Angiogenesis & Metabolism

Prof. Dr. Michael Potente

BIH Professor for Translational Vascular Biomedicine

Contact information
Address:	Berlin Center for Translational Vascular Biomedicine Angiogenesis & Metabolism Laboratory Käthe-Beutler-Haus Lindenberger Weg 80 13125 Berlin

Remodeling vasculature in the developing retina of a mouse labelled with blood-vessel specific markers.

Research focus

We are particularly interested in the role of metabolism in these processes, given that blood vessels often form in challenging metabolic environments and that diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia promote vascular dysfunction. We want to understand how vascular cells perceive metabolic signals and how they use this information to build networks of organ-specific size, shape and function. We also study the metabolism of these cells to define how changes in metabolic state impact vascular growth, differentiation and function. Our goal is to identify central mechanisms of regulation whose corruption causes cardiovascular pathology. We use a wide variety of genetic, biochemical and cell biology technologies, which allow us to analyze the function of single metabolites, genes, and cells with high spatio-temporal resolution. Overall, our laboratory emphasizes collaboration and prioritizes approaches that shed light on fundamental biological principles while also pointing the way towards clinical translation.

Ren AA, Snellings DA, Su SY, Hong CC, Castro M, Tang AT, Detter MR, Hobson N, Girard R, Romanos S, Lightle R, Moore T, Shenkar R, Benavides C, Beaman MM, Mueller-Fielitz H, Chen M, Mericko P, Yang J, Sung DC, Lawton MT, Ruppert M, Schwaninger M, Körbelin J, Potente M, Awad I, Marchuk DA, Kahn ML (2021). PIK3CA and CCM mutations fuel cavernomas through a cancer-like mechanism. Nature, 594:271-276.
Andrade J, Shi C, Costa ASH, Choi J, Kim J, Sugino T, Doddaballapur A, Ong YT, Zimmermann B, Castro M, Kaulich M, Guenther S, Kubota Y, Braun T, Koh GY, Grosso AR, Frezza C, Potente M (2021). Control of endothelial quiescence by FOXO-regulated metabolites. Nature Cell Biology, 23: 413-423.
Luo W, Garcia-Gonzalez I, Férnandez-Chacón M, Casquero-Garcia V, Sanchez-Muñoz MS, Mühleder S, Garcia- Ortega L, Andrade J, Potente M, Benedito R (2021). Arterialization requires the timely suppression of cell growth. Nature, 589: 437-441.
Lim R, Sugino T, Nolte H, Andrade J, Zimmermann B, Shi C, Doddaballapur A, Ong YT, Wilhelm K, Fasse JWD, Ernst A, Kaulich M, Husnjak K, Boettger T, Guenther S, Braun T, Krueger M, Benedito R, Dikic I, Potente M (2019). Deubiquitinase USP10 regulates Notch signaling in the endothelium. Science, 364:188-193.
Yu P, Wilhelm K, Dubrac A, Tung JK, Alves TC, Fang JS, Xie Y, Zhu J, Chen Z, De Smet F, Zhang J, Jin S-W, Sun L, Sun H, Kibbey RG, Hirschi KK, Hay N, Carmeliet P, Chittenden TW, Eichmann A, Potente M, Simons M (2017). FGF-dependent metabolic control of vascular development. Nature, 545:224-28.
Wilhelm K, Happel K, Eelen G, Schoors S, Oellerich MF, Lim R, Zimmermann B, Aspalter IM, Franco CA, Boettger T, Braun T, Fruttiger M, Rajewsky K, Keller C, Bruning JC, Gerhardt H, Carmeliet P, Potente M (2016). FOXO1 couples metabolic activity and growth state in the vascular endothelium. Nature, 529:216-20.
Boon RA, Iekushi K, Lechner S, Seeger T, Fischer A, Heydt S, Kaluza D, Treguer K, Carmona G, Bonauer A, Horrevoets AJ, Didier N, Girmatsion Z, Biliczki P, Ehrlich JR, Katus HA, Muller OJ, Potente M, Zeiher AM, Hermeking H, Dimmeler S (2013). MicroRNA-34a regulates cardiac ageing and function. Nature, 495:107- 10.
Guarani V, Deflorian G, Franco CA, Kruger M, Phng LK, Bentley K, Toussaint L, Dequiedt F, Mostoslavsky R, Schmidt MH, Zimmermann B, Brandes RP, Mione M, Westphal CH, Braun T, Zeiher AM, Gerhardt H, Dimmeler S, Potente M (2011). Acetylation-dependent regulation of endothelial Notch signalling by the SIRT1 deacetylase. Nature, 473:234-8.
Bonauer A, Carmona G, Iwasaki M, Mione M, Koyanagi M, Fischer A, Burchfield J, Fox H, Doebele C, Ohtani K, Chavakis E, Potente M, Tjwa M, Urbich C, Zeiher AM, Dimmeler S (2009). MicroRNA-92a controls angiogenesis and functional recovery of ischemic tissues in mice. Science, 324(5935):1710-3.
Fisslthaler B, Popp R, Kiss L, Potente M, Harder DR, Fleming I, Busse R (1999). Cytochrome P450 2C is an EDHF synthase in coronary arteries. Nature, 401(6752):493-7.
Key review articles
Potente M, Mäkinen, T (2017). Vascular heterogeneity and specialzation in development and disease. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 18: 477-94.
Potente M, Carmeliet P (2017). The link between angiogenesis and endothelial metabolism. Annual Review of Physiology 79: 43-66.
Potente M, Gerhardt H, Carmeliet P (2011). Basic and therapeutic aspects of angiogenesis. Cell 146: 873-87.

Angiogenesis & Metabolism Laboratory

Michael Potente

Prof. Dr. Michael Potente

Research focus

Selected publications