Executive Summary

scientific
Microbiology and Molecular Genetic Laboratory, UMR2585	National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) and National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)	++33 130815450	F78850	Thiverval-Grignon	CBAI B.P. 01	France	yarrowia lipolytica, lipid accumulation, genetic	We are interested in understanding the degradation of hydrophobic substrates (alkanes, fatty acids, oils) by the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. We combine a multistage approach going from: - transcriptional analysis of gene expression during growth on hydrophobic substrates using Y lipolytica micro array, - the identification of peroxisomal and oil bodies proteins (proteomics), - the study of wild-type and mutants affected in HS utilisation, in beta oxidation, in lipid accumulation, ... Our goals are to identified genes involved in lipid accumulation (functional analysis, nature and amount of fatty acid accumulated), lipid and HS transport into different cell organelles. Principal collaboration: - within France Dr T Chardot, Biological Chemistry, INRA, Grignon (biochemistry of lipid bodies), Prof N Latruffe, Burgundy University, Dijon (peroxisome), MC C Molina-Jouve, INSA, Toulouse (Biotechnology of oleaginous yeast), - within European Union: Prof G Daum, Dr Athensdaedt, Technical University, Graz (lipid particles from yeast), Dr S Papanicolaou, Agronomic University of Athens (Biotechnology of oleaginous yeast).	scientific
Cyberlipid Center	Private	330467414365	34090	Montpellier	2 rue du colonel Marchand	France	database internet lipids	Construction and administration of an internet site devoted to all lipid aspects www.cyberlipid.org which is yet cited in your links page	scientific
Nutrition, Croissance et Cancer, INSERM E211	Université François Rabelais	[phone]	37044	TOURS	CHU Bretonneau	France	diet, cancer, lipidome, PUFA, CLA	In the field of cancer prevention through dietary lipids, we use the white adipose tissue lipid composition as a qualitative indicator of past dietary intake of lipids. Through a reappraisal of white adipose tissue data obtained recently in human and animal models, we individualized a composite lipid profile associated with a low risk of breast cancer. This profile has led us to elaborate a composite index indicative of the risk of breast cancer. This biomarker offers the opportunity to quantify the part due to modifiable dietary factors in the risk of breast cancer and complements the currently known risk factors for breast cancer. Bougnoux P, Giraudeau B, Couet C. Diet, cancer and the lipidome. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 2006, 15(3):416-21.	scientific
University of Bourgogne	University	[phone]	21000	DIJON	6 Bd Gabriel	France	Diacylglycerols, MAP kinases, T cells, Macrosomia	Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been classified into two categories, belonging to n-6 and n-3 families. These fatty acids are indispensable for animal cell to maintain its structure, fluidity and function. The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUPA) of n-3 family have been considered as authentic immunosuppressors, however, their mechanisms of action in T-cell activation have not been well elucidated. T-cell activation involves a series of complex mechanisms from membrane receptor to gene transcription via the second messenger cascades. The main theme of our research is to elucidate the role of dietary PUPA of n-3 family in human T-cells activation which might be involved in the pathology of several diseases like diabetes and obesity. We are studying the interaction of these fatty acids with the second messenger cascade / cell signalling (MAP kinases, calcium signalling, protein kinases C & diacylglycerol).	scientific
Applied Biosystems	Applera Deutschland GmbH	[phone]	64293	Darmstadt	Frankfurter Strasse 129B	Germany	SOP, MS, LCMS, funding, TaqMan Assays	Co-Developement of Gene Expression Assays Standard Operating Procedures for MS Lipid Analysis Business developement / Product & Service developement in Lipidomics	industrial
AkdÄ	Arzneimittelkommission der deutschen Ärzteschaft	++4930400456500	10623	Berlin	Herbert-Lewin-Platz 1	Germany	Clinical effects of lipid lowering, outcome trials, statins, safety of statins	Clinical effects of lipid lowering, outcome trials, statins, safety of statins	scientific
