Staff Members of the Institute of Biochemistry, TU Graz http://www ...

specific action of sphingolipid mediators that are acutely formed upon cell stimulation
by the oxidized lipids. Fluorescence microscopic studies on labeled lipid analogs
revealed that the short-chain phosphatidylcholines are easily transferred from the
aqueous phase into the cell plasma membrane and eventually spread throughout the
cells.
Under these circumstances, the biologically
active compounds are very likely to interfere
directly with various signaling components
inside the cells, which finally decide about cell
growth or death. Investigations will be
performed on the levels of the lipidome, the
apparent enzyme activities, the proteome an the
transcriptome to find the primary molecular
targets and their downstream elements that are
the key compnents of lipid-induced cell death.
1.2. Oxidative stress and antioxidants
Antioxidants protect biomolecules against
oxidative stress and thus, may prevent its
pathological consequences. Specific
fluorescent markers have been established for
high-throughput screening of lipid and protein
oxidation and its inhibition by natural and
synthetic antioxidants. These methods can
also be used for the determination of
antioxidant capacities of biological fluids (e.g.
serum) and edible oils. A prominent example
is pumpkin seed oil which contains a variety
of antioxidants (e.g. tocopherols and phenolic
substances) and other secondary plant
components that possess useful biological
properties.
2. Functional proteomic analysis of lipolytic enzymes
The functional properties of lipases and esterases are the subject of our studies in the
framework of two joint research programs (GOLD-Genomics of Lipid-associated
Disorders at KFU Graz and the Research center Applied Biocatalysis at TU Graz).
Lipolytic enzymes catalyze intra- and extracellular lipid degradation. Dysfunctions in
lipid metabolism can lead to serious diseases including obesity, diabetes or
atherosclerosis. In chemistry, lipases and esterases are important biocatalysts for
(stereo)selective reactions on synthetic and natural substrates leading to defined
products for pharmaceutical or agrochemical use.
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