Molecular mechanisms of the vaspin-KLK7 axis in obesity and diabetes (C07)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry ; Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
• Term: since 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 209933838

With the identification of functional brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans, concepts to target this powerful metabolic organ to treat obesity or diabetes took on great significance. Based on microarray data revealing the adipokine vaspin (visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin, serpinA12) as a top upregulated gene in cold stimulated BAT and our own preliminary data indicating AT browning after vaspin treatment in mice, this project is investigating the role of vaspin and its target protease kallikrein 7 (KLK7) in AT browning, energy expenditure and food intake. With KLK14, a second protease inhibited by vaspin has been identified, which will be characterized in project C7 for targets identification.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1052: Obesity Mechanisms
• Applicant Institution: Universität Leipzig
• Project Head: Dr. John Heiker