@phdthesis{Keppler2020, author = {Keppler, Sarah}, title = {Characterization of Novel Mutations in Receptor-Tyrosine Kinases in Multiple Myeloma}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-15572}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-155720}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disease of terminally differentiated B-cells which accumulate in the bone marrow leading to bone lesions, hematopoietic insufficiency and hypercalcemia. Genetically, MM is characterized by a great heterogeneity. A recent next-generation sequencing approach resulted in the identification of a signaling network with an accumulation of mutations in receptor-tyrosine kinases (RTKs), adhesion molecules and downstream effectors. A deep-sequencing amplicon approach of the coding DNA sequence of the six RTKs EPHA2, EGFR, ERBB3, IGF1R, NTRK1 and NTRK2 was conducted in a patient cohort (75 MM samples and 68 corresponding normal samples) of the "Deutsche Studiengruppe Multiples Myelom (DSMM)" to further elucidate the role of RTKs in MM. As an initial approach the detected mutations were correlated with cytogenetic abnormalities and clinical data in the course of this thesis. RTK mutations were present in 13\% of MM patients of the DSMM XI trial and accumulated in the ligand-binding and tyrosine-kinase domain. The newly identified mutations were associated with an adverse patient survival, but not with any cytogenetic abnormality common in MM. Especially rare patient-specific SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) had a negative impact on patient survival. For a more comprehensive understanding of the role of rare RTK SNPs in MM, a second amplicon sequencing approach was performed in a patient cohort of the DSMM XII trial that included 75 tumor and 184 normal samples. This approach identified a total of 23 different mutations in the six RTKs EPHA2, EGFR, ERBB3, IGF1R, NTRK1 and NTRK2 affecting 24 patients. These mutations could furthermore be divided into 20 rare SNPs and 3 SNVs (single nucleotide variant). In contrast to the first study, the rare SNPs were significantly associated with the adverse prognostic factor del17p. IGF1R was among the most commonly mutated RTKs in the first amplicon sequencing approach and is known to play an important role in diverse cellular processes such as cell proliferation and survival. To study the role of IGF1R mutations in the hard-to-transfect MM cells, stable IGF1R-knockdown MM cell lines were established. One of the knockdown cell lines (L363-C/C9) as well as a IGF1R-WT MM cell line (AMO1) were subsequently used for the stable overexpression of WT IGF1R and mutant IGF1R (N1129S, D1146N). Overall, an impact on the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways was observed upon the IGF1R knockdown as well as upon WT and mutant IGF1R overexpression. The resulting signaling pattern, however, differed between different MM cell lines used in this thesis as well as in a parallel performed master thesis which further demonstrates the great heterogeneity described in MM. Taken together, the conducted sequencing and functional studies illustrate the importance of RTKs and especially of IGF1R and its mutants in the pathogenesis of MM. Moreover, the results support the potential role of IGF1R as a therapeutic target for a subset of MM patients with mutated IGF1R and/or IGF1R overexpression.}, subject = {Plasmozytom}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Tulke2020, author = {Tulke, Moritz}, title = {Grundlegende Arbeiten zum bio-artifiziellen renalen Tubulus aus ko-kultivierten adipozyt{\"a}ren mesenchymalen Stammzellen und Endothelzellen auf einer synthetischen Kapillarmembran}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21689}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216896}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Mit fortschreitender chronischer Niereninsuffizienz kommt es zur Akkumulation von Ur{\"a}mietoxinen und im Endstadium unbehandelt zum Tod im sogenannten Ur{\"a}mischen Syndrom. Die Blutreinigung erfolgt bei der am h{\"a}ufigsten verwendeten Form der Nierenersatztherapie, der H{\"a}modialyse, nur unzureichend. Die Folge ist eine erh{\"o}hte Morbidit{\"a}t und Mortalit{\"a}t der betroffenen Patienten. Bei der H{\"a}modialyse werden nur Ur{\"a}mietoxine bis zu einer Gr{\"o}ße von 20 kDa {\"u}ber die im Dialysator eingesetzten Hohlfaserdialysemembranen diffusiv und konvektiv semiselektiv nach Gr{\"o}ßenausschluss entfernt. Proteingebundene Ur{\"a}mietoxine, deren effektive Gr{\"o}ße durch die Bindung an Transportproteine wie beispielsweise Albumin die Trennsch{\"a}rfe der Dialysemembranen {\"u}bersteigt, werden retiniert. In-vivo werden proteingebundene Ur{\"a}mietoxine im proximalen Tubulus, einem Teil des tubul{\"a}ren Systems des Nephrons, sekretorisch eliminiert. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Promotionsarbeit wurden die ersten Entwicklungsschritte auf dem Weg zu einem sogenannten bio-artifiziellen Tubulus evaluiert. Der angedachte biohybride Filter sollte aus einer Ko-Kultur funktionaler humaner proximaler Tubuluszellen und humaner Endothelzellen (HUVEC) auf synthetischen Hohlfasermembranen bestehen und k{\"o}nnte w{\"a}hrend der H{\"a}modialyse als zus{\"a}tzlicher Reinigungsschritt angewendet werden, um unter anderem proteingebundene Ur{\"a}mietoxine effektiv durch aktiven Transport aus dem Blut der Patienten zu entfernen. Die Differenzierung der proximalen Tubuluszellen erfolgte dabei aus adulten adipozyt{\"a}ren mesenchymalen Stammzellen (ASC), deren Herkunft eine sp{\"a}tere autologe Behandlung erm{\"o}glicht. Die Ko-Kultur mit Endothelzellen wurde zur potentiellen Steigerung der Sekretion proteingebundener Ur{\"a}mietoxine verwendet. In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnten ASCs durch eine Kombination der l{\"o}slichen Differenzierungsfaktoren All-Trans-Retinoins{\"a}ure (ATRA), Aktivin A und BMP-7 erfolgreich in Zytokeratin 18-exprimierende Zellen differenziert werden, wodurch die erw{\"u}nschte epitheliale Differenzierung best{\"a}tigt wurde. Die Expression funktionaler Proteine, wie das f{\"u}r den Wassertransport relevante Aquaporin 1 oder auch der Na+-/K+-ATPase, konnte in dieser Arbeit bereits vor der Differenzierung nachgewiesen werden. Im n{\"a}chsten Schritt wurde erfolgreich gezeigt, dass eine simultane, qualitativ hochwertige Ko-Kultur von ASCs und HUVECs auf der mit dem extrazellul{\"a}ren Matrixprotein Fibronektin modifizierten Innen- bzw. Außenseite von synthetischen Hohlfasermembranen aus Polypropylen bzw. Polyethersulfon m{\"o}glich ist. Die Viabilit{\"a}t beider Zelltypen wurde dabei durch die Verwendung eines f{\"u}r die Ko-Kultur entwickelten N{\"a}hrmediums erreicht, in welchem die Proliferation von ASCs bei gleichzeitiger Aufrechterhaltung ihrer Stammzelleigenschaften deutlich erh{\"o}ht war. Die in dieser Arbeit erzielten Ergebnisse stellen eine aussichtsreiche Basis f{\"u}r einen bio-artifiziellen renalen Tubulus dar. Weitere Entwicklungsschritte, wie die Differenzierung der ASCs zu proximalen Tubuluszellen im 3D-Bioreaktor einschließlich ihrer funktionalen Charakterisierung anhand Tubulusepithel-spezifischer Transporter, sind erforderlich, be-vor erste funktionale Experimente vor dem „Upscaling" auf klinisch verwendbare Module m{\"o}glich sind.}, subject = {Hohlfaserreaktor}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{CastilloCajas2020, author = {Castillo Cajas, Ruth}, title = {Evolution and diversity of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of cuckoo wasps}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17341}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173418}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) abound on the surface of arthropods. In spite of their simple structure (molecules of carbon and hydrogen atoms), they provide pivotal functions in insects: their hydrophobic properties confer the insects a means to regulate water balance and avoid desiccation, whereas their diversity has enhanced their use as signals and cues in a wide range of communication and recognition processes. Although the study of CHC in insects over the past two decades has provided great insight into the wide range of functions they play, there is still a gap in understanding how they diversify and evolve. In this thesis, I have used members of the family Chrysididae to explore patterns of diversification of CHC. Most of the species of cuckoo wasps in this study are specialized parasitoids or kleptoparasites of mainly solitary hymenopteran hosts. Other hosts of the family include butterflies or stick insects. Cuckoo wasps are a particular interesting model to study the evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons because of their chemical adaptations that allow them to remain unrecognized by their hosts. Chemical insignificance (the reduction of the total amount of CHC on the cuticle) and chemical mimicry (the de novo production of CHC profiles resembling those of their female host) have been described in some representatives of the family and unpublished evidence suggests chemical deception is widespread in Chrysididae (Chapter 2). Nonetheless, to trace the evolution of any trait of interest, a reliable phylogenetic reconstruction of the family is required. Therefore, the first study of this thesis constitutes the largest and to-date most reliable phylogenetic reconstruction of the family Chrysididae, which includes representatives of 186 species of cuckoo wasps. While the results of this phylogenetic reconstruction are consistent with previous ideas on the relationships of subfamilies and tribes, it shows the existence of several non-monophyletic genera (Chapter 3). CHC are involved in intraspecific recognition, often acting as contact sex pheromones. Nevertheless, it is not yet understood to what extent CHC profiles differ between the two sexes and whether some compound classes are more prevalent in one or the other sex. So far, no comparison of CHC profiles of males and females has been done for more than a dozen of related species. In Chapter 4, I describe and compare CHC profiles of females and males of 58 species of cuckoo wasps in order to evaluate whether and to what extent CHC profiles of these species differ between the sexes. I demonstrated that