Akad.Rat Dr. rer.nat. Andreas Unger  

phone: +49 (0)251/83-55713 
E-Mail: andreas.unger(at)ukmuenster.de

see also -> EM X-STRAITED MUSCLE ATLAS

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44161-023-00348-1

→ out now (06/2026):

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44161-026-00829-z

 Publications: 

• Nx3 Is a Z-Disk Structural and Signaling Hub That Is Reduced in Heart Failure. Linke WA, Kümper L, Fomin A, Martin I, Ignatyeva N, Hashimoto K, Mohr C, Bässler J, Gärtner A, Ohira M, Hanashima A, Klotz A, Schiffer K, Voelkel T, Freundt JK, Hucke A, Koser F, Zhang T, Hobbach AJ, Glass IA; Birth Defects Research Laboratory; Gummert JF, Dos Remedios CG, van Heesch S, Ruiz-Orera J, Mohri S, Hubner N, Regnier M, Milting H, Mayans O, Unger A, Ebert A.Circ Res. 2026 Sep 10.
• Selective titin cleavage disrupts cardiac mechanical homeostasis to drive heart failure and fibrosis. Freundt JK, Hartmann P, Loescher CM, Unger A, Koser F, Klotz AJ, Wildschütz L, Wachsmuth L, Hille S, Door MM, Helfen A, Holtmeier R, Faber C, Kirk JA, Hoerr V, Müller OJ, Linke WA.  Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2026 Jun;5(6):572-587. doi: 10.1038/s44161-026-00829-z. Epub 2026 Jun 16.PMID: 42304077
• Blockage of autophagy causes severe skeletal muscle disruption in a mouse model for myofibrillar myopathy 6. Filippi K, Graf-Riesen K, Kuppusamy M, Unger A, Kimura K, Matijass M, Baeta H, Podlacha M, Haertter D, Kudin AP, Wiemann M, Węgrzyn G, Kornblum C, Reimann J, Linke WA, Huesgen PF, Kunz WS, Fleischmann BK, Hesse M. Nat Commun. 2026 Apr 11;17(1):3436. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-71749-6.
• Direction-dependent contributions of cardiac myofilament networks to myocardial passive stiffness reveal a major disparity for titin. Wagner FA, Loescher CM, Unger A, Kühn M, Klotz AJ, Liashkovich I, Ciechanska D, Schillers H, Koser F, Freundt JK, Hessel AL, Linke WA.Basic Res Cardiol. 2025 Aug;120(4):761-777. doi: 10.1007/s00395-025-01119-8. Epub 2025 Jun 13.PMID: 40512239 
• Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines (UKMi009-A and UKMi011-A) harboring a homozygous and heterozygous HCN4 variant from a family with inherited sinus node dysfunction (SND). Hamidi J, Dittmann S, Krämer E, Unger A, Vennemann M, Bouvagnet P, Schulze-Bahr E. Stem Cell Res. 2025 Aug;86:103740.
• Titin governs myocardial passive stiffness with major support from microtubules and actin and the extracellular matrix. Loescher CM, Freundt JK, Unger A, Hessel AL, Kühn M, Koser F, Linke WA. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2023 Nov;2(11):991-1002
• Stretch Harmonizes Sarcomere Strain Across the Cardiomyocyte. Li J, Sundnes J, Hou Y, Laasmaa M, Ruud M, Unger A, Kolstad TR, Frisk M, Norseng PA, Yang L, Setterberg IE, Alves ES, Kalakoutis M, Sejersted OM, Lanner JT, Linke WA, Lunde IG, de Tombe PP, Louch WE. Circ Res. 2023 Jul 4.
• Impaired Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Energetics Following Anthracycline Therapy for Breast Cancer. Gamble DT, Ross J, Khan H, Unger A, Cheyne L, Rudd A, Saunders F, Srivanasan J, Kamya S, Horgan G, Hannah A, Baliga S, Tocchetti CG, Urquhart G, Linke WA, Masannat Y, Mustafa A, Fuller M, Elsberger B, Sharma R, Dawson D.Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2023 Oct;16(10):e015782. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.123.015782. Epub 2023 Oct 17.