Julius-v-Sachs-Institute for Biosciences, Pharmaceutical Biology	Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg	++49-931-888-6160	D-97082	Wuerzburg	Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2	Germany	plant oxylipins, isoprostanes	We are interested in the functional analysis of plant lipids. There is a long track record on plant oxylipins of the jasmonate type. However more recently we came interested in oxidized lipids derived from non-enzymatic oxidation of plant membrane lipids. The current focus is on hydroxy fatty acids and prostaglandin-like plant isoprostanes termed phytoprostanes. Formation of these compounds in response to environmental stress conditions is intensively been investigated in cyanobacteria and plants. It has been shown by our group that oxidized lipids (including phytoprostanes)represent archetype signals that induce detoxification and defence responses in plants and cyanobacteria. Moreover oxidized plant lipids also have an pronounced effect on mammalian immune cells. In the future, a comprehensive analysis of plant oxidized lipids and their biological effects in vivo (cyanobacteria, plants) will be performed. The lab is equipped with three GC-MS (sector field MS and quadrupol MS instruments). More recently, an Nano-ESI-HPLC-Ion-Trap MS instrument for plant proteome analysis and a HPLC-Triple Quadrupol MS for plant lipidomics have been purchased.	scientific
Eicosanoids and Tumor Development	Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum	49 6221 424506	D 69120	Heidelberg	Im Neuenheimer Feld 280	Germany	Lipoxygenase, ichthyosis, epidermal barrier	The long-term objective of the research group is to substantially contribute to the understanding of the role of eicosanoids, which perform important tasks as local signals coordinating the concerted activities of different cell types in tissues under normal and disease conditions with a special focus on cancer. As autocoids the biological activities of eicosanoids are primarily determined by their biosynthesis via the cyclooxygenase (COX) and the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways. Accordingly, the expression and activity of COX and LOX are strictly regulated under normal conditions, transiently up- or down-regulated during irritation and tissue regeneration, and permanently deregulated during carcinogenesis in both humans and mice. The group’s experimental strategy is to establish expression and activity profiles of individual LOX in mouse and human biopsies in order to bridge the animal data with clinical investigations. The experimental models used for functional studies include phorbol ester-irritated or wounded mouse skin, the two-stage skin carcinogenesis approach, and transgenic mouse lines with targeted over-expression or deletion LOX genes in skin epidermis or other epithelia in vivo and epithelial cells in vitro. Our current work is focussed on analyses of molecular mechanisms involved in the functions of epidermis-type LOX in tissue homeostasis and disease-related deregulation of eicosanoid metabolism.	scientific
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Proteomforschung	DGPF	089-1897 9007	82152	Martinsried	Am Klopferspitz 18	Germany	Proteomics, proteome research	Proteomics	scientific
department of cellular and molecular pathology	DKFZ(German Cancer Research Center)	49-6221-424350	D-69120	Heidelberg	Im Neuenheimer Feld 280	Germany	glucosylceramide synthase,cerebrosidesulfotransferase,cell-specific deficiency,fertilify	Glycosphingolipid and immune function Glycosphingolipid and transgene mice	scientific
Dept. of Neonatology, Lipid Metabolism and Developmental Physiology Group	Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen	#49-(0)7071-29-86377	72076	Tübingen	Calwerstr. 7	Germany	Phospholipids, in vivo metabolism, D9-choline, human	The Lipid Metabolism and Developmental Physiology Group focuses on clinical as well as on developmental and comparative aspects of the metabolism of individual (phospho)lipid molecular species. Main topics are: (1) the metabolism of pulmonary phospho- and other lipids, together with that of their hydrophobic and hydrophilic proteins, in relation to pulmonary maturation, ante- and perinatal diseases and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. (2) the function of individual and characteristic phospholipid molecular species with respect to air-liquid interface function under dynamic conditions and to immunological differentiation of immune-competent cells in terminal lung tissues. (3) the metabolism and secretion of hepatic phospholipids and their role in the supply of peripheral organs with lipids and lipid precursors during postnatal development and at different clinical settings, where liver function is compromised. To investigate these issues we have