CHC profiles of cuckoo wasps are frequently (more than 90\% of the species analyzed) and strongly dimorphic (both sexes of a given species tend to produce very different CHC compounds). Methyl-branched compounds tend to be more prevalent in males (especially dimethyl-branched compounds) and unsaturated compounds prevail in females. Moreover, a sex-specific pattern in the distribution of the double bond position of alkenes was evident: internal double bond positions (> 11) occur predominantly in males, whereas alkenes with the doubl{\´e} bond at position 9 were more abundant and frequent in females (Chapter4). In Chapter5, I investigated how CHC profiles of cuckoo wasps differ across species. Are CHC profiles of cuckoo wasps species-specific, enabling their use as cues for species recognition? How do CHC profiles resemble phylogenetic relatedness? In Chapter 5, I try to answer these questions by comparing CHC profiles of 59 species of cuckoo wasps. CHC profiles of cuckoo wasps are shown to be species (and sex-) specific. I show that CHC profiles are useful as a complementary tool to help delimiting taxonomically difficult sibling species. Moreover, the evaluation of CHC profiles of five commonly occurring species within a genus, showed little or no geographical variation. However, CHC profiles of closely related species may differ strongly among each other, not being useful to track the evolutionary history of species (Chapter 5). Sexual selection is generally credited for generating striking sexual dimorphism by causing changes in male traits. Most often, sexual selection has a stronger effect on males, who compete for access to and may be selected by females, thus male traits may rapidly evolve. Nevertheless, in cuckoo wasps, it appears that it is the female sex the one evolving faster changes, with females of very closely related species showing extremely divergent profiles. One plausible reason for this disparity is that natural selection acting on female's CHC profiles may be stronger than sexual selection on males (Chapter 6). Since females of cuckoo wasps are most probably engaged in an evolutionary arms race with their female hosts, CHC profiles of female cuckoo wasps are likely rapidly evolving, thus explaining part of the strong observed sexual dimorphism of CHC (Chapter 6). In fact, Chapter 7 shows evidence of a possible ongoing evolutionary arms race between five cuckoo wasps of the genus Hedychrum and their hosts. Hedychrum species parasitize either Coleoptera-hunting or Hymenoptera-hunting digger wasps. Since the coleopteran prey of the former digger wasps is naturally better protected against fungus infestation, these wasps do not embalm their prey with alkene-enriched secretions as do the Hymenoptera-hunting digger wasps. Thus, Coleoptera-hunting digger wasps can apparently diversify their profiles to escape chemical mimicry. Interestingly, only female cuckoo wasps of these hosts have started producing the same compound classes and even the same CHC compounds as those of their hosts. Male cuckoo wasps, however retain an alkene-enriched CHC profile that reflects the molecular phylogeny of the genus (Chapter 7). Whereas, a larger number of parasite-host comparisons may be needed to further conclude that an arms race between cuckoo wasps and their hosts is capable of generating sexual dimorphism of cuckoo wasps, this thesis constitutes the first effort towards this, providing a starting point for further studies. Finally, I provide some methodological tools that may help in speeding up the sometimes cumbersome process of analyzing and identifying CHC profiles. One of the most time-demanding steps in the processing of CHC data is the alignment of CHC chromatograms. This process is often done manually, because alignment programs are mostly designed for metabolomics or are just recently being developed. I analyzed CHC profiles using a combined approach with two freely available programs. I used AMDIS (Automated Mass Spectral Deconvolution and Identification System, http://chemdata.nist.gov/mass-spc/amdis/) to deconvolute and automatically identify all CHC of interest present in a chromatogram. I then developed a series of R scripts to correct for potential, unavoidable errors while processing CHC chromatograms with AMDIS. Chapter 8 explains this procedure. In the next chapter, I developed a program that helps in the identification of one commonly occurring class of hydrocarbons. The limited number of linear alkanes (only one per carbon atom) and their characteristic diagnostic ion allows a rapid and unambigous identification of these substances. In opposition, unsaturated and methyl-branched compounds are more difficult to identify, as a result of the much larger diversity of existing compounds. To identify unsaturated compounds a derivatization is necessary to determine the position of the double bond. Methyl-branched alkanes, however can be identified from the original chromatogram if their diagnostic ions are known. Nonetheless, polymethyl-branched alkanes (e.g., compounds with two or more methyl groups along the chain) are often difficult to identify, because they may appear in mixes (e.g., 3,7 diMeC27 and 3,9 diMeC27), and tables containing the diagnostic ions are not easily available. Therefore, I developed a program that creates a table with all possiblemethyl-branched compounds containing up to 4 methyl groups, and that provides their diagnostic ions and a calculated retention index. This may allow a much faster identification of the methyl-branched compound a researcher is dealing with, without having to lose time in the tedious calculations by hand. The program is able to correctly identify, or at least, greatly reduce the number of possible options for the identification of an unknown methyl-branched compound. Thus, using this tool, most methyl-branched compounds can be readily identified (Chapter 9). This thesis ends with a general discussion (Chapter 10). Overall, this work provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity of cuticular hydrocarbons of cuckoo wasps. The analyses presented here shed light on the emergence and evolution of interspecific diversity and intraspecific sexual dimorphism of CHC profiles. In addition, two technical methods have been developed that could greatly facilitate the CHC analysis of insects.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pfann2020, author = {Pfann, Christina}, title = {Untersuchungen zu neuen therapeutischen Ans{\"a}tzen zur Beeinflussung der MYC-Expression im kolorektalen Karzinom}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21668}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216687}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Eine ver{\"a}nderte Expression des Transkriptionsfaktors MYC wird als entscheidender Faktor f{\"u}r Tumorentstehung und -progress im kolorektalen Karzinom gesehen. Somit ist die Hemmung dessen Expression und Funktion ein zentraler Ansatz bei der zielgerichteten Tumortherapie. Als geeignete Strategie, sowohl die Halbwertszeit als auch die Translation von MYC zu verringern, erschien eine duale PI3K-/mTOR-Hemmung durch den small molecule-Inhibitor BEZ235. Gegenteilig ist jedoch unter Behandlung mit BEZ235 eine verst{\"a}rkte MYC-Expression in verschiedenen Kolonkarzinom-Zelllinien zu beobachten. Neben verst{\"a}rkter Transkription, konnte eine verst{\"a}rkte IRES-abh{\"a}ngige Translation von MYC nach Hemmung der mTOR-/5´Cap-abh{\"a}ngigen Translation durch BEZ235, als Ursache der MYC-Induktion nachgewiesen werden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Induktion von MYC nach PI3K-/mTOR-Hemmung durch eine kompensatorische Aktivierung des MAPK-Signalwegs in Folge einer FOXO-abh{\"a}ngigen Induktion von Rezeptortyrosinkinasen, stattfindet. Eine m{\"o}gliche Strategie, diese Feedback-Mechanismen zu umgehen, ist die direkte Hemmung der Translationsinitiation. Hierf{\"u}r wurden Rocaglamid und dessen Derivat Silvestrol als small molecule-Inhibitoren der eIF4A-Helikase verwendet. Im Gegensatz zur PI3K/mTOR-Hemmung, ist durch eIF4A-Inhibition eine Reduktion der MYC-Proteinexpression in verschiedenen Kolonkarzinom-Zelllinien zu erreichen - ohne einhergehende MAPK-Aktivierung. Anhand der Ergebnisse kann postuliert werden, dass Silvestrol das Potential besitzt, sowohl die Cap-/eIF4F-abh{\"a}ngie als auch die somit eIF4A-abh{\"a}ngige IRES-vermittelte Translation von MYC zu hemmen. Weiterhin kann eine proliferationshemmende Wirkung durch Silvestrol auf Kolonkarzinom-Zellen in vitro, via Zellzyklusarrest und Induktion von Apoptose, gezeigt werden. Dies stellt die Voraussetzung f{\"u}r eine potentielle Eignung als tumorhemmender Wirkstoff in der Therapie des kolorektalen Karzinoms dar.}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Redlich2020, author = {Redlich, Sarah}, title = {Opportunities and obstacles of ecological intensification: Biological pest control in arable cropping systems}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17122}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-171228}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Modern agriculture is the basis of human existence, a blessing, but also a curse. It provides nourishment and well-being to the ever-growing human population, yet destroys biodiversity-mediated processes that underpin productivity: ecosystem services such as water filtration, pollination and biological pest control. Ecological intensification is a promising alternative to conventional farming, and aims to sustain yield and ecosystem health by actively managing biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. Here, I investigate opportunities and obstacles for ecological intensification. My research focuses on 1) the relative importance of soil, management and landscape variables for biodiversity and wheat yield (Chapter II); 2) the influence of multi-scale landscape-level crop diversity on biological pest control in wheat (Chapter III) and 3) on overall and functional bird diversity (Chapter IV). I conclude 4) by introducing a guide that helps scientists to increase research impact by acknowledging the role of stakeholder engagement for the successful implementation of ecological intensification (Chapter V). Ecological intensification relies on the identification of natural