Unravel the mechanotransduction signature of podocytes in health and disease (A04)

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

Mechanotransduction is vital for podocytes due to their exposure to constant biomechanical forces on glomerular capillaries. Pathologically elevated forces can cause podocyte detachment and loss, leading to glomerular hyperfiltration. Recent studies show the activation of mechanotransduction-associated genes upon podocyte injury, with some mechanosensors exhibiting protective roles. This proposal aims to decipher the mechanotransduction-associated signature in podocytes at the health-injury interface. Furthermore, the functional role of the mechanosensor protein Filamin will be elucidated in podocyte biology and disease.

• 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: Dr. Sybille Köhler; Dr. Anne Katrin Mühlig