Director BioTechMed-Graz

Expertise

Prof. Zechner‘s research focuses on lipolysis, the biochemical pathway responsible for the enzymatic breakdown of lipids. He and his team discovered a new enzyme (Adipose Triglyceride Lipase), which is responsible for the initial step in the degradation of cellular fat stores. This finding has revised the existing doctrine and led to a completely new understanding of this central metabolic pathway. The current work of Prof. Zechner’s team focuses on molecular mechanisms how lipolysis affects the pathogenesis of obesity and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Prof. Zechner has coordinated numerous major projects, such as the SFB Biomembranes (1997-2006), SFB LIPOTOX (2007-2017) and the GEN-AU project Genomics of Lipid-associated Disorders (GOLD) (2002-2012). Internationally renowned journals like Science, Nature Medicine or Cell Metabolims have frequently published his work. His scientific achievements have won various prestigious awards, such as the Wittgenstein-Preis, an ERC Advanced Grant, the Louis-Jeantet Price for Medicine or the Rolf Luft Award for metabolism and diabetes research. In 2019 he was elected as foreign associate to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Selected Publications

• Schweiger M, Romauch M, Schreiber R, Grabner GF, Hutter S, Kotzbeck P, Benedikt P, Eichmann TO, Yamada S; Knittelfelder O; Diwoky, C; Doler C; Mayer N; De Cecco W; Breinbauer R; Zimmermann R, Zechner R (2017) Pharmacological inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase corrects high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and hepatosteatosis in mice. Nature Communications. 8.
   
• Schreiber R, Hofer P, Taschler U, Voshol PJ, Rechberger GN, Kotzbeck P, Jaeger D, Preiss-Landl K, Lord CC, Brown JM, Haemmerle G, Zimmermann R, Vidal-Puig A, Zechner R (2015) Hypophagia and metabolic adaptations in mice with defective ATGL-mediated lipolysis cause resistance to HFD-induced obesity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112, 13850-13855.
   
• Heier C, Radner FP, Moustafa T, Schreiber R, Grond S, Eichmann TO, Schweiger M, Schmidt A, Cerk IK, Oberer M, Theussl HC, Wojciechowski J, Penninger JM, Zimmermann R, Zechner R (2015) G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 Regulates Cardiac Lipolysis. J BiolChem. 290, 26141-26150.
   
• Zechner R (2015) FAT FLUX: enzymes, regulators, and pathophysiology of intracellular lipolysis. EMBO Mol Med. 7, 359-62. Review
   
• Folick A, Oakley HD, Yu Y, Armstrong EH, Kumari M, Sanor L, Moore DD, Ortlund EA, Zechner R, Wang MC (2015) Aging. Lysosomal signaling molecules regulate longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Science. 347, 83-86.
   
• Mayer N, Schweiger M, Romauch M, Grabner GF, Eichmann TO, Fuchs E, Ivkovic J, Heier C, Mrak I, Lass A, Höfler G, Fledelius C, Zechner R, Zimmermann R, Breinbauer R (2013) Development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting adipose triglyceride lipase. Nat Chem Biol. 9, 785-787.
   
• Kumari M, Schoiswohl G, Chitraju C, Paar M, Cornaciu I, Rangrez AY, Wongsiriroj N, Nagy HM, Ivanova PT, Scott SA, Knittelfelder O, Rechberger GN, Birner-Gruenberger R, Eder S, Brown HA, Haemmerle G, Oberer M, Lass A, Kershaw EE, Zimmermann R, Zechner R (2012) Adiponutrin functions as a nutritionally regulated lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. Cell Metab. 15, 691-702.
   
• Haemmerle G, Moustafa T, Woelkart G, Buttner S, Schmidt  A, van de WeijerT, Hesselink M, Jaeger D, Kienesberger PC, Zierler K, Schreiber R, EichmannT, KolbD, Kotzbeck P, Schweiger  M, Kumari M, Eder S, Schoiswohl G, Wongsiriroj N, Pollak NM, Radner FP, Preiss-Landl K, Kolbe T, Rulicke T, Pieske B, Trauner M, Lass A, Zimmermann R, Hoefler G, Cinti S, Kershaw EE, Schrauwen P, Madeo F, Mayer B, Zechner R (2011) ATGL-mediated fat catabolism regulates cardiac mitochondrial function via PPAR-alpha and PGC-1. Nat Med. 17, 1076-85
   
• Das SK, Eder S, Schauer S, Diwoky C, Temmel H, Guertl B, Gorkiewicz G, Tamilarasan KP, Kumari P, Trauner M, Zimmermann R, Vesely P, Haemmerle G, Zechner R, Hoefler G (2011) Adipose triglyceride lipase contributes to cancer-associated cachexia. Science. 333, 233-8.
   
• Zechner R, Madeo F (2009) Cell biology: Another way to get rid of fat. Nature. 458, 1118-9. Editorial
   
• Lass A, Zimmermann R, Haemmerle G, Riederer M, Schoiswohl G, Schweiger M, Kienesberger P, Strauss J G, Gorkiewicz G, Zechner R (2006) Adipose triglyceride lipase-mediated lipolysis of cellular fat stores is activated by CGI-58 and defective in Chanarin-Dorfman Syndrome. Cell Metab. 3, 309-19.
   
• Haemmerle G, Lass A, Zimmermann R, Gorkiewicz G, Meyer C, Rozman J, Heldmaier G, Maier R, Theussl C, Eder S, Kratky D, Wagner EF, Klingenspor M, Hoefler G & Zechner R (2006). Defective lipolysis and altered energy metabolism in mice lacking adipose triglyceride lipase. Science. 312, 734-7.
   
• Zimmermann R, Strauss JG, Haemmerle G, Schoiswohl G, Birner-Gruenberger R, Riederer M, Lass A, Neuberger G, Eisenhaber F, Hermetter A, Zechner R (2004) Fat mobilization in adipose tissue is promoted by adipose triglyceride lipase. Science. 306, 1383-6.          

All Publications