Decoding slit diaphragm stabilization (A02)

• Subject Area: Nephrology ; Cell Biology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 543604419

The slit diaphragm (SD) between the foot processes of podocytes determines renal filtration. We have recently reported the first unbiased proteomic assessment of the SD building blocks and developed new methods for deep multiplexed imaging at the nanoscale in fixed tissues. Here, we will investigate the SD interactors ITM2B and APP's contribution to SD stability and dynamics. Combining mouse models with innovative analysis tools, we aim to unravel their structural and functional roles within the SD stabilization network. Our findings will be validated in human tissue, advancing understanding of these mechanisms in defined human diseases.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 422: PodoSigN – Podocyte Signaling Networks - From Basic Concepts to Disease Understanding
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Florian Grahammer; Professor Victor G. Puelles, Ph.D.