pathways that are able to sustain current yields. Here, we crossed an observational field study of arthropod pests and natural enemies in 28 real-life wheat systems with an orthogonal on-field insecticide-fertilizer experiment. Using path analysis, we quantified the effect of 34 factors (soil characteristics, recent and historic crop management, landscape heterogeneity) that directly or indirectly (via predator-prey interactions) contribute to winter wheat yield. Reduced soil preparation and high crop rotation diversity enhanced crop productivity independent of external agrochemical inputs. Concurrently, biological control by arthropod natural enemies could be restored by decreasing average field sizes on the landscape scale, extending crop rotations and reducing soil disturbance. Furthermore, reductions in agrochemical inputs decreased pest abundances, thereby facilitating yield quality. Landscape-level crop diversity is a promising tool for ecological intensification. However, biodiversity enhancement via diversification measures does not always translate into agricultural benefits due to antagonistic species interactions (intraguild predation). Additionally, positive effects of crop diversity on biological control may be masked by inappropriate study scales or correlations with other landscape variables (e.g. seminatural habitat). Therefore, the multiscale and context-dependent impact of crop diversity on biodiversity and ecosystem services is ambiguous. In 18 winter wheat fields along a crop diversity gradient, insect- and bird-mediated pest control was assessed using a natural enemy exclusion experiment with cereal grain aphids. Although birds did not influence the strength of insect-mediated pest control, crop diversity (rather than seminatural habitat cover) enhanced aphid regulation by up to 33\%, particularly on small spatial scales. Crop diversification, an important Greening measure in the European Common Agricultural Policy, can improve biological control, and could lower dependence on insecticides, if the functional identity of crops is taken into account. Simple measures such as 'effective number of crop types' help in science communication. Although avian pest control did not respond to landscape-level crop diversity, birds may still benefit from increased crop resources in the landscape, depending on their functional grouping (feeding guild, conservation status, habitat preference, nesting behaviour). Observational studies of bird functional diversity on 14 wheat study fields showed that non-crop landscape heterogeneity rather than crop diversity played a key role in determining the richness of all birds. Insect-feeding, non-farmland and non-threatened birds increased across multiple spatial scales (up to 3000 m). Only crop-nesting farmland birds declined in heterogeneous landscapes. Thus, crop diversification may be less suitable for conserving avian diversity, but abundant species benefit from overall habitat heterogeneity. Specialist farmland birds may require more targeted management approaches. Identifying ecological pathways that favour biodiversity and ecosystem services provides opportunities for ecological intensification that increase the likelihood of balancing conservation and productivity goals. However, change towards a more sustainable agriculture will be slow to come if research findings are not implemented on a global scale. During dissemination activities within the EU project Liberation, I gathered information on the advantages and shortcomings of ecological intensification and its implementation. Here, I introduce a guide ('TREE') aimed at scientists that want to increase the impact of their research. TREE emphasizes the need to engage with stakeholders throughout the planning and research process, and actively seek and promote science dissemination and knowledge implementation. This idea requires scientists to leave their comfort zone and consider socioeconomic, practical and legal aspects often ignored in classical research. Ecological intensification is a valuable instrument for sustainable agriculture. Here, I identified new pathways that facilitate ecological intensification. Soil quality, disturbance levels and spatial or temporal crop diversification showed strong positive correlations with natural enemies, biological pest control and yield, thereby lowering the dependence on agrochemical inputs. Differences between functional groups caused opposing, scale-specific responses to landscape variables. Opposed to our predictions, birds did not disturb insect-mediated pest control in our study system, nor did avian richness relate to landscape-level crop diversity. However, dominant functional bird groups increased with non-crop landscape heterogeneity. These findings highlight the value of combining different on-field and landscape approaches to ecological intensification. Concurrently, the success of ecological intensification can be increased by involving stakeholders throughout the research process. This increases the quality of science and reduces the chance of experiencing unscalable obstacles to implementation.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kaltdorf2020, author = {Kaltdorf, Martin Ernst}, title = {Analyse von regulatorischen Netzwerken bei Zelldifferenzierung und in der Infektionsbiologie}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-19852}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198526}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Das zentrale Paradigma der Systembiologie zielt auf ein m{\"o}glichst umfassendes Ver-st{\"a}ndnis der komplexen Zusammenh{\"a}nge biologischer Systeme. Die in dieser Arbeit angewandten Methoden folgen diesem Grundsatz. Am Beispiel von drei auf Basis von Datenbanken und aktueller Literatur rekonstruier-ten Netzwerkmodellen konnte in der hier vorliegenden Arbeit die G{\"u}ltigkeit analyti-scher und pr{\"a}diktiver Algorithmen nachgewiesen werden, die in Form der Analy-sesoftware Jimena angewandt wurden. Die daraus resultierenden Ergebnisse sowohl f{\"u}r die Berechnung von stabilen Systemzust{\"a}nden, der dynamischen Simulation, als auch der Identifikation zentraler Kontrollknoten konnten experimentell validiert wer-den. Die Ergebnisse wurden in einem iterativen Prozess verwendet werden um das entsprechende Netzwerkmodell zu optimieren. Beim Vergleich des Verhaltens des semiquantitativ ausgewerteten regulatorischen Netzwerks zur Kontrolle der Differenzierung humaner mesenchymaler Stammzellen in Chondrozyten (Knorpelbildung), Osteoblasten (Knochenbildung) und Adipozyten (Fett-zellbildung) konnten 12 wichtige Faktoren (darunter: RUNX2, OSX/SP7, SOX9, TP53) mit Hilfe der Berechnung der Bedeutung (Kontrollzentralit{\"a}t der Netzwerkknoten identifi-ziert werden). Der Abgleich des simulierten Verhaltens dieses Netzwerkes ergab eine {\"U}bereinstimmung mit experimentellen Daten von 47,2\%, bei einem widerspr{\"u}chlichen Verhalten von ca. 25\%, dass unter anderem durch die tempor{\"a}re Natur experimentel-ler Messungen im Vergleich zu den terminalen Bedingungen des Berechnung der stabilen Systemzust{\"a}nde erkl{\"a}rt werden kann. Bei der Analyse des Netzwerkmodells der menschlichen Immunantwort auf eine Infek-tion durch A. fumigatus konnten vier Hauptregulatoren identifiziert werden (A. fumi-gatus, Blutpl{\"a}ttchen, hier Platelets genannt, und TNF), die im Zusammenspiel mit wei-teren Faktoren mit hohen Zentralit{\"a}tswerten (CCL5, IL1, IL6, Dectin-1, TLR2 und TLR4) f{\"a}hig sind das gesamte Netzwerkverhalten zu beeinflussen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich das Aktivit{\"a}tsverhalten von IL6 in Reaktion auf A. fumigatus und die regulato-rische Wirkung von Blutpl{\"a}ttchen mit den entsprechenden experimentellen Resultaten deckt. Die Simulation, sowie die Berechnung der stabilen Systemzust{\"a}nde der Immunantwort von A. thaliana auf eine Infektion durch Pseudomonas syringae konnte zeigen, dass die in silico Ergebnisse mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen {\"u}bereinstimmen. Zus{\"a}tzlich konnten mit Hilfe der Analyse der Zentralit{\"a}tswerte des Netzwerkmodells f{\"u}nf Master-regulatoren identifiziert werden: TGA Transkriptionsfaktor, Jasmons{\"a}ure, Ent-Kaurenoate-Oxidase, Ent-kaurene-Synthase und Aspartat-Semialdehyd-Dehydrogenase. W{\"a}hrend die ersteren beiden bereits lange als wichtige Regulatoren f{\"u}r die Gib-berellin-Synthese bekannt sind, ist die immunregulatorische Funktion von Aspartat-Semialdehyd-Dehydrogenase bisher weitgehend unbekannt.}, subject = {Netzwerksimulation}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Fuss2020, author = {Fuß, Antje}, title = {Evaluierung des Nachweises von Schistosoma mansoni DNA mittels Real-Time PCR in verschiedenen humanen Proben sowie den Zwischenwirtschnecken in einer Hochpr{\"a}valenzregion am Viktoriasee in Tansania}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21506}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-215061}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Die Schistosomiasis ist nach wie vor eine der h{\"a}ufigsten parasit{\"a}ren Erkrankungen der Welt und verursacht erhebliche gesundheitliche und wirtschaftliche Folgen, insbesondere in {\"a}rmeren, l{\"a}ndlichen Regionen. Durch Immunreaktionen auf die im Wirt abgelegten Eier des Parasiten k{\"o}nnen sich chronische Verlaufsformen manifestieren. Dabei kann es zu irreversiblen Sch{\"a}den kommen. Um dies zu verhindern sind eine fr{\"u}he und sichere Diagnose sowie eine Behandlung mit Praziquantel (PZQ) unabdingbar. Zudem spielt der zuverl{\"a}ssige Nachweis der Schistosomiasis eine Schl{\"u}sselrolle bei der {\"U}berwachung, Pr{\"a}vention und Kontrolle der Erkrankung. In epidemiologischen Studien findet am h{\"a}ufigsten die mikroskopische Kato-Katz (KK)-Methode zum Nachweis von Schistosoma mansoni Eiern im Stuhl Anwendung. Dieses Verfahren ist {\"a}ußerst spezifisch und bietet die M{\"o}glichkeit der Quantifizierung, wodurch die Intensit{\"a}t der vorliegenden Infektion bestimmt werden kann. Die Sensitivit{\"a}t der Testmethode ist jedoch nur moderat, insbesondere bei einer niedrigen Infektionsintensit{\"a}t. Zudem kann eine Infektion erst nach der Pr{\"a}patenzzeit nachgewiesen werden. Der ebenfalls h{\"a}ufig eingesetzte urinbasierte Point-of-Care Circulating Cathodic