@article{KlammertMuellerHellmannetal.2015, author = {Klammert, Uwe and M{\"u}ller, Thomas D. and Hellmann, Tina V. and Wuerzler, Kristian K. and Kotzsch, Alexander and Schliermann, Anna and Schmitz, Werner and Kuebler, Alexander C. and Sebald, Walter and Nickel, Joachim}, title = {GDF-5 can act as a context-dependent BMP-2 antagonist}, series = {BMC Biology}, volume = {13}, journal = {BMC Biology}, number = {77}, doi = {10.1186/s12915-015-0183-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125550}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and growth and differentiation factor (GDF)-5 are two related transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family members with important functions in embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. BMP-2 is best known for its osteoinductive properties whereas GDF-5—as evident from its alternative name, cartilage derived morphogenetic protein 1—plays an important role in the formation of cartilage. In spite of these differences both factors signal by binding to the same subset of BMP receptors, raising the question how these different functionalities are generated. The largest difference in receptor binding is observed in the interaction with the type I receptor BMPR-IA. GDF-5, in contrast to BMP-2, shows preferential binding to the isoform BMPR-IB, which is abrogated by a single amino acid (A57R) substitution. The resulting variant, GDF-5 R57A, represents a "BMP-2 mimic" with respect to BMP receptor binding. In this study we thus wanted to analyze whether the two growth factors can induce distinct signals via an identically composed receptor. Results Unexpectedly and dependent on the cellular context, GDF-5 R57A showed clear differences in its activity compared to BMP-2. In ATDC-5 cells, both ligands induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression with similar potency. But in C2C12 cells, the BMP-2 mimic GDF-5 R57A (and also wild-type GDF-5) clearly antagonized BMP-2-mediated ALP expression, despite signaling in both cell lines occurring solely via BMPR-IA. The BMP-2- antagonizing properties of GDF-5 and GDF-5 R57A could also be observed in vivo when implanting BMP-2 and either one of the two GDF-5 ligands simultaneously at heterotopic sites. Conclusions Although comparison of the crystal structures of the GDF-5 R57A:BMPR-IAEC- and BMP-2:BMPR-IAEC complex revealed small ligand-specific differences, these cannot account for the different signaling characteristics because the complexes seem identical in both differently reacting cell lines. We thus predict an additional component, most likely a not yet identified GDF-5-specific co-receptor, which alters the output of the signaling complexes. Hence the presence or absence of this component then switches GDF-5′s signaling capabilities to act either similar to BMP-2 or as a BMP-2 antagonist. These findings might shed new light on the role of GDF-5, e.g., in cartilage maintenance and/or limb development in that it might act as an inhibitor of signaling events initiated by other BMPs.}, language = {en} } @article{SubbarayalKarunakaranWinkleretal.2015, author = {Subbarayal, Prema and Karunakaran, Karthika and Winkler, Ann-Cathrin and Rother, Marion and Gonzalez, Erik and Meyer, Thomas F. and Rudel, Thomas}, title = {EphrinA2 Receptor (EphA2) Is an Invasion and Intracellular Signaling Receptor for Chlamydia trachomatis}, series = {PLoS Pathogens}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS Pathogens}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1004846}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125566}, pages = {e1004846}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis invades into host cells to replicate inside a membrane-bound vacuole called inclusion. Multiple different host proteins are recruited to the inclusion and are functionally modulated to support chlamydial development. Invaded and replicating Chlamydia induces a long-lasting activation of the PI3 kinase signaling pathway that is required for efficient replication. We identified the cell surface tyrosine kinase EphrinA2 receptor (EphA2) as a chlamydial adherence and invasion receptor that induces PI3 kinase (PI3K) activation, promoting chlamydial replication. Interfering with binding of C. trachomatis serovar L2 (Ctr) to EphA2, downregulation of EphA2 expression or inhibition of EphA2 activity significantly reduced Ctr infection. Ctr interacts with and activates EphA2 on the cell surface resulting in Ctr and receptor internalization. During chlamydial replication, EphA2 remains active accumulating around the inclusion and interacts with the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K