Staff Members of the Institute of Biochemistry, TU - Institut für ...
Staff Members of the Institute of Biochemistry, TU - Institut für ...
Staff Members of the Institute of Biochemistry, TU - Institut für ...
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Biophysical chemistry group<br />
Group leader: Albin Hermetter<br />
Post-docs: Heidrun Susani-Etzerodt, Jo-Anne Rasmussen, Heidemarie Ehammer<br />
Graduate students: Maria Morak, Maximilian Schicher, Ute Stemmer, Daniel Koller, Claudia<br />
Ramprecht, Lingaraju Marlingapla Halasiddappa<br />
Diploma student: Bojana Stojcic<br />
Technicians: Elfriede Zenzmaier<br />
General description<br />
Our research deals with <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> glycero(phospho)lipids and lipid modifying enzymes as<br />
components <strong>of</strong> membranes and lipoproteins, <strong>the</strong>ir function as mediators in cellular<br />
(patho)biochemistry, and <strong>the</strong>ir application as analytical tools in enzyme technology.<br />
Fluorescence spectroscopy is used as a main technique to investigate <strong>the</strong> behaviour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
biomolecules in <strong>the</strong> respective supramolecular systems.<br />
Section 1 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following report summarizes our studies on lipid oxidation, <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong><br />
oxidized lipids on intracellular signalling, and <strong>the</strong> inhibition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se processes by syn<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
and natural antioxidants.<br />
Section 2 describes <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> fluorescence and chip technology for functional<br />
proteomic analysis <strong>of</strong> lipolytic enzymes in microbial, animal and human cells.<br />
1. Lipid oxidation and a<strong>the</strong>rosclerosis – Lipotoxicity<br />
1.1. Interaction <strong>of</strong> oxidized phospholipids with vascular cells<br />
Sphingomyelin<br />
acid<br />
Sphingomyelinase<br />
Ceramide<br />
JNK<br />
p38 MAPK<br />
Caspase 3<br />
Oxidized -<br />
O<br />
Phospholipids<br />
H<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O P<br />
O<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
+<br />
N<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O P<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
N +<br />
O<br />
ERK<br />
AKT/PKB<br />
NFkB<br />
PROLIFERATION<br />
SURVIVAL<br />
27<br />
OXPHOS-EuroMEMBRANE<br />
Interactions <strong>of</strong> oxidized lipoproteins with<br />
<strong>the</strong> cells <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> arterial wall induce and<br />
influence <strong>the</strong> progress <strong>of</strong> a<strong>the</strong>rosclerosis.<br />
Accumulation <strong>of</strong> foam cells originating<br />
from macrophages and excessive intimal<br />
growth <strong>of</strong> vascular smooth muscle cells<br />
(SMC) alternating with focal massive cell<br />
death are characteristics typical <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> a<strong>the</strong>rosclerotic lesion. These phenomena are largely<br />
mediated by <strong>the</strong> oxidized phospholipid components <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> modified particles that are<br />
generated under <strong>the</strong> conditions <strong>of</strong> oxidative stress. In <strong>the</strong> framework <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research consortia<br />
LIPOTOX (SFB) and OXPHOS (EuroMEMBRANE), we investigate <strong>the</strong> “Toxicity <strong>of</strong><br />
oxidized phospholipids in macrophages” and “The protein targets and apoptotic signaling <strong>of</strong><br />
oxidized phospholipids”. These studies aim at identifying <strong>the</strong> molecular and cellular effects <strong>of</strong>