performed a lipidomic approach to individual phospholipid molecular species composition and metabolism of pulmonary surfactant systems. This includes investigation across a wide spectrum of vertebrate species in relation to development and their differing parameters of pulmonary physiology, air-liquid interface dynamics and parenchymal structures (avian air capillaries, mammalian sacculi, alveoli and airways). Furthermore, it includes investigation of functional characteristics of individual phospholipid components for phagocyte differentiation and function as well as for surface tension function. We have furthermore studied the relation of pulmonary surfactant molecular composition to extrapulmonary interfaces, like that of the hydrophobic gastric barrier. To investigate phospholipid metabolism under different clinical conditions and during postnatal development we have developed and established strategies using stable isotope labelled precursors in vivo in human subjects as well as in animal models, combined with electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS/MS) analysis of hydrophilic phospholipid precursors and their synthesis products. We have furthermore established animal models suitable for the investigation of inflammatory and hereditary diseases and during development, where changes of pulmonary and/or hepatic phospholipid metabolism as well as that of lipid-derived mediators is prominent (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, hyperoxic lung injury, cystic fibrosis).	scientific
Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences/Plant Biochemistry	Georg-August-University	++49-551-39-5743	37077	Goettingen	Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11	Germany	Plant lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation processes, oxylipins, β,-oxidation	A central aspect in lipid metabolism is lipid peroxidation. It is common to all biological systems, both appearing in developmentally and environmentally regulated processes. Products are hydroperoxy polyunsaturated fatty acids and metabolites derived there from collectively named oxylipins or eicosanoids in mammals. They may either originate from chemical oxidation or are synthesized mainly by the action of various highly specialized forms of lipoxygenases. We are analyzing the physiological function of oxylipins during the degradation of storage lipids in oilseed seedlings as well as the involvement of lipoxygenases in the interaction of plants with pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Another research focus is the ana- and catabolism of lipid peroxides by analyzing the biosynthesis of hydro(pero)xy polyenoic fatty acids, aldehydes, ketols and divinyl ethers by combined biochemical and analytical methods as well as by using a metabolomic approach (oxylipin profiling). The use of plants as bioreactors for biotechnological purposes is addressed by isolating new fatty acid desaturases, acyl transferases and double bond isomerases in order to introduce new functional groups in seed oils for nutritional and industrial purposes. In order to identfy bottle necks within these projects we use lipid profiling methods.	scientific
Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences/Plant Biochemistry	Georg-August-University	++49-551-39-5743	37077	Goettingen	Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11	Germany	Plant lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation processes, oxylipins, β,-oxidation	A central aspect in lipid metabolism is lipid peroxidation. It is common to all biological systems, both appearing in developmentally and environmentally regulated processes. Products are hydroperoxy polyunsaturated fatty acids and metabolites derived there from collectively named oxylipins or eicosanoids in mammals. They may either originate from chemical oxidation or are synthesized mainly by the action of various highly specialized forms of lipoxygenases. We are analyzing the physiological function of oxylipins during the degradation of storage lipids in oilseed seedlings as well as the involvement of lipoxygenases in the interaction of plants with pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Another research focus is the ana- and catabolism of lipid peroxides by analyzing the biosynthesis of hydro(pero)xy polyenoic fatty acids, aldehydes, ketols and divinyl ethers by combined biochemical and analytical methods as well as by using a metabolomic approach (oxylipin profiling). The use of plants as bioreactors for biotechnological purposes is addressed by isolating new fatty acid desaturases, acyl transferases and double bond isomerases in order to introduce new functional groups in seed oils for nutritional and industrial purposes. In order to identfy bottle necks within these projects we use lipid profiling methods.	scientific
