@article{KrajinovicReimerKudlichetal.2016, author = {Krajinovic, K. and Reimer, S. and Kudlich, T. and Germer, C. T. and Wiegering, A.}, title = {"Rendezvous technique" for intraluminal vacuum therapy of anastomotic leakage of the jejunum}, series = {Surgical Case Reports}, volume = {2}, journal = {Surgical Case Reports}, number = {114}, doi = {10.1186/s40792-016-0243-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147883}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most common and serious complications following visceral surgery. In recent years, endoluminal vacuum therapy has dramatically changed therapeutic options for AL, but its use has been limited to areas easily accessible by endoscope. Case presentation We describe the first use of endoluminal vacuum therapy in the small intestine employing a combined surgical and endoscopic "rendezvous technique" in which the surgeon assists the endoscopic placement of an endoluminal vacuum therapy sponge in the jejunum by means of a pullback string. This technique led to a completely closed AL after 27 days and 7 changes of the endosponge. Conclusion The combined surgical and endoscopic rendezvous technique can be useful in cases of otherwise difficult endosponge placement.}, language = {en} } @article{ShenChalopinGarciaetal.2016, author = {Shen, Yingjia and Chalopin, Domitille and Garcia, Tzintzuni and Boswell, Mikki and Boswell, William and Shiryev, Sergey A. and Agarwala, Richa and Volff, Jean-Nicolas and Postlethwait, John H. and Schartl, Manfred and Minx, Patrick and Warren, Wesley C. and Walter, Ronald B.}, title = {X. couchianus and X. hellerii genome models provide genomic variation insight among Xiphophorus species}, series = {BMC Genomics}, volume = {17}, journal = {BMC Genomics}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-015-2361-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164582}, pages = {37}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Xiphophorus fishes are represented by 26 live-bearing species of tropical fish that express many attributes (e.g., viviparity, genetic and phenotypic variation, ecological adaptation, varied sexual developmental mechanisms, ability to produce fertile interspecies hybrids) that have made attractive research models for over 85 years. Use of various interspecies hybrids to investigate the genetics underlying spontaneous and induced tumorigenesis has resulted in the development and maintenance of pedigreed Xiphophorus lines specifically bred for research. The recent availability of the X. maculatus reference genome assembly now provides unprecedented opportunities for novel and exciting comparative research studies among Xiphophorus species. Results We present sequencing, assembly and annotation of two new genomes representing Xiphophorus couchianus and Xiphophorus hellerii. The final X. couchianus and X. hellerii assemblies have total sizes of 708 Mb and 734 Mb and correspond to 98 \% and 102 \% of the X. maculatus Jp 163 A genome size, respectively. The rates of single nucleotide change range from 1 per 52 bp to 1 per 69 bp among the three genomes and the impact of putatively damaging variants are presented. In addition, a survey of transposable elements allowed us to deduce an ancestral TE landscape, uncovered potential active TEs and document a recent burst of TEs during evolution of this genus. Conclusions Two new Xiphophorus genomes and their corresponding transcriptomes were efficiently assembled, the former using a novel guided assembly approach. Three assembled genome sequences within this single vertebrate order of new world live-bearing fishes will accelerate our understanding of relationship between environmental adaptation and genome evolution. In addition, these genome resources provide capability to determine allele specific gene regulation among interspecies hybrids produced by crossing any of the three species that are known to produce progeny predisposed to tumor development.}, language = {en} } @article{NeuderthSchwarzGerlichetal.2016, author = {Neuderth, Silke and Schwarz, Betje and Gerlich, Christian and Schuler, Michael and Markus, Miriam and Bethge, Matthias}, title = {Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with musculoskeletal disorders: the protocol of a propensity score matched effectiveness study (EVA-WMR, DRKS00009780)}, series = {BMC Public Health}, volume = {16}, journal = {BMC Public Health}, number = {804}, doi = {10.1186/s12889-016-3437-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-150015}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important causes of work disability. Various rehabilitation services and return-to-work programs have been developed in order to reduce sickness absence and increase sustainable return-to-work. As the effects of conventional medical rehabilitation programs on sickness absence duration were shown to be slight, work-related medical rehabilitation programs have been developed and tested. While such studies proved the efficacy of work-related medical rehabilitation compared with conventional medical rehabilitation in well-conducted randomized controlled trials, its effectiveness under real-life conditions has yet to be proved. Methods/Design The cohort study will be performed under real-life conditions with two parallel groups. Participants will receive either a conventional or a work-related medical rehabilitation program. Propensity score matching will be used to identify controls that are comparable to treated work-related medical rehabilitation patients. Over a period of three months, about 18,000 insured patients with permission to undergo a musculoskeletal rehabilitation program will be contacted. Of these, 15,000 will receive a conventional and 3,000 a work-related medical rehabilitation. We expect a participation rate of 40 \% at baseline. Patients will be aged 18 to 65 years and have chronic musculoskeletal disorders, usually back pain. The control group will receive a conventional medical rehabilitation program without any explicit focus on work, work ability and return to work in diagnostics and therapy. The intervention group will receive a work-related medical rehabilitation program that in addition to common rehabilitation treatments contains 11 to 25 h of work-related treatment modules. Follow-up data will be assessed three and ten months after patients' discharge from the rehabilitation center. Additionally, department characteristics will be assessed and administrative data records used. The primary outcomes are sick leave duration, stable return to work and subjective work ability. Secondary outcomes cover several dimensions of health, functioning and coping strategies. Discussion This study will determine the relative effectiveness of a complex, newly implemented work-related rehabilitation strategy for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{BrunetVolffSchartl2016, author = {Brunet, Fr{\´e}d{\´e}ric G. and Volff, Jean-Nicolas and Schartl, Manfred}, title = {Whole Genome Duplications Shaped the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Repertoire of Jawed Vertebrates}, series = {Genome Biology Evolution}, volume = {8}, journal = {Genome Biology Evolution}, number = {15}, doi = {10.1093/gbe/evw103}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146988}, pages = {1600-1613}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) gene family, involved primarily in cell growth and differentiation, comprises proteins with a common enzymatic tyrosine kinase intracellular domain adjacent to a transmembrane region. The amino-terminal portion of RTKs is extracellular and made of different domains, the combination of which characterizes each of the 20 RTK subfamilies among mammals. We analyzed a total of 7,376 RTK sequences among 143 vertebrate species to provide here the first comprehensive census of the jawed vertebrate repertoire. We ascertained the 58 genes previously described in the human and mouse genomes and established their phylogenetic relationships. We also identified five additional RTKs amounting to a total of 63 genes in jawed vertebrates. We found that the vertebrate RTK gene family has been shaped by the two successive rounds of whole genome duplications (WGD) called 1R and 2R (1R/2R) that occurred at the base of the vertebrates. In addition, the Vegfr and Ephrin receptor subfamilies were expanded by single gene duplications. In teleost fish, 23 additional RTK genes have been retained after another expansion through the fish-specific third round (3R) of WGD. Several lineage-specific gene losses were observed. For instance, birds have lost three RTKs, and different genes are missing in several fish sublineages. The RTK gene family presents an unusual high gene retention rate from the vertebrate WGDs (58.75\% after 1R/2R, 64.4\% after 3R), resulting in an expansion that might be correlated with the evolution of complexity of vertebrate cellular communication and intracellular signaling.}, language = {en} } @article{BurnsGoldsteinNewgreenetal.2016, author = {Burns, Alan J. and Goldstein, Allan M. and Newgreen, Donald F. and Stamp, Lincon and Sch{\"a}fer, Karl-Herbert and Metzger, Marco and Hotta, Ryo and Young, Heather M. and Andrews, Peter W. and Thapar, Nikhil and Belkind-Gerson, Jaime and Bondurand, Nadege and Bornstein, Joel C. and Chan, Wood Yee and Cheah, Kathryn and Gershon, Michael D. and Heuckeroth, Robert O. and Hofstra, Robert M.W. and Just, Lothar and Kapur, Raj P. and King, Sebastian K. and McCann, Conor J. and Nagy, Nandor and Ngan, Elly and Obermayr, Florian and Pachnis, Vassilis and Pasricha, Pankaj J. and Sham, Mai Har and Tam, Paul and Vanden Berghe, Pieter}, title = {White paper on guidelines concerning enteric nervous system stem cell therapy for enteric neuropathies}, series = {Developmental Biology}, volume = {417}, journal = {Developmental Biology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.04.001}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187415}, pages = {229-251}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Over the last 20 years, there has been increasing focus on the development of novel stem cell based therapies for the treatment of disorders and diseases affecting the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the gastrointestinal tract (so-called enteric neuropathies). Here, the idea is that ENS progenitor/stem cells could be transplanted into the gut wall to replace the damaged or absent neurons and glia of the ENS. This White Paper sets out experts' views on the commonly used methods and approaches to identify, isolate, purify, expand and optimize ENS stem cells, transplant them into the bowel, and assess transplant success, including restoration of gut function. We also highlight obstacles that must be overcome in order to progress from successful preclinical studies in animal models to ENS stem cell therapies in the clinic.}, language = {en} } @article{HennighausenHuddersLangeetal.2016, author = {Hennighausen, Christine and Hudders, Liselot and Lange, Benjamin P. and Fink, Hanna}, title = {What If the Rival Drives a Porsche? Luxury Car Spending as a Costly Signal in Male Intrasexual Competition}, series = {Evolutionary Psychology}, volume = {14}, journal = {Evolutionary Psychology}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1177/1474704916678217}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-163481}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Previous research found that men conspicuously consume luxury products to attract a mate and to signal their mate value. However, these studies have yet neglected to investigate the function of male conspicuous consumption in same-sex competition. Given that intersexual selection and intrasexual selection are closely related processes, it stands to reason that a further function of male conspicuous consumption could be to impress and deter same-sex rivals. An 2 (intrasexual competition context vs. control) × 2 (conspicuous luxury vs. inconspicuous nonluxury) between-subjects experimental study conducted with an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample (N = 160) revealed that men reported both higher liking of and an intent to purchase a conspicuous luxury car compared to an inconspicuous nonluxury car due to increased feelings of social status. This effect was stronger in the intrasexual competition than in the control context. An additional perception study using a single-factor between-subjects design (conspicuous luxury vs. inconspicuous nonluxury car) among German men (N = 405) indicated that male participants rated a man who displayed a conspicuous luxury car more as a rival and mate poacher and less as a friend. They further perceived him to be superior on various mate value characteristics (i.e., attractiveness, intelligence, ambition, and status) and rated him as more oriented toward short-term mating. In sum, our findings add to previous research in the field of evolutionary consumer psychology by suggesting that male conspicuous consumption of luxuries may also serve a function in male-male competition.}, 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{KoenigWolfHeisenberg2016, author = {Koenig, Sebastian and Wolf, Reinhard and Heisenberg, Martin}, title = {Visual Attention in Flies-Dopamine in the Mushroom Bodies Mediates the After-Effect of Cueing}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0161412}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-179564}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Visual environments may simultaneously comprise stimuli of different significance. Often such stimuli require incompatible responses. Selective visual attention allows an animal to respond exclusively to the stimuli at a certain location in the visual field. In the process of establishing its focus of attention the animal can be influenced by external cues. Here we characterize the behavioral properties and neural mechanism of cueing in the fly Drosophila melanogaster. A cue can be attractive, repulsive or ineffective depending upon (e.g.) its visual properties and location in the visual field. Dopamine signaling in the brain is required to maintain the effect of cueing once the cue has disappeared. Raising or lowering dopamine at the synapse abolishes this after-effect. Specifically, dopamine is necessary and sufficient in the αβ-lobes of the mushroom bodies. Evidence is provided for an involvement of the αβ\(_{posterior}\) Kenyon cells.}, language = {en} } @article{KoenigWolfHeisenberg2016, author = {Koenig, Sebastian and Wolf, Reinhard and Heisenberg, Martin}, title = {Vision in Flies: Measuring the Attention Span}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0148208}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-179947}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A visual stimulus at a particular location of the visual field may elicit a behavior while at the same time equally salient stimuli in other parts do not. This property of visual systems is known as selective visual attention (SVA). The animal is said to have a focus of attention (FoA) which it has shifted to a particular location. Visual attention normally involves an attention span at the location to which the FoA has been shifted. Here the attention span is measured in Drosophila. The fly is tethered and hence has its eyes fixed in space. It can shift its FoA internally. This shift is revealed using two simultaneous test stimuli with characteristic responses at their particular locations. In tethered flight a wild type fly keeps its FoA at a certain location for up to 4s. Flies with a mutation in the radish gene, that has been suggested to be involved in attention-like mechanisms, display a reduced attention span of only 1s.}, language = {en} } @article{BoehmScherzerShabalaetal.2016, author = {B{\"o}hm, J. and Scherzer, S. and Shabala, S. and Krol, E. and Neher, E. and Mueller, T. D. and Hedrich, R.}, title = {Venus flytrap HKT1-type channel provides for prey sodium uptake into carnivorous plant without conflicting with electrical excitability}, series = {Molecular Plant}, volume = {9}, journal = {Molecular Plant}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1016/j.molp.2015.09.017}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189803}, pages = {428-436}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The animal diet of the carnivorous Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, contains a sodium load that enters the capture organ via an HKT1-type sodium channel, expressed in special epithelia cells on the inner trap lobe surface. DmHKT1 expression and sodium uptake activity is induced upon prey contact. Here, we analyzed the HKT1 properties required for prey sodium osmolyte management of carnivorous Dionaea. Analyses were based on homology modeling, generation of model-derived point mutants, and their functional testing in Xenopus oocytes. We showed that the wild-type HKT1 and its Na\(^+\)- and K\(^+\)-permeable mutants function as ion channels rather than K\(^+\) transporters driven by proton or sodium gradients. These structural and biophysical features of a high-capacity, Na\(^+\)-selective ion channel enable Dionaea glands to manage prey-derived sodium loads without confounding the action potential-based information management of the flytrap.}, language = {en} } @article{BemmBeckerLarischetal.2016, author = {Bemm, Felix and Becker, Dirk and Larisch, Christina and Kreuzer, Ines and Escalante-Perez, Maria and Schulze, Waltraud X. and Ankenbrand, Markus and Van de Weyer, Anna-Lena and Krol, Elzbieta and Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. and Mith{\"o}fer, Axel and Weber, Andreas P. and Schultz, J{\"o}rg and Hedrich, Rainer}, title = {Venus flytrap carnivorous lifestyle builds on herbivore defense strategies}, series = {Genome Research}, volume = {26}, journal = {Genome Research}, number = {6}, doi = {10.1101/gr.202200.115}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188799}, pages = {812-825}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Although the concept of botanical carnivory has been known since Darwin's time, the molecular mechanisms that allow animal feeding remain unknown, primarily due to a complete lack of genomic information. Here, we show that the transcriptomic landscape of the Dionaea trap is dramatically shifted toward signal transduction and nutrient transport upon insect feeding, with touch hormone signaling and protein secretion prevailing. At the same time, a massive induction of general defense responses is accompanied by the repression of cell death-related genes/processes. We hypothesize that the carnivory syndrome of Dionaea evolved by exaptation of ancient defense pathways, replacing cell death with nutrient acquisition.}, language = {en} } @article{BuschHoffjanBergmannetal.2016, author = {Busch, Albert and Hoffjan, Sabine and Bergmann, Frauke and Hartung, Birgit and Jung, Helena and Hanel, Daniela and Tzschach, Andeas and Kadar, Janos and von Kodolitsch, Yskert and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Trobisch, Heiner and Strasser, Erwin and Wildenauer, Ren{\´e}}, title = {Vascular type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is associated with platelet dysfunction and low vitamin D serum concentration}, series = {Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases}, volume = {11}, journal = {Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases}, number = {111}, doi = {10.1186/s13023-016-0491-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147757}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background The vascular type represents a very rare, yet the clinically most fatal entity of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Patients are often admitted due to arterial bleedings and the friable tissue and the altered coagulation contribute to the challenge in treatment strategies. Until now there is little information about clotting characteristics that might influence hemostasis decisively and eventually worsen emergency situations. Results 22 vascular type EDS patients were studied for hemoglobin, platelet volume and count, Quick and activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, factor XIII, von Willebrand disease, vitamin D and platelet aggregation by modern standard laboratory methods. Results show a high prevalence of over 50 \% for platelet aggregation disorders in vascular type EDS patients, especially for collagen and epinephrine induced tests, whereas the plasmatic cascade did not show any alterations. Additionally, more than half of the tested subjects showed low vitamin D serum levels, which might additionally affect vascular wall integrity. Conclusion The presented data underline the importance of detailed laboratory screening methods in vascular type EDS patients in order to allow for targeted application of platelet-interacting substances that might be of decisive benefit in the emergency setting.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Forster2016, author = {Forster, Johannes}, title = {Variational Approach to the Modeling and Analysis of Magnetoelastic Materials}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147226}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This doctoral thesis is concerned with the mathematical modeling of magnetoelastic materials and the analysis of PDE systems describing these materials and obtained from a variational approach. The purpose is to capture the behavior of elastic particles that are not only magnetic but exhibit a magnetic domain structure which is well described by the micromagnetic energy and the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation of the magnetization. The equation of motion for the material's velocity is derived in a continuum mechanical setting from an energy ansatz. In the modeling process, the focus is on the interplay between Lagrangian and Eulerian coordinate systems to combine elasticity and magnetism in one model without the assumption of small deformations. The resulting general PDE system is simplified using special assumptions. Existence of weak solutions is proved for two variants of the PDE system, one including gradient flow dynamics on the magnetization, and the other featuring the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The proof is based on a Galerkin method and a fixed point argument. The analysis of the PDE system with the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation uses a more involved approach to obtain weak solutions based on G. Carbou and P. Fabrie 2001.}, subject = {Magnetoelastizit{\"a}t}, language = {en} } @article{ToussaintRichterManteletal.2016, author = {Toussaint, Andr{\´e} and Richter, Anne and Mantel, Frederick and Flickinger, John C. and Grills, Inga Siiner and Tyagi, Neelam and Sahgal, Arjun and Letourneau, Daniel and Sheehan, Jason P. and Schlesinger, David J. and Gerszten, Peter Carlos and Guckenberger, Matthias}, title = {Variability in spine radiosurgery treatment planning - results of an international multi-institutional study}, series = {Radiation Oncology}, volume = {11}, journal = {Radiation Oncology}, number = {57}, doi = {10.1186/s13014-016-0631-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146687}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background The aim of this study was to quantify the variability in spinal radiosurgery (SRS) planning practices between five international institutions, all member of the Elekta Spine Radiosurgery Research Consortium. Methods Four institutions provided one representative patient case each consisting of the medical history, CT and MR imaging. A step-wise planning approach was used where, after each planning step a consensus was generated that formed the basis for the next planning step. This allowed independent analysis of all planning steps of CT-MR image registration, GTV definition, CTV definition, PTV definition and SRS treatment planning. In addition, each institution generated one additional SRS plan for each case based on intra-institutional image registration and contouring, independent of consensus results. Results Averaged over the four cases, image registration variability ranged between translational 1.1 mm and 2.4 mm and rotational 1.1° and 2.0° in all three directions. GTV delineation variability was 1.5 mm in axial and 1.6 mm in longitudinal direction averaged for the four cases. CTV delineation variability was 0.8 mm in axial and 1.2 mm in longitudinal direction. CTV-to-PTV margins ranged between 0 mm and 2 mm according to institutional protocol. Delineation variability was 1 mm in axial directions for the spinal cord. Average PTV coverage for a single fraction18 Gy prescription was 87 ± 5 \%; Dmin to the PTV was 7.5 ± 1.8 Gy averaged over all cases and institutions. Average Dmax to the PRV_SC (spinal cord + 1 mm) was 10.5 ± 1.6 Gy and the average Paddick conformity index was 0.69 ± 0.06. Conclusions Results of this study reflect the variability in current practice of spine radiosurgery in large and highly experienced academic centers. Despite close methodical agreement in the daily workflow, clinically significant variability in all steps of the treatment planning process was demonstrated. This may translate into differences in patient clinical outcome and highlights the need for consensus and established delineation and planning criteria.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Koch2016, author = {Koch, Julia Diana}, title = {Value Ranges for Schlicht Functions}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144978}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This thesis deals with value sets, i.e. the question of what the set of values that a set of functions can take in a prescribed point looks like. Interest in such problems has been around for a long time; a first answer was given by the Schwarz lemma in the 19th century, and soon various refinements were proven. Since the 1930s, a powerful method for solving such problems has been developed, namely Loewner theory. We make extensive use of this tool, as well as variation methods which go back to Schiffer to examine the following questions: We describe the set of values a schlicht normalised function on the unit disc with prescribed derivative at the origin can take by applying Pontryagin's maximum principle to the radial Loewner equation. We then determine the value ranges for the set of holomorphic, normalised, and bounded functions that have only real coefficients in their power series expansion around 0, and for the smaller set of functions which are additionally typically real. Furthermore, we describe the values a univalent self-mapping of the upper half-plane with hydrodynamical normalization which is symmetric with respect to the imaginary axis can take. Lastly, we give a necessary condition for a schlicht bounded function f on the unit disc to have extremal derivative in a point z where its value f(z) is fixed by using variation methods.}, subject = {Pontrjagin-Maximumprinzip}, language = {en} } @article{DreinerKraussO'Learyetal.2016, author = {Dreiner, Herbi K. and Krauss, Manuel E. and O'Leary, Ben and Opferkuch, Toby and Staub, Florian}, title = {Validity of the CMSSM interpretation of the diphoton excess}, series = {Physical Review D}, volume = {94}, journal = {Physical Review D}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.94.055013}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187429}, pages = {055013}, year = {2016}, abstract = {It has been proposed that the observed diphoton excess at 750 GeV could be explained within the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model via resonantly produced stop bound states. We reanalyze this scenario critically and extend previous work to include the constraints from the stability of the electroweak vacuum and from the decays of the stoponium into a pair of Higgs bosons. It is shown that the interesting regions of parameter space with a light stop and Higgs of the desired mass are ruled out by these constraints. This conclusion is not affected by the presence of the bound states because the binding energy is usually very small in the regions of parameter space which can explain the Higgs mass. Thus, this also leads to strong constraints on the diphoton production cross section which is in general too small.