@article{RichterMathesFroniusetal.2016, author = {Richter, K. and Mathes, V. and Fronius, M. and Althaus, M. and Hecker, A. and Krasteva-Christ, G. and Padberg, W. and Hone, A. J. and McIntosh, J. M. and Zakrzewicz, A. and Grau, V.}, title = {Phosphocholine - an agonist of metabotropic but not of ionotropic functions of α9-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {28660}, doi = {10.1038/srep28660}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167655}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We demonstrated previously that phosphocholine and phosphocholine-modified macromolecules efficiently inhibit ATP-dependent release of interleukin-1β from human and murine monocytes by a mechanism involving nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Interleukin-1β is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine of innate immunity that plays pivotal roles in host defence. Control of interleukin-1β release is vital as excessively high systemic levels cause life threatening inflammatory diseases. In spite of its structural similarity to acetylcholine, there are no other reports on interactions of phosphocholine with nAChR. In this study, we demonstrate that phosphocholine inhibits ion-channel function of ATP receptor P2X7 in monocytic cells via nAChR containing α9 and α10 subunits. In stark contrast to choline, phosphocholine does not evoke ion current responses in Xenopus laevis oocytes, which heterologously express functional homomeric nAChR composed of α9 subunits or heteromeric receptors containing α9 and α10 subunits. Preincubation of these oocytes with phosphocholine, however, attenuated choline-induced ion current changes, suggesting that phosphocholine may act as a silent agonist. We conclude that phophocholine activates immuno-modulatory nAChR expressed by monocytes but does not stimulate canonical ionotropic receptor functions.}, language = {en} } @article{NukarinenNaegelePedrottietal.2016, author = {Nukarinen, Ella and N{\"a}gele, Thomas and Pedrotti, Lorenzo and Wurzinger, Bernhard and Mair, Andrea and Landgraf, Ramona and B{\"o}rnke, Frederik and Hanson, Johannes and Teige, Markus and Baena-Gonzalez, Elena and Dr{\"o}ge-Laser, Wolfgang and Weckwerth, Wolfram}, title = {Quantitative phosphoproteomics reveals the role of the AMPK plant ortholog SnRK1 as a metabolic master regulator under energy deprivation}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {31697}, doi = {10.1038/srep31697}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167638}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Since years, research on SnRK1, the major cellular energy sensor in plants, has tried to define its role in energy signalling. However, these attempts were notoriously hampered by the lethality of a complete knockout of SnRK1. Therefore, we generated an inducible amiRNA::SnRK1α2 in a snrk1α1 knock out background (snrk1α1/α2) to abolish SnRK1 activity to understand major systemic functions of SnRK1 signalling under energy deprivation triggered by extended night treatment. We analysed the in vivo phosphoproteome, proteome and metabolome and found that activation of SnRK1 is essential for repression of high energy demanding cell processes such as protein synthesis. The most abundant effect was the constitutively high phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) in the snrk1α1/α2 mutant. RPS6 is a major target of TOR signalling and its phosphorylation correlates with translation. Further evidence for an antagonistic SnRK1 and TOR crosstalk comparable to the animal system was demonstrated by the in vivo interaction of SnRK1α1 and RAPTOR1B in the cytosol and by phosphorylation of RAPTOR1B by SnRK1α1 in kinase assays. Moreover, changed levels of phosphorylation states of several chloroplastic proteins in the snrk1α1/α2 mutant indicated an unexpected link to regulation of photosynthesis, the main energy source in plants.