@article{WeissSchultz2015,
  author    = {Weiß, Clemens Leonard and Schultz, J{\"o}rg},
  title     = {Identification of divergent WH2 motifs by HMM-HMM alignments},
  series = {BMC Research Notes},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {BMC Research Notes},
  number    = {18},
  doi       = {10.1186/s13104-015-0981-7},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126413},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Background The actin cytoskeleton is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. Its regulation as well as its interaction with other proteins is carefully orchestrated by actin interaction domains. One of the key players is the WH2 motif, which enables binding to actin monomers and filaments and is involved in the regulation of actin nucleation. Contrasting conserved domains, the identification of this motif in protein sequences is challenging, as it is short and poorly conserved. Findings To identify divergent members, we combined Hidden-Markov-Model (HMM) to HMM alignments with orthology predictions. Thereby, we identified nearly 500 proteins containing so far not annotated WH2 motifs. This included shootin-1, an actin binding protein involved in neuron polarization. Among others, WH2 motifs of 'proximal to raf' (ptr)-orthologs, which are described in the literature, but not annotated in genome databases, were identified. Conclusion In summary, we increased the number of WH2 motif containing proteins substantially. This identification of candidate regions for actin interaction could steer their experimental characterization. Furthermore, the approach outlined here can easily be adapted to the identification of divergent members of further domain families.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LakovicPoethkeHovestadt2015,
  author    = {Lakovic, Milica and Poethke, Hans-Joachim and Hovestadt, Thomas},
  title     = {Dispersal timing: Emigration of insects living in patchy environments},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {7},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0128672},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126466},
  pages     = {e0128672},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Dispersal is a life-history trait affecting dynamics and persistence of populations; it evolves under various known selective pressures. Theoretical studies on dispersal typically assume 'natal dispersal', where individuals emigrate right after birth. But emigration may also occur during a later moment within a reproductive season ('breeding dispersal'). For example, some female butterflies first deposit eggs in their natal patch before migrating to other site(s) to continue egg-laying there. How breeding compared to natal dispersal influences the evolution of dispersal has not been explored. To close this gap we used an individual-based simulation approach to analyze (i) the evolution of timing of breeding dispersal in annual organisms, (ii) its influence on dispersal (compared to natal dispersal). Furthermore, we tested (iii) its performance in direct evolutionary contest with individuals following a natal dispersal strategy. Our results show that evolution should typically result in lower dispersal under breeding dispersal, especially when costs of dispersal are low and population size is small. By distributing offspring evenly across two patches, breeding dispersal allows reducing direct sibling competition in the next generation whereas natal dispersal can only reduce trans-generational kin competition by producing highly dispersive offspring in each generation. The added benefit of breeding dispersal is most prominent in patches with small population sizes. Finally, the evolutionary contests show that a breeding dispersal strategy would universally out-compete natal dispersal.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Muenz2015,
  author    = {M{\"u}nz, Thomas Sebastian},
  title     = {Aspects of neuronal plasticity in the mushroom body calyx during adult maturation in the honeybee Apis mellifera},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111611},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Division of labor represents a major advantage of social insect communities that accounts for their enormous ecological success. In colonies of the honeybee, Apis mellifera, division of labor comprises different tasks of fertile queens and drones (males) and, in general, sterile female workers. Division of labor also occurs among workers in form of an age-related polyethism. This helps them to deal with the great variety of tasks within the colony. After adult eclosion, workers spend around three weeks with various duties inside the hive such as tending the brood or cleaning and building cells. After this period workers switch to outdoor tasks and become foragers collecting nectar, pollen and water. With this behavioral transition, workers face tremendous changes in their sensory environment. In particular, visual sensory stimuli become important, but also the olfactory world changes. Foragers have to perform a completely new behavioral repertoire ranging from long distance navigation based on landmark orientation and polarized-skylight information to learning and memory tasks