Biology subjects

Rohrbach, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Rohrbach, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Tanycytic annexinA1-containing extracellular vesicles control thermogenesis by orchestrating microglial and neuronal functions.

Obesity, a major global health issue, results from disrupted energy balance driven by chronic hypothalamic inflammation and altered intercellular communication. Among the diverse cells orchestrating this regulation, tanycytes--specialized ependymal cells at the brain-blood interface--have emerged as key modulators, yet the molecular mechanisms by which they influence surrounding cells remain poorly understood. Here, we identify Annexin A1 (ANXA1) as a tanycyte-derived anti-inflammatory signal whose expression, localization, and secretion are dynamically regulated by nutritional state and altered under high-fat diet. During positive energy balance, ANXA1 is secreted in CD9 extracellular vesicles (EV), remodeling hypothalamic networks by altering microglial morphology, synaptic density, and neuronal activation. These EV-mediated effects extend systemically to regulate brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, glucose homeostasis, and overall energy balance. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized tanycyte-microglia-neuron signaling axis and highlight EV-mediated glial communication as a potential therapeutic target in obesity-associated neuroinflammation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Structure and dynamics of human cardiac fibroblast nanotubes

Efficient and dynamic interactions between cardiac fibroblasts and their environment are essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in healthy hearts and play an important role during pathological remodelling. Here, we investigate a relatively obscure mechanism through which human atrial fibroblasts communicate with each other, with other cells, and with the extracellular matrix (ECM) - nanotubes (NT). We investigated NT structure and dynamics in primary right atrial fibroblasts isolated from patients in sinus rhythm (SR) and atrial fibrillation (AF), in an immortalised human atrial fibroblasts cell line, and in intact human tissue, using a wide range of imaging approaches (including confocal microscopy, label-free reflection microscopy, rotating coherent scattering microscopy, and cryo-electron tomography). We show that fibroblasts maintain continuous NT activity in vitro, with numerous protrusions constantly probing the surrounding environment. NT structure and activity change during AF and following pharmacological (transforming growth factor-{beta}, latrunculin B) and environmental (hypoxia) interventions. We also show that cardiac fibroblast NT mediate intercellular organelle exchange and dynamically interact with ECM. Finally, we present evidence for the presence of fibroblast-borne NT in human atrial tissue. Our results advance our understanding of how cardiac fibroblasts interact with their environment. NT are versatile structures capable of both sensory and actuating functions, and offer a dynamic and rapid communication conduit that facilitates cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Measuring stepwise binding of a thermally fluctuating particle to a cell membrane without labeling

Thermal motions enable a particle to probe the optimal interaction state when binding to a cell membrane. However, especially on the scale of microseconds and nanometers, position and orientation fluctuations are difficult to observe with common measurement technologies. Here we show that it is possible to detect single binding events of IgG-coated polystyrene beads, which are held in an optical trap nearby the cell membrane of a macrophage. Changes in the spatial and temporal thermal fluctuations of the particle were measured interferometrically and no fluorophore labelling was required. We demonstrate both by Brownian dynamic simulations and by experiments that sequential step-wise increases in the force constant of the bond between a bead and a cell of typically 20 pN / {micro}m are clearly detectable. In addition, this technique provides estimates about binding rates and diffusion constants of membrane receptors. The simple approach of thermal noise tracking points out new strategies in understanding interactions between cells and particles, which are relevant for a large variety of processes including phagocytosis, drug delivery or the effects of small microplastics and particulates on cells.\n\nSIGNIFICANCEInteractions of cells with nearby particles, e.g. bacteria, viruses or synthetic material, is a very fundamental and complex process, often deciding about the cellular fate. The investigation of binding processes between particle and cell is typically investigated by fluorescence techniques, where fluorophores often hinder the molecular interaction of specific binding partners. Therefore, label-free detection or imaging techniques are essential, which are hardly available especially for live cell investigations. Molecular binding is based on thermal position and orientation fluctuations of the binding partners to find the best interaction state. Here, we present a label-free measurement technique that allows us to detect multiple stepwise binding events of molecules on an optically trapped particle close to the cell membrane.

biophysics↗