}, language = {en} } @article{EngelRudeliusSlawskaetal.2016, author = {Engel, Katharina and Rudelius, Martina and Slawska, Jolanta and Jacobs, Laura and Abhari, Behnaz Ahangarian and Altmann, Bettina and Kurutz, Julia and Rathakrishnan, Abirami and Fern{\´a}ndez-S{\´a}iz, Vanesa and Brunner, Andr{\"a} and Targosz, Bianca-Sabrina and Loewecke, Felicia and Gloeckner, Christian Johannes and Ueffing, Marius and Fulda, Simone and Pfreundschuh, Michael and Tr{\"u}mper, Lorenz and Klapper, Wolfram and Keller, Ulrich and Jost, Philipp J. and Rosenwald, Andreas and Peschel, Christian and Bassermann, Florian}, title = {USP9X stabilizes XIAP to regulate mitotic cell death and chemoresistance in aggressive B-cell lymphoma}, series = {EMBO Molecular Medicine}, volume = {8}, journal = {EMBO Molecular Medicine}, doi = {10.15252/emmm.201506047}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165016}, pages = {851-862}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintains genome stability and marks an important target for antineoplastic therapies. However, it has remained unclear how cells execute cell fate decisions under conditions of SAC-induced mitotic arrest. Here, we identify USP9X as the mitotic deubiquitinase of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and demonstrate that deubiquitylation and stabilization of XIAP by USP9X lead to increased resistance toward mitotic spindle poisons. We find that primary human aggressive B-cell lymphoma samples exhibit high USP9X expression that correlate with XIAP overexpression. We show that high USP9X/XIAP expression is associated with shorter event-free survival in patients treated with spindle poison-containing chemotherapy. Accordingly, aggressive B-cell lymphoma lines with USP9X and associated XIAP overexpression exhibit increased chemoresistance, reversed by specific inhibition of either USP9X or XIAP. Moreover, knockdown of USP9X or XIAP significantly delays lymphoma development and increases sensitivity to spindle poisons in a murine Eμ-Myc lymphoma model. Together, we specify the USP9X-XIAP axis as a regulator of the mitotic cell fate decision and propose that USP9X and XIAP are potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in aggressive B-cell lymphoma.}, language = {en} } @article{WeidemannMaierStoerketal.2016, author = {Weidemann, Frank and Maier, Sebastian K. G. and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Brunner, Thomas and Liu, Dan and Hu, Kai and Seydelmann, Nora and Schneider, Andreas and Becher, Jan and Canan-K{\"u}hl, Sima and Blaschke, Daniela and Bijnens, Bart and Ertl, Georg and Wanner, Christoph and Nordbeck, Peter}, title = {Usefulness of an implantable loop recorder to detect clinically relevant arrhythmias in patients with advanced fabry cardiomyopathy}, series = {The American Journal of Cardiology}, volume = {118}, journal = {The American Journal of Cardiology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1016/j.amjcard.2016.04.033}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188093}, pages = {264-274}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Patients with genetic cardiomyopathy that involves myocardial hypertrophy often develop clinically relevant arrhythmias that increase the risk of sudden death. Consequently, guidelines for medical device therapy were established for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but not for conditions with only anecdotal evidence of arrhythmias, like Fabry cardiomyopathy. Patients with Fabry cardiomyopathy progressively develop myocardial fibrosis, and sudden cardiac death occurs regularly. Because 24-hour Holier electrocardiograms (ECGs) might not detect clinically important arrhythmias, we tested an implanted loop recorder for continuous heart rhythm surveillance and determined its impact on therapy. This prospective study included 16 patients (12 men) with advanced Fabry cardiomyopathy, relevant hypertrophy, and replacement fibrosis in "loco typico." No patients previously exhibited clinically relevant arrhythmias on Holier ECGs. Patients received an implantable loop recorder and were prospectively followed with telemedicine for a median of 1.2 years (range 0.3 to 2.0 years). The primary end point was a clinically meaningful event, which required a therapy change, captured with the loop recorder. Patients submitted data regularly (14 +/- 11 times per month). During follow-up, 21 events were detected (including 4 asystole, i.e., ECG pauses >= 3 seconds) and 7 bradycardia events; 5 episodes of intermittent atrial fibrillation (>3 minutes) and 5 episodes of ventricular tachycardia (3 sustained and 2 nonsustained). Subsequently, as defined in the primary end point, 15 events leaded to a change of therapy. These patients required therapy with a pacemaker or cardioverter defibrillator implantation and/or anticoagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, clinically relevant arrhythmias that require further device and/or medical therapy are often missed with Holier ECGs in patients with advanced stage Fabry cardiomyopathy, but they can be detected by telemonitoring with an implantable loop recorder.}, language = {en} } @article{KaluzaWallaceHeardetal.2016, author = {Kaluza, Benjamin F. and Wallace, Helen and Heard, Tim A. and Klein, Aelxandra-Maria and Leonhardt, Sara D.}, title = {Urban gardens promote bee foraging over natural habitats and plantations}, series = {Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {6}, journal = {Ecology and Evolution}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.1941}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-162713}, pages = {1304-1316}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Increasing human land use for agriculture and housing leads to the loss of natural habitat and to widespread declines in wild bees. Bee foraging dynamics and fitness depend on the availability of resources in the surrounding landscape, but how precisely landscape related resource differences affect bee foraging patterns remains unclear. To investigate how landscape and its interaction with season and weather drive foraging and resource intake in social bees, we experimentally compared foraging activity, the allocation of foragers to different resources (pollen, nectar, and resin) and overall resource intake in the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria (Apidae, Meliponini). Bee colonies were monitored in different seasons over two years. We compared foraging patterns and resource intake between the bees' natural habitat (forests) and two landscapes differently altered by humans (suburban gardens and agricultural macadamia plantations). We found foraging activity as well as pollen and nectar forager numbers to be highest in suburban gardens, intermediate in forests and low in plantations. Foraging patterns further differed between seasons, but seasonal variations strongly differed between landscapes. Sugar and pollen intake was low in plantations, but contrary with our predictions, it was even higher in gardens than in forests. In contrast, resin intake was similar across landscapes. Consequently, differences in resource availability between natural and altered landscapes strongly affect foraging patterns and thus resource intake in social bees. While agricultural monocultures largely reduce foraging success, suburban gardens can increase resource intake well above rates found in natural habitats of bees, indicating that human activities can both decrease and increase the availability of resources in a landscape and thus reduce or enhance bee fitness.}, language = {en} } @article{ContarinoSmitvandenDooletal.2016, author = {Contarino, Maria Fiorella and Smit, Marenka and van den Dool, Joost and Volkmann, Jens and Tijssen, Marina A. J.}, title = {Unmet Needs in the Management of Cervical Dystonia}, series = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, number = {165}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2016.00165}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165225}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Cervical dystonia (CD) is a movement disorder which affects daily living of many patients. In clinical practice, several unmet treatment needs remain open. This article focuses on the four main aspects of treatment. We describe existing and emerging treatment approaches for CD, including botulinum toxin injections, surgical therapy, management of non-motor symptoms, and rehabilitation strategies. The unsolved issues regarding each of these treatments are identified and discussed, and possible future approaches and research lines are proposed.}, language = {en} } @article{BenoitAdelmanReinhardtetal.2016, author = {Benoit, Joshua B. and Adelman, Zach N. and Reinhardt, Klaus and Dolan, Amanda and Poelchau, Monica and Jennings, Emily C. and Szuter, Elise M. and Hagan, Richard W. and Gujar, Hemant and Shukla, Jayendra Nath and Zhu, Fang and Mohan, M. and Nelson, David R. and Rosendale, Andrew J. and Derst, Christian and Resnik, Valentina and Wernig, Sebastian and Menegazzi, Pamela and Wegener, Christian and Peschel, Nicolai and Hendershot, Jacob M. and Blenau, Wolfgang and Predel, Reinhard and Johnston, Paul R. and Ioannidis, Panagiotis and Waterhouse, Robert M. and Nauen, Ralf and Schorn, Corinna and Ott, Mark-Christoph and Maiwald, Frank and Johnston, J. Spencer and Gondhalekar, Ameya D. and Scharf, Michael E. and Raje, Kapil R. and Hottel, Benjamin A. and Armis{\´e}n, David and Crumi{\`e}re, Antonin Jean Johan and Refki, Peter Nagui and Santos, Maria Emilia and Sghaier, Essia and Viala, S{\`e}verine and Khila, Abderrahman and Ahn, Seung-Joon and Childers, Christopher and Lee, Chien-Yueh and Lin, Han and Hughes, Daniel S.T. and Duncan, Elizabeth J. and Murali, Shwetha C. and Qu, Jiaxin and Dugan, Shannon and Lee, Sandra L. and Chao, Hsu and Dinh, Huyen and Han, Yi and Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan and Worley, Kim C. and Muzny, Donna M. and Wheeler, David and Panfilio, Kristen A. and Jentzsch, Iris M. Vargas and Jentzsch, IMV and Vargo, Edward L. and Booth, Warren and Friedrich, Markus and Weirauch, Matthew T. and Anderson, Michelle A.E. and Jones, Jeffery W. and Mittapalli, Omprakash and Zhao, Chaoyang and Zhou, Jing-Jiang and Evans, Jay D. and Attardo, Geoffrey M. and Robertson, Hugh M. and Zdobnov, Evgeny M. and Ribeiro, Jose M.C. and Gibbs, Richard A. and Werren, John H. and Palli, Subba R. and Schal, Coby and Richards, Stephen}, title = {Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, number = {10165}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms10165}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166221}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades. This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C. lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to obligate hematophagy, host-symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, human-bed bug and symbiont-bed bug associations, and unique features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C. lectularius as a human ectoparasite.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Lama2016, author = {Lama, Anu Kumari}, title = {Understanding Institutional Adaptation to Climate Change: Social Resilience and Adaptive Governance Capacities of the Nature Based Tourism Institutions in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal}, publisher = {W{\"u}rzburg University Press}, address = {W{\"u}rzburg}, isbn = {978-3-95826-034-4 (print)}, issn = {0510-9833 (print)}, doi = {10.25972/WUP-978-3-95826-035-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131351}, school = {W{\"u}rzburg University Press}, pages = {208}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The global-local sustainable development and climate change adaptation policy, and the emerging political discourse on the value of local Adaptation, have positioned the local institutions and their governance space within the strategic enclaves of multilevel governance system. Such shifts have transformed the context for sustainable Nature Based Tourism (NBT) development and adaptation in Nepal in general, and its protected areas, in particular. The emerging institutional adaptation discourse suggests on the need to link tourism development, adaptation and governance within the sustainability concept, and also to recognize the justice and inclusive dimensions of local adaptation. However, sociological investigation of institutional adaptation, particularly at the interface between sustainability, justice and inclusive local adaptation is an undertheorized research topic. This exploratory study examined the sociological process of the institutional adaptation, especially the social resilience and adaptive governance capacities of the NBT institutions, in 7 Village Development Committees of the Mustang district, a popular destination in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Using the sphere (a dynamic social space concept) and quality of governance as the analytical framework, the integrative adaptation as the methodological approach and the case study action research method, the study investigated and generated a holistic picture on the state of the social resilience and adaptive governance capacities of the NBT institutions. The findings show institutional social resilience capacities to be contingent on socio-political construction of adaptation knowledge and power. Factors influencing such constructions among NBT institutions include: the site and institutions specific political, economic and environmental dispositions; the associated socio-political processes of knowledge constructions and volition action; and the social relationships and interaction, operating within the spheres and at multiple governance levels. The adaptive governance capacities hinge on the institutional arrangements, the procedural aspects of adaptation governance and the governmentality. These are reflective of the diverse legal frameworks, the interiority perspective of the decision making and governance practices of the NBT institutions. In conclusion, it is argued that effective local adaptation in the Mustang district is contingent on the adaptation and institutional dynamics of the NBT institutions, consisting of the cognitive, subjective, process and procedural aspects of the adaptation knowledge production and its use.}, subject = {Annapurna Conservation Area}, language = {en} } @article{LaihoPresslSchlageretal.2016, author = {Laiho, K. and Pressl, B. and Schlager, A. and Suchomel, H. and Kamp, M. and H{\"o}fling, S. and Schneider, C. and Weihs, G.}, title = {Uncovering dispersion properties in semiconductor waveguides to study photon-pair generation}, series = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {27}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, number = {43}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/27/43/434003}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187025}, pages = {434003}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We investigate the dispersion properties of ridge Bragg-reflection waveguides to deduce their phasematching characteristics. These are crucial for exploiting them as sources of parametric down-conversion (PDC). In order to estimate the phasematching bandwidth we first determine the group refractive indices of the interacting modes via Fabry-Perot experiments in two distant wavelength regions. Second, by measuring the spectra of the emitted PDC photons, we gain access to their group index dispersion. Our results offer a simple approach for determining the PDC process parameters in the spectral domain, and provide important feedback for designing such sources, especially in the broadband case.}, language = {en} } @article{HuangSchrammHeilmannetal.2016, author = {Huang, Guozheng and Schramm, Simon and Heilmann, J{\"o}rg and Biedermann, David and Kren, Vladim{\´i}r and Decker, Michael}, title = {Unconventional application of the Mitsunobu reaction: Selective flavonolignan dehydration yielding hydnocarpins}, series = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {12}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.12.66}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-160986}, pages = {662-669}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Various Mitsunobu conditions were investigated for a series of flavonolignans (silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, and silychristin A) to achieve either selective esterification in position C-23 or dehydration in a one-pot reaction yielding the biologically important enantiomers of hydnocarpin D, hydnocarpin and isohydnocarpin, respectively. This represents the only one-pot semi-synthetic method to access these flavonolignans in high yields.}, language = {en} } @article{ArrowsmithBoehnkeBraunschweigetal.2016, author = {Arrowsmith, Merle and B{\"o}hnke, Julian and Braunschweig, Holger and Celik, Mehmet and Dellermann, Theresa and Hammond, Kai}, title = {Uncatalyzed Hydrogenation of First-Row Main Group Multiple Bonds}, series = {Chemistry, A European Journal}, volume = {22}, journal = {Chemistry, A European Journal}, number = {48}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201604094}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139364}, pages = {17169 -- 17172}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Room temperature hydrogenation of an SIDep-stabilized diboryne (SIDep = 1,3-bis(diethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) and a CAAC-supported diboracumulene (CAAC = 1-(2,6- diisopropylphenyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidin-2-ylidene) provided the first selective route to the corresponding 1,2-dihydrodiborenes. DFT calculations showed an overall exothermic (ΔG = 19.4 kcal mol\(^{-1}\) two-step asynchronous H\(_2\) addition mechanism proceeding via a bridging hydride.}, subject = {Diborane}, language = {en} } @article{MotykaDyksikRyczkoetal.2016, author = {Motyka, M. and Dyksik, M. and Ryczko, K. and Weih, R. and Dallner, M. and H{\"o}fling, S. and Kamp, M. and Sęk, G. and Misiewicz, J.}, title = {Type-II quantum wells with tensile-strained GaAsSb layers for interband cascade lasers with tailored valence band mixing}, series = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {108}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1063/1.4943193}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189795}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Optical properties of modified type II W-shaped quantum wells have been investigated with the aim to be utilized in interband cascade lasers. The results show that introducing a tensely strained GaAsSb layer, instead of a commonly used compressively strained GaInSb, allows employing the active transition involving valence band states with a significant admixture of the light holes. Theoretical predictions of multiband k.p theory have been experimentally verified by using photoluminescence and polarization dependent photoreflectance measurements. These results open a pathway for practical realization of mid-infrared lasing devices with uncommon polarization properties including, for instance, polarization-independent midinfrared light emitters.}, language = {en} } @article{CicovaDejungSkalickyetal.2016, author = {Cicova, Zdenka and Dejung, Mario and Skalicky, Tomas and Eisenhuth, Nicole and Hanselmann, Steffen and Morriswood, Brooke and Figueiredo, Luisa M. and Butter, Falk and Janzen, Christian J.}, title = {Two flagellar BAR domain proteins in Trypanosoma brucei with stage-specific regulation}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/srep35826}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-181021}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Trypanosomes are masters of adaptation to different host environments during their complex life cycle. Large-scale proteomic approaches provide information on changes at the cellular level, and in a systematic way. However, detailed work on single components is necessary to understand the adaptation mechanisms on a molecular level. Here, we have performed a detailed characterization of a bloodstream form (BSF) stage-specific putative flagellar host adaptation factor Tb927.11.2400, identified previously in a SILAC-based comparative proteome study. Tb927.11.2400 shares 38\% amino acid identity with TbFlabarin (Tb927.11.2410), a procyclic form (PCF) stage-specific flagellar BAR domain protein. We named Tb927.11.2400 TbFlabarin-like (TbFlabarinL), and demonstrate that it originates from a gene duplication event, which occurred in the African trypanosomes. TbFlabarinL is not essential for the growth of the parasites under cell culture conditions and it is dispensable for developmental differentiation from BSF to the PCF in vitro. We generated TbFlabarinL-specific antibodies, and showed that it localizes in the flagellum. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments together with a biochemical cell fractionation suggest a dual association of TbFlabarinL with the flagellar membrane and the components of the paraflagellar rod.}, language = {en} } @article{UllmannSchmittJagdhuber2016, author = {Ullmann, Tobias and Schmitt, Andreas and Jagdhuber, Thomas}, title = {Two Component Decomposition of Dual Polarimetric HH/VV SAR Data: Case Study for the Tundra Environment of the Mackenzie Delta Region, Canada}, series = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {8}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, number = {12}, doi = {10.3390/rs8121027}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147879}, pages = {1027}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This study investigates a two component decomposition technique for HH/VV-polarized PolSAR (Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar) data. The approach is a straight forward adaption of the Yamaguchi decomposition and decomposes the data into two scattering contributions: surface and double bounce under the assumption of a negligible vegetation scattering component in Tundra environments. The dependencies between the features of this two and the classical three component Yamaguchi decomposition were investigated for Radarsat-2 (quad) and TerraSAR-X (HH/VV) data for the Mackenzie Delta Region, Canada. In situ data on land cover were used to derive the scattering characteristics and to analyze the correlation among the PolSAR features. The double bounce and surface scattering features of the two and three component scattering model (derived from pseudo-HH/VV- and quad-polarized data) showed similar scattering characteristics and positively correlated-R2 values of 0.60 (double bounce) and 0.88 (surface scattering) were observed. The presence of volume scattering led to differences between the features and these were minimized for land cover classes of low vegetation height that showed little volume scattering contribution. In terms of separability, the quad-polarized Radarsat-2 data offered the best separation of the examined tundra land cover types and will be best suited for the classification. This is anticipated as it represents the largest feature space of all tested ones. However; the classes "wetland" and "bare ground" showed clear positions in the feature spaces of the C- and X-Band HH/VV-polarized data and an accurate classification of these land cover types is promising. Among the possible dual-polarization modes of Radarsat-2 the HH/VV was found to be the favorable mode for the characterization of the aforementioned tundra land cover classes due to the coherent acquisition and the preserved co-pol. phase. Contrary, HH/HV-polarized and VV/VH-polarized data were found to be best suited for the characterization of mixed and shrub dominated tundra.}, language = {en} } @article{SchofferSchueleinArandetal.2016, author = {Schoffer, Olaf and Sch{\"u}lein, Stefanie and Arand, Gerlinde and Arnholdt, Hans and Baaske, Dieter and Bargou, Ralf C. and Becker, Nikolaus and Beckmann, Matthias W. and Bodack, Yves and B{\"o}hme, Beatrix and Bozkurt, Tayfun and Breitsprecher, Regine and Buchali, Andre and Burger, Elke and Burger, Ulrike and Dommisch, Klaus and Elsner, Gudrun and Fernschild, Karin and Flintzer, Ulrike and Funke, Uwe and Gerken, Michael and G{\"o}bel, Hubert and Grobe, Norbert and Gumpp, Vera and Heinzerling, Lucie and Kempfer, Lana Raffaela and Kiani, Alexander and Klinkhammer-Schalke, Monika and Kl{\"o}cking, Sabine and Kreibich, Ute and Knabner, Katrin and Kuhn, Peter and Lutze, Stine and M{\"a}der, Uwe and Maisel, Tanja and Maschke, Jan and Middeke, Martin and Neubauer, Andreas and Niedostatek, Antje and Opazo-Saez, Anabelle and Peters, Christoph and Schell, Beatrice and Schenkirsch, Gerhard and Schmalenberg, Harald and Schmidt, Peter and Schneider, Constanze and Schubotz, Birgit and Seide, Anika and Strecker, Paul and Taubenheim, Sabine and Wackes, Matthias and Weiß, Steffen and Welke, Claudia and Werner, Carmen and Wittekind, Christian and Wulff, J{\"o}rg and Zettl, Heike and Klug, Stefanie J.