Antigen (POC-CCA)-Test weist zwar eine h{\"o}here Sensitivit{\"a}t aber geringere Spezifit{\"a}t als das KK-Verfahren auf. Als hochsensitive und sehr spezifische Methode zur Diagnose der Schistosomiasis hat sich der Nachweis von Schistosoma-spezifischer DNA mittels Real-Time PCR herausgestellt. Allerdings wird f{\"u}r die Durchf{\"u}hrung dieser Technik ein gut ausgestattetes Labor ben{\"o}tigt, das sich in der Regel nicht in unmittelbarer N{\"a}he zum Patienten im Feld befindet. Daher ist es besonders wichtig, {\"u}ber praktikable und schnelle Konservierungsmethoden zu verf{\"u}gen, die bevor die Extraktion und Amplifikation der DNA stattfindet, einen einfachen Transport und eine einfache Lagerung des Probenmaterials erm{\"o}glichen. Das Ziel des ersten Teils der vorliegenden Arbeit war, die Sensitivit{\"a}t und Spezifit{\"a}t der klassischerweise verwendeten KK-Methode und des POC-CCA-Tests mit der Real-Time PCR- Methode unter Verwendung von Stuhlproben, Urinproben, Serumproben sowie auf Filterpapier getrocknete Blutproben (dried blood spots - DBSs) zu vergleichen. Zudem wurde die Anwendbarkeit der Real-Time PCR aus Serum- und Urinproben zur Therapiekontrolle {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft. Die dazu notwendigen Studien wurden alle in der Region Mwanza in Tansania durchgef{\"u}hrt, welche als hochendemisch f{\"u}r S. mansoni gilt. F{\"u}r die Untersuchungen zur stuhlbasierten Real-Time PCR wurden als Studienteilnehmer Schulkinder gew{\"a}hlt. Aufgrund der erforderlichen Blutabnahme wurden die anderen Teilstudien nur mit erwachsenen Probanden durchgef{\"u}hrt. Unter Verwendung der KK-Methode als Goldstandard erzielten die Real-Time PCR aus Stuhlproben und der POC-CCA-Test sehr hohe Sensitivit{\"a}ten von 99,5\% bzw. 89,7\%, jedoch nur geringe Spezifit{\"a}ten von 29,55\% und 22,73\%. Die KK-Methode weist bekanntermaßen nur eine geringe bis moderate Sensitivit{\"a}t auf und ist daher nicht gut als Referenz geeignet. Deshalb wurde zus{\"a}tzlich eine latente Klassenanalyse angewandt, um die tats{\"a}chlich Erkrankten zu ermitteln und anhand dieser die diagnostische G{\"u}te der verwendeten Tests zu bestimmen. Hier zeigte der POC-CCA-Test die h{\"o}chste Sensitivit{\"a}t (99,5\%) sowie eine Spezifit{\"a}t von 63,4\%. Der Real-Time PCR-Test hatte eine Sensitivit{\"a}t von 98,7\% und die h{\"o}chste Spezifit{\"a}t (81,2\%). Die Spezifit{\"a}t der KK-Technik betrug 72,8\%, die Sensitivit{\"a}t war signifikant niedriger (89,7\%) als bei den anderen beiden Methoden. Diese Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass der POC-CCA-Schnelltest empfindlicher ist als die KK-Methode und zum Screening von S. mansoni-Infektionen eingesetzt werden kann. Die Stuhl-PCR war zwar ebenfalls hochsensitiv und zeigte unter den drei getesteten Diagnoseverfahren die h{\"o}chste Spezifit{\"a}t, aber aufgrund der h{\"o}heren Kosten und der komplizierten Anwendung sollte f{\"u}r epidemiologische Untersuchungen in Hochpr{\"a}valenzregionen der POC-CCA-Test bevorzugt werden. Bei unklaren Diagnosen kann die Real-Time PCR-Methode als Best{\"a}tigungstest Anwendung finden. In der Teilstudie zur serum- und urinbasierten Real-Time PCR in einer endemischen Region vor und nach der Behandlung mit PZQ wurden folgende Ergebnisse erzielt: Unter Verwendung einer kombinierten Referenz aus den Ergebnissen des parasitologischen KK-Tests und / oder der serumbasierten PCR konnte zu Studienbeginn eine Pr{\"a}valenz von S. mansoni von 77,1\% ermittelt werden. In Bezug auf die Sensitivit{\"a}t zeigte der DNA-Nachweis aus Serum (96,3\%) und der POC-CCA-Assay (77,8\%) die h{\"o}chsten Ergebnisse. Die urinbasierte Real-Time PCR zeigte die geringste Empfindlichkeit (33,3\%). Durch die Behandlung mit Praziquantel wurde eine signifikante Reduktion der S. mansoni Pr{\"a}valenz erreicht. Zwanzig Wochen nach Therapie konnte durch die KK-Methode keine, mit dem POC-CCA-Test 33,3\% und mit der serumbasierten Real-Time PCR 58,3\% Infektionen festgestellt werden. Die Analyse der mittels der serumbasierten PCR bestimmten mittleren Ct-Werte im zeitlichen Verlauf zeigte, dass dieser eine Woche nach der Behandlung signifikant abnahm (von 30,3 auf 28) und 20 Wochen sp{\"a}ter {\"u}ber den Basiswert (34,9) anstieg. Der Ct-Wert ist umgekehrt proportional zur DNA-Ausgangsmenge, die in die PCR eingesetzt wurde. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass kurz nach der Therapie ein DNA-Anstieg zu verzeichnen war und 20 Wochen sp{\"a}ter weniger DNA als zu Beginn der Studie nachweisbar war. Dieser DNA-Verlauf l{\"a}sst verschiedene Interpretationsm{\"o}glichkeiten zu. Die Daten zeigen jedoch, dass die serumbasierte Real-Time PCR eine ausgezeichnete diagnostische Genauigkeit aufweist. Da die nachgewiesene DNA jedoch keine R{\"u}ckschl{\"u}sse auf das Parasitenstadium zul{\"a}sst und es sich hierbei auch um DNA aus im Gewebe verbliebenen Eiern oder Reinfektionen handeln k{\"o}nnte, ist diese Methode in Hochpr{\"a}valenz- Regionen nicht zur Therapiekontrolle geeignet. Die Verwendung von Urin zum DNA-Nachweis erzielte keine vielversprechenden Ergebnisse. Die Sensitivit{\"a}t der Real-Time PCR aus DBSs war ebenfalls sehr gering (45,4\%) und kann ohne weitere ausf{\"u}hrliche Testung hinsichtlich Lagertemperatur, Lagerdauer, verschiedener Filterpapierarten und Extraktionsmethoden nicht empfohlen werden. Zusammenfassend zeigten die Ergebnisse dieser Studien, dass sowohl die stuhl- als auch die serumbasierte Real-Time PCR bei der Erkennung und Bewertung der Infektionspr{\"a}valenz, einem wichtigen Aspekt epidemiologischer Studien, deutlich empfindlicher ist als das mikroskopische KK-Verfahren. Aufgrund des hohen Kosten- und Personalaufwandes und der Notwendigkeit eines gut ausgestatteten Labors wird sich diese Methode aber nicht zum Screening in hochendemischen L{\"a}ndern durchsetzen. Sie kann jedoch einen Mehrwert bei der Diagnose der Schistosomiasis bieten, vor allem bei fr{\"u}hen oder leichten Infektionen. Zudem kann diese hochsensitive und spezifische Methode als Best{\"a}tigungstest bei unklaren Diagnosen herangezogen werden. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit wurden malakologische Untersuchungen zur Identifizierung potenzieller {\"U}bertragungsorte f{\"u}r die Schistosomiasis rund um die im Viktoriasee gelegene Insel Ijinga durchgef{\"u}hrt. Diese Analysen fanden innerhalb eines Pilotprojektes zur Eliminierung der Erkrankung auf der Insel Ijinga statt, wobei ein intensiviertes Behandlungsprotokoll, welches die gesamte Inselbev{\"o}lkerung einschloss, Anwendung fand. Die Kontrolle der Praziquanteleffektivit{\"a}t nach mehreren Behandlungsrunden bringt eine Reihe diagnostischer Herausforderungen mit sich. Hier k{\"o}nnte die Beurteilung der Schistosoma-Infektion in den Zwischenwirtschnecken vor und nach der Therapie als Indikator f{\"u}r den Erfolg der Maßnahme dienen. Zu diesem Zweck erfolgte zun{\"a}chst eine Baseline-Untersuchung, bei der Schnecken an Uferregionen gesammelt wurden, an denen die Inselbewohner h{\"a}ufigen Wasserkontakt hatten. Die Schnecken wurden anhand morphologischer Merkmale identifiziert und mithilfe der Real-Time PCR-Methode auf Infektionen mit S. mansoni untersucht. Insgesamt wurden 35,4\% (279/788) S. mansoni- positive Zwischenwirtschnecken (Biomphalaria) detektiert. Dies verdeutlicht, dass an den meisten Wasserkontaktstellen um die Insel Ijinga ein potentielles Risiko f{\"u}r die {\"U}bertragung der Schistosomiasis besteht. Die mithilfe der KK-Methode ermittelte Gesamtpr{\"a}valenz von S. mansoni in der humanen Bev{\"o}lkerung betrug 68,9\%. Nachdem die Bewohner der Insel viermal mit PZQ behandelt wurden, zeigte sich in der kontinuierlich {\"u}berwachten Sentinelgruppe eine Reduktion der Pr{\"a}valenz auf 28,7\%. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt wurde ebenfalls die Analyse der Schnecken wiederholt und es konnten 16,8\% (57/350) Schnecken mit einer S. mansoni Infektion nachgewiesen werden. Die Reduktion der Infektionsh{\"a}ufigkeit in den Schnecken vor und nach der viermaligen Behandlung der Bev{\"o}lkerung war signifikant (χ² = 74.335, p < 0,001). Dies deutet darauf hin, dass die intermedi{\"a}ren Wirtsschnecken zur {\"U}berwachung von Kontrollmaßnahmen verwendet werden k{\"o}nnen.}, subject = {Schistosomiasis}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Lakovic2020, author = {Lakovic, Milica}, title = {Evolution of animal dispersal: Putting timing in perspective}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-15452}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-154522}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Dispersal is a life-history trait affecting dynamics and persistence of populations; it evolves under various known selective pressures. Theoretical studies on dispersal typically assume 'natal dispersal', where individuals emigrate right after birth. But emigration may also occur during a later moment within a reproductive season ('breeding dispersal'). For example, some female butterflies first deposit eggs in their natal patch before migrating to other site(s) to continue egg-laying there. How breeding compared to natal dispersal influences the evolution of dispersal has not been explored. To close this gap we used an individual-based simulation approach to analyze (i) the evolution of timing of breeding dispersal in annual organisms, (ii) its influence on dispersal (compared to natal dispersal). Furthermore, we tested (iii) its performance in direct evolutionary contest with individuals following a natal dispersal strategy. Our results show that evolution should typically result in lower dispersal under breeding dispersal, especially when costs of dispersal are low and population size is small. By distributing offspring evenly across two patches, breeding dispersal allows reducing direct sibling competition in the next generation whereas natal dispersal can only reduce trans-generational kin competition by producing highly dispersive offspring in each generation. The added benefit of breeding dispersal is most prominent in patches with small population sizes. Finally, the evolutionary contests show that a breeding dispersal strategy would universally out-compete natal dispersal.