}, language = {en} } @article{VermaRaiKaushiketal.2016, author = {Verma, Nidhi and Rai, Amit Kumar and Kaushik, Vibha and Br{\"u}nnert, Daniela and Chahar, Kirti Raj and Pandey, Janmejay and Goyal, Pankaj}, title = {Identification of gefitinib off-targets using a structure-based systems biology approach; their validation with reverse docking and retrospective data mining}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {33949}, doi = {10.1038/srep33949}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167621}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Gefitinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used as FDA approved drug in breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer treatment. However, this drug has certain side effects and complications for which the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. By systems biology based in silico analysis, we identified off-targets of gefitinib that might explain side effects of this drugs. The crystal structure of EGFR-gefitinib complex was used for binding pocket similarity searches on a druggable proteome database (Sc-PDB) by using IsoMIF Finder. The top 128 hits of putative off-targets were validated by reverse docking approach. The results showed that identified off-targets have efficient binding with gefitinib. The identified human specific off-targets were confirmed and further analyzed for their links with biological process and clinical disease pathways using retrospective studies and literature mining, respectively. Noticeably, many of the identified off-targets in this study were reported in previous high-throughput screenings. Interestingly, the present study reveals that gefitinib may have positive effects in reducing brain and bone metastasis, and may be useful in defining novel gefitinib based treatment regime. We propose that a system wide approach could be useful during new drug development and to minimize side effect of the prospective drug.}, language = {en} } @article{RahmanKleinKlembtetal.2016, author = {Rahman, SK. Shaid-Ur and Klein, Thorsten and Klembt, Sebastian and Gutowski, J{\"u}rgen and Hommel, Detlef and Sebald, Kathrin}, title = {Observation of a hybrid state of Tamm plasmons and microcavity exciton polaritons}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {34392}, doi = {10.1038/srep34392}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167617}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We present evidence for the existence of a hybrid state of Tamm plasmons and microcavity exciton polaritons in a II-VI material based microcavity sample covered with an Ag metal layer. The bare cavity mode shows a characteristic anticrossing with the Tamm-plasmon mode, when microreflectivity measurements are performed for different detunings between the Tamm plasmon and the cavity mode. When the Tamm-plasmon mode is in resonance with the cavity polariton four hybrid eigenstates are observed due to the coupling of the cavity-photon mode, the Tamm-plasmon mode, and the heavy- and light-hole excitons. If the bare Tamm-plasmon mode is tuned, these resonances will exhibit three anticrossings. Experimental results are in good agreement with calculations based on the transfer matrix method as well as on the coupled-oscillators model. The lowest hybrid eigenstate is observed to be red shifted by about 13 meV with respect to the lower cavity polariton state when the Tamm plasmon is resonantly coupled with the cavity polariton. This spectral shift which is caused by the metal layer can be used to create a trapping potential channel for the polaritons. Such channels can guide the polariton propagation similar to one-dimensional polariton wires.}, language = {en} } @article{ShepardChevalPeterlinetal.2016, author = {Shepard, Blythe D. and Cheval, Lydie and Peterlin, Zita and Firestein, Stuart and Koepsell, Hermann and Doucet, Alain and Pluznick, Jennifer L.}, title = {A Renal Olfactory Receptor Aids in Kidney Glucose Handling}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {35215}, doi = {10.1038/srep35215}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167605}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Olfactory receptors (ORs) are G protein-coupled receptors which serve important sensory functions beyond their role as odorant detectors in the olfactory epithelium. Here we describe a novel role for one of these ORs, Olfr1393, as a regulator of renal glucose handling. Olfr1393 is specifically expressed in the kidney proximal tubule, which is the site of renal glucose reabsorption. Olfr1393 knockout mice exhibit urinary glucose wasting and improved glucose tolerance, despite euglycemia and normal insulin levels. Consistent with this phenotype, Olfr1393 knockout mice have a significant decrease in luminal expression of Sglt1, a key renal glucose transporter, uncovering a novel regulatory pathway involving Olfr1393 and Sglt1. In addition, by utilizing a large scale screen of over 1400 chemicals we reveal the ligand profile of Olfr1393 for the first time, offering new insight into potential pathways of physiological regulation for this novel signaling pathway.