}, title = {Tumour stage distribution and survival of malignant melanoma in Germany 2002-2011}, series = {BMC Cancer}, volume = {16}, journal = {BMC Cancer}, number = {936}, doi = {10.1186/s12885-016-2963-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164544}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Over the past two decades, there has been a rising trend in malignant melanoma incidence worldwide. In 2008, Germany introduced a nationwide skin cancer screening program starting at age 35. The aims of this study were to analyse the distribution of malignant melanoma tumour stages over time, as well as demographic and regional differences in stage distribution and survival of melanoma patients. Methods Pooled data from 61 895 malignant melanoma patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2011 and documented in 28 German population-based and hospital-based clinical cancer registries were analysed using descriptive methods, joinpoint regression, logistic regression and relative survival. Results The number of annually documented cases increased by 53.2\% between 2002 (N = 4 779) and 2011 (N = 7 320). There was a statistically significant continuous positive trend in the proportion of stage UICC I cases diagnosed between 2002 and 2011, compared to a negative trend for stage UICC II. No trends were found for stages UICC III and IV respectively. Age (OR 0.97, 95\% CI 0.97-0.97), sex (OR 1.18, 95\% CI 1.11-1.25), date of diagnosis (OR 1.05, 95\% CI 1.04-1.06), 'diagnosis during screening' (OR 3.24, 95\% CI 2.50-4.19) and place of residence (OR 1.23, 95\% CI 1.16-1.30) had a statistically significant influence on the tumour stage at diagnosis. The overall 5-year relative survival for invasive cases was 83.4\% (95\% CI 82.8-83.9\%). Conclusions No distinct changes in the distribution of malignant melanoma tumour stages among those aged 35 and older were seen that could be directly attributed to the introduction of skin cancer screening in 2008. "}, language = {en} } @article{KirschmerBandleonvonEhrlichTreuenstaettetal.2016, author = {Kirschmer, Nadine and Bandleon, Sandra and von Ehrlich-Treuenst{\"a}tt, Viktor and Hartmann, Sonja and Schaaf, Alice and Lamprecht, Anna-Karina and Miranda-Laferte, Erick and Langsenlehner, Tanja and Ritter, Oliver and Eder, Petra}, title = {TRPC4α and TRPC4β Similarly Affect Neonatal Cardiomyocyte Survival during Chronic GPCR Stimulation}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0168446}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178539}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The Transient Receptor Potential Channel Subunit 4 (TRPC4) has been considered as a crucial Ca\(^{2+}\) component in cardiomyocytes promoting structural and functional remodeling in the course of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. TRPC4 assembles as homo or hetero-tetramer in the plasma membrane, allowing a non-selective Na\(^{+}\) and Ca\(^{2+}\) influx. Gαq protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) stimulation is known to increase TRPC4 channel activity and a TRPC4-mediated Ca\(^{2+}\) influx which has been regarded as ideal Ca\(^{2+}\) source for calcineurin and subsequent nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) activation. Functional properties of TRPC4 are also based on the expression of the TRPC4 splice variants TRPC4α and TRPC4β. Aim of the present study was to analyze cytosolic Ca\(^{2+}\) signals, signaling, hypertrophy and vitality of cardiomyocytes in dependence on the expression level of either TRPC4α or TRPC4β. The analysis of Ca\(^{2+}\) transients in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCs) showed that TRPC4α and TRPC4β affected Ca\(^{2+}\) cycling in beating cardiomyocytes with both splice variants inducing an elevation of the Ca\(^{2+}\) transient amplitude at baseline and TRPC4β increasing the Ca\(^{2+}\) peak during angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulation. NRCs infected with TRPC4β (Ad-C4β) also responded with a sustained Ca\(^{2+}\) influx when treated with Ang II under non-pacing conditions. Consistent with the Ca\(^{2+}\) data, NRCs infected with TRPC4α (Ad-C4α) showed an elevated calcineurin/NFAT activity and a baseline hypertrophic phenotype but did not further develop hypertrophy during chronic Ang II/phenylephrine stimulation. Down-regulation of endogenous TRPC4α reversed these effects, resulting in less hypertrophy of NRCs at baseline but a markedly increased hypertrophic enlargement after chronic agonist stimulation. Ad-C4β NRCs did not exhibit baseline calcineurin/NFAT activity or hypertrophy but responded with an increased calcineurin/NFAT activity after GPCR stimulation. However, this effect was not translated into an increased propensity towards hypertrophy but rather less hypertrophy during GPCR stimulation. Further analyses revealed that, although hypertrophy was preserved in Ad-C4α NRCs and even attenuated in Ad-C4β NRCs, cardiomyocytes had an increased apoptosis rate and thus were less viable after chronic GPCR stimulation. These findings suggest that TRPC4α and TRPC4β differentially affect Ca\(^{2+}\) signals, calcineurin/NFAT signaling and hypertrophy but similarly impair cardiomyocyte viability during GPCR stimulation.}, language = {en} } @article{BraunschweigEwingGhoshetal.2016, author = {Braunschweig, Holger and Ewing, William C. and Ghosh, Sundargopal and Kramer, Thomas and Mattock, James D. and {\"O}streicher, Sebastian and Vargas, Alfredo and Werner, Christine}, title = {Trimetallaborides as starting points for the syntheses of large metal-rich molecular borides and clusters}, series = {Chemical Science}, volume = {7}, journal = {Chemical Science}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1039/c5sc03206g}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191511}, pages = {109-116}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Treatment of an anionic dimanganaborylene complex ([{Cp(CO)\(_2\)Mn}\(_2\)B]\(^-\)) with coinage metal cations stabilized by a very weakly coordinating Lewis base (SMe\(_2\)) led to the coordination of the incoming metal and subsequent displacement of dimethylsulfide in the formation of hexametalladiborides featuring planar four-membered M\(_2\)B\(_2\) cores (M = Cu, Au) comparable to transition metal clusters constructed around four-membered rings composed solely of coinage metals. The analogies between compounds consisting of B\(_2\)M\(_2\) units and M\(_4\) (M = Cu, Au) units speak to the often overlooked metalloid nature of boron. Treatment of one of these compounds (M = Cu) with a Lewis-basic metal fragment (Pt(PCy\(_3\))\(_2\)) led to the formation of a tetrametallaboride featuring two manganese, one copper and one platinum atom, all bound to boron in a geometry not yet seen for this kind of compound. Computational examination suggests that this geometry is the result of d\(^{10}\)-d\(^{10}\) dispersion interactions between the copper and platinum fragments.}, language = {en} } @article{daCruzRodriguezCasuriagaSantinaqueetal.2016, author = {da Cruz, Irene and Rodr{\´i}guez-Casuriaga, Rosana and Santi{\~n}aque, Frederico F. and Far{\´i}as, Joaquina and Curti, Gianni and Capoano, Carlos A. and Folle, Gustavo A. and Benavente, Ricardo and Sotelo-Silveira, Jos{\´e} Roberto and Geisinger, Adriana}, title = {Transcriptome analysis of highly purified mouse spermatogenic cell populations: gene expression signatures switch from meiotic-to postmeiotic-related processes at pachytene stage}, series = {BMC Genomics}, volume = {17}, journal = {BMC Genomics}, doi = {10.1186/s12864-016-2618-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164574}, pages = {294}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Spermatogenesis is a complex differentiation process that involves the successive and simultaneous execution of three different gene expression programs: mitotic proliferation of spermatogonia, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. Testicular cell heterogeneity has hindered its molecular analyses. Moreover, the characterization of short, poorly represented cell stages such as initial meiotic prophase ones (leptotene and zygotene) has remained elusive, despite their crucial importance for understanding the fundamentals of meiosis. Results We have developed a flow cytometry-based approach for obtaining highly pure stage-specific spermatogenic cell populations, including early meiotic prophase. Here we combined this methodology with next generation sequencing, which enabled the analysis of meiotic and postmeiotic gene expression signatures in mouse with unprecedented reliability. Interestingly, we found that a considerable number of genes involved in early as well as late meiotic processes are already on at early meiotic prophase, with a high proportion of them being expressed only for the short time lapse of lepto-zygotene stages. Besides, we observed a massive change in gene expression patterns during medium meiotic prophase (pachytene) when mostly genes related to spermiogenesis and sperm function are already turned on. This indicates that the transcriptional switch from meiosis to post-meiosis takes place very early, during meiotic prophase, thus disclosing a higher incidence of post-transcriptional regulation in spermatogenesis than previously reported. Moreover, we found that a good proportion of the differential gene expression in spermiogenesis corresponds to up-regulation of genes whose expression starts earlier, at pachytene stage; this includes transition protein-and protamine-coding genes, which have long been claimed to switch on during spermiogenesis. In addition, our results afford new insights concerning X chromosome meiotic inactivation and reactivation. Conclusions This work provides for the first time an overview of the time course for the massive onset and turning off of the meiotic and spermiogenic genetic programs. Importantly, our data represent a highly reliable information set about gene expression in pure testicular cell populations including early meiotic prophase, for further data mining towards the elucidation of the molecular bases of male reproduction in mammals.}, language = {en} } @article{HerrmannBeierSimonsetal.2016, author = {Herrmann, Martin J. and Beier, Jennifer S. and Simons, Bibiane and Polak, Thomas}, title = {Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of the Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus Attenuates Skin Conductance Responses to Unpredictable Threat Conditions}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, number = {352}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2016.00352}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146486}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Patients with panic and post-traumatic stress disorders seem to show increased psychophysiological reactions to conditions of unpredictable (U) threat, which has been discussed as a neurobiological marker of elevated levels of sustained fear in these disorders. Interestingly, a recent study found that the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) is correlated to the successful regulation of sustained fear during U threat. Therefore this study aimed to examine the potential use of non-invasive brain stimulation to foster the rIFG by means of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in order to reduce psychophysiological reactions to U threat. Twenty six participants were randomly assigned into an anodal and sham stimulation group in a double-blinded manner. Anodal and cathodal electrodes (7 * 5 cm) were positioned right frontal to target the rIFG. Stimulation intensity was I = 2 mA applied for 20 min during a task including U threat conditions (NPU-task). The effects of the NPU paradigm were measured by assessing the emotional startle modulation and the skin conductance response (SCR) at the outset of the different conditions. We found a significant interaction effect of condition × tDCS for the SCR (F(2,48) = 6.3, p < 0.01) without main effects of condition and tDCS. Post hoc tests revealed that the increase in SCR from neutral (N) to U condition was significantly reduced in verum compared to the sham tDCS group (t(24) = 3.84, p < 0.001). Our results emphasize the causal role of rIFG for emotional regulation and the potential use of tDCS to reduce apprehension during U threat conditions and therefore as a treatment for anxiety disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{BaurRitterGermeretal.2016, author = {Baur, Johannes and Ritter, Christian O. and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Klein, Ingo and Kickuth, Ralph and Steger, Ulrich}, title = {Transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads versus conventional transarterial chemoembolization in locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma}, series = {Hepatic Medicine}, volume = {2016}, journal = {Hepatic Medicine}, number = {8}, doi = {10.2147/HMER.S105395}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146553}, pages = {69-74}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Purpose: In hepatocellular carcinoma patients with large or multinodal tumors, where curative treatment options are not feasible, transarterial therapies play a major role. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) is a promising new approach due to higher intratumoral and lower systemic concentration of the chemotherapeutic agent compared to conventional TACE (cTACE). Patients and methods: In a retrospective analysis, 32 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who received either DEB or a cTACE were compared regarding survival time, disease recurrence, and side effects such as pain and fever. Results: No significant differences could be detected between the cTACE and DEB-TACE groups with regard to mean hospital stay, appearance of postinterventional fever, or 30-day mortality. However, the application of intravenous analgesics as postinterventional pain medication was needed more often in patients treated with DEB-TACE (57.1\% vs 12.5\%, P=0.0281). The overall median survival after the initial procedure was 10.8 months in the cTACE group and 9.2 months in the DEB-TACE group, showing no significant difference. Conclusion: No survival benefit for patients treated with either DEB-TACE or cTACE was observed. Surprisingly, a higher rate of postinterventional pain could be detected after DEB-TACE.}, language = {en} } @article{MuellerSchmitz2016, author = {M{\"u}ller, Daniel and Schmitz, Patrick W.}, title = {Transaction costs and the property rights approach to the theory of the firm}, series = {European Economic Review}, volume = {87}, journal = {European Economic Review}, doi = {10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.04.013}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188042}, pages = {92-107}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The standard property rights approach is focused on ex ante investment incentives, while there are no transaction costs that might restrain ex post negotiations. We explore the implications of such transaction costs. Prominent conclusions of the property rights theory may be overturned: A party may have stronger investment incentives when a non investing party is the owner, and joint ownership can be the uniquely optimal ownership structure. Intuitively, an ownership structure that is unattractive in the standard model may now be desirable, because it implies large gains from trade, such that the parties are more inclined to incur the transaction costs.}, language = {en} } @article{KempertGoetzBlatteretal.2016, author = {Kempert, Sebastian and G{\"o}tz, Regina and Blatter, Kristine and Tibken, Catharina and Artelt, Cordula and Schneider, Wolfgang and Stanat, Petra}, title = {Training Early Literacy Related Skills: To Which Degree Does a Musical Training Contribute to Phonological Awareness Development?}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, number = {1803}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01803}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165272}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Well-developed phonological awareness skills are a core prerequisite for early literacy development. Although effective phonological awareness training programs exist, children at risk often do not reach similar levels of phonological awareness after the intervention as children with normally developed skills. Based on theoretical considerations and first promising results the present study explores effects of an early musical training in combination with a conventional phonological training in children with weak phonological awareness skills. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design and measurements across a period of 2 years, we tested the effects of two interventions: a consecutive combination of a musical and a phonological training and a phonological training alone. The design made it possible to disentangle effects of the musical training alone as well the effects of its combination with the phonological training. The outcome measures of these groups were compared with the control group with multivariate analyses, controlling for a number of background variables. The sample included N = 424 German-speaking children aged 4-5 years at the beginning of the study. We found a positive relationship between musical abilities and phonological awareness. Yet, whereas the well-established phonological training produced the expected effects, adding a musical training did not contribute significantly to phonological awareness development. Training effects were partly dependent on the initial level of phonological awareness. Possible reasons for the lack of training effects in the musical part of the combination condition as well as practical implications for early literacy education are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{DekantKlaunig2016, author = {Dekant, Wolfgang and Klaunig, James E.}, title = {Toxicology of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5)}, series = {Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology}, volume = {74}, journal = {Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology}, number = {Supplement}, doi = {10.1016/j.yrtph.2015.06.011}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190914}, pages = {S67-S76}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a cyclic siloxane used in the formulation of consumer products as well as an industrial intermediate. A summary of the previous studies on the toxicology of D5 is provided. Toxicokinetic studies with D5 after dermal administration demonstrate a very low uptake of due to rapid evaporation. Following inhalation exposure, exhalation of unchanged D5 and excretion of metabolites with urine are major pathways for clearance in mammals. Due to this rapid clearance by exhalation, the potential for bioaccumulation of D5 is considered unlikely. The available toxicity data on D5 adequately cover the relevant endpoints regarding potential human health hazards. D5 was not DNA reactive or mutagenic in standard in vitro and in vivo test systems. D5 also did not induce developmental and reproductive toxicity in appropriately performed studies. In repeated studies in rats with subacute, subchronic and chronic inhalation exposure, mild effects on the respiratory tract typically seen after inhalation of irritating materials, increases in liver weight (28- and 90-day inhalation studies), and a small increase in the incidence of uterine adenocarcinoma (uterine tumor) in female rats (two-year inhalation chronic bioassay) were observed. The liver effects induced by D5 were consistent with D5 as a weak "phenobarbital-like" inducer of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and these effects are considered to be an adaptive response. Mechanistic studies to elucidate the mode-of-action for uterine tumor induction suggest an interaction of D5 with dopamine signal transduction pathways altering the pituitary control of the estrus cycle. The resulting estrogen imbalance may cause the small increase in uterine tumor incidence at the highest D5-exposure concentration over that seen in control rats. A genotoxic mechanism or a direct endocrine activity of D5 is not supported as a mode-of-action to account for the induction of uterine tumors by the available data.}, language = {en} } @article{BarbieriGardonRuizCastelletal.2016, author = {Barbieri, Flavia L. and Gardon, Jacques and Ruiz-Castell, Mar{\´i}a and Paco V., Pamela and Muckelbauer, Rebecca and Casiot, Corinne and Freydier, R{\´e}mi and Duprey, Jean-Louis and Chen, Chih-Mei and M{\"u}ller-Nordhorn, Jacqueline and Keil, Thomas}, title = {Toxic trace elements in maternal and cord blood and social determinants in a Bolivian mining city}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Health Research}, volume = {26}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Health Research}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1080/09603123.2015.1061114}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-150385}, pages = {158-174}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This study assessed lead, arsenic, and antimony in maternal and cord blood, and associations between maternal concentrations and social determinants in the Bolivian mining city of Oruro using the baseline assessment of the ToxBol/Mine-Ni{\~n}o birth cohort. We recruited 467 pregnant women, collecting venous blood and sociodemographic information as well as placental cord blood at birth. Metallic/semimetallic trace elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Lead medians in maternal and cord blood were significantly correlated (Spearman coefficient = 0.59; p < 0.001; 19.35 and 13.50 μg/L, respectively). Arsenic concentrations were above detection limit (3.30 μg/L) in 17.9 \% of maternal and 34.6 \% of cord blood samples. They were not associated (Fischer's p = 0.72). Antimony medians in maternal and cord blood were weakly correlated (Spearman coefficient = 0.15; p < 0.03; 9.00 and 8.62 μg/L, respectively). Higher concentrations of toxic elements in maternal blood were associated with maternal smoking, low educational level, and partner involved in mining.}, language = {en} } @article{BarbieriGardonRuizCastelletal.2016, author = {Barbieri, Flavia L. and Gardon, Jacques and Ruiz-Castell, Mar{\´i}a and Paco V., Pamela and Muckelbauer, Rebecca and Casiot, Corinne and Freydier, R{\´e}mi and Duprey, Jean-Louis and Chen, Chih-Mei and M{\"u}ller-Nordhorn, Jacqueline and Keil, Thomas}, title = {Toxic trace elements in maternal and cord blood and social determinants in a Bolivian mining city}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Health Research}, volume = {26}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Health Research}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1080/09603123.2015.1061114}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190703}, pages = {158-174}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This study assessed lead, arsenic, and antimony in maternal and cord blood, and associations between maternal concentrations and social determinants in the Bolivian mining city of Oruro using the baseline assessment of the ToxBol/Mine-Nino birth cohort. We recruited 467 pregnant women, collecting venous blood and sociodemographic information as well as placental cord blood at birth. Metallic/semimetallic trace elements were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Lead medians in maternal and cord blood were significantly correlated (Spearman coefficient=0.59; p<0.001; 19.35 and 13.50 μg/L, respectively). Arsenic concentrations were above detection limit (3.30 μg/L) in 17.9\% of maternal and 34.6\% of cord blood samples. They were not associated (Fischer's p=0.72). Antimony medians in maternal and cord blood were weakly correlated (Spearman coefficient=0.15; p<0.03; 9.00 and 8.62 μg/L, respectively). Higher concentrations of toxic elements in maternal blood were associated with maternal smoking, low educational level, and partner involved in mining.}, language = {en} } @article{KleihGottschaltTeichleinetal.2016, author = {Kleih, Sonja C. and Gottschalt, Lea and Teichlein, Eva and Weilbach, Franz X.}, title = {Toward a P300 Based Brain-Computer Interface for Aphasia Rehabilitation after Stroke: Presentation of Theoretical Considerations and a Pilot Feasibility Study}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, number = {547}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2016.00547}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147929}, year = {2016}, abstract = {People with post-stroke motor aphasia know what they would like to say but cannot express it through motor pathways due to disruption of cortical circuits. We present a theoretical background for our hypothesized connection between attention and aphasia rehabilitation and suggest why in this context, Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) use might be beneficial for patients diagnosed with aphasia. Not only could BCI technology provide a communication tool, it might support neuronal plasticity by activating language circuits and thereby boost aphasia recovery. However, stroke may lead to heterogeneous symptoms that might hinder BCI use, which is why the feasibility of this approach needs to be investigated first. In this pilot study, we included five participants diagnosed with post-stroke aphasia. Four participants were initially unable to use the visual P300 speller paradigm. By adjusting the paradigm to their needs, participants could successfully learn to use the speller for communication with accuracies up to 100\%. We describe necessary adjustments to the paradigm and present future steps to investigate further this approach.}, language = {en} } @article{IpIsaiasKuscheTekinetal.2016, author = {Ip, Chi Wang and Isaias, Ioannis U. and Kusche-Tekin, Burak B. and Klein, Dennis and Groh, Janos and O´Leary, Aet and Knorr, Susanne and Higuchi, Takahiro and Koprich, James B. and Brotchie, Jonathan M. and Toyka, Klaus V. and Reif, Andreas and Volkmann, Jens}, title = {Tor1a+/- mice develop dystonia-like movements via a striatal dopaminergic dysregulation triggered by peripheral nerve injury}, series = {Acta Neuropathologica Communications}, volume = {4}, journal = {Acta Neuropathologica Communications}, number = {108}, doi = {10.1186/s40478-016-0375-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147839}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Isolated generalized dystonia is a central motor network disorder characterized by twisted movements or postures. The most frequent genetic cause is a GAG deletion in the Tor1a (DYT1) gene encoding torsinA with a reduced penetrance of 30-40 \% suggesting additional genetic or environmental modifiers. Development of dystonia-like movements after a standardized peripheral nerve crush lesion in wild type (wt) and Tor1a+/- mice, that express 50 \% torsinA only, was assessed by scoring of hindlimb movements during tail suspension, by rotarod testing and by computer-assisted gait analysis. Western blot analysis was performed for dopamine transporter (DAT), D1 and D2 receptors from striatal and quantitative RT-PCR analysis for DAT from midbrain dissections. Autoradiography was used to assess the functional DAT binding in striatum. Striatal dopamine and its metabolites were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. After nerve crush injury, we found abnormal posturing in the lesioned hindlimb of both mutant and wt mice indicating the profound influence of the nerve lesion (15x vs. 12x relative to control) resembling human peripheral pseudodystonia. In mutant mice the phenotypic abnormalities were increased by about 40 \% (p < 0.05). This was accompanied by complex alterations of striatal dopamine homeostasis. Pharmacological blockade of dopamine synthesis reduced severity of dystonia-like movements, whereas treatment with L-Dopa aggravated these but only in mutant mice suggesting a DYT1 related central component relevant to the development of abnormal involuntary movements. Our findings suggest that upon peripheral nerve injury reduced torsinA concentration and environmental stressors may act in concert in causing the central motor network dysfunction of DYT1 dystonia.}, language = {en} } @article{HanzelmannJooFranzWachteletal.2016, author = {Hanzelmann, Dennis and Joo, Hwang-Soo and Franz-Wachtel, Mirita and Hertlein, Tobias and Stevanovic, Stefan and Macek, Boris and Wolz, Christiane and G{\"o}tz, Friedrich and Otto, Michael and Kretschmer, Dorothee and Peschel, Andreas}, title = {Toll-like receptor 2 activation depends on lipopeptide shedding by bacterial surfactants}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms12304}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165975}, pages = {12304}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Sepsis caused by Gram-positive bacterial pathogens is a major fatal disease but its molecular basis remains elusive. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been implicated in the orchestration of inflammation and sepsis but its role appears to vary for different pathogen species and clones. Accordingly, Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates differ substantially in their capacity to activate TLR2. Here we show that strong TLR2 stimulation depends on high-level production of phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) peptides in response to the global virulence activator Agr. PSMs are required for mobilizing lipoproteins, the TLR2 agonists, from the staphylococcal cytoplasmic membrane. Notably, the course of sepsis caused by PSM-deficient S. aureus is similar in wild-type and TLR2-deficient mice, but TLR2 is required for protection of mice against PSM-producing S. aureus. Thus, a crucial role of TLR2 depends on agonist release by bacterial surfactants. Modulation of this process may lead to new therapeutic strategies against Gram-positive infections.