to support the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway that is required for normal chlamydial development. Overexpression of full length EphA2, but not the mutant form lacking the intracellular cytoplasmic domain, enhanced PI3K activation and Ctr infection. Despite the depletion of EphA2 from the cell surface, Ctr infection induces upregulation of EphA2 through the activation of the ERK pathway, which keeps the infected cell in an apoptosis-resistant state. The significance of EphA2 as an entry and intracellular signaling receptor was also observed with the urogenital C. trachomatis-serovar D. Our findings provide the first evidence for a host cell surface receptor that is exploited for invasion as well as for receptor-mediated intracellular signaling to facilitate chlamydial replication. In addition, the engagement of a cell surface receptor at the inclusion membrane is a new mechanism by which Chlamydia subverts the host cell and induces apoptosis resistance.}, language = {en} } @article{GuptaKupperRatzkaetal.2015, author = {Gupta, Shishir K. and Kupper, Maria and Ratzka, Carolin and Feldhaar, Heike and Vilcinskas, Andreas and Gross, Roy and Dandekar, Thomas and F{\"o}rster, Frank}, title = {Scrutinizing the immune defence inventory of Camponotus floridanus applying total transcriptome sequencing}, series = {BMC Genomics}, volume = {16}, journal = {BMC Genomics}, number = {540}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-015-1748-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125279}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Defence mechanisms of organisms are shaped by their lifestyle, environment and pathogen pressure. Carpenter ants are social insects which live in huge colonies comprising genetically closely related individuals in high densities within nests. This lifestyle potentially facilitates the rapid spread of pathogens between individuals. In concert with their innate immune system, social insects may apply external immune defences to manipulate the microbial community among individuals and within nests. Additionally, carpenter ants carry a mutualistic intracellular and obligate endosymbiotic bacterium, possibly maintained and regulated by the innate immune system. Thus, different selective forces could shape internal immune defences of Camponotus floridanus. Results The immune gene repertoire of C. floridanus was investigated by re-evaluating its genome sequence combined with a full transcriptome analysis of immune challenged and control animals using Illumina sequencing. The genome was re-annotated by mapping transcriptome reads and masking repeats. A total of 978 protein sequences were characterised further by annotating functional domains, leading to a change in their original annotation regarding function and domain composition in about 8 \% of all proteins. Based on homology analysis with key components of major immune pathways of insects, the C. floridanus immune-related genes were compared to those of Drosophila melanogaster, Apis mellifera, and other hymenoptera. This analysis revealed that overall the immune system of carpenter ants comprises many components found in these insects. In addition, several C. floridanus specific genes of yet unknown functions but which are strongly induced after immune challenge were discovered. In contrast to solitary insects like Drosophila or the hymenopteran Nasonia vitripennis, the number of genes encoding pattern recognition receptors specific for bacterial peptidoglycan (PGN) and a variety of known antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes is lower in C. floridanus. The comparative analysis of gene expression post immune-challenge in different developmental stages of C. floridanus suggests a stronger induction of immune gene expression in larvae in comparison to adults. Conclusions The comparison of the immune system of C. floridanus with that of other insects revealed the presence of a broad immune repertoire. However, the relatively low number of PGN recognition proteins and AMPs, the identification of Camponotus specific putative immune genes, and stage specific differences in immune gene regulation reflects Camponotus specific evolution including adaptations to its lifestyle.