@article{PeixotoJanakiRamanSchlickeretal.2021, author = {Peixoto, Joana and Janaki-Raman, Sudha and Schlicker, Lisa and Schmitz, Werner and Walz, Susanne and Winkelkotte, Alina M. and Herold-Mende, Christel and Soares, Paula and Schulze, Almut and Lima, Jorge}, title = {Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis of monolayer and neurospheres from established glioblastoma cell lines}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {13}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {6}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers13061327}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234110}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Altered metabolic processes contribute to carcinogenesis by modulating proliferation, survival and differentiation. Tumours are composed of different cell populations, with cancer stem-like cells being one of the most prominent examples. This specific pool of cells is thought to be responsible for cancer growth and recurrence and plays a particularly relevant role in glioblastoma (GBM), the most lethal form of primary brain tumours. Here, we have analysed the transcriptome and metabolome of an established GBM cell line (U87) and a patient-derived GBM stem-like cell line (NCH644) exposed to neurosphere or monolayer culture conditions. By integrating transcriptome and metabolome data, we identified key metabolic pathways and gene signatures that are associated with stem-like and differentiated states in GBM cells, and demonstrated that neurospheres and monolayer cells differ substantially in their metabolism and gene regulation. Furthermore, arginine biosynthesis was identified as the most significantly regulated pathway in neurospheres, although individual nodes of this pathway were distinctly regulated in the two cellular systems. Neurosphere conditions, as opposed to monolayer conditions, cause a transcriptomic and metabolic rewiring that may be crucial for the regulation of stem-like features, where arginine biosynthesis may be a key metabolic pathway. Additionally, TCGA data from GBM patients showed significant regulation of specific components of the arginine biosynthesis pathway, providing further evidence for the importance of this metabolic pathway in GBM.}, language = {en} } @article{BiltuevaProkopovRomanenkoetal.2020, author = {Biltueva, Larisa S. and Prokopov, Dmitry Yu. and Romanenko, Svetlana A. and Interesova, Elena A. and Schartl, Manfred and Trifonov, Vladimir A.}, title = {Chromosome distribution of highly conserved tandemly arranged repetitive DNAs in the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)}, series = {Genes}, volume = {11}, journal = {Genes}, number = {11}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes11111375}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219371}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Polyploid genomes present a challenge for cytogenetic and genomic studies, due to the high number of similar size chromosomes and the simultaneous presence of hardly distinguishable paralogous elements. The karyotype of the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) contains around 250 chromosomes and is remarkable for the presence of paralogs from two rounds of whole-genome duplications (WGD). In this study, we applied the sterlet-derived acipenserid satDNA-based whole chromosome-specific probes to analyze the Siberian sturgeon karyotype. We demonstrate that the last genome duplication event in the Siberian sturgeon was accompanied by the simultaneous expansion of several repetitive DNA families. Some of the repetitive probes serve as good cytogenetic markers distinguishing paralogous chromosomes and detecting ancestral syntenic regions, which underwent fusions and fissions. The tendency of minisatellite specificity for chromosome size groups previously observed in the sterlet genome is also visible in the Siberian sturgeon. We provide an initial physical chromosome map of the Siberian sturgeon genome supported by molecular markers. The application of these data will facilitate genomic studies in other recent polyploid sturgeon species.}, language = {en} } @article{SteinCoulibalyBalimaetal.2020, author = {Stein, Katharina and Coulibaly, Drissa and Balima, Larba Hubert and Goetze, Dethardt and Linsenmair, Karl Eduard and Porembski, Stefan and Stenchly, Kathrin and Theodorou, Panagiotis}, title = {Plant-pollinator networks in savannas of Burkina Faso, West Africa}, series = {Diversity}, volume = {13}, journal = {Diversity}, number = {1}, issn = {1424-2818}, doi = {10.3390/d13010001}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-220157}, year = {2020}, abstract = {West African savannas are severely threatened with intensified land use and increasing degradation. Bees are important for terrestrial biodiversity as they provide native plant species with pollination services. However, little information is available regarding their mutualistic interactions with woody plant species. In the first network study from sub-Saharan West Africa, we investigated