associated with finding profitable food sources. However, behavioral maturation is not a purely age-related internal program associated with a change, for example, in juvenile hormone titers. External factors such as primer pheromones like the brood pheromone or queen mandibular pheromone can modulate the timing of this transition. In this way colonies are able to flexibly adjust their work force distribution between indoor and outdoor tasks depending on the actual needs of the colony. Besides certain physiological changes, mainly affecting glandular tissue, the transition from indoor to outdoor tasks requires significant adaptations in sensory and higher-order integration centers of the brain. The mushroom bodies integrate olfactory, visual, gustatory and mechanosensory information. Furthermore, they play important roles in learning and memory processes. It is therefore not surprising that the mushroom bodies, in particular their main input region, the calyx, undergo volumetric neuronal plasticity. Similar to behavioral maturation, plastic changes of the mushroom bodies are associated with age, but are also to be affected by modulating factors such as task and experience. In my thesis, I analyzed in detail the neuronal processes underlying volumetric plasticity in the mushroom body. Immunohistochemical labeling of synaptic proteins combined with quantitative 3D confocal imaging revealed that the volume increase of the mushroom body calyx is largely caused by the growth of the Kenyon cell dendritic network. This outgrowth is accompanied by changes in the synaptic architecture of the mushroom body calyx, which is organized in a distinct pattern of synaptic complexes, so called microglomeruli. During the first week of natural adult maturation microglomeruli remain constant in total number. With subsequent behavioral transition from indoor duties to foraging, microglomeruli are pruned while the Kenyon cell dendritic network is still growing. As a result of these processes, the mushroom body calyx neuropil volume enlarges while the total number of microgloumeruli becomes reduced in foragers compared to indoor workers. In the visual subcompartments (calyx collar) this process is induced by visual sensory stimuli as the beginning of pruning correlates with the time window when workers start their first orientation flights. The high level of analysis of cellular and subcellular process underlying structural plasticity of the mushroom body calyx during natural maturation will serve as a framework for future investigations of behavioral plasticity in the honeybee. The transition to foraging is not purely age-dependent, but gets modulated, for example, by the presence of foragers. Ethyl oleate, a primer pheromone that is present only in foragers, was shown to delay the onset of foraging in nurse bees. Using artificial application of additional ethyl oleate in triple cohort colonies, I tested whether it directly affects adult neuronal plasticity in the visual input region of the mushroom body calyx. As the pheromonal treatment failed to induce a clear behavioral phenotype (delayed onset of foraging) it was not possible to show a direct link between the exposure to additional ethyl oleate and neuronal plasticity in mushroom body calyx. However, the general results on synaptic maturation confirmed my data of natural maturation processes in the mushroom body calyx. Given the result that dendritic plasticity is a major contributor to neuronal plasticity in the mushroom body calyx associated with division of labor, the question arose which proteins could be involved in mediating these effects. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) especially in mammals, but also in insects (Drosophila, Cockroach), was shown to be involved in facilitating learning and memory processes like long-term synaptic potentiation. In addition to presynaptic effects, the protein was also revealed to directly interact with cytoskeleton elements in the postsynapse. It therefore is a likely candidate to mediate structural synaptic plasticity. As part of my thesis, the presence and distribution of CaMKII was analyzed, and the results showed that the protein is highly concentrated in a distinct subpopulation of the mushroom body intrinsic neurons, the noncompact Kenyon cells. The dendritic network of this population arborizes in two calyx subregions: one receiving mainly olfactory input - the lip - and the collar receiving visual input. This distribution pattern did not change with age or task. The high concentration of CaMKII in dendritic spines and its overlap with f-actin indicates that CaMKII could be a key player inducing structural neuronal plasticity associated with learning and memory formation and/or behavioral transitions related to division of labor. Interestingly CaMKII immunoreactivity was absent in the basal ring, another subregion of the mushroom body calyx formed almost exclusively by the inner compact Kenyon cells and known to receive combined visual and olfactory input. This indicates differences of this mushroom body subregion regarding the molecular mechanisms controlling plastic changes in corresponding Kenyon cells. How is timing of behavioral and neuronal plasticity regulated? The primer pheromone ethyl oleate was found