• Microscopic and Biochemical Hallmarks of BICD2-Associated Muscle Pathology toward the Evaluation of Novel Variants  Unger A, Roos A, Gangfuß A, Hentschel A, Gläser D, Krause K, Doering K, Schara-Schmidt U, Hoffjan S, Vorgerd M, Güttsches AK.Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 6;24(7):6808.
• The dynamics of the endothelial glycocalyx: a rare snapshot by electron microscopy. Drost CC, Unger A, Linke WA, Vink H, Kümpers P. Angiogenesis. 2023 May 15:1-5.
• An isoform of the giant protein titin is a master regulator of human T lymphocyte trafficking. Toffali L, D'Ulivo B, Giagulli C, Montresor A, Zenaro E, Delledonne M, Rossato M, Iadarola B, Sbarbati A, Bernardi P, Angelini G, Rossi B, Lopez N, Linke WA, Unger A, Di Silvestre D, Benazzi L, De Palma A, Motta S, Constantin G, Mauri P, Laudanna C.Cell Rep. 2023 May 18;42(5):112516.
• Novel Filamin C Myofibrillar Myopathy Variants Cause Different Pathomechanisms and Alterations in Protein Quality Systems  Sellung D, Heil L, Daya N, Jacobsen F, Mertens-Rill J, Zhuge H, Döring K, Piran M, Milting H, Unger A, Linke WA, Kley R, Preusse C, Roos A, Fürst DO, Ven PFMV, Vorgerd M.Cells. 2023 May 5;12(9):1321.
• Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Cardiac Dysfunction in Transgenic Mice with Viral Myocarditis. Rohrbeck M, Hoerr V, Piccini I, Greber B, Schulte JS, Hübner SS, Jeworutzki E, Theiss C, Matschke V, Stypmann J, Unger A, Ho HT, Disse P, Strutz-Seebohm N, Faber C, Müller FU, Ludwig S, Rescher U, Linke WA, Klingel K, Busch K, Peischard S, Seebohm G. Cells. 2023 Feb 8;12(4):550. 
• Engineered skeletal muscle recapitulates human muscle development, regeneration and dystrophy. Shahriyari M, Islam MR, Sakib SM, Rinn M, Rika A, Krüger D, Kaurani L, Gisa V, Winterhoff M, Anandakumar H, Shomroni O, Schmidt M, Salinas G, Unger A, Linke WA, Zschüntzsch J, Schmidt J, Bassel-Duby R, Olson EN, Fischer A, Zimmermann WH, Tiburcy M.J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022 Oct 18.
• GFI1B acts as a metabolic regulator in hematopoiesis and acute myeloid leukemia. Liu L, Patnana PK, Xie X, Frank D, Nimmagadda SC, Su M, Zhang D, Koenig T, Rosenbauer F, Liebmann M, Klotz L, Xu W, Vorwerk J, Neumann F, Hüve J, Unger A, Okun JG, Opalka B, Khandanpour C. Leukemia. 2022 Sep;36(9):2196-2207.
• Truncated titin proteins and titin haploinsufficiency are targets for functional recovery in human cardiomyopathy due to TTN mutations. Fomin A, Gärtner A, Cyganek L, Tiburcy M, Tuleta I, Wellers L, Folsche L, Hobbach AJ, Unger A, Hucke A, Koser F, Kassner A, Sielemann K, Streckfuß-Bömeke K, Hasenfuss G, Goedel A, Laugwitz KL, Gummert JF, Dos Remedios CG, Reinecke H, Knöll R, van Heesch S, Hubner N, Zimmermann WH, Milting H, Linke WA. Sci Transl Med. 2021 Nov3;13(618
• Overexpression of human BAG3(P209L) in mice causes restrictive cardiomyopathy. Kimura K, Ooms A, Graf-Riesen K, Kuppusamy M, Unger A, Schuld J, Daerr J, Lother A, Geisen C, Hein L, Takahashi S, Li G, Röll W, Bloch W, van der Ven PFM, Linke WA, Wu SM, Huesgen PF, Höhfeld J, Fürst DO, Fleischmann BK, Hesse M. Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 11;12(1):3575. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23858-7.PMID: 34117258
• Functional characterization of novel alpha-helical rod domain desmin (DES) pathogenic variants associated with dilated cardiomyopathy, atrioventricular block and a risk for sudden cardiac death Fischer B, Dittmann S, Brodehl A, Unger A, Stallmeyer B, Paul M, Seebohm G, Kayser A, Peischard S, Linke WA, Milting H, Schulze-Bahr E.Int J Cardiol. 2021 Apr 15;329:167-174. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.12.050. Epub 2020 Dec 26.PMID: 33373648
• Graded titin cleavage progressively reduces tension and uncovers the source of A-band stability in contracting muscle. Li Y, Hessel AL, Unger A, Ing D, Recker J, Koser F, Freundt JK, Linke WA.Elife. 2020 Dec 24;9:e64107. doi: 10.7554/eLife.64107.