}, language = {en} } @article{GrimmigMoenchKreckeletal.2016, author = {Grimmig, Tanja and Moench, Romana and Kreckel, Jennifer and Haack, Stephanie and Rueckert, Felix and Rehder, Roberta and Tripathi, Sudipta and Ribas, Carmen and Chandraker, Anil and Germer, Christoph T. and Gasser, Martin and Waaga-Gasser, Ana Maria}, title = {Toll Like Receptor 2, 4, and 9 Signaling Promotes Autoregulative Tumor Cell Growth and VEGF/PDGF Expression in Human Pancreatic Cancer}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {17}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {12}, doi = {10.3390/ijms17122060}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165743}, pages = {2060}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Toll like receptor (TLR) signaling has been suggested to play an important role in the inflammatory microenvironment of solid tumors and through this inflammation-mediated tumor growth. Here, we studied the role of tumor cells in their process of self-maintaining TLR expression independent of inflammatory cells and cytokine milieu for autoregulative tumor growth signaling in pancreatic cancer. We analyzed the expression of TLR2, -4, and -9 in primary human cancers and their impact on tumor growth via induced activation in several established pancreatic cancers. TLR-stimulated pancreatic cancer cells were specifically investigated for activated signaling pathways of VEGF/PDGF and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL expression as well as tumor cell growth. The primary pancreatic cancers and cell lines expressed TLR2, -4, and -9. TLR-specific stimulation resulted in activated MAP-kinase signaling, most likely via autoregulative stimulation of demonstrated TLR-induced VEGF and PDGF expression. Moreover, TLR activation prompted the expression of Bcl-xL and has been demonstrated for the first time to induce tumor cell proliferation in pancreatic cancer. These findings strongly suggest that pancreatic cancer cells use specific Toll like receptor signaling to promote tumor cell proliferation and emphasize the particular role of TLR2, -4, and -9 in this autoregulative process of tumor cell activation and proliferation in pancreatic cancer.}, language = {en} } @article{EdelmannMusialBrightGelbrichetal.2016, author = {Edelmann, Frank and Musial-Bright, Lindy and Gelbrich, Goetz and Trippel, Tobias and Radenovic, Sara and Wachter, Rolf and Inkrot, Simone and Loncar, Goran and Tahirovic, Elvis and Celic, Vera and Veskovic, Jovan and Zdravkovic, Marija and Lainscak, Mitja and Apostolović, Svetlana and Neskovic, Aleksandar N. and Pieske, Burkert and D{\"u}ngen, Hans-Dirk}, title = {Tolerability and feasibility of beta-blocker titration in HFpEF versus HFrEF: Insights from the CIBIS-ELD trial}, series = {JACC: Heart Failure}, volume = {4}, journal = {JACC: Heart Failure}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchf.2015.10.008}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191022}, pages = {140-149}, year = {2016}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the tolerability and feasibility of titration of 2 distinctly acting beta-blockers (BB) in elderly heart failure patients with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced (HFrEF) left ventricular ejection fraction. BACKGROUND: Broad evidence supports the use of BB in HFrEF, whereas the evidence for beta blockade in HFpEF is uncertain. METHODS: In the CIBIS-ELD (Cardiac Insufficiency Bisoprolol Study in Elderly) trial, patients >65 years of age with HFrEF (n = 626) or HFpEF (n = 250) were randomized to bisoprolol or carvedilol. Both BB were up-titrated to the target or maximum tolerated dose. Follow-up was performed after 12 weeks. HFrEF and HFpEF patients were compared regarding tolerability and clinical effects (heart rate, blood pressure, systolic and diastolic functions, New York Heart Association functional class, 6-minute-walk distance, quality of life, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide). RESULTS: For both of the BBs, tolerability and daily dose at 12 weeks were similar. HFpEF patients demonstrated higher rates of dose escalation delays and treatment-related side effects. Similar HR reductions were observed in both groups (HFpEF: 6.6 beats/min; HFrEF: 6.9 beats/min, p = NS), whereas greater improvement in NYHA functional class was observed in HFrEF (HFpEF: 23\% vs. HFrEF: 34\%, p < 0.001). Mean E/e' and left atrial volume index did not change in either group, although E/A increased in HFpEF. CONCLUSIONS: BB tolerability was comparable between HFrEF and HFpEF. Relevant reductions of HR and blood pressure occurred in both groups. However, only HFrEF patients experienced considerable improvements in clinical parameters and Left ventricular function. Interestingly, beta-blockade had no effect on established and prognostic markers of diastolic function in either group. Long-term studies using modern diagnostic criteria for HFpEF are urgently needed to establish whether BB therapy exerts significant clinical benefit in HFpEF. (Comparison of Bisoprolol and Carvedilol in Elderly Heart Failure HF] Patients: A Randomised, Double-Blind Multicentre Study CIBIS-ELD]; ISRCTN34827306).}, language = {en} } @article{SchleicherPaduchDebusetal.2016, author = {Schleicher, Ulrike and Paduch, Katrin and Debus, Andrea and Obermeyer, Stephanie and K{\"o}nig, Till and Kling, Jessica C. and Ribechini, Eliana and Dudziak, Diana and Mougiakakos, Dimitrios and Murray, Peter J. and Ostuni, Renato and K{\"o}rner, Heinrich and Bogdan, Christian}, title = {TNF-Mediated Restriction of Arginase 1 Expression in Myeloid Cells Triggers Type 2 NO Synthase Activity at the Site of Infection}, series = {Cell Reports}, volume = {15}, journal = {Cell Reports}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2016.04.001}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164897}, pages = {1062-1075}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Neutralization or deletion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) causes loss of control of intracellular pathogens in mice and humans, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we found that TNF antagonized alternative activation of macrophages and dendritic cells by IL-4. TNF inhibited IL-4-induced arginase 1 (Arg1) expression by decreasing histone acetylation, without affecting STAT6 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. In Leishmania major-infected C57BL/6 wild-type mice, type 2 nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS2) was detected in inflammatory dendritic cells or macrophages, some of which co-expressed Arg1. In TNF-deficient mice, Arg1 was hyperexpressed, causing an impaired production of NO in situ. A similar phenotype was seen in L. major-infected BALB/c mice. Arg1 deletion in hematopoietic cells protected these mice from an otherwise lethal disease, although their disease-mediating T cell response (Th2, Treg) was maintained. Thus, deletion or TNF-mediated restriction of Arg1 unleashes the production of NO by NOS2, which is critical for pathogen control.}, language = {en} } @article{ChenariSeibelHauschildetal.2016, author = {Chenari, Hossein Mahmoudi and Seibel, Christoph and Hauschild, Dirk and Reinert, Friedrich and Abdollahian, Hossein}, title = {Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, X-Ray Line Analysis and Chemical Composition Study}, series = {Materials Research}, volume = {19}, journal = {Materials Research}, number = {6}, doi = {10.1590/1980-5373-MR-2016-0288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165807}, pages = {1319-1323}, year = {2016}, abstract = {TiO2 nanoparticleshave been synthesized by the sol-gel method using titanium alkoxide and isopropanolas a precursor. The structural properties and chemical composition of the TiO2 nanoparticles were studied usingX-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The X-ray powder diffraction pattern confirms that the particles are mainly composed of the anatase phase with the preferential orientation along [101] direction. The physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density were investigated from the Williamson- Hall (W-H) plot assuming a uniform deformation model (UDM), and uniform deformation energy density model (UDEDM). The W-H analysis shows an anisotropic nature of the strain in nanopowders. The scanning electron microscopy image shows clear TiO2 nanoparticles with particle sizes varying from 60 to 80nm. The results of mean particle size of TiO2 nanoparticles show an inter correlation with the W-H analysis and SEM results. Our X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show that nearly a complete amount of titanium has reacted to TiO2}, language = {en} } @article{OrtizAbioseBichetetal.2016, author = {Ortiz, Alberto and Abiose, Ademola and Bichet, Daniel G. and Cabrera, Gustavo and Charrow, Joel and Germain, Dominique P. and Hopkin, Robert J. and Jovanovic, Ana and Linhart, Aleš and Maruti, Sonia S. and Mauer, Michael and Oliveira, Jo{\~a}o P. and Patel, Manesh R. and Politei, Juan and Waldek, Stephen and Wanner, Christoph and Yoo, Han-Wook and Warnock, David G.}, title = {Time to treatment benefit for adult patients with Fabry disease receiving agalsidase beta: data from the Fabry Registry}, series = {Journal of Medical Genetics}, volume = {53}, journal = {Journal of Medical Genetics}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1136/jmedgenet-2015-103486}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188241}, pages = {495-502}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Agalsidase beta is a form of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease, a genetic disorder characterised by low alpha-galactosidase A activity, accumulation of glycosphingolipids and life-threatening cardiovascular, renal and cerebrovascular events. In clinical trials, agalsidase beta cleared glycolipid deposits from endothelial cells within 6 months; clearance from other cell types required sustained treatment. We hypothesised that there might be a 'lag time' to clinical benefit after initiating agalsidase beta treatment, and analysed the incidence of severe clinical events over time in patients receiving agalsidase beta. Methods The incidence of severe clinical events (renal failure, cardiac events, stroke, death) was studied in 1044 adult patients (641 men, 403 women) enrolled in the Fabry Registry who received agalsidase beta (average dose 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks) for up to 5 years. Results The incidence of all severe clinical events was 111 per 1000 person-years (95\% CI 84 to 145) during the first 6 months. After 6 months, the incidence decreased and remained stable within the range of 40-58 events per 1000 patient-years. The largest decrease in incidence rates was among male patients and those aged >= 40 years when agalsidase beta was initiated. Conclusions Contrary to the expected increased incidence of severe clinical events with time, adult patients with Fabry disease had decreased incidence of severe clinical events after 6 months treatment with agalsidase beta 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks.}, language = {en} } @article{WernerLueckerathSchmidetal.2016, author = {Werner, R. A. and L{\"u}ckerath, K. and Schmid, J. S. and Higuchi, T. and Kreissl, M. C. and Grelle, I. and Reiners, C. and Buck, A. K. and Lapa, C.}, title = {Thyroglobulin fluctuations in patients with iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma on lenvatinib treatment - initial experience}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/srep28081}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147407}, pages = {28081}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have shown clinical effectiveness in iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The corresponding role of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) in iodine-refractory DTC has not been investigated yet. 9 patients (3 female, 61 ± 8y) with progressive iodine-refractory DTC starting on lenvatinib were considered. Tumor restaging was performed every 2-3 months including contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT, RECIST 1.1). Serum Tg was measured and compared to imaging findings. After treatment initiation, serum Tg levels dropped in all patients with a median reduction of 86.2\%. During long-term follow-up (median, 25.2 months), fluctuations in Tg could be observed in 8/9 subjects. According to RECIST, 6/9 subjects achieved a partial response or stable disease with the remaining 3/9 experiencing progressive disease (2/3 with Tg levels rising above baseline). All of the patients with disease progression presented with a preceding continuous rise in serum Tg, whereas tumor marker oscillations in the subjects with controlled disease were only intermittent. Initiation of lenvatinib in iodine-refractory DTC patients is associated with a significant reduction in serum Tg levels as a marker of treatment response. In the course of treatment, transient Tg oscillations are a frequent phenomenon that may not necessarily reflect morphologic tumor progression.}, language = {en} } @article{HammerleHussErnstetal.2016, author = {Hammerle, Florian and Huss, Michael and Ernst, Verena and B{\"u}rger, Arne}, title = {Thinking dimensional: prevalence of DSM-5 early adolescent full syndrome, partial and subthreshold eating disorders in a cross-sectional survey in German schools}, series = {BMJ Open}, volume = {6}, journal = {BMJ Open}, number = {e010843}, doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010843}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164734}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Objectives Investigating for the first time in Germany Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fifth Edition (DSM-5) prevalences of adolescent full syndrome, Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED), partial and subthreshold anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). Method A national school-based cross-sectional survey with nine schools in Germany was undertaken that was aimed at students from grades 7 and 8. Of the 1775 students who were contacted to participate in the study, 1654 participated (participation rate: 93.2\%). The sample consisted of 873 female and 781 male adolescents (mean age=13.4 years). Prevalence rates were established using direct symptom criteria with a structured inventory (SIAB-S) and an additional self-report questionnaire (Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI-2)). Results Prevalences for full syndrome were 0.3\% for AN, 0.4\% for BN, 0.5\% for BED and 3.6\% for OSFED-atypical AN, 0\% for BN (low frequency/limited duration), 0\% for BED (low frequency/limited duration) and 1.9\% for purging disorder (PD). Prevalences of partial syndrome were 10.9\% for AN (7.1\% established with cognitive symptoms only, excluding weight criteria), 0.2\% for BN and 2.1\% for BED, and of subthreshold syndrome were 0.8\% for AN, 0.3\% for BN and 0.2\% for BED. Cases on EDI-2 scales were much more pronounced with 12.6-21.1\% of the participants with significant sex differences. Conclusions The findings were in accordance with corresponding international studies but were in contrast to other German studies showing much higher prevalence rates. The study provides, for the first time, estimates for DSM-5 prevalences of eating disorders in adolescents for Germany, and evidence in favour of using valid measures for improving prevalence estimates."}, language = {en} } @article{RudertHorasHobergetal.2016, author = {Rudert, Maximilian and Horas, Konstantin and Hoberg, Maik and Steinert, Andre and Holzapfel, Dominik Emanuel and H{\"u}bner, Stefan and Holzapfel, Boris Michael}, title = {The Wuerzburg procedure: the tensor fasciae latae perforator is a reliable anatomical landmark to clearly identify the Hueter interval when using the minimally-invasive direct anterior approach to the hip joint}, series = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, volume = {17}, journal = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, number = {57}, doi = {10.1186/s12891-016-0908-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146031}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background The key for successful delivery in minimally-invasive hip replacement lies in the exact knowledge about the surgical anatomy. The minimally-invasive direct anterior approach to the hip joint makes it necessary to clearly identify the tensor fasciae latae muscle in order to enter the Hueter interval without damaging the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. However, due to the inherently restricted overview in minimally-invasive surgery, this can be difficult even for experienced surgeons. Methods and Surgical Technique In this technical note, we demonstrate for the first time how to use the tensor fasciae latae perforator as anatomical landmark to reliably identify the tensor fasciae latae muscle in orthopaedic surgery. Such perforators are used for flaps in plastic surgery as they are constant and can be found at the lateral third of the tensor fasciae latae muscle in a direct line from the anterior superior iliac spine. Conclusion As demonstrated in this article, a simple knowledge transfer between surgical disciplines can minimize the complication rate associated with minimally-invasive hip replacement.}, language = {en} } @article{BoehmScherzerKroletal.2016, author = {B{\"o}hm, Jennifer and Scherzer, S{\"o}nke and Krol, Elzbieta and Kreuzer, Ines and von Meyer, Katharina and Lorey, Christian and Mueller, Thomas D. and Shabala, Lana and Monte, Isabel and Salano, Roberto and Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. and Rennenberg, Heinz and Shabala, Sergey and Neher, Erwin and Hedrich, Rainer}, title = {The Venus Flytrap Dionaea muscipula Counts Prey-Induced Action Potentials to Induce Sodium Uptake}, series = {Current Biology}, volume = {26}, journal = {Current Biology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.057}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128054}, pages = {286-295}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Carnivorous plants, such as the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), depend on an animal diet when grown in nutrient-poor soils. When an insect visits the trap and tilts the mechanosensors on the inner surface, action potentials (APs) are fired. After a moving object elicits two APs, the trap snaps shut, encaging the victim. Panicking preys repeatedly touch the trigger hairs over the subsequent hours, leading to a hermetically closed trap, which via the gland-based endocrine system is flooded by a prey-decomposing acidic enzyme cocktail. Here, we asked the question as to how many times trigger hairs have to be stimulated (e.g., now many APs are required) for the flytrap to recognize an encaged object as potential food, thus making it worthwhile activating the glands. By applying a series of trigger-hair stimulations, we found that the touch hormone jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway is activated after the second stimulus, while more than three APs are required to trigger an expression of genes encoding prey-degrading hydrolases, and that this expression is proportional to the number of mechanical stimulations. A decomposing animal contains a sodium load, and we have found that these sodium ions enter the capture organ via glands. We identified a flytrap sodium channel DmHKT1 as responsible for this sodium acquisition, with the number of transcripts expressed being dependent on the number of mechano-electric stimulations. Hence, the number of APs a victim triggers while trying to break out of the trap identifies the moving prey as a struggling Na+-rich animal and nutrition for the plant.}, subject = {Venusfliegenfalle}, language = {en} } @article{BoehmScherzerKroletal.2016, author = {B{\"o}hm, Jennifer and Scherzer, S{\"o}nke and Krol, Elzbieta and Kreuzer, Ines and von Meyer, Katharina and Lorey, Christian and Mueller, Thomas D. and Shabala, Lana and Monte, Isabel and Solano, Roberto and Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. and Rennenberg, Heinz and Shabala, Sergey and Neher, Erwin and Hedrich, Rainer}, title = {The Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula counts prey-induced action potentials to induce sodium uptake}, series = {Current Biology}, volume = {26}, journal = {Current Biology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.057}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190870}, pages = {286-295}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Carnivorous plants, such as the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), depend on an animal diet when grown in nutrient-poor soils. When an insect visits the trap and tilts the mechanosensors on the inner surface, action potentials (APs) are fired. After a moving object elicits two APs, the trap snaps shut, encaging the victim. Panicking preys repeatedly touch the trigger hairs over the subsequent hours, leading to a hermetically closed trap, which via the gland-based endocrine system is flooded by a prey-decomposing acidic enzyme cocktail. Here, we asked the question as to how many times trigger hairs have to be stimulated (e.g., now many APs are required) for the flytrap to recognize an encaged object as potential food, thus making it worthwhile activating the glands. By applying a series of trigger-hair stimulations, we found that the touch hormone jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway is activated after the second stimulus, while more than three APs are required to trigger an expression of genes encoding prey-degrading hydrolases, and that this expression is proportional to the number of mechanical stimulations. A decomposing animal contains a sodium load, and we have found that these sodium ions enter the capture organ via glands. We identified a flytrap sodium channel DmHKT1 as responsible for this sodium acquisition, with the number of transcripts expressed being dependent on the number of mechano-electric stimulations. Hence, the number of APs a victim triggers while trying to break out of the trap identifies the moving prey as a struggling Na\(^+\)-rich animal and nutrition for the plant.}, language = {en} } @article{MeyerRichterSchreiberetal.2016, author = {Meyer, Neele and Richter, S. Helene and Schreiber, Rebecca S. and Kloke, Vanessa and Kaiser, Sylvia and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Sachser, Norbert}, title = {The Unexpected Effects of Beneficial and Adverse Social Experiences during Adolescence on Anxiety and Aggression and Their Modulation by Genotype}, series = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience}, number = {97}, doi = {10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00097}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165090}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Anxiety and aggression are part of the behavioral repertoire of humans and animals. However, in their exaggerated form both can become maladaptive and result in psychiatric disorders. On the one hand, genetic predisposition has been shown to play a crucial modulatory role in anxiety and aggression. On the other hand, social experiences have been implicated in the modulation of these traits. However, so far, mainly experiences in early life phases have been considered crucial for shaping anxiety-like and aggressive behavior, while the phase of adolescence has largely been neglected. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate how levels of anxiety-like and aggressive behavior are shaped by social experiences during adolescence and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype. For this purpose, male mice of a 5-HTT knockout mouse model including all three genotypes (wildtype, heterozygous and homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice) were either exposed to an adverse social situation or a beneficial social environment during adolescence. This was accomplished in a custom-made cage system where mice experiencing the adverse environment were repeatedly introduced to the territory of a dominant opponent but had the possibility to escape to a refuge cage. Mice encountering beneficial social conditions had free access to a female mating partner. Afterwards, anxiety-like and aggressive behavior was assessed in a battery of tests. Surprisingly, unfavorable conditions during adolescence led to a decrease in anxiety-like behavior and an increase in exploratory locomotion. Additionally, aggressive behavior was augmented in animals that experienced social adversity. Concerning genotype, homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice were more anxious and less aggressive than heterozygous 5-HTT knockout and wildtype mice. In summary, adolescence is clearly an important phase in which anxiety-like and aggressive behavior can be shaped. Furthermore, it seems that having to cope with challenge during adolescence instead of experiencing throughout beneficial social conditions leads to reduced levels of anxiety-like behavior.}, language = {en} } @article{StaussBrunnerBerberichSiebeltetal.2016, author = {Stauss, Dennis and Brunner, Cornelia and Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike and H{\"o}pken, Uta E. and Lipp, Martin and M{\"u}ller, Gerd}, title = {The transcriptional coactivator Bob1 promotes the development of follicular T helper cells via Bcl6}, series = {Embo Journal}, volume = {35}, journal = {Embo Journal}, number = {8}, doi = {10.15252/embj.201591459}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189506}, pages = {881-898}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells are key regulators of the germinal center reaction and long-term humoral immunity. Tfh cell differentiation requires the sustained expression of the transcriptional repressor Bcl6; however, its regulation in CD4\(^+\) T cells is incompletely understood. Here, we report that the transcriptional coactivator Bob1, encoded by the Pou2af1 gene, promotes Bcl6 expression and Tfh cell development. We found that Bob1 together with the octamer transcription factors Oct1/Oct2 can directly bind to and transactivate the Bcl6 and Btla promoters. Mixed bone marrow chimeras revealed that Bob1 is required for the expression of normal levels of Bcl6 and BTLA, thereby controlling the pool size and composition of the Tfh compartment in a T cell-intrinsic manner. Our data indicate that T cell-expressed Bob1 is directly involved in Tfh cell differentiation and required for mounting normal T cell-dependent B-cell responses.}, language = {en} } @article{BarquistMayhoCumminsetal.2016, author = {Barquist, Lars and Mayho, Matthew and Cummins, Carla and Cain, Amy K. and Boinett, Christine J. and Page, Andrew J. and Langridge, Gemma C. and Quail, Michael A. and Keane, Jacqueline A. and Parkhill, Julian}, title = {The TraDIS toolkit: sequencing and analysis for dense transposon mutant libraries}, series = {Bioinformatics}, volume = {32}, journal = {Bioinformatics}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1093/bioinformatics/btw022}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189667}, pages = {1109-1111}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Transposon insertion sequencing is a high-throughput technique for assaying large libraries of otherwise isogenic transposon mutants providing insight into gene essentiality, gene function and genetic interactions. We previously developed the Transposon Directed Insertion Sequencing (TraDIS) protocol for this purpose, which utilizes shearing of genomic DNA followed by specific PCR amplification of transposon-containing fragments and Illumina sequencing. Here we describe an optimized high-yield library preparation and sequencing protocol for TraDIS experiments and a novel software pipeline for analysis of the resulting data. The Bio-Tradis analysis pipeline is implemented as an extensible Perl library which can either be used as is, or as a basis for the development of more advanced analysis tools. This article can serve as a general reference for the application of the TraDIS methodology.