in high concentrations on foragers and was shown to influence behavioral maturation by delaying the onset of foraging when artificially applied in elevated concentrations. But how is ethyl oleate transferred and how does it shift the work force distribution between indoor and outdoor tasks? Previous work showed that ethyl oleate concentrations are highest in the honeycrop of foragers and suggested that it is transferred and communicated inside the colony via trophallaxis. The results of this thesis however clearly show, that ethyl oleate was not present inside the honey crop or the regurgitate, but rather in the surrounding tissue of the honey crop. As additionally the second highest concentration of ethyl oleate was measured on the surface of the cuticle of forgers, trophallaxis was ruled out as a mode of transmission. Neurophysiological measurements at the level of the antennae (electroantennogram recordings) and the first olfactory neuropil (calcium imaging of activity in the antennal lobe) revealed that the primer pheromone ethyl oleate is received and processed as an olfactory stimulus. Appetitive olfactory conditioning using the proboscis extension response as a behavioral paradigm showed that ethyl oleate can be associated with a sugar reward. This indicates that workers are able to perceive, learn and memorize the presence of this pheromone. As ethyl oleate had to be presented by a heated stimulation device at close range, it can be concluded that this primer pheromone acts via close range/contact chemoreception through the olfactory system. This is also supported by previous behavioral observations. Taken together, the findings presented in this thesis revealed structural changes in the synaptic architecture of the mushroom body calyx associated with division of labor. For the primer pheromone ethyl oleate, which modulates the transition from nursing to foraging, the results clearly showed that it is received via the olfactory system and presumably acts via this pathway. However, manipulation experiments did not indicate a direct effect of ethyl oleate on synaptic plasticity. At the molecular level, CaMKII is a prime candidate to mediate structural synaptic plasticity in the mushroom body calyx. Future combined structural and functional experiments are needed to finally link the activity of primer pheromones like ethyl oleate to the molecular pathways mediating behavioral and synaptic plasticity associated with division of labor in Apis mellifera. The here identified underlying processes will serve as excellent models for a general understanding of fundamental mechanisms promoting behavioral plasticity.},
  subject      = {Biene},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Stoll2015,
  author    = {Stoll, Georg},
  title     = {Identification of the mRNA-associated TOP3β- TDRD3-FMRP (TTF) -complex and its implication for neurological disorders},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111440},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The propagation of the genetic information into proteins is mediated by messenger- RNA (mRNA) intermediates. In eukaryotes mRNAs are synthesized by RNA- Polymerase II and subjected to translation after various processing steps. Earlier it was suspected that the regulation of gene expression occurs primarily on the level of transcription. In the meantime it became evident that the contribution of post- transcriptional events is at least equally important. Apart from non-coding RNAs and metabolites, this process is in particular controlled by RNA-binding proteins, which assemble on mRNAs in various combinations to establish the so-called "mRNP- code". In this thesis a so far unknown component of the mRNP-code was identified and characterized. It constitutes a hetero-trimeric complex composed of the Tudor domain-containing protein 3 (TDRD3), the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and the Topoisomerase III beta (TOP3β) and was termed TTF (TOP3β-TDRD3-FMRP) -complex according to its composition. The presented results also demonstrate that all components of the TTF-complex shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, but are predominantly located in the latter compartment under steady state conditions. Apart from that, an association of the TTF-complex with fully processed mRNAs, not yet engaged in productive translation, was detected. Hence, the TTF-complex is a component of „early" mRNPs. The defined recruitment of the TTF-complex to these mRNPs is not based on binding to distinct mRNA sequence-elements in cis, but rather on an interaction with the so-called exon junction complex (EJC), which is loaded onto the mRNA during the process of pre-mRNA splicing. In this context TDRD3 functions as an adapter, linking EJC, FMRP and TOP3β on the mRNP. Moreover, preliminary results suggest that epigenetic marks within gene promoter regions predetermine the transfer of the TTF-complex onto its target mRNAs. Besides, the observation that TOP3β is able to catalytically convert RNA-substrates disclosed potential activities of the TTF-complex in mRNA metabolism. In combination with the already known functions of FMRP, this finding primarily suggests that the TTF-complex controls the translation of bound mRNAs. In addition to its role in mRNA metabolism, the TTF-complex is interesting from a human genetics perspective as well. It was demonstrated in collaboration with researchers from Finland and the US that apart from FMRP, which was previously linked to neurocognitive diseases, also TOP3β is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Understanding the function of the TTF-complex in mRNA metabolism might hence provide important insight into the etiology of these diseases.},
