@article{MarquardtSolimandoKerscheretal.2021,
  author    = {Marquardt, Andr{\´e} and Solimando, Antonio Giovanni and Kerscher, Alexander and Bittrich, Max and Kalogirou, Charis and K{\"u}bler, Hubert and Rosenwald, Andreas and Bargou, Ralf and Kollmannsberger, Philip and Schilling, Bastian and Meierjohann, Svenja and Krebs, Markus},
  title     = {Subgroup-Independent Mapping of Renal Cell Carcinoma — Machine Learning Reveals Prognostic Mitochondrial Gene Signature Beyond Histopathologic Boundaries},
  series = {Frontiers in Oncology},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Oncology},
  issn      = {2234-943X},
  doi       = {10.3389/fonc.2021.621278},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232107},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is divided into three major histopathologic groups—clear cell (ccRCC), papillary (pRCC) and chromophobe RCC (chRCC). We performed a comprehensive re-analysis of publicly available RCC datasets from the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database, thereby combining samples from all three subgroups, for an exploratory transcriptome profiling of RCC subgroups. Materials and Methods: We used FPKM (fragments per kilobase per million) files derived from the ccRCC, pRCC and chRCC cohorts of the TCGA database, representing transcriptomic data of 891 patients. Using principal component analysis, we visualized datasets as t-SNE plot for cluster detection. Clusters were characterized by machine learning, resulting gene signatures were validated by correlation analyses in the TCGA dataset and three external datasets (ICGC RECA-EU, CPTAC-3-Kidney, and GSE157256). Results: Many RCC samples co-clustered according to histopathology. However, a substantial number of samples clustered independently from histopathologic origin (mixed subgroup)—demonstrating divergence between histopathology and transcriptomic data. Further analyses of mixed subgroup via machine learning revealed a predominant mitochondrial gene signature—a trait previously known for chRCC—across all histopathologic subgroups. Additionally, ccRCC samples from mixed subgroup presented an inverse correlation of mitochondrial and angiogenesis-related genes in the TCGA and in three external validation cohorts. Moreover, mixed subgroup affiliation was associated with a highly significant shorter overall survival for patients with ccRCC—and a highly significant longer overall survival for chRCC patients. Conclusions: Pan-RCC clustering according to RNA-sequencing data revealed a distinct histology-independent subgroup characterized by strengthened mitochondrial and weakened angiogenesis-related gene signatures. Moreover, affiliation to mixed subgroup went along with a significantly shorter overall survival for ccRCC and a longer overall survival for chRCC patients. Further research could offer a therapy stratification by specifically addressing the mitochondrial metabolism of such tumors and its microenvironment.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Ehebauer2020,
  author    = {Ehebauer, Franziska},
  title     = {Regulation of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase Expression in Adipocytes},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-21764},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-217645},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a new regulator of energy homeostasis. Its expression is increased in models of obesity and diabetes. An enhanced NNMT level is also caused by an adipose tissue-specific knockout of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) in mice, whereas the overexpression of this glucose transporter reduced the NNMT expression. Furthermore, the knockdown of the enzyme prevents mice from diet-induced obesity (DIO) and the recently developed small molecule inhibitors for NNMT reverses the DIO. These previous findings demonstrated the exclusive role of NNMT in adipose tissue and further make it to a promising target in obesity treatment. However, the regulation mechanism of this methyltransferase is not yet clarified. The first part of the thesis focus on the investigation whether pro-inflammatory signals are responsible for the enhanced NNMT expression in obese adipose tissue because a hallmark of this tissue is a low-level chronic inflammation. Indeed, the NNMT mRNA in our study was elevated in obese patients compared with the control group, whereas the GLUT4 mRNA expression does not differ between lean and obese humans. To analyze whether pro inflammatory signals, like interleukin (IL 6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), regulate NNMT expression 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with these cytokines. However, IL 6, TNF α, and leptin, which is an alternative activator of the JAK/STAT pathway, did not affect