In: Autophagy, 2019, vol. 15, no. 9, p. 1662–1664
The age-induced deterioration of the organism results in detrimental and ultimately lethal pathologies. The process of aging itself involves a plethora of different mechanisms that should be subverted concurrently to delay and/or prevent age- related maladies. We have identified a natural compound, 4,4ʹ-dimethoxychalcone (DMC), which promotes longevity in yeast, worms and flies, and protects...
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In: Scientific Reports, 2019, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 6726
The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells forms the essential barrier to the extracellular environment, and thus plasma membrane disruptions pose a fatal threat to cells. Here, using invasive breast cancer cells we show that the Ca2+ - and phospholipid-binding protein annexin A7 is part of the plasma membrane repair response by enabling assembly of the endosomal sorting complex required for ...
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In: Developmental Cell, 2018, vol. 47, no. 6, p. 741-757.e8
Podocytes, highly specialized epithelial cells, build the outer part of the kidney filtration barrier and withstand high mechanical forces through a complex network of cellular protrusions. Here, we show that Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization controls actomyosin contractility and focal adhesion maturation of podocyte protrusions and thereby regulates formation, maintenance, and capacity...
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In: EBioMedicine, 2017, vol. 20, p. 79–97
Despite being overexpressed in different tumor entities, RIO kinases are hardly characterized in mammalian cells. We investigated the role of these atypical kinases in different cancer cells. Using isogenic colon-, breast- and lung cancer cell lines, we demonstrate that knockdown of RIOK1, but not of RIOK2 or RIOK3, strongly impairs proliferation and invasiveness in conventional and 3D...
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In: Small, 2018, vol. 14, no. 46, p. 1802088
Amino groups presented on the surface of nanoparticles are well‐known to be a predominant factor in the formation of the protein corona and subsequent cellular uptake. However, the molecular mechanism underpinning this relationship is poorly defined. This study investigates how amine type and density affect the protein corona and cellular association of gold nanoparticles with cells in...
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In: Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2018, vol. 17, no. 4, p. 565-579
The extracellular matrix protein collagen VII is part of the microenvironment of stratified epithelia and critical in organismal homeostasis. Mutations in the encoding gene COL7A1 lead to the skin disorder dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), are linked to skin fragility and progressive inflammation-driven fibrosis that facilitates aggressive skin cancer. So far, these changes have been...
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In: Matrix Biology, 2018, vol. 74, p. 62-76
Integrin α3β1, a major epidermal adhesion receptor is critical for organization of the basement membrane during development and wound healing. Integrin α3 deficiency leads to interstitial lung disease, nephrotic syndrome and epidermolysis bullosa (ILNEB), an autosomal recessive multiorgan disease characterized by basement membrane abnormalities in skin, lung and kidney. The pathogenetic...
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In: eLife, 2019, vol. 8, p. e50925
Circadian oscillations emerge from transcriptional and post-translational feedback loops. An important step in generating rhythmicity is the translocation of clock components into the nucleus, which is regulated in many cases by kinases. In mammals, the kinase promoting the nuclear import of the key clock component Period 2 (PER2) is unknown. Here, we show that the cyclin-dependent kinase 5...
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In: Autophagy, 2017, vol. 13, no. 4, p. 767-769
Loss of cardiac macroautophagy/autophagy impairs heart function, and evidence accumulates that an increased autophagic flux may protect against cardiovascular disease. We therefore tested the protective capacity of the natural autophagy inducer spermidine in animal models of aging and hypertension, which both represent major risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Dietary...
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In: The EMBO Journal, 2017, vol. 36, no. 5, p. 646–663
As a central element within the RAS/ERK pathway, the serine/threonine kinase BRAF plays a key role in development and homeostasis and represents the most frequently mutated kinase in tumors. Consequently, it has emerged as an important therapeutic target in various malignancies. Nevertheless, the BRAF activation cycle still raises many mechanistic questions as illustrated by the paradoxical...
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