Research

The research group of AG Schlüter focuses on identifying molecular mechanisms in health and disease. Using a bioassay to detect vasoactive molecules, the group achieved the purification and identification of new hormones belonging to the biomolecule class of nucleotides. In total, 15 different nucleotides were identified as novel extracellular mediators (doi: 10.1038/367186a0; doi: 10.1172/JCI119882; doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.34.4.872; doi: 10.1161/01.cir.102.20.2548). After having characterized the pharmacological actions of the nucleotide hormones, one significant lesson learned was that even small changes in the atomic composition of closely related molecules can lead to markedly different biological effects (doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0704341). Building on this finding, the group investigated whether minor changes in the atomic composition of proteins determine them for participation in completely different biological processes (often mixed with “functions”). The results of these studies were summarized in two publications, published by Jungblut et al. 2008 and Schlüter et al. 2009 (doi: 10.1186/1752-153X-2-16; doi: 10.1186/1752-153X-3-11). In these, the concept of protein species, now known as proteoforms, was described in detail for the first time: A single gene can give rise to numerous proteoforms, which are generated after gene expression through mechanisms such as alternative splicing, proteolytic processing, and posttranslational modifications. Proteoforms derived from the same gene can participate in very different biological processes, determined by their composition of atoms. It is estimated that out of approximately 22,500 human genes, more than a billion distinct proteoforms occur over a lifetime (doi: 10.1038/nchembio.2576). AG Schlüter since 2000 has developed various tools and methods for studying proteoforms to better understand their roles in biological processes. These include assay systems for deciphering biological processes of proteases (doi: 10.1007/s00216-003-2211-8; doi: 10.1021/ac061482l.), infrared laser-based tissue sampling techniques (doi: 10.1002/anie.201407669) and migration assays (doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2015.12.029). Both bottom-up and top-down proteomics approaches, utilizing mass spectrometry, are employed in these investigations (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101924).

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Thoracic aortic diseases: Identification of diagnostic biomarkers using proteomic analysis
Arndt N, Mair T, Riedner M, Biabani A, Voß H, Schlüter H, Förster L, Knochenhauer T, Sachse M, Beyer M, Leonhardt M, von Kodolitsch Y, Schlein C, Sauter G, Nauth T, Naito S, Girdauskas E, Reichenspurner H, Detter C, Rosenberger G, Demal T CARDIOVASC PATHOL. 2026;80:107785.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41061941/

Infrared laser sampling of low volumes combined with shotgun lipidomics reveals lipid markers in palatine tonsil carcinoma
Kerkhoff L, Moritz M, Eggert D, Worthmann A, Heeren J, Zech H, Clauditz T, Wilczak W, Schlüter H, Betz C, Böttcher A, Hahn J MOL ONCOL. 2026.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41437766/

Overexpression of the ERG oncogene in prostate cancer identifies candidates for PARP inhibitor-based radiosensitization
Köcher S, Elsesy M, Moustafa A, Mohammadi W, Perugachi Heinsohn A, Nagaraj Y, Oh-Hohenhorst S, Hahn J, Siebels B, Mair T, Burdak-Rothkamm S, Tennstedt P, Simon R, Lange T, Tilki D, Frenzel T, Maurer T, Petersen C, Schlüter H, Bokemeyer C, von Amsberg G, Rothkamm K, Mansour W J CLIN INVEST. 2026 [Epub ahead of print].
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41632544/