Intern
Krebsforschung

Core Unit Metabolomics

Summary

The aim of the core unit Cancer Metabolomics is to analyse changes in cellular metabolism in cancer cells. The unit is developing suitable technologies to accurately determine metabolite concentration in cancer cell lines and tumour samples by mass spectrometry (LC/MS, Thermo Fisher Q-Exactive Orbitrap). We are also establishing protocols for the labelling of cancer cells with stable isotope tracers (i.e. glucose or glutamine) for isotopomer spectral analysis (ISA) and metabolic flux analysis (MFA). These techniques allow the identification of metabolic intermediates derived from different nutrients and can reveal altered metabolic flux in cancer cells. 

Recent Publications

Glycolytic flux control by drugging phosphoglycolate phosphatase. Jeanclos E, Schlötzer J, Hadamek K, Yuan-Chen N, Alwahsh M, Hollmann R, Fratz S, Yesilyurt-Gerhards D, Frankenbach T, Engelmann D, Keller A, Kaestner A, Schmitz W, Neuenschwander M, Hergenröder R, Sotriffer C, von Kries JP, Schindelin H, Gohla A. Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 11;13(1):6845. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34228-2. PMID: 36369173

Tumor-Derived Lactic Acid Modulates Activation and Metabolic Status of Draining Lymph Node Stroma. Riedel A, Helal M, Pedro L, Swietlik JJ, Shorthouse D, Schmitz W, Haas L, Young T, da Costa ASH, Davidson S, Bhandare P, Wolf E, Hall BA, Frezza C, Oskarsson T, Shields JD. Cancer Immunol Res. 2022 Apr 1;10(4):482-497. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-21-0778. PMID: 35362044

LXRα activation and Raf inhibition trigger lethal lipotoxicity in liver cancer. Ramona Rudalska, Jule Harbig, Marteinn T. Snaebjornsson, Sabrina Klotz, Stefan Zwirner, Liudmyla Taranets, Florian Heinzmann, Thales Kronenberger, Michael Forster, Wei Cui, Luana D’Artista, Elias Einig, Martina Hinterleitner, Werner Schmitz, Agata Dylawerska, Tae-Won Kang, Antti Poso, Mathias T. Rosenfeldt, Nisar P. Malek, Michael Bitzer, Stefan Laufer, Bernd J. Pichler, Nikita Popov, Almut Schulze, Lars Zender, Daniel Dauch. Nat Cancer. 2021 Feb;2(2):201-217. doi: 10.1038/s43018-020-00168-3. Epub 2021 Feb 15. PMID: 35122079

Reprogramming of host glutamine metabolism during Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its key role in peptidoglycan synthesis. Rajeeve K, Vollmuth N, Janaki-Raman S, Wulff TF, Baluapuri A, Dejure FR, Huber C, Fink J, Schmalhofer M, Schmitz W, Sivadasan R, Eilers M, Wolf E, Eisenreich W, Schulze A, Seibel J, Rudel T. Nat Microbiol. 2020 Nov;5(11):1390-1402. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0762-5. Epub 2020 Aug 3. PMID: 32747796

FSP1 is a glutathione-independent ferroptosis suppressor. Doll S, Freitas FP, Shah R, Aldrovandi M, da Silva MC, Ingold I, Grocin AG, Xavier da Silva TN, Panzilius E, Scheel C, Mourão A, Buday K, Sato M, Wanninger J, Vignane T, Mohana V, Rehberg M, Flatley A, Schepers A, Kurz A, White D, Sauer M, Sattler M, Tate EW, Schmitz W, Schulze A, O'Donnel V, Proneth B, Popowicz GM, Pratt D, Angeli JPF, Conrad M. Nature. 2019 Nov;575(7784):693-698. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1707-0. Epub 2019 Oct 21.