}, language = {en} } @article{BerntRangrezEdenetal.2016, author = {Bernt, Alexander and Rangrez, Ashraf Y. and Eden, Matthias and Jungmann, Andreas and Katz, Sylvia and Rohr, Claudia and M{\"u}ller, Oliver J. and Katus, Hugo A. and Sossalla, Samuel T. and Williams, Tatjana and Ritter, Oliver and Frank, Derk and Frey, Norbert}, title = {Sumoylation-independent activation of Calcineurin-NFAT-signaling via SUMO2 mediates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {35758}, doi = {10.1038/srep35758}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167525}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The objective of this study was to identify unknown modulators of Calcineurin (Cn)-NFAT signaling. Measurement of NFAT reporter driven luciferase activity was therefore utilized to screen a human cardiac cDNA-library (~10\(^{7}\) primary clones) in C2C12 cells through serial dilutions until single clones could be identified. This extensive screening strategy culminated in the identification of SUMO2 as a most efficient Cn-NFAT activator. SUMO2-mediated activation of Cn-NFAT signaling in cardiomyocytes translated into a hypertrophic phenotype. Prohypertrophic effects were also observed in mice expressing SUMO2 in the heart using AAV9 (Adeno-associated virus), complementing the in vitro findings. In addition, increased SUMO2-mediated sumoylation in human cardiomyopathy patients and in mouse models of cardiomyopathy were observed. To decipher the underlying mechanism, we generated a sumoylation-deficient SUMO2 mutant (ΔGG). Surprisingly, ΔGG replicated Cn-NFAT-activation and the prohypertrophic effects of native SUMO2, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a sumoylation-independent mechanism. Finally, we discerned a direct interaction between SUMO2 and CnA, which promotes CnA nuclear localization. In conclusion, we identified SUMO2 as a novel activator of Cn-NFAT signaling in cardiomyocytes. In broader terms, these findings reveal an unexpected role for SUMO2 in cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy, which may open the possibility for therapeutic manipulation of this pathway.}, language = {en} } @article{JahnMarkertRyuetal.2016, author = {Jahn, Martin T. and Markert, Sebastian M. and Ryu, Taewoo and Ravasi, Timothy and Stigloher, Christian and Hentschel, Ute and Moitinho-Silva, Lucas}, title = {Shedding light on cell compartmentation in the candidate phylum Poribacteria by high resolution visualisation and transcriptional profiling}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {35860}, doi = {10.1038/srep35860}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167513}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Assigning functions to uncultivated environmental microorganisms continues to be a challenging endeavour. Here, we present a new microscopy protocol for fluorescence in situ hybridisation-correlative light and electron microscopy (FISH-CLEM) that enabled, to our knowledge for the first time, the identification of single cells within their complex microenvironment at electron microscopy resolution. Members of the candidate phylum Poribacteria, common and uncultivated symbionts of marine sponges, were used towards this goal. Cellular 3D reconstructions revealed bipolar, spherical granules of low electron density, which likely represent carbon reserves. Poribacterial activity profiles were retrieved from prokaryotic enriched sponge metatranscriptomes using simulation-based optimised mapping. We observed high transcriptional activity for proteins related to bacterial microcompartments (BMC) and we resolved their subcellular localisation by combining FISH-CLEM with immunohistochemistry (IHC) on ultra-thin sponge tissue sections. In terms of functional relevance, we propose that the BMC-A region may be involved in 1,2-propanediol degradation. The FISH-IHC-CLEM approach was proven an effective toolkit to combine -omics approaches with functional studies and it should be widely applicable in environmental microbiology.