  subject      = {Messenger-RNS},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Schmitt2015,
  author    = {Schmitt, Alexandra},
  title     = {Role of Peroxiredoxin 6 in human melanoma},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111465},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is a bifunctional enzyme comprising a peroxidase and a Ca2+-independent phospholipase (iPLA2) activity. This renders the enzyme capable of detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS) and of catalyzing the liberation of arachidonic acid (AA) from cellular membranes. Released AA can be further metabolized to bioactive lipids including eicosanoids, which are involved in inflammation, cell growth, differentiation, invasion and proliferation. Human melanoma cells are often characterized by imbalances in both ROS and lipid levels, which can be generated by oncogenic signaling, altered metabolism or UV irradiation. In previous studies, a comparative proteome analysis of the Xiphophorus fish melanoma model revealed a strong upregulation of Prdx6 in benign and malignant lesions compared to healthy skin. As the Xiphophorus melanoma model displays in many respects molecular characteristics that are similar to human melanoma, I investigated the functional role of PRDX6 in human melanoma cells. The first part of the study deals with the regulation of PRDX6 in melanocytes and human melanoma cells. I could demonstrate that the protein level of PRDX6 was strongly enhanced by the induction of the EGFR orthologue Xmrk from the Xiphophorus fish as well as the human EGFR. The upregulation of PRDX6 was further shown to be mediated in a PI3K-dependent and ROS-independent manner. The main part of the thesis comprises the investigation of the functional role of PRDX6 in human melanoma cells as well as the analysis of the underlying mechanism. I could show that knockdown of PRDX6 enhanced the oxidative stress response and led to decreased proliferation of melanoma cells. This cell growth effect was mainly mediated by the iPLA2 activity of PRDX6. Under conditions of strongly enhanced oxidative stress, the peroxidase activity became also important for cellular proliferation. Furthermore, the anti-proliferative effect in cells with lowered PRDX6 levels was the result of reduced cellular AA content and the decrease in the activation of SRC family proteins. Similarly, supplementation with AA led to regeneration of SRC family kinase activity and to an improvement in the reduced proliferation after knockdown of PRDX6. Since AA can be further processed into the prostaglandin PGE2, which has a pro-tumorigenic function in some cancer types, I further examined whether this eicosanoid is involved in the proliferative function of PRDX6. In contrast to AA, PGE2 was not consistently required for melanoma proliferation. In summary, I could demonstrate that PRDX6 plays a major role in AA-dependent lipid signaling in melanoma cells and thereby regulates proliferation. Interestingly, the proliferation relevant iPLA2 activity can be pharmacologically targeted, and melanoma cell growth was clearly blocked by the inhibitor BEL. Thus, I could identify the phospholipase activity of PRDX6 as a new therapeutically interesting target for melanoma treatment.},
  subject      = {Melanom},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Fliesser2015,
  author    = {Fließer, Mirjam},
  title     = {Hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α modulate the immune response of human dendritic cells against Aspergillus fumigatus},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121392},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The mold Aspergillus fumigatus causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Over the past decade new findings in research have improved our understanding of A. fumigatus-host interactions. One of them was the detection of localized areas of tissue hypoxia in the lungs of mice infected with A. fumigatus. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF 1α) is known as the central regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia. Under normoxia, this constitutively expressed protein is degraded by oxygen-dependent mechanisms in most mammalian cell types. Interaction with pathogens can induce HIF 1α stabilization under normoxic conditions in innate immune cells. Bacterial infection models revealed that hypoxic microenvironments and signaling via HIF 1α modulate functions of host immune cells. Moreover, it was recently described that in murine phagocytes, HIF 1α expression is essential to overcome an A. fumigatus infection. However, the influence of hypoxia and the role of HIF 1α signaling for anti-A. fumigatus immunity is still poorly understood, especially regarding dendritic cells (DCs), which are important