the effects of land-use intensity and climatic seasonality on plant-bee communities and their interaction networks. In total, we recorded 5686 interactions between 53 flowering woody plant species and 100 bee species. Bee-species richness and the number of interactions were higher in the low compared to medium and high land-use intensity sites. Bee- and plant-species richness and the number of interactions were higher in the dry compared to the rainy season. Plant-bee visitation networks were not strongly affected by land-use intensity; however, climatic seasonality had a strong effect on network architecture. Null-model corrected connectance and nestedness were higher in the dry compared to the rainy season. In addition, network specialization and null-model corrected modularity were lower in the dry compared to the rainy season. Our results suggest that in our study region, seasonal effects on mutualistic network architecture are more pronounced compared to land-use change effects. Nonetheless, the decrease in bee-species richness and the number of plant-bee interactions with an increase in land-use intensity highlights the importance of savanna conservation for maintaining bee diversity and the concomitant provision of ecosystem services.}, language = {en} } @article{KraussVikukYoungetal.2020, author = {Krauss, Jochen and Vikuk, Veronika and Young, Carolyn A. and Krischke, Markus and Mueller, Martin J. and Baerenfaller, Katja}, title = {Correction: Krauss, J., et al. Epichlo{\"e} endophyte infection rates and alkaloid content in commercially available grass seed mixtures in Europe. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 498}, series = {Microorganisms}, volume = {8}, journal = {Microorganisms}, number = {10}, issn = {2076-2607}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms8101616}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216254}, year = {2020}, abstract = {No abstract available.}, language = {en} } @article{GrittnerBairdStoeckl2022, author = {Grittner, Rebecca and Baird, Emily and St{\"o}ckl, Anna}, title = {Spatial tuning of translational optic flow responses in hawkmoths of varying body size}, series = {Journal of Comparative Physiology A}, volume = {208}, journal = {Journal of Comparative Physiology A}, number = {2}, issn = {1432-1351}, doi = {10.1007/s00359-021-01530-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266565}, pages = {279-296}, year = {2022}, abstract = {To safely navigate their environment, flying insects rely on visual cues, such as optic flow. Which cues insects can extract from their environment depends closely on the spatial and temporal response properties of their visual system. These in turn can vary between individuals that differ in body size. How optic flow-based flight control depends on the spatial structure of visual cues, and how this relationship scales with body size, has previously been investigated in insects with apposition compound eyes. Here, we characterised the visual flight control response limits and their relationship to body size in an insect with superposition compound eyes: the hummingbird hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum. We used the hawkmoths' centring response in a flight tunnel as a readout for their reception of translational optic flow stimuli of different spatial frequencies. We show that their responses cut off at different spatial frequencies when translational optic flow was presented on either one, or both tunnel walls. Combined with differences in flight speed, this suggests that their flight control was primarily limited by their temporal rather than spatial resolution. We also observed strong individual differences in flight performance, but no correlation between the spatial response cutoffs and body or eye size.}, language = {en} } @article{FleischmannGrobRoessler2022, author = {Fleischmann, Pauline N. and Grob, Robin and R{\"o}ssler, Wolfgang}, title = {Magnetosensation during re-learning walks in desert ants (Cataglyphis nodus)}, series = {Journal of Comparative Physiology A}, volume = {208}, journal = {Journal of Comparative Physiology A}, number = {1}, issn = {1432-1351}, doi = {10.1007/s00359-021-01511-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266556}, pages = {125-133}, year = {2022}, abstract = {At the beginning of their foraging careers, Cataglyphis desert ants calibrate their compass systems and learn the visual panorama surrounding the nest entrance. For that, they perform well-structured initial learning walks. During rotational body movements (pirouettes), na{\"i}ve ants (novices) gaze back to the nest entrance to memorize their way back to the nest. To align their gaze directions, they rely on the geomagnetic field as a compass cue. In contrast, experienced ants (foragers) use celestial compass cues for path integration during food search. If the panorama at the nest entrance is changed, foragers perform re-learning walks prior to heading out on new foraging excursions. Here, we show that initial learning walks and re-learning walks are structurally different. During re-learning walks, foragers circle around the nest entrance before leaving the nest area to search for food. During pirouettes, they do not gaze back to the nest entrance. In addition, foragers do not use the magnetic field as a compass cue to align their gaze directions during re-learning walk pirouettes. Nevertheless, magnetic alterations during re-learning walks under manipulated panoramic conditions induce changes in nest-directed views indicating that foragers are still magnetosensitive in a cue conflict situation.