}, language = {en} } @article{FroehlichHanekePapenfortetal.2016, author = {Fr{\"o}hlich, Kathrin S. and Haneke, Katharina and Papenfort, Kai and Vogel, J{\"o}rg}, title = {The target spectrum of SdsR small RNA in Salmonella}, series = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {44}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, number = {21}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkw632}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175365}, pages = {10406-10422}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Model enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica express hundreds of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), targets for most of which are yet unknown. Some sRNAs are remarkably well conserved, indicating that they serve cellular functions that go beyond the necessities of a single species. One of these 'core sRNAs' of largely unknown function is the abundant ∼100-nucleotide SdsR sRNA which is transcribed by the general stress σ-factor, σ\(^{S}\) and accumulates in stationary phase. In Salmonella, SdsR was known to inhibit the synthesis of the species-specific porin, OmpD. However, sdsR genes are present in almost all enterobacterial genomes, suggesting that additional, conserved targets of this sRNA must exist. Here, we have combined SdsR pulse-expression with whole genome transcriptomics to discover 20 previously unknown candidate targets of SdsR which include mRNAs coding for physiologically important regulators such as the carbon utilization regulator, CRP, the nucleoid-associated chaperone, StpA and the antibiotic resistance transporter, TolC. Processing of SdsR by RNase E results in two cellular SdsR variants with distinct target spectra. While the overall physiological role of this orphan core sRNA remains to be fully understood, the new SdsR targets present valuable leads to determine sRNA functions in resting bacteria.}, language = {en} } @article{GaudronLiuScholzetal.2016, author = {Gaudron, Philipp Daniel and Liu, Dan and Scholz, Friederike and Hu, Kai and Florescu, Christiane and Herrmann, Sebastian and Bijnens, Bart and Ertl, Georg and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Weidemann, Frank}, title = {The septal bulge - an early echocardiographic sign in hypertensive heart disease}, series = {Journal of the American Society of Hypertension}, volume = {10}, journal = {Journal of the American Society of Hypertension}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1016/j.jash.2015.11.006}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191433}, pages = {70-80}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Patients in the early stage of hypertensive heart disease tend to have normal echocardiographic findings. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pathology-specific echocardiographic morphologic and functional parameters can help to detect subclinical hypertensive heart disease. One hundred ten consecutive patients without a history and medication for arterial hypertension (AH) or other cardiac diseases were enrolled. Standard echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle tracking -imaging analysis were performed. Resting blood pressure (BP) measurement, cycle ergometer test (CET), and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) were conducted. Patients were referred to "septal bulge (SB)" group (basal-septal wall thickness >= 2 mm thicker than mid-septal wall thickness) or "no-SB" group. Echocardiographic SB was found in 48 (43.6\%) of 110 patients. In this SB group, 38 (79.2\%) patients showed AH either by CET or ABPM. In contrast, in the no-SB group (n = 62), 59 (95.2\%) patients had no positive test for AH by CET or ABPM. When AH was solely defined by resting BP, SB was a reasonable predictive sign for AH (sensitivity 73\%, specificity 76\%). However, when AH was confirmed by CET or ABPM the echocardiographic SB strongly predicted clinical AH (sensitivity 93\%, specificity 86\%). In addition, regional myocardial deformation of the basal-septum in SB group was significantly lower than in no-SB group (14 +/- 4\% vs. 17 +/- 4\%; P < .001). In conclusion, SB is a morphologic echocardiographic sign for early hypertensive heart disease. Sophisticated BP evaluation including resting BP, ABPM, and CET should be performed in all patients with an accidental finding of a SB in echocardiography.}, language = {en} } @article{BoschertFrischBacketal.2016, author = {Boschert, V. and Frisch, C. and Back, J. W. and van Pee,, K. and Weidauer, S. E. and Muth, E.-M. and Schmieder, P. and Beerbaum, M. and Knappik, A. and Timmerman, P. and Mueller, T. D.}, title = {The sclerostin-neutralizing antibody AbD09097 recognizes an epitope adjacent to sclerostin's binding site for the Wnt co-receptor LRP6}, series = {Open Biology}, volume = {6}, journal = {Open Biology}, doi = {10.1098/rsob.160120}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177925}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The glycoprotein sclerostin has been identified as a negative regulator of bone growth. It exerts its function by interacting with the Wnt co-receptor LRP5/6, blocks the binding of Wnt factors and thereby inhibits Wnt signalling. Neutralizing anti-sclerostin antibodies are able to restore Wnt activity and enhance bone growth thereby presenting a new osteoanabolic therapy approach for diseases such as osteoporosis. We have generated various Fab antibodies against human and murine sclerostin using a phage display set-up. Biochemical analyses have identified one Fab developed against murine sclerostin, AbD09097 that efficiently neutralizes sclerostin's Wnt inhibitory activity. In vitro interaction analysis using sclerostin variants revealed that this neutralizing Fab binds to sclerostin's flexible second loop, which has been shown to harbour the LRP5/6 binding motif. Affinity maturation was then applied to AbD09097, providing a set of improved neutralizing Fab antibodies which particularly bind human sclerostin with enhanced affinity. Determining the crystal structure of AbD09097 provides first insights into how this antibody might recognize and neutralize sclerostin. Together with the structure-function relationship derived from affinity maturation these new data will foster the rational design of new and highly efficient anti-sclerostin antibodies for the therapy of bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Blaettner2016, author = {Bl{\"a}ttner, Sebastian}, title = {The role of the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase AusAB and its product phevalin in intracellular virulence of Staphylococcus aureus}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146662}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Staphylococcus aureus is a prevalent commensal bacterium which represents one of the leading causes in health care-associated bacterial infections worldwide and can cause a variety of different diseases ranging from simple abscesses to severe and life threatening infections including pneumonia, osteomyelitis and sepsis. In recent times multi-resistant strains have emerged, causing severe problems in nosocomial as well as community-acquired (CA) infection settings, especially in the United States (USA). Therefore S. aureus has been termed as a superbug by the WHO, underlining the severe health risk originating from it. Today, infections in the USA are dominated by S. aureus genotypes which are classified as USA300 and USA400, respectively. Strains of genotype USA300 are responsible for about 70\% of the CA infections. The molecular mechanisms which render S. aureus such an effective pathogen are still not understood in its entirety. For decades S. aureus was thought to be a strictly extracellular pathogen relying on pore-forming toxins like α-hemolysin to damage human cells and tissue. Only recently it has been shown that S. aureus can enter non-professional phagocytes, using adhesins like the fibronectin-binding proteins which mediate an endocytotic uptake into the host cells. The bacteria are consequently localized to endosomes, where the degradation of enclosed bacterial cells through phagosome maturation would eventually occur. S. aureus can avoid degradation, and translocate to the cellular cytoplasm, where it can replicate. The ability to cause this so-called phagosomal escape has mainly been attributed to a family of amphiphilic peptides called phenol soluble modulins (PSMs), but as studies have shown, they are not sufficient. In this work I used a transposon mutant library in combination with automated fluorescence microscopy to screen for genes involved in the phagosomal escape process and intracellular survival of S. aureus. I thereby identified a number of genes, including a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS). The NRPS, encoded by the genes ausA and ausB, produces two types of small peptides, phevalin and tyrvalin. Mutations in the ausAB genes lead to a drastic decrease in phagosomal escape rates in epithelial cells, which were readily restored by genetic complementation in trans as well as by supplementation of synthetic phevalin. In leukocytes, phevalin interferes with calcium fluxes and activation of neutrophils and promotes cytotoxicity of intracellular bacteria in both, macrophages and neutrophils. Further ausAB is involved in survival and virulence of the bacterium during mouse lung pneumoniae. The here presented data demonstrates the contribution of the bacterial cyclic dipeptide phevalin to S. aureus virulence and suggests, that phevalin directly acts on a host cell target to promote cytotoxicity of intracellular bacteria.}, subject = {Staphylococcus aureus}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pasch2016, author = {Pasch, Elisabeth}, title = {The role of SUN4 and related proteins in sperm head formation and fertility}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139092}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Spermiogenesis describes the differentiation of haploid germ cells into motile, fertilization-competent spermatozoa. During this fundamental transition the species-specific sperm head is formed, which necessitates profound nuclear restructuring coincident with the assembly of sperm-specific structures and chromatin compaction. In the case of the mouse, it is characterized by reshaping of the early round spermatid nucleus into an elongated sickle-shaped sperm head. This tremendous shape change requires the transduction of cytoskeletal forces onto the nuclear envelope (NE) or even further into the nuclear interior. LINC (linkers of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complexes might be involved in this process, due to their general function in bridging the NE and thereby physically connecting the nucleus to the peripheral cytoskeleton. LINC complexes consist of inner nuclear membrane integral SUN-domain proteins and outer nuclear membrane KASH-domain counterparts. SUN- and KASH-domain proteins are directly connected to each other within the perinuclear space, and are thus capable of transferring forces across the NE. To date, these protein complexes are known for their essential functions in nuclear migration, anchoring and positioning of the nucleus, and even for chromosome movements and the maintenance of cell polarity and nuclear shape. In this study LINC complexes were investigated with regard to their potential role in sperm head formation, in order to gain further insight into the processes occurring during spermiogenesis. To this end, the behavior and function of the testis-specific SUN4 protein was studied. The SUN-domain protein SUN4, which had received limited characterization prior to this work, was found to be exclusively expressed in haploid stages during germ cell development. In these cell stages, it specifically localized to the posterior NE at regions decorated by the manchette, a spermatid-specific structure which was previously shown to be involved in nuclear shaping. Mice deficient for SUN4 exhibited severely disorganized manchette residues and gravely misshapen sperm heads. These defects resulted in a globozoospermia-like phenotype and male mice infertility. Therefore, SUN4 was not only found to be mandatory for the correct assembly and anchorage of the manchette, but also for the correct localization of SUN3 and Nesprin1, as well as of other NE components. Interaction studies revealed that SUN4 had the potential to interact with SUN3, Nesprin1, and itself, and as such is likely to build functional LINC complexes that anchor the manchette and transfer cytoskeletal forces onto the nucleus. Taken together, the severe impact of SUN4 deficiency on the nucleocytoplasmic junction during sperm development provided direct evidence for a crucial role of SUN4 and other LINC complex components in mammalian sperm head formation and fertility.}, subject = {Maus}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Sivadasan2016, author = {Sivadasan, Rajeeve}, title = {The role of RNA binding proteins in motoneuron diseases}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-141907}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Motoneuron diseases form a heterogeneous group of pathologies characterized by the progressive degeneration of motoneurons. More and more genetic factors associated with motoneuron diseases encode proteins that have a function in RNA metabolism, suggesting that disturbed RNA metabolism could be a common underlying problem in several, perhaps all, forms of motoneuron diseases. Recent results suggest that SMN interacts with hnRNP R and TDP-43 in neuronal processes, which are not part of the classical SMN complex. This point to an additional function of SMN, which could contribute to the high vulnerability of spinal motoneurons in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The current study elucidates functional links between SMN, the causative factor of SMA (spinal muscular atrophy), hnRNP R, and TDP-43, a genetic factor in ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). In order to characterize the functional interaction of SMN with hnRNP R and TDP-43, we produced recombinant proteins and investigated their interaction by co-immunoprecipitation. These proteins bind directly to each other, indicating that no other co-factors are needed for this interaction. SMN potentiates the ability of hnRNP R and TDP-43 to bind to ß-actin mRNA. Depletion of SMN alters the subcellular distribution of hnRNP R in motoneurons both in SMN-knockdown motoneurons and SMA mutant mouse (delta7 SMA). These data point to functions of SMN beyond snRNP assembly which could be crucial for recruitment and transport of RNA particles into axons and axon terminals, a mechanism which may contribute to SMA pathogenesis and ALS. ALS and FTLD (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) are linked by several lines of evidence with respect to clinical and pathological characteristics. Both sporadic and familial forms are a feature of the ALS-FTLD spectrum, with numerous genes having been associated with these pathological conditions. Both diseases are characterized by the pathological cellular aggregation of proteins. Interestingly, some of these proteins such as TDP-43 and FUS have also common relations not only with ALS-FTLD but also with SMA. Intronic hexanucleotide expansions in C9ORF72 are common in ALS and FTLD but it is unknown whether loss of function, toxicity by the expanded RNA or dipeptides from non ATG-initiated translation is responsible for the pathophysiology. This study tries to characterize the cellular function of C9ORF72 protein. To address this, lentiviral based knockdown and overexpression of C9ORF72 was used in isolated mouse motoneurons. The results clearly show that survival of these motoneurons was not affected by altered C9ORF72 levels, whereas adverse effects on axon growth and growth cone size became apparent after C9ORF72 suppression. Determining the protein interactome revealed several proteins in complexes with C9ORF72. Interestingly, C9ORF72 is present in a complex with cofilin and other actin binding proteins that modulate actin dynamics. These interactions were confirmed both by co-precipitation analyses and in particular by functional studies showing altered actin dynamics in motoneurons with reduced levels of C9ORF72. Importantly, the phosphorylation of cofilin is enhanced in C9ORF72 depleted motoneurons and patient derived lymphoblastoid cells with reduced C9ORF72 levels. These findings indicate that C9ORF72 regulates axonal actin dynamics and the loss of this function could contribute to disease pathomechanisms in ALS and FTLD.}, subject = {Motoneuron}, language = {en} } @article{SanMiguelEinseleMoreau2016, author = {San-Miguel, Jesus F. and Einsele, Hermann and Moreau, Philippe}, title = {The Role of Panobinostat Plus Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Treating Relapsed or Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A European Perspective}, series = {Advances in Therapy}, volume = {33}, journal = {Advances in Therapy}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1007/s12325-016-0413-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186840}, pages = {1896-1920}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Panobinostat is an oral pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor developed by Novartis. Panobinostat acts via epigenetic modification and inhibition of the aggresome pathway. In August 2015, the European Commission authorized panobinostat for use in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of relapsed or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (MM) in patients who have received aeyen2 prior regimens including bortezomib and an immunomodulatory drug. In January 2016, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended panobinostat for use in the same combination and patient population. The authorization and recommendation were based on results from the pivotal phase 3 PANORAMA 1 (NCT01023308) clinical trial, which demonstrated an improvement in median progression-free survival of 7.8 months for the three-drug combination compared with placebo plus bortezomib and dexamethasone in this patient population. This review will discuss the current treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory MM, the mechanism of action of panobinostat, clinical data supporting the European authorization, concerns about safety and strategies for mitigating toxicity, and how panobinostat fits into the current MM landscape in Europe.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Rosenbaum2016, author = {Rosenbaum, Corinna}, title = {The role of enteric glial cells under inflammatory conditions of the intestine}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-138946}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The enteric nervous system (ENS) innervates the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and controls central aspects of GI physiology including contractility of the intestinal musculature, glandular secretion and intestinal blood flow. The ENS is composed of neurons that conduct electrical signals and of enteric glial cells (EGCs). EGCs resemble central nervous system (CNS) astrocytes in their morphology and in the expression of shared markers such as the intermediate filament protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). They are strategically located at the interface of ENS neurons and their effector cells to modulate intestinal motility, epithelial barrier stability and inflammatory processes. The specific contributions of EGCs to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis are subject of current research. From a clinical point of view EGC involvement in pathophysiological processes such as intestinal inflammation is highly relevant. Like CNS astrocytes ECGs can acquire a reactive, tissue-protective phenotype in response to intestinal injury. In patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, alterations in the EGC network are well known, particularly a differential expression of GFAP, which is a hallmark of reactive gliosis in the CNS. With increasing recognition of the role of EGCs in intestinal health and disease comes the need to study the glial population in its complexity. The overall aim of this thesis was to comprehensively study EGCs with focus on the reactive GFAP-expressing subpopulation under inflammatory conditions in vivo and in vitro. In a first step, a novel in vivo rat model of acute systemic inflammation mimicking sepsis was employed to investigate rapidly occuring responses of EGCs to inflammation. This study revealed that within a short time frame of a few hours, EGCs responded to the inflammation with an upregulation of Gfap gene expression. This inflammation-induced upregulation was confined to the myenteric plexus and varied in intensity along the intestinal rostro-caudal axis. This highly responsive myenteric GFAP-expressing EGC population was further characterized in vivo andin vitro using a transgenic mouse model (hGFAP-eGFP mice). Primary purified murine GFAP-EGC cultures in vitro were established and it was assessed how the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of these cells change upon inflammatory stimulation. Here, myenteric GFAP-EGCs were found to undergo a shift in gene expression profile that predominantly affects expression of genes associated with inflammatory responses. Further, a secretion of inflammatory mediators was validated on protein level. The GFAP+ subpopulation is hence an active participant in inflammatory pathophysiology. In an acute murine IBD model in vivo, GFAP-EGCs were found to express components of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II in inflamed tissue, which also indicates a crosstalk of EGCs with the innate and the adaptive lamina propria immune system in acute inflammation. Taken together, this work advances our knowledge on EGC (patho-)physiology by identifying and characterizing an EGC subpopulation rapidly responsive to inflammation. This study further provides the transcriptomic profile of this population in vivo and in vitro, which can be used to identify targets for therapeutic intervention. Due to the modulating influence of EGCs on the intestinal microenvironment, the study further underlines the importance of integrating EGCs into in vitro test systems that aim to model intestinal tissues in vitro and presents an outlook on a potential strategy.}, subject = {Darmwandnervensystem}, language = {en} } @article{PakniaChariStarketal.2016, author = {Paknia, Elham and Chari, Ashwin and Stark, Holger and Fischer, Utz}, title = {The Ribosome Cooperates with the Assembly Chaperone pICln to Initiate Formation of snRNPs}, series = {Cell Reports}, volume = {16}, journal = {Cell Reports}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2016.08.047}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-162420}, pages = {p3103-3112}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The formation of macromolecular complexes within the crowded environment of cells often requires aid from assembly chaperones. PRMT5 and SMN complexes mediate this task for the assembly of the common core of pre-mRNA processing small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs). Core formation is initiated by the PRMT5-complex subunit pICln, which pre-arranges the core proteins into spatial positions occupied in the assembled snRNP. The SMN complex then accepts these pICln-bound proteins and unites them with small nuclear RNA (snRNA). Here, we have analyzed how newly synthesized snRNP proteins are channeled into the assembly pathway to evade mis-assembly. We show that they initially remain bound to the ribosome near the polypeptide exit tunnel and dissociate upon association with pICln. Coincident with its release activity, pICln ensures the formation of cognate heterooligomers and their chaperoned guidance into the assembly pathway. Our study identifies the ribosomal quality control hub as a site where chaperone-mediated assembly of macromolecular complexes can be initiated.}, language = {en} } @misc{Ives2016, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Ives, Jaqueline May}, title = {The relevance of tax havens for China}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145794}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This paper examines the relevance of tax havens for China by determining which tax havens are important for China and to what extent. Furthermore, the motives for Chinese tax haven activity are analysed and compared to the motives of Western companies that primarily use tax havens for the purpose of tax arbitrage. An analysis of two listed Chinese companies, a private and a state-owned entity (SOE), exemplifies how Chinese businesses incorporate tax havens into their business structure and discusses differences between the motives of private and state-owned companies. The magnitude of tax havens found in the business structures emphasise the importance of tax havens for Chinese companies, irrespective of whether the company is an SOE or private, or conducts its business in China or internationally. While the reasons why the state-influenced company incorporated tax havens into their structure seemed to be related to legitimate business motives, the motives behind the structure of the private company seemed questionable. The assessment furthermore confirms that China's weak institutional framework and restricting business environment is a major push factor and gives companies plenty of incentive to go offshore.}, subject = {Steueroase}, language = {en} } @article{OPUS4-16515, title = {The prototype detection unit of the KM3NeT detector}, series = {The European Physical Journal C}, volume = {76}, journal = {The European Physical Journal C}, number = {54}, organization = {KM3NeT Collaboration}, doi = {10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3868-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165159}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A prototype detection unit of the KM3NeT deep-sea neutrino telescope has been installed at 3500m depth 80 km offshore the Italian coast. KM3NeT in its final configuration will contain several hundreds of detection units. Each detection unit is a mechanical structure anchored to the sea floor, held vertical by a submerged buoy and supporting optical modules for the detection of Cherenkov light emitted by charged secondary particles emerging from neutrino interactions. This prototype string implements three optical modules with 31 photomultiplier tubes each. These optical modules were developed by the KM3NeT Collaboration to enhance the detection capability of neutrino interactions. The prototype detection unit was operated since its deployment in May 2014 until its decommissioning in July 2015. Reconstruction of the particle trajectories from the data requires a nanosecond accuracy in the time calibration. A procedure for relative time calibration of the photomultiplier tubes contained in each optical module is described. This procedure is based on the measured coincidences produced in the sea by the 40K background light and can easily be expanded to a detector with several thousands of optical modules. The time offsets between the different optical modules are obtained using LED nanobeacons mounted inside them. A set of data corresponding to 600 h of livetime was analysed. The results show good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations of the expected optical background and the signal from atmospheric muons. An almost background-free sample of muons was selected by filtering the time correlated signals on all the three optical modules. The zenith angle of the selected muons was reconstructed with a precision of about 3∘.}, language = {en} } @techreport{MetzgerRafetsederSchroederetal.2016, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Metzger, Florian and Rafetseder, Albert and Schr{\"o}der, Svenja and Zwickl, Patrick}, title = {The Prospects of Cloud Gaming: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Costs?