regulators of anti-fungal immunity. In this study, the functional relevance of hypoxia and HIF 1α signaling in the response of human DCs against A. fumigatus has been investigated. Hypoxia attenuated the pro-inflammatory response of DCs against A. fumigatus during the initial infection as shown by genome-wide microarray expression analyses and cytokine quantification. The up-regulation of maturation-associated molecules on DCs stimulated with A. fumigatus under hypoxia was reduced; however, these DCs possessed an enhanced capacity to stimulate T cells. This study thereby revealed divergent influence of hypoxia on anti-A. fumigatus DC functions that included both, inhibiting and enhancing effects. HIF-1α was stabilized in DCs following stimulation with A. fumigatus under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. This stabilization was partially dependent on Dectin-1, the major receptor for A. fumigatus on human DCs. Using siRNA-based HIF 1α silencing combined with gene expression microarrays, a modulatory effect of HIF-1α on the anti-fungal immune response of human DCs was identified. Specifically, the transcriptomes of HIF-1α silenced DCs indicated that HIF-1α enhanced DC metabolism and cytokine release in response to A. fumigatus under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. This was confirmed by further down-stream analyses that included quantification of glycolytic activity and cytokine profiling of DCs. By that, this study demonstrated functional relevance of HIF 1α expression in DCs responding to A. fumigatus. The data give novel insight into the cellular functions of HIF 1α in human DCs that include regulation of the anti-fungal immune response under normoxia and hypoxia. The comprehensive transcriptome datasets in combination with the down-stream protein analyses from this study will promote further investigations to further characterize the complex interplay between hypoxia, activation of Dectin-1 and HIF-1α signaling in host responses against A. fumigatus.},
  subject      = {Immunologie},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Frank2015,
  author    = {Frank, Nicolas Clemens},
  title     = {Lokale axonale Wirkungen der CNTF-STAT3 Signalkaskade in Motoneuronen der pmn Maus - einem Mausmodel f{\"u}r die Amyotrophe Lateralsklerose},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121065},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {1. Zusammenfassung W{\"a}hrend der Embryogenese und nach Verletzungen von Nerven regulieren neurotrophe Faktoren Signalwege f{\"u}r Apoptose, Differenzierung, Wachstum und Regeneration von Neuronen. In vivo Experimente an neugeborenen Nagern haben gezeigt, dass der Verlust von Motoneuronen nach peripherer Nervenl{\"a}sion durch die Behandlung mit GDNF, BDNF, und CNTF reduziert werden kann In der pmn-Mausmutante, einem Modell f{\"u}r die Amyotrophe Lateralsklerose, f{\"u}hrt die Gabe von CNTF, nicht aber von GDNF zu einem verz{\"o}gerten Krankheitsbeginn und einem verlangsamten Fortschreiten der Motoneuronendegeneration. Ausl{\"o}ser der Motoneuronendegeneration in der pmn-Maus ist eine Mutation im Tubulin spezifischen Chaperon E (Tbce) Gen, das f{\"u}r eines von f{\"u}nf Tubulin spezifischen Chaperonen (TBCA-TBCE) kodiert und an der Bildung von -Tubulinheterodimeren beteiligt ist. Diese Arbeit sollte dazu beitragen, die CNTF-induzierten Signalwege zu entschl{\"u}sseln, die sich lindernd auf den progredienten Verlauf der Motoneuronendegeneration in der pmn-Maus auswirken. Prim{\"a}re pmn mutierte Motoneurone zeigen ein reduziertes Axonwachstum und eine erh{\"o}hte Anzahl axonaler Schwellungen mit einer anomalen H{\"a}ufung von Mitochondrien - ein fr{\"u}hes Erkennungsmerkmal bei ALS-Patienten. Die Applikation von CNTF nicht aber von BDNF oder GDNF, kann in vitro die beobachteten Wachstumsdefekte und das bidirektionale axonale Transportdefizit in pmn mutierten Motoneurone verhindern. Aus {\"a}lteren Untersuchungen war bekannt, dass CNTF {\"u}ber den dreiteiligen transmembranen Rezeptorkomplex, bestehend aus CNTFR, LIFR und gp130, Januskinasen aktiviert, die STAT3 an Tyrosin 705 phosphorylieren (pSTAT3Y705). Ich konnte beobachten, dass axonales fluoreszenzmarkiertes pSTAT3Y705 nach CNTF-Gabe nicht retrograd in den Nukleus transportiert wird. Stattdessen f{\"u}hrt die CNTF-induzierte Phosphorylierung von STAT3 an Tyrosin 705 zu einer transkriptionsunabh{\"a}ngigen lokalen Reaktion im Axon. Diese pSTAT3Y705 abh{\"a}ngige Reaktion ist notwendig und ausreichend, um das reduzierte Axonwachstum pmn mutierter Motoneurone zu beheben. Wie die Kombination einer CNTF Behandlung mit dem shRNA vermittelten knock-down von Stathmin in pmn mutierten Motoneuronen zeigt, zielt die CNTF-STAT3 Signalkaskade auf die Stabilisierung axonaler Mikrotubuli ab und wirkt sich positiv auf die anterograde und retrograde Mobilit{\"a}t von axonalen Mitochondrien aus. Interessanter Weise konnte ich außerdem feststellen, dass eine akute Gabe von CNTF das mitochondriale Membranpotential in Axonen prim{\"a}rer pmn mutierter und wildtypischer Motoneurone erh{\"o}ht und einen Anstieg von ATP ausl{\"o}st. Meine Beobachtungen legen nahe, dass CNTF unerwarteter Weise auch eine transiente Phosphorylierung an STAT3 Serin 727 (pSTAT3S727) ausl{\"o}st, die zur anschließenden Translokation von pSTAT3S727 in Mitochondrien f{\"u}hrt. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass STAT3 mehrere lokale Ziele im Axon besitzt, n{\"a}mlich axonale Mikrotubuli und Mitochondrien.},