}, language = {en} } @article{OttDorschFraunholzetal.2015, author = {Ott, Christine and Dorsch, Eva and Fraunholz, Martin and Straub, Sebastian and Kozjak-Pavlovic, Vera}, title = {Detailed Analysis of the Human Mitochondrial Contact Site Complex Indicate a Hierarchy of Subunits}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0120213}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125347}, pages = {e0120213}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Mitochondrial inner membrane folds into cristae, which significantly increase its surface and are important for mitochondrial function. The stability of cristae depends on the mitochondrial contact site (MICOS) complex. In human mitochondria, the inner membrane MICOS complex interacts with the outer membrane sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) complex, to form the mitochondrial intermembrane space bridging complex (MIB). We have created knockdown cell lines of most of the MICOS and MIB components and have used them to study the importance of the individual subunits for the cristae formation and complex stability. We show that the most important subunits of the MIB complex in human mitochondria are Mic60/Mitofilin, Mic19/CHCHD3 and an outer membrane component Sam50. We provide additional proof that ApoO indeed is a subunit of the MICOS and MIB complexes and propose the name Mic23 for this protein. According to our results, Mic25/CHCHD6, Mic27/ApoOL and Mic23/ApoO appear to be periphery subunits of the MICOS complex, because their depletion does not affect cristae morphology or stability of other components.}, language = {en} } @article{LichtensteinSommerlandtSpaethe2015, author = {Lichtenstein, Leonie and Sommerlandt, Frank M. J. and Spaethe, Johannes}, title = {Dumb and Lazy? A Comparison of Color Learning and Memory Retrieval in Drones and Workers of the Buff-Tailed Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, by Means of PER Conditioning}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0134248}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125832}, pages = {e0134248}, year = {2015}, abstract = {More than 100 years ago, Karl von Frisch showed that honeybee workers learn and discriminate colors. Since then, many studies confirmed the color learning capabilities of females from various hymenopteran species. Yet, little is known about visual learning and memory in males despite the fact that in most bee species males must take care of their own needs and must find rewarding flowers to obtain food. Here we used the proboscis extension response (PER) paradigm to study the color learning capacities of workers and drones of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Light stimuli were paired with sucrose reward delivered to the insects' antennae and inducing a reflexive extension of the proboscis. We evaluated color learning (i.e. conditioned PER to color stimuli) in absolute and differential conditioning protocols and mid-term memory retention was measured two hours after conditioning. Different monochromatic light stimuli in combination with neutral density filters were used to ensure that the bumblebees could only use chromatic and not achromatic (e.g. brightness) information. Furthermore, we tested if bees were able to transfer the learned information from the PER conditioning to a novel discrimination task in a Y-maze. Both workers and drones were capable of learning and discriminating between monochromatic light stimuli and retrieved the learned stimulus after two hours. Drones performed as well as workers during conditioning and in the memory test, but failed in the transfer test in contrast to workers. Our data clearly show that bumblebees can learn to associate a color stimulus with a sugar reward in PER conditioning and that both workers and drones reach similar acquisition and mid-term retention performances. Additionally, we provide evidence that only workers transfer the learned information from a Pavlovian to an operant situation.}, language = {en} } @article{StrubeBlossBrownSpaetheetal.2015, author = {Strube-Bloss, Martin F. and Brown, Austin and Spaethe, Johannes and Schmitt, Thomas and R{\"o}ssler, Wolfgang}, title = {Extracting the Behaviorally Relevant Stimulus: Unique Neural Representation of Farnesol, a Component of the Recruitment Pheromone of Bombus terrestris}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0137413}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125875}, pages = {e0137413}, year = {2015}, abstract = {To trigger innate behavior, sensory neural networks are pre-tuned to extract biologically relevant stimuli. Many male-female or insect-plant interactions depend on this phenomenon. Especially communication among individuals within social groups depends on innate behaviors. One example is the efficient recruitment of nest mates by successful bumblebee foragers. Returning foragers release a recruitment pheromone in the nest while they perform a 'dance' behavior to activate unemployed nest mates. A major component of this pheromone is the sesquiterpenoid