Research Area A

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Mechanisms of early ciliogenesis

Prof. Dr. Ralph Witzgall
Molecular and Cellular Anatomy
Universit?t Regensburg

Primary cilia have limited function in an ever increasing number of illnesses, now also known as ciliopathies. The underlying pathogenetic processes can only be understood if the formation of primary cilia is extensively characterized. According to findings made during the ongoing funding period endocytosis and the Golgi apparatus are important for ciliogenesis. In the current proposal we want to investigate in what way endocytotic processes contribute to the formation of cilia, when the Golgi apparatus is involved, which proteins are active at the Golgi apparatus and which proteins facilitate the docking and the fusion of transport vesicles at the mother centriole.

The impact of ROS, ferroptosis, glucose transport and IL-1 receptor signaling on the progression of ADPKD

PD Dr. Bj?rn Buchholz
Nephrology
Friedrich-Alexander-Universit?t Erlangen-Nürnberg

In the previous funding period, we identified calcium-activated chloride secretion induced by HIF-1α and mediated by the chloride channel Anoctamin 1 as a significant contributor to cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease. In this funding period, we will address the impact of HIF-induced but secretion-independent signaling pathways on cyst progression in vitro and in vivo by inhibition of GLUT1-mediated glucose transport, use of approved HIF-PHD inhibitors, antagonism of IL-1 receptor signaling, application of the antioxidant coenzyme Q10, and inhibition of ferroptosis.