}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-242452}, pages = {10}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In recent years, cloud gaming has become a popular research topic and has claimed many benefits in the commercial domain over conventional gaming. While, cloud gaming platforms have frequently failed in the past, they have received a new impetus over the last years that brought it to the edge of commercial breakthrough. The fragility of the cloud gaming market may be caused by the high investment costs, offered pricing models or competition from existing "{\`a} la carte" platforms. This paper aims at investigating the costs and benefits of both platform types through a twofold approach. We first take on the perspective of the customers, and investigate several cloud gaming platforms and their pricing models in comparison to the costs of other gaming platforms. Then, we explore engagement metrics in order to assess the enjoyment of playing the offered games. Lastly, coming from the perspective of the service providers, we aim to identify challenges in cost-effectively operating a large-scale cloud gaming service while maintaining high QoE values. Our analysis provides initial, yet still comprehensive reasons and models for the prospects of cloud gaming in a highly competitive market.}, subject = {Cloud Computing}, language = {en} } @article{MunzJakobBorisjuk2016, author = {Munz, Eberhard and Jakob, Peter M. and Borisjuk, Ljudmilla}, title = {The potential of nuclear magnetic resonance to track lipids in planta}, series = {Biochimie}, volume = {130}, journal = {Biochimie}, doi = {10.1016/j.biochi.2016.07.014}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186828}, pages = {97-108}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) provides a highly flexible platform for non invasive analysis and imaging biological samples, since the manipulation of nuclear spin allows the tailoring of experiments to maximize the informativeness of the data. MRI is capable of visualizing a holistic picture of the lipid storage in living plant/seed. This review has sought to explain how the technology can be used to acquire functional and physiological data from plant samples, and how to exploit it to characterize lipid deposition in vivo. At the same time, we have referred to the current limitations of NMR technology as applied to plants, and in particular of the difficulty of transferring methodologies optimized for animal/medical subjects to plant ones. A forward look into likely developments in the field is included, anticipating its key future role in the study of living plant.}, language = {en} } @article{OthmanNaseemAwadetal.2016, author = {Othman, Eman M. and Naseem, Muhammed and Awad, Eman and Dandekar, Thomas and Stopper, Helga}, title = {The Plant Hormone Cytokinin Confers Protection against Oxidative Stress in Mammalian Cells}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0168386}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147983}, pages = {e0168386}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Modulating key dynamics of plant growth and development, the effects of the plant hormone cytokinin on animal cells gained much attention recently. Most previous studies on cytokinin effects on mammalian cells have been conducted with elevated cytokinin concentration (in the μM range). However, to examine physiologically relevant dose effects of cytokinins on animal cells, we systematically analyzed the impact of kinetin in cultured cells at low and high concentrations (1nM-10μM) and examined cytotoxic and genotoxic conditions. We furthermore measured the intrinsic antioxidant activity of kinetin in a cell-free system using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay and in cells using the dihydroethidium staining method. Monitoring viability, we looked at kinetin effects in mammalian cells such as HL60 cells, HaCaT human keratinocyte cells, NRK rat epithelial kidney cells and human peripheral lymphocytes. Kinetin manifests no antioxidant activity in the cell free system and high doses of kinetin (500 nM and higher) reduce cell viability and mediate DNA damage in vitro. In contrast, low doses (concentrations up to 100 nM) of kinetin confer protection in cells against oxidative stress. Moreover, our results show that pretreatment of the cells with kinetin significantly reduces 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide mediated reactive oxygen species production. Also, pretreatment with kinetin retains cellular GSH levels when they are also treated with the GSH-depleting agent patulin. Our results explicitly show that low kinetin doses reduce apoptosis and protect cells from oxidative stress mediated cell death. Future studies on the interaction between cytokinins and human cellular pathway targets will be intriguing.}, language = {en} } @article{ZinnerMoralesAlamoOrtenbladetal.2016, author = {Zinner, Christoph and Morales-Alamo, David and {\O}rtenblad, Niels and Larsen, Filip J. and Schiffer, Tomas A. and Willis, Sarah J. and Gelabert-Rebato, Miriam and Perez-Valera, Mario and Boushel, Robert and Calbet, Jose A. L. and Holmberg, Hans-Christer}, title = {The Physiological Mechanisms of Performance Enhancement with Sprint Interval Training Differ between the Upper and Lower Extremities in Humans}, series = {Frontiers in Physiology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in Physiology}, number = {426}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2016.00426}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165257}, year = {2016}, abstract = {To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the differences in adaptation of arm and leg muscles to sprint training, over a period of 11 days 16 untrained men performed six sessions of 4-6 × 30-s all-out sprints (SIT) with the legs and arms, separately, with a 1-h interval of recovery. Limb-specific VO2peak, sprint performance (two 30-s Wingate tests with 4-min recovery), muscle efficiency and time-trial performance (TT, 5-min all-out) were assessed and biopsies from the m. vastus lateralis and m. triceps brachii taken before and after training. VO2peak and Wmax increased 3-11\% after training, with a more pronounced change in the arms (P < 0.05). Gross efficiency improved for the arms (+8.8\%, P < 0.05), but not the legs (-0.6\%). Wingate peak and mean power outputs improved similarly for the arms and legs, as did TT performance. After training, VO2 during the two Wingate tests was increased by 52 and 6\% for the arms and legs, respectively (P < 0.001). In the case of the arms, VO2 was higher during the first than second Wingate test (64 vs. 44\%, P < 0.05). During the TT, relative exercise intensity, HR, VO2, VCO2, VE, and Vt were all lower during arm-cranking than leg-pedaling, and oxidation of fat was minimal, remaining so after training. Despite the higher relative intensity, fat oxidation was 70\% greater during leg-pedaling (P = 0.017). The aerobic energy contribution in the legs was larger than for the arms during the Wingate tests, although VO2 for the arms was enhanced more by training, reducing the O2 deficit after SIT. The levels of muscle glycogen, as well as the myosin heavy chain composition were unchanged in both cases, while the activities of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase and citrate synthase were elevated only in the legs and capillarization enhanced in both limbs. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the variables that predict TT performance differ for the arms and legs. The primary mechanism of adaptation to SIT by both the arms and legs is enhancement of aerobic energy production. However, with their higher proportion of fast muscle fibers, the arms exhibit greater plasticity.}, language = {en} } @article{BiscottiGerdolCanapaetal.2016, author = {Biscotti, Maria Assunta and Gerdol, Marco and Canapa, Adriana and Forconi, Mariko and Olmo, Ettore and Pallavicini, Alberto and Barucca, Marco and Schartl, Manfred}, title = {The Lungfish Transcriptome: A Glimpse into Molecular Evolution Events at the Transition from Water to Land}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {21571}, doi = {10.1038/srep21571}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167753}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Lungfish and coelacanths are the only living sarcopterygian fish. The phylogenetic relationship of lungfish to the last common ancestor of tetrapods and their close morphological similarity to their fossil ancestors make this species uniquely interesting. However their genome size, the largest among vertebrates, is hampering the generation of a whole genome sequence. To provide a partial solution to the problem, a high-coverage lungfish reference transcriptome was generated and assembled. The present findings indicate that lungfish, not coelacanths, are the closest relatives to land-adapted vertebrates. Whereas protein-coding genes evolve at a very slow rate, possibly reflecting a "living fossil" status, transposable elements appear to be active and show high diversity, suggesting a role for them in the remarkable expansion of the lungfish genome. Analyses of single genes and gene families documented changes connected to the water to land transition and demonstrated the value of the lungfish reference transcriptome for comparative studies of vertebrate evolution.}, language = {en} } @article{VučićevićGehreDhamijaetal.2016, author = {Vučićević, Dubravka and Gehre, Maja and Dhamija, Sonam and Friis-Hansen, Lennart and Meierhofer, David and Sauer, Sascha and {\O}rom, Ulf Andersson}, title = {The long non-coding RNA PARROT is an upstream regulator of c-Myc and affects proliferation and translation}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {7}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {23}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.8985}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166519}, pages = {33934-33947}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Long non-coding RNAs are important regulators of gene expression and signaling pathways. The expression of long ncRNAs is dysregulated in cancer and other diseases. The identification and characterization of long ncRNAs is often challenging due to their low expression level and localization to chromatin. Here, we identify a functional long ncRNA, PARROT (Proliferation Associated RNA and Regulator Of Translation) transcribed by RNA polymerase II and expressed at a relatively high level in a number of cell lines. The PARROT long ncRNA is associated with proliferation in both transformed and normal cell lines. We characterize the long ncRNA PARROT as an upstream regulator of c-Myc affecting cellular proliferation and translation using RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry following depletion of the long ncRNA. PARROT is repressed during senescence of human mammary epithelial cells and overexpressed in some cancers, suggesting an important association with proliferation through regulation of c-Myc. With this study, we add to the knowledge of cytoplasmic functional long ncRNAs and extent the long ncRNA-Myc regulatory network in transformed and normal cells.}, language = {en} } @article{DotterweichTowerBrandletal.2016, author = {Dotterweich, Julia and Tower, Robert J. and Brandl, Andreas and M{\"u}ller, Marc and Hofbauer, Lorenz C. and Beilhack, Andreas and Ebert, Regina and Gl{\"u}er, Claus C. and Tiwari, Sanjay and Sch{\"u}tze, Norbert and Jakob, Franz}, title = {The KISS1 Receptor as an In Vivo Microenvironment Imaging Biomarker of Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0155087}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146960}, pages = {e0155087}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Multiple myeloma is one of the most common hematological diseases and is characterized by an aberrant proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. As a result of crosstalk between cancer cells and the bone microenvironment, bone homeostasis is disrupted leading to osteolytic lesions and poor prognosis. Current diagnostic strategies for myeloma typically rely on detection of excess monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains in the urine or serum. However, these strategies fail to localize the sites of malignancies. In this study we sought to identify novel biomarkers of myeloma bone disease which could target the malignant cells and/or the surrounding cells of the tumor microenvironment. From these studies, the KISS1 receptor (KISS1R), a G-protein-coupled receptor known to play a role in the regulation of endocrine functions, was identified as a target gene that was upregulated on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) when co-cultured with myeloma cells. To determine the potential of this receptor as a biomarker, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed with the KISS1R ligand, kisspeptin, conjugated with a fluorescent dye. In vitro microscopy showed binding of fluorescently-labeled kisspeptin to both myeloma cells as well as MSCs under direct co-culture conditions. Next, conjugated kisspeptin was injected into immune-competent mice containing myeloma bone lesions. Tumor-burdened limbs showed increased peak fluorescence compared to contralateral controls. These data suggest the utility of the KISS1R as a novel biomarker for multiple myeloma, capable of targeting both tumor cells and host cells of the tumor microenvironment.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Wanzek2016, author = {Wanzek, Katharina}, title = {The investigation of the function of repair proteins at G-quadruplex structures in \(Saccharomyces\) \(cerevisiae\) revealed that Mms1 promotes genome stability}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142547}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {G-quadruplex structures are highly stable alternative DNA structures that can, when not properly regulated, impede replication fork progression and cause genome instability (Castillo Bosch et al, 2014; Crabbe et al, 2004; Koole et al, 2014; Kruisselbrink et al, 2008; London et al, 2008; Lopes et al, 2011; Paeschke et al, 2013; Paeschke et al, 2011; Piazza et al, 2015; Piazza et al, 2010; Piazza et al, 2012; Ribeyre et al, 2009; Sabouri et al, 2014; Sarkies et al, 2012; Sarkies et al, 2010; Schiavone et al, 2014; Wu \& Spies, 2016; Zimmer et al, 2016). The aim of this thesis was to identify novel G-quadruplex interacting proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to unravel their regulatory function at these structures to maintain genome integrity. Mms1 and Rtt101 were identified as G-quadruplex binding proteins in vitro via a pull-down experiment with subsequent mass spectrometry analysis. Rtt101, Mms1 and Mms22, which are all components of an ubiquitin ligase (Rtt101Mms1/Mms22), are important for the progression of the replication fork following fork stalling (Luke et al, 2006; Vaisica et al, 2011; Zaidi et al, 2008). The in vivo binding of endogenously tagged Mms1 to its target regions was analyzed genome-wide using chromatin-immunoprecipitation followed by deep-sequencing. Interestingly, Mms1 bound independently of Mms22 and Rtt101 to G-rich regions that have the potential to form G-quadruplex structures. In vitro, formation of G-quadruplex structures could be shown for the G-rich regions Mms1 bound to. This binding was observed throughout the cell cycle. Furthermore, the deletion of MMS1 caused replication fork stalling as evidenced by increased association of DNA Polymerase 2 at Mms1 dependent sites. A gross chromosomal rearrangement assay revealed that deletion of MMS1 results in a significantly increased genome instability at G-quadruplex motifs compared to G-rich or non-G-rich regions. Additionally, binding of the helicase Pif1, which unwinds G4 structures in vitro (Paeschke et al, 2013; Ribeyre et al, 2009; Sanders, 2010; Wallgren et al, 2016), to Mms1 binding sites was reduced in mms1 cells. The data presented in this thesis, together with published data, suggests a novel mechanistic model in which Mms1 binds to G-quadruplex structures and enables Pif1 association. This allows for replication fork progression and genome integrity.}, subject = {Quadruplex-DNS}, language = {en} } @article{LanglhoferVillmann2016, author = {Langlhofer, Georg and Villmann, Carmen}, title = {The Intracellular Loop of the Glycine Receptor: It's not all about the Size}, series = {Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience}, journal = {Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience}, number = {9}, doi = {10.3389/fnmol.2016.00041}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165394}, pages = {41}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The family of Cys-loop receptors (CLRs) shares a high degree of homology and sequence identity. The overall structural elements are highly conserved with a large extracellular domain (ECD) harboring an α-helix and 10 β-sheets. Following the ECD, four transmembrane domains (TMD) are connected by intracellular and extracellular loop structures. Except the TM3-4 loop, their length comprises 7-14 residues. The TM3-4 loop forms the largest part of the intracellular domain (ICD) and exhibits the most variable region between all CLRs. The ICD is defined by the TM3-4 loop together with the TM1-2 loop preceding the ion channel pore. During the last decade, crystallization approaches were successful for some members of the CLR family. To allow crystallization, the intracellular loop was in most structures replaced by a short linker present in prokaryotic CLRs. Therefore, no structural information about the large TM3-4 loop of CLRs including the glycine receptors (GlyRs) is available except for some basic stretches close to TM3 and TM4. The intracellular loop has been intensively studied with regard to functional aspects including desensitization, modulation of channel physiology by pharmacological substances, posttranslational modifications, and motifs important for trafficking. Furthermore, the ICD interacts with scaffold proteins enabling inhibitory synapse formation. This review focuses on attempts to define structural and functional elements within the ICD of GlyRs discussed with the background of protein-protein interactions and functional channel formation in the absence of the TM3-4 loop.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{SalinasSegura2016, author = {Salinas Segura, Alexander}, title = {The Internet of Things: Business Applications, Technology Acceptance, and Future Prospects}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131605}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This dissertation explores the Internet of Things from three different perspectives for which three individual studies were conducted. The first study presents a business application within supply chain management. The second study addresses user acceptance of pervasive information systems, while the third study covers future prospects of the Internet of Things. The first study is about wireless sensor technologies and their possibilities for optimizing product quality in the cold chain. The processing of sensor data such as temperature information allows for the construction of novel issuing policies in distribution centers. The objective of the study was to investigate the possible economic potential of sensor-based issuing policies in a cold chain. By means of simulation, we analyzed a three-echelon supply chain model, including a manufacturer, a distribution center, and a retail store. Our analysis shows that sensor-based issuing policies bear the potential to become an effective complement to conventional issuing policies. However, the results also indicate that important trade-offs must be taken into account in the selection of a specific issuing policy. The second study deals with the increasing emergence of pervasive information systems and user acceptance. Based on the integration of the extended "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology" (UTAUT2) and three pervasiveness constructs, we derived a comprehensive research model to account for pervasive information systems. Data collected from 346 participants in an online survey was analyzed to test the developed research model using structural equation modeling and taking into account multi-group and mediation analysis. The results confirm the applicability of the integrated UTAUT2 model to measure pervasiveness. The third study addresses future prospects of the Internet of Things within the retail industry. We employed a research framework to explore the macro- as well as microeconomic perspective. First, we developed future projections for the retail industry containing IoT aspects. Second, a two-round Delphi study with an expert panel of 15 participants was conducted to evaluate the projections. Third, we used scenario development to create scenarios of the most relevant projections evaluated by the participants.}, subject = {Internet der Dinge}, language = {en} } @article{ReadMillsJohnsonetal.2016, author = {Read, Hannah M. and Mills, Grant and Johnson, Sarah and Tsai, Peter and Dalton, James and Barquist, Lars and Print, Cristin G. and Patrick, Wayne M. and Wiles, Siouxsie}, title = {The in vitro and in vivo effects of constitutive light expression on a bioluminescent strain of the mouse enteropathogen Citrobacter rodentium}, series = {PeerJ}, volume = {4}, journal = {PeerJ}, number = {e2130}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.2130}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166576}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Bioluminescent reporter genes, such as those from fireflies and bacteria, let researchers use light production as a non-invasive and non-destructive surrogate measure of microbial numbers in a wide variety of environments. As bioluminescence needs microbial metabolites, tagging microorganisms with luciferases means only live metabolically active cells are detected. Despite the wide use of bioluminescent reporter genes, very little is known about the impact of continuous (also called constitutive) light expression on tagged bacteria. We have previously made a bioluminescent strain of Citrobacter rodentium, a bacterium which infects laboratory mice in a similar way to how enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) infect humans. In this study, we compared the growth of the bioluminescent C. rodentium strain ICC180 with its non-bioluminescent parent (strain ICC169) in a wide variety of environments. To understand more about the metabolic burden of expressing light, we also compared the growth profiles of the two strains under approximately 2,000 different conditions. We found that constitutive light expression in ICC180 was near-neutral in almost every non-toxic environment tested. However, we also found that the non-bioluminescent parent strain has a competitive advantage over ICC180 during infection of adult mice, although this was not enough for ICC180 to be completely outcompeted. In conclusion, our data suggest that constitutive light expression is not metabolically costly to C. rodentium and supports the view that bioluminescent versions of microbes can be used as a substitute for their non-bioluminescent parents to study bacterial behaviour in a wide variety of environments.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Eck2016, author = {Eck, Saskia}, title = {The impact of thermogenetic depolarizations of specific clock neurons on Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-137118}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The rotation of the earth around its own axis determines periodically changing environmental conditions, like alterations in light and temperature. For the purpose of adapting all organisms' behavior, physiology and metabolism to recurring changes, endogenous clocks have evolved, which allow the organisms to anticipate environmental changes. In chronobiology, the scientific field dealing with the investigation of the underlying mechanisms of the endogenous clock, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster serves as a beneficial model organism. The fruit fly's circadian clock exhibits a rather simple anatomical organization, but nevertheless constitutes homologies to the mammalian system. Thus also in this PhD-thesis the fruit fly was used to decipher general features of the circadian clock's interneuronal communication. Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock consists of about 150 clock neurons, which are located in the central nervous system of the fly. These clock neurons can be subdivided regarding to their anatomical position in the brain into the dorsal neurons (DN1s, DN2s, DN3s), as well as into the lateral neurons (LPNs, LNds, s-LNvs, l-LNvs). Functionally these clock neuron clusters can be classified as Morning- and Evening oscillators (M- and E- oscillators), driving different parts of the fly's locomotor activity in light-dark conditions (LD). The Morning-oscillators are represented by the s-LNvs and are known to be the main pacemakers, driving the pace of the clock in constant conditions (constant darkness; DD). The group of Evening-oscillators consists of the LNds, the DN1s and the 5th s-LNv and is important for the proper timing of the evening activity in LD. All of these clock neurons are not functionally independent, but form complex neuronal connections, which are highly plastic in their response to different environmental stimuli (Zeitgebers), like light or temperature. Even though a lot is known about the function and the importance of some clock neuron clusters, the exact interplay between the neurons is not fully known yet. To investigate the mechanisms, which are involved in communication processes among different clock neurons, we depolarized specific clock cells in a temporally and cell-type restricted manner using dTrpA1, a thermosensitive cation channel, which allows the depolarization of neurons by application of temperature pulses (TP) above 29°C to the intact and freely moving fly. Using different clock specific GAL4-driver lines and applying TPs at different time points within the circadian cycle in DD enabled us with the help of phase shift experiments to draw conclusions on the properties of the endogenous clock. The obtained phase shifts in locomotor behavior elicited by specific clock neuronal activation were plotted as phase response curves (PRCs). The depolarization of all clock neurons shifted the phase of activity the strongest, especially in the delay zone of the PRC. The exclusive depolarization of the M oscillators together with the l-LNvs (PDF+ neurons: s-LNvs \& l-LNvs) caused shifts in the delay and in the advance zone as well, however the advances were severely enhanced in their temporal occurrence ranging into the subjective day. We concluded that light might have inhibitory effects on the PDF+ cells in that particular part of the PRC, as typical light PRCs do not exhibit that kind of distinctive advances. By completely excluding light in the PRC-experiments of this PhD-thesis, this photic inhibitory input to the PDF+ neurons is missing, probably causing the broadened advance zone. These findings suggest the existence of an inhibitory light-input pathway to the PDF+ cells from the photoreceptive organs (Hofbauer-Buchner eyelet, photoreceptor cells of compound eyes, ocelli) or from other clock neurons, which might inhibit phase advances during the subjective day. To get an impression of the molecular state of the clock in the delay and advance zone, staining experiments against Period (PER), one of the most important core clock components, and against the neuropeptide Pigment Dispersing Factor (PDF) were performed. The cycling of PER levels mirrored the behavioral phase shifts in experimental flies, whereas the controls were widely unaffected. As just those neurons, which had been depolarized, exhibited immediate shifted PER oscillations, this effect has to be rapidly regulated in a cell-autonomous manner. However, the molecular link between clock neuron depolarization and shifts in the molecular clock's cycling is still missing. This issue was addressed by CREB (cAMP responsive element binding protein) quantification in the large ventrolateral neurons (l-LNvs), as these neurons responded unexpectedly and strongest to the artificial depolarization exhibiting a huge increase in PER levels. It had been previously suggested that CREB is involved in circadian rhythms by binding to regulatory sequences of the period gene (Belvin et al., 1999), thus activating its transcription. We were able to show, that CREB levels in the l-LNvs are under circadian regulation, as they exhibit higher CREB levels at the end of the subjective night relative to the end of the subjective day. That effect was further reinforced by artificial depolarization, independently of the time point of depolarization. Furthermore the data indicate that rises in CREB levels are coinciding with the time point of increases of PER levels in the l-LNvs, suggesting CREB being the molecular link between the neuronal electrical state and the molecular clock. Taking together, the results indicate that a temporal depolarization using dTrpA1 is able to significantly phase shift the clock on the behavioral and protein level. An artificial depolarization at the beginning of the subjective night caused phase delays, whereas a depolarization at the end of the subjective night resulted in advances. The activation of all clock neurons caused a PRC that roughly resembled a light-PRC. However, the depolarization of the PDF+ neurons led to a PRC exhibiting a shape that did not resemble that of a light-mediated PRC, indicating the complex processing ability of excitatory and inhibitory input by the circadian clock. Even though this experimental approach is highly artificial, just the exclusion of light-inputs enabled us to draw novel conclusions on the network communication and its light input pathways.