TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zeitler, Stefanie
A1  - Ye, Lian
A1  - Andreyeva, Aksana
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Monti, Juliana
A1  - Nürnberg, Bernd
A1  - Nowak, Gabriel
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Reichel, Martin
A1  - Fejtova, Anna
A1  - Kornhuber, Johannes
A1  - Rhein, Cosima
A1  - Friedland, Kristina
T1  - Acid sphingomyelinase - a regulator of canonical transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) activity
JF  - Journal of neurochemistry
N2  - Recent investigations propose the acid sphingomyelinase (ASM)/ceramide system as a novel target for antidepressant action. ASM catalyzes the breakdown of the abundant membrane lipid sphingomyelin to the lipid messenger ceramide. This ASM‐induced lipid modification induces a local shift in membrane properties, which influences receptor clustering and downstream signaling. Canonical transient receptor potential channels 6 (TRPC6) are non‐selective cation channels located in the cell membrane that play an important role in dendritic growth, synaptic plasticity and cognition in the brain. They can be activated by hyperforin, an ingredient of the herbal remedy St. John’s wort for treatment of depression disorders. Because of their role in the context of major depression, we investigated the crosstalk between the ASM/ceramide system and TRPC6 ion channels in a pheochromocytoma cell line 12 neuronal cell model (PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cell line). Ca2+ imaging experiments indicated that hyperforin‐induced Ca2+ influx through TRPC6 channels is modulated by ASM activity. While antidepressants, known as functional inhibitors of ASM activity, reduced TRPC6‐mediated Ca2+ influx, extracellular application of bacterial sphingomyelinase rebalanced TRPC6 activity in a concentration‐related way. This effect was confirmed in whole‐cell patch clamp electrophysiology recordings. Lipidomic analyses revealed a decrease in very long chain ceramide/sphingomyelin molar ratio after ASM inhibition, which was connected with changes in the abundance of TRPC6 channels in flotillin‐1–positive lipid rafts as visualized by western blotting. Our data provide evidence that the ASM/ceramide system regulates TRPC6 channels likely by controlling their recruitment to specific lipid subdomains and thereby fine‐tuning their physical properties.
KW  - acid sphingomyelinase
KW  - antidepressants
KW  - ceramide
KW  - hyperforin
KW  - lipid rafts
KW  - TRPC6
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14823
SN  - 0022-3042
SN  - 1471-4159
VL  - 150
IS  - 6
SP  - 678
EP  - 690
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Beckmann, Nadine
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Kadow, Stephanie
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kramer, Melanie
A1  - Kuehn, Claudine
A1  - Schulz-Schaeffer, Walter J.
A1  - Edwards, Michael J.
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
A1  - Carpinteiro, Alexander
T1  - Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency Ameliorates Farber Disease
JF  - International journal of molecular sciences
N2  - Farber disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder resulting from acid ceramidase deficiency and subsequent ceramide accumulation. No treatments for Farber disease are clinically available, and affected patients have a severely shortened lifespan. We have recently reported a novel acid ceramidase deficiency model that mirrors the human disease closely. Acid sphingomyelinase is the enzyme that generates ceramide upstream of acid ceramidase in the lysosomes. Using our acid ceramidase deficiency model, we tested if acid sphingomyelinase could be a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of Farber disease. A number of functional acid sphingomyelinase inhibitors are clinically available and have been used for decades to treat major depression. Using these as a therapeutic for Farber disease, thus, has the potential to improve central nervous symptoms of the disease as well, something all other treatment options for Farber disease can’t achieve so far. As a proof-of-concept study, we first cross-bred acid ceramidase deficient mice with acid sphingomyelinase deficient mice in order to prevent ceramide accumulation. Double-deficient mice had reduced ceramide accumulation, fewer disease manifestations, and prolonged survival. We next targeted acid sphingomyelinase pharmacologically, to test if these findings would translate to a setting with clinical applicability. Surprisingly, the treatment of acid ceramidase deficient mice with the acid sphingomyelinase inhibitor amitriptyline was toxic to acid ceramidase deficient mice and killed them within a few days of treatment. In conclusion, our study provides the first proof-of-concept that acid sphingomyelinase could be a potential new therapeutic target for Farber disease to reduce disease manifestations and prolong survival. However, we also identified previously unknown toxicity of the functional acid sphingomyelinase inhibitor amitriptyline in the context of Farber disease, strongly cautioning against the use of this substance class for Farber disease patients.
KW  - Farber disease
KW  - lysosomal storage disorders
KW  - acid ceramidase
KW  - acid sphingomyelinase
KW  - amitriptyline
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20246253
SN  - 1422-0067
VL  - 20
IS  - 24
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
A1  - Palmada, Monica
A1  - Reichel, Martin
A1  - Lueth, Anja
A1  - Boehmer, Christoph
A1  - Amato, Davide
A1  - Mueller, Christian P.
A1  - Tischbirek, Carsten H.
A1  - Groemer, Teja W.
A1  - Tabatabai, Ghazaleh
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Tripal, Philipp
A1  - Staedtler, Sven
A1  - Ackermann, Teresa F.
A1  - van Brederode, Johannes
A1  - Alzheimer, Christian
A1  - Weller, Michael
A1  - Lang, Undine E.