farnesol. How farnesol is processed and perceived by the olfactory system, has not yet been identified. It is much likely that processing farnesol involves an innate mechanism for the extraction of relevant information to trigger a fast and reliable behavioral response. To test this hypothesis, we used population response analyses of 100 antennal lobe (AL) neurons recorded in alive bumblebee workers under repeated stimulation with four behaviorally different, but chemically related odorants (geraniol, citronellol, citronellal and farnesol). The analysis identified a unique neural representation of the recruitment pheromone component compared to the other odorants that are predominantly emitted by flowers. The farnesol induced population activity in the AL allowed a reliable separation of farnesol from all other chemically related odor stimuli we tested. We conclude that the farnesol induced population activity may reflect a predetermined representation within the AL-neural network allowing efficient and fast extraction of a behaviorally relevant stimulus. Furthermore, the results show that population response analyses of multiple single AL-units may provide a powerful tool to identify distinct representations of behaviorally relevant odors.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Simann2015, author = {Simann, Meike}, title = {Aufkl{\"a}rung der Effekte von Fibroblasten-Wachstumsfaktor 1 und 2 auf die Adipogenese und Osteogenese von prim{\"a}ren humanen Knochenmark-Stroma-Zellen}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-119322}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Regulating and reverting the adipo-osteogenic lineage decision of trabecular human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) represents a promising approach for osteoporosis therapy and prevention. Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) and its subfamily member FGF2 were scored as lead candidates to exercise control over lineage switching processes (conversion) in favor of osteogenesis previously. However, their impact on differentiation events is controversially discussed in literature. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of these FGFs on the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation and conversion of primary hBMSCs. Moreover, involved downstream signaling mechanisms should be elucidated and, finally, the results should be evaluated with regard to the possible therapeutic approach. This study clearly revealed that culture in the presence of FGF1 strongly prevented the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs as well as the adipogenic conversion of pre-differentiated osteoblastic cells. Lipid droplet formation was completely inhibited by a concentration of 25 ng/µL. Meanwhile, the expression of genetic markers for adipogenic initiation, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARg2) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPa), as well as subsequent adipocyte maturation, fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), were significantly downregulated. Yet, the genetic markers of osteogenic commitment and differentiation were not upregulated during adipogenic differentiation and conversion under FGF supplementation, not supporting an event of osteogenic lineage switching. Moreover, when examining the effects on the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs and the osteogenic conversion of pre-differentiated adipocytic cells, culture in the presence of FGF1 markedly decreased extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization. Additionally, the gene expression of the osteogenic marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was significantly reduced and ALP enzyme activity was decreased. Furthermore, genetic markers of osteogenic commitment, like the master regulator runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), as well as markers of osteogenic differentiation and ECM formation, like collagen 1 A1 (COL1A1) and integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP), were downregulated. In contrast, genes known to inhibit ECM mineralization, like ANKH inorganic pyrophosphate transport regulator (ANKH) and osteopontin (OPN), were upregulated. ANKH inhibition revealed that its transcriptional elevation was not crucial for the reduced matrix mineralization, perhaps due to decreased expression of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) that likely annulled ANKH upregulation. Like FGF1, also the culture in the presence of FGF2 displayed a marked anti-adipogenic and anti-osteogenic effect. The FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) was found to be crucial for mediating the described FGF effects in adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation and conversion. Yet, adipogenic conversion displayed a lower involvement of the FGFR1. For adipogenic differentiation and osteogenic differentiation/conversion, downstream signal transduction involved the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinases 1 and 2 (MEK1/2), probably via the phosphorylation of FGFR docking protein FGFR substrate 2a (FRS2a) and its effector Ras/MAPK. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38-MAPK, and protein kinase C (PKC) were not crucial for the signal transduction, yet were in part responsible for the rate of adipogenic and/or osteogenic differentiation itself, in line with current literature. Taken together, to the best of our knowledge, our study was the first to describe the strong impact of FGF1 and FGF2 on both the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation and conversion processes of primary hBMSCs in parallel. It clearly revealed that although both FGFs were not able to promote the differentiation and lineage switching towards the osteogenic fate, they strongly prevented adipogenic differentiation and lineage switching, which seem to be elevated during osteoporosis. Our findings indicate that FGF1 and FGF2 entrapped hBMSCs in a pre-committed state. In conclusion, these agents could be applied to potently prevent unwanted adipogenesis in vitro. Moreover, our results might aid in unraveling a pharmacological control point to eliminate the increased adipogenic differentiation and conversion as potential cause of adipose tissue accumulation and decreased osteoblastogenesis in bone marrow during aging and especially in osteoporosis.}, subject = {Mesenchymzelle}, language = {en} } @article{BassetCizekCuenoudetal.2015, author = {Basset, Yves and Cizek, Lukas and Cu{\´e}noud, Philippe and Didham, Raphael K. and Novotny, Vojtech and {\O}degaard, Frode and Roslin, Tomas and Tishechkin, Alexey K. and Schmidl, J{\"u}rgen and Winchester, Neville N. and Roubik, David W. and Aberlenc, Henri-Pierre and Bail, Johannes and Barrios, Hector and Bridle, Jonathan R. and Casta{\~n}o-Meneses, Gabriela and Corbara, Bruno and Curletti, Gianfranco and da Rocha, Wesley Duarte and De Bakker, Domir and Delabie, Jacques H. C. and Dejean, Alain and Fagan, Laura L. and Floren, Andreas and Kitching, Roger L. and Medianero, Enrique and de Oliveira, Evandro Gama and Orivel, Jerome and Pollet, Marc and Rapp, Mathieu and Ribeiro, Servio P. and Roisin, Yves and Schmidt, Jesper B. and S{\o}rensen, Line and Lewinsohn, Thomas M. and Leponce, Maurice}, title = {Arthropod Distribution in a Tropical Rainforest: Tackling a Four Dimensional Puzzle}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0144110}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-136393}, pages = {e0144110}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Quantifying the spatio-temporal distribution of arthropods in tropical rainforests represents a first step towards scrutinizing the global distribution of biodiversity on Earth. To date most studies have focused on narrow taxonomic groups or lack a design that allows partitioning of the components of diversity. Here, we consider an exceptionally large dataset (113,952 individuals representing 5,858 species), obtained from the San Lorenzo forest in Panama, where the phylogenetic breadth of arthropod taxa was surveyed using 14 protocols targeting the soil, litter, understory, lower and upper canopy habitats, replicated across seasons in 2003 and 2004. This dataset is used to explore the relative influence of horizontal, vertical and seasonal drivers of arthropod distribution in this forest. We considered arthropod abundance, observed and estimated species richness, additive decomposition of species richness, multiplicative partitioning of species diversity, variation in species composition, species turnover and guild structure as components of diversity. At the scale of our study (2km of distance, 40m in height and 400 days), the effects related to the vertical and seasonal dimensions were most important. Most adult arthropods were collected from the soil/litter or the upper canopy and species richness was highest in the canopy. We compared the distribution of arthropods and trees within our study system. Effects related to the seasonal dimension were stronger for arthropods than for trees. We conclude that: (1) models of beta diversity developed for tropical trees are unlikely to be applicable to tropical arthropods; (2) it is imperative that estimates of global biodiversity derived from mass collecting of arthropods in tropical rainforests embrace the strong vertical and seasonal partitioning observed here; and (3) given the high species turnover observed between seasons, global climate change may have severe consequences for rainforest arthropods.