}, language = {en} } @article{CavalettoFaccoliMarinietal.2020, author = {Cavaletto, Giacomo and Faccoli, Massimo and Marini, Lorenzo and Spaethe, Johannes and Magnani, Gianluca and Rassati, Davide}, title = {Effect of trap color on captures of bark- and wood-boring beetles (Coleoptera; Buprestidae and Scolytinae) and associated predators}, series = {Insects}, volume = {11}, journal = {Insects}, number = {11}, issn = {2075-4450}, doi = {10.3390/insects11110749}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216325}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Traps baited with attractive lures are increasingly used at entry-points and surrounding natural areas to intercept exotic wood-boring beetles accidentally introduced via international trade. Several trapping variables can affect the efficacy of this activity, including trap color. In this study, we tested whether species richness and abundance of jewel beetles (Buprestidae), bark and ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae), and their common predators (i.e., checkered beetles, Cleridae) can be modified using trap colors different to those currently used for surveillance of jewel beetles and bark and ambrosia beetles (i.e., green or black). We show that green and black traps are generally efficient, but also that many flower-visiting or dark-metallic colored jewel beetles and certain bark beetles are more attracted by other colors. In addition, we show that checkered beetles have color preferences similar to those of their Scolytinae preys, which limits using trap color to minimize their inadvertent removal. Overall, this study confirmed that understanding the color perception mechanisms in wood-boring beetles can lead to important improvements in trapping techniques and thereby increase the efficacy of surveillance programs.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheinerStraussThammetal.2020, author = {Scheiner, Ricarda and Strauß, Sina and Thamm, Markus and Farr{\´e}-Armengol, Gerard and Junker, Robert R.}, title = {The bacterium Pantoea ananatis modifies behavioral responses to sugar solutions in honeybees}, series = {Insects}, volume = {11}, journal = {Insects}, number = {10}, issn = {2075-4450}, doi = {10.3390/insects11100692}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216247}, year = {2020}, abstract = {1. Honeybees, which are among the most important pollinators globally, do not only collect pollen and nectar during foraging but may also disperse diverse microbes. Some of these can be deleterious to agricultural crops and forest trees, such as the bacterium Pantoea ananatis, an emerging pathogen in some systems. P. ananatis infections can lead to leaf blotches, die-back, bulb rot, and fruit rot. 2. We isolated P. ananatis bacteria from flowers with the aim of determining whether honeybees can sense these bacteria and if the bacteria affect behavioral responses of the bees to sugar solutions. 3. Honeybees decreased their responsiveness to different sugar solutions when these contained high concentrations of P. ananatis but were not deterred by solutions from which bacteria had been removed. This suggests that their reduced responsiveness was due to the taste of bacteria and not to the depletion of sugar in the solution or bacteria metabolites. Intriguingly, the bees appeared not to taste ecologically relevant low concentrations of bacteria. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our data suggest that honeybees may introduce P.ananatis bacteria into nectar in field-realistic densities during foraging trips and may thus affect nectar quality and plant fitness.}, language = {en} } @article{RablAlonsoRodriguezBrehmetal.2020, author = {Rabl, Dominik and Alonso-Rodr{\´i}guez, Aura M. and Brehm, Gunnar and Fiedler, Konrad}, title = {Trait variation in moths mirrors small-scaled ecological gradients in a tropical forest landscape}, series = {Insects}, volume = {11}, journal = {Insects}, number = {9}, issn = {2075-4450}, doi = {10.3390/insects11090612}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213016}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Along environmental gradients, communities are expected to be filtered from the regional species pool by physical constraints, resource availability, and biotic interactions. This should be reflected in species trait composition. Using data on species-rich moth assemblages sampled by light traps in a lowland rainforest landscape in Costa Rica, we show that moths in two unrelated clades (Erebidae-Arctiinae; Geometridae) are much smaller-sized in oil palm plantations than in nearby old-growth forest, with intermediate values at disturbed forest sites. In old-growth forest, Arctiinae predominantly show aposematic coloration as a means of anti-predator defense, whereas this trait is much reduced in the prevalence in plantations. Similarly, participation in M{\"u}llerian mimicry rings with Hymenoptera and Lycidae beetles, respectively, is rare in plantations. Across three topographic types of old-growth forests, community-weighted means of moth traits showed little variation, but in creek forest, both types of mimicry were surprisingly rare. Our results emphasize that despite their mobility, moth assemblages are strongly shaped by local environmental conditions through the interplay of bottom-up and top-down processes. Assemblages in oil palm plantations are highly degraded not only in their biodiversity, but also in terms of trait expression.}, language = {en} } @article{WunderPempCeciletal.2022, author = {Wunder, Juliane and Pemp, Daniela and Cecil, Alexander and Mahdiani, Maryam and Hauptstein, Ren{\´e} and Schmalbach, Katja and Geppert, Leo N. and Ickstadt, Katja and Esch, Harald L. and Dankekar, Thomas and Lehmann, Leane}, title = {Influence of breast cancer risk factors on proliferation and DNA damage in human breast glandular tissues: role of intracellular estrogen levels, oxidative stress and estrogen biotransformation}, series = {Archives of Toxicology}, volume = {96}, journal = {Archives of Toxicology}, number = {2}, issn = {1432-0738}, doi = {10.1007/s00204-021-03198-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265343}, pages = {673-687}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Breast cancer etiology is associated with both proliferation and DNA damage induced by estrogens. Breast cancer risk factors (BCRF) such as body mass index (BMI), smoking, and intake of estrogen-active drugs were recently shown to influence intratissue estrogen levels. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of BCRF on estrogen-induced proliferation and DNA damage in 41 well-characterized breast glandular tissues derived from women without breast cancer. Influence of intramammary estrogen levels and BCRF on estrogen receptor (ESR) activation, ESR-related proliferation (indicated by levels of marker transcripts), oxidative stress (indicated by levels of GCLC transcript and oxidative derivatives of cholesterol), and levels of transcripts encoding enzymes involved in estrogen biotransformation was identified by multiple linear regression models. Metabolic fluxes to adducts of estrogens with DNA (E-DNA) were assessed by a metabolic network model (MNM) which was validated by comparison of calculated fluxes with data on methoxylated and glucuronidated estrogens determined by GC- and UHPLC-MS/MS. Intratissue estrogen levels significantly influenced ESR activation and fluxes to E-DNA within the MNM. Likewise, all BCRF directly and/or indirectly influenced ESR activation, proliferation, and key flux constraints influencing E-DNA (i.e., levels of estrogens, CYP1B1, SULT1A1, SULT1A2, and GSTP1). However, no unambiguous total effect of BCRF on proliferation became apparent. Furthermore, BMI was the only BCRF to indeed influence fluxes to E-DNA (via congruent adverse influence on levels of estrogens, CYP1B1 and SULT1A2).}, language = {en} } @article{MuellerKoehlerHendricksetal.2021, author = {M{\"u}ller, Sophie and K{\"o}hler, Franziska and Hendricks, Anne and Kastner, Carolin and B{\"o}rner, Kevin and Diers, Johannes and Lock, Johan F. and Petritsch, Bernhard and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin}, title = {Brain metastases from colorectal cancer: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to establish a guideline for daily treatment}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {13}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {4}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers13040900}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228883}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Most patients with metastatic CRC develop liver or lung metastases, while a minority suffer from brain metastases. There is little information available regarding the presentation, treatment, and overall survival of brain metastases (BM) from CRC. This systematic review and meta-analysis includes data collected from three major databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase) based on the key words "brain", "metastas*", "tumor", "colorectal", "cancer", and "malignancy". In total, 1318 articles were identified in the search and 86 studies matched the inclusion criteria. The incidence of BM varied between 0.1\% and 11.5\%. Most patients developed metastases at other sites prior to developing BM. Lung metastases and KRAS mutations were described as risk factors for additional BM. Patients with BM suffered from various symptoms, but up to 96.8\% of BM patients were asymptomatic at the time of BM diagnosis. Median survival time ranged from 2 to 9.6 months, and overall survival (OS) increased up to 41.1 months in patients on a multimodal therapy regimen. Several factors including age, blood levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), multiple metastases sites, number of brain lesions, and presence of the KRAS mutation were predictors of OS. For BM diagnosis, MRI was considered to be state of the art. Treatment consisted of a combination of surgery, radiation, or systemic treatment.