  subject      = {Motoneuron},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Hafen2015,
  author    = {Hafen, Bettina},
  title     = {Physical contact between mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial precursors induces distinct signatures with relevance to tissue regeneration and engineering},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-119417},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The goal of the project VascuBone is to develop a tool box for bone regeneration, which on one hand fulfills basic requirements (e.g. biocompatibility, properties of the surface, strength of the biomaterials) and on the other hand is freely combinable with what is needed in the respective patient's situation. The tool box will include a variation of biocompatible biomaterials and cell types, FDA-approved growth factors, material modification technologies, simulation and analytical tools like molecular imaging-based in vivo diagnostics, which can be combined for the specific medical need. This tool box will be used to develop translational approaches for regenerative therapies of different types of bone defects. This project receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (VascuBone 2010). The present study is embedded into this EU project. The intention of this study is to assess the changes of the global gene expression patterns of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after direct cell-cell contact as well as the influence of conditioned medium gained from MSCs on EPCs and vice versa. EPCs play an important role in postnatal vasculogenesis. An intact blood vessel system is crucial for all tissues, including bone. Latest findings in the field of bone fracture healing and repair by the use of tissue engineering constructs seeded with MSCs raised the idea of combining MSCs and EPCs to enhance vascularization and therefore support survival of the newly built bone tissue. RNA samples from both experimental set ups were hybridized on Affymetrix GeneChips® HG-U133 Plus 2.0 and analyzed by microarray technology. Bioinformatic analysis was applied to the microarray data and verified by RT-PCR. This study gives detailed information on how EPCs and MSCs communicate with each other and therefore gives insights into the signaling pathways of the musculoskeletal system. These insights will be the base for further functional studies on protein level for the purpose of tissue regeneration. A better understanding of the cell communication of MSCs and EPCs and subsequently the targeting of relevant factors opens a variety of new opportunities, especially in the field of tissue engineering. The second part of the present work was to develop an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for a target protein from the lists of differentially expressed genes revealed by the microarray analysis. This project was in cooperation with Immundiagnostik AG, Bensheim, Germany. The development of the ELISA aimed to have an in vitro diagnostic tool to monitor e.g. the quality of cell seeded tissue engineering constructs. The target protein chosen from the lists was klotho. Klotho seemed to be a very promising candidate since it is described in the literature as anti-aging protein. Furthermore, studies with klotho knock-out mice showed that these animals suffered from several age-related diseases e.g. osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. As a co-receptor for FGF23, klotho plays an important role in bone metabolism. The present study will be the first one to show that klotho is up-regulated in EPCs after direct cell-cell contact with MSCs. The development of an assay with a high sensitivity on one hand and the capacity to differentiate between secreted and shedded klotho on the other hand will allow further functional studies of this protein and offers a new opportunity in medical diagnostics especially in the field of metabolic bone disease.},
  subject      = {Vorl{\"a}uferzelle},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GalluzziBravoSanPedroVitaleetal.2015,
  author    = {Galluzzi, L. and Bravo-San Pedro, J. M. and Vitale, I. and Aaronson, S. A. and Abrams, J. M. and Adam, D. and Alnemri, E. S. and Altucci, L. and Andrews, D. and Annicchiarico-Petruzelli, M. and Baehrecke, E. H. and Bazan, N. G. and Bertrand, M. J. and Bianchi, K. and Blagosklonny, M. V. and Blomgren, K. and Borner, C. and Bredesen, D. E. and Brenner, C. and Campanella, M. and Candi, E. and Cecconi, F. and Chan, F. K. and Chandel, N. S. and Cheng, E. H. and Chipuk, J. E. and Cidlowski, J. A. and Ciechanover, A. and Dawson, T. M. and Dawson, V. L. and De Laurenzi, V. and De Maria, R. and Debatin, K. M. and Di Daniele, N. and Dixit, V. M. and Dynlacht, B. D. and El-Deiry, W. S. and Fimia, G. M. and Flavell, R. A. and Fulda, S. and Garrido, C. and Gougeon, M. L. and Green, D. R. and Gronemeyer, H. and Hajnoczky, G. and Hardwick, J. M. and Hengartner, M. O. and Ichijo, H. and Joseph, B. and Jost, P. J. and Kaufmann, T. and Kepp, O. and Klionsky, D. J. and Knight, R. A. and