I am interested in the function of keratin intermediate filaments in the epidermis. More than eight distinct keratins are expressed in the epidermis, tightly regulated during differentiation, wound healing and cancer formation. The specific function of variably composed intermediate filaments, consisting of different keratins however, is not known and is one of the major questions in this field of research. It is not yet clear e.g. why keratinocytes in the proliferating basal layer of the epidermis express filaments consisting of K5 and K14, whereas they switch to K1 and K10 as they differentiate and loose contact with the basement membrane. I found, that the loss of the suprabasal keratin K10 can be partially compensated by K5 and K14 persisting in suprabasal keratinocytes. Although the resulting intermediate filaments consisting of K1, K5 and K14 provided stability to the epidermis, tissue homoeostasis was disturbed and K10-deficient mice developed a thickened, hyperkeratotic skin. The observed thickening of the epidermis was due to an increased proliferation of cells in the basal layer involving increased MAP kinase signalling.
My group wants to establish, how differing intermediate filament compositions influence the keratinocyte response to physical stress and use K10-deficient keratinocytes as a model for our studies.

Current Work

Keratins are the most prominent proteins of epidermal keratinocytes. Their major role is to build the intermediate filament system of this tisssue and to confer mechanical stability to the cells, and to the entire tissue by integrating the cytoskeletal networks of neighbouring cells via desmosomal contacts. Cells must constantly receive and adapt to different kinds of external mechanical stimuli. It has been shown, that the state of the cytoskeleton (prestress) is essential for the behaviour of a cell in the context of a tissue.
In the past, the major focus in the study of the involvement of the cytoskeleton in mechano-signaling was on the actin cytoskeleton. However, the intermediate filament system is an equivalently attractive candidate for a signal transducer as it interconnects the cells of a given tissue via desmosomes. The current focus of our research is to investigate the influence of the intermediate filament cytoskeleton composition on mechanical signal transduction.

Postgraduate Supervision

Epidermal and keratinocyte response to mechanical stress.

Esteem Indicators

Peer Reviewer for Funding bodies: British Skin Foundation (BSF), Medical Research Council (MRC), Sparks
Peer Reviewer for Journals: BMC Cell Biology, Experimental Dermatology, Archives of Dermatological Research, Integrative & Comparative Biology

Funding

current funding:
German Research Foundation (DFG), The Psoriasis Association, North Eastern Skin Research Fund, Ichthyosis Support Group

fromer funding:
Newcastle Health Care Charity/Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Charity, NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI), The One NorthEast (ONE), Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, Bonner Forum Biomedizin, Köln Fortune

Keywords

epidermal stem cells, keratinocytes, intermediate filaments, keratins, mechanical signalling

Projects

• Using the potential of keratinocyte stem cells for regenerative medicine
  Project Leader(s): Dr Julia Reichelt
  This project is funded by Ichthyosis Support Group, ICM/Medical Faculty PhD Studentship scheme

Undergraduate Teaching

CMB 3000 Research Projects

MSci Biomedical Sciences Research Projects 

Postgraduate Teaching

MBBS Programme 

MRes in Medical & Molecular Biosciences: Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine

PhD student supervision 

• Wang RC, Wei Y, An Z, Zou Z, White M, Reichelt J, Levine B. Akt-mediated regulation of autophagy and tumorigenesis through beclin1 phosphorylation. Science 2012, 338(6109), 956-959.
• Wallace L, Reichelt J. Using 3D culture to investigate the role of mechanical signalling in keratinocyte stem cells. In: Turksen, K, ed. Skin Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols. New York: Springer, 2013, pp.153-164.
• Wang RC, Wei Y, Zou Z, An Z, Bhagat G, White M, Reichelt J, Levine B. Akt and keratin intermediate filaments collaborate to regulate autophagy and tumorigenesis. In: 75th Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. 2012, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA: Nature Publishing Group.
• Brown AM, Todd C, Darlington H, Reynolds NJ, Reichelt J. Mitogen and stress-activated kinase 1 activation is impaired in psoriatic keratinocytes in response to mechanical stress. In: 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR). 2012, Venice, Italy: Nature Publishing Group.
• Wallace L, Roberts-Thompson L, Reichelt J. Deletion of K1/K10 does not impair epidermal stratification but affects desmosomal structure and nuclear integrity. Journal of Cell Science 2012, 125(7), 1750-1758.
• Höher T, Wallace L, Khan K, Cathomen T, Reichelt J. Highly Efficient Zinc-Finger Nuclease-Mediated Disruption of an eGFP Transgene in Keratinocyte Stem Cells without Impairment of Stem Cell Properties. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports 2012, 8(2), 426-434.
• Vollmers A, Wallace L, Fullard N, Höher T, Alexander MD, Reichelt J. Two- and Three-Dimensional Culture of Keratinocyte Stem and Precursor Cells Derived from Primary Murine Epidermal Cultures. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports 2012, 8(2), 402-413.
• Roberts-Thompson L, Reichelt J. K1/K10 filaments are dispensable for epidermal barrier formation. In: British Journal of Dermatology. 2011, Manchester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Reichelt J, Haase I. Establishment of spontaneously immortalised keratinocyte lines from wild-type and mutant mice. In: K Turksen, ed. Epidermal Cells: Methods and Protocols. Totowa, NJ, USA: The Humana Press Inc, 2009, pp.59-69.
• Loeher M, Luebken H, Reichelt J. Keratin 10-deficient keratinocytes show altered mechanical signalling in response to stretch in differentiated cultures. In: British Journal of Dermatology: Annual Meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology. 2008, Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Reichelt J. Mechanotransduction of keratinocytes in culture and in the epidermis. European Journal of Cell Biology 2007, 86(11-12), 807-816.
• Hubbers CU, Clemen CS, Kesper K, Boddrich A, Hofmann A, Kamarainen O, Tolksdorf K, Stumpf M, Reichelt J, Roth U, Krause S, Watts G, Kimonis V, Wattjes MP, Reimann J, Thal DR, Biermann K, Evert BO, Lochmuller H, Wanker EE, Schoser BG, Noegel AA, Schroder R. Pathological consequences of VCP mutations on human striated muscle. Brain 2007, 130(2), 381-393.
• Fischer D, Clemen CS, Olive M, Ferrer I, Goudeau B, Roth U, Badorf P, Wattjes MP, Lutterbey G, Kral T, van der Ven PF, Furst DO, Vicart P, Goldfarb LG, Moza M, Carpen O, Reichelt J, Schroder R. Different early pathogenesis in myotilinopathy compared to primary desminopathy. Neuromuscular Disorders 2006, 16(6), 361-367.
• Magin TM, Hesse M, Meier-Bornheim R, Reichelt J. Developing mouse models to study intermediate filament function. Methods in Cell Biology 2004, 78, 65-94.
• Magin TM, Reichelt J, Hatzfeld M. Emerging functions: diseases and animal models reshape our view of the cytoskeleton. Experimental Cell Research 2004, 301(1), 91-102.
• Reichelt J, Breiden B, Sandhoff K, Magin TM. Loss of keratin 10 is accompanied by increased sebocyte proliferation and differentiation. European Journal of Cell Biology 2004, 83(11-12), 747-759.
• Reichelt J, Furstenberger G, Magin TM. Loss of Keratin 10 Leads to Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Activation, Increased Keratinocyte Turnover, and Decreased Tumour Formation in Mice. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2004, 123(5), 973-981.
• Kirfel J, Magin TM, Reichelt J. Keratins: a structural scaffold with emerging functions. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2003, 60(1), 56-71.
• Porter R, Jahoda C, Lunny D, Henderson G, Ross J, McLean W, Whittock N, Wilson N, Reichelt J, Magin T, Lane E. 26 Mouse models for human hair loss disorders. Journal of Anatomy 2002, 201(5), 424.
• Porter RM, Jahoda CAB, Lunny DP, Henderson G, Ross J, McLean IWH, Whittock NV, Wilson NJ, Reichelt J, Magin TM, Lane EB. Defolliculated (Dfl): A dominant mouse mutation leading to poor sebaceous gland differentiation and total elimination of pelage follicles. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2002, 119(1), 32-37.
• Reichelt J, Magin TM. Hyperproliferation, induction of c-Myc and 14-3-3σ, but no cell fragility in keratin-10-null mice. Journal of Cell Science 2002, 115(13), 2639-2650.
• Reichelt J, Schachtschabel DO. Energetic stress induces premature aging of diploid human fibroblasts (Wi-38) in vitro. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 2001, 32(3), 219-231.
• Reichelt J, Bussow H, Grund C, Magin TM. Formation of a Normal Epidermis Supported by Increased Stability of Keratins 5 and 14 in Keratin 10 Null Mice. Molecular Biology of the Cell 2001, 12(6), 1557-1568.
• Reichelt J, Doering T, Schnetz E, Fartasch M, Sandhoff K, Magin TM. Normal ultrastructure, but altered stratum corneum lipid and protein composition in a mouse model for epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1999, 113(3), 329-34.
• Porter RM, Reichelt J, Lunny DP, Magin TM, Lane EB. The relationship between hyperproliferation and epidermal thickening in a mouse model for BCIE. J Invest Dermatol 1998, 110, 951-7.
• Reichelt J, Bauer C, Porter R, Lane E, Magin, T. Out of balance: consequences of a partial keratin 10 knockout. J Cell Sci 1997, 110, 2175-86.
• Behrens SE, Tyc K, Kastner B, Reichelt J, Luhrmann R. Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (RNP) U2 contains numerous additional proteins and has a bipartite RNP structure under splicing conditions. Mol Cell Biol 1993, 13, 307-19.
• Roth W, Kumar V, Beer HD, Richter M, Wohlenberg C, Reuter U, Thiering S, Staratschek-Jox A, Hofmann A, Kreusch F, Schultze JL, Vogl T, Roth J, Reichelt J, Hausser I, Magin TM. Keratin 1 maintains skin integrity and participates in an inflammatory network in skin via interleukin-18. Journal of Cell Science 2012, 125(22), 5269-5279.