}, language = {en} } @article{OelschlaegelWeissSadanSalpeteretal.2020, author = {Oelschlaegel, Diana and Weiss Sadan, Tommy and Salpeter, Seth and Krug, Sebastian and Blum, Galia and Schmitz, Werner and Schulze, Almut and Michl, Patrick}, title = {Cathepsin inhibition modulates metabolism and polarization of tumor-associated macrophages}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {12}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {9}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers12092579}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213040}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Stroma-infiltrating immune cells, such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), play an important role in regulating tumor progression and chemoresistance. These effects are mostly conveyed by secreted mediators, among them several cathepsin proteases. In addition, increasing evidence suggests that stroma-infiltrating immune cells are able to induce profound metabolic changes within the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we aimed to characterize the impact of cathepsins in maintaining the TAM phenotype in more detail. For this purpose, we investigated the molecular effects of pharmacological cathepsin inhibition on the viability and polarization of human primary macrophages as well as its metabolic consequences. Pharmacological inhibition of cathepsins B, L, and S using a novel inhibitor, GB111-NH\(_2\), led to changes in cellular recycling processes characterized by an increased expression of autophagy- and lysosome-associated marker genes and reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. Decreased cathepsin activity in primary macrophages further led to distinct changes in fatty acid metabolites associated with increased expression of key modulators of fatty acid metabolism, such as fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acid ceramidase (ASAH1). The altered fatty acid profile was associated with an increased synthesis of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandin PGE\(_2\), which correlated with the upregulation of numerous NF\(_k\)B-dependent pro-inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). Our data indicate a novel link between cathepsin activity and metabolic reprogramming in macrophages, demonstrated by a profound impact on autophagy and fatty acid metabolism, which facilitates a pro-inflammatory micromilieu generally associated with enhanced tumor elimination. These results provide a strong rationale for therapeutic cathepsin inhibition to overcome the tumor-promoting effects of the immune-evasive tumor micromilieu.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Duque2022, author = {Duque, Laura Maria Ribeiro}, title = {Effects of ozone on plants and plant-insect interactions}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27798}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-277983}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Anthropogenic activities are causing air pollution. Amongst air pollutants, tropospheric ozone is a major threat to human health and ecosystem functioning. In this dissertation, I present three studies that aimed at increasing our knowledge on how plant exposure to ozone affects its reproduction and its interactions with insect herbivores and pollinators. For this purpose, a new fumigation system was built and placed in a greenhouse. The annual plant Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard) was used as the model plant. Plants were exposed to either 0 ppb (control) or 120 ppb of ozone, for variable amounts of time and at different points of their life cycle. After fumigation, plants were exposed to herbivores or pollinators in the greenhouse, or to both groups of insects in the field. My research shows that ozone affected reproductive performance differently, depending on the timing of exposure: plants exposed at earlier ages had their reproductive fitness increased, while plants exposed later in their life cycle showed a tendency for reduced reproductive fitness. Plant phenology was a key factor influencing reproductive fitness: ozone accelerated flowering and increased the number of flowers produced by plants exposed at early ages, while plants exposed to ozone at later ages tended to have fewer flowers. On the other hand, the ozone-mediated changes in plant-insect interactions had little impact on plant reproductive success. The strongest effect of ozone on plant-pollinator interactions was the change in the number of flower visits received per plant, which was strongly linked to the