@article{SchartlShenMaurusetal.2015, author = {Schartl, Manfred and Shen, Yingjia and Maurus, Katja and Walter, Ron and Tomlinson, Chad and Wilson, Richard K. and Postlethwait, John and Warren, Wesley C.}, title = {Whole body melanoma transcriptome response in medaka}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0143057}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144714}, pages = {e0143057}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The incidence of malignant melanoma continues to increase each year with poor prognosis for survival in many relapse cases. To reverse this trend, whole body response measures are needed to discover collaborative paths to primary and secondary malignancy. Several species of fish provide excellent melanoma models because fish and human melanocytes both appear in the epidermis, and fish and human pigment cell tumors share conserved gene expression signatures. For the first time, we have examined the whole body transcriptome response to invasive melanoma as a prelude to using transcriptome profiling to screen for drugs in a medaka (Oryzias latipes) model. We generated RNA-seq data from whole body RNA isolates for controls and melanoma fish. After testing for differential expression, 396 genes had significantly different expression (adjusted p-value <0.02) in the whole body transcriptome between melanoma and control fish; 379 of these genes were matched to human orthologs with 233 having annotated human gene symbols and 14 matched genes that contain putative deleterious variants in human melanoma at varying levels of recurrence. A detailed canonical pathway evaluation for significant enrichment showed the top scoring pathway to be antigen presentation but also included the expected melanocyte development and pigmentation signaling pathway. Results revealed a profound down-regulation of genes involved in the immune response, especially the innate immune system. We hypothesize that the developing melanoma actively suppresses the immune system responses of the body in reacting to the invasive malignancy, and that this mal-adaptive response contributes to disease progression, a result that suggests our whole-body transcriptomic approach merits further use. In these findings, we also observed novel genes not yet identified in human melanoma expression studies and uncovered known and new candidate drug targets for further testing in this malignant melanoma medaka model.}, language = {en} } @article{BakhtiarizadehHosseinpourShahhoseinietal.2018, author = {Bakhtiarizadeh, Mohammad Reza and Hosseinpour, Batool and Shahhoseini, Maryam and Korte, Arthur and Gifani, Peyman}, title = {Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of endometriosis and identification of functional modules associated with its main hallmarks}, series = {Frontiers in Genetics}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Genetics}, number = {453}, doi = {10.3389/fgene.2018.00453}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177376}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Although many genes have been identified using high throughput technologies in endometriosis (ES), only a small number of individual genes have been analyzed functionally. This is due to the complexity of the disease that has different stages and is affected by various genetic and environmental factors. Many genes are upregulated or downregulated at each stage of the disease, thus making it difficult to identify key genes. In addition, little is known about the differences between the different stages of the disease. We assumed that the study of the identified genes in ES at a system-level can help to better understand the molecular mechanism of the disease at different stages of the development. We used publicly available microarray data containing archived endometrial samples from women with minimal/mild endometriosis (MMES), mild/severe endometriosis (MSES) and without endometriosis. Using weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA), functional modules were derived from normal endometrium (NEM) as the reference sample. Subsequently, we tested whether the topology or connectivity pattern of the modules was preserved in MMES and/or MSES. Common and specific hub genes were identified in non-preserved modules. Accordingly, hub genes were detected in the non-preserved modules at each stage. We identified sixteen co-expression modules. Of the 16 modules, nine were non-preserved in both MMES and MSES whereas five were preserved in NEM, MMES, and MSES. Importantly, two non-preserved modules were found in either MMES or MSES, highlighting differences between the two stages of the disease. Analyzing the hub genes in the non-preserved modules showed that they mostly lost or gained their centrality in NEM after developing the disease into MMES and MSES. The same scenario was observed, when the severeness of the disease switched from MMES to MSES. Interestingly, the expression analysis of the new selected gene candidates including CC2D2A, AEBP1, HOXB6, IER3, and STX18 as well as IGF-1, CYP11A1 and MMP-2 could validate such shifts between different stages. The overrepresented gene ontology (GO) terms were enriched in specific modules, such as genetic disposition, estrogen dependence, progesterone resistance and inflammation, which are known as endometriosis hallmarks. Some modules uncovered novel co-expressed gene clusters that were not previously discovered.}, language = {en} } @article{MuturiDreesenNilewskietal.2013, author = {Muturi, Harrison T. and Dreesen, Janine D. and Nilewski, Elena and Jastrow, Holger and Giebel, Bernd and Ergun, Suleyman and Singer, Berhard B.}, title = {Tumor and Endothelial Cell-Derived Microvesicles Carry Distinct CEACAMs and Influence T-Cell Behavior}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {9}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0074654}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128373}, pages = {e74654}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Normal and malignant cells release a variety of different vesicles into their extracellular environment. The most prominent vesicles are the microvesicles (MVs, 100-1 000 nm in diameter), which are shed of the plasma membrane, and the exosomes (70-120 nm in diameter), derivates of the endosomal system. MVs have been associated with intercellular communication processes and transport numerous proteins, lipids and RNAs. As essential component of immune-escape mechanisms tumor-derived MVs suppress immune responses. Additionally, tumor-derived MVs have been found to promote metastasis, tumor-stroma interactions and angiogenesis. Since members of the carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM)-family have been associated with similar processes, we studied the distribution and function of CEACAMs in MV fractions of different human epithelial tumor cells and of human and murine endothelial cells. Here we demonstrate that in association to their cell surface phenotype, MVs released from different human epithelial tumor cells contain CEACAM1, CEACAM5 and CEACAM6, while human and murine endothelial cells were positive for CEACAM1 only. Furthermore, MVs derived from CEACAM1 transfected CHO cells carried CEACAM1. In terms of their secretion kinetics, we show that MVs are permanently released in low doses, which are extensively increased upon cellular starvation stress. Although CEACAM1 did not transmit signals into MVs it served as ligand for CEACAM expressing cell types. We gained evidence that CEACAM1-positive MVs significantly increase the CD3 and CD3/CD28-induced T-cell proliferation. All together, our data demonstrate that MV-bound forms of CEACAMs play important roles in intercellular communication processes, which can modulate immune response, tumor progression, metastasis and angiogenesis.}, language = {en} } @article{AsoHerbOguetaetal.2012, author = {Aso, Yoshinori and Herb, Andrea and Ogueta, Maite and Siwanowicz, Igor and Templier, Thomas and Friedrich, Anja B. and Ito, Kei and Scholz, Henrike and Tanimoto, Hiromu}, title = {Three Dopamine Pathways Induce Aversive Odor Memories with Different Stability}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1002768}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130631}, pages = {e1002768}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Animals acquire predictive values of sensory stimuli through reinforcement. In the brain of Drosophila melanogaster, activation of two types of dopamine neurons in the PAM and PPL1 clusters has been shown to induce aversive odor memory. Here, we identified the third cell type and characterized aversive memories induced by these dopamine neurons. These three dopamine pathways all project to the mushroom body but terminate in the spatially segregated subdomains. To understand the functional difference of these dopamine pathways in electric shock reinforcement, we blocked each one of them during memory acquisition. We found that all three pathways partially contribute to electric shock memory. Notably, the memories mediated by these neurons differed in temporal stability. Furthermore, combinatorial activation of two of these pathways revealed significant interaction of individual memory components rather than their simple summation. These results cast light on a cellular mechanism by which a noxious event induces different dopamine signals to a single brain structure to synthesize an aversive memory.