Disruption of nuclear pores in podocyte injury (C02)

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

Mutations in genes that encode nucleoporins (NUPs), structural components of nuclear pores, cause FSGS. This project investigates the role of NUPs in maintaining podocyte homeostasis. We hypothesize that intact nuclear pores are essential for preserving podocyte-specific gene expression, while mutations in NUPs alter transcriptional programs and increase susceptibility to injury. Here, we will characterize transcriptomic changes caused by NUP mutations, assess how these mutations affect podocyte resilience, uncover mechanisms by which NUP mutations disrupt transcriptional regulation, and explore non-canonical NUP functions.

• 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: Privatdozentin Dr. Daniela Anne Braun; Dr. Amélie Friederike Menke