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Grassme, Heike
A1  - Kornhuber, Johannes
T1  - Acid sphingomyelinase-ceramide system mediates effects of antidepressant drugs
JF  - Nature medicine
N2  - Major depression is a highly prevalent severe mood disorder that is treated with antidepressants. The molecular targets of antidepressants require definition. We investigated the role of the acid sphingomyelinase (Asm)-ceramide system as a target for antidepressants. Therapeutic concentrations of the antidepressants amitriptyline and fluoxetine reduced Asm activity and ceramide concentrations in the hippocampus, increased neuronal proliferation, maturation and survival and improved behavior in mouse models of stress-induced depression. Genetic Asm deficiency abrogated these effects. Mice overexpressing Asm, heterozygous for acid ceramidase, treated with blockers of ceramide metabolism or directly injected with C16 ceramide in the hippocampus had higher ceramide concentrations and lower rates of neuronal proliferation, maturation and survival compared with controls and showed depression-like behavior even in the absence of stress. The decrease of ceramide abundance achieved by antidepressant-mediated inhibition of Asm normalized these effects. Lowering ceramide abundance may thus be a central goal for the future development of antidepressants.
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3214
SN  - 1078-8956
VL  - 19
IS  - 7
SP  - 934
EP  - +
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Müller, S. M.
A1  - Finke, Hannah
A1  - Ebert, Franziska
A1  - Kopp, Johannes Florian
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Francesconi, Kevin A.
A1  - Raber, G.
A1  - Schwerdtle, Tanja
T1  - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons
BT  - effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and biotransformation in HepG2 cells
JF  - Archives of toxicology : official journal of EUROTOX
N2  - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), a subgroup of arsenolipids found in fish and algae, elicit substantial toxic effects in various human cell lines and have a considerable impact on cellular energy levels. The underlying mode of action, however, is still unknown. The present study analyzes the effects of two AsHCs (AsHC 332 and AsHC 360) on the expression of 44 genes covering DNA repair, stress response, cell death, autophagy, and epigenetics via RT-qPCR in human liver (HepG2) cells. Both AsHCs affected the gene expression, but to different extents. After treatment with AsHC 360, flap structure-specific endonuclease 1 (FEN1) as well as xeroderma pigmentosum group A complementing protein (XPA) and (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) showed time- and concentration-dependent alterations in gene expression, thereby indicating an impact on genomic stability. In the subsequent analysis of epigenetic markers, within 72 h, neither AsHC 332 nor AsHC 360 showed an impact on the global DNA methylation level, whereas incubation with AsHC 360 increased the global DNA hydroxymethylation level. Analysis of cell extracts and cell media by HPLC-mass spectrometry revealed that both AsHCs were considerably biotransformed. The identified metabolites include not only the respective thioxo-analogs of the two AsHCs, but also several arsenic-containing fatty acids and fatty alcohols, contributing to our knowledge of biotransformation mechanisms of arsenolipids.
KW  - Arsenolipids
KW  - Gene expression
KW  - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons
KW  - Global DNA methylation
KW  - Arsenic speciation
KW  - Metabolism
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-018-2194-z
SN  - 0340-5761
SN  - 1432-0738
VL  - 92
IS  - 5
SP  - 1751
EP  - 1765
PB  - Springer
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schoenauer, Roman
A1  - Larpin, Yu
A1  - Babiychuk, Eduard B.
A1  - Drucker, Patrick
A1  - Babiychuk, Viktoriia S.
A1  - Avota, Elita
A1  - Schneider-Schaulies, Sibylle
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Koffel, Rene
A1  - Draeger, Annette
T1  - Down-regulation of acid sphingomyelinase and neutral sphingomyelinase-2 inversely determines the cellular resistance to plasmalemmal injury by pore-forming toxins
JF  - The FASEB journal : the official journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
N2  - Bacterial pore-forming toxins compromise plasmalemmal integrity, leading to Ca2+ influx, leakage of the cytoplasm, and cell death. Such lesions can be repaired by microvesicular shedding or by the endocytic uptake of the injured membrane sites. Cells have at their disposal an entire toolbox of repair proteins for the identification and elimination of membrane lesions. Sphingomyelinases catalyze the breakdown of sphingomyelin into ceramide and phosphocholine. Sphingomyelin is predominantly localized in the outer leaflet, where it is hydrolyzed by acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) after lysosomal fusion with the plasma membrane. The magnesium-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase (NSM)-2 is found at the inner leaflet of the plasmalemma. Because either sphingomyelinase has been ascribed a role in the cellular stress response, we investigated their role in plasma membrane repair and cellular survival after treatment with the pore-forming toxins listeriolysin O (LLO) or pneumolysin (PLY). Jurkat T cells, in which ASM or NSM-2 was down-regulated [ASM knockdown (KD) or NSM-2 KD cells], showed inverse reactions to toxin-induced membrane damage: ASM KD cells displayed reduced toxin resistance, decreased viability, and defects in membrane repair. In contrast, the down-regulation of NSM-2 led to an increase in viability and enhanced plasmalemmal repair. Yet, in addition to the increased plasmalemmal repair, the enhanced toxin resistance of NSM-2 KD cells also appeared to be dependent on the activation of p38/MAPK, which was constitutively activated, whereas in ASM KD cells, the p38/MAPK activation was constitutively blunted.Schoenauer, R., Larpin, Y., Babiychuk, E. B., Drucker, P., Babiychuk, V. S., Avota, E., Schneider-Schaulies, S., Schumacher, F., Kleuser, B., Koffel, R., Draeger, A. Down-regulation of acid sphingomyelinase and neutral sphingomyelinase-2 inversely determines the cellular resistance to plasmalemmal injury by pore-forming toxins.
