ZFIN ID: ZDB-PERS-980309-6
Becker, Catherina G.
Email: catherina.becker@tu-dresden.de
URL: https://tu-dresden.de/cmcb/crtd/forschungsgruppen/crtd-forschungsgruppen/becker
Affiliation: Catherina & Thomas Becker Lab
Address: Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD) TU Dresden Fetscherstr 105 01307 Dresden Germany and Centre for Neuroregeneration The University of Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences 49 Little France Crescent Edinburgh, EH16 4SB United Kingdom
Country: Germany
Phone: +49 351458 82040
Fax:
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9501-6165


BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH INTERESTS
Education
1993 PhD Neurobiology with honours, University of Bremen

Positions held
since 2021 Alexander von Humboldt Professor
Professor of Neural Development and Regeneration, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

2017-2021 Deputy Director of Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh

2015-2017 CNR Centre Director
2005-2015 CNR Director of Postgraduate Training
since 2005 Senior Lecturer, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh
2000-2005 Group Leader, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH)
1998-2000 Postdoc, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH)
1996-1998 Postdoc, Dept Dev Cell Biol, University of California, Irvine
1994-1996 Postdoc, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich

Honors
2016 Eurolife Distinguished Lecture/Medal
2016 MRC Suffrage in Science Award
2014ff Fellow of the Royal Society for Biology
2005 C.H.S. Stiftung Fellowship
2000-2002 Habilitation Fellowship of the German Research Council
1997-1998 German Research Council (DFG) Research fellowship
1994-1996 EMBO Long-Term-Fellowship