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Vikuk2020, author = {Vikuk, Veronika}, title = {Epichlo{\"e} endophyte-grass symbioses in Germany - Infection rates, alkaloid concentrations and possible intoxication risks}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21389}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213895}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Endophytes live in partial symbiosis inside a plant and have been detected in all tested plants. They belong to the group of fungi or bacteria and their ecological function is mostly unknown. The fungal endophytes of the genus Epichlo{\"e} belong to a special group of endophytes. Epichlo{\"e} endophytes live symbiotically inside cool season grass species and some of them are able to produce alkaloids toxic to vertebrates and insects. Their symbiosis is seen as mutualistic for the following reasons: the fungus provides the plant herbivore resistance by producing alkaloids, and it increases the plant's drought tolerance as well as its biomass production. In return, the grass provides the fungus shelter, nutrients and dispersal. Epichlo{\"e} endophytes are host specific and the ability to produce alkaloids differs between species. In order to estimate intoxication risks in grasslands, it is necessary to detect infection rates of different grass species with Epichlo{\"e} endophytes, and to determine the genotypes and chemotypes of the Epichlo{\"e} species as well as the produced alkaloid concentrations. Factors like land-use intensity or season may have an influence on infection rates and alkaloid concentrations. Also, different methodological approaches may lead to different results. In this doctoral thesis my general aim was to evaluate intoxication risks in German grasslands caused by Epichlo{\"e} endophytes. For that I investigated infection rates of different grass species and the genotypes and chemotypes of their Epichlo{\"e} endophytes in German grasslands (Chapter II). Furthermore, I compared alkaloid concentrations detected with dry and fresh plant weight and different analytical methods. I also detected possible changes on the influence of season or land-use intensity (Chapter III). Additionally, I examined infections with Epichlo{\"e} endophytes and alkaloid concentrations in commercially available grass seed mixtures and determined how that influences the intoxication risk of grazing animals in Europe (Chapter IV). It is of agricultural interest to estimate intoxication risks for grazing livestock on German grasslands due to Epichlo{\"e} infected grass species. Therefore, it is important to investigate which grasses are infected with the Epichlo{\"e} endophyte, if the endophytes have the ability to produce vertebrate and invertebrate toxic alkaloids and if the alkaloids are indeed produced. I showed that Epichlo{\"e} festucae var. lolii infecting agriculturally important Lolium perenne lacked the starting gene for ergovaline biosynthesis. Hence, vertebrate toxic ergovaline was not detected in the majority of the collected L. perenne plants. The detection of alkaloid concentrations is an important tool to estimate intoxication risk for vertebrates, but also invertebrates. My studies showed that the usage of dry plant material is crucial to quantify the correct alkaloid concentrations, and that alkaloid concentrations can vary depending on the detection method. Hence, the usage of validated, similar detection methods is important to be able to compare alkaloid concentrations from different studies. Nevertheless, the trends of seasonal changes and the influence of land-use intensity stayed the same, regardless if dry or fresh plant weight was used. Also, alkaloid concentrations were below toxicity thresholds on population level, regardless of the method used. Two commercially available forage grass and two commercially available turf grass seed mixtures were infected with Epichlo{\"e} endopyhtes and alkaloids were detected. This might contribute to the spreading of Epichlo{\"e} endopyhtes in Germany, therefore seed mixtures should be tested for Epichlo{\"e} infections. My results indicate that the intoxication risk is generally low in Germany at the moment, although that might change due to climate change, an increase of monocultural land-use, or the seeding of Epichlo{\"e} infected grass seeds.}, subject = {Endophytische Pilze}, 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 = {Epichlo{\"e} endophyte infection rates and alkaloid content in commercially available grass seed mixtures in Europe}, series = {Microorganisms}, volume = {8}, journal = {Microorganisms}, number = {4}, issn = {2076-2607}, doi = {10.3390/microorganisms8040498}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203323}, pages = {498}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Fungal endophytes of the genus Epichlo{\"e} live symbiotically in cool season grass species and can produce alkaloids toxic to insects and vertebrates, yet reports of intoxication of grazing animals have been rare in Europe in contrast to overseas. However, due to the beneficial resistance traits observed in Epichlo{\"e} infected grasses, the inclusion of Epichlo{\"e} in seed mixtures might become increasingly advantageous. Despite the toxicity of fungal alkaloids, European seed mixtures are rarely tested for Epichlo{\"e} infection and their infection status is unknown for consumers. In this study, we tested 24 commercially available seed mixtures for their infection rates with Epichlo{\"e} endophytes and measured the concentrations of the alkaloids ergovaline, lolitrem B, paxilline, and peramine. We detected Epichlo{\"e} infections in six seed mixtures, and four contained vertebrate and insect toxic alkaloids typical for Epichlo{\"e} festucae var. lolii infecting Lolium perenne. As Epichlo{\"e} infected seed mixtures can harm livestock, when infected grasses become dominant in the seeded grasslands, we recommend seed producers to test and communicate Epichlo{\"e} infection status or avoiding Epichlo{\"e} infected seed mixtures.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Glaab2020, author = {Glaab, Sabine}, title = {Green classroom at the wildlife park: Aspects of environmental, instructional and conceptual education of primary school children concerning the European wildcat.}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-16949}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-169496}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {To foster sustainable environmentally friendly behavior in children it is important to provide an effective form of environmental education. In this context we studied three important factors: Attitude towards nature, environmental knowledge and advanced expert knowledge. Concerning attitude towards nature our first question was: "Is it possible to affect primary school children's environmental values during a one-day visit at a wildlife park?" As a control, the program was also conducted in schools, leading to two different learning settings- wildlife park and school. Regarding environmental knowledge, in our second question we wanted to know, if our modified teaching approach "guided learning at workstations" (G) combining instructional and constructivist elements would lead to good cognitive learning results of primary school children. Additionally, we compared it to a stronger teacher-centered (T) as well as to a stronger student-centered (S) approach. The third question we asked was "Is it possible to convey fascinating expert knowledge on a more advanced subject to primary school children using conceptual change theory?" After gathering primary school children's preconceptions, we defined different groups due to the heterogeneity of their pre-existing conceptions and the change in conceptions. Based on this research we designed a program along with an instrument to measure the impact of the conceptual change teaching method. After years of building a strong cooperation between the section Didactics of Biology at the Julius-Maximilians University W{\"u}rzburg, the nearby schools and the wildlife park "Wild-Park Klaushof" near Bad Kissingen in northern Bavaria it was time to evaluate the environmental education programs prepared and applied by undergraduate university students. As a model species we chose the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) which represents endangered wildlife in Europe and the need for human interaction for the sake of preserving a species by restoring or recreating the habitat conditions needed while maintaining current infrastructure. Drawing from our own as well as teachers' and university students' experiences, we built, implemented and evaluated a hands-on program following several workstations between the wildcat enclosure and the wildlife park's green classroom. The content of our intervention was presented as a problem-oriented lesson, where children were confronted with the need for human interaction in order to preserve the European wildcat. Not only on a theoretical basis, but very specific to their hometowns they were told where and when nature conservation groups met or where to donate money. 