KW  - membrane repair
KW  - blebbing
KW  - calcium
KW  - bacterial toxins
KW  - annexins
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201800033R
SN  - 0892-6638
SN  - 1530-6860
VL  - 33
IS  - 1
SP  - 275
EP  - 285
PB  - Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
CY  - Bethesda
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bhabak, Krishna P.
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Huwiler, Andrea
A1  - Arenz, Christoph
T1  - Effective inhibition of acid and neutral ceramidases by novel B-13 and LCL-464 analogues
JF  - Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry : a Tetrahedron publication for the rapid dissemination of full original research papers and critical reviews on biomolecular chemistry, medicinal chemistry and related disciplines
N2  - Induction of apoptosis mediated by the inhibition of ceramidases has been shown to enhance the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy in several cancer models. Among the inhibitors of ceramidases reported in the literature, B-13 is considered as a lead compound having good in vitro potency towards acid ceramidase. Furthermore, owing to the poor activity of B-13 on lysosoamal acid ceramidase in living cells, LCL-464 a modified derivative of B-13 containing a basic omega-amino group at the fatty acid was reported to have higher potency towards lysosomal acid ceramidase in living cells. In a search for more potent inhibitors of ceramidases, we have designed a series of compounds with structural modifications of B-13 and LCL-464. In this study, we show that the efficacy of B-13 in vitro as well as in intact cells can be enhanced by suitable modification of functional groups. Furthermore, a detailed SAR investigation on LCL-464 analogues revealed novel promising inhibitors of aCDase and nCDase. In cell culture studies using the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, some of the newly developed compounds elevated endogenous ceramide levels and in parallel, also induced apoptotic cell death. In summary, this study shows that structural modification of the known ceramidase inhibitors B-13 and LCL-464 generates more potent ceramidase inhibitors that are active in intact cells and not only elevates the cellular ceramide levels, but also enhances cell death.
KW  - Sphingolipids
KW  - Ceramide
KW  - Ceramidase inhibitors
KW  - Structure-activity-relationship
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2012.12.014
SN  - 0968-0896
VL  - 21
IS  - 4
SP  - 874
EP  - 882
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Henry, Brian D.
A1  - Neill, Daniel R.
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Gore, Suzanna
A1  - Bricio-Moreno, Laura
A1  - Ziobro, Regan
A1  - Edwards, Michael J.
A1  - Muehlemann, Kathrin
A1  - Steinmann, Joerg
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Japtok, Lukasz
A1  - Luginbuehl, Miriam
A1  - Wolfmeier, Heidi
A1  - Scherag, Andre
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
A1  - Kadioglu, Aras
A1  - Draeger, Annette
A1  - Babiychuk, Eduard B.
T1  - Engineered liposomes sequester bacterial exotoxins and protect from severe invasive infections in mice
JF  - Nature biotechnology : the science and business of biotechnology
N2  - Gram-positive bacterial pathogens that secrete cytotoxic pore-forming toxins, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, cause a substantial burden of disease. Inspired by the principles that govern natural toxin-host interactions, we have engineered artificial liposomes that are tailored to effectively compete with host cells for toxin binding. Liposome-bound toxins are unable to lyse mammalian cells in vitro. We use these artificial liposomes as decoy targets to sequester bacterial toxins that are produced during active infection in vivo. Administration of artificial liposomes within 10 h after infection rescues mice from septicemia caused by S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, whereas untreated mice die within 24-33 h. Furthermore, liposomes protect mice against invasive pneumococcal pneumonia. Composed exclusively of naturally occurring lipids, tailored liposomes are not bactericidal and could be used therapeutically either alone or in conjunction with antibiotics to combat bacterial infections and to minimize toxin-induced tissue damage that occurs during bacterial clearance.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3037
SN  - 1087-0156
SN  - 1546-1696
VL  - 33
IS  - 1
SP  - 81
EP  - U295
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wetzel, Alexandra Nicole
A1  - Scholtka, Bettina
A1  - Gerecke, Christian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
T1  - Epigenetic histone modulation contributes to improvements in inflammatory bowel disease via EBI3
JF  - Cellular and molecular life sciences
N2  - Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by relapsing-remitting inflammatory episodes paralleled by varying cytokine levels, suggesting that switching epigenetic processes might be involved. However, the epigenetic impact on cytokine levels in colitis is mostly unexplored. The heterodimeric interleukin (IL)-12 cytokine family have various functions in both pro- and anti-inflammatory processes. The family member IL-35 (EBI3/IL-12p35) was recently reported to play an anti-inflammatory role in UC. Therefore, we aimed to investigate a possible epigenetic regulation of the IL-35 subunits in vitro and in vivo, and to examine the epigenetic targeting of EBI3 expression as a therapeutic option for UC. Exposure to either the pro-inflammatory TNF alpha or to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) significantly increased EBI3 expression in Human Colon Epithelial Cells (HCEC) generated from healthy tissue. When applied in combination, a drastic upregulation of EBI3 expression occurred, suggesting a synergistic mechanism. Consequently, IL-35 was increased as well. In vivo, the intestines of HDACi-treated wild-type mice exhibited reduced pathological signs of colitis compared to non-treated colitic mice. However, the improvement by HDACi treatment was completely lost in Ebi3-deficient mice (Ebi3(-/-)). In fact, HDACi appeared to exacerbate the disease phenotype in Ebi3(-/-). In conclusion, our results reveal that under inflammatory conditions, EBI3 is upregulated by the epigenetic mechanism of histone acetylation. The in vivo data show that the deficiency of EBI3 plays a key role in colitis manifestation. Concordantly, our data suggest that conditions promoting histone acetylation, such as upon HDACi application, improve colitis by a mechanism involving the local formation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-35.