number of open flowers. This means that, as a rule, exposure of plants to ozone early in the life cycle resulted in a higher number of pollinator visits, while exposure later in the life cycle resulted in fewer flower visits by potential pollinators. An exception was observed: the higher number of visits performed by large syrphid flies to young ozone-exposed plants than to the respective control plants went beyond the increase in the number of open flowers in those plants. Also, honeybees spent more time per flower in plants exposed to ozone than on control plants, while other pollinators spent similar amounts of time in control and ozone-exposed plants. This guild-dependent preference for ozone-exposed plants may be due to species-specific preferences related to changes in the quality and quantity of floral rewards. In the field, ozone-exposed plants showed only a tendency for increased colonization by sucking herbivores and slightly more damage by chewing herbivores than control plants. On the other hand, in the greenhouse experiment, Pieris brassicae butterflies preferred control plants over ozone-exposed plants as oviposition sites. Eggs laid on ozone-exposed plants took longer to hatch, but the chances of survival were higher. Caterpillars performed better in control plants than in ozone-exposed plants, particularly when the temperature was high. Most of the described effects were dependent on the duration and timing of the ozone exposure and the observed temperature, with the strongest effects being observed for longer exposures and higher temperatures. Furthermore, the timing of exposure altered the direction of the effects. The expected climate change provides ideal conditions for further increases in tropospheric ozone concentrations, therefore for stronger effects on plants and plant-insect interactions. Acceleration of flowering caused by plant exposure to ozone may put plant-pollinator interactions at risk by promoting desynchronization between plant and pollinator activities. Reduced performance of caterpillars feeding on ozone-exposed plants may weaken herbivore populations. On the other hand, the increased plant reproduction that results from exposing young plants to ozone may be a source of good news in the field of horticulture, when similar results would be achieved in high-value crops. However, plant response to ozone is highly species-specific. In fact, Sinapis arvensis is considered a weed and the advantage conferred by ozone exposure may increase its competitiveness, with negative consequences for crops or plant communities in general. Overall, plant exposure to ozone might constitute a threat for the balance of natural and agro-ecosystems.}, subject = {Plant}, language = {en} } @article{KruegerMausKressetal.2021, author = {Kr{\"u}ger, Timothy and Maus, Katharina and Kreß, Verena and Meyer-Natus, Elisabeth and Engstler, Markus}, title = {Single-cell motile behaviour of Trypanosoma brucei in thin-layered fluid collectives}, series = {The European Physical Journal E}, volume = {44}, journal = {The European Physical Journal E}, number = {3}, issn = {1292-895X}, doi = {10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00052-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-273022}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We describe a system for the analysis of an important unicellular eukaryotic flagellate in a confining and crowded environment. The parasite Trypanosoma brucei is arguably one of the most versatile microswimmers known. It has unique properties as a single microswimmer and shows remarkable adaptations (not only in motility, but prominently so), to its environment during a complex developmental cycle involving two different hosts. Specific life cycle stages show fascinating collective behaviour, as millions of cells can be forced to move together in extreme confinement. Our goal is to examine such motile behaviour directly in the context of the relevant environments. Therefore, for the first time, we analyse the motility behaviour of trypanosomes directly in a widely used assay, which aims to evaluate the parasites behaviour in collectives, in response to as yet unknown parameters. In a step towards understanding whether, or what type of, swarming behaviour of trypanosomes exists, we customised the assay for quantitative tracking analysis of motile behaviour on the single-cell level. We show that the migration speed of cell groups does not directly depend on single-cell velocity and that the system remains to be simplified further, before hypotheses about collective motility can be advanced.