692 Bavarian third grade primary school children in 35 classes participated in the one-day intervention that took place between the months of april, 2014 and november, 2015 in the wildlife park or in their respective classrooms. The ages varied between 8 and 11 years with the mean age being 8.88 ± 0.56 years old. 48.6 \% of them were boys, 51.4 \% were girls. (1) To measure primary school children's environmental attitudes a questionnaire on two major environmental values- preservation and utilization of nature- was administered in a pre, post- and retention test design. It was possible to affect primary school children's environmental preservation values during our one-day program. This result could be found not only at the wildlife park but unexpectedly also in school, where we educated classes for control purposes. We also found this impact consistent in all used teaching approaches and were surprised to see the preservation values change in a way we did not expect from higher tendency towards preservation of nature to a lower one. We presume that children of this age group reflected on the contents of our intervention. This had an influence on their own values towards preservation which led to a more realistic marking behavior in the questionnaire. We therefore conclude that it is possible to affect primary school children's environmental values with a one-day program on environmental content. (2) We were interested in conveying environmental knowledge about the European wildcat; its morphology, ecology and behavior. We designed and applied a knowledge questionnaire also in a pre-, post- and retention test design, to find out, whether different forms of instruction made a difference in learning success of primary school children. We used two approaches with a teacher in the role of a didactic leader- our modified guided approach (G) as well as a stronger teacher-centered one (T) with a higher focus on instruction. The third approach was presented as a strong student-centered learning at workstations (S) without a didactic leader we also called "free learning at workstations". Overall, all children's knowledge scores changed significantly from pre- to post-test and from pre- to retention test, indicating learning success. Differences could only be found between the posttest values of both approaches with a didactic leader (G, T) in comparison to the strong student-centered (S) form. It appears that these primary school children gained knowledge at the out of school learning setting regardless of the used teaching approach. On the subject of short-term differences, we discuss, that the difference in learning success might have been consistent from post to retention test if a consolidation phase had been added in the days following the program as should be common practice after a visit to an out-of- school learning setting but was not part of our intervention. When comparing both approaches with a didactic leader (G, T), we prefer our modified guided learning at workstations (G) since constructivist phases can be implemented without losses concerning learning success. Moreover, the (at least temporary) presence of a teacher in the role of a didactic leader ensures maintained discipline and counteracts off-task behavior. To make sure, different emotional states did not factor in our program, we measured children's situational emotions directly after the morning intervention using a short scale that evaluated interest, wellbeing and boredom. We found, that these emotions remained consistent over both learning settings as well as different forms of instruction. While interest and wellbeing remained constantly high, boredom values remained low. We take this as a sign of high quality designing and conducting the intervention. (3) In the afternoon of the one-day intervention, children were given the opportunity to investigate the wildcat further, this time using the conceptual change theory in combination with a more complex and fascinating content: cats' vision in dusk and dawn. Children were confronted with their preconceptions which had been sampled prior to the study and turned into three distinctive topics reflected in a special questionnaire. In a pre-, post and retention test design we included the most common alternative conceptions, the scientifically correct conceptions as well as other preconceptions. We gathered a high heterogeneity of preconceptions and defined three groups based on conceptual change literature: "Conceptual change", "Synthetic Models" and "Conceptual Growth". In addition to these we identified two more groups after our data analysis: "Knowledge" and "Non-addressed Concepts". We found that instruction according to the conceptual change theory did not work with primary school children in our intervention. The conceptual change from the addressed alternative conceptions as well as from other preconceptions towards the scientifically correct conceptions was successfully achieved only on occasion. In our case and depending on the topic only one third to one fourth of the children actually held the addressed conception while the rest was not targeted by the instruction. Moreover, we conclude children holding other conceptions were rather confused than educated by the confrontation. We assume that children of this age group may be overchallenged by the conceptual change method.}, subject = {Biologie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Stelzner2020, author = {Stelzner, Kathrin}, title = {Identification of factors involved in Staphylococcus aureus- induced host cell death}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-18899}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188991}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive commensal bacterium, that asymptomatically colonizes human skin and mucosal surfaces. Upon opportune conditions, such as immunodeficiency or breached barriers of the host, it can cause a plethora of infections ranging from local, superficial infections to life-threatening diseases. Despite being regarded as an extracellular pathogen, S. aureus can invade and survive within non-phagocytic and phagocytic cells. Eventually, the pathogen escapes from the host cell resulting in killing of the host cell, which is associated with tissue destruction and spread of infection. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying S. aureus-induced host cell death remain to be elucidated. In the present work, a genome-wide haploid genetic screen was performed to identify host cell genes crucial for S. aureus intracellular cytotoxicity. A mutant library of the haploid cell line HAP1 was infected with the pathogen and cells surviving the infection were selected. Twelve genes were identified, which were significantly enriched when compared to an infection with a non-cytotoxic S. aureus strain. Additionally, characteristics of regulated cell death pathways and the role of Ca2+ signaling in S. aureus-infected cells were investigated. Live cell imaging of Ca2+ reporter cell lines was used to analyze single cells. S. aureus-induced host cell death exhibited morphological features of apoptosis and activation of caspases was detected. Cellular H2O2 levels were elevated during S. aureus intracellular infection. Further, intracellular S. aureus provoked cytosolic Ca2+ overload in epithelial cells. This resulted from Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum and Ca2+ influx via the plasma membrane and led to mitochondrial Ca2+ overload. The final step of S. aureus-induced cell death was plasma membrane permeabilization, a typical feature of necrotic cell death. In order to identify bacterial virulence factors implicated in S. aureus-induced host cell killing, the cytotoxicity of selected mutants was investigated. Intracellular S. aureus employs the bacterial cysteine protease staphopain A to activate an apoptosis-like cell death characterized by cell contraction and membrane bleb formation. Phagosomal escape represents a prerequisite staphopain A-induced cell death, whereas bacterial intracellular replication is dispensable. Moreover, staphopain A contributed to efficient colonization of the lung in a murine pneumonia model. In conclusion, this work identified at least two independent cell death pathways activated by intracellular S. aureus. While initially staphopain A mediates S. aureus-induced host cell killing, cytosolic Ca2+-overload follows later and leads to the final demise of the host cell.}, subject = {Staphylococcus aureus}, language = {en} } @article{HesselbachSeegerSchilcheretal.2020, author = {Hesselbach, Hannah and Seeger, Johannes and Schilcher, Felix and Ankenbrand, Markus and Scheiner, Ricarda}, title = {Chronic exposure to the pesticide flupyradifurone can lead to premature onset of foraging in honeybees Apis mellifera}, series = {Journal of Applied Ecology}, volume = {57}, journal = {Journal of Applied Ecology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1111/1365-2664.13555}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212769}, pages = {609-618}, year = {2020}, abstract = {1.Honeybees Apis mellifera and other pollinating insects suffer from pesticides in agricultural landscapes. Flupyradifurone is the active ingredient of a novel pesticide by the name of 'Sivanto', introduced by Bayer AG (Crop Science Division, Monheim am Rhein, Germany). It is recommended against sucking insects and marketed as 'harmless' to honeybees. Flupyradifurone binds to nicotinergic acetylcholine receptors like neonicotinoids, but it has a different mode of action. So far, little is known on how sublethal flupyradifurone doses affect honeybees. 2. We chronically applied a sublethal and field-realistic concentration of flupyradifurone to test for long-term effects on flight behaviour using radio-frequency identification. We examined haematoxylin/eosin-stained brains of flupyradifurone-treated bees to investigate possible changes in brain morphology and brain damage. 3. A field-realistic flupyradifurone dose of approximately 1.0 μg/bee/day significantly increased mortality. Pesticide-treated bees initiated foraging earlier than control bees. No morphological damage in the brain was observed. 4. Synthesis and applications. The early onset of foraging induced by a chronical application of flupyradifurone could be disadvantageous for honeybee colonies, reducing the period of in-hive tasks and life expectancy of individuals. Radio-frequency identification technology is a valuable tool for studying pesticide effects on lifetime foraging behaviour of insects.