}, language = {en} } @article{KonradBurySchicketal.2015, author = {Konrad, Franziska M. and Bury, Annette and Schick, Martin A. and Ngamsri, Kristian-Christos and Reutershan, J{\"o}rg}, title = {The Unrecognized Effects of Phosphodiesterase 4 on Epithelial Cells in Pulmonary Inflammation}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0121725}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143203}, pages = {e0121725}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Acute pulmonary inflammation is characterized by migration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) into the different compartments of the lung, passing an endothelial and epithelial barrier. Recent studies showed evidence that phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4-inhibitors stabilized endothelial cells. PDE4B and PDE4D subtypes play a pivotal role in inflammation, whereas blocking PDE4D is suspected to cause gastrointestinal side effects. We thought to investigate the particular role of the PDE4-inhibitors roflumilast and rolipram on lung epithelium. Acute pulmonary inflammation was induced by inhalation of LPS. PDE4-inhibitors were administered i.p. or nebulized after inflammation. The impact of PDE4-inhibitors on PMN migration was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Microvascular permeability, cytokine levels, and PDE4B and PDE4D expression were analyzed. In vivo, both PDE4-inhibitors decreased transendothelial and transepithelial migration even when administered after inflammation, whereas roflumilast showed a superior effect compared to rolipram on the epithelium. Both inhibitors decreased TNF\(\alpha\), IL6, and CXCL2/3. CXCL1, the strong PMN chemoattractant secreted by the epithelium, was significantly more reduced by roflumilast. In vitro assays with human epithelium also emphasized the pivotal role of roflumilast on the epithelium. Additionally, LPS-induced stress fibers, an essential requirement for a direct migration of PMNs into the alveolar space, were predominantly reduced by roflumilast. Expression of PDE4B and PDE4D were both increased in the lungs by LPS, PDE4-inhibitors decreased mainly PDE4B. The topical administration of PDE4-inhibitors was also effective in curbing down PMN migration, further highlighting the clinical potential of these compounds. In pulmonary epithelial cells, both subtypes were found coexistent around the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In these epithelial cells, LPS increased PDE4B and, to a lesser extend, PDE4D, whereas the effect of the inhibitors was prominent on the PDE4B subtype. In conclusion, we determined the pivotal role of the PDE4-inhibitor roflumilast on lung epithelium and emphasized its main effect on PDE4B in hyperinflammation.}, language = {en} } @article{WilleSchuemannWreeetal.2015, author = {Wille, Michael and Sch{\"u}mann, Antje and Wree, Andreas and Kreutzer, Michael and Glocker, Michael O. and Mutzbauer, Grit and Schmitt, Oliver}, title = {The Proteome Profiles of the Cerebellum of Juvenile, Adult and Aged Rats-An Ontogenetic Study}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {16}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, doi = {10.3390/ijms160921454}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151347}, pages = {21454 -- 21485}, year = {2015}, abstract = {In this study, we searched for proteins that change their expression in the cerebellum (Ce) of rats during ontogenesis. This study focuses on the question of whether specific proteins exist which are differentially expressed with regard to postnatal stages of development. A better characterization of the microenvironment and its development may result from these study findings. A differential two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis of the samples revealed that the number of proteins of the functional classes differed depending on the developmental stages. Especially members of the functional classes of biosynthesis, regulatory proteins, chaperones and structural proteins show the highest differential expression within the analyzed stages of development. Therefore, members of these functional protein groups seem to be involved in the development and differentiation of the Ce within the analyzed development stages. In this study, changes in the expression of proteins in the Ce at different postnatal developmental stages (postnatal days (P) 7, 90, and 637) could be observed. At the same time, an identification of proteins which are involved in cell migration and differentiation was possible. Especially proteins involved in processes of the biosynthesis and regulation, the dynamic organization of the cytoskeleton as well as chaperones showed a high amount of differentially expressed proteins between the analyzed dates.}, language = {en} } @article{RuckBittnerAfzalietal.2015, author = {Ruck, Tobias and Bittner, Stefan and Afzali, Ali Maisam and G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Glumm, Sarah and Kraft, Peter and Sommer, Claudia and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Preusse, Corinna and Stenzel, Werner and Wiendl, Heinz and Meuth, Sven G.}, title = {The NKG2D-IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to T-cell mediated pathology in inflammatory myopathies}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {6}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {41}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.6462}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-136047}, year = {2015}, abstract = {NKG2D is an activating receptor on T cells, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. T cells are critically involved in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and have been proposed as specific therapeutic targets. However, the mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated progressive muscle destruction in IIM remain to be elucidated. We here determined the involvement of the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway. Primary human myoblasts expressed NKG2D ligands, which were further upregulated upon inflammatory stimuli. In parallel, shedding of the soluble NKG2D ligand MICA (sMICA) decreased upon inflammation potentially diminishing inhibition of NKG2D signaling. Membrane-related expression of IL-15 by myoblasts induced differentiation of naive CD8\(^+\) T cells into highly activated, cytotoxic \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cells demonstrating NKG2D-dependent lysis of myoblasts in vitro. \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cell frequencies were increased in the peripheral blood of polymyositis (PM) patients and correlated with serum creatinine kinase concentrations, while serum sMICA levels were not significantly changed. In muscle biopsy specimens from PM patients expression of the NKG2D ligand MICA/B was upregulated, IL-15 was expressed by muscle cells, CD68\(^+\) macrophages as well as CD4\(^+\) T cells, and \(CD8^+NKG2D^+\) cells were frequently detected within inflammatory infiltrates arguing for a local signaling circuit in the inflammatory muscle milieu. In conclusion, the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to progressive muscle destruction in IIM potentially opening new therapeutic avenues.}, language = {en} } @article{GarciaMartinezBrunkAvalosetal.2015, author = {Garc{\´i}a-Mart{\´i}nez, Jorge and Brunk, Michael and Avalos, Javier and Terpitz, Ulrich}, title = {The CarO rhodopsin of the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is a light-driven proton pump that retards spore germination}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {7798}, doi = {10.1038/srep07798}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-149049}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Rhodopsins are membrane-embedded photoreceptors found in all major taxonomic kingdoms using retinal as their chromophore. They play well-known functions in different biological systems, but their roles in fungi remain unknown. The filamentous fungus Fusarium fujikuroi contains two putative rhodopsins, CarO and OpsA. The gene carO is light-regulated, and the predicted polypeptide contains all conserved residues required for proton pumping. We aimed to elucidate the expression and cellular location of the fungal rhodopsin CarO, its presumed proton-pumping activity and the possible effect of such function on F. fujikuroi growth. In electrophysiology experiments we confirmed that CarO is a green-light driven proton pump. Visualization of fluorescent CarO-YFP expressed in F. fujikuroi under control of its native promoter revealed higher accumulation in spores (conidia) produced by light-exposed mycelia. Germination analyses of conidia from carO\(^{-}\) mutant and carO\(^{+}\) control strains showed a faster development of light-exposed carO-germlings. In conclusion, CarO is an active proton pump, abundant in light-formed conidia, whose activity slows down early hyphal development under light. Interestingly, CarO-related rhodopsins are typically found in plant-associated fungi, where green light dominates the phyllosphere. Our data provide the first reliable clue on a possible biological role of a fungal rhodopsin.