Studies

Spatial molecular profiling of complex tissues is essential to investigate cellular function in physiological and pathological states. However, methods for molecular analysis of biological specimens imaged in 3D as a whole are lacking. Here, we present DISCO-MS, a technology combining whole-organ/ism imaging, deep learning-based image analysis, robotic tissue extraction and ultra-high sensitivity mass spectrometry. DISCO-MS yielded qualitative and quantitative proteomics data indistinguishable ...

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy 9 (HSAN9) is a rare neurological disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding for Tectonin β-propeller repeat containing protein 2 (TECPR2) which possibly result in loss of the protein. Beside its potential role in autophagy, TECPR2 may serve as positive modulator of COPII-mediated ER export. However, the molecular consequences of TECPR2 deficiency for the secretory pathway remain unclear, in particular with regard to specific cargo proteins. By ...

Inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) can impair the function of neuronal mitochondria and contributes to axon degeneration in the common neuroinflammatory disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we combine cell type-specific mitochondrial proteomics with in vivo biosensor imaging to dissect how inflammation alters the molecular composition and functional capacity of neuronal mitochondria. Neuroinflammatory lesions in the mouse spinal cord cause widespread and persisting axonal ATP ...

The protease BACE1 is a major drug target for Alzheimer’s disease, but chronic BACE1 inhibition is associated with non-progressive worsening that may be caused by modulation of unknown physiological BACE1 substrates. To identify in vivo-relevant BACE1 substrates we applied pharmacoproteomics to non-human-primate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after acute treatment with BACE inhibitors. Besides SEZ6, the strongest, dose-dependent reduction was observed for the pro-inflammatory cytokine receptor ...

The beta-secretase BACE1 is a central drug target for Alzheimer’s disease. Clinically tested, BACE1-directed inhibitors also block the homologous protease BACE2. Yet, little is known about physiological BACE2 substrates and functions in vivo. Here, we performed glycoprotein enrichment and subsequent discovery proteomics to identify substrates of the protease BACE2 in plasma of mice. Therefore, we analysed plasma from BACE2 KO, BACE1/2 double KO and WT controls, as well as BACE1 KO with a separate ...

Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and the four homologous SPP-like (SPPL) proteases constitute a family of intramembrane aspartyl proteases with selectivity for type II-oriented transmembrane segments. Here, we have analysed the physiological function of the orphan protease SPPL2c, previously considered to represent a non-expressed pseudogene. We identified proteolytic activity of SPPL2c towards selected tail-anchored proteins. Despite shared ER localization, SPPL2c and SPP exhibit distinct, though ...

The cell surface receptor TREM2 is a key genetic risk factor and drug target in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the brain, TREM2 is expressed in microglia, where it undergoes proteolytic cleavage, linked to AD risk, but the responsible protease in microglia is still unknown. Another microglial-expressed AD risk factor is catalytically inactive rhomboid 2 (iRhom2, RHBDF2), which binds to and acts as a non-catalytic subunit of the metalloprotease ADAM17. A potential role in TREM2 proteolysis is not ...