}, language = {en} } @article{ThornChaoBernhardtRoemermannetal.2020, author = {Thorn, Simon and Chao, Anne and Bernhardt-R{\"o}mermann, Markus and Chen, Yan-Han and Georgiev, Kostadin B. and Heibl, Christoph and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Sch{\"a}fer, Hanno and B{\"a}ssler, Claus}, title = {Rare species, functional groups, and evolutionary lineages drive successional trajectories in disturbed forests}, series = {Ecology}, volume = {101}, journal = {Ecology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.2949}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212378}, pages = {e02949}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Following natural disturbances, additional anthropogenic disturbance may alter community recovery by affecting the occurrences of species, functional groups, and evolutionary lineages. However, our understanding of whether rare, common, or dominant species, functional groups, or evolutionary lineages are most strongly affected by an additional disturbance, particularly across multiple taxa, is limited. Here, we used a generalized diversity concept based on Hill numbers to quantify the community differences of vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, wood-inhabiting fungi, saproxylic beetles, and birds in a storm-disturbed, experimentally salvage logged forest. Communities of all investigated species groups showed dissimilarities between logged and unlogged plots. Most species groups showed no significant changes in dissimilarities between logged and unlogged plots over the first seven years of succession, indicating a lack of community recovery. In general, the dissimilarities of communities were mainly driven by rare species. Convergence of dissimilarities occurred more often than divergence during the early stages of succession for rare species, indicating a major role in driving decreasing taxonomic dissimilarities between logged and unlogged plots over time. Trends in species dissimilarities only partially match the trends in dissimilarities of functional groups and evolutionary lineages, with little significant changes in successional trajectories. Nevertheless, common and dominant species contributed to a convergence of dissimilarities over time in the case of the functional dissimilarities of wood-inhabiting fungi. Our study shows that salvage logging following disturbances can alter successional trajectories in early stages of forest succession following natural disturbances. However, community changes over time may differ remarkably in different taxonomic groups and are best detected based on taxonomic, rather than functional or phylogenetic dissimilarities.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Spindler2020, author = {Spindler, Marie-Christin}, title = {Molecular architecture of meiotic multiprotein complexes}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21210}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212105}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Sexually reproducing organisms depend on meiosis for the generation of haploid, genetically diverse gametes to maintain genome stability and the potential to adapt to changing environments. Haploidization is achieved through two successive rounds of cell division after a single initial pre-meiotic DNA replication. Meiosis I segregates the homologous chromosomes, followed by the segregation of the sister chromatids in meiosis II. Genetic diversity is achieved through the process of recombination that de-scribes the exchange of genetic material between the maternal and paternal homolog. Recombination and the initial steps of haploidization are executed already early on in prophase I. Both essential processes depend on a variety of multiprotein complexes, such as the linker of nucleo- and cytoplasm (LINC) complex and the synaptonemal complex (SC). The structure of multiprotein complexes is adjusted according to their function, environment, and the forces they are subjected to. Coiled-coil domains typical in load-bearing proteins characterize the meiotic mechanotransducing LINC complexes. SCs resemble ladder-like structures that are highly conserved amongst eukaryotes, while the primary sequence of the proteins that form the complex display very little if any sequence homology. Despite the apparent significance of the structure to their function, little quantitative and topological data existed on the LINC complexes and the SC within their morphological context prior to the present work. Here, the molecular architecture of the meiotic telomere attachment site where LINC complexes reside and the SC have been analyzed in depth, mainly on the basis of electron microscope tomography derived 3D models complemented by super-resolution light microscopic acquisitions of the respective protein components.}, subject = {Meiose}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Lehmann2020, author = {Lehmann, Julian}, title = {Hochaufl{\"o}sende Fluoreszenzmikroskopie beleuchtet den Oligomerisierungsstatus pflanzlicher Membranproteine}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21176}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-211762}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {SLAC/SLAH Anionenkan{\"a}le, die zur Familie der langsamen Anionenkan{\"a}le geh{\"o}ren, repr{\"a}sentieren Schl{\"u}sselproteine in der pflanzlichen Stressantwort. Neben ihrer Aufgabe in Stresssituationen, ist eine Untergruppe der Kan{\"a}le f{\"u}r die Beladung der Leitgef{\"a}ße mit Nitrat und Chlorid in der Stele der Pflanzenwurzeln verantwortlich. Biophysikalische und pflanzenphysiologische Studien stellten heraus, dass vor Allem der Anionenkanal SLAH3 f{\"u}r die Beladung der Xylem Leitgef{\"a}ße mit Nitrat und Chlorid verantwortlich ist. Ihm zur Seite gestellt werden noch die elektrisch inaktiven Homologe SLAH1 und SLAH4 in der Wurzel exprimiert. Sie steuern die Aktivit{\"a}t von SLAH3 durch die Assemblierung zu SLAH1/SLAH3 oder SLAH3/SLAH4 Heteromeren. Neben der Kontrolle durch Heteromerisierungsereignisse, werden SLAH3 Homomere sehr spezifisch und schnell durch zytosolische Ans{\"a}uerung aktiviert. Obwohl bereits die Kristallstruktur des bakteriellen Homologs HiTehA zu pflanzlichen SLAC/SLAH Anionenkan{\"a}len bekannt ist, welche HiTehA als Trimer charakterisiert, sind die St{\"o}chiometrie und der Polymerisierungsgrad der pflanzlichen SLAC/SLAHs bisher noch unbekannt. Die Fluoreszenzmikroskopie umfasst viele etablierte Anwendungsmethoden, wie die konfokale Laserrastermikroskopie (CLSM), Techniken mit verbesserter Aufl{\"o}sung, wie die Mikroskopie mit strukturierter Beleuchtung (SIM) und hochaufl{\"o}sende Methoden, welche durch die Lokalisationsmikroskopie (z.B. dSTORM und PALM) oder die Expansionsmikroskopie (ExM) vertreten werden. Diese unterschiedlichen Mikroskopie-methoden erm{\"o}glichen neue Einblicke in die Organisation von Proteinen in biologischen Systemen, die bis auf die molekulare Ebene hinunterreichen. Insbesondere im Bereich der hochaufl{\"o}senden Fluoreszenzmikroskopie sind im Gegensatz zu tierischen Frage-stellungen bisher jedoch nur wenige Untersuchungen in pflanzlichen Geweben durchgef{\"u}hrt worden. Die Lokalisationsmikroskopie erm{\"o}glicht die Quantifizierung einzelner Molek{\"u}le in nativen Systemen und l{\"a}sst {\"u}berdies R{\"u}ckschl{\"u}sse auf den Polymerisierungsgrad von Proteinen zu. Da Poly- und Heteromerisierung von Proteinen oftmals mit der Funktionalit{\"a}t eines entsprechenden Proteins einhergeht, wie es bei den SLAC/SLAH Anionenkan{\"a}len der Fall ist, wurden in dieser Arbeit PALM Messungen zur Untersuchung des Polymerisierungsgrades und Interaktionsmuster der Anionenkan{\"a}le angewendet. Ferner wurden Expressionsmuster der SLAC/SLAHs untersucht und zudem Mikroskopieanwendungen im Pflanzengewebe etabliert und verbessert. In Bezug auf die Mikroskopieanwendungen konnten wir in Arabidopsis thaliana (At) Wurzeln die polare Verteilung von PIN Proteinen mittels SIM best{\"a}tigen und die gruppierte Verteilung in der Plasmamembran am Zellpol aufl{\"o}sen. In Wurzel-querschnitten war es m{\"o}glich, Zellw{\"a}nde zu vermessen, den Aufbau der Pflanzenwurzel mit den verschiedenen Zelltypen zu rekonstruieren und diesen in Zusammenhang mit Zellwanddicken zu bringen. Anhand dieser Aufnahmen ließ sich die Aufl{\"o}sungsgrenze eines SIM-Mikroskops bestimmen, weshalb diese Probe als Modellstruktur f{\"u}r Aufl{\"o}sungsanalysen, zur Kontrolle f{\"u}r die korrekte Bildverarbeitung bei hochaufl{\"o}sender Bildgebung und andere Fragestellungen empfohlen werden kann. F{\"u}r die Expansionsmikroskopie in pflanzlichen Proben konnten ein enzym- und ein denaturierungsbasiertes Pr{\"a}parationsprotokoll etabliert werden. Dabei wurden ganze At Setzlinge, Wurzelabschnitte und Blattst{\"u}cke gef{\"a}rbt, expandiert und mit zwei bis drei Mal verbesserter Aufl{\"o}sung bildlich dargestellt. In diesem Zusammenhang waren Aufnahmen ganzer Wurzel- und Blattproben mit beeindruckender Eindringtiefe und extrem geringem Hintergrundsignal m{\"o}glich. Zudem wurden die Daten kritisch betrachtet, Probleme aufgezeigt, gewebespezifische Ver{\"a}nderungen dargestellt und limitierende Faktoren f{\"u}r die ExM in Pflanzenproben thematisiert. Im Fokus dieser Arbeit stand die Untersuchung der SLAC/SLAH Proteine. SLAH2 wird in den Wurzeln vornehmlich in Endodermis- und Perizykelzellen exprimiert, was anhand verschiedener At SLAH2 YFP Mutanten untersucht werden konnte. Dies unterst{\"u}tzt die Annahme, dass SLAH2 bei der Beladung der Leitgef{\"a}ße mit Nitrat maßgeblich beteiligt ist. Es ist denkbar, dass SLAH2 ebenfalls eine wachstumsbeeinflussende Funktion {\"u}ber die Regulation von Nitratkonzentrationen zugeschrieben werden kann. Darauf deuten vor allem die verst{\"a}rkte Expression von SLAH2 im Bereich der Seitenwurzeln und die heterogene Expression in der Elongations-, Differenzierungs- und meristematischen Zone hin. Die Membranst{\"a}ndigkeit von SLAH4 konnte nachgewiesen werden und FRET FLIM Untersuchungen zeigten eine hohe Affinit{\"a}t von SLAH4 zu SLAH3, was die beiden Homologe als Interaktionspartner identifiziert. F{\"u}r die Bestimmung des Oligomerisierungsgrades mittels PALM wurden die pflanzlichen Anionenkan{\"a}le in tierischen COS7-Zellen exprimiert. Die elektrophysiologische Funktionalit{\"a}t der mEOS2-SLAC/SLAH-Konstrukte wurde mit Hilfe von Patch-Clamp-Versuchen in COS7-Zellen {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft. Um Expressionslevel, Membranst{\"a}ndigkeit und die Verteilung {\"u}ber die Membran der SLAC/SLAHs zu verifizieren, wurden dSTORM-Aufnahmen herangezogen Schließlich erm{\"o}glichten PALM-Aufnahmen die Bestimmung des Polymerisierungs-grades der SLAC/SLAH Anionenkan{\"a}le, die st{\"o}chiometrischen Ver{\"a}nderungen bei Heteromerisierung von SLAH3 mit SLAH1 oder SLAH4 und auch der Einfluss einer zytosolischer Ans{\"a}uerung auf den Polymerisierungsgrad von SLAH3 Homomeren. Zudem weisen die Oligomerisierungsanalysen von SLAH3 Mutanten darauf hin, dass die Aminos{\"a}uren Histidin His330 und His454 entscheidend an der pH sensitiven Regulierung von SLAH3 beteiligt sind. Durch die erhobenen Daten konnten also entscheidende, neue Erkenntnisse {\"u}ber die Regulationsmechanismen von pflanzlichen Anionenkan{\"a}len auf molekularer Ebene gewonnen werden: Unter Standardbedingungen liegen SLAC1, SLAH2 und SLAH3 haupts{\"a}chlich als Dimer vor. Auf eine zytosolische Ans{\"a}uerung reagiert ausschließlich SLAH3 mit einer signifikanten st{\"o}chiometrischen Ver{\"a}nderung und liegt im aktiven Zustand vor Allem als Monomer vor. Der Oligomerisierungsgrad von SLAC1 und SLAH2 bleibt hingegen bei einer zytosolischen Ans{\"a}uerung unver{\"a}ndert. Ferner kommt es bei der Interaktion von SLAH3 mit SLAH1 oder SLAH4 zur Formierung eines Heterodimers, welches unbeeinflusst durch den zytosolischen pH bleibt. Im Gegensatz dazu bleiben die elektrisch inaktiven Untereinheiten SLAH1 und SLAH4 monomerisch und assemblieren ganz spezifisch nur mit SLAH3. Die hochaufl{\"o}sende Fluoreszenz-mikroskopie, insbesondere PALM erlaubt es also Heteromerisierungsereignisse und {\"A}nderungen im Poylmerisierungsgrad von Membranproteinen wie den SLAC/SLAHs auf molekularer Ebene zu untersuchen und l{\"a}sst so R{\"u}ckschl{\"u}sse auf physiologische Ereignisse zu.