The research group Crosstalk explores how inter-tissue communication impacts energy balance and metabolic health.
Proteins are secreted from various cells of tissues and mediate inter-organ crosstalk. They can exert beneficial or detrimental effects, based on their concentration and context. The composition of secreted proteins, collectively known as the protein “secretome” changes with different stimuli, such as in exercise, diet changes, and different diseases. These changes in the composition of the secretome can have severe effects on the whole body.
Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue are key secretory organs. Exercise-induced myokines from skeletal muscle have beneficial effects and can reduce disease risks. Obesity-induced adipokines from adipose tissue often promote inflammation, which contributes to the development of obesity-related comorbidities. Thus, identification of previously unknown effector myokines and adipokines is crucial, not only to find specific biomarkers for diseases and therapeutic targets but also to understand the basic molecular mechanisms of how tissues communicate with each other. However, to date, many myokines and adipokines remain undiscovered. This is due to methodological limitations based on the low abundance of many of these proteins. Previously, we have developed a proteomics-based technique that allows for the identification of novel, low abundant myokines and adipokines in the extracellular fluid of muscle and adipose tissue. We are utilizing this technique to find unknown myokines and adipokines and subsequently study their molecular signaling cascades. By understanding how these proteins function and influence whole body metabolism, we aim at contributing to the development of new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and related comorbidities.
Specifically, we are focusing on the following aims:
- Adipokines and their role in high fat diet-induced adipose tissue inflammation (1).
- Exercise-induced myokines and their beneficial effects on obesity and diabetes (2).
- Molecular mechanisms of the novel myokine PSAP in adipose tissue maintenance (3).