Staff profile

BSc: 1993 University of Athens, Greece
PhD: 1996 Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany
Postdoctoral fellow: 1997-2002 University of Chicago, USA
Group leader: 2002-2007 University of Cologne, Germany
Senior Lecturer: 2007-present University of Durham, UK

---

Dr Karakesisoglou started his academic career at the University of Athens (Greece), where he studied Biology. His PhD thesis conducted under the supervision of Prof. Michael Schleicher (LMU-Munich, Germany) aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that underpin cellular movement in D. discoideum. Inspired by the power of genetics in addressing fundamental cell biological questions he continued to pursue his goal of elucidating the cytoskeleton in epithelia using relevant mouse models in Prof. Elaine Fuch’s laboratory at the University of Chicago (USA). As a group leader at the University of Cologne (Germany) he pioneered a novel field in cell biology, by studying the functions of a novel complex that spans the mammalian nuclear envelope termed LINC (LInker of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton), which functionally integrates the cytoplasmic compartment with the nuclear interior in eukaryotic cells. In 2007 he joined the University of Durham as a senior lecturer. His long-term research interests are to unravel the molecular mechanisms that underpin skin ageing and ageing-associated diseases. Members of his laboratory examine the roles of LINC complex (e.g. nesprins, spectraplakins and SUN-domain proteins) constituents in tissue formation, tissue homeostasis, breast cancer metastasis and motor neuron degeneration.

---

Figure legend: Cell polarization of wild type keratinocytes that are LINC complex positive. Golgi (red), F-actin (green) and nuclei (blue). Note that the majority of cells orient their Golgi apparatus towards the wound edge. Arrows indicate the direction of cell movement.

Research Interests

 

• Structure and Function of the Nuclear Envelope
• The Role of the Cytoskeleton in Cell Architecture
• The Role of LINC Complex Proteins in Breast Cancer Metastasis
• The Role of LINC Complex Proteins in Motor Neuron Degeneration
• Premature and Physiological Human Ageing
• Skin Biology and Ageing
• Tissue and Animal Morphogenesis
• Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering

• Animal Cells and Systems
• Durham Centre for Bioimaging Technology

• Breast Cancer Campaign Project

Chapter in book

• Karakesisoglou, Iakowos, Mroß, Carmen & Noegel, Angelika A. (2018). Functional Analysis of LINC Complexes in the Skin. In The LINC Complex. 1840: 295.
• Carthew, James & Karakesisoglou, Iakowos (2016). Detection of Diverse and High Molecular Weight Nesprin-1 and Nesprin-2 Isoforms Using Western Blotting. In The Nuclear Envelope. 1411: 221.