KW  - Histone deacetylase inhibitor
KW  - Inhibitory cytokines
KW  - Interleukin-35
KW  - SAHA
KW  - Ulcerative colitis
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-020-03451-9
SN  - 1420-682X
SN  - 1420-9071
VL  - 77
IS  - 23
SP  - 5017
EP  - 5030
PB  - Springer International Publishing AG
CY  - Cham (ZG)
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hausmann, Christian
A1  - Zoschke, Christian
A1  - Wolff, Christopher
A1  - Darvin, Maxim E.
A1  - Sochorova, Michaela
A1  - Kovacik, Andrej
A1  - Wanjiku, Barbara
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Tigges, Julia
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Lademann, Juergen
A1  - Fritsche, Ellen
A1  - Vavrova, Katerina
A1  - Ma, Nan
A1  - Schaefer-Korting, Monika
T1  - Fibroblast origin shapes tissue homeostasis, epidermal differentiation, and drug uptake
JF  - Scientific reports
N2  - Preclinical studies frequently lack predictive value for human conditions. Human cell-based disease models that reflect patient heterogeneity may reduce the high failure rates of preclinical research. Herein, we investigated the impact of primary cell age and body region on skin homeostasis, epidermal differentiation, and drug uptake. Fibroblasts derived from the breast skin of female 20- to 30-yearolds or 60- to 70-year-olds and fibroblasts from juvenile foreskin (<10 years old) were compared in cell monolayers and in reconstructed human skin (RHS). RHS containing aged fibroblasts differed from its juvenile and adult counterparts, especially in terms of the dermal extracellular matrix composition and interleukin-6 levels. The site from which the fibroblasts were derived appeared to alter fibroblast-keratinocyte crosstalk by affecting, among other things, the levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Consequently, the epidermal expression of filaggrin and e-cadherin was increased in RHS containing breast skin fibroblasts, as were lipid levels in the stratum corneum. In conclusion, the region of the body from which fibroblasts are derived appears to affect the epidermal differentiation of RHS, while the age of the fibroblast donors determines the expression of proteins involved in wound healing. Emulating patient heterogeneity in preclinical studies might improve the treatment of age-related skin conditions.
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39770-6
SN  - 2045-2322
VL  - 9
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Meiners, Jana
A1  - Palmieri, Vittoria
A1  - Klopfleisch, Robert
A1  - Ebel, Jana-Fabienne
A1  - Japtok, Lukasz
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Yusuf, Ayan Mohamud
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Zöller, Julia
A1  - Hose, Matthias
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Hermann, Dirk Matthias
A1  - Kolesnick, Richard N.
A1  - Buer, Jan
A1  - Hansen, Wiebke
A1  - Westendorf, Astrid M.
T1  - Intestinal acid sphingomyelinase protects from severe Pathogen-Driven Colitis
JF  - Frontiers in immunology
N2  - Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are emerging as a global problem with increased evidence and prevalence in numerous countries. A dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism occurs in patients with ulcerative colitis and is discussed to contribute to its pathogenesis. In the present study, we determined the impact of acid sphingomyelinase (Asm), which catalyzes the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide, on the course of Citrobacter (C.) rodentium-driven colitis. C. rodentium is an enteric pathogen and induces colonic inflammation very similar to the pathology in patients with ulcerative colitis. We found that mice with Asm deficiency or Asm inhibition were strongly susceptible to C. rodentium infection. These mice showed increased levels of C. rodentium in the feces and were prone to bacterial spreading to the systemic organs. In addition, mice lacking Asm activity showed an uncontrolled inflammatory T(h)1 and T(h)17 response, which was accompanied by a stronger colonic pathology compared to infected wild type mice. These findings identified Asm as an essential regulator of mucosal immunity to the enteric pathogen C. rodentium.
KW  - Citrobacter rodentium
KW  - colitis
KW  - acid sphingomyelinase
KW  - amitriptyline
KW  - T(h)1
KW  - T(h)17
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01386
SN  - 1664-3224
VL  - 10
PB  - Frontiers Research Foundation
CY  - Lausanne
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Beckmann, Nadine
A1  - Kadow, Stephanie
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Goethert, Joachim R.
A1  - Kesper, Stefanie
A1  - Draeger, Annette
A1  - Schulz-Schaeffer, Walter J.
A1  - Wang, Jiang
A1  - Becker, Jan U.