PUBLICATIONS
Oprişoreanu, A.M., Ryan, F., Richmond, C., Dzekhtsiarova, Y., Carragher, N.O., Becker, T., David, S., Becker, C.G. (2023) Drug screening in zebrafish larvae reveals inflammation-related modulators of secondary damage after spinal cord injury in mice. Theranostics. 13:253125512531-2551
Chaytow, H., Carroll, E., Gordon, D., Huang, Y.T., van der Hoorn, D., Smith, H.L., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., Faller, K.M.E., Talbot, K., Gillingwater, T.H. (2022) Targeting phosphoglycerate kinase 1 with terazosin improves motor neuron phenotypes in multiple models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EBioMedicine. 83:104202
El-Daher, F., Early, J.J., Richmond, C.E., Jamieson, R., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2021) Controlled Semi-Automated Lased-Induced Injuries for Studying Spinal Cord Regeneration in Zebrafish Larvae. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. (177):
Cavone, L., McCann, T., Drake, L.K., Aguzzi, E.A., Oprişoreanu, A.M., Pedersen, E., Sandi, S., Selvarajah, J., Tsarouchas, T.M., Wehner, D., Keatinge, M., Mysiak, K.S., Henderson, B.E.P., Dobie, R., Henderson, N.C., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2021) A unique macrophage subpopulation signals directly to progenitor cells to promote regenerative neurogenesis in the zebrafish spinal cord. Developmental Cell. 56(11):1617-1630.e6
Keatinge, M., Tsarouchas, T.M., Munir, T., Porter, N.J., Larraz, J., Gianni, D., Tsai, H.H., Becker, C.G., Lyons, D.A., Becker, T. (2021) CRISPR gRNA phenotypic screening in zebrafish reveals pro-regenerative genes in spinal cord injury. PLoS Genetics. 17:e1009515
Oprişoreanu, A.M., Smith, H.L., Krix, S., Chaytow, H., Carragher, N.O., Gillingwater, T.H., Becker, C.G., Becker, T. (2021) Automated in vivo drug screen in zebrafish identifies synapse-stabilising drugs with relevance to spinal muscular atrophy. Disease models & mechanisms. 14(4):
Oprişoreanu, A.M., Smith, H.L., Arya, S., Webster, R., Zhong, Z., Eaton-Hart, C., Wehner, D., Cardozo, M.J., Becker, T., Talbot, K., Becker, C.G. (2020) Correction: Interaction of Axonal Chondrolectin with Collagen XIXa1 Is Necessary for Precise Neuromuscular Junction Formation. Cell Reports. 32:108113
El-Daher, F., Becker, C.G. (2020) Neural circuit reorganisation after spinal cord injury in zebrafish. Current opinion in genetics & development. 64:44-51
Oprişoreanu, A.M., Smith, H.L., Arya, S., Webster, R., Zhong, Z., Wehner, D., Cardozo, M.J., Becker, T., Talbot, K., Becker, C.G. (2019) Interaction of Axonal Chondrolectin with Collagen XIXa1 Is Necessary for Precise Neuromuscular Junction Formation. Cell Reports. 29:1082-1098.e10
Caldwell, L.J., Davies, N.O., Cavone, L., Mysiak, K.S., Semenova, S.A., Panula, P., Armstrong, J.D., Becker, C.G., Becker, T. (2019) Regeneration of dopaminergic neurons in adult zebrafish depends on immune system activation and differs for distinct populations. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 39(24):4694-4713
Tsarouchas, T.M., Wehner, D., Cavone, L., Munir, T., Keatinge, M., Lambertus, M., Underhill, A., Barrett, T., Kassapis, E., Ogryzko, N., Feng, Y., van Ham, T.J., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2018) Dynamic control of proinflammatory cytokines Il-1β and Tnf-α by macrophages in zebrafish spinal cord regeneration. Nature communications. 9:4670
Wehner, D., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2017) Restoration of anatomical continuity after spinal cord transection depends on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in larval zebrafish. Data in brief. 16:65-70
Drummond, N.J., Davies, N.O., Lovett, J.E., Miller, M.R., Cook, G., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., McPhail, D.B., Kunath, T. (2017) A synthetic cell permeable antioxidant protects neurons against acute oxidative stress. Scientific Reports. 7:11857
Wehner, D., Tsarouchas, T.M., Michael, A., Haase, C., Weidinger, G., Reimer, M.M., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2017) Wnt signaling controls pro-regenerative Collagen XII in functional spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish. Nature communications. 8:126
Cardozo, M.J., Mysiak, K.S., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2017) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Developmental Signals in Spinal Cord Regeneration. Developmental Biology. 432(1):53-62
Boyd, P.J., Tu, W.Y., Shorrock, H.K., Groen, E.J.N., Carter, R.N., Powis, R.A., Thomson, S.R., Thomson, D., Graham, L.C., Motyl, A.A.L., Wishart, T.M., Highley, J.R., Morton, N.M., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., Heath, P.R., Gillingwater, T.H. (2017) Bioenergetic status modulates motor neuron vulnerability and pathogenesis in a zebrafish model of spinal muscular atrophy. PLoS Genetics. 13:e1006744
Powis, R.A., Karyka, E., Boyd, P., Côme, J., Jones, R.A., Zheng, Y., Szunyogova, E., Groen, E.J., Hunter, G., Thomson, D., Wishart, T.M., Becker, C.G., Parson, S.H., Martinat, C., Azzouz, M., Gillingwater, T.H. (2016) Systemic restoration of UBA1 ameliorates disease in spinal muscular atrophy. JCI insight. 1:e87908
Ohnmacht, J., Yang, Y.J., Maurer, G.W., Barreiro-Iglesias, A., Tsarouchas, T.M., Wehner, D., Sieger, D., Becker, C.G., Becker, T. (2016) Spinal motor neurons are regenerated after mechanical lesion and genetic ablation in larval zebrafish. Development (Cambridge, England). 143(9):1464-74