Journal Article

• Costello, Lydia, Goncalves, Kirsty, De Los Santos Gomez, Paola, Simpson, Amy, Maltman, Victoria, Ritchie, Pamela, Tasseff, Ryan, Isfort, Robert, Dicolandrea, Teresa, Wei, Xingtao, Määttä, Arto, Karakesisoglou, Iakowos, Markiewicz, Ewa, Bascom, Charles C. & Przyborski, Stefan (2023). Quantitative morphometric analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic skin ageing in individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types II–III. Experimental Dermatology
• Young, Natalie, Asif, Maria, Jackson, Matthew, Fernández-Mayoralas, Daniel Martín, de la Peña, Mar Jimenez, Calleja-Pérez, Beatriz, Álvarez, Sara, Hunter-Featherstone, Eve, Noegel, Angelika A., Höhne, Wolfgang, Nürnberg, Peter, Obara, Boguslaw, Hussain, Muhammad Sajid, Karakesisoglou, Iakowos & Fernández-Jaén, Alberto (2021). Biallelic SYNE2 Missense Mutations Leading to Nesprin-2 Giant Hypo-Expression Are Associated with Intellectual Disability and Autism. Genes 12(9): 1294.
• Hunter-Featherstone, Eve, Young, Natalie, Chamberlain, Kathryn, Cubillas, Pablo, Hulette, Ben, Wei, Xingtao, Tiesman, Jay P., Bascom, Charles C., Benham, Adam M., Goldberg, Martin W., Saretzki, Gabriele & Karakesisoglou, Iakowos (2021). Culturing Keratinocytes on Biomimetic Substrates Facilitates Improved Epidermal Assembly In Vitro. Cells 10(5): 1177.
• Roger, Mathilde, Fullard, Nicola, Costello, Lydia, Bradbury, Steven, Markiewicz, Ewa, O'Reilly, Steven, Darling, Nicole, Ritchie, Pamela, Määttä, Arto, Karakesisoglou, Iakowos, Nelson, Glyn, von Zglinicki, Thomas, Dicolandrea, Teresa, Isfort, Robert, Bascom, Charles & Przyborski, Stefan (2019). Bioengineering the Microanatomy of Human Skin. Journal of Anatomy 234(4): 438-455.
• Rapisarda, Valentina, Malashchuk, Igor, Asamaowei, Inemo E., Poterlowicz, Krzysztof, Fessing, Michael Y., Sharov, Andrey A., Karakesisoglou, Iakowos, Botchkarev, Vladimir A. & Mardaryev, Andrei (2017). p63 transcription factor regulates nuclear shape and expression of nuclear envelope-associated genes in epidermal keratinocytes. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 137(10): 2157-2167.
• Cartwright, S. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2014). Nesprins in health and disease. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 29: 169-179.
• Lui-Roberts, W., Stinchcombe, J.C., Ritter, A.T., Akhmanova, A., Karakesisoglou, I. & Griffiths, G.M. (2012). Cytotoxic T lymphocyte effector function is independent of nucleus–centrosome dissociation. European Journal of Immunology 42(8): 2132-2141.
• Taranum, S., Sur, I., Muller, R., Lu, W. Rashmi, R.N. Munch, M., Neumann, S., Karakesisoglou, I. & Noegel, A.A. (2012). Cytoskeletal interactions at the nuclear envelope mediated by Nesprins. International Journal of Cell Biology 2012: 736524.
• Taranum, S., Vaylann, E., Meinke, P., Abraham, S., Yang, L., Neumann, S., Karakesisoglou, I., Wehnert, M. & Noegel, A.A. (2012). LINC complex alterations in DMD and EDMD/CMT fibroblasts. European Journal of Cell Biology 91(8): 614-628.
• Rashmi R.N., Eckes B., Glöckner G., Groth M., Muller R., Munck M., Neumann S., Gloy J., Sellin L., Walz G., Schneider M., Karakesisoglou I., Eichinger L. & Noegel A.A. (2012). Roles for nuclear envelope associated Nesprin-2 Giant in cell differentiation, proliferation and chromatin association in a mouse model. Nucleus 3(2): 172-186.
• Lu, W., Schneider, M., Neumann, S., Jaeger, V-M., Taranum, S., Munck, M., Cartwright, S., Richardson, C., Carthew, J., Noh, K., Goldberg, M., Noegel, A. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2012). Nesprin interchain associations control nuclear size. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 69(20): 3493-3509.
• Schneider, M., Lu, W., Neumann, S., Brachner, A., Gotzmann, J., Noegel, A.A. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2011). Molecular mechanisms of centrosome and cytoskeleton anchorage at the nuclear envelope. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 68(9): 1593-1610.
• Zwerger, M., Kolb, T., Richter, K., Karakesisoglou, I. & Herrmann, H. (2010). Induction of a massive endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear space expansion by expression of lamin B receptor mutants and the related sterol reductases TM7SF2 and DHCR7. Molecular Biology of the Cell 21(2): 354-368.
• Neumann, S., Schneider, M., Daugherty, R.L., Gottardi, C.J., Eming, S., Beijer, A., Noegel, A.A. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2010). Nesprin-2 interacts with α-Catenin and regulates Wnt signaling at the nuclear envelope. Journal of Biological Chemistry 285(45): 34932-34938.