Department of Macromolecular Structure Research	GKSS Research Center	++49-4152-87-1291	21502	Geesthacht	Max-Planck-Str. 1	Germany	peptide antibiotics, membrane biophysics, scattering	interaction in or at membrane interfaces sensing of biophysical membrane properties by proteins modification of biophysical membrane properties by proteins, peptides or membrane active molecules peptide antibiotics, viral infectivitity	scientific
Institute of Biology/Molecular Biophysics	Humboldt-University Berlin	49 (0) 30 2093 8860	D-10115	Berlin	Invalidenstr. 42	Germany	lipid, transport, fusion, virus	The research is interdisciplinary ranging from structural biology, molecular and cell biology, virology, spectroscopy to the design and synthesis of biomolecule analogues. The topics of basic and applied research are protein-mediated fusion of membranes (viral fusion proteins), virus budding, lipid-trafficking in eukaryotic cells, protein-lipid interaction in membranes, and application of membranes in nanobiotechnology. Cell Entry and Budding of Enveloped Viruses: A focus of our research is an early step of cell entry of enveloped viruses. Enveloped viruses as influenza virus or HIV fuse with respective membranes to deliver their genome into the host cell. In our lab enveloped viruses are employed to study the molecular mechanism of protein-mediated virus-membrane fusion. We use various biophysical and cell biology methods to follow directly the fusion process and to identify structural intermediates mainly by fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy. To understand the functioning of viral fusion proteins, specific mutants and chimeras of those proteins are created and probed for their fusion activity. By strong collaboration with groups specialised in electron microscopy and in image reconstruction, we identify the three dimensional structure of complete viral fusion protein at conditions typical for triggering membrane fusion. Another research focus is the assembly and budding of enveloped viruses. We are interested in mechanisms underlying local enrichment of viral components at the budding site of the host membranes. Lipid-trafficking in eukaryotic cells: Lipids play an essential role in various cellular processes including signal transduction. Our specific interest is the protein-mediated translocation of lipids across cellular membranes and their intracellular transport to distinct organelles. Although indirect evidence already exists the molecular identification of translocases pumping on the expense of energy (specific) lipids across membranes and of flippases facilitating a rapid, energy independent and unspecific movement of lipids in membranes is still awaiting. We are very much interested in the physiological relevance of those protein-mediated lipid transports and their function(s), for example in cell genesis, apoptosis, fertilisation, cell shape, exo- and endocytosis, in the enrichment of specific lipids in the bile fluid as well as in the mechanism and consequences of the lipid transport mediated by multi drug resistance proteins in tumor cells.	scientific
Microbial Expression Technology	Institute for Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf	[phone]	52426	Juelich	Stetternicher Forst	Germany	lipolytic enzymes, biotechnology, biodetergents	- Biochemistry and biotechnology with lipases, esterases, phospholipases, thioesterases - Biodetergents, e. g. rhamnolipids from Pseudomonas aeruginosa - Membrane processes in pathogenic bacteria	scientific
LIPIDOMIX GmbH	LIPIDOMIX GmbH	++49-30-76778940	D-13088	Berlin	Berliner Allee 261-269	Germany	eicosanoids, phospholipids, HPLC, mass spectrometry	Analytic of eicosanoid related substances like: Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Hydroxy- and Epoxy fatty acids High throughput analytics Replacement of immuno assays and: Fatty acids Phospholipids, Sphingolipids Lipid profiling using: HPLC - Triple quad mass spectrometry	industrial
Walther-Straub-Institute	Ludwig-Maximilians-University	[phone]	80336	Munich	Goethestr. 33	Germany	inflammation, eicosanoids, obesity	Arachidonic acid metabolism, pharmacology of inflammation, neurotransmitter, obesity	scientific
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology/Plant Lipid Group	Max Planck Society	++49-331-567-8259	14476	Golm	Am Mühlenberg 1