the NNMT protein or mRNA level in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The mRNA and protein levels were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting. In the second part of this study, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were cultivated with varying glucose concentrations to show whether NNMT expression depends on glucose availability. Further studies with activators and inhibitors of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways were used to elucidate the regulation mechanism of the enzyme. The glucose deprivation of differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes led to a 2-fold increase in NNMT expression. This effect was confirmed by the inhibition of the glucose transports with phloretin as well as the inhibition of glycolysis with 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). AMPK serves as an intracellular energy sensor and the pharmacological activation of it enhanced the NNMT expression. This increase was also caused by the inhibition of mTOR. Conversely, the activation of mTOR using MHY1485 prevented the effect of glucose deprivation on NNMT. Furthermore, the NNMT up-regulation was also blocked by the different autophagy inhibitors. Taken together, NNMT plays a critical role in autophagy in adipocytes, because an inhibition of this process prevented the augmented NNMT expression during glucose starvation. Moreover, the effect on NNMT protein and mRNA level depends on AMPK and mTOR. However, pro-inflammatory signals did not affect the expression. Further in vivo studies have to clarify whether AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition as well as autophagy are responsible for the increased NNMT levels in obese adipose tissue. In future this methyltransferase emerges as an awesome therapeutic target for obesity.},
  subject      = {Fettzelle},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DjuzenovaFiedlerMemmeletal.2019,
  author    = {Djuzenova, Cholpon S. and Fiedler, Vanessa and Memmel, Simon and Katzer, Astrid and Sisario, Dmitri and Brosch, Philippa K. and G{\"o}hrung, Alexander and Frister, Svenja and Zimmermann, Heiko and Flentje, Michael and Sukhorukov, Vladimir L.},
  title     = {Differential effects of the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 on migration and radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma cells},
  series = {BMC Cancer},
  volume    = {19},
  journal   = {BMC Cancer},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12885-019-5517-4},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200290},
  pages     = {299},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Background Most tumor cells show aberrantly activated Akt which leads to increased cell survival and resistance to cancer radiotherapy. Therefore, targeting Akt can be a promising strategy for radiosensitization. Here, we explore the impact of the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 alone and in combination with the dual PI3K and mTOR inhibitor PI-103 on the radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma cells. In addition, we examine migration of drug-treated cells. Methods Using single-cell tracking and wound healing migration tests, colony-forming assay, Western blotting, flow cytometry and electrorotation we examined the effects of MK-2206 and PI-103 and/or irradiation on the migration, radiation sensitivity, expression of several marker proteins, DNA damage, cell cycle progression and the plasma membrane properties in two glioblastoma (DK-MG and SNB19) cell lines, previously shown to differ markedly in their migratory behavior and response to PI3K/mTOR inhibition. Results We found that MK-2206 strongly reduces the migration of DK-MG but only moderately reduces the migration of SNB19 cells. Surprisingly, MK-2206 did not cause radiosensitization, but even increased colony-forming ability after irradiation. Moreover, MK-2206 did not enhance the radiosensitizing effect of PI-103. The results appear to contradict the strong depletion of p-Akt in MK-2206-treated cells. Possible reasons for the radioresistance of MK-2206-treated cells could be unaltered or in case of SNB19 cells even increased levels of p-mTOR and p-S6, as compared to the reduced expression of these proteins in PI-103-treated samples. We also found that MK-2206 did not enhance IR-induced DNA damage, neither did it cause cell cycle distortion, nor apoptosis nor excessive autophagy. Conclusions Our study provides proof that MK-2206 can effectively inhibit the expression of Akt in two glioblastoma cell lines. However, due to an aberrant activation of mTOR in response to Akt inhibition in PTEN mutated cells, the therapeutic window needs to be carefully defined, or a combination of Akt and mTOR inhibitors should be considered.},
  language  = {en}
}