• A.L. Olins, T.V. Hoang, M. Zwerger, H. Herrmann, H. Zentgraf, A.A. Noegel, I. Karakesisoglou, D. Hodzic & D.E. Olins (2009). The LINC-less granulocyte nucleus. European Journal of Cell Biology 88(4): 203-14.
• Y. Luke, H. Zaim, I. Karakesisoglou, V.M. Jaeger, L. Sellin, W. Lu, M. Schneider, S. Neumann, A. Beijer, M. Munck, V.C. Padmakumar, J. Gloy, G. Walz & A.A. Noegel (2008). Nesprin-2 Giant (NUANCE) maintains nuclear envelope architecture and composition in skin. Journal of Cell Science 121(11): 1887-1898.
• W. Stoffel, B. Holz, B. Jenke, E. Binczek, R.H. Gunter, C. Kiss, I. Karakesisoglou, M. Thevis, A.A. Weber, S. Arnhold & K. Addicks (2008). Delta6-desaturase (FADS2) deficiency unveils the role of omega3- and omega6-polyunsaturated fatty acids. EMBO Journal 27(17): 2281-2292.
• W. Lu, J. Gotzmann, L. Sironi, V.M. Jaeger, M. Schneider, Y. Luke, M. Uhlen, C.A. Szigyarto, A. Brachner, J. Ellenberg, R. Foisner, A.A. Noegel & I. Karakesisoglou (2008). Sun1 forms immobile macromolecular assemblies at the nuclear envelope. Biochim Biophys Acta 1783(12): 2415-26.
• M. Schneider, A.A. Noegel & I. Karakesisoglou (2008). KASH-domain proteins and the cytoskeletal landscapes of the nuclear envelope. Biochem Soc Trans 36(Pt 6): 1368-72.
• V. Peche, S. Shekar, M. Leichter, H. Korte, R. Schroder, M. Schleicher, T.A. Holak, C.S. Clemen, Y.B. Ramanath, G. Pfitzer, I. Karakesisoglou & A.A. Noegel (2007). CAP2, cyclase-associated protein 2, is a dual compartment protein. Cell Mol Life Sci 64(19-20): 2702-15.
• S. Kandert, Y. Luke, T. Kleinhenz, S. Neumann, W. Lu, V.M. Jaeger, M. Munck, M. Wehnert, C.R. Muller, Z. Zhou, A.A. Noegel, M.C. Dabauvalle & I. Karakesisoglou (2007). Nesprin-2 giant safeguards nuclear envelope architecture in LMNA S143F progeria cells. Human Molecular Genetics 16(23): 2944-2959.
• Libotte, T., Zaim, H., Abraham, S., Padmakumar, V. C., Schneider, M., Lu, W. S., Munck, M., Hutchison, C., Wehnert, M., Fahrenkrog, B., Sauder, U., Aebi, U., Noegel, A. A. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2005). Lamin A/C-dependent localization of Nesprin-2, a giant scaffolder at the nuclear envelope. Molecular Biology of the Cell 16(7): 3411-3424.
• Padmakumar, V. C., Libotte, T., Lu, W. S., Zaim, H., Abraham, S., Noegel, A. A., Gotzmann, J., Foisner, R. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2005). The inner nuclear membrane protein Sun1 mediates the anchorage of Nesprin-2 to the nuclear envelope. Journal of Cell Science 118(15): 3419-3430.
• V.C. Padmakumar, S. Abraham, S. Braune, A.A. Noegel, B. Tunggal, I. Karakesisoglou & E. Korenbaum (2004). Enaptin, a giant actin-binding protein, is an element of the nuclear membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. Exp Cell Res 295(2): 330-9.
• Kodama, A., Karakesisoglou, I., Wong, E., Vaezi, A. & Fuchs, E. (2003). ACF7: An essential integrator of microtubule dynamics. Cell 115(3): 343-354.
• Fuchs, E. & Karakesisoglou, I. (2001). Bridging cytoskeletal intersections. Genes & Development 15(1): 1-14.
• Karakesisoglou, I., Yang, Y. M. & Fuchs, E. (2000). An epidermal plakin that integrates actin and microtubule networks at cellular junctions. Journal Of Cell Biology 149(1): 195-208.
• Lee, S. S., Karakesisoglou, I., Noegel, A. A., Rieger, D. & Schleicher, M. (2000). Dissection of functional domains by expression of point-mutated profilins in Dictyostelium mutants. European Journal Of Cell Biology 79(2): 92-103.
• Karakesisoglou, I., Janssen, K. P., Eichinger, L., Noegel, A. A. & Schleicher, M. (1999). Identification of a suppressor of the Dictyostelium profilin-minus phenotype as a CD36/LIMP-II homologue. Journal Of Cell Biology 145(1): 167-181.
• U. Gottwald, R. Brokamp, I. Karakesisoglou, M. Schleicher & A.A. Noegel (1996). Identification of a cyclase-associated protein (CAP) homologue in Dictyostelium discoideum and characterization of its interaction with actin. Mol Biol Cell 7(2): 261-72.
• Karakesisoglou, I., Schleicher, M., Gibbon, B. C. & Staiger, C. J. (1996). Plant profilins rescue the aberrant phenotype of profilin-deficient Dictyostelium cells. Cell Motility And The Cytoskeleton 34(1): 36-47.
• M. Schleicher, B. Andre, C. Andreoli, L. Eichinger, M. Haugwitz, A. Hofmann, J. Karakesisoglou, M. Stockelhuber & A.A. Noegel (1995). Structure/function studies on cytoskeletal proteins in Dictyostelium amoebae as a paradigm. FEBS Lett 369(1): 38-42.
• M. Haugwitz, A.A. Noegel, J. Karakesisoglou & M. Schleicher (1994). Dictyostelium amoebae that lack G-actin-sequestering profilins show defects in F-actin content, cytokinesis, and development. Cell 79(2): 303-14.