A1  - Kramer, Melanie
A1  - Kuehn, Claudine
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
A1  - Carpinteiro, Alexander
T1  - Pathological manifestations of Farber disease in a new mouse model
JF  - Biological chemistry
N2  - Farber disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder resulting from acid ceramidase deficiency and subsequent ceramide accumulation. No treatments are clinically available and affected patients have a severely shortened lifespan. Due to the low incidence, the pathogenesis of FD is still poorly understood. Here, we report a novel acid ceramidase mutant mouse model that enables the study of pathogenic mechanisms of FD and ceramide accumulation. Asah1(tmEx1) mice were generated by deletion of the acid ceramidase signal peptide sequence. The effects on lysosomal targeting and activity of the enzyme were assessed. Ceramide and sphingomyelin levels were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and disease manifestations in several organ systems were analyzed by histology and biochemistry. We show that deletion of the signal peptide sequence disrupts lysosomal targeting and enzyme activity, resulting in ceramide and sphingomyelin accumulation. The affected mice fail to thrive and die early. Histiocytic infiltrations were observed in many tissues, as well as lung inflammation, liver fibrosis, muscular disease manifestations and mild kidney injury. Our new mouse model mirrors human FD and thus offers further insights into the pathogenesis of this disease. In the future, it may also facilitate the development of urgently needed therapies.
KW  - acid ceramidase
KW  - ceramide
KW  - Farber disease
KW  - lysosomal storage disorders
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2018-0170
SN  - 1431-6730
SN  - 1437-4315
VL  - 399
IS  - 10
SP  - 1183
EP  - 1202
PB  - De Gruyter
CY  - Berlin
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Halilbasic, Emina
A1  - Fuerst, Elisabeth
A1  - Heiden, Denise
A1  - Japtok, Lukasz
A1  - Diesner, Susanne C.
A1  - Trauner, Michael
A1  - Kulu, Askin
A1  - Jaksch, Peter
A1  - Hoetzenecker, Konrad
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Kazemi-Shirazi, Lili
A1  - Untersmayr, Eva
T1  - Plasma levels of the bioactive sphingolipid metabolite S1P in adult cystic fibrosis patients
BT  - potential target for immunonutrition?
JF  - Nutrients
N2  - Recent research has linked sphingolipid (SL) metabolism with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) activity, affecting bioactive lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). We hypothesize that loss of CFTR function in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients influenced plasma S1P levels. Total and unbound plasma S1P levels were measured in 20 lung-transplanted adult CF patients and 20 healthy controls by mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). S1P levels were correlated with CFTR genotype, routine laboratory parameters, lung function and pathogen colonization, and clinical symptoms. Compared to controls, CF patients showed lower unbound plasma S1P, whereas total S1P levels did not differ. A positive correlation of total and unbound S1P levels was found in healthy controls, but not in CF patients. Higher unbound S1P levels were measured in Delta F508-homozygous compared to Delta F508-heterozygous CF patients (p = 0.038), accompanied by higher levels of HDL in Delta F508-heterozygous patients. Gastrointestinal symptoms were more common in Delta F508 heterozygotes compared to Delta F508 homozygotes. This is the first clinical study linking plasma S1P levels with CFTR function and clinical presentation in adult CF patients. Given the emerging role of immunonutrition in CF, our study might pave the way for using S1P as a novel biomarker and nutritional target in CF.
KW  - sphingolipids
KW  - sphingosine-1-phosphate
KW  - intestine
KW  - high density
KW  - lipoproteins
KW  - cystic fibrosis
KW  - Delta F508 mutation
KW  - immunonutrition
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030765
SN  - 2072-6643
VL  - 12
IS  - 3
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Börtlein, Charlene
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Dölken, Lars
A1  - Avota, Elita
T1  - Role of Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 (NSM 2) in the Control of T Cell Plasma Membrane Lipid Composition and Cholesterol Homeostasis
JF  - Frontiers in cell and developmental biology
N2  - The activity of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSM2) to catalyze the conversion of sphingomyelin (SM) to ceramide and phosphocholine at the cytosolic leaflet of plasma membrane (PM) is important in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. We recently identified PKC zeta as a major NSM2 downstream effector which regulates microtubular polarization. It remained, however, unclear to what extent NSM2 activity affected overall composition of PM lipids and downstream effector lipids in antigen stimulated T cells. Here, we provide a detailed lipidomics analyses on PM fractions isolated from TCR stimulated wild type and NSM2 deficient (Delta NSM) Jurkat T cells. This revealed that in addition to that of sphingolipids, NSM2 depletion also affected concentrations of many other lipids. In particular, NSM2 ablation resulted in increase of lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) which both govern PM biophysical properties. Crucially, TCR dependent upregulation of the important T cell signaling lipid diacylglycerol (DAG), which is fundamental for activation of conventional and novel PKCs, was abolished in Delta NSM cells. Moreover, NSM2 activity was found to play an important role in PM cholesterol transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and production of cholesteryl esters (CE) there. Most importantly, CE accumulation was essential to sustain human T cell proliferation. Accordingly, inhibition of CE generating enzymes, the cholesterol acetyltransferases ACAT1/SOAT1 and ACAT2/SOAT2, impaired TCR driven expansion of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. In summary, our study reveals an important role of NSM2 in regulating T cell functions by its multiple effects on PM lipids and cholesterol homeostasis.