}, language = {en} } @article{RovitusoDuffySchroeteretal.2015, author = {Rovituso, Damiano M. and Duffy, Catharina E. and Schroeter, Michael and Kaiser, Claudia C. and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Bayas, Antonios and Elsner, Rebecca and Kuerten, Stefanie}, title = {The brain antigen-specific B cell response correlates with glatiramer acetate responsiveness in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {14265}, doi = {10.1038/srep14265}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148172}, year = {2015}, abstract = {B cells have only recently begun to attract attention in the immunopathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Suitable markers for the prediction of treatment success with immunomodulatory drugs are still missing. Here we evaluated the B cell response to brain antigens in n = 34 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients treated with glatiramer acetate (GA) using the enzyme-linked immunospot technique (ELISPOT). Our data demonstrate that patients can be subdivided into responders that show brain-specific B cell reactivity in the blood and patients without this reactivity. Only in patients that classified as B cell responders, there was a significant positive correlation between treatment duration and the time since last relapse in our study. This correlation was GA-specific because it was absent in a control group that consisted of interferon-\(\beta\) (IFN-\(\beta\))-treated RRMS patients (n = 23). These data suggest that GA has an effect on brain-reactive B cells in a subset of patients and that only this subset benefits from treatment. The detection of brain-reactive B cells is likely to be a suitable tool to identify drug responders.}, language = {en} } @article{RonchiLeichSbieraetal.2012, author = {Ronchi, Cristina L. and Leich, Ellen and Sbiera, Silviu and Weismann, Dirk and Rosenwald, Andreas and Allolio, Bruno and Fassnacht, Martin}, title = {Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Microarray Analysis in Cortisol-Secreting Adrenocortical Adenomas Identifies New Candidate Genes and Pathways}, series = {Neoplasia}, volume = {14}, journal = {Neoplasia}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1593/neo.111758}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134953}, pages = {206}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The genetic mechanisms underlying adrenocortical tumor development are still largely unknown. We used high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays (Affymetrix SNP 6.0) to detect copy number alterations (CNAs) and copy-neutral losses of heterozygosity (cnLOH) in 15 cortisol-secreting adrenocortical adenomas with matched blood samples. We focused on microalterations aiming to discover new candidate genes involved in early tumorigenesis and/or autonomous cortisol secretion. We identified 962 CNAs with a median of 18 CNAs per sample. Half of them involved noncoding regions, 89\% were less than 100 kb, and 28\% were found in at least two samples. The most frequently gained regions were 5p15.33, 6q16.1, 7p22.3-22.2, 8q24.3, 9q34.2-34.3, 11p15.5, 11q11, 12q12, 16q24.3, 20p11.1-20q21.11, and Xq28 (>= 20\% of cases), most of them being identified in the same three adenomas. These regions contained among others genes like NOTCH1, CYP11B2, HRAS, and IGF2. Recurrent losses were less common and smaller than gains, being mostly localized at 1p, 6q, and 11q. Pathway analysis revealed that Notch signaling was the most frequently altered. We identified 46 recurrent CNAs that each affected a single gene (31 gains and 15 losses), including genes involved in steroidogenesis (CYP11B1) or tumorigenesis (CTNNB1, EPHA7, SGK1, STIL, FHIT). Finally, 20 small cnLOH in four cases affecting 15 known genes were found. Our findings provide the first high-resolution genome-wide view of chromosomal changes in cortisol-secreting adenomas and identify novel candidate genes, such as HRAS, EPHA7, and SGK1. Furthermore, they implicate that the Notch1 signaling pathway might be involved in the molecular pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors.}, language = {en} } @article{GirschickWolfMorbachetal.2015, author = {Girschick, Hermann and Wolf, Christine and Morbach, Henner and Hertzberg, Christoph and Lee-Kirsch, Min Ae}, title = {Severe immune dysregulation with neurological impairment and minor bone changes in a child with spondyloenchondrodysplasia due to two novel mutations in the ACP5 gene}, series = {Pediatric Rheumatology}, volume = {13}, journal = {Pediatric Rheumatology}, number = {37}, doi = {10.1186/s12969-015-0035-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-149990}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Spondyloenchondrodysplasia (SPENCD) is a rare skeletal dysplasia, characterized by metaphyseal lesions, neurological impairment and immune dysregulation associated with lupus-like features. SPENCD is caused by biallelic mutations in the ACP5 gene encoding tartrate-resistant phosphatase. We report on a child, who presented with spasticity, multisystem inflammation, autoimmunity and immunodeficiency with minimal metaphyseal changes due to compound heterozygosity for two novel ACP5 mutations. These findings extend the phenotypic spectrum of SPENCD and indicate that ACP5 mutations can cause severe immune dysregulation and neurological impairment even in the absence of metaphyseal dysplasia.}, language = {en} } @article{VolceanovHerbstBiniosseketal.2014, author = {Volceanov, Larisa and Herbst, Katharina and Biniossek, Martin and Schilling, Oliver and Haller, Dirk and N{\"o}lke, Thilo and Subbarayal, Prema and Rudel, Thomas and Zieger, Barbara and H{\"a}cker, Georg}, title = {Septins Arrange F-Actin-Containing Fibers on the Chlamydia trachomatis Inclusion and Are Required for Normal Release of the Inclusion by Extrusion}, series = {MBIO}, volume = {5}, journal = {MBIO}, number = {5}, issn = {2150-7511}, doi = {10.1128/mBio.01802-14}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115421}, pages = {e01802-14}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular human pathogen that grows inside a membranous, cytosolic vacuole termed an inclusion. Septins are a group of 13 GTP-binding proteins that assemble into oligomeric complexes and that can form higher-order filaments. We report here that the septins SEPT2, -9, -11, and probably -7 form fibrillar structures around the chlamydial inclusion. Colocalization studies suggest that these septins combine with F actin into fibers that encase the inclusion. Targeting the expression of individual septins by RNA interference (RNAi) prevented the formation of septin fibers as well as the recruitment of actin to the inclusion. At the end of the developmental cycle of C. trachomatis, newly formed, infectious elementary bodies are released, and this release occurs at least in part through the organized extrusion of intact inclusions. RNAi against SEPT9 or against the combination of SEPT2/7/9 substantially reduced the number of extrusions from a culture of infected HeLa cells. The data suggest that a higher-order structure of four septins is involved in the recruitment or stabilization of the actin coat around the chlamydial inclusion and that this actin recruitment by septins is instrumental for the coordinated egress of C. trachomatis from human cells. The organization of F actin around parasite-containing vacuoles may be a broader response mechanism of mammalian cells to the infection by intracellular, vacuole-dwelling pathogens. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is a frequent bacterial pathogen throughout the world, causing mostly eye and genital infections. C. trachomatis can develop only inside host cells; it multiplies inside a membranous vacuole in the cytosol, termed an inclusion. The inclusion is covered by cytoskeletal "coats" or "cages," whose organization and function are poorly understood. We here report that a relatively little-characterized group of proteins, septins, is required to organize actin fibers on the inclusion and probably through actin the release of the inclusion. Septins are a group of GTP-binding proteins that can organize into heteromeric complexes and then into large filaments. Septins have previously been found to be involved in the interaction of the cell with bacteria in the cytosol. Our observation that they also organize a reaction to bacteria living in vacuoles suggests that they have a function in the recognition of foreign compartments by a parasitized human cell.}, language = {en} } @article{MakgotlhoMarincolaSchaeferetal.2013, author = {Makgotlho, Phuti E. and Marincola, Gabriella and Sch{\"a}fer, Daniel and Liu, Quian and Bae, Taeok and Geiger, Tobias and Wasserman, Elizabeth and Wolz, Christine and Ziebuhr, Wilma and Sinha, Bhanu}, title = {SDS Interferes with SaeS Signaling of Staphylococcus aureus Independently of SaePQ}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {8}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0071644}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128469}, pages = {e71644}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The Staphylococcus aureus regulatory saePQRS system controls the expression of numerous virulence factors, including extracellular adherence protein (Eap), which amongst others facilitates invasion of host cells. The saePQRS operon codes for 4 proteins: the histidine kinase SaeS, the response regulator SaeR, the lipoprotein SaeP and the transmembrane protein SaeQ. S. aureus strain Newman has a single amino acid substitution in the transmembrane domain of SaeS (L18P) which results in constitutive kinase activity. SDS was shown to be one of the signals interfering with SaeS activity leading to inhibition of the sae target gene eap in strains with SaeS(L) but causing activation in strains containing SaeS(P). Here, we analyzed the possible involvement of the SaeP protein and saePQ region in SDS-mediated sae/eap expression. We found that SaePQ is not needed for SDS-mediated SaeS signaling. Furthermore, we could show that SaeS activity is closely linked to the expression of Eap and the capacity to invade host cells in a number of clinical isolates. This suggests that SaeS activity might be directly modulated by structurally non-complex environmental signals, as SDS, which possibly altering its kinase/phosphatase activity.