P15A UBO

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InstitutionUniversität Bonn - Konrad Sandhoff, Thomas Kolter, LiMES - Program Unit Membrane Biology & Lipid Biochemistry
University of Bonn
[http://www.limes-zentrum.uni-bonn.de/Seiten/research/units/res-stru.html
Image:uni-bonn_logo.gif
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Principal investigator Prof. Dr. Konrad Sandhoff

Email: Konrad Sandhoff

Telephone:+49 (0)22-873583
Country Germany
Beneficiary Number15A
About usLiMES (Life & Medical Sciences) is a recently established faculty of the University of Bonn

with the aim to merge the expertises in Genetics, Cell biology, and Chemical biology. The Laboratory of Lipid Biochemistry, headed by Konrad Sandhoff, has experience in all fields of lipid biochemistry. Expertise in the lipid field started with the investigation of inherited diseases of sphingolipid catabolism many years ago. For example, the molecular causes of inherited diseases like Sandhoff disease and GM2 activator deficiency were elucidated, but also the first mutations of prosaposin deficiency and Farber disease have been characterised in the laboratory. Currently, the research of the laboratory is directed towards biosynthesis and degradation of sphingolipids and glycosphingolipids. This includes also the biotechnological production of relevant proteins and enzymes of this pathway, the analysis of lipid-protein interactions with biochemical and biophysical methods, the chemical synthesis of lipids, lipid analogs, and labelled lipids and together with the investigation of the influence of lipid analogs on cellular lipid metabolism. Also cell-biological aspects of lipid research are addressed; a long-lasting area of interest is not only the enzymology but also the topology of endocytosis and membrane digestion. For example, the existence of intraendosomal and intralysosomal membrane structures has been postulated more than fifteen years ago and they have been demonstrated later on as the subcellular sites of membrane digestion. Lipid transfer proteins like the GM2 activator-protein and the saposins are not only required for the enzymatic breakdown of membrane components, but also for presentation of lipid antigens to T-cells of the immune systems by proteins of the CD1-family. Another current area of research is lipid analysis, either by classical techniques like chromatographic separation and quantification, but also by metabolic labelling techniques with radiolabelled lipids and lipid and glycolipid precursors, by mass spectrometry (MALDI, ESI; APCI), and coupling of chromatographic and mass-spectrometrical techniques (Lipidomics). The laboratory participates in the Collaborative Research Center SFB 645 on “Regulation and manipulation of information flow within dynamic protein and lipid environments. at the

University of Bonn.
ContributionsP15 provides expertise in both lipid chemistry and analysis of lipid traffic

to and degradation in lamellar bodies. P15 will analyse in detail the mechanism of lipid

transport to lamellar bodies and its relation to the pathological state of phospholipidosis.
Member of TaskforcesTask Force I, Task Force VI, Task Force VII, and Task Force IX
Member of WorkpackagesWP6

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