Mysiak, K.S., Barreiro-Iglesias, A., Reimer, M.M., Scott, A.L., Yang, Y., Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2015) Serotonin promotes motor neuron development and adult regeneration in zebrafish. International journal of developmental neuroscience : the official journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience. 47:51
Becker, T., Becker, C.G. (2014) Axonal regeneration in zebrafish. Current opinion in neurobiology. 27C:186-191
Wishart, T.M., Mutsaers, C.A., Riessland, M., Reimer, M.M., Hunter, G., Hannam, M.L., Eaton, S.L., Fuller, H.R., Roche, S.L., Somers, E., Morse, R., Young, P.J., Lamont, D.J., Hammerschmidt, M., Joshi, A., Hohenstein, P., Morris, G.E., Parson, S.H., Skehel, P.A., Becker, T., Robinson, I.M., Becker, C.G., Wirth, B., Gillingwater, T.H. (2014) Dysregulation of ubiquitin homeostasis and beta-catenin signaling promote spinal muscular atrophy. J. Clin. Invest.. 124:1821-34
Sleigh, J.N., Barreiro-Iglesias, A., Oliver, P.L., Biba, A., Becker, T., Davies, K.E., Becker, C.G., and Talbot, K. (2014) Chondrolectin affects cell survival and neuronal outgrowth in in vitro and in vivo models of spinal muscular atrophy. Human molecular genetics. 23(4):855-69
Reimer, M.M., Norris, A., Ohnmacht, J., Patani, R., Zhong, Z., Dias, T.B., Kuscha, V., Scott, A.L., Chen, Y.C., Rozov, S., Frazer, S.L., Wyatt, C., Higashijima, S., Patton, E.E., Panula, P., Chandran, S., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2013) Dopamine from the Brain Promotes Spinal Motor Neuron Generation during Development and Adult Regeneration. Developmental Cell. 25(5):478-491
Barreiro-Iglesias, A., Mysiak, K.S., Adrio, F., Rodicio, M.C., Becker, C.G., Becker, T., and Anadón, R. (2013) Distribution of glycinergic neurons in the brain of glycine transporter-2 Tg(glyt2:gfp) transgenic adult zebrafish: Relation with brain-spinal descending systems. The Journal of comparative neurology. 521(2):389-425
Kuscha, V., Frazer, S.L., Dias, T.B., Hibi, M., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2012) Lesion-induced generation of interneuron cell types in specific dorso-ventral domains in the spinal cord of adult zebrafish. The Journal of comparative neurology. 520(16):3604-3616
Kuscha, V., Barreiro-Iglesias, A., Becker, C.G., and Becker, T. (2012) Plasticity of tyrosine hydroxylase and serotonergic systems in the regenerating spinal cord of adult zebrafish. The Journal of comparative neurology. 520(5):933-951
Zhong, Z., Ohnmacht, J., Reimer, M.M., Bach, I., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2012) Chondrolectin mediates growth cone interactions of motor axons with an intermediate target. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 32(13):4426-4439
Münzel, E.J., Schaefer, K., Obirei, B., Kremmer, E., Burton, E.A., Kuscha, V., Becker, C.G., Brösamle, C., Williams, A., and Becker, T. (2012) Claudin k is specifically expressed in cells that form myelin during development of the nervous system and regeneration of the optic nerve in adult zebrafish. Glia. 60(2):253-70
Zhong, Z., Ma, H., Taniguchi-Ishigaki, N., Nagarajan, L., Becker, C.G., Bach, I., and Becker, T. (2011) SSDP cofactors regulate neural patterning and differentiation of specific axonal projections. Developmental Biology. 349(2):213-224
Wyatt, C., Ebert, A., Reimer, M.M., Rasband, K., Hardy, M., Chien, C.B., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2010) Analysis of the astray/robo2 Zebrafish Mutant Reveals that Degenerating Tracts Do Not Provide Strong Guidance Cues for Regenerating Optic Axons. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 30(41):13838-13849
O'Brien, G.S., Martin, S.M., Söllner, C., Wright, G.J., Becker, C.G., Portera-Cailliau, C., and Sagasti, A. (2009) Developmentally Regulated Impediments to Skin Reinnervation by Injured Peripheral Sensory Axon Terminals. Current biology : CB. 19(24):2086-2090
Reimer, M.M., Kuscha, V., Wyatt, C., Sörensen, I., Frank, R.E., Knüwer, M., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2009) Sonic hedgehog is a polarized signal for motor neuron regeneration in adult zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 29(48):15073-15082
Reimer, M.M., Sörensen, I., Kuscha, V., Frank, R.E., Liu, C., Becker, C.G., and Becker, T. (2008) Motor neuron regeneration in adult zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 28(34):8510-8516
Becker, C.G., and Becker, T. (2008) Adult zebrafish as a model for successful central nervous system regeneration. Restorative neurology and neuroscience. 26(2-3):71-80
Güngör, C., Taniguchi-Ishigaki, N., Ma, H., Drung, A., Tursun, B., Ostendorff, H.P., Bossenz, M., Becker, C.G., Becker, T., and Bach, I. (2007) Proteasomal selection of multiprotein complexes recruited by LIM homeodomain transcription factors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104(38):15000-15005
Wolman, M.A., Regnery, A.M., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., and Halloran, M.C. (2007) Semaphorin3D regulates axon axon interactions by modulating levels of L1 cell adhesion molecule. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 27(36):9653-9663
Becker, C.G., and Becker, T. (2007) Growth and pathfinding of regenerating axons in the optic projection of adult fish. Journal of neuroscience research. 85(12):2793-2799