KW  - neutral sphingomyelinase-2
KW  - T cell receptor
KW  - plasma membrane
KW  - lyso-phospholipids
KW  - diacylglycerol
KW  - cholesteryl ester
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2019.00226
SN  - 2296-634X
VL  - 7
PB  - Frontiers Research Foundation
CY  - Lausanne
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Speckmann, Bodo
A1  - Schulz, Sarah
A1  - Hiller, Franziska
A1  - Hesse, Deike
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Geisel, Juergen
A1  - Obeid, Rima
A1  - Grune, Tilman
A1  - Kipp, Anna Patricia
T1  - Selenium increases hepatic DNA methylation and modulates one-carbon metabolism in the liver of mice
JF  - The journal of nutritional biochemistry
N2  - The average intake of the essential trace element selenium (Se) is below the recommendation in most European countries, possibly causing sub-optimal expression of selenoproteins. It is still unclear how a suboptimal Se status may affect health. To mimic this situation, mice were fed one of three physiologically relevant amounts of Se. We focused on the liver, the organ most sensitive to changes in the Se supply indicated by hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity. In addition, liver is the main organ for synthesis of methyl groups and glutathione via one-carbon metabolism. Accordingly, the impact of Se on global DNA methylation, methylation capacity, and gene expression was assessed. We observed higher global DNA methylation indicated by LINE1 methylation, and an increase of the methylation potential as indicated by higher S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)/S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) ratio and by elevated mRNA expression of serine hydroxymethyltransferase in both or either of the Se groups. Furthermore, increasing the Se supply resulted in higher plasma concentrations of triglycerides. Hepatic expression of glycolytic and lipogenic genes revealed consistent Se dependent up-regulation of glucokinase. The sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1) was also up-regulated by Se. Both effects were confirmed in primary hepatocytes. In contrast to the overall Se-dependent increase of methylation capacity, the up-regulation of Srebf1 expression was paralleled by reduced local methylation of a specific CpG site within the Srebf1 gene. Thus, we provided evidence that Se-dependent effects on lipogenesis involve epigenetic mechanisms. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.
KW  - Selenium
KW  - DNA methylation
KW  - Liver
KW  - Lipogenesis
KW  - Srebf1
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.07.002
SN  - 0955-2863
SN  - 1873-4847
VL  - 48
SP  - 112
EP  - 119
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Edlich, Alexander
A1  - Gerecke, Christian
A1  - Giulbudagian, Michael
A1  - Neumann, Falko
A1  - Hedtrich, Sarah
A1  - Schaefer-Korting, Monika
A1  - Ma, Nan
A1  - Calderon, Marcelo
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
T1  - Specific uptake mechanisms of well-tolerated thermoresponsive polyglycerol-based nanogels in antigen-presenting cells of the skin
JF  - European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
N2  - Engineered nanogels are of high value for a targeted and controlled transport of compounds due to the ability to change their chemical properties by external stimuli. As it has been indicated that nanogels possess a high ability to penetrate the stratum corneum, it cannot be excluded that nanogels interact with dermal dendritic cells, especially in diseased skin. In this study the potential crosstalk of the thermore-sponsive nanogels (tNGs) with the dendritic cells of the skin was investigated with the aim to determine the immunotoxicological properties of the nanogels. The investigated tNGs were made of dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) and poly(glycidyl methyl ether-co-ethyl glycidyl ether) (p(GME-co-EGE)), as polymer conferring thermoresponsive properties. Although the tNGs were taken up, they displayed neither cytotoxic and genotoxic effects nor any induction of reactive oxygen species in the tested cells. Interestingly, specific uptake mechanisms of the tNGs by the dendritic cells were depending on the nanogels cloud point temperature (Tcp), which determines the phase transition of the nanoparticle. The study points to caveolae-mediated endocytosis as being the major tNGs uptake mechanism at 37 degrees C, which is above the Tcp of the tNGs. Remarkably, an additional uptake mechanism, beside caveolae-mediated endocytosis, was observed at 29 degrees C, which is the Tcp of the tNGs. At this temperature, which is characterized by two different states of the tNGs, macropinocytosis was involved as well. In summary, our study highlights the impact of thermoresponsivity on the cellular uptake mechanisms which has to be taken into account if the tNGs are used as a drug delivery system.
KW  - Dendritic cells
KW  - Drug delivery systems
KW  - Nanogel
KW  - Nanoparticle
KW  - Nanoparticle uptake
KW  - Nanotoxicology
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2016.12.016
SN  - 0939-6411
SN  - 1873-3441
VL  - 116
SP  - 155
EP  - 163
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gutbier, Birgitt
A1  - Schönrock, Stefanie M.
A1  - Ehrler, Carolin
A1  - Haberberger, Rainer
A1  - Dietert, Kristina
A1  - Gruber, Achim D.
A1  - Kummer, Wolfgang
A1  - Michalick, Laura
A1  - Kuebler, Wolfgang M.
A1  - Hocke, Andreas C.
A1  - Szymanski, Kolja
A1  - Letsiou, Eleftheria
A1  - Lüth, Anja
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Mitchell, Timothy J.
A1  - Bertrams, Wilhelm
A1  - Schmeck, Bernd
A1  - Treue, Denise
A1  - Klauschen, Frederick
A1  - Bauer, Torsten T.
