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Gröne lab

The Gröne lab studies the cellular and molecular processes of dedifferentiation, regeneration and atrophy of polarized cells, specifically renal tubular epithelia. The kidney expresses a complex array of epithelia with different morphology and function.

There are currently two major topics:

1: The role of glycosphingolipids, complex membrane lipids and part of lipid microdomains, in modulation of location and activity of membrane proteins (e.g. receptor kinases membrane transporters)

 2: The role of lipid-dependent transcription factors (e.g. Wnt pathway, nuclear receptors) in steering homeostasis and pathophysiologic reactions of polarized epithelia.

 In addition the group can take recourse to a large archive of human renal biopsies for translational studies.

We also have a consultative reporting on histology of human or animal tissue; transmission electron microscopy analysis is offered.

Selected references:

The complex pathology of diabetic nephropathy in humans.
Kriz W, Löwen J, Gröne HJ.
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2023, Mar 14:gfad052. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfad052.

Pathogenicity of Human Anti-PLA 2 R1 Antibodies in Minipigs: A Pilot Study.
Reinhard L, Wiech T, Reitmeier A, Lassé M, Machalitza M, Heumann A, Ferru N, Loreth D, Schröder ML, Hutzfeldt A, Stahl FR, Peine S, Gröne HJ, Meyer-Schwesinger C, Rinschen MM, Stahl RAK, Hoxha E.
J Am Soc Nephrol 2023, 34(3):369-373. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000000000000068.

Kidney Biopsy Findings in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or After COVID-19 Vaccination.
de Las Mercedes Noriega M, Husain-Syed F, Wulf S, Csala B, Krebs CF, Jabs WJ, Zipfel PF, Gröne HJ, Wiech T; CoV-Kidney Investigators*
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2023, Feb 1. doi: 10.2215/CJN.0000000000000106.

DNA methylation biomarkers for noninvasive detection of triple-negative breast cancer using liquid biopsy.
Manoochehri M, Borhani N, Gerhäuser C, Assenov Y, Schönung M, Hielscher T, Christensen BC, Lee MK, Gröne HJ, Lipka DB, Brüning T, Brauch H, Ko YD, Hamann U.
Int J Cancer 2023, 152(5):1025-1035. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34337.

A rare case of Immunoglobulin A dominant post-infectious glomerulonephritis (IgA PIGN) in a young patient.
Saghar A, Klaus G, Trutnau B, Kömhoff M, Gröne HJ, Weber S.
BMC Nephrol 2022, 23(1):333. doi: 10.1186/s12882-022-02965-7

Mesangial Injury and Capillary Ballooning Precede Podocyte Damage in Nephrosclerosis.
Kriz W, Wiech T, Gröne HJ.
Am J Pathol 2022, 192(12):1670-1682. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.08.007.

Erythropoietin-driven dynamic proteome adaptations during erythropoiesis prevent iron overload in the developing embryo.
Chakraborty S, Andrieux G, Kastl P, Adlung L, Altamura S, Boehm ME, Schwarzmüller LE, Abdullah Y, Wagner MC, Helm B, Gröne HJ, Lehmann WD, Boerries M, Busch H, Muckenthaler MU, Schilling M, Klingmüller U.
Cell Rep 2022, 40(12):111360. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111360.

Bacterial infection possibly causing autoimmunity: Tropheryma whipplei and membranous nephropathy.
Wiech T, Reinhard L, Wulf S, Giuffrida AE, Longhitano E, Caruso R, Gröne HJ, Stahl RAK, Zipfel PF, Kikhney J, Moter A, Hoxha E, Santoro D.
Lancet 2022, 400(10366):1882-1883. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02039-6.

A semaphorin-plexin-Rasal1 signaling pathway inhibits gastrin expression and protects against peptic ulcers.
Xu R, Höß C, Swiercz J.M, Brandt D.T, Lutz V, Petersen N, Li R, Zhao D, Oleksy A, Creigh-Pulatmen T, Trokter M, Fedorova M, Atzberger A, Strandby R.B, Olsen A.A, Achiam M.P,  Matthews D, Huber M, Gröne H.J, Offermanns S, Worzfeld T.
Sci Transl Med. 2022, 20;14(654):eabf1922. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abf1922.

Bone marrow sinusoidal endothelium controls terminal erythroid differentiation and reticulocyte maturation
Heil J, Olsavszky V, Busch K, Klapproth K, de la Torre C, Sticht C, Sandorski K, Hoffmann J, Schönhaber H, Zierow J, Winkler M, Schmid CD, Staniczek T, Daniels DE, Frayne J, Metzgeroth G, Nowak D, Schneider S, Neumaier M, Weyer V, Groden C, Gröne HJ, Richter K, Mogler C, Taketo MM, Schledzewski K, Géraud C, Goerdt S, Koch PS.
Nat Commun 2021, 12(1):6963. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27161-3.