Kumar, S. and Lemasters, J. J. and Levine, B. and Linkermann, A. and Lipton, S. A. and Lockshin, R. A. and L{\´o}pez-Ot{\´i}n, C. and Lugli, E. and Madeo, F. and Malorni, W. and Marine, J. C. and Martin, S. J. and Martinou, J. C. and Medema, J. P. and Meier, P. and Melino, S. and Mizushima, N. and Moll, U. and Mu{\~n}oz-Pinedo, C. and Nu{\~n}ez, G. and Oberst, A. and Panaretakis, T. and Penninger, J. M. and Peter, M. E. and Piacentini, M. and Pinton, P. and Prehn, J. H. and Puthalakath, H. and Rabinovich, G. A. and Ravichandran, K. S. and Rizzuto, R. and Rodrigues, C. M. and Rubinsztein, D. C. and Rudel, T. and Shi, Y. and Simon, H. U. and Stockwell, B. R. and Szabadkai, G. and Tait, S. W. and Tang, H. L. and Tavernarakis, N. and Tsujimoto, Y. and Vanden Berghe, T. and Vandenabeele, P. and Villunger, A. and Wagner, E. F. and Walczak, H. and White, E. and Wood, W. G. and Yuan, J. and Zakeri, Z. and Zhivotovsky, B. and Melino, G. and Kroemer, G.},
  title     = {Essential versus accessory aspects of cell death: recommendations of the NCCD 2015},
  series = {Cell Death and Differentiation},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {Cell Death and Differentiation},
  doi       = {10.1038/cdd.2014.137},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121207},
  pages     = {58-73},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Cells exposed to extreme physicochemical or mechanical stimuli die in an uncontrollable manner, as a result of their immediate structural breakdown. Such an unavoidable variant of cellular demise is generally referred to as 'accidental cell death' (ACD). In most settings, however, cell death is initiated by a genetically encoded apparatus, correlating with the fact that its course can be altered by pharmacologic or genetic interventions. 'Regulated cell death' (RCD) can occur as part of physiologic programs or can be activated once adaptive responses to perturbations of the extracellular or intracellular microenvironment fail. The biochemical phenomena that accompany RCD may be harnessed to classify it into a few subtypes, which often (but not always) exhibit stereotyped morphologic features. Nonetheless, efficiently inhibiting the processes that are commonly thought to cause RCD, such as the activation of executioner caspases in the course of apoptosis, does not exert true cytoprotective effects in the mammalian system, but simply alters the kinetics of cellular demise as it shifts its morphologic and biochemical correlates. Conversely, bona fide cytoprotection can be achieved by inhibiting the transduction of lethal signals in the early phases of the process, when adaptive responses are still operational. Thus, the mechanisms that truly execute RCD may be less understood, less inhibitable and perhaps more homogeneous than previously thought. Here, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death formulates a set of recommendations to help scientists and researchers to discriminate between essential and accessory aspects of cell death.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Endt2015,
  author    = {Endt, Daniela},
  title     = {Fanconi An{\"a}mie : Entwicklung von h{\"a}matopoetischen Mosaiken sowie funktionelle Studien von FANCO (RAD51C) und FANCN (PALB2)},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-127836},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Zur Wahrung der Genomstabilit{\"a}t entwickelten sich verschiedene Reparaturmechanismen, deren Defekte zu diversen Erkrankungen f{\"u}hren. Der 1927 erstmals beschriebenen Fanconi An{\"a}mie (FA) (Fanconi 1927) liegt eine fehlerhafte Reparatur der DNA-Doppelstrang-Quervernetzung zugrunde. Als Ursache wurden Defekte innerhalb des FA/BRCA-Weges lokalisiert, welche zur Chromosomeninstabilit{\"a}t f{\"u}hren. Das Krankheitsbild der autosomal rezessiven oder X-chromosomalen Erkrankung wird meist von kongenitalen Fehlbildungen, progressivem Knochenmarkversagen sowie bereits im jugendlichen Alter erh{\"o}hten Tumor-raten und An{\"a}mien gepr{\"a}gt. Bisher wurden Defekte in 19 verschiedenen Genen als urs{\"a}chlich f{\"u}r diese Erkrankung diskutiert. Anhand des betroffenen Gens k{\"o}nnen nur begrenzt R{\"u}ckschl{\"u}sse auf die Auspr{\"a}-gung des Ph{\"a}notyps geschlossen werden, vielmehr scheinen die Art der Mutation und deren Position im Gen mit der Schwere der Erkrankung zu korrelieren. Im Laufe der Zeit wurden immer mehr Patienten mit mild ausgepr{\"a}gtem Erkrankungsbild beobachtet. Eine m{\"o}gliche Erkl{\"a}rung hierf{\"u}r liefern milde Mutationen, eine weitere das Vorhandensein von Mosaiken blutbildender Zellen. Zu letzterem f{\"u}hrt die Reversion einer der beiden Mutationen. Diese Art der „nat{\"u}rlichen Gentherapie" wurde bei 10-30\% der FA-Patienten beobachtet. Um die Entwicklung von Reversionen besser zu verstehen, erfolgte im Rahmen dieser Arbeit die Untersuchung verschiedener Zelllinien von 5 Patienten im Alter von 11 (Pat. 5) bis 33 (Pat. 4) Jahren. Die FA-A-Patienten 1 und 2 wurden bereits von Gross et al. 2002 als Mosaikpatienten beschrieben. F{\"u}r die weiteren Patienten f{\"u}hrten unterschiedliche Aspekte, wie normale Blutwerte, MMC-tolerante lympho-blastoide Zelllinien und gDNA-Analysen des Blutes zum Mosaikverdacht. N{\"a}here Analysen best{\"a}tigten