Event:

The secretome of a neuron comprises soluble, secreted proteins as well as proteolytically shed membrane protein ectodomains (sheddome). Secretome proteins have a major role in physiological and pathophysiological processes, such as cell adhesion and signal transduction. Additionally, secretome proteins are considered as a rich source for the identification of biomarkers and drug targets. We developed the secretome-protein enrichment with click-sugars (SPECS)-method, which enables quantitative proteomic analyses of neuronal secretomes. The lecture shows how SPECS was used to identify neuronal substrates and thereby study the function of the cell surface proteases ADAM10 and BACE1, which are central drug targets for different diseases, including Alzheimer’s and glioblastoma. Both proteases turn out to have central functions in axon guidance and synapse formation. The talk will also give an overview of other research projects, including a genome-wide RNAi screen.