A10: SFB 1328

A10 Project movie

A10

Obesity is characterized by disturbed energy metabolism in white and brown adipose tissue. These metabolic abnormalities trigger inflammatory responses, thereby strongly contributing to the development of chronic inflammatory metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. In this project, we aim to investigate the functional relevance of extracellular adenine nucleotides and purinergic receptors for lipid processing, for adipogenic differentiation and for inflammatory responses in white and brown adipose tissue.

Prof. Dr. Jörg Heeren

E-Mail: heeren©uke.de
www: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

Prof. Dr. Jörg Heeren

Selected publications (*equal contribution)

Jaeckstein MY, Fischer AW, Rissiek B, Staehler T, Heine M, Behrens J, Mann O, Pfeifer A, Magnus T, Schlein C, Worthmann A, Scheja L, Koch-Nolte F, Heeren J. Purinergic adipocyte-macrophage crosstalk promotes degeneration of thermogenic brown adipose tissue. EMBO Rep. 2025 Dec;26(24):6460-6493.
Jaeckstein MY, Miegel L, Behrens J, Stähler T, Diercks BP, Heine M, Koch-Nolte F, Heeren J.The Purinergic Receptor P2X5 Modulates Glucose Metabolism and Expression of Thermogenic Genes in Brown Adipose Tissue. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jul 4;26(13):6474. doi: 10.3390/ijms26136474.
Jaeckstein MY, Schulze I, Zajac MW, Heine M, Mann O, Pfeifer A, Heeren J. CD73-dependent generation of extracellular adenosine by vascular endothelial cells modulates de novo lipogenesis in adipose tissue. Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 9;14:1308456.
Reverte-Salisa L, Siddig S, Hildebrand S, Yao X, Zurkovic J, Jaeckstein MY, Heeren J, Lezoualc'h F, Krahmer N, Pfeifer A. EPAC1 enhances brown fat growth and beige adipogenesis. Nat Cell Biol. 2024 Jan;26(1):113-123. doi: 10.1038/s41556-023-01311-9.
Niemann B, Haufs-Brusberg S, Puetz L, Feickert M, Jaeckstein MY, Hoffmann A, Zurkovic J, Heine M, Trautmann EM, Müller CE, Tönjes A, Schlein C, Jafari A, Eltzschig HK, Gnad T, Blüher M, Krahmer N, Kovacs P, Heeren J, Pfeifer A. Apoptotic brown adipocytes enhance energy expenditure via extracellular inosine. Nature 2022 Sep;609(7926):361-368.
Fischer AW*, Jaeckstein MY*, Gottschling K, Heine M, Sass F, Mangels N, Schlein C, Worthmann A, Bruns OT, Yuan Y, Zhu H, Chen O, Ittrich H, Nilsson SK, Stefanicka P, Ukropec J, Balaz M, Dong H, Sun W, Reimer R, Scheja L, Heeren J (2020) Lysosomal lipoprotein processing in endothelial cells stimulates adipose tissue thermogenic adaptation. Cell Metab S1550-4131(20)30656-2
Scheja L, Heeren J (2019) The endocrine function of adipose tissues in health and cardiometabolic disease. Nature Rev Endocrinol 15(9):507-524.
Heine M, Fischer AW, Schlein C, Jung C, Straub LG, Gottschling K, Mangels N, Yuan Y, Nilsson SK, Liebscher G, Chen O, Schreiber R, Zechner R, Scheja L, Heeren J (2018) Lipolysis Triggers a Systemic Insulin Response Essential for Efficient Energy Replenishment of Activated Brown Adipose Tissue in Mice. Cell Metab 28(4):644-655.
Worthmann A, John C, Rühlemann MC, Baguhl M, Heinsen FA, Schaltenberg N, Heine M, Schlein C, Evangelakos I, Mineo C, Fischer M, Dandri M, Kremoser C, Scheja L, Franke A, Shaul PW, Heeren J (2017) Cold-induced conversion of cholesterol to bile acids in mice shapes the gut microbiome and promotes adaptive thermogenesis. Nat Med 23:839-849.
Bartelt A, John C, Schaltenberg N, Berbée JFP, Worthmann A, Cherradi ML, Schlein C, Piepenburg J, Boon MR, Rinninger F, Heine M, Toedter K, Niemeier A, Nilsson SK, Fischer M, Wijers SL, van Marken Lichtenbelt W, Scheja L, Rensen PCN, Heeren J (2017) Thermogenic adipocytes promote HDL turnover and reverse cholesterol transport. Nat Commun 8:15010.