f{\"u}r die FA-D2-Patienten (Pat. 4, 5) ebenfalls das Vorliegen einer Reversion in den Blutzellen. Allen Patienten gemein war die Reversion in Form einer R{\"u}ckmutation (Pat. 1: c.971T>G, Pat. 2: c.856 C>T, Pat. 4: c.3467-2A>G, Pat. 5: c.3707G>A), welche meist in einem oder in der N{\"a}he eines Mutationsmotives vorlag. Zur Einsch{\"a}tzung des Mosaikstatus in den Patientenblutzellen wurden, neben der meist mehrj{\"a}hrigen Be-obachtung der Blutwerte (Thrombo-, Mono-, Granulo-, Lymphozyten, H{\"a}moglobin), gDNA-, Chromoso-menbruch- und Zellzyklusanalysen durchgef{\"u}hrt. Chromosomenbruchanalysen von Metaphasen der T-Lymphozyten der Patienten 4 und 5 zeigten nach MMC-Behandlung die mosaik-typische bimodale Vertei-lung der Chromosomenbruchraten. Die nur moderat erh{\"o}hten Bruchraten in Metaphasen des Patienten 1 sprachen f{\"u}r eine starke Reversion. Zur besseren Absch{\"a}tzung des Mosaikstatus wurden Zellzyklusanaly-sen an Mischungsreihen aus FA- und nicht FA- Blut durchgef{\"u}hrt. Die Detektionsgrenze f{\"u}r FA-Mosaike lag bei einem Anteil von 30\% Zellen mit spontanem/MMC-induziertem G2-Phasen-Arrest. In Anlehnung an Mischungskurven wurden f{\"u}r die vier Patienten Reversionen von 0\% (Pat. 4) bis 90-95\% (Pat. 2) ange-nommen. Die gDNA-Analyse MACS-sortierter T-/B-Lympho-, Mono- und Granulozyten sowie von Fib-roblasten und lymphoblastoiden Zelllinien erm{\"o}glichte einen detaillierten Einblick in die Mosaikstatus auf molekularer Ebene. Wir fanden bei allen Patienten einen unterschiedlich stark ausgepr{\"a}gten Mosaikstatus ihrer Blutzellreihen. Tendenziell scheinen die Reversionsgrade mit der Zell-Lebensdauer korrelieren, hier-bei zeigen kurzlebige Zellen (Mono-, Granulo-, B-Lymphozyten) h{\"o}here Reversionsgrade als langlebige T-Lymphozyten. Das Auftreten von gleichen Reversionen in allen Zelllinien l{\"a}sst eine Reversion in einer gemeinsamen Vorl{\"a}uferzelle vermuten. Als Besonderheit fanden wir, unseren Erachtens erstmalig, eine komplette Reversion einer Knochenmark-Fibroblastenzelllinie (Pat. 1). H{\"a}ufig in Kultur stattfindende Re-versionen in lymphoblastoiden Zelllinien beobachteten wir f{\"u}r alle vier Patienten. Die Mosaikentstehung im Patientenblut konnte mit allen Methoden best{\"a}tigt werden. Jede Methode wies Vor- und Nachteile auf. Zur Absch{\"a}tzung der Mosaikstatus empfiehlt sich deshalb eine Kombination der Methoden. Ein weiteres Projekt besch{\"a}ftigte sich mit Interaktionen des FANCO (RAD51C) innerhalb der RAD51 Paraloge (RAD51B, -C, -D, XRCC2, XRCC3) und mit RAD51. Die Analysen erfolgten im Mammalian Two- und Three-Hybrid (M2H/M3H) System. Die Untersuchungen best{\"a}tigten die meisten der bisher detektierten Interaktionen, welche zur Ausbildung des RAD51C-XRCC3 Komplexes und des, aus den Subkomplexen RAD51B-RAD51C (BC) und RAD51D-XRCC2 (DX2) bestehenden, BCDX2-Komplex f{\"u}hren. Die M3H-Analysen weisen auf eine wichtige Rolle des RAD51B-Proteins bei der Auspr{\"a}gung dieses Komplexes hin. Es scheint die Ausbildung der RAD51C-RAD51D-Interaktion erst zu erm{\"o}glichen und zus{\"a}tzlich, anders als bisher beobachtet, auch mit XRCC2 zu interagieren. Diese Interaktion wiederum wird durch die Anwesenheit von RAD51D stark gef{\"o}rdert. Unsere M2H-/M3H-Beobachtungen weisen darauf hin, dass die Ausbildung der Subkomplexe f{\"u}r die Entstehung des BDCX2-Komplexes wichtig ist und dieser vermutlich als Ringstruktur vorliegt. Zus{\"a}tzlich fanden wir Hinweise auf m{\"o}gliche Wechselwir-kungen zwischen den BCDX2- und den XRCC3-Komplexproteinen. Aufgrund der Beteiligung der Protei-ne an der Doppelstrangl{\"a}sionsreparatur wurde die Auswirkung von MMC-induzierten DNA-Sch{\"a}den un-tersucht. Diese f{\"u}hrten innerhalb der Subkomplexe zu gegens{\"a}tzlichen {\"A}nderungen der Interaktionsinten-sit{\"a}t. W{\"a}hrend die Substanz im DX2-Komplex zum Sinken der Interaktionsst{\"a}rke f{\"u}hrte, erh{\"o}hte sich diese im BC-Komplex. Die in der Literatur beschriebene und charakterisierte RAD51C-FANCN-Interation war im M2H-Test nicht darstellbar. M{\"o}glicherweise w{\"u}rde diese jedoch durch die Anwesenheit eines drit-ten Proteins gef{\"o}rdert werden. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurde ein RAD51C-Protein, welches die Patientenmutation R258H enthielt, {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft. Es zeigte nur in der M3H-Analyse, mit pMRAD51D und nativem RAD51B, nach Behandlung mit MMC eine reduzierte Interaktionsst{\"a}rke im Vergleich zum Wildtyp. Dies unter-streicht einmal mehr die als hypomorph beschriebene Mutation des Proteins. Das dritte Projekt, die angestrebte Strukturaufkl{\"a}rung des RAD51C-Proteins erwies sich als schwierig. Eine f{\"u}r eine Kristallisation ausreichende Proteinmenge konnte, weder im E. coli-System noch in Insektenzellen oder in Co-Expression mit seinem Interaktionspartner XRCC3, isoliert und aufgereinigt werden. Elektro-phoretische Mobility Shift Assays des CX3-Proteinkomplexes mit DNA-Strukturen (ssDNA, Open Fork, 3'-/ 5'-{\"U}berhang-Struktur), zeigten eine Bevorzugung des 3'-{\"U}berhang-DNA-Substrates. Diese Art der Analyse k{\"o}nnte in weiterf{\"u}hrenden Analysen zur Absch{\"a}tzung der Auswirkung von Patientenmutationen herangezogen werden. bb},
  subject      = {Fanconi An{\"a}mie},
  language  = {de}
}