• Maintenance of sarcomeric integrity in adult muscle cells crucially depends on Z-disc anchored titin. Swist S, Unger A, Li Y, Vöge A, von Frieling-Salewsky M, Skärlén Å, Cacciani N, Braun T, Larsson L, Linke WA. Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 8;11(1):4479. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18131-2.PMID: 32900999 
• A HaloTag-TEV genetic cassette for mechanical phenotyping of proteins from tissues. Rivas-Pardo JA, Li Y, Mártonfalvi Z, Tapia-Rojo R, Unger A, Fernández-Trasancos Á, Herrero-Galán E, Velázquez-Carreras D, Fernández JM, Linke WA, Alegre-Cebollada J. Nat Commun. 2020 Apr 28;11(1):2060. 
• Regulation of titin-based cardiac stiffness by unfolded domain oxidation (UnDOx). Loescher CM, Breitkreuz M, Li Y, Nickel A, Unger A, Dietl A, Schmidt A, Mohamed BA, Kötter S, Schmitt JP, Krüger M, Krüger M, Toischer K, Maack C, Leichert LI, Hamdani N, Linke WA.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Sep 14:202004900
• Homozygous expression of the myofibrillar myopathy-associated p.W2710X filamin C variant reveals major pathomechanisms of sarcomeric lesion formation. Schuld J, Orfanos Z, Chevessier F, Eggers B, Heil L, Uszkoreit J, Unger A, Kirfel G, van der Ven PFM, Marcus K, Linke WA, Clemen CS, Schröder R, Fürst DO. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2020 Sep 4;8(1):154.
• Protonation of Piezo1 Impairs Cell-Matrix Interactions of Pancreatic Stellate Cells. Kuntze A, Goetsch O, Fels B, Najder K, Unger A, Wilhelmi M, Sargin S, Schimmelpfennig S, Neumann I, Schwab A, Pethő Z.  Front Physiol. 2020 Feb 14;11:89.
• Cardiac α-Actin (ACTC1) Gene Mutation Causes Atrial-Septal Defects Associated With Late-Onset Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Frank D, Yusuf Rangrez A, Friedrich C, Dittmann S, Stallmeyer B, Yadav P, Bernt A, Schulze-Bahr E, Borlepawar A, Zimmermann WH, Peischard S, Seebohm G, Linke WA, Baba HA, Krüger M, Unger A, Usinger P, Frey N, Schulze-Bahr E. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2019 Aug;12(8)
• A novel isoform of myosin 18A (Myo18Aγ) is an essential sarcomeric protein in mouse heart. Horsthemke M, Nutter LMJ, Bachg AC, Skryabin BV, Honnert U, Zobel T, Bogdan S, Stoll M, Seidl MD, Müller FU, Ravens U, Unger A, Linke WA, van Gorp PRR, de Vries AAF, Bähler M, Hanley PJ. J Biol Chem. 2019 May 3;294(18):7202-7218.   
• Spred2 deficiency elicits cardiac arrhythmias and premature death via impaired autophagy. Ullrich M, Aßmus B, Augustin AM, Häbich H, Abeßer M, Martin Machado J, Werner F, Erkens R, Arias-Loza AP, Umbenhauer S, Wagner H, Benz PM, Unger A, Linke WA, Frantz S, Baba HA, Kuhn M, Schuh K. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2019 Apr;129:13-26.