Blockade of Glycosphingolipid Synthesis Inhibits Cell Cycle and Spheroid Growth of Colon Cancer Cells In Vitro and Experimental Colon Cancer Incidence In Vivo
Jennemann R, Volz M, Bestvater F, Schmidt C, Richter K, Kaden S, Müthing J, Gröne HJ, Sandhoff R.
Int J Mol Sci 2021, 22(19):10539. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910539.

Complement catalyzing glomerular diseases
Peter F Zipfel PF, Wiech T, Gröne HJ, Skerka C.
Cell Tissue Res 2021, 385(2):355-370. doi: 10.1007/s00441-021-03485-w.

Measurement of urinary Dickkopf-3 uncovered silent progressive kidney injury in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Schunk SJ, Beisswenger C, Ritzmann F, Herr C, Wagner M, Triem S, Hütter G, Schmit D, Zewinger S, Sarakpi T, Honecker A, Mahadevan P, Boor P, Wagenpfeil S, Jörres R, Watz H, Welte T, Vogelmeier CF, Gröne HJ, Fliser D, Speer T, Bals R
Kidney Int 2021, 100(5):1081-1091. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.06.029.

Congestive nephropathy: a neglected entity? Proposal for diagnostic criteria and future perspectives
Husain-Syed F, Gröne HJ, Assmus B, Bauer P, Gall H, Seeger W, Ghofrani A, Ronco C, Birk HW
ESC Heart Fail 2021, 8(1):183-203 doi: 10.1002/ehf2.13118.

Pathomorphological sequence of nephron loss in diabetic nephropathy.
Löwen J, Gröne EF, Groß-Weißmann ML, Bestvater F, Gröne HJ, Kriz W.
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2021, 321(5):F600-F616. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00669.2020

Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) in Urine Identifies Patients with Short-Term Risk of eGFR Loss.
Zewinger S, Rauen T, Rudnicki M, Federico G, Wagner M, Triem S, Schunk SJ, Petrakis I, Schmit D, Wagenpfeil S, Heine GH, Mayer G, Floege J, Fliser D, Gröne HJ, Speer T.
J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018; 30(11):2722-2733.

Investigations of Glucocorticoid Action in GN.
Kuppe C, van Roeyen C, Leuchtle K, Kabgani N, Vogt M, Van Zandvoort M, Smeets B, Floege J, Gröne HJ, Moeller MJ.
J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017; 28(5):1408-1420.

Tubular Dickkopf-3 promotes the development of renal atrophy and fibrosis.
Federico G, Meister M, Mathow D, Heine GH, Moldenhauer G, Popovic ZV, Nordström V, Kopp-Schneider A, Hielscher T, Nelson PJ, Schaefer F, Porubsky S, Fliser D, Arnold B, Gröne HJ.
JCI Insight. 2016; 21; 1(1):e84916. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.84916.

Zeb1 affects epithelial cell adhesion by diverting glycosphingolipid metabolism.
Mathow D, Chessa F, Rabionet M, Kaden S, Jennemann R, Sandhoff R, Gröne HJ, Feuerborn A.
EMBO Rep. 2015; 16(3):321-31.

Sulfatides are required for renal adaptation to chronic metabolic acidosis.
Stettner P, Bourgeois S, Marsching C, Traykova-Brauch M, Porubsky S, Nordström V, Hopf C, Koesters R, Sandhoff R, Wiegandt H, Wagner CA, Gröne HJ, Jennemann R.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; 110(24):9998-10003.

Cell-specific in vivo functions of glycosphingolipids: lessons from genetic deletions of enzymes involved in glycosphingolipid synthesis.
Jennemann R, Gröne HJ.
Prog Lipid Res. 2013; 52(2):231-48.

Hepatic glycosphingolipid deficiency and liver function in mice.
Jennemann R, Rothermel U, Wang S, Sandhoff R, Kaden S, Out R, van Berkel TJ, Aerts JM, Ghauharali K, Sticht C, Gröne HJ.
Hepatology. 2010; 51(5):1799-809.

An efficient and versatile system for acute and chronic modulation of renal tubular function in transgenic mice.
Traykova-Brauch M, Schönig K, Greiner O, Miloud T, Jauch A, Bode M, Felsher DW, Glick AB, Kwiatkowski DJ, Bujard H, Horst J, von Knebel Doeberitz M, Niggli FK, Kriz W, Gröne HJ, Koesters R.
Nat Med. 2008; 14(9):979-84.

The matrix component biglycan is proinflammatory and signals through Toll-like receptors 4 and 2 in macrophages.
Schaefer L, Babelova A, Kiss E, Hausser HJ, Baliova M, Krzyzankova M, Marsche G, Young MF, Mihalik D, Götte M, Malle E, Schaefer RM, Gröne HJ.
J Clin Invest. 2005; 115(8):2223-33.

Cell-specific deletion of glucosylceramide synthase in brain leads to severe neural defects after birth.
Jennemann R, Sandhoff R, Wang S, Kiss E, Gretz N, Zuliani C, Martin-Villalba A, Jäger R, Schorle H, Kenzelmann M, Bonrouhi M, Wiegandt H, Gröne HJ.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102(35):12459-64.