Prof. Dr. Walter Nickel

Walter Nickel

Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg (BZH)
Im Neuenheimer Feld 328
69120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 (6221) 54-5425
Fax: +49 (6221) 54-4366
E-mail: walter.nickel@bzh.uni-heidelberg.de


Research Area

Biochemistry


Position and Status

Professor of Biochemistry (W3)


Scholarships and awards

2016 - Jahrespreis der Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
1998 - 2000 - Postdoctoral fellowship from the Human Frontiers Science Program
1997 - 1998 - Feodor-Lynen fellowship for postdoctoral research from the Alexander von Humboldt foundation
1995 - 1996 - Postdoctoral fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
1991 - 1994 - PhD student fellowship and member of the DFG Graduate School “Signal-vermittelter Transport von Proteinen und Vesikeln” at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen



University training and degree

01/1990 - 12/1990 - Diploma thesis with Frank Grosse at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen
10/1985 - 12/1990 - Study of Biology at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

 

Advanced academic qualifications

2001 - Habilitation (venia legendi) in Biochemistry, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; Mentor: Felix T. Wieland
1994 - PhD. in Biochemistry, Department of Clinical Biochemistry Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; Mentor: Hans-Dieter Söling
01/1991 - 04/1994 - Doctoral thesis with Hans-Dieter Söling at the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Dr. rer. nat.)

 

Postgraduate professional career

12/2004 - present - Professor of Biochemistry at Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center, Faculty of Biosciences
05/2000 - 11/2004 - Independent Group leader at Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center
10/1997 - 04/2000 - Post-doctoral research fellow with James E. Rothman at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.A.
07/1994 - 09/1997 - Post-doctoral research fellow with Felix T. Wieland at the Institute for Biochemistry I, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Coordinating Functions and Editorial Work

2022 – present Vice-Speaker of the DFG Collaborative Research Center SFB/TRR 186

2021 – present Managing Director, Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center

2019 – present Dean of Studies, Bachelor and Master programs in Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University

2016 - present - Founding Chair and Speaker of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 186 (Heidelberg/Berlin) “Molecular Switches in the Spatio- Temporal Control of Cellular Signal Transmission”
2014 - present -  Editorial Board Member, The Journal of Biological Chemistry
2010 - 2015 - Speaker of the DFG Graduate School GRK1188 "Quantitative Analysis of Dynamic Processes in Membrane Transport and Translocation" Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
2009 – 2012 - Chairman of the Eurocores programme "EuroMembrane" of the European Science Foundation (ESF)

Most important publications

  1. Lolicato, F., Steringer, J. P., Saleppico, R., Beyer, D., Fernandez-Sobaberas, J., Unger, S. Klein, S., Riegerová, P., Wegehingel, S., Müller, H. M., Schmitt, X. J., Kaptan, S., Freund, C., Hof, M., Šachl, R., Chlanda, P., Vattulainen, I. & Nickel, W. Disulfide bridge-dependent dimerization triggers FGF2 membrane translocation into the extracellular space eLife 12:RP88579 (2023) https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88579.2
  2. Lolicato, F., Saleppico, R., Griffo, A., Meyer, A., Scollo, F., Pokrandt, B., Müller, H.-M., Ewers, H., Hähl, H., Fleury, J.-B., Seemann, R., Hof, M., Brügger, B., Jacobs, K., Vattulainen, I. & Nickel, W. Cholesterol promotes clustering of PI(4,5)P2 driving unconventional secretion of FGF2. Journal of Cell Biology 221, e202106123 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202106123
  3. Sparn, C., Dimou, E., Meyer, A., Saleppico, R., Wegehingel, S., Gerstner, M., Klaus, S., Ewers, H. & Nickel, W. Glypican-1 drives unconventional secretion of fibroblast growth factor2. eLife 11, e75545 (2022). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.75545
  4. Legrand, C., Saleppico, R., Sticht, J., Lolicato, F., Müller, H.-M., Wegehingel, S., Dimou, E., Steringer, J. P., Ewers, H., Vattulainen, I., Freund, C. & Nickel, W. The Na,K-ATPase acts upstream of phosphoinositide PI(4,5)P2 facilitating unconventional secretion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2. Communications Biology 3, 141 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-0871-y
  5. Dimou, E., Cosentino, K., Platonova, E., Ros, U., Sadeghi, M., Kashyap, P., Katsinelos, T., Wegehingel, S., Noé, F., García-Sáez, A. J., Ewers, H. & Nickel, W. Single event visualization of unconventional secretion of FGF2. Journal of Cell Biology 218, 683-699 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201802008
  6. Steringer, J. P., Lange, S., Čujová, S., Šachl, R., Poojari, C., Lolicato, F., Beutel, O., Müller, H.-M., Unger, S., Coskun, Ü., Honigmann, A., Vattulainen, I., Hof, M., Freund, C. & Nickel, W. Key steps in unconventional secretion of fibroblast growth factor 2 reconstituted with purified components. eLife 6, e28985 (2017). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.28985
  7. Müller, H.-M., Steringer, J. P., Wegehingel, S., Bleicken, S., Münster, M., Dimou, E., Unger, S., Weidmann, G., Andreas, H., García-Sáez, A. J., Wild, K., Sinning, I. & Nickel, W. Formation of Disulfide Bridges Drives Oligomerization, Membrane Pore Formation, and Translocation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 to Cell Surfaces *. Journal of Biological Chemistry 290, 8925-8937 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M114.622456
  8. Steringer, J. P., Bleicken, S., Andreas, H., Zacherl, S., Laussmann, M., Temmerman, K., Contreras, F. X., Bharat, T. A. M., Lechner, J., Müller, H.-M., Briggs, J. A. G., García-Sáez, A. J. & Nickel, W. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2)-dependent Oligomerization of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) Triggers the Formation of a Lipidic Membrane Pore Implicated in Unconventional Secretion . Journal of Biological Chemistry 287, 27659-27669 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M112.381939
  9. Zehe, C., Engling, A., Wegehingel, S., Schäfer, T. & Nickel, W. Cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans are essential components of the unconventional export machinery of FGF-2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 15479-15484 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0605997103
  10. Seelenmeyer, C., Wegehingel, S., Tews, I., Künzler, M., Aebi, M. & Nickel, W. Cell surface counter receptors are essential components of the unconventional export machinery of galectin-1. Journal of Cell Biology 171, 373-381 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200506026

Patents

Patent Application PCT/EP2015/073591:
Nickel W (2015) "Assay for FGF2 Secretion and Signalling"; WO2016/055664

Patent Application Number GB1605173.2:
Nickel W and Lewis JD (2016) “Inhibitors of the Unconventional Secretion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) by Tumour Cells and Uses Thereof”; 29 March 2016