A1  - Tönnies, Mario
A1  - Weissmann, Norbert
A1  - Hippenstiel, Stefan
A1  - Suttorp, Norbert
A1  - Witzenrath, Martin
T1  - Sphingosine Kinase 1 Regulates Inflammation and Contributes to Acute Lung Injury in Pneumococcal Pneumonia via the Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 2
JF  - Critical care medicine
N2  - Objectives: Severe pneumonia may evoke acute lung injury, and sphingosine-1-phosphate is involved in the regulation of vascular permeability and immune responses. However, the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate and the sphingosine-1-phosphate producing sphingosine kinase 1 in pneumonia remains elusive. We examined the role of the sphingosine-1-phosphate system in regulating pulmonary vascular barrier function in bacterial pneumonia. Design: Controlled, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo laboratory study. Subjects: Female wild-type and SphK1-deficient mice, 8-10 weeks old. Human postmortem lung tissue, human blood-derived macrophages, and pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. Interventions: Wild-type and SphK1-deficient mice were infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pulmonary sphingosine-1-phosphate levels, messenger RNA expression, and permeability as well as lung morphology were analyzed. Human blood-derived macrophages and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were infected with S. pneumoniae. Transcellular electrical resistance of human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell monolayers was examined. Further, permeability of murine isolated perfused lungs was determined following exposition to sphingosine-1-phosphate and pneumolysin. Measurements and Main Results: Following S. pneumoniae infection, murine pulmonary sphingosine-1-phosphate levels and sphingosine kinase 1 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 expression were increased. Pneumonia-induced lung hyperpermeability was reduced in SphK1(-/-) mice compared with wild-type mice. Expression of sphingosine kinase 1 in macrophages recruited to inflamed lung areas in pneumonia was observed in murine and human lungs. S. pneumoniae induced the sphingosine kinase 1/sphingosine-1-phosphate system in blood-derived macrophages and enhanced sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 expression in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell in vitro. In isolated mouse lungs, pneumolysin-induced hyperpermeability was dose dependently and synergistically increased by sphingosine-1-phosphate. This sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced increase was reduced by inhibition of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 or its downstream effector Rho-kinase. Conclusions: Our data suggest that targeting the sphingosine kinase 1-/sphingosine-1-phosphate-/sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2-signaling pathway in the lung may provide a novel therapeutic perspective in pneumococcal pneumonia for prevention of acute lung injury.
KW  - acute lung injury
KW  - pneumococcal pneumonia
KW  - sphingosine kinase 1
KW  - sphingosine-1-phosphate
KW  - sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1097/CCM.0000000000002916
SN  - 0090-3493
SN  - 1530-0293
VL  - 46
IS  - 3
SP  - e258
EP  - e267
PB  - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
CY  - Philadelphia
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Seitz, Aaron P.
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Baker, Jennifer
A1  - Soddemann, Matthias
A1  - Wilker, Barbara
A1  - Caldwell, Charles C.
A1  - Gobble, Ryan M.
A1  - Kamler, Markus
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Beck, Sascha
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Edwards, Michael J.
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
T1  - Sphingosine-coating of plastic surfaces prevents ventilator-associated pneumonia
JF  - Journal of molecular medicine
N2  - Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Here, we employed the broad antibacterial effects of sphingosine to prevent VAP by developing a novel method of coating surfaces of endotracheal tubes with sphingosine and sphingosine analogs. Sphingosine and phytosphingosine coatings of endotracheal tubes prevent adherence and mediate killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus, even in biofilms. Most importantly, sphingosine-coating of endotracheal tubes also prevented P. aeruginosa and S. aureus pneumonia in vivo. Coating of the tubes with sphingosine was stable, without obvious side effects on tracheal epithelial cells and did not induce inflammation. In summary, we describe a novel method to coat plastic surfaces and provide evidence for the application of sphingosine and phytosphingosine as novel antimicrobial coatings to prevent bacterial adherence and induce killing of pathogens on the surface of endotracheal tubes with potential to prevent biofilm formation and VAP.Key messagesNovel dip-coating method to coat plastic surfaces with lipids.Sphingosine and phytosphingosine as novel antimicrobial coatings on plastic surface.Sphingosine coatings of endotracheal tubes prevent bacterial adherence and biofilms.Sphingosine coatings of endotracheal tubes induce killing of pathogens.Sphingosine coatings of endotracheal tubes ventilator-associated pneumonia.
