The late endosomal adaptor protein LAMTOR2/p14 is essential for tissue homeostasis by controlling MAPK and mTOR signaling, which in turn regulate cell growth and proliferation, migration and spreading.

Studies in human patients and animals have revealed sex-specific differences in susceptibility to renal diseases. Because actions of female sex hormones on normal renal tissue might protect against damage, we searched for potential influences of the female hormone cycle on basic renal functions by studying excretion of urinary marker proteins in healthy human probands. We collected second morning spot urine samples of unmedicated naturally ovulating women, postmenopausal women, and men daily and determined urinary excretion of the renal tubular enzymes fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glutathione-S-transferase-α Additionally, we quantified urinary excretion of blood plasma proteins α1-microglobulin, albumin, and IgG. Naturally cycling women showed prominent peaks in the temporal pattern of urinary fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glutathione-S-transferase-α release exclusively within 7 days after ovulation or onset of menses. In contrast, postmenopausal women and men showed consistently low levels of urinary fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase excretion over comparable periods. We did not detect changes in urinary α1-microglobulin, albumin, or IgG excretion. Results of this study indicate that proximal tubular tissue architecture, representing a nonreproductive organ-derived epithelium, undergoes periodical adaptations phased by the female reproductive hormone cycle. The temporally delimited higher rate of enzymuria in ovulating women might be a sign of recurring increases of tubular cell turnover that potentially provide enhanced repair capacity and thus, higher resistance to renal damage.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of wettability on direct and protein-mediated cell-surface interactions. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) is chosen as a cell growth substrate, because it offers the possibility to adjust surface properties like roughness or chemical termination, thus realizing hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces. Cell adhesion is studied on NCD films with a defined roughness but different surface chemistries (hydrogen, fluorine, and oxygen terminations) using two different cell lines (LLC-PK1 and PANC-1). They are cultured with and without the addition of fetal bovine serum (FBS) to the growth medium in order to discriminate between direct and mediated cell adhesion. For both cell lines, the cells are not able to adhere to hydrophobic surfaces without the addition of FBS to the growth medium, whereas they can attach in the presence of FBS. Hydrophilic surfaces enable cell attachment with and without the addition of FBS to the medium.