• Imbalances in protein homeostasis caused by mutant desmin Winter L, Unger A, Berwanger C, Spörrer M, Türk M, Chevessier F, Strucksberg KH, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Wittig I, Goldmann WH, Marcus K, Linke WA, Clemen CS, Schröder R. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2018 Sep 4.
• Protein phosphatase 5 regulates titin phosphorylation and function at a sarcomere-associated mechanosensor complex in cardiomyocytes. Krysiak J, Unger A, Beckendorf L, Hamdani N, von Frieling-Salewsky M, Redfield MM, Dos Remedios CG, Sheikh F, Gergs U, Boknik P, Linke WA. Nat commun (2018) 9:262
• Translocation of molecular chaperones to the titin springs is common in skeletal myopathy patients and affects sarcomere function. Unger A, Beckendorf L, Böhme P, Kley R, von Frieling-Salewsky M, Lochmüller H, Schröder R, Fürst DO, Vorgerd M, Linke WA. , Acta Neuropathol Commun. (2017) , 5(1) : 72
• Phenotypic extremes of BICD2-opathies: from lethal, congenital muscular atrophy with arthrogryposis to asymptomatic with subclinical features.Storbeck M, Horsberg Eriksen B, Unger A, Hölker I, Aukrust I, Martínez-Carrera LA, Linke WA, Ferbert A, Heller R, Vorgerd M, Houge G, Wirth B. , Eur J Hum Genet. (2017) , 25(9) : 1040-1048
• Membrane Remodeling by a Bacterial Phospholipid-Methylating Enzyme. Danne L, Aktas M, Unger A, Linke WA, Erdmann R, Narberhaus F. , MBio. (2017) , 8(1)
• Defined Engineered Human Myocardium with Advanced Maturation for Applications in Heart Failure Modelling and Repair. Tiburcy M, Hudson JE, Balfanz P, Schlick SF, Meyer T, Chang Liao ML, Levent E, Raad F, Zeidler S, Wingender E, Riegler J, Wang M, Gold JD, Kehat I, Wettwer E, Ravens U, Dierickx P, van Laake L, Goumans MJ, Khadjeh S, Toischer K, Hasenfuss G, Couture LA, Unger A, Linke WA, Araki T, Neel B, Keller G, Gepstein L, Wu JC, Zimmermann WH , Circulation. (2017) , 135(19) : 1832-1847
• Actin ADP-ribosylation at Threonine148 by Photorhabdus luminescens toxin TccC3 induces aggregation of intracellular F-actin. Lang AE, Qu Z, Schwan C, Silvan U, Unger A, Schoenenberger CA, Aktories K, Mannherz HG , Cell Microbiol. (2017) , 19(1)
• KCTD12 Auxiliary Proteins Modulate Kinetics of GABAB Receptor-Mediated Inhibition in Cholecystokinin-Containing Interneurons. Booker SA, Althof D, Gross A, Loreth D, Müller J, Unger A, Fakler B, Varro A, Watanabe M, Gassmann M, Bettler B, Shigemoto R, Vida I, Kulik Á , Cereb Cortex. (2017) , 27(3) : 2235-2243
• Expanding the phenotype of BICD2 mutations toward skeletal muscle involvement. Unger A, Dekomien G, Güttsches A, Dreps T, Kley R, Tegenthoff M, Ferbert A, Weis J, Heyer C, Linke WA, Martinez-Carrera L, Storbeck M, Wirth B, Hoffjan S, Vorgerd M. , Neurology. (2016) , 87(21) : 2235-2243
• Functional characterization of the novel DES mutation p.L136P associated with dilated cardiomyopathy reveals a dominant filament assembly defect. Brodehl A, Dieding M, Biere N, Unger A, Klauke B, Walhorn V, Gummert J, Schulz U, Linke WA, Gerull B, Vorgert M, Anselmetti D, Milting H. , J Mol Cell Cardiol. (2016) , 91 : 207-214
