Research
Projects
• Interaction of protein phosphorylation and reversible protein oxidation in the process of insulin secretion
• Influence of age, gender, diet, and genetic predisposition on tissue-specific redox metabolism
• Influence of dietary composition on redox-sensitive proteins in the blood and their significance as potential biomarkers of age-related changes and diseases
• Interaction of apocarotenoids with endogenous proteins and influence on cellular redox metabolism
Interaction of protein phosphorylation and reversible protein oxidation in the process of insulin secretion
Funding: DFG
The process of insulin secretion is accompanied by changes in the cellular redox status. In this context, it has been shown, among other things, that insulin secretion is not only accompanied by the formation of reactive oxygen species, but that hydrogen peroxide in particular is essential for maintaining insulin secretion.
The project aims to investigate the extent to which the importance of ROS for insulin secretion is mediated by interactions with kinases and phosphatases. Kinases and phosphatases are frequently targeted by redox processes and simultaneously involved in insulin secretion in a variety of ways. Pathophysiological changes resulting from excessive ROS will also be considered.
The project, as SP22, is part of the ProMoAge Research Training Group (DFG-GRK 2155).
Influence of age, gender, diet, and genetic predisposition on tissue-specific redox metabolism
Funding: BMBF
The manifestation of age-related changes and diseases is influenced by various factors such as gender or genetic predisposition. In addition to these non-controllable parameters, nutrition is one of the most important modulatable variables in the aging process.
Since age-related changes and diseases are often associated with changes in the redox environment and oxidative modifications, the aim of this project is to investigate oxidative changes in cellular and secreted proteins as a function of the parameters sex, diet (moderate Western diet), and genetic predisposition to hypertension. For this purpose, a long-term feeding trial will be conducted with male and female animals, using both the outbred Wistar rat strain and the Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) rat strain.
The project is part of the BMBF-funded junior research group ProAID (01EA1706).
(Link: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/proaid/index )
Influence of dietary composition on redox-sensitive proteins in the blood and their significance as potential biomarkers of age- and nutrition-related changes and diseases
Funding: BMBF
Various studies have shown that nutritional interventions can lead to very different individual outcomes. This phenomenon is also summarized as "no one-diet-fits-all" and is due, among other things, to the fact that the genome and epigenome, in combination with lifestyle, life stage, and environmental influences, define a highly individualized metabolic state.
Therefore, the aim of the project is to identify potential biomarkers by analyzing the serum or plasma proteome that would enable the derivation of an optimal diet for a given life situation. In addition to changes at the overall proteome level, changes in posttranslational modifications are also taken into account.
The material for the project comes from various human nutritional intervention studies and was provided by our project partners.
Project partners:
• PD Dr. Olga Ramich, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Molecular Nutritional Medicine
• Dr. Christine Dawczynski, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Nutritional Sciences
• Prof. Dr. Knut Mai (as project spokesperson for subproject Z2 NutriAct Nutritional Intervention), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine
The project is part of the BMBF-funded junior research group ProAID (01EA1706).
(Link: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/proaid/index )
Interaction of apocarotenoids with endogenous proteins and influence on cellular redox metabolism
Carotenoids and their metabolites, such as apocarotenoids, exhibit protective and health-promoting effects in humans and animals, which are not solely due to the antioxidant potential or radical quenching effect of these compounds.
The aim of this project is to investigate the extent to which apocarotenoids interact with endogenous proteins and influence protein functions (e.g., enzyme activity).
Project partners:
• Prof. Dr. Susanne Baldermann, University of Bayreuth, Faculty VII