Schweitzer, J., Gimnopoulos, D., Lieberoth, B.C., Pogoda, H.M., Feldner, J., Ebert, A., Schachner, M., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2007) Contactin1a expression is associated with oligodendrocyte differentiation and axonal regeneration in the central nervous system of zebrafish. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 35(2):194-207
Feldner, J., Reimer, M.M., Schweitzer, J., Wendik, B., Meyer, D., Becker, T., and Becker, C.G. (2007) PlexinA3 restricts spinal exit points and branching of trunk motor nerves in embryonic zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 27(18):4978-4983
Feldner, J., Becker, T., Goishi, K., Schweitzer, J., Lee, P., Schachner, M., Klagsbrun, M., and Becker, C.G. (2005) Neuropilin-1a is involved in trunk motor axon outgrowth in embryonic zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists. 234(3):535-549
Schweitzer, J., Becker, T., Lefebvre, J., Granato, M., Schachner, M., and Becker, C.G. (2005) Tenascin-C is involved in motor axon outgrowth in the trunk of developing zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists. 234(3):550-566
Becker, T., Lieberoth, B.C., Becker, C.G., and Schachner, M. (2005) Differences in the regenerative response of neuronal cell populations and indications for plasticity in intraspinal neurons after spinal cord transection in adult zebrafish. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 30(2):265-278
Schweitzer, J., Becker, C.G., Schachner, M., and Becker, T. (2005) Expression of collapsin response mediator proteins in the nervous system of embryonic zebrafish. Gene expression patterns : GEP. 5(6):809-816
Becker, C.G., Lieberoth, B.C., Morellini, F., Feldner, J., Becker, T., and Schachner, M. (2004) L1.1 is involved in spinal cord regeneration in adult zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 24(36):7837-7842
Becker, C.G., Schweitzer, J., Feldner, J., Schachner, M., and Becker, T. (2004) Tenascin-R as a repellent guidance molecule for newly growing and regenerating optic axons in adult zebrafish. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 26(3):376-389
Bovenkamp, D.E., Goishi, K., Bahary, N., Davidson, A.J., Zhou, Y., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., Zon, L.I., and Klagsbrun, M. (2004) Expression and mapping of duplicate neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 genes in developing zebrafish. Gene expression patterns : GEP. 4(4):361-370
Becker, C.G., Schweitzer, J., Feldner, J., Becker, T., and Schachner, M. (2003) Tenascin-R as a repellent guidance molecule for developing optic axons in zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 23(15):6232-6237
Becker, T., McLane, M.A., and Becker, C.G. (2003) Integrin antagonists affect growth and pathfinding of ventral motor nerves in the trunk of embryonic zebrafish. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 23(1):54-68
Schweitzer, J., Becker, T., Becker, C.G., and Schachner, M. (2003) Expression of protein zero is increased in lesioned axon pathways in the central nervous system of adult zebrafish. Glia. 41(3):301-317
Lieberoth, B.C., Becker, C.G., and Becker, T. (2003) Double labeling of neurons by retrograde axonal tracing and non-radioactive in situ hybridization in the CNS of adult zebrafish. Methods in cell science : an official journal of the Society for In Vitro Biology. 25(1-2):65-70
Becker, T., Bossenz, M., Tursun, B., Schlüter, A., Peters, M.A., Becker, C.G., Ostendorff, H.P., and Bach, I. (2003) Comparing protein stabilities during zebrafish embryogenesis. Methods in cell science : an official journal of the Society for In Vitro Biology. 25(1-2):85-89
Gimnopoulos, D., Becker, C.G., Ostendorff, H.P., Bach, I., Schachner, M., and Becker, T. (2002) Expression of the zebrafish recognition molecule F3/F11/contactin in a subset of differentiating neurons is regulated by cofactors associated with LIM domains. Mechanisms of Development. 119:S135-S141
Becker, T., Ostendorff, H., Bossenz, M., Schlüter, A., Becker, C.G., Peirano, R.I., and Bach, I. (2002) Multiple functions of LIM domain-binding CLIM/NLI/Ldb cofactors during zebrafish development. Mechanisms of Development. 117(1-2):75-85
Becker, C.G. and Becker, T. (2002) Repellent guidance of regenerating optic axons by chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans in zebrafish. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 22(3):842-853
Becker, T., Becker, C.G., Schachner, M., and Bernhardt, R.R. (2001) Antibody to the HNK-1 glycoepitope affects fasciculation and axonal pathfinding in the developing posterior lateral line nerve of embryonic zebrafish. Mechanisms of Development. 109(1):37-49
Becker, T. and Becker, C.G. (2001) Regenerating descending axons preferentially reroute to the gray matter in the presence of a general macrophage/microglial reaction caudal to a spinal transection in adult zebrafish. The Journal of comparative neurology. 433(1):131-147
Becker, C.G., Meyer, R.L., and Becker, T. (2000) Gradients of ephrin-A2 and ephrin-A5b mRNA during retinotopic regeneration of the optic projection in adult zebrafish. The Journal of comparative neurology. 427(3):469-483
Becker, C.G. and Becker, T. (2000) Chondroitinase injection into the brain leads to misrouting of regenerating optic fibers into the posterior pretectal nucleus in adult zebrafish. The European journal of neuroscience. 12:289
Becker, T., Wullimann, M.F., Becker, C.G., Bernhardt, R.R., and Schachner, M. (1997) Axonal regrowth after spinal cord transection in adult zebrafish. The Journal of comparative neurology. 377(4):577-595