}, subject = {Fluoreszenzmikroskopie}, language = {de} } @article{RequierJowanowitschKallniketal.2020, author = {Requier, Fabrice and Jowanowitsch, Kim K. and Kallnik, Katharina and Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf}, title = {Limitation of complementary resources affects colony growth, foraging behavior, and reproduction in bumble bees}, series = {Ecology}, volume = {101}, journal = {Ecology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1002/ecy.2946}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-211891}, pages = {e02946}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Resource availability in agricultural landscapes has been disturbed for many organisms, including pollinator species. Abundance and diversity in flower availability benefit bee populations; however, little is known about which of protein or carbohydrate resources may limit their growth and reproductive performance. Here, we test the hypothesis of complementary resource limitation using a supplemental feeding approach. We applied this assumption with bumble bees (Bombus terrestris), assuming that colony growth and reproductive performance should depend on the continuous supply of carbohydrates and proteins, through the foraging for nectar and pollen, respectively. We placed wild-caught bumble bee colonies along a landscape gradient of seminatural habitats, and monitored the colonies' weight, foraging activity, and reproductive performance during the whole colony cycle. We performed supplemental feeding as an indicator of landscape resource limitation, using a factorial design consisting of the addition of sugar water (carbohydrate, supplemented or not) crossed by pollen (protein, supplemented or not). Bumble bee colony dynamics showed a clear seasonal pattern with a period of growth followed by a period of stagnation. Higher abundance of seminatural habitats resulted in reducing the proportion of pollen foragers relative to all foragers in both periods, and in improving the reproductive performance of bumble bees. Interestingly, the supplemental feeding of sugar water positively affected the colony weight during the stagnation period, and the supplemental feeding of pollen mitigated the landscape effect on pollen collection investment. Single and combined supplementation of sugar water and pollen increased the positive effect of seminatural habitats on reproductive performance. This study reveals a potential colimitation in pollen and nectar resources affecting foraging behavior and reproductive performance in bumble bees, and indicates that even in mixed agricultural landscapes with higher proportions of seminatural habitats, bumble bee populations face resource limitations. We conclude that the seasonal management of floral resources must be considered in conservation to support bumble bee populations and pollination services in farmlands.}, language = {en} } @article{RuedenauerRaubenheimerKessnerBeierleinetal.2020, author = {Ruedenauer, Fabian A. and Raubenheimer, David and Kessner-Beierlein, Daniela and Grund-Mueller, Nils and Noack, Lisa and Spaethe, Johannes and Leonhardt, Sara D.}, title = {Best be(e) on low fat: linking nutrient perception, regulation and fitness}, series = {Ecology Letters}, volume = {23}, journal = {Ecology Letters}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1111/ele.13454}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-208709}, pages = {545-554}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Preventing malnutrition through consuming nutritionally appropriate resources represents a challenge for foraging animals. This is due to often high variation in the nutritional quality of available resources. Foragers consequently need to evaluate different food sources. However, even the same food source can provide a plethora of nutritional and non-nutritional cues, which could serve for quality assessment. We show that bumblebees, Bombus terrestris , overcome this challenge by relying on lipids as nutritional cue when selecting pollen. The bees 'prioritised' lipid perception in learning experiments and avoided lipid consumption in feeding experiments, which supported survival and reproduction. In contrast, survival and reproduction were severely reduced by increased lipid contents. Our study highlights the importance of fat regulation for pollen foraging bumblebees. It also reveals that nutrient perception, nutrient regulation and reproductive fitness can be linked, which represents an effective strategy enabling quick foraging decisions that prevent malnutrition and maximise fitness.}, language = {en} } @article{AuerHuegelschaefferFischeretal.2020, author = {Auer, Daniela and H{\"u}gelsch{\"a}ffer, Sophie D. and Fischer, Annette B. and Rudel, Thomas}, title = {The chlamydial deubiquitinase Cdu1 supports recruitment of Golgi vesicles to the inclusion}, series = {Cellular Microbiology}, volume = {22}, journal = {Cellular Microbiology}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1111/cmi.13136}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-208675}, pages = {e13136}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Chlamydia trachomatis is the main cause of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. As obligate intracellular bacteria Chlamydia replicate in a membrane bound vacuole called inclusion and acquire nutrients for growth and replication from their host cells. However, like all intracellular bacteria, Chlamydia have to prevent eradication by the host's cell autonomous system. The chlamydial deubiquitinase Cdu1 is secreted into the inclusion membrane, facing the host cell cytosol where it deubiquitinates cellular proteins. Here we show that inactivation of Cdu1 causes a growth defect of C. trachomatis in primary cells. Moreover, ubiquitin and several autophagy receptors are recruited to the inclusion membrane of Cdu1-deficient Chlamydia . Interestingly, the growth defect of cdu1 mutants is not rescued when autophagy is prevented. We find reduced recruitment of Golgi vesicles to the inclusion of Cdu1 mutants indicating that vesicular trafficking is altered in bacteria without active deubiquitinase (DUB). Our work elucidates an important role of Cdu1 in the functional preservation of the chlamydial inclusion surface.}, language = {en} } @article{MayrPetersEardleyetal.2020, author = {Mayr, Antonia V. and Peters, Marcell K. and Eardley, Connal D. and Renner, Marion E. and R{\"o}der, Juliane and Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf}, title = {Climate and food resources shape species richness and trophic interactions of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera}, series = {Journal of Biogeography}, volume = {47}, journal = {Journal of Biogeography}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1111/jbi.13753}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-208101}, pages = {854-865}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Aim: Temperature, food resources and top-down regulation by antagonists are considered as major drivers of insect diversity, but their relative importance is poorly understood. Here, we used cavity-nesting communities of bees, wasps and their antagonists to reveal the role of temperature, food resources, parasitism rate and land use as drivers of species richness at different trophic levels along a broad elevational gradient. Location: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Taxon: Cavity-nesting Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae, Crabronidae, Sphecidae, Pompilidae, Vespidae). Methods: We established trap nests on 25 study sites that were distributed over similar large distances in terms of elevation along an elevational gradient from 866 to 1788 m a.s.l., including both natural and disturbed habitats. We quantified species richness and abundance of bees, wasps and antagonists, parasitism rates and flower or arthropod food resources. Data were analysed with generalized linear models within a multi-model inference framework. Results: Elevational species richness patterns changed with trophic level from monotonically declining richness of bees to increasingly humped-shaped patterns for caterpillar-hunting wasps, spider-hunting wasps and antagonists. Parasitism rates generally declined with elevation but were higher for wasps than for bees. Temperature was the most important predictor of both bee and wasp host richness patterns. Antagonist richness patterns were also well predicted by temperature, but in contrast to host richness patterns, additionally by resource abundance and diversity. The conversion of natural habitats through anthropogenic land use, which included biomass removal, agricultural inputs, vegetation structure and percentage of surrounding agricultural habitats, had no significant effects on bee and wasp communities. Main conclusions: Our study underpins the importance of temperature as a main driver of diversity gradients in ectothermic organisms and reveals the increasingly important role of food resources at higher trophic levels. Higher parasitism rates at higher trophic levels and at higher temperatures indicated that the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down drivers of species richness change across trophic levels and may respond differently to future climate change.}, language = {en} }