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Hoecherl2015, author = {H{\"o}cherl, Nicole}, title = {Nesting behaviour of the paper wasp Polistes dominula - with special focus on thermoregulatory mechanisms}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-132681}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Wasps of the genus Polistes comprise over 200 species and are nearly cosmopolitan. They show a lack of physiological caste differentiation and are therefore considered as primitively eusocial. Furthermore, paper wasps are placed between the solitary living Eumenidae and the highly social organized Vespinae. Hence, they are often called a "key genus" for understanding the evolution of sociality. Particularly, Polistes dominula, with its small easy manageable nests and its frequent occurrence and wide distribution range is often the subject of studies. In Europe, the invasion of this species into northern regions is on the rise. Since little was known about the nesting behaviour of P. dominula in Central Europe, the basic principles about nesting were investigated in W{\"u}rzburg, Germany (latitude 49°) by conducting a comprehensive field-study spanning three consecutive years. Furthermore, the thermoregulation of individual wasps in their natural habitat had not yet been investigated in detail. Therefore, their ability to respond to external hazards with elevated thorax temperatures was tested. In addition, different types of nest thermoregulation were investigated using modern methods such as infrared thermography and temperature data logger. In the present work, the investigation of basic nesting principles revealed that foundress groups (1-4 foundresses) and nests are smaller and that the nesting season is shorter in the W{\"u}rzburg area than in other regions. The mean size of newly founded nests was 83 cells and the average nesting season was around 4.6 months. The queens neither preferred single (54\%) nor multiple founding (46\%) in this study. The major benefit of multiple founding is an increased rate of survival. During the three years of observation, only 47\% of single-foundress colonies survived, whereas 100\% of colonies that were built by more than two queens, survived. However, an influence of the number of foundresses on the productivity of colonies in terms of number of cells and pupae per nest has not shown up. However, the length of the nesting season as well as the nest sizes varied strongly depending on the climatic conditions of the preceding winter during the three consecutive years. In order to investigate the thermoregulatory mechanisms of individual adult P. dominula wasps, I presented artificial threats by applying smoke or carbon dioxide simulating fire and predator attacks, respectively, and monitored the thorax temperature of wasps on the nest using infrared thermography. The results clearly revealed that P. dominula workers recognized smoke and CO2 and reacted almost instantaneously and simultaneously with an increase of their thorax temperature. The maximal thorax temperature was reached about 65 s after the application of both stressors, but subsequently the wasps showed a different behaviour pattern. They responded to a longer application of smoke with moving to the exit and fled, whereas in case of CO2 the wasps started flying and circling the nest without trying to escape. No rise of the thorax temperature was detectable after an air blast was applied or in wasps resting on the nest. Additionally, the thorax temperatures of queens were investigated during dominance battles. I found that the thorax temperature of the dominant queens rose up to 5°C compared to that of subordinate queens that attacked the former. The study of active mechanisms for nest thermoregulation revealed no brood incubation or clustering behaviour of P. dominula. Furthermore, I found out that wing fanning for cooling the nest was almost undetectable (4 documented cases). However, I could convincingly record that water evaporation is most effective for nest cooling. By the direct comparison of active (with brood and adults) and non-active (without brood and adults) nests, the start of cooling by water evaporation was detected above maximum outside temperatures of 25°C or at nest temperatures above 35°C. The powerful role of water in nest cooling was manifested by an average decrease of temperature of a single cell of about 8°C and a mean duration of 7 min until the cell reached again its initial temperature. The investigation of passive thermoregulatory mechanisms revealed that the nest site choice as well as nest orientation appears to be essential for P. dominula wasps. Furthermore, I was able to show that the architecture of the nests plays an important role. Based on the presented results, it can be assumed that the vertical orientation of cells helps maintaining the warmth of nests during the night, whereas the pedicel assists in cooling the nest during the day.