}, subject = {Chronobiologie}, language = {en} } @article{Kuemmel2016, author = {K{\"u}mmel, Reiner}, title = {The Impact of Entropy Production and Emission Mitigation on Economic Growth}, series = {Entropy}, volume = {18}, journal = {Entropy}, number = {3}, doi = {10.3390/e18030075}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-163185}, pages = {75}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Entropy production in industrial economies involves heat currents, driven by gradients of temperature, and particle currents, driven by specific external forces and gradients of temperature and chemical potentials. Pollution functions are constructed for the associated emissions. They reduce the output elasticities of the production factors capital, labor, and energy in the growth equation of the capital-labor-energy-creativity model, when the emissions approach their critical limits. These are drawn by, e.g., health hazards or threats to ecological and climate stability. By definition, the limits oblige the economic actors to dedicate shares of the available production factors to emission mitigation, or to adjustments to the emission-induced changes in the biosphere. Since these shares are missing for the production of the quantity of goods and services that would be available to consumers and investors without emission mitigation, the "conventional" output of the economy shrinks. The resulting losses of conventional output are estimated for two classes of scenarios: (1) energy conservation; and (2) nuclear exit and subsidies to photovoltaics. The data of the scenarios refer to Germany in the 1980s and after 11 March 2011. For the energy-conservation scenarios, a method of computing the reduction of output elasticities by emission abatement is proposed.}, language = {en} } @article{SteinWollschlaegerKreienbergetal.2016, author = {Stein, Roland Gregor and Wollschl{\"a}ger, Daniel and Kreienberg, Rolf and Janni, Wolfgang and Wischnewsky, Manfred and Diessner, Joachim and St{\"u}ber, Tanja and Bartmann, Catharina and Krockenberger, Mathias and Wischhusen, J{\"o}rg and W{\"o}ckel, Achim and Blettner, Maria and Schwentner, Lukas}, title = {The impact of breast cancer biological subtyping on tumor size assessment by ultrasound and mammography - a retrospective multicenter cohort study of 6543 primary breast cancer patients}, series = {BMC Cancer}, volume = {16}, journal = {BMC Cancer}, number = {549}, doi = {10.1186/s12885-016-2426-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-161050}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Mammography and ultrasound are the gold standard imaging techniques for preoperative assessment and for monitoring the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Maximum accuracy in predicting pathological tumor size non-invasively is critical for individualized therapy and surgical planning. We therefore aimed to assess the accuracy of tumor size measurement by ultrasound and mammography in a multicentered health services research study. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 6543 patients with unifocal, unilateral primary breast cancer. The maximum tumor diameter was measured by ultrasound and/or mammographic imaging. All measurements were compared to final tumor diameter determined by postoperative histopathological examination. We compared the precision of each imaging method across different patient subgroups as well as the method-specific accuracy in each patient subgroup. Results Overall, the correlation with histology was 0.61 for mammography and 0.60 for ultrasound. Both correlations were higher in pT2 cancers than in pT1 and pT3. Ultrasound as well as mammography revealed a significantly higher correlation with histology in invasive ductal compared to lobular cancers (p < 0.01). For invasive lobular cancers, the mammography showed better correlation with histology than ultrasound (p = 0.01), whereas there was no such advantage for invasive ductal cancers. Ultrasound was significantly superior for HR negative cancers (p < 0.001). HER2/neu positive cancers were also more precisely assessed by ultrasound (p < 0.001). The size of HER2/neu negative cancers could be more accurately predicted by mammography (p < 0.001). Conclusion This multicentered health services research approach demonstrates that predicting tumor size by mammography and ultrasound provides accurate results. Biological tumor features do, however, affect the diagnostic precision.}, language = {en} } @article{WernerBeykanHiguchietal.2016, author = {Werner, Rudolf A. and Beykan, Seval and Higuchi, Takahiro and L{\"u}ckerath, Katharina and Weich, Alexander and Scheurlen, Michael and Bluemel, Christina and Herrmann, Ken and Buck, Andreas K. and Lassmann, Michael and Lapa, Constantin and H{\"a}nscheid, Heribert}, title = {The impact of \(^{177}\)Lu-octreotide therapy on \(^{99m}\)Tc-MAG3 clearance is not predictive for late nephropathy}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {7}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {27}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.9775}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177318}, pages = {41233-41241}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors may lead to kidney deterioration. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of \(^{99m}\)Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (\(^{99m}\)Tc-MAG3) clearance for the early detection of PRRT-induced changes on tubular extraction (TE). TE rate (TER) was measured prior to 128 PRRT cycles (7.6±0.4 GBq \(^{177}\)Lu-octreotate/octreotide each) in 32 patients. TER reduction during PRRT was corrected for age-related decrease and analyzed for the potential to predict loss of glomerular filtration (GF). The GF rate (GFR) as measure for renal function was derived from serum creatinine. The mean TER was 234 ± 53 ml/min/1.73 m² before PRRT (baseline) and 221 ± 45 ml/min/1.73 m² after a median follow-up of 370 days. The age-corrected decrease (mean: -3\%, range: -27\% to +19\%) did not reach significance (p=0.09) but significantly correlated with the baseline TER (Spearman p=-0.62, p<0.001). Patients with low baseline TER showed an improved TER after PRRT, high decreases were only observed in individuals with high baseline TER. Pre-therapeutic TER data were inferior to plasma creatinine-derived GFR estimates in predicting late nephropathy. TER assessed by \(^{99m}\)Tc-MAG3­clearance prior to and during PRRT is not suitable as early predictor of renal injury and an increased risk for late nephropathy.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kupper2016, author = {Kupper, Maria}, title = {The immune transcriptome and proteome of the ant Camponotus floridanus and vertical transmission of its bacterial endosymbiont Blochmannia floridanus}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142534}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The evolutionary success of insects is believed to be at least partially facilitated by symbioses between insects and prokaryotes. Bacterial endosymbionts confer various fitness advantages to their hosts, for example by providing nutrients lacking from the insects' diet thereby enabling the inhabitation of new ecological niches. The Florida carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus harbours endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Blochmannia. These primary endosymbionts mainly reside in the cytoplasm of bacteriocytes, specialised cells interspersed into the midgut tissue, but they were also found in oocytes which allows their vertical transmission. The social lifestyle of C. floridanus may facilitate the rapid spread of infections amongst genetically closely related animals living in huge colonies. Therefore, the ants require an immune system to efficiently combat infections while maintaining a "chronic" infection with their endosymbionts. In order to investigate the immune repertoire of the ants, the Illumina sequencing method was used. The previously published genome sequence of C. floridanus was functionally re-annotated and 0.53\% of C. floridanus proteins were assigned to the gene ontology (GO) term subcategory "immune system process". Based on homology analyses, genes encoding 510 proteins with possible immune function were identified. These genes are involved in microbial recognition and immune signalling pathways but also in cellular defence mechanisms, such as phagocytosis and melanisation. The components of the major signalling pathways appear to be highly conserved and the analysis revealed an overall broad immune repertoire of the ants though the number of identified genes encoding pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is comparatively low. Besides three genes coding for homologs of thioester-containing proteins (TEPs), which have been shown to act as opsonins promoting phagocytosis in other insects, six genes encoding the AMPs defesin-1 and defensin-2, hymenoptaecin, two tachystatin-like peptides and one crustin-like peptide are present in the ant genome. Although the low number of known AMPs in comparison to 13 AMPs in the honey bee Apis mellifera and 46 AMPs in the wasp Nasonia vitripennis may indicate a less potent immune system, measures summarised as external or social immunity may enhance the immune repertoire of C. floridanus, as it was discussed for other social insects. Also, the hymenoptaecin multipeptide precursor protein may be processed to yield seven possibly bioactive peptides. In this work, two hymenoptaecin derived peptides were heterologously expressed and purified. The preliminary antimicrobial activity assays indicate varying bacteriostatic effects of different hymenoptaecin derived peptides against Escherichia coli D31 and Staphylococcus aureus which suggests a functional amplification of the immune response further increasing the antimicrobial potency of the ants. Furthermore, 257 genes were differentially expressed upon immune challenge of C. floridanus and most of the immune genes showing differential expression are involved in recognition of microbes or encode immune effectors rather than signalling components. Additionally, genes coding for proteins involved in storage and metabolism were downregulated upon immune challenge suggesting a trade-off between two energy-intensive processes in order to enhance effectiveness of the immune response. The analysis of gene expression via qRT-PCR was used for validation of the transcriptome data and revealed stage-specific immune gene regulation. Though the same tendencies of regulation were observed in larvae and adults, expression of several immune-related genes was generally more strongly induced in larvae. Immune gene expression levels depending on the developmental stage of C. floridanus are in agreement with observations in other insects and might suggest that animals from different stages revert to individual combinations of external and internal immunity upon infection. The haemolymph proteome of immune-challenged ants further established the immune-relevance of several proteins involved in classical immune signalling pathways, e.g. PRRs, extracellularly active proteases of the Toll signalling pathway and effector molecules such as AMPs, lysozymes and TEPs. Additionally, non-canonical proteins with putative immune function were enriched in immune-challenged haemolymph, e.g. Vitellogenins, NPC2-like proteins and Hemocytin. As known from previous studies, septic wounding also leads to the upregulation of genes involved in stress responses. In the haemolymph, proteins implicated in protein stabilisation and in the protection against oxidative stress and insecticides were enriched upon immune challenge. In order to identify additional putative immune effectors, haemolymph peptide samples from immune-challenged larvae and adults were analysed. The analysis in this work focussed on the identification of putative peptides produced via the secretory pathway as previously described for neuropeptides of C. floridanus. 567 regulated peptides derived from 39 proteins were identified in the larval haemolymph, whereas 342 regulated peptides derived from 13 proteins were found in the adult haemolymph. Most of the peptides are derived from hymenoptaecin or from putative uncharacterised proteins. One haemolymph peptide of immune-challenged larvae comprises the complete amino acid sequence of a predicted peptide derived from a Vitellogenin. Though the identified peptide lacks similarities to any known immune-related peptide, it is a suitable candidate for further functional analysis. To establish a stable infection with the endosymbionts, the bacteria have to be transmitted to the next generation of the ants. The vertical transmission of B. floridanus is guaranteed by bacterial infestation of oocytes. This work presents the first comprehensive and detailed description of the localisation of the bacterial endosymbionts in C. floridanus ovaries during oogenesis. Whereas the most apical part of the germarium, which contains the germ-line stem cells, is not infected by the bacteria, small somatic cells in the outer layers of each ovariole were found to be infected in the lower germarium. Only with the beginning of cystocyte differentiation, endosymbionts are exclusively transported from follicle cells into the growing oocytes, while nurse cells were never infected with B. floridanus. This infestation of the oocytes by bacteria very likely involves exocytosis-endocytosis processes between follicle cells and the oocytes. A previous study suggested a down-modulation of the immune response in the midgut tissue which may promote endosymbiont tolerance. Therefore, the expression of several potentially relevant immune genes was analysed in the ovarial tissue by qRT-PCR. The relatively low expression of genes involved in Toll and IMD signalling, and the high expression of genes encoding negative immune regulators, such as PGRP-LB, PGRP-SC2, and tollip, strongly suggest that a down-modulation of the immune response may also facilitate endosymbiont tolerance in the ovaries and thereby contribute to their vertical transmission. Overall, the present thesis improves the knowledge about the immune repertoire of C. floridanus and provides new candidates for further functional analyses. Moreover, the involvement of the host immune system in maintaining a "chronic" infection with symbiotic bacteria was confirmed and extended to the ovaries.}, subject = {Camponotus floridanus}, language = {en} } @article{NickersonAtalagdeBonoetal.2016, author = {Nickerson, David and Atalag, Koray and de Bono, Bernard and Geiger, J{\"o}rg and Goble, Carole and Hollmann, Susanne and Lonien, Joachim and M{\"u}ller, Wolfgang and Regierer, Babette and Stanford, Natalie J. and Golebiewski, Martin and Hunter, Peter}, title = {The Human Physiome: how standards, software and innovative service infrastructures are providing the building blocks to make it achievable}, series = {Interface Focus}, volume = {6}, journal = {Interface Focus}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1098/rsfs.2015.0103}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189584}, pages = {13 Seiten}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Reconstructing and understanding the Human Physiome virtually is a complex mathematical problem, and a highly demanding computational challenge. Mathematical models spanning from the molecular level through to whole populations of individuals must be integrated, then personalized. This requires interoperability with multiple disparate and geographically separated data sources, and myriad computational software tools. Extracting and producing knowledge from such sources, even when the databases and software are readily available, is a challenging task. Despite the difficulties, researchers must frequently perform these tasks so that available knowledge can be continually integrated into the common framework required to realize the Human Physiome. Software and infrastructures that support the communities that generate these, together with their underlying standards to format, describe and interlink the corresponding data and computer models, are pivotal to the Human Physiome being realized. They provide the foundations for integrating, exchanging and re-using data and models efficiently, and correctly, while also supporting the dissemination of growing knowledge in these forms. In this paper, we explore the standards, software tooling, repositories and infrastructures that support this work, and detail what makes them vital to realizing the Human Physiome.}, language = {en} } @article{KuenstnerHoffmannFraseretal.2016, author = {K{\"u}nstner, Axel and Hoffmann, Margarete and Fraser, Bonnie A. and Kottler, Verena A. and Sharma, Eshita and Weigel, Detlef and Dreyer, Christine}, title = {The Genome of the Trinidadian Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and Variation in the Guanapo Population}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0169087}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166755}, pages = {e0169087}, year = {2016}, abstract = {For over a century, the live bearing guppy, Poecilia reticulata, has been used to study sexual selection as well as local adaptation. Natural guppy populations differ in many traits that are of intuitively adaptive significance such as ornamentation, age at maturity, brood size and body shape. Water depth, light supply, food resources and predation regime shape these traits, and barrier waterfalls often separate contrasting environments in the same river. We have assembled and annotated the genome of an inbred single female from a high-predation site in the Guanapo drainage. The final assembly comprises 731.6 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 5.3 MB. Scaffolds were mapped to linkage groups, placing 95\% of the genome assembly on the 22 autosomes and the X-chromosome. To investigate genetic variation in the population used for the genome assembly, we sequenced 10 wild caught male individuals. The identified 5 million SNPs correspond to an average nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.0025. The genome assembly and SNP map provide a rich resource for investigating adaptation to different predation regimes. In addition, comparisons with the genomes of other Poeciliid species, which differ greatly in mechanisms of sex determination and maternal resource allocation, as well as comparisons to other teleost genera can begin to reveal how live bearing evolved in teleost fish.}, language = {en} } @article{WawraFeselWidmeretal.2016, author = {Wawra, Stephan and Fesel, Philipp and Widmer, Heidi and Timm, Malte and Seibel, J{\"u}rgen and Leson, Lisa and Kesseler, Leona and Nostadt, Robin and Hilbert, Magdalena and Langen, Gregor and Zuccaro, Alga}, title = {The fungal-specific beta-glucan-binding lectin FGB1 alters cell-wall composition and suppresses glucan-triggered immunity in plants}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms13188}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165945}, pages = {13188}, year = {2016}, abstract = {β-glucans are well-known modulators of the immune system in mammals but little is known about β-glucan triggered immunity in planta. Here we show by isothermal titration calorimetry, circular dichroism spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that the FGB1 gene from the root endophyte Piriformospora indica encodes for a secreted fungal-specific β-glucan-binding lectin with dual function. This lectin has the potential to both alter fungal cell wall composition and properties, and to efficiently suppress β-glucan-triggered immunity in different plant hosts, such as Arabidopsis, barley and Nicotiana benthamiana. Our results hint at the existence of fungal effectors that deregulate innate sensing of β-glucan in plants.}, language = {en} } @article{ShiKuaiLeietal.2016, author = {Shi, Yaoyao and Kuai, Yue and Lei, Lizhen and Weng, Yuanyuan and Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike and Zhang, Xinxia and Wang, Jinjie and Zhou, Yuan and Jiang, Xin and Ren, Guoping and Pan, Hongyang and Mao, Zhengrong and Zhou, Ren}, title = {The feedback loop of LITAF and BCL6 is involved in regulating apoptosis in B cell non-Hodgkin's-lymphoma}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {7}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {47}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.12680}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166500}, pages = {77444-77456}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Dysregulation of the apoptotic pathway is widely recognized as a key step in lymphomagenesis. Notably, LITAF was initially identified as a p53-inducible gene, subsequently implicated as a tumor suppressor. Our previous study also showed LITAF to be methylated in 89.5\% B-NHL samples. Conversely, deregulated expression of BCL6 is a pathogenic event in many lymphomas. Interestingly, our study found an oppositional expression of LITAF and BCL6 in B-NHL. In addition, LITAF was recently identified as a novel target gene of BCL6. Therefore, we sought to explore the feedback loop between LITAF and BCL6 in B-NHL. Here, our data for the first time show that LITAF can repress expression of BCL6 by binding to Region A (-87 to +65) containing a putative LITAF-binding motif (CTCCC) within the BCL6 promoter. Furthermore, the regulation of BCL6 targets (PRDM1 or c-Myc) by LITAF may be associated with B-cell differentiation. Results also demonstrate that ectopic expression of LITAF induces cell apoptosis, activated by releasing cytochrome c, cleaving PARP and caspase 3 in B-NHL cells whereas knockdown of LITAF robustly protected cells from apoptosis. Interestingly, BCL6, in turn, could reverse cell apoptosis mediated by LITAF. Collectively, our findings provide a novel apoptotic regulatory pathway in which LITAF, as a transcription factor, inhibits the expression of BCL6, which leads to activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway and tumor apoptosis. Our study is expected to provide a possible biomarker as well as a target for clinical therapies to promote tumor cell apoptosis.}, language = {en} } @article{ScharawIskarOrietal.2016, author = {Scharaw, Sandra and Iskar, Murat and Ori, Alessandro and Boncompain, Gaelle and Laketa, Vibor and Poser, Ina and Lundberg, Emma and Perez, Franck and Beck, Martin and Bork, Peer and Pepperkok, Rainer}, title = {The endosomal transcriptional regulator RNF11 integrates degradation and transport of EGFR}, series = {Journal of Cell Biology}, volume = {215}, journal = {Journal of Cell Biology}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1083/jcb.201601090}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186731}, pages = {543-558}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Stimulation of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces internalization and partial degradation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) by the endo-lysosomal pathway. For continuous cell functioning, EGFR plasma membrane levels are maintained by transporting newly synthesized EGFRs to the cell surface. The regulation of this process is largely unknown. In this study, we find that EGF stimulation specifically increases the transport efficiency of newly synthesized EGFRs from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane. This coincides with an up-regulation of the inner coat protein complex II (COP II) components SEC23B, SEC24B, and SEC24D, which we show to be specifically required for EGFR transport. Up-regulation of these COP II components requires the transcriptional regulator RNF11, which localizes to early endosomes and appears additionally in the cell nucleus upon continuous EGF stimulation. Collectively, our work identifies a new regulatory mechanism that integrates the degradation and transport of EGFR in order to maintain its physiological levels at the plasma membrane.}, language = {en} } @article{KunzLiangNillaetal.2016, author = {Kunz, Meik and Liang, Chunguang and Nilla, Santosh and Cecil, Alexander and Dandekar, Thomas}, title = {The drug-minded protein interaction database (DrumPID) for efficient target analysis and drug development}, series = {Database}, volume = {2016}, journal = {Database}, doi = {10.1093/database/baw041}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147369}, pages = {baw041}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The drug-minded protein interaction database (DrumPID) has been designed to provide fast, tailored information on drugs and their protein networks including indications, protein targets and side-targets. Starting queries include compound, target and protein interactions and organism-specific protein families. Furthermore, drug name, chemical structures and their SMILES notation, affected proteins (potential drug targets), organisms as well as diseases can be queried including various combinations and refinement of searches. Drugs and protein interactions are analyzed in detail with reference to protein structures and catalytic domains, related compound structures as well as potential targets in other organisms. DrumPID considers drug functionality, compound similarity, target structure, interactome analysis and organismic range for a compound, useful for drug development, predicting drug side-effects and structure-activity relationships.}, language = {en} } @article{DugarSvenssonBischleretal.2016, author = {Dugar, Gaurav and Svensson, Sarah L. and Bischler, Thorsten and Waldchen, Sina and Reinhardt, Richard and Sauer, Markus and Sharma, Cynthia M.