}, language = {en} } @article{FerreiraBoffVerzaetal.2021, author = {Ferreira, Eliana Aparecida and Boff, Samuel and Verza, Sandra S. and Mussury, Rosilda Mara}, title = {Bioecological and behavioral interaction between pollinating bees and the pioneer shrub Ludwigia nervosa in degraded area suggests an exotic bee as its major pollinator}, series = {Biology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Biology}, number = {2}, issn = {2079-7737}, doi = {10.3390/biology10020114}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228757}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The flowers of plants of the genus Ludwigia are an important source of food for several species of bees. In the current study, we conducted an experiment with the aim to describe the reproductive biology and phenology of L. nervosa; to identify the species of visiting bees; analyze the foraging behavior of bees; and to investigate whether the reproductive success of the species is related to the foraging activity of bees. We found that the flowers received visits from several native bee species (n = 7), in addition of the exotic honey bees which came to be the dominant species. During visits the majority of the bees foraged in both resources, pollen and nectar. The significantly higher production of fruits in open pollinated pollination experiment compared to artificial cross pollination, suggests honey bees as effective pollinator of this plant species in the study site. Pollen deposition occurs efficiently, given the absence of pollen limitation. Despite massive visitation of honey bees, Ludwigianervosa is attractive to native bees, and therefore it may help to sustain population of both native and exotic pollinators in fragmented humid areas.}, language = {en} } @article{DandekarBencurovaOsmanogluetal.2021, author = {Dandekar, Thomas and Bencurova, Elena and Osmanoglu, {\"O}zge and Naseem, Muhammad}, title = {Klimapflanzen und biologische Wege zu negativen Kohlendioxidemissionen}, series = {BIOspektrum}, volume = {27}, journal = {BIOspektrum}, number = {7}, issn = {1868-6249}, doi = {10.1007/s12268-021-1677-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-270067}, pages = {769-772}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Climate plants are critical to prevent global warming as all efforts to save carbon dioxide are too slow and climate disasters on the rise. For best carbon dioxide harvesting we compare algae, trees and crop plants and use metagenomic analysis of environmental samples. We compare different pathways, carbon harvesting potentials of different plants as well as synthetic modifications including carbon dioxide flux balance analysis. For implementation, agriculture and modern forestry are important.}, language = {de} } @article{SputhPanzerStigloheretal.2021, author = {Sputh, Sebastian and Panzer, Sabine and Stigloher, Christian and Terpitz, Ulrich}, title = {Superaufgel{\"o}ste Mikroskopie: Pilze unter Beobachtung}, series = {BIOspektrum}, volume = {27}, journal = {BIOspektrum}, number = {4}, issn = {1868-6249}, doi = {10.1007/s12268-021-1592-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-270014}, pages = {380-382}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The diffraction limit of light confines fluorescence imaging of subcellular structures in fungi. Different super-resolution methods are available for the analysis of fungi that we briefly discuss. We exploit the filamentous fungus Fusarium fujikuroi expressing a YFP-labeled membrane protein showing the benefit of correlative light- and electron microscopy (CLEM), that combines structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and scanning election microscopy (SEM).}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Wagner2022, author = {Wagner, Martin}, title = {Zyto- und Gentoxizit{\"a}t von Zinkoxid-Nanopartikeln in humanen mesenchymalen Stammzellen nach repetitiver Exposition und im Langzeitversuch}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27572}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-275726}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Zinkoxid-Nanopartikel (ZnO-NP) finden in vielen Produkten des t{\"a}glichen Verbrauchs Verwendung. Daten {\"u}ber die toxikologischen Eigenschaften von ZnO-NP werden kontrovers diskutiert. Die menschliche Haut ist in Bezug auf die ZnO-NP Exposition das wichtigste Kontakt-Organ. Intakte Haut stellt eine suffiziente Barriere gegen{\"u}ber NP dar. Bei defekter Haut ist ein Kontakt zu den proliferierenden Stammzellen m{\"o}glich, sodass diese als wichtiges toxikologische Ziel f{\"u}r NP darstellen. Das Ziel dieser Dissertation war die Bewertung der genotoxischen und zytotoxischen Effekte an humanen mesenchymalen Stammzellen (hMSC) durch niedrig dosierte ZnO-NP nach 24 st{\"u}ndiger Exposition, repetitiven Expositionen und im Langzeitversuch bis zu 6 Wochen. Zytotoxische Wirkungen von ZnO-NP wurden mit 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromid-Test (MTT) gemessen. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus wurde die Genotoxizit{\"a}t durch den Comet-Assay bewertet. Zur Langzeitbeobachtung bis zu 6 Wochen wurde die Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie (TEM) verwendet. Zytotoxizit{\"a}t nach 24-st{\"u}ndiger ZnO-NP-Exposition war ab einer Konzentration von 50 µg/ml nachweisbar. Genotoxizit{\"a}t konnten bereits bei Konzentrationen von 1 und 10 µg/ml ZnO-NP beschrieben werden. Wiederholte Exposition verst{\"a}rkte die Zyto-, aber nicht die Genotoxizit{\"a}t. Eine intrazellul{\"a}re NP-Akkumulation mit Penetration der Zellorganelle wurde bei einer Exposition bis zu 6 Wochen beobachtet. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf zytotoxische und genotoxisches Effekte von ZnO-NP hin. Bereits geringe Dosen von ZnO-NP k{\"o}nnen bei wiederholter Exposition toxische Wirkungen hervorrufen sowie eine langfristige Zellakkumulation. Diese Daten sollten bei der Verwendung von ZnO-NP an gesch{\"a}digter Haut ber{\"u}cksichtigt werden.}, subject = {nanoparticle}, language = {de} } @article{PliegerWolf2022, author = {Plieger, Tanja and Wolf, Matthias}, title = {18S and ITS2 rDNA sequence-structure phylogeny of Prototheca (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae)}, series = {Biologia}, volume = {77}, journal = {Biologia}, number = {2}, issn = {1336-9563}, doi = {10.1007/s11756-021-00971-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269897}, pages = {569-582}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Protothecosis is an infectious disease caused by organisms currently classified within the green algal genus Prototheca. The disease can manifest as cutaneous lesions, olecranon bursitis or disseminated or systemic infections in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. Concerning diagnostics, taxonomic validity is important. Prototheca, closely related to the Chlorella species complex, is known to be polyphyletic, branching with Auxenochlorella and Helicosporidium. The phylogeny of Prototheca was discussed and revisited several times in the last decade; new species have been described. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and partial mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) sequence data. In this work we use Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) as well as 18S rDNA data. However, for the first time, we reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of Prototheca using primary sequence and RNA secondary structure information simultaneously, a concept shown to increase robustness and accuracy of phylogenetic tree estimation. Using encoded sequence-structure data, Neighbor-Joining, Maximum-Parsimony and Maximum-Likelihood methods yielded well-supported trees in agreement with other trees calculated on rDNA; but differ in several aspects from trees using cytb as a phylogenetic marker. ITS2 secondary structures of Prototheca sequences are in agreement with the well-known common core structure of eukaryotes but show unusual differences in their helix lengths. An elongation of the fourth helix of some species seems to have occurred independently in the course of evolution.}, language = {en} } @article{KriegelMatevskiSchuldt2021, author = {Kriegel, Peter and Matevski, Dragan and Schuldt, Andreas}, title = {Monoculture and mixture-planting of non-native Douglas fir alters species composition, but promotes the diversity of ground beetles in a temperate forest system}, series = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {30}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, number = {5}, issn = {1572-9710}, doi = {10.1007/s10531-021-02155-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269017}, pages = {1479-1499}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Planting non-native tree species, like Douglas fir in temperate European forest systems, is encouraged to mitigate effects of climate change. However, Douglas fir monocultures often revealed negative effects on forest biota, while effects of mixtures with native tree species on forest ecosystems are less well understood. We investigated effects of three tree species (Douglas fir, Norway spruce, native European beech), on ground beetles in temperate forests of Germany. Beetles were sampled in monocultures of each tree species and broadleaf-conifer mixtures with pitfall traps, and environmental variables were assessed around each trap. We used linear mixed models in a two-step procedure to disentangle effects of environment and tree species identity on ground beetle abundance, species richness, functional diversity and species assemblage structure. Contradictory to our expectations, ground beetle abundance and functional diversity was highest in pure Douglas fir stands, while tree mixtures showed intermediate values between pure coniferous and pure beech stands. The main drivers of these patterns were only partially dependent on tree species identity, which highlights the importance of structural features in forest stands. However, our study revealed distinct shifts in assemblage structure between pure beech and pure Douglas fir stands, which were only partially eased through mixture planting. Our findings suggest that effects of planting non-native trees on associated biodiversity can be actively modified by promoting beneficial forest structures. Nevertheless, integrating non-native tree species, even in mixtures with native trees, will invariably alter assemblage structures of associated biota, which can compromise conservation efforts targeted at typical species composition.}, language = {en} }