NON-ZEBRAFISH PUBLICATIONS
Becker CG, Becker T, Meyer RL (2001) Increased NCAM-180 immunoreactivity and maintenance of L1 immunoreactivity in injured optic fibers of adult mice. Exp Neurol 169:438-48Medline

Becker T, Anliker B, Becker CG, Taylor J, Schachner M, Meyer RL, Bartsch U (2000) Tenascin-R inhibits regrowth of optic fibers in vitro and persists in the optic nerve of mice after injury. Glia 29(4):330-46Medline

Bates CA, Becker CG, Miotke JA, and Meyer RL (1999) Expression of polysialylated NCAM but not L1 or N-Cadherin by regenerating adult mouse optic fibers in vitro. Exp Neurol 155:128-139. Medline

Becker CG, Becker T, Meyer RL, and Schachner M (1999) Tenascin-R inhibits the growth of optic fibers in vitro but is rapidly eliminated during nerve regeneration in the salamander Pleurodeles waltl. J. Neurosci 19:813-827.Medline

Welzl, H, Becker, CG, Artola, A, Schachner, M (1997) Polysialic acid (PSA) associated with the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) may play a role in spatial learning and LTP in rats. in: Neurochemistry. Teelken, AW and Korf, J (eds.) Plenum Publishing Co. Ltd, London, pp 863-868

Becker CG, Artola A, Gerardy-Schahn R, Becker T, Welzl H, and Schachner M (1996) The polysialic acid modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule is involved in spatial learning and hippocampal long-term potentiation. J Neurosci Res 45:143-152. Medline

Becker T., Becker C.G., Niemann U., Naujoks-Manteuffel C., Bartsch U., Schachner M., and Roth G. (1995) Immunohistological localization of tenascin-C in the developing and regenerating retinotectal system of two amphibian species. J Comp Neurol 360:643-657. Medline

Becker CG, Becker T, Schmidt A, and Roth G (1994) Polysialic acid expression in the salamander retina is inducible by thyroxine. Dev Brain Res 79:140-146. Medline

Becker T, Becker CG, Niemann U, Naujoks-Manteuffel C, Gerardy-Schahn R, and Roth G (1993) Amphibian-specific regulation of polysialic acid and the neural cell adhesion molecule in development and regeneration of the retinotectal system of the salamander Pleurodeles waltl. J Comp Neurol 336:532-544. Medline

Becker CG, Becker T, and Roth G (1993) Distribution of NCAM-180 and polysialic acid in the developing tectum of the frog Discoglossus pictus and the salamander Pleurodeles waltl. Cell Tiss Res 272:289-302. Medline

Becker T, and Becker CG (1991) Cell migration along glial fibers in dissociated cell culture of the frog optic tectum. Brain Res 553:331-335. Medline