}, title = {The CsrA-FliW network controls polar localization of the dual-function flagellin mRNA in Campylobacter jejuni}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms11667}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173201}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The widespread CsrA/RsmA protein regulators repress translation by binding GGA motifs in bacterial mRNAs. CsrA activity is primarily controlled through sequestration by multiple small regulatory RNAs. Here we investigate CsrA activity control in the absence of antagonizing small RNAs by examining the CsrA regulon in the human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. We use genome-wide co-immunoprecipitation combined with RNA sequencing to show that CsrA primarily binds flagellar mRNAs and identify the major flagellin mRNA (flaA) as the main CsrA target. The flaA mRNA is translationally repressed by CsrA, but it can also titrate CsrA activity. Together with the main C. jejuni CsrA antagonist, the FliW protein, flaA mRNA controls CsrA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of other flagellar genes. RNA-FISH reveals that flaA mRNA is expressed and localized at the poles of elongating cells. Polar flaA mRNA localization is translation dependent and is post-transcriptionally regulated by the CsrA-FliW network. Overall, our results suggest a role for CsrA-FliW in spatiotemporal control of flagella assembly and localization of a dual-function mRNA.}, language = {en} } @article{WunschHohmannMillesetal.2016, author = {Wunsch, Marie and Hohmann, Christopher and Milles, Bianca and Rostermund, Christina and Lehmann, Paul V. and Schroeter, Michael and Bayas, Antonios and Ulzheimer, Jochen and M{\"a}urer, Mathias and Erg{\"u}n, S{\"u}leyman and Kuerten, Stefanie}, title = {The Correlation between the Virus- and Brain Antigen-Specific B Cell Response in the Blood of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis}, series = {Viruses}, volume = {8}, journal = {Viruses}, number = {4}, doi = {10.3390/v8040105}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146946}, pages = {105}, year = {2016}, abstract = {There is a largely divergent body of literature regarding the relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and brain inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we tested MS patients during relapse (n = 11) and in remission (n = 19) in addition to n = 22 healthy controls to study the correlation between the EBV- and brain-specific B cell response in the blood by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was used as a control antigen tested in n = 16 MS patients during relapse and in n = 35 patients in remission. Over the course of the study, n = 16 patients were untreated, while n = 33 patients received immunomodulatory therapy. The data show that there was a moderate correlation between the frequencies of EBV- and brain-reactive B cells in MS patients in remission. In addition we could detect a correlation between the B cell response to EBV and disease activity. There was no evidence of an EBV reactivation. Interestingly, there was also a correlation between the frequencies of CMV- and brain-specific B cells in MS patients experiencing an acute relapse and an elevated B cell response to CMV was associated with higher disease activity. The trend remained when excluding seronegative subjects but was non-significant. These data underline that viral infections might impact the immunopathology of MS, but the exact link between the two entities remains subject of controversy.}, language = {en} } @article{KrupkaMayWeimeretal.2016, author = {Krupka, Jennifer and May, Frauke and Weimer, Thomas and Pragst, Ingo and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Stoll, Guido and Panousis, Con and Dickneite, Gerhard and Nolte, Marc W.}, title = {The Coagulation Factor XIIa Inhibitor rHA-Infestin-4 Improves Outcome after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0146783}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167370}, pages = {e0146783}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background and Purpose Ischemic stroke provokes severe brain damage and remains a predominant disease in industrialized countries. The coagulation factor XII (FXII)-driven contact activation system plays a central, but not yet fully defined pathogenic role in stroke development. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the FXIIa inhibitor rHA-Infestin-4 in a rat model of ischemic stroke using both a prophylactic and a therapeutic approach. Methods For prophylactic treatment, animals were treated intravenously with 100 mg/kg rHA-Infestin-4 or an equal volume of saline 15 min prior to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) of 90 min. For therapeutic treatment, 100 mg/kg rHA-Infestin-4, or an equal volume of saline, was administered directly after the start of reperfusion. At 24 h after tMCAO, rats were tested for neurological deficits and blood was drawn for coagulation assays. Finally, brains were removed and analyzed for infarct area and edema formation. Results Within prophylactic rHA-Infestin-4 treatment, infarct areas and brain edema formation were reduced accompanied by better neurological scores and survival compared to controls. Following therapeutic treatment, neurological outcome and survival were still improved although overall effects were less pronounced compared to prophylaxis. Conclusions With regard to the central role of the FXII-driven contact activation system in ischemic stroke, inhibition of FXIIa may represent a new and promising treatment approach to prevent cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Ruf2016, author = {Ruf, Franziska}, title = {The circadian regulation of eclosion in \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146265}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Eclosion is the emergence of an adult insect from the pupal case at the end of development. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, eclosion is a circadian clock-gated event and is regulated by various peptides. When studied on the population level, eclosion reveals a clear rhythmicity with a peak at the beginning of the light-phase that persists also under constant conditions. It is a long standing hypothesis that eclosion gating to the morning hours with more humid conditions is an adaption to reduce water loss and increase the survival. Eclosion behavior, including the motor pattern required for the fly to hatch out of the puparium, is orchestrated by a well-characterized cascade of peptides. The main components are ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH), eclosion hormone (EH) and crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP). The molt is initiated by a peak level and pupal ecdysis by a subsequent decline of the ecdysteroid ecdysone. Ecdysteroids are produced by the prothoracic gland (PG), an endocrine tissue that contains a peripheral clock and degenerates shortly after eclosion. Production and release of ecdysteroids are regulated by the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). Although many aspects of the circadian clock and the peptidergic control of the eclosion behavior are known, it still remains unclear how both systems are interconnected. The aim of this dissertation research was to dissect this connection and evaluate the importance of different Zeitgebers on eclosion rhythmicity under natural conditions. Potential interactions between the central clock and the peptides regulating ecdysis motor behavior were evaluated by analyzing the influence of CCAP on eclosion rhythmicity. Ablation and silencing of CCAP neurons, as well as CCAP null-mutation did not affect eclosion rhythmicity under either light or temperature entrainment nor under natural conditions. To dissect the connection between the central and the peripheral clock, PTTH neurons were ablated. Monitoring eclosion under light and temperature entrainment revealed that eclosion became arrhythmic under constant conditions. However, qPCR expression analysis revealed no evidence for cycling of Ptth mRNA in pharate flies. To test for a connection with pigment-dispersing factor (PDF)-expressing neurons, the PDF receptor (PDFR) and short neuropeptide F receptor (sNPFR) were knocked down in the PTTH neurons. Knockdown of sNPFR, but not PDFR, resulted in arrhythmic eclosion under constant darkness conditions. PCR analysis of the PTTH receptor, Torso, revealed its expression in the PG and the gonads, but not in the brain or eyes, of pharate flies. Knockdown of torso in the PG lead to arrhythmicity under constant conditions, which provides strong evidence for the specific effect of PTTH on the PG. These results suggest connections from the PDF positive lateral neurons to the PTTH neurons via sNPF signaling, and to the PG via PTTH and Torso. This interaction presumably couples the period of the peripheral clock in the PG to that of the central clock in the brain. To identify a starting signal for eclosion and possible further candidates in the regulation of eclosion behavior, chemically defined peptidergic and aminergic neurons were optogenetically activated in pharate pupae via ChR2-XXL. This screen approach revealed two candidates for the regulation of eclosion behavior: Dromyosuppressin (DMS) and myo-inhibitory peptides (MIP). However, ablation of DMS neurons did not affect eclosion rhythmicity or success and the exact function of MIP must be evaluated in future studies. To assess the importance of the clock and of possible Zeitgebers in nature, eclosion of the wildtype Canton S and the clock mutant per01 and the PDF signaling mutants pdf01 and han5304 was monitored under natural conditions. For this purpose, the W{\"u}rzburg eclosion monitor (WEclMon) was developed, which is a new open monitoring system that allows direct exposure of pupae to the environment. A general decline of rhythmicity under natural conditions compared to laboratory conditions was observed in all tested strains. While the wildtype and the pdf01 and han5304 mutants stayed weakly rhythmic, the per01 mutant flies eclosed mostly arrhythmic. PDF and its receptor (PDFR encoded by han) are required for the synchronization of the clock network and functional loss can obviously be compensated by a persisting synchronization to external Zeitgebers. The loss of the central clock protein PER, however, lead to a non-functional clock and revealed the absolute importance of the clock for eclosion rhythmicity. To quantitatively analyze the effect of the clock and abiotic factors on eclosion rhythmicity, a statistical model was developed in cooperation with Oliver Mitesser and Thomas Hovestadt. The modelling results confirmed the clock as the most important factor for eclosion rhythmicity. Moreover, temperature was found to have the strongest effect on the actual shape of the daily emergence pattern, while light has only minor effects. Relative humidity could be excluded as Zeitgeber for eclosion and therefore was not further analyzed. Taken together, the present dissertation identified the so far unknown connection between the central and peripheral clock regulating eclosion. Furthermore, a new method for the analysis of eclosion rhythms under natural conditions was established and the necessity of a functional clock for rhythmic eclosion even in the presence of multiple Zeitgebers was shown.}, subject = {Taufliege}, language = {en} } @article{GroteKrysciakPetersenetal.2016, author = {Grote, Jessica and Krysciak, Dagmar and Petersen, Katrin and G{\"u}llert, Simon and Schmeisser, Christel and F{\"o}rstner, Konrad U. and Krishnan, Hari B. and Schwalbe, Harald and Kubatova, Nina and Streit, Wolfgang R.}, title = {The Absence of the N-acyl-homoserine-lactone Autoinducer Synthase Genes tral and ngrl Increases the Copy Number of the Symbiotic Plasmid in Sinorhizobium fredii NGR234}, series = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, number = {1858}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2016.01858}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165185}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Plant-released flavonoids induce the transcription of symbiotic genes in rhizobia and one of the first bacterial responses is the synthesis of so called Nod factors. They are responsible for the initial root hair curling during onset of root nodule development. This signal exchange is believed to be essential for initiating the plant symbiosis with rhizobia affiliated with the Alphaproteobacteria. Here, we provide evidence that in the broad host range strain Sinorhizobium fredii NGR234 the complete lack of quorum sensing molecules results in an elevated copy number of its symbiotic plasmid (pNGR234a). This in turn triggers the expression of symbiotic genes and the production of Nod factors in the absence of plant signals. Therefore, increasing the copy number of specific plasmids could be a widespread mechanism of specialized bacterial populations to bridge gaps in signaling cascades.}, language = {en} } @article{GressmannJanczyk2016, author = {Gressmann, Marcel and Janczyk, Markus}, title = {The (Un)Clear Effects of Invalid Retro-Cues}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, number = {244}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00244}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165296}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Studies with the retro-cue paradigm have shown that validly cueing objects in visual working memory long after encoding can still benefit performance on subsequent change detection tasks. With regard to the effects of invalid cues, the literature is less clear. Some studies reported costs, others did not. We here revisit two recent studies that made interesting suggestions concerning invalid retro-cues: One study suggested that costs only occur for larger set sizes, and another study suggested that inclusion of invalid retro-cues diminishes the retro-cue benefit. New data from one experiment and a reanalysis of published data are provided to address these conclusions. The new data clearly show costs (and benefits) that were independent of set size, and the reanalysis suggests no influence of the inclusion of invalid retro-cues on the retro-cue benefit. Thus, previous interpretations may be taken with some caution at present.}, language = {en} } @article{WildgruberAschenbrennerWendorffetal.2016, author = {Wildgruber, Moritz and Aschenbrenner, Teresa and Wendorff, Heiko and Czubba, Maria and Glinzer, Almut and Haller, Bernhard and Schiemann, Matthias and Zimmermann, Alexander and Berger, Hermann and Eckstein, Hans-Henning and Meier, Reinhard and Wohlgemuth, Walter A. and Libby, Peter and Zernecke, Alma}, title = {The "Intermediate" CD14\(^{++}\)CD16\(^{+}\) monocyte subset increases in severe peripheral artery disease in humans}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {39483}, doi = {10.1038/srep39483}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167476}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Monocytes are key players in atherosclerotic. Human monocytes display a considerable heterogeneity and at least three subsets can be distinguished. While the role of monocyte subset heterogeneity has already been well investigated in coronary artery disease (CAD), the knowledge about monocytes and their heterogeneity in peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) still is limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate monocyte subset heterogeneity in patients with PAOD. Peripheral blood was obtained from 143 patients suffering from PAOD (Rutherford stage I to VI) and three monocyte subsets were identified by flow cytometry: CD14\(^{++}\)CD16\(^{-}\) classical monocytes, CD14\(^{+}\)CD16\(^{++}\) non-classical monocytes and CD14\(^{++}\)CD16\(^{+}\) intermediate monocytes. Additionally the expression of distinct surface markers (CD106, CD162 and myeloperoxidase MPO) was analyzed. Proportions of CD14\(^{++}\)CD16\(^{+}\) intermediate monocyte levels were significantly increased in advanced stages of PAOD, while classical and non-classical monocytes displayed no such trend. Moreover, CD162 and MPO expression increased significantly in intermediate monocyte subsets in advanced disease stages. Likewise, increased CD162 and MPO expression was noted in CD14\(^{++}\)CD16\(^{-}\) classical monocytes. These data suggest substantial dynamics in monocyte subset distributions and phenotypes in different stages of PAOD, which can either serve as biomarkers or as potential therapeutic targets to decrease the inflammatory burden in advanced stages of atherosclerosis.}, language = {en} } @article{SchererBauerSchmausetal.2016, author = {Scherer, Sandra D. and Bauer, Jochen and Schmaus, Anja and Neumaier, Christian and Herskind, Carsten and Veldwijk, Marlon R. and Wenz, Frederik and Sleeman, Jonathan P.}, title = {TGF-β1 Is Present at High Levels in Wound Fluid from Breast Cancer Patients Immediately Post-Surgery, and Is Not Increased by Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0162221}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166811}, pages = {e0162221}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In patients with low-risk breast cancer, intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) during breast-conserving surgery is a novel and convenient treatment option for delivering a single high dose of irradiation directly to the tumour bed. However, edema and fibrosis can develop after surgery and radiotherapy, which can subsequently impair quality of life. TGF-β is a strong inducer of the extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA). TGF-β expression and HA metabolism can be modulated by irradiation experimentally, and are involved in edema and fibrosis. We therefore hypothesized that IORT may regulate these factors.Wound fluid (WF) draining from breast lumpectomy sites was collected and levels of TGF-β1 and HA were determined by ELISA. Proliferation and marker expression was analyzed in primary lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) treated with recombinant TGF-β or WF. Our results show that IORT does not change TGF-β1 or HA levels in wound fluid draining from breast lumpectomy sites, and does not lead to accumulation of sHA oligosaccharides. Nevertheless, concentrations of TGF-β1 were high in WF from patients regardless of IORT, at concentrations well above those associated with fibrosis and the suppression of LEC identity. Consistently, we found that TGF-β in WF is active and inhibits LEC proliferation. Furthermore, all three TGF-β isoforms inhibited LEC proliferation and suppressed LEC marker expression at pathophysiologically relevant concentrations. Given that TGF-β contributes to edema and plays a role in the regulation of LEC identity, we suggest that inhibition of TGF-β directly after surgery might prevent the development of side effects such as edema and fibrosis.}, language = {en} } @article{vanToorNewmanTakekawaetal.2016, author = {van Toor, Mari{\"e}lle L. and Newman, Scott H. and Takekawa, John Y. and Wegmann, Martin and Safi, Kamran}, title = {Temporal segmentation of animal trajectories informed by habitat use}, series = {Ecosphere}, volume = {7}, journal = {Ecosphere}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1002/ecs2.1498}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164970}, pages = {e01498}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Most animals live in seasonal environments and experience very different conditions throughout the year. Behavioral strategies like migration, hibernation, and a life cycle adapted to the local seasonality help to cope with fluctuations in environmental conditions. Thus, how an individual utilizes the environment depends both on the current availability of habitat and the behavioral prerequisites of the individual at that time. While the increasing availability and richness of animal movement data has facilitated the development of algorithms that classify behavior by movement geometry, changes in the environmental correlates of animal movement have so far not been exploited for a behavioral annotation. Here, we suggest a method that uses these changes in individual-environment associations to divide animal location data into segments of higher ecological coherence, which we term niche segmentation. We use time series of random forest models to evaluate the transferability of habitat use over time to cluster observational data accordingly. We show that our method is able to identify relevant changes in habitat use corresponding to both changes in the availability of habitat and how it was used using simulated data, and apply our method to a tracking data set of common teal (Anas crecca). The niche segmentation proved to be robust, and segmented habitat suitability outperformed models neglecting the temporal dynamics of habitat use. Overall, we show that it is possible to classify animal trajectories based on changes of habitat use similar to geometric segmentation algorithms. We conclude that such an environmentally informed classification of animal trajectories can provide new insights into an individuals' behavior and enables us to make sensible predictions of how suitable areas might be connected by movement in space and time.}, language = {en} } @article{AnkenbrandWeberBeckeretal.2016, author = {Ankenbrand, Markus J. and Weber, Lorenz and Becker, Dirk and F{\"o}rster, Frank and Bemm, Felix}, title = {TBro: visualization and management of de novo transcriptomes}, series = {Database}, volume = {2016}, journal = {Database}, doi = {10.1093/database/baw146}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147954}, pages = {baw146}, year = {2016}, abstract = {RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become a powerful tool to understand molecular mechanisms and/or developmental programs. It provides a fast, reliable and cost-effective method to access sets of expressed elements in a qualitative and quantitative manner. Especially for non-model organisms and in absence of a reference genome, RNA-seq data is used to reconstruct and quantify transcriptomes at the same time. Even SNPs, InDels, and alternative splicing events are predicted directly from the data without having a reference genome at hand. A key challenge, especially for non-computational personnal, is the management of the resulting datasets, consisting of different data types and formats. Here, we present TBro, a flexible de novo transcriptome browser, tackling this challenge. TBro aggregates sequences, their annotation, expression levels as well as differential testing results. It provides an easy-to-use interface to mine the aggregated data and generate publication-ready visualizations. Additionally, it supports users with an intuitive cart system, that helps collecting and analysing biological meaningful sets of transcripts. TBro's modular architecture allows easy extension of its functionalities in the future. Especially, the integration of new data types such as proteomic quantifications or array-based gene expression data is straightforward. Thus, TBro is a fully featured yet flexible transcriptome browser that supports approaching complex biological questions and enhances collaboration of numerous researchers.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Jung2016, author = {Jung, Lisa Anna}, title = {Targeting MYC Function as a Strategy for Tumor Therapy}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146993}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A large fraction of human tumors exhibits aberrant expression of the oncoprotein MYC. As a transcription factor regulating various cellular processes, MYC is also crucially involved in normal development. Direct targeting of MYC has been a major challenge for molecular cancer drug discovery. The proof of principle that its inhibition is nevertheless feasible came from in vivo studies using a dominant-negative allele of MYC termed OmoMYC. Systemic expression of OmoMYC triggered long-term tumor regression with mild and fully reversible side effects on normal tissues. In this study, OmoMYC's mode of action was investigated combining methods of structural biology and functional genomics to elucidate how it is able to preferentially affect oncogenic functions of MYC. The crystal structure of the OmoMYC homodimer, both in the free and the E-box-bound state, was determined, which revealed that OmoMYC forms a stable homodimer, and as such, recognizes DNA via the same base-specific DNA contacts as the MYC/MAX heterodimer. OmoMYC binds DNA with an equally high affinity as MYC/MAX complexes. RNA-sequencing showed that OmoMYC blunts both MYC-dependent transcriptional activation and repression. Genome-wide DNA-binding studies using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing revealed that OmoMYC competes with MYC/MAX complexes on chromatin, thereby reducing their occupancy at consensus DNA binding sites. The most prominent decrease in MYC binding was seen at low-affinity promoters, which were invaded by MYC at oncogenic levels. Strikingly, gene set enrichment analyses using OmoMYC-regulated genes enabled the identification of tumor subgroups with high MYC levels in multiple tumor entities. Together with a targeted shRNA screen, this identified novel targets for the eradication of MYC-driven tumors, such as ATAD3A, BOP1, and ADRM1. In summary, the findings suggest that OmoMYC specifically inhibits tumor cell growth by attenuating the expression of rate-limiting proteins in cellular processes that respond to elevated levels of MYC protein using a DNA-competitive mechanism. This opens up novel strategies to target oncogenic MYC functions for tumor therapy.}, subject = {Myc}, language = {en} } @article{SimsekyilmazLiehnWeinandyetal.2016, author = {Simsekyilmaz, Sakine and Liehn, Elisa A. and Weinandy, Stefan and Schreiber, Fabian and Megens, Remco T. A. and Theelen, Wendy and Smeets, Ralf and Jockenh{\"o}vel, Stefan and Gries, Thomas and M{\"o}ller, Martin and Klee, Doris and Weber, Christian and Zernecke, Alma}, title = {Targeting In-Stent-Stenosis with RGD- and CXCL1-Coated Mini-Stents in Mice}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0155829}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-179745}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Atherosclerotic lesions that critically narrow the artery can necessitate an angioplasty and stent implantation. Long-term therapeutic effects, however, are limited by excessive arterial remodeling. We here employed a miniaturized nitinol-stent coated with star-shaped polyethylenglycole (star-PEG), and evaluated its bio-functionalization with RGD and CXCL1 for improving in-stent stenosis after implantation into carotid arteries of mice. Nitinol foils or stents (bare metal) were coated with star-PEG, and bio-functionalized with RGD, or RGD/CXCL1. Cell adhesion to star-PEG-coated nitinol foils was unaltered or reduced, whereas bio-functionalization with RGD but foremost RGD/CXCL1 increased adhesion of early angiogenic outgrowth cells (EOCs) and endothelial cells but not smooth muscle cells when compared with bare metal foils. Stimulation of cells with RGD/CXCL1 furthermore increased the proliferation of EOCs. In vivo, bio-functionalization with RGD/CXCL1 significantly reduced neointima formation and thrombus formation, and increased re-endothelialization in apoE\(^{-/-}\) carotid arteries compared with bare-metal nitinol stents, star-PEG-coated stents, and stents bio-functionalized with RGD only. Bio-functionalization of star-PEG-coated nitinol-stents with RGD/CXCL1 reduced in-stent neointima formation. By supporting the adhesion and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells, RGD/CXCL1 coating of stents may help to accelerate endothelial repair after stent implantation, and thus may harbor the potential to limit the complication of in-stent restenosis in clinical approaches.}, language = {en} }