}, language = {en} } @article{PlumSteinbachAttemsetal.2016, author = {Plum, Sarah and Steinbach, Simone and Attems, Johannes and Keers, Sharon and Riederer, Peter and Gerlach, Manfred and May, Caroline and Marcus, Katrin}, title = {Proteomic characterization of neuromelanin granules isolated from human substantia nigra by laser-microdissection}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {37139}, doi = {10.1038/srep37139}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167507}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Neuromelanin is a complex polymer pigment found primarily in the dopaminergic neurons of human substantia nigra. Neuromelanin pigment is stored in granules including a protein matrix and lipid droplets. Neuromelanin granules are yet only partially characterised regarding their structure and function. To clarify the exact function of neuromelanin granules in humans, their enrichment and in-depth characterization from human substantia nigra is necessary. Previously published global proteome studies of neuromelanin granules in human substantia nigra required high tissue amounts. Due to the limited availability of human brain tissue we established a new method based on laser microdissection combined with mass spectrometry for the isolation and analysis of neuromelanin granules. With this method it is possible for the first time to isolate a sufficient amount of neuromelanin granules for global proteomics analysis from ten 10 μm tissue sections. In total 1,000 proteins were identified associated with neuromelanin granules. More than 68\% of those proteins were also identified in previously performed studies. Our results confirm and further extend previously described findings, supporting the connection of neuromelanin granules to iron homeostasis and lysosomes or endosomes. Hence, this method is suitable for the donor specific enrichment and proteomic analysis of neuromelanin granules.}, language = {en} } @article{EstrechoGaoBrodbecketal.2016, author = {Estrecho, E. and Gao, T. and Brodbeck, S. and Kamp, M. and Schneider, C. and H{\"o}fling, S. and Truscott, A. G. and Ostrovskaya, E. A.}, title = {Visualising Berry phase and diabolical points in a quantum exciton-polariton billiard}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {37653}, doi = {10.1038/srep37653}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167496}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Diabolical points (spectral degeneracies) can naturally occur in spectra of two-dimensional quantum systems and classical wave resonators due to simple symmetries. Geometric Berry phase is associated with these spectral degeneracies. Here, we demonstrate a diabolical point and the corresponding Berry phase in the spectrum of hybrid light-matter quasiparticles—exciton-polaritons in semiconductor microcavities. It is well known that sufficiently strong optical pumping can drive exciton-polaritons to quantum degeneracy, whereby they form a macroscopically populated quantum coherent state similar to a Bose-Einstein condensate. By pumping a microcavity with a spatially structured light beam, we create a two-dimensional quantum billiard for the exciton-polariton condensate and demonstrate a diabolical point in the spectrum of the billiard eigenstates. The fully reconfigurable geometry of the potential walls controlled by the optical pump enables a striking experimental visualization of the Berry phase associated with the diabolical point. The Berry phase is observed and measured by direct imaging of the macroscopic exciton-polariton probability densities.}, language = {en} } @article{BossertdeBruinGoetzetal.2016, author = {Bossert, Nelli and de Bruin, Donny and G{\"o}tz, Maria and Bouwmeester, Dirk and Heinrich, Doris}, title = {Fluorescence-tunable Ag-DNA biosensor with tailored cytotoxicity for live-cell applications}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {37897}, doi = {10.1038/srep37897}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167482}, year = {2016}, abstract = {DNA-stabilized silver clusters (Ag-DNA) show excellent promise as a multi-functional nanoagent for molecular investigations in living cells. The unique properties of these fluorescent nanomaterials allow for intracellular optical sensors with tunable cytotoxicity based on simple modifications of the DNA sequences. Three Ag-DNA nanoagent designs are investigated, exhibiting optical responses to the intracellular environments and sensing-capability of ions, functional inside living cells. Their sequence-dependent fluorescence responses inside living cells include (1) a strong splitting of the fluorescence peak for a DNA hairpin construct, (2) an excitation and emission shift of up to 120 nm for a single-stranded DNA construct, and (3) a sequence robust in fluorescence properties. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of these Ag-DNA constructs is tunable, ranging from highly cytotoxic to biocompatible Ag-DNA, independent of their optical sensing capability. Thus, Ag-DNA represents a versatile live-cell nanoagent addressable towards anti-cancer, patient-specific and anti-bacterial applications.}, language = {en} }