Using transgenic animal models the Nykjær group is studying sortilin receptors in memory, trans-synaptic communication and signaling.
Research activities are focused towards the functional characterization of a family of neuronal type-1 receptors denoted sortilins, comprising sortilin, SorLA, and SorCS-1, -2, and -3 with particular emphasis on their role in memory formation and recall, and in emotional regulation. Sortilins bind a vast number of ligands including neurotrophic factors, synaptic proteins, Alzheimer precursor protein (APP), and progranulin implying critical roles in regulation of neuronal survival, differentiation and integrity, and in synaptic plasticity. Indeed, a number of genetic association studies and gene targeting in mice have linked dysfunction of the sortilin receptors with neuropsychiatric and degenerative diseases including ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease, and frontotemporal lobar dementia.
Using transgenic mouse models, a broad repertoire of molecular, cellular and genetic tools, electrophysiology, mouse behavior, and confocal and two-photon microscopy it is our goal to unravel the function of the receptor family in health and disease and to evaluate their potential as drug targets.
The Nykjær group currently has projects available for Master students and postdocs within the following research areas.
Functions of the sortilin receptor family in health and disease:
Please contact Group Leader Anders Nykjær directly, if interested.
2019.09.06 | AndersNykjær
Petra will be in Anders Nykjærs lab until the 17 of December. She studies Molecular biology and genetics at Masaryk university in Czech Republic. Petra will be assisting Dr. Alena Salašová in her work on setting up new tools in fish and mice models in order to study the development of dopaminergic circuits.
2019.08.23 | AndersNykjær
Melina Hien will be here at DANDRITE until the 18th of december. She is studying Biology, with the specialisation Neurobiology, at the TU in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In the course of her master programme she will stay as an intern at Nykjaer group for four months to investigate phosphorylation events on SorCS1B and Sorl1
2019.08.23 | People
Lucie is a new Research Assistant in Anders Nykjær lab and she will work together with our postdoc Alena Salasova on the development of dopaminergic system. She will study how signaling alterations during brain development can be involved in the onset of psychiatric disorders.
2019.07.09 | Research news
DR Viden features the new publication in Science Advances by Mette Richner et al. from Anders Nykaer's lab and Christian Vaegter's lab, which shows that sortilin plays an essential role in a new and surprising mechanism underlying chronic pain (text in Danish).
2019.07.01 | Research news
New publication from Nykjær lab and affiliated researcher Christian Vægter lab: While effective drugs against chronic pain are not just around the corner, researchers from Aarhus University have succeeded in identifying a protein as a future potential target for medicinal drugs. Basic research shows that blocking a protein named sortilin prevents…
2019.04.26 | Research news
Alena Salasova, a postdoc in Anders Nykjær's group, is co-author of new article published in Nature Communications on April 2 . The paper entitled "WNT5A is transported via lipoprotein particles in the cerebrospinal fluid to regulate hindbrain morphogenesis" describes a novel mechanism of how is a key morphogen WNT5A secreted from choroid plexus…
2019.04.24 | AndersNykjær
Protecting neurons from cell death following epilepsy A new paper paper by Malik et al in Cell Reports, coauthored by Anders Nykjaer, demonstrates that the receptor SorCS2 is protective against the brain damage that follows an epileptic seizure. They find that SorCS2 secures proper expression of EEAT3, a transporter that mediates cellular uptake…
2019.02.07 | AndersNykjær
Andreea Udrea is a new intern in Anders Nykjær’s group per January 28th. Andreea is a technician and has been working at Copenhagen University before she started her professional bachelor’s degree in chemical and biotechnical technology. As a part of her education she will do a 20-week internship in Anders Nykjær lab, during this time…
2019.01.08 | AndersNykjær
In the interview, Anders Nykjær addresses the influence of smartphones on memory and the importance of continuously challenging the brain in order to strengthen memory.
2019.01.07 | AndersNykjær
Lone Fuglsang Pedersen is new Research Assistant in Anders Nykjær Group. Recently, it was discovered that that sortilin gene family members regulate synaptic transmission between excitatory neurons. Now, Lone and the group will look into excitatory synaptic transmission between excitatory and inhibitory neurons using electrophysiological…
