Forschung

We use the Lateral Line Primordium as a model for collective cell migration and epithelial morphogenesis. The lateral line is a sensory system that allow fish to receive information about their environment via small mechanosensory organs called neuromasts. These neuromasts derive from a group of about 130 cells, called the Lateral Line Primordium (LLP), which migrates from head to tail on both sides of the embryo trunk . As cells migrate, they assemble into two or three radially-organized groups called rosettes. These rosettes are then regularly deposited behind the migrating LLP, and differentiate into mechanosensory organs very similar to our inner ear.
The LLP cells migrate very superficially just under the skin making this system ideal for live imaging. We are using it to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms coordinating different allowing cells to coordinate different behaviors (including migration, proliferation, shape changes…) by combining molecular biology, genetics, high-resolution live imaging and image analysis.

We use zebrafish gills as a new model to study how organs form and take shape during development. Gills are essential for fish respiration and have a highly specialized cellular architecture, making them an excellent system to study how cells and blood vessels dynamically organize to build functional organs. 

Each zebrafish has four gill arches on each side of its head. From each arch, rows of thin filaments extend outward. Each filaments supports numerous lamellae, the functional unit of the fish’s gill., Lamellae are made of two thin layer of epithelial sheets, between which blood flow. This vascular network is supported by specialized cells called pillar cells, which are regularly spaced and help maintain the shape and stability of the lamellae while blood flows through them.

We recently generated a a detailed atlas of blood vessel development in zebrafish gills. This revealed that different regions of the gill follow specific developmental programs that establish the overall gill architecture early on and maintain it throughout life. This atlas serves as a quantitative reference for gill development and provides a foundation for future functional studies (Preußner et al., 2025).

Building on this work, we are currently investigating how pillar cells form and change their shape, and how blood vessels grow into gill filaments through angiogenesis. To address these questions, we combine genetic approaches with high-resolution live imaging, tissue clearing, quantitative imaging, and electron microscopy. Together, these methods allow us to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms that shape gill development and function.