KW  - Coating
KW  - Plastic surfaces
KW  - Sphingosine
KW  - Ventilation
KW  - Acinetobacter baumannii
KW  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa
KW  - Staphylococcus aureus
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-019-01800-1
SN  - 0946-2716
SN  - 1432-1440
VL  - 97
IS  - 8
SP  - 1195
EP  - 1211
PB  - Springer
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zabihi, Fatemeh
A1  - Graff, Patrick
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Hedtrich, Sarah
A1  - Haag, Rainer
T1  - Synthesis of poly(lactide-co-glycerol) as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with high loading capacity for dermal drug delivery
JF  - Nanoscale
N2  - Due to the low cutaneous bioavailability of tacrolimus (TAC), penetration enhancers are used to improve its penetration into the skin. However, poor loading capacity, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and in some cases inefficient skin penetration are challenging issues that hamper their applications for the dermal TAC delivery. Here we present poly(lactide-co-glycerol) (PLG) as a water soluble, biodegradable, and biocompatible TAC-carrier with high loading capacity (14.5% w/w for TAC) and high drug delivery efficiencies into the skin. PLG was synthesized by cationic ring-opening copolymerization of a mixture of glycidol and lactide and showed 35 nm and 300 nm average sizes in aqueous solutions before and after loading of TAC, respectively. Delivery experiments on human skin, quantified by fluorescence microscopy and LC-MS/MS, showed a high ability for PLG to deposit Nile red and TAC into the stratum corneum and viable epidermis of skin in comparison with Protopic (R) (0.03% w/w, TAC ointment). The cutaneous distribution profile of delivered TAC proved that 80%, 16%, and 4% of the cutaneous drug level was deposited in the stratum corneum, viable epidermis, and upper dermis, respectively. TAC delivered by PLG was able to efficiently decrease the IL-2 and TSLP expressions in human skin models. Taking advantage of the excellent physicochemical and biological properties of PLG, it can be used for efficient dermal TAC delivery and potential treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr05536j
SN  - 2040-3364
SN  - 2040-3372
VL  - 10
IS  - 35
SP  - 16848
EP  - 16856
PB  - Royal Society of Chemistry
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Grafen, Anika
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Chithelen, Janice
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Beyersdorf, Niklas
A1  - Schneider-Schaulies, Jürgen
T1  - Use of Acid Ceramidase and Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitors as Antiviral Compounds Against Measles Virus Infection of Lymphocytes in vitro
JF  - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
N2  - As structural membrane components and signaling effector molecules sphingolipids influence a plethora of host cell functions, and by doing so also the replication of viruses. Investigating the effects of various inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism in primary human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and the human B cell line BJAB we found that not only the sphingosine kinase (SphK) inhibitor SKI-II, but also the acid ceramidase inhibitor ceranib-2 efficiently inhibited measles virus (MV) replication. Virus uptake into the target cells was not grossly altered by the two inhibitors, while titers of newly synthesized MV were reduced by approximately 1 log (90%) in PBL and 70-80% in BJAB cells. Lipidomic analyses revealed that in PBL SKI-II led to increased ceramide levels, whereas in BJAB cells ceranib-2 increased ceramides. SKI-II treatment decreased sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) levels in PBL and BJAB cells. Furthermore, we found that MV infection of lymphocytes induced a transient (0.5-6 h) increase in S1P, which was prevented by SKI-II. Investigating the effect of the inhibitors on the metabolic (mTORC1) activity we found that ceranib-2 reduced the phosphorylation of p70 S6K in PBL, and that both inhibitors, ceranib-2 and SKI-II, reduced the phosphorylation of p70 S6K in BJAB cells. As mTORC1 activity is required for efficient MV replication, this effect of the inhibitors is one possible antiviral mechanism. In addition, reduced intracellular S1P levels affect a number of signaling pathways and functions including Hsp90 activity, which was reported to be required for MV replication. Accordingly, we found that pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 with the inhibitor 17-AAG strongly impaired MV replication in primary PBL. Thus, our data suggest that treatment of lymphocytes with both, acid ceramidase and SphK inhibitors, impair MV replication by affecting a number of cellular activities including mTORC1 and Hsp90, which alter the metabolic state of the cells causing a hostile environment for the virus.
KW  - measles virus
KW  - sphingolipids
KW  - acid ceramidase
KW  - acid ceramidase inhibitor ceranib-2
KW  - sphingosine kinase
KW  - sphingosine kinase inhibitor SKI-II
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2019.00218
SN  - 2296-634X
VL  - 7
PB  - Frontiers Research Foundation
CY  - Lausanne
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wienhold, Sandra-Maria
A1  - Macri, Mario
A1  - Nouailles, Geraldine
A1  - Dietert, Kristina
A1  - Gurtner, Corinne
A1  - Gruber, Achim D.
A1  - Heimesaat, Markus M.
A1  - Lienau, Jasmin
A1  - Schumacher, Fabian
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Opitz, Bastian
A1  - Suttorp, Norbert
A1  - Witzenrath, Martin
A1  - Müller-Redetzky, Holger C.
T1  - Ventilator-induced lung injury is aggravated by antibiotic mediated microbiota depletion in mice
JF  - Critical Care
N2  - BackgroundAntibiotic exposure alters the microbiota, which can impact the inflammatory immune responses. Critically ill patients frequently receive antibiotic treatment and are often subjected to mechanical ventilation, which may induce local and systemic inflammatory responses and development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). The aim of this study was to investigate whether disruption of the microbiota by antibiotic therapy prior to mechanical ventilation affects pulmonary inflammatory responses and thereby the development of VILI.MethodsMice underwent 6-8weeks of enteral antibiotic combination treatment until absence of cultivable bacteria in fecal samples was confirmed. Control mice were housed equally throughout this period. VILI was induced 3 days after completing the antibiotic treatment protocol, by high tidal volume (HTV) ventilation (34ml/kg; positive end-expiratory pressure=2 cmH(2)O) for 4h. Differences in lung function, oxygenation index, pulmonary vascular leakage, macroscopic assessment of lung injury, and leukocyte and lymphocyte differentiation were assessed. Control groups of mice ventilated with low tidal volume and non-ventilated mice were analyzed accordingly.ResultsAntibiotic-induced microbiota depletion prior to HTV ventilation led to aggravation of VILI, as shown by increased pulmonary permeability, increased oxygenation index, decreased pulmonary compliance, enhanced macroscopic lung injury, and increased cytokine/chemokine levels in lung homogenates.ConclusionsDepletion of the microbiota by broad-spectrum antibiotics prior to HTV ventilation renders mice more susceptible to developing VILI, which could be clinically relevant for critically ill patients frequently receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics.
KW  - Broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy
KW  - Ventilator-induced lung injury
KW  - Microbiota
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-018-2213-8
SN  - 1466-609X
SN  - 1364-8535
VL  - 22
IS  - 282
PB  - BMC
CY  - London
ER  -