}, subject = {Franz{\"o}sische Feldwespe}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{MontalbandelBarrio2015, author = {Montalb{\´a}n del Barrio, Itsaso}, title = {Immunosuppressive role of adenosine produced by ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 in ovarian cancer, tumor associated macrophages and the host immune system}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-133268}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Eierstockkrebs ist der Tumor mit der schlechtesten Heilungsprognose unter allen gyn{\"a}kologischen Malignomen. Allein in Deutschland verursacht er {\"u}ber 6000 Tote pro Jahr. Patienten mit Ovarialkarzinom zeigen erst in einem sehr fortgeschrittenen Stadium charakteristische Symptome. Die einzig m{\"o}glichen Behandlungsmethoden sind dann die operative Tumorentfernung und die Verabreichung von platinbasierter Chemotherapien sowie von Anthrazyklinen. Da die aktuelle 5-Jahres-{\"U}berlebensrate lediglich 20-40\% betr{\"a}gt, besteht ein dringender Bedarf an neuen therapeutischen Optionen. Seit herausgefunden wurde, dass immunologische Parameter das {\"U}berleben der Patienten beeinflussen, ist Immuntherapie zu einer der vielversprechendsten Behandlungsarten des Eierstockkrebs geworden. Das Ziel unserer Forschung ist die {\"U}berwindung der Immunevasion des Tumors durch ein Verhindern der immun-unterdr{\"u}ckenden Mechanismen des Tumors. Im Speziellen befasst sich diese Arbeit mit dem Einfluss von Adenosin, das durch die Ectonukleotidasen CD39 und CD73 in der Mikroumgebung des Tumors gebildet wird. Die CD39- und CD73-Expression der Zellen f{\"u}hrt zu Immunosuppression da diese Ectonukleotidasen immun-stimulierendes, extrazellul{\"a}res ATP in immunsuppressives Adenosin umwandeln. Dies wurde zuerst als Effektormechanismus f{\"u}r regulatorische T-Zellen beschrieben, kann aber auch im Tumormikromilieu von Bedeutung sein. Mit dem Wissen, dass Tumorzellen von Eierstockkrebs-Patientinnen große Mengen der ATP-unterdr{\"u}ckenden Ectonukleotidasen CD39 und CD73 bilden, analysierten wir die adenosinvermittelte Unterdr{\"u}ckendung von Immunantwortenin der Mikroumgebung der Tumorzellen. Im Vergleich zu regulatorischen T Zellen konnten wir bei Eierstockkrebs-Zelllinien und bei aus Aszites gewonnenen Krebszellen eine 30- bis 60-fache Adenosinproduktion messen. Um diesen mutmaßlichen Immunevasions-Mechanismus zu best{\"a}tigen, untersuchten wir seine Auswirkungen auf mehrere Immunzellenpopulationen. CSFE-basierte Experimente zeigten zum Beispiel eine Hemmung der CD4+ T-Zell-Proliferation durch Adenosin, welches von Eierstockkrebs-Zellen produziert wurde. In diesem Zusammenhang haben wir auch eine in-vitro Methode entwickelt, mit der wir die Beeinflussung von Makrophagen durch Eierstockkrebszellen analysieren und modulieren konnten. Neben seiner suppressiven Wirkung {\"u}bt Adenosin auch chemotaktische Effekte auf menschliche Monozyten aus und lockt wahrscheinlich myeloide Vorl{\"a}uferzellen zum Tumorgewebe. Anschließend differenzieren sich menschliche Monozyten in einer von Eierstockkrebszellen geformten Mikroumgebung zu M2 Makrophagen oder tumor-assoziierten Makrophagen (TAMs), die ihrerseits erhebliche Mengen der Adenosin-produzierenden Ectonukleotidasen CD39 und CD73 bilden. W{\"a}hrend wir die Regulierung der Ectonukleotidasen-Expression untersuchten, entdeckten wir auch, dass klinisch genutzte Techniken zur Behandlung von Eierstockkrebs (zum Beispiel die Anwendung von Doxorubicin oder Bestrahlung) in vitro das CD73- und CD39-Level von Eierstockkrebs- und Immunzellen beeinflussen. In dieser Studie zeigen wir, wie dieser behandlungsbedingte Wechsel des ATP/Adenosine-Verh{\"a}ltnisses die Effektorfunktion verschiedener Immunzellen moduliert. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus untersuchen wir den potentiellen Vorteil von klinisch verf{\"u}gbaren, niedermolekularen Inhibitoren f{\"u}r CD39 und CD73, die die Immunsuppression in der Mikroumgebung des Tumors partiell aufheben k{\"o}nnten, und die vor allem in Kombination mit g{\"a}ngigen Behandlungsschemata von großem Interesse sein k{\"o}nnten.}, subject = {Eierstockkrebs}, language = {en} }