Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Werner, Hauke, apl. Prof. Dr.


  • 2022: APL Professor University of Göttingen
  • 2014: Habilitation in Neurosciences, University of Göttingen
  • 2008-present: Team Leader, Neurochemistry group, Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (prev. MPI for Experimental Medicine), Göttingen
  • 2003-2008: Research Fellow, Department of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen
  • 2001-2003: Postdoc, Yale University, New Haven / USA
  • 2001: PhD, Center of Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH), University of Heidelberg



Major Research Interests

Myelination of neuronal axons is beneficial, as it markedly accelerates the transmission of information in the nervous system. Indeed, the evolutionary innovation of myelin in ancient fish has facilitated the success of vertebrates. However, myelin is vulnerable to inflammation or genetic perturbation that affect its long-term integrity. This is best illustrated in acquired myelin diseases, heritable white matter disorders (leukodystrophies), or demyelinating neuropathies. The Research Group 'Neurochemistry' investigates the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of myelination and the maintenance of myelin integrity. We combine the tools of mouse genetics, molecular cell biology, and biochemistry, including systematic proteome analysis, to study myelin in health and disease.

Myelin evolution
Myelin biogenesis
Myelin proteome analysis
Relationship between myelin structure and axonal function
Pathobiology of heritable white matter disorders (leukodystrophies)

Homepage Department/Research Group

https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/werner

Selected Recent Publications


  • Krämer-Albers EM*, Werner HB (2023) Mechanisms of axonal support by oligodendrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 24:474.

  • Gargareta VI, Reuschenbach J, Siems SB, Sun T, Piepkorn L, Mangana C, Späte E, Goebbels S, Huitinga I, Möbius W, Nave KA, Jahn O, Werner HB (2022) Conservation and divergence of myelin proteome and oligodendrocyte transcriptome profiles between humans and mice. eLIFE 11:e77019.

  • Buscham TJ, Eichel-Vogel MA, Steyer AM, Jahn O, Strenzke N, Dardawal R, Memhave TR, Siems SB, Müller C, Meschkat M, Sun T, Ruhwedel T, Möbius W, Krämer-Albers EM, Boretius S, Nave KA, Werner HB (2022) Progressive axonopathy when oligodendrocytes lack the myelin protein CMTM5. eLIFE 11:e75523.

  • Siems SB, Jahn O, Hoodless LJ, Jung RB, Hesse D, Möbius W, Czopka T, Werner HB (2021) Proteome Profile of Myelin in the Zebrafish Brain. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 9:640169.

  • Nave KA, Werner HB (2021) Ensheathment and Myelination of Axons: Evolution of Glial Functions. Annual Review of Neuroscience 44:197.

  • Eichel MA, Gargareta VI, D'Este E, Fledrich R, Kungl T, Buscham TJ, Lüders KA, Miracle C, Jung RB, Distler U, Kusch K, Möbius W, Hülsmann S, Tenzer S, Nave KA, Werner HB (2020) CMTM6 expressed on the adaxonal Schwann cell surface restricts axonal diameters in peripheral nerves. Nature Communications 11:4514.

  • Jahn O, Siems SB, Kusch K, Hesse D, Jung RB, Liepold T, Uecker M, Sun T, Werner HB (2020) The CNS Myelin Proteome: Deep Profile and Persistence After Post-mortem Delay. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 14:239.

  • Siems SB, Jahn O, Eichel MA, Kannaiyan N, Wu LMN, Sherman DL, Kusch K, Hesse D, Jung RB, Fledrich R, Sereda MW, Rossner MJ, Brophy PJ, Werner HB (2020) Proteome profile of peripheral myelin in healthy mice and in a neuropathy model. eLIFE pii: e51406.

  • Erwig MS, Patzig J, Steyer AM, Dibaj P, Heilmann M, Heilmann I, Jung RB, Kusch K, Möbius W, Jahn O, Nave KA, Werner HB (2019) Anillin facilitates septin assembly to prevent pathological outfoldings of central nervous system myelin. eLIFE 8:e43888.

  • Lüders KA, Nessler S, Kusch K, Patzig J, Jung RB, Möbius W, Nave KA, Werner HB (2019) Maintenance of high proteolipid protein level in adult central nervous system myelin is required to preserve the integrity of myelin and axons. Glia, 67:634.

  • Weil MT, Heibeck S, Töpperwien M, Tom Dieck S, Ruhwedel T, Salditt T, Rodicio MC, Morgan JR, Nave KA, Möbius W, Werner HB (2018) Axonal ensheathment in the nervous system of lamprey: Implications for the evolution of myelinating glia. Journal of Neuroscience 38:6586.

  • Patzig J, Erwig MS, Tenzer S, Kusch K, Dibaj P, Möbius W, Goebbels S, Schaeren-Wiemers N, Nave KA, Werner HB (2016) Septin/anillin filaments scaffold central nervous system myelin to accelerate nerve conduction. eLIFE 5:e17119.