Calcium-regulated actin organization in podocyte dysfunction and injury (B01)

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

The interplay between intracellular calcium and actin dynamics is a key factor in podocyte biology. Consequently, defects in calcium regulation and actin organization, like mutations in INF2, lead to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Here, we will study the mechanisms of Ca2+-mediated actin rearrangements and plasma membrane repair in podocytes using cell-based and in vivo experiments with a focus on the role of INF2 in plasma membrane (PM) repair, the interplay between the actin cytoskeleton, calcium, and INF2 and the consequences of constitutive INF2 activity for podocyte homeostasis.

• 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. Matthias Johannes Hackl; Professor Dr. Roland Wedlich-Söldner