• Myocardial Microvascular Inflammatory Endothelial Activation in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. Franssen C, Chen S, Unger A, Korkmaz HI, De Keulenaer GW, Tschöpe C, Leite-Moreira AF, Musters R, Niessen HW, Linke WA, Paulus WJ, Hamdani N. , JACC Heart Fail. (2015) : S2213-1779
• Myofibrillar instability exacerbated by acute exercise in filaminopathy. Chevessier F, Schuld J, Orfanos Z, Plank AC, Wolf L, Maerkens A, Unger A, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Kley RA, von Hörsten S, Marcus K, Linke WA, Vorgerd M, van der Ven PF, Fürst DO, Schröder R. , Hum Mol Genet. (2015) , 24(25) : 7207-20
• Syndecan-4 is a key determinant of collagen cross-linking and passive myocardial stiffness in the pressure-overloaded heart. Herum KM, Lunde IG, Skrbic B, Louch WE, Hasic A, Boye S, Unger A, Brorson SH, Sjaastad I, Tønnessen T, Linke WA, Gomez MF, Christensen G. , Cardiovasc Res. (2015) , 106(2) : 217-26
• FHL2 expression and variants in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Friedrich FW, Reischmann S, Schwalm A, Unger A, Ramanujam D, Münch J, Müller OJ, Hengstenberg C, Galve E, Charron P, Linke WA, Engelhardt S, Patten M, Richard P, van der Velden J, Eschenhagen T, Isnard R, Carrier L. , Basic Res Cardiol. (2014) , 109(6) : 451
• Human myocytes are protected from titin aggregation-induced stiffening by small heat shock proteins. Kötter S, Unger A, Hamdani N, Lang P, Vorgerd M, Nagel-Steger L, Linke WA. , J Cell Biol. (2014) , 204(2) : 187-202
• Mena/VASP and alphaII-Spectrin complexes regulate cytoplasmic actin networks in cardiomyocytes and protect from conduction abnormalities and dilated cardiomyopathy. Benz PM, Merkel CJ, Offner K, Abeßer M, Ullrich M, Fischer T, Bayer B, Wagner H, Gambaryan S, Ursitti JA, Adham IM, Linke WA, Feller SM, Fleming I, Renné T, Frantz S, Unger A, Schuh K. , Cell Commun Signal. (2013) , 11(1) : 56
• Isoforms of gelsolin from lobster striated muscles differ in calcium-dependence. Unger A, Brunne B, Hinssen H. , Arch Biochem Biophys. (2013) , 536(1) : 38-45
• Lysine methyltransferase Smyd2 regulates Hsp90-mediated protection of the sarcomeric titin springs and cardiac function. Voelkel T, Andresen C, Unger A, Just S, Rottbauer W, Linke WA , Biochim Biophys Acta. (2013) , 1833(4) : 812-22
• Smyd2 controls cytoplasmic lysine methylation of Hsp90 and myofilament organization. Donlin LT, Andresen C, Just S, Rudensky E, Pappas CT, Kruger M, Jacobs EY, Unger A, Zieseniss A, Dobenecker MW, Voelkel T, Chait BT, Gregorio CC, Rottbauer W, Tarakhovsky A, Linke WA. , Genes Dev. (2012) , 26(2) : 114-9
• Role for reelin in neurotransmitter release . Hellwig S, Hack I, Kowalski J, Brunne B, Jarowyj J, Unger A, Bock HH, Junghans D, Frotscher M. , J Neurosci. (2011) , 31(7) : 2352-60
• Electron-microscopical localization of gelsolin in various crustacean muscles. Unger A, Hinssen H. , Cell Tissue Res. (2010) , 341(2) : 313-23
• Native GABA(B) receptors are heteromultimers with a family of auxiliary subunits. Schwenk J, Metz M, Zolles G, Turecek R, Fritzius T, Bildl W, Tarusawa E, Kulik A, Unger A, Ivankova K, Seddik R, Tiao JY, Rajalu M, Trojanova J, Rohde V, Gassmann M, Schulte U, Fakler B, Bettler B. Nature commun. (2010) , 465(7295) : 231-5