Dirk Weihrauch

Using an integrative and comparative approach we are interested in exploring mechanisms underlying OSMOREGULATION, NITROGEN TRANSPORT, and ACID-BASE REGULATION mostly in invertebrate systems.

Animal systems

Due to the ease of using the preparation of the isolated perfused gill and the opportunity that system offers to directly measure ammonia, HCO3-, CO2, Na+, and Cl- fluxes over the branchial epithelium, often decapod crustaceans (e.g. Dungeness crabs, green shore crabs, Lobster) and horseshoe crabs (not crustaceans). But all suitable systems help us to gain new information. Over the last years, we have therefore also employed planarians, polychaetes, leeches, C. elegans, water fleas, crayfish, mosquitoes, fish, frogs, and mammalian intestinal tissue and cell lines.

Techniques

To achieve our goals, we are employing a wide range of techniques including electrophysiology, transport physiology, enzyme assays, quantitative PCR, cloning techniques, RNAi, functional expression analysis (oocyte expression system), immunohistochemistry, and video analysis.

Current projects

The current key objectives of our research are:

• Discovery and characterization of novel ammonia and CO2 transporters
• Identification of acid-base regulatory mechanisms
• Identification of ammonia excretion pathways
• Characterization of the Tight Junction Complex in the crustacean gill
• Identification of intracellular pathways regulating ammonia excretion processes
• Effects of climate change, heatwaves, and other environmental stressors on the physiology of aquatic invertebrates

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