}, language = {en} } @article{ZukherNovikovaTikhonovetal.2014, author = {Zukher, Inna and Novikova, Maria and Tikhonov, Anton and Nesterchuk, Mikhail V. and Osterman, Ilya A. and Djordjevic, Marko and Sergiev, Petr V. and Sharma, Cynthia M. and Severinov, Konstantin}, title = {Ribosome-controlled transcription termination is essential for the production of antibiotic microcin C}, series = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {42}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, number = {19}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gku880}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114839}, pages = {11891-11902}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Microcin C (McC) is a peptide-nucleotide antibiotic produced by Escherichia coli cells harboring a plasmid-borne operon mccABCDE. The heptapeptide MccA is converted into McC by adenylation catalyzed by the MccB enzyme. Since MccA is a substrate for MccB, a mechanism that regulates the MccA/MccB ratio likely exists. Here, we show that transcription from a promoter located upstream of mccA directs the synthesis of two transcripts: a short highly abundant transcript containing the mccA ORF and a longer minor transcript containing mccA and downstream ORFs. The short transcript is generated when RNA polymerase terminates transcription at an intrinsic terminator located in the intergenic region between the mccA and mccB genes. The function of this terminator is strongly attenuated by upstream mcc sequences. Attenuation is relieved and transcription termination is induced when ribosome binds to the mccA ORF. Ribosome binding also makes the mccA RNA exceptionally stable. Together, these two effects-ribosome induced transcription termination and stabilization of the message-account for very high abundance of the mccA transcript that is essential for McC production. The general scheme appears to be evolutionary conserved as ribosome-induced transcription termination also occurs in a homologous operon from Helicobacter pylori.}, language = {en} } @article{FeldheimKesslerSchmittetal.2020, author = {Feldheim, Jonas and Kessler, Almuth F. and Schmitt, Dominik and Salvador, Ellaine and Monoranu, Camelia M. and Feldheim, Julia J. and Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo and L{\"o}hr, Mario and Hagemann, Carsten}, title = {Ribosomal Protein S27/Metallopanstimulin-1 (RPS27) in Glioma — A New Disease Biomarker?}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {12}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {5}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers12051085}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203648}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Despite its significant overexpression in several malignant neoplasms, the expression of RPS27 in the central nervous system (CNS) is widely unknown. We identified the cell types expressing RPS27 in the CNS under normal and disease conditions. We acquired specimens of healthy brain (NB), adult pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) World Health Organization (WHO) grade I, anaplastic PA WHO grade III, gliomas WHO grade II/III with or without isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). RPS27 protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and double-fluorescence staining and its mRNA expression quantified by RT-PCR. Patients' clinical and tumor characteristics were collected retrospectively. RPS27 protein was specifically expressed in tumor cells and neurons, but not in healthy astrocytes. In tumor tissue, most macrophages were positive, while this was rarely the case in inflamed tissue. Compared to NB, RPS27 mRNA was in mean 6.2- and 8.8-fold enhanced in gliomas WHO grade II/III with (p < 0.01) and without IDH mutation (p = 0.01), respectively. GBM displayed a 4.6-fold increased mean expression (p = 0.02). Although RPS27 expression levels did not affect the patients' survival, their association with tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages provides a rationale for a future investigation of a potential function during gliomagenesis and tumor immune response.}, language = {en} } @article{LvZhangZhuetal.2015, author = {Lv, Xiaoqun and Zhang, Lingyun and Zhu, Yanyan and Said, Harun M. and Shi, Jimin and Xu, Guoxiong}, title = {Regulative effect of Nampt on tumor progression and cell viability in human colorectal cancer}, series = {Journal of Cancer}, volume = {6}, journal = {Journal of Cancer}, number = {9}, doi = {10.7150/jca.12341}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144516}, pages = {849-858}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer disease. Here we examined Nampt expression in patients with CRC and the effect of Nampt on cell viability in CRC cells. Nampt protein was overexpressed in colorectal adenoma as well as colorectal carcinoma. The immunoreactive staining of Nampt was negative in the adjacent normal colorectal tissue, weak in colorectal adenoma, and strong in colorectal carcinoma, which may represent tumor progression. Further evaluation of clinical data showed that Nampt expression was not correlated with the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC. Additionally, our in vitro studies demonstrated that Nampt promotes CRC cell viability, whereas the Nampt inhibitor FK866 suppressed CRC cell viability, which was in concordance with the previous studies in other cancer cells. Treatment with Nampt-siRNA reduced the Nampt protein expression resulting in the inhibition of the cell viability of HCT116 and Caco2. Thus, the involvement of Nampt in cell growth indicates that Nampt may play an important role in colorectal tumorigenesis. As a consequence, our results suggest that Nampt may be considered as a progression marker of colorectal tumor and a potentially therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.}, language = {en} } @article{RicoYepesRodriguezetal.2014, author = {Rico, Sergio and Yepes, Ana and Rodriguez, Hector and Santamaria, Jorge and Antoraz, Sergio and Krause, Eva M. and Diaz, Margarita and Santamaria, Ramon I.}, title = {Regulation of the AbrA1/A2 Two-Component System in Streptomyces coelicolor and the Potential of Its Deletion Strain as a Heterologous Host for Antibiotic Production}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {10}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0109844}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115151}, pages = {e109844}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The Two-Component System (TCS) AbrA1/A2 from Streptomyces coelicolor M145 is a negative regulator of antibiotic production and morphological differentiation. In this work we show that it is able to auto-regulate its expression, exerting a positive induction of its own operon promoter, and that its activation is dependent on the presence of iron. The overexpression of the abrA2 response regulator (RR) gene in the mutant DabrA1/A2 results in a toxic phenotype. The reason is an excess of phosphorylated AbrA2, as shown by phosphoablative and phosphomimetic AbrA2 mutants. Therefore, non-cognate histidine kinases (HKs) or small phospho-donors may be responsible for AbrA2 phosphorylation in vivo. The results suggest that in the parent strain S. coelicolor M145 the correct amount of phosphorylated AbrA2 is adjusted through the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation activity rate of the HK AbrA1. Furthermore, the ABC transporter system, which is part of the four-gene operon comprising AbrA1/A2, is necessary to de-repress antibiotic production in the TCS null mutant. Finally, in order to test the possible biotechnological applications of the DabrA1/A2 strain, we demonstrate that the production of the antitumoral antibiotic oviedomycin is duplicated in this strain as compared with the production obtained in the wild type, showing that this strain is a good host for heterologous antibiotic production. Thus, this genetically modified strain could be interesting for the biotechnology industry.}, language = {en} } @article{FeldheimWendLaueretal.2022, author = {Feldheim, Jonas and Wend, David and Lauer, Mara J. and Monoranu, Camelia M. and Glas, Martin and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo and Braunger, Barbara M. and Meybohm, Patrick and Hagemann, Carsten and Burek, Malgorzata}, title = {Protocadherin Gamma C3 (PCDHGC3) is strongly expressed in glioblastoma and its high expression is associated with longer progression-free survival of patients}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {23}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {15}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms23158101}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284433}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Protocadherins (PCDHs) belong to the cadherin superfamily and represent the largest subgroup of calcium-dependent adhesion molecules. In the genome, most PCDHs are arranged in three clusters, α, β, and γ on chromosome 5q31. PCDHs are highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Several PCDHs have tumor suppressor functions, but their individual role in primary brain tumors has not yet been elucidated. Here, we examined the mRNA expression of PCDHGC3, a member of the PCDHγ cluster, in non-cancerous brain tissue and in gliomas of different World Health Organization (WHO) grades and correlated it with the clinical data of the patients. We generated a PCDHGC3 knockout U343 cell line and examined its growth rate and migration in a wound healing assay. We showed that PCDHGC3 mRNA and protein were significantly overexpressed in glioma tissue compared to a non-cancerous brain specimen. This could be confirmed in glioma cell lines. High PCDHGC3 mRNA expression correlated with longer progression-free survival (PFS) in glioma patients. PCDHGC3 knockout in U343 resulted in a slower growth rate but a significantly faster migration rate in the wound healing assay and decreased the expression of several genes involved in WNT signaling. PCDHGC3 expression should therefore be further investigated as a PFS-marker in gliomas. However, more studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the PCDHGC3 effects.}, language = {en} } @article{ZhaoZhangBhuripanyoetal.2013, author = {Zhao, Bo and Zhang, Keya and Bhuripanyo, Karan and Choi, Chan Hee J. and Villhauer, Eric B. and Li, Heng and Zheng, Ning and Kiyokawa, Hiroaki and Schindelin, Hermann and Yin, Jun}, title = {Profiling the Cross Reactivity of Ubiquitin with the Nedd8 Activating Enzyme by Phage Display}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {e70312}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0070312}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128479}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The C-terminal peptides of ubiquitin (UB) and UB-like proteins (UBLs) play a key role in their recognition by the specific activating enzymes (E1s) to launch their transfer through the respective enzymatic cascades thus modifying cellular proteins. UB and Nedd8, a UBL regulating the activity of cullin-RING UB ligases, only differ by one residue at their C-termini; yet each has its specific E1 for the activation reaction. It has been reported recently that UAE can cross react with Nedd8 to enable its passage through the UB transfer cascade for protein neddylation. To elucidate differences in UB recognition by UAE and NAE, we carried out phage selection of a UB library with randomized C-terminal sequences based on the catalytic formation of UB similar to NAE thioester conjugates. Our results confirmed the previous finding that residue 72 of UB plays a "gate-keeping" role in E1 selectivity. We also found that diverse sequences flanking residue 72 at the UB C-terminus can be accommodated by NAE for activation. Furthermore heptameric peptides derived from the C-terminal sequences of UB variants selected for NAE activation can function as mimics of Nedd8 to form thioester conjugates with NAE and the downstream E2 enzyme Ubc12 in the Nedd8 transfer cascade. Once the peptides are charged onto the cascade enzymes, the full-length Nedd8 protein is effectively blocked from passing through the cascade for the critical modification of cullin. We have thus identified a new class of inhibitors of protein neddylation based on the profiles of the UB C-terminal sequences recognized by NAE.}, language = {en} } @article{FellerThomKochetal.2013, author = {Feller, Tatjana and Thom, Pascal and Koch, Natalie and Spiegel, Holger and Addai-Mensah, Otchere and Fischer, Rainer and Reimann, Andreas and Pradel, Gabriele and Fendel, Rolf and Schillberg, Stefan and Scheuermayer, Matthias and Schinkel, Helga}, title = {Plant-Based Production of Recombinant Plasmodium Surface Protein Pf38 and Evaluation of its Potential as a Vaccine Candidate}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {11}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0079920}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128221}, pages = {e79920}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Pf38 is a surface protein of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we produced and purified recombinant Pf38 and a fusion protein composed of red fluorescent protein and Pf38 (RFP-Pf38) using a transient expression system in the plant Nicotiana benthamiana. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the production of recombinant Pf38. To verify the quality of the recombinant Pf38, plasma from semi-immune African donors was used to confirm specific binding to Pf38. ELISA measurements revealed that immune responses to Pf38 in this African subset were comparable to reactivities to AMA-1 and \(MSP1_{19}\). Pf38 and RFP-Pf38 were successfully used to immunise mice, although titres from these mice were low (on average 1:11.000 and 1:39.000, respectively). In immune fluorescence assays, the purified IgG fraction from the sera of immunised mice recognised Pf38 on the surface of schizonts, gametocytes, macrogametes and zygotes, but not sporozoites. Growth inhibition assays using \(\alpha Pf38\) antibodies demonstrated strong inhibition \((\geq 60 \\% ) \) of the growth of blood-stage P. falciparum. The development of zygotes was also effectively inhibited by \(\alpha Pf38\) antibodies, as determined by the zygote development assay. Collectively, these results suggest that Pf38 is an interesting candidate for the development of a malaria vaccine.}, language = {en} } @article{TuChenLimetal.2012, author = {Tu, Xiaolin and Chen, Jianquan and Lim, Joohyun and Karner, Courtney M. and Lee, Seung-Yon and Heisig, Julia and Wiese, Cornelia and Surendran, Kameswaran and Kopan, Raphael and Gessler, Manfred and Long, Fanxin}, title = {Physiological Notch Signaling Maintains Bone Homeostasis via RBPjk and Hey Upstream of NFATc1}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1002577}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-133490}, pages = {e1002577}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Notch signaling between neighboring cells controls many cell fate decisions in metazoans both during embryogenesis and in postnatal life. Previously, we uncovered a critical role for physiological Notch signaling in suppressing osteoblast differentiation in vivo. However, the contribution of individual Notch receptors and the downstream signaling mechanism have not been elucidated. Here we report that removal of Notch2, but not Notch1, from the embryonic limb mesenchyme markedly increased trabecular bone mass in adolescent mice. Deletion of the transcription factor RBPjk, a mediator of all canonical Notch signaling, in the mesenchymal progenitors but not the more mature osteoblast-lineage cells, caused a dramatic high-bone-mass phenotype characterized by increased osteoblast numbers, diminished bone marrow mesenchymal progenitor pool, and rapid age-dependent bone loss. Moreover, mice deficient in Hey1 and HeyL, two target genes of Notch-RBPjk signaling, exhibited high bone mass. Interestingly, Hey1 bound to and suppressed the NFATc1 promoter, and RBPjk deletion increased NFATc1 expression in bone. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of NFAT alleviated the high-bone-mass phenotype caused by RBPjk deletion. Thus, Notch-RBPjk signaling functions in part through Hey1-mediated inhibition of NFATc1 to suppress osteoblastogenesis, contributing to bone homeostasis in vivo.}, language = {en} } @article{BeckerRauSchmittetal.2015, author = {Becker, Philip P. and Rau, Monika and Schmitt, Johannes and Malsch, Carolin and Hammer, Christian and Bantel, Heike and M{\"u}llhaupt, Beat and Geier, Andreas}, title = {Performance of serum microRNAs -122, -192 and -21 as biomarkers in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0142661}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145147}, pages = {e0142661}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Objectives Liver biopsies are the current gold standard in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) diagnosis. Their invasive nature, however, still carries an increased risk for patients' health. The development of non-invasive diagnostic tools to differentiate between bland steatosis (NAFL) and NASH remains crucial. The aim of this study is the evaluation of investigated circulating microRNAs in combination with new targets in order to optimize the discrimination of NASH patients by non-invasive serum biomarkers. Methods Serum profiles of four microRNAs were evaluated in two cohorts consisting of 137 NAFLD patients and 61 healthy controls. In a binary logistic regression model microRNAs of relevance were detected. Correlation of microRNA appearance with known biomarkers like ALT and CK18-Asp396 was evaluated. A simplified scoring model was developed, combining the levels of microRNA in circulation and CK18-Asp396 fragments. Receiver operating characteristics were used to evaluate the potential of discriminating NASH. Results The new finding of our study is the different profile of circulating miR-21 in NASH patients (p<0.0001). Also, it validates recently published results of miR-122 and miR-192 to be differentially regulated in NAFL and NASH. Combined microRNA expression profiles with CK18-Asp396 fragment level scoring model had a higher potential of NASH prediction compared to other risk biomarkers (AUROC = 0.83, 95\% CI = 0.754-0.908; p<0.001). Evaluation of score model for NAFL (Score = 0) and NASH (Score = 4) had shown high rates of sensitivity (91\%) and specificity (83\%). Conclusions Our study defines candidates for a combined model of miRNAs and CK18-Asp396 levels relevant as a promising expansion for diagnosis and in turn treatment of NASH.}, language = {en} } @article{DavisYuKeenanetal.2013, author = {Davis, Lea K. and Yu, Dongmei and Keenan, Clare L. and Gamazon, Eric R. and Konkashbaev, Anuar I. and Derks, Eske M. and Neale, Benjamin M. and Yang, Jian and Lee, S. Hong and Evans, Patrick and Barr, Cathy L. and Bellodi, Laura and Benarroch, Fortu and Berrio, Gabriel Bedoya and Bienvenu, Oscar J. and Bloch, Michael H. and Blom, Rianne M. and Bruun, Ruth D. and Budman, Cathy L. and Camarena, Beatriz and Campbell, Desmond and Cappi, Carolina and Cardona Silgado, Julio C. and Cath, Danielle C. and Cavallini, Maria C. and Chavira, Denise A. and Chouinard, Sylvian and Conti, David V. and Cook, Edwin H. and Coric, Vladimir and Cullen, Bernadette A. and Deforce, Dieter and Delorme, Richard and Dion, Yves and Edlund, Christopher K. and Egberts, Karin and Falkai, Peter and Fernandez, Thomas V. and Gallagher, Patience J. and Garrido, Helena and Geller, Daniel and Girard, Simon L. and Grabe, Hans J. and Grados, Marco A. and Greenberg, Benjamin D. and Gross-Tsur, Varda and Haddad, Stephen and Heiman, Gary A. and Hemmings, Sian M. J. and Hounie, Ana G. and Illmann, Cornelia and Jankovic, Joseph and Jenike, Micheal A. and Kennedy, James L. and King, Robert A. and Kremeyer, Barbara and Kurlan, Roger and Lanzagorta, Nuria and Leboyer, Marion and Leckman, James F. and Lennertz, Leonhard and Liu, Chunyu and Lochner, Christine and Lowe, Thomas L. and Macciardi, Fabio and McCracken, James T. and McGrath, Lauren M. and Restrepo, Sandra C. Mesa and Moessner, Rainald and Morgan, Jubel and Muller, Heike and Murphy, Dennis L. and Naarden, Allan L. and Ochoa, William Cornejo and Ophoff, Roel A. and Osiecki, Lisa and Pakstis, Andrew J. and Pato, Michele T. and Pato, Carlos N. and Piacentini, John and Pittenger, Christopher and Pollak, Yehunda and Rauch, Scott L. and Renner, Tobias J. and Reus, Victor I. and Richter, Margaret A. and Riddle, Mark A. and Robertson, Mary M. and Romero, Roxana and Ros{\`a}rio, Maria C. and Rosenberg, David and Rouleau, Guy A. and Ruhrmann, Stephan and Ruiz-Linares, Andreas and Sampaio, Aline S. and Samuels, Jack and Sandor, Paul and Sheppard, Broke and Singer, Harvey S. and Smit, Jan H. and Stein, Dan J. and Strengman, E. and Tischfield, Jay A. and Valencia Duarte, Ana V. and Vallada, Homero and Van Nieuwerburgh, Flip and Veenstra-VanderWeele, Jeremy and Walitza, Susanne and Wang, Ying and Wendland, Jens R. and Westenberg, Herman G. M. and Shugart, Yin Yao and Miguel, Euripedes C. and McMahon, William and Wagner, Michael and Nicolini, Humberto and Posthuma, Danielle and Hanna, Gregory L. and Heutink, Peter and Denys, Damiaan and Arnold, Paul D. and Oostra, Ben A. and Nestadt, Gerald and Freimer, Nelson B. and Pauls, David L. and Wray, Naomi R. and Stewart, S. Evelyn and Mathews, Carol A. and Knowles, James A. and Cox, Nancy J. and Scharf, Jeremiah M.}, title = {Partitioning the Heritability of Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Reveals Differences in Genetic Architecture}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {10}, issn = {1553-7390}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1003864}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-127377}, pages = {e1003864}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The direct estimation of heritability from genome-wide common variant data as implemented in the program Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) has provided a means to quantify heritability attributable to all interrogated variants. We have quantified the variance in liability to disease explained by all SNPs for two phenotypically-related neurobehavioral disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette Syndrome (TS), using GCTA. Our analysis yielded a heritability point estimate of 0.58 (se = 0.09, p = 5.64e-12) for TS, and 0.37 (se = 0.07, p = 1.5e-07) for OCD. In addition, we conducted multiple genomic partitioning analyses to identify genomic elements that concentrate this heritability. We examined genomic architectures of TS and OCD by chromosome, MAF bin, and functional annotations. In addition, we assessed heritability for early onset and adult onset OCD. Among other notable results, we found that SNPs with a minor allele frequency of less than 5\% accounted for 21\% of the TS heritability and 0\% of the OCD heritability. Additionally, we identified a significant contribution to TS and OCD heritability by variants significantly associated with gene expression in two regions of the brain (parietal cortex and cerebellum) for which we had available expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Finally we analyzed the genetic correlation between TS and OCD, revealing a genetic correlation of 0.41 (se = 0.15, p = 0.002). These results are very close to previous heritability estimates for TS and OCD based on twin and family studies, suggesting that very little, if any, heritability is truly missing (i.e., unassayed) from TS and OCD GWAS studies of common variation. The results also indicate that there is some genetic overlap between these two phenotypically-related neuropsychiatric disorders, but suggest that the two disorders have distinct genetic architectures.}, language = {en} } @article{ZadehKhorasaniNolteMuelleretal.2013, author = {Zadeh-Khorasani, Maryam and Nolte, Thomas and Mueller, Thomas D. and Pechlivanis, Markos and Rueff, Franziska and Wollenberg, Andreas and Fricker, Gert and Wolf, Eckhard and Siebeck, Matthias and Gropp, Roswitha}, title = {NOD-scid IL2R \(\gamma^{null}\) mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a model to test therapeutics targeting human signaling pathways}, series = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, volume = {11}, journal = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, number = {4}, issn = {1479-5876}, doi = {10.1186/1479-5876-11-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-122960}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background: Animal models of human inflammatory diseases have limited predictive quality for human clinical trials for various reasons including species specific activation mechanisms and the immunological background of the animals which markedly differs from the genetically heterogeneous and often aged patient population. Objective: Development of an animal model allowing for testing therapeutics targeting pathways involved in the development of Atopic Dermatitis (AD) with better translatability to the patient. Methods: NOD-scid IL2R \(\gamma^{null}\) mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC) derived from patients suffering from AD and healthy volunteers were treated with IL-4 and the antagonistic IL-4 variant R121/Y124D (Pitrakinra). Levels of human (h) IgE, amount of B-, T- and plasma-cells and ratio of CD4 : CD8 positive cells served as read out for induction and inhibition of cell proliferation and hIgE secretion. Results were compared to in vitro analysis. Results: hIgE secretion was induced by IL-4 and inhibited by the IL-4 antagonist Pitrakinra in vivo when formulated with methylcellulose. B-cells proliferated in response to IL-4 in vivo; the effect was abrogated by Pitrakinra. IL-4 shifted CD4 : CD8 ratios in vitro and in vivo when hPBMC derived from healthy volunteers were used. Pitrakinra reversed the effect. Human PBMC derived from patients with AD remained inert and engrafted mice reflected the individual responses observed in vitro. Conclusion: NOD-scid IL2R \(\gamma^{null}\) mice engrafted with human PBMC reflect the immunological history of the donors and provide a complementary tool to in vitro studies. Thus, studies in this model might provide data with better translatability from bench to bedside.}, language = {en} } @article{NeuhausSchlundtFehrholzetal.2015, author = {Neuhaus, Winfried and Schlundt, Marian and Fehrholz, Markus and Ehrke, Alexander and Kunzmann, Steffen and Liebner, Stefan and Speer, Christian P. and F{\"o}rster, Carola Y.}, title = {Multiple antenatal dexamethasone treatment alters brain vessel differentiation in newborn mouse pups}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0136221}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148268}, pages = {e0136221}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Antenatal steroid treatment decreases morbidity and mortality in premature infants through the maturation of lung tissue, which enables sufficient breathing performance. However, clinical and animal studies have shown that repeated doses of glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and betamethasone lead to long-term adverse effects on brain development. Therefore, we established a mouse model for antenatal dexamethasone treatment to investigate the effects of dexamethasone on brain vessel differentiation towards the blood-brain barrier (BBB) phenotype, focusing on molecular marker analysis. The major findings were that in total brains on postnatal day (PN) 4 triple antenatal dexamethasone treatment significantly downregulated the tight junction protein claudin-5, the endothelial marker Pecam-1/CD31, the glucocorticoid receptor, the NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, and Abc transporters (Abcb1a, Abcg2 Abcc4). Less pronounced effects were found after single antenatal dexamethasone treatment and in PN10 samples. Comparisons of total brain samples with isolated brain endothelial cells together with the stainings for Pecam-1/CD31 and claudin-5 led to the assumption that the morphology of brain vessels is affected by antenatal dexamethasone treatment at PN4. On the mRNA level markers for angiogenesis, the sonic hedgehog and the Wnt pathway were downregulated in PN4 samples, suggesting fundamental changes in brain vascularization and/or differentiation. In conclusion, we provided a first comprehensive molecular basis for the adverse effects of multiple antenatal dexamethasone treatment on brain vessel differentiation.}, language = {en} } @article{KellerLeidingerVogeletal.2014, author = {Keller, Andreas and Leidinger, Petra and Vogel, Britta and Backes, Christina and ElSharawy, Abdou and Galata, Valentina and Mueller, Sabine C. and Marquart, Sabine and Schrauder, Michael G. and Strick, Reiner and Bauer, Andrea and Wischhusen, J{\"o}rg and Beier, Markus and Kohlhaas, Jochen and Katus, Hugo A. and Hoheisel, J{\"o}rg and Franke, Andre and Meder, Benjamin and Meese, Eckart}, title = {miRNAs can be generally associated with human pathologies as exemplified for miR-144*}, series = {BMC MEDICINE}, volume = {12}, journal = {BMC MEDICINE}, issn = {1741-7015}, doi = {10.1186/s12916-014-0224-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114349}, pages = {224}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: miRNA profiles are promising biomarker candidates for a manifold of human pathologies, opening new avenues for diagnosis and prognosis. Beyond studies that describe miRNAs frequently as markers for specific traits, we asked whether a general pattern for miRNAs across many diseases exists. Methods: We evaluated genome-wide circulating profiles of 1,049 patients suffering from 19 different cancer and non-cancer diseases as well as unaffected controls. The results were validated on 319 individuals using qRT-PCR. Results: We discovered 34 miRNAs with strong disease association. Among those, we found substantially decreased levels of hsa-miR-144* and hsa-miR-20b with AUC of 0.751 ( 95\% CI: 0.703-0.799), respectively. We also discovered a set of miRNAs, including hsa-miR-155*, as rather stable markers, offering reasonable control miRNAs for future studies. The strong downregulation of hsa-miR-144* and the less variable pattern of hsa-miR-155* has been validated in a cohort of 319 samples in three different centers. Here, breast cancer as an additional disease phenotype not included in the screening phase has been included as the 20th trait. Conclusions: Our study on 1,368 patients including 1,049 genome-wide miRNA profiles and 319 qRT-PCR validations further underscores the high potential of specific blood-borne miRNA patterns as molecular biomarkers. Importantly, we highlight 34 miRNAs that are generally dysregulated in human pathologies. Although these markers are not specific to certain diseases they may add to the diagnosis in combination with other markers, building a specific signature. Besides these dysregulated miRNAs, we propose a set of constant miRNAs that may be used as control markers.}, language = {en} } @article{WhisnantJuergesHennigetal.2020, author = {Whisnant, Adam W. and J{\"u}rges, Christopher S. and Hennig, Thomas and Wyler, Emanuel and Prusty, Bhupesh and Rutkowski, Andrzej J. and L'hernault, Anne and Djakovic, Lara and G{\"o}bel, Margarete and D{\"o}ring, Kristina and Menegatti, Jennifer and Antrobus, Robin and Matheson, Nicholas J. and K{\"u}nzig, Florian W. H. and Mastrobuoni, Guido and Bielow, Chris and Kempa, Stefan and Liang, Chunguang and Dandekar, Thomas and Zimmer, Ralf and Landthaler, Markus and Gr{\"a}sser, Friedrich and Lehner, Paul J. and Friedel, Caroline C. and Erhard, Florian and D{\"o}lken, Lars}, title = {Integrative functional genomics decodes herpes simplex virus 1}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {11}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-15992-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229884}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The predicted 80 open reading frames (ORFs) of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) have been intensively studied for decades. Here, we unravel the complete viral transcriptome and translatome during lytic infection with base-pair resolution by computational integration of multi-omics data. We identify a total of 201 transcripts and 284 ORFs including all known and 46 novel large ORFs. This includes a so far unknown ORF in the locus deleted in the FDA-approved oncolytic virus Imlygic. Multiple transcript isoforms expressed from individual gene loci explain translation of the vast majority of ORFs as well as N-terminal extensions (NTEs) and truncations. We show that NTEs with non-canonical start codons govern the subcellular protein localization and packaging of key viral regulators and structural proteins. We extend the current nomenclature to include all viral gene products and provide a genome browser that visualizes all the obtained data from whole genome to single-nucleotide resolution. Here, using computational integration of multi-omics data, the authors provide a detailed transcriptome and translatome of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), including previously unidentified ORFs and N-terminal extensions. The study also provides a HSV-1 genome browser and should be a valuable resource for further research.}, language = {en} } @article{KernAgarwalHuberetal.2014, author = {Kern, Selina and Agarwal, Shruti and Huber, Kilian and Gehring, Andre P. and Str{\"o}dke, Benjamin and Wirth, Christine C. and Br{\"u}gl, Thomas and Abodo, Liane Onambele and Dandekar, Thomas and Doerig, Christian and Fischer, Rainer and Tobin, Andrew B. and Alam, Mahmood M. and Bracher, Franz and Pradel, Gabriele}, title = {Inhibition of the SR Protein-Phosphorylating CLK Kinases of Plasmodium falciparum Impairs Blood Stage Replication and Malaria Transmission}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {9}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0105732}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115405}, pages = {e105732}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinases (CLKs) are dual specificity protein kinases that phosphorylate Serine/Arginine-rich (SR) proteins involved in pre-mRNA processing. Four CLKs, termed PfCLK-1-4, can be identified in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which show homology with the yeast SR protein kinase Sky1p. The four PfCLKs are present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the asexual blood stages and of gametocytes, sexual precursor cells crucial for malaria parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes. We identified three plasmodial SR proteins, PfSRSF12, PfSFRS4 and PfSF-1, which are predominantly present in the nucleus of blood stage trophozoites, PfSRSF12 and PfSF-1 are further detectable in the nucleus of gametocytes. We found that recombinantly expressed SR proteins comprising the Arginine/Serine (RS)-rich domains were phosphorylated by the four PfCLKs in in vitro kinase assays, while a recombinant PfSF-1 peptide lacking the RS-rich domain was not phosphorylated. Since it was hitherto not possible to knock-out the pfclk genes by conventional gene disruption, we aimed at chemical knock-outs for phenotype analysis. We identified five human CLK inhibitors, belonging to the oxo-beta-carbolines and aminopyrimidines, as well as the antiseptic chlorhexidine as PfCLK-targeting compounds. The six inhibitors block P. falciparum blood stage replication in the low micromolar to nanomolar range by preventing the trophozoite-to-schizont transformation. In addition, the inhibitors impair gametocyte maturation and gametogenesis in in vitro assays. The combined data show that the four PfCLKs are involved in phosphorylation of SR proteins with essential functions for the blood and sexual stages of the malaria parasite, thus pointing to the kinases as promising targets for antimalarial and transmission blocking drugs.}, language = {en} } @article{NolteZadehKhorasaniSafarovetal.2013, author = {Nolte, Thomas and Zadeh-Khorasani, Maryam and Safarov, Orkhan and Rueff, Franziska and Varga, Rita and Herbach, Nadja and Wanke, R{\"u}diger and Wollenberg, Andreas and Mueller, Thomas and Gropp, Roswitha and Wolf, Eckhard and Siebeck, Matthias}, title = {Induction of oxazolone-mediated features of atopic dermatitis in NOD-scid IL2R \(γ^{null}\) mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells}, series = {Disease Models \& Mechanisms}, volume = {6}, journal = {Disease Models \& Mechanisms}, doi = {10.1242/dmm.009167}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-122189}, pages = {125-134}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Animal models mimicking human diseases have been used extensively to study the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and the efficacy of potential therapeutics. They are, however, limited with regard to their similarity to the human disease and cannot be used if the antagonist and its cognate receptor require high similarity in structure or binding. Here, we examine the induction of oxazolone-mediated features of atopic dermatitis (AD) in NOD-scid IL2R \(γ^{null}\) mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The mice developed the same symptoms as immunocompetent BALB/c mice. Histological alterations induced by oxazolone were characterized by keratosis, epithelial hyperplasia and influx of inflammatory cells into the dermis and epidermis. The cellular infiltrate was identified as human leukocytes, with T cells being the major constituent. In addition, oxazolone increased human serum IgE levels. The response, however, required the engraftment of PBMC derived from patients suffering from AD, which suggests that this model reflects the immunological status of the donor. Taken together, the model described here has the potential to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutics targeting human lymphocytes in vivo and, in addition, might be developed further to elucidate molecular mechanisms inducing and sustaining flares of the disease.}, language = {en} } @article{RamachandranSchirmerMuenstetal.2015, author = {Ramachandran, Sarada Devi and Schirmer, Katharina and M{\"u}nst, Bernhard and Heinz, Stefan and Ghafoory, Shahrouz and W{\"o}lfl, Stefan and Simon-Keller, Katja and Marx, Alexander and {\O}ie, Cristina Ionica and Ebert, Matthias P. and Walles, Heike and Braspenning, Joris and Breitkopf-Heinlein, Katja}, title = {In Vitro Generation of Functional Liver Organoid-Like Structures Using Adult Human Cells}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0139345}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139552}, pages = {e0139345}, year = {2015}, abstract = {In this study we used differentiated adult human upcyte (R) cells for the in vitro generation of liver organoids. Upcyte (R) cells are genetically engineered cell strains derived from primary human cells by lenti-viral transduction of genes or gene combinations inducing transient proliferation capacity (upcyte (R) process). Proliferating upcyte (R) cells undergo a finite number of cell divisions, i.e., 20 to 40 population doublings, but upon withdrawal of proliferation stimulating factors, they regain most of the cell specific characteristics of primary cells. When a defined mixture of differentiated human upcyte (R) cells (hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)) was cultured in vitro on a thick layer of Matrigel\(^{TM}\), they self-organized to form liver organoid-like structures within 24 hours. When further cultured for 10 days in a bioreactor, these liver organoids show typical functional characteristics of liver parenchyma including activity of cytochromes P450, CYP3A4, CYP2B6 and CYP2C9 as well as mRNA expression of several marker genes and other enzymes. In summary, we hereby describe that 3D functional hepatic structures composed of primary human cell strains can be generated in vitro. They can be cultured for a prolonged period of time and are potentially useful ex vivo models to study liver functions.}, language = {en} } @article{KumarNaumannAigneretal.2015, author = {Kumar, Praveen and Naumann, Ulrike and Aigner, Ludwig and Wischhusen, Joerg and Beier, Christoph P and Beier, Dagmar}, title = {Impaired TGF-β induced growth inhibition contributes to the increased proliferation rate of neural stem cells harboring mutant p53}, series = {American Journal of Cancer Research}, volume = {5}, journal = {American Journal of Cancer Research}, number = {11}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144262}, pages = {3436-3445}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Gliomas have been classified according to their histological properties. However, their respective cells of origin are still unknown. Neural progenitor cells (NPC) from the subventricular zone (SVZ) can initiate tumors in murine models of glioma and are likely cells of origin in the human disease. In both, p53 signaling is often functionally impaired which may contribute to tumor formation. Also, TGF-beta, which under physiological conditions exerts a strong control on the proliferation of NPCs in the SVZ, is a potent mitogen on glioma cells. Here, we approach on the crosstalk between p53 and TGF-beta by loss of function experiments using NPCs derived from p53 mutant mice, as well as pharmacological inhibition of TGF-beta signaling using TGF-beta receptor inhibitors. NPC derived from p53 mutant mice showed increased clonogenicity and more rapid proliferation than their wildtype counterparts. Further, NPC derived from p53\(^{mut/mut}\) mice were insensitive to TGF-beta induced growth arrest. Still, the canonical TGF-beta signaling pathway remained functional in the absence of p53 signaling and expression of key proteins as well as phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of SMAD2 were unaltered. TGF-beta-induced p21 expression could, in contrast, only be detected in p53\(^{wt/wt}\) but not in p53\(^{mut/mut}\) NPC. Conversely, inhibition of TGF-beta signaling using SB431542 increased proliferation of p53\(^{wt/wt}\) but not of p53\(^{mut/mut}\) NPC. In conclusion, our data suggest that the TGF-beta induced growth arrest in NPC depends on functional p53. Mutational inactivation of p53 hence contributes to increased proliferation of NPC and likely to the formation of hyperplasia of the SVZ observed in p53 deficient mice in vivo.}, language = {en} } @article{KleinBenchellalKleffetal.2013, author = {Klein, Diana and Benchellal, Mohamed and Kleff, Veronika and Jakob, Heinz G{\"u}nther and Erg{\"u}n, S{\"u}leyman}, title = {Hox genes are involved in vascular wall-resident multipotent stem cell differentiation into smooth muscle cells}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {3}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {2178}, doi = {10.1038/srep02178}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131496}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Human vascular wall-resident CD44+ multipotent stem cells (VW-MPSCs) within the vascular adventitia are capable to differentiate into pericytes and smooth muscle cells (SMC). This study demonstrates HOX-dependent differentiation of CD44(+) VW-MPSCs into SMC that involves epigenetic modification of transgelin as a down-stream regulated gene. First, HOXB7, HOXC6 and HOXC8 were identified to be differentially expressed in VW-MPSCs as compared to terminal differentiated human aortic SMC, endothelial cells and undifferentiated pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Silencing these HOX genes in VW-MPSCs significantly reduced their sprouting capacity and increased expression of the SMC markers transgelin and calponin and the histone gene histone H1. Furthermore, the methylation pattern of the TAGLN promoter was altered. In summary, our findings suggest a role for certain HOX genes in regulating differentiation of human VW-MPSC into SMCs that involves epigenetic mechanisms. This is critical for understanding VW-MPSC-dependent vascular disease processes such as neointima formation and tumor vascularization.}, language = {en} } @article{DembekBarquistBoinettetal.2015, author = {Dembek, Marcin and Barquist, Lars and Boinett, Christine J. and Cain, Amy K. and Mayho, Matthew and Lawley, Trevor D. and Fairweather, Neil F. and Fagan, Robert P.}, title = {High-throughput analysis of gene essentiality and sporulation in Clostridium difficile}, series = {mBio}, volume = {6}, journal = {mBio}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1128/mBio.02383-14}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143745}, pages = {e02383-14}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated intestinal infections and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Infection with C. difficile requires disruption of the intestinal microbiota, most commonly by antibiotic usage. Therapeutic intervention largely relies on a small number of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which further exacerbate intestinal dysbiosis and leave the patient acutely sensitive to reinfection. Development of novel targeted therapeutic interventions will require a detailed knowledge of essential cellular processes, which represent attractive targets, and species-specific processes, such as bacterial sporulation. Our knowledge of the genetic basis of C. difficile infection has been hampered by a lack of genetic tools, although recent developments have made some headway in addressing this limitation. Here we describe the development of a method for rapidly generating large numbers of transposon mutants in clinically important strains of C. difficile. We validated our transposon mutagenesis approach in a model strain of C. difficile and then generated a comprehensive transposon library in the highly virulent epidemic strain R20291 (027/BI/NAP1) containing more than 70,000 unique mutants. Using transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS), we have identified a core set of 404 essential genes, required for growth in vitro. We then applied this technique to the process of sporulation, an absolute requirement for C. difficile transmission and pathogenesis, identifying 798 genes that are likely to impact spore production. The data generated in this study will form a valuable resource for the community and inform future research on this important human pathogen.}, language = {en} } @article{PaligeLindeMartinetal.2013, author = {Palige, Katja and Linde, J{\"o}rg and Martin, Ronny and B{\"o}ttcher, Bettina and Citiulo, Francesco and Sullivan, Derek J. and Weber, Johann and Staib, Claudia and Rupp, Steffen and Hube, Bernhard and Morschh{\"a}user, Joachim and Staib, Peter}, title = {Global Transcriptome Sequencing Identifies Chlamydospore Specific Markers in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0061940}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131007}, pages = {e61940}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are pathogenic fungi that are highly related but differ in virulence and in some phenotypic traits. During in vitro growth on certain nutrient-poor media, C. albicans and C. dubliniensis are the only yeast species which are able to produce chlamydospores, large thick-walled cells of unknown function. Interestingly, only C. dubliniensis forms pseudohyphae with abundant chlamydospores when grown on Staib medium, while C. albicans grows exclusively as a budding yeast. In order to further our understanding of chlamydospore development and assembly, we compared the global transcriptional profile of both species during growth in liquid Staib medium by RNA sequencing. We also included a C. albicans mutant in our study which lacks the morphogenetic transcriptional repressor Nrg1. This strain, which is characterized by its constitutive pseudohyphal growth, specifically produces masses of chlamydospores in Staib medium, similar to C. dubliniensis. This comparative approach identified a set of putatively chlamydospore-related genes. Two of the homologous C. albicans and C. dubliniensis genes (CSP1 and CSP2) which were most strongly upregulated during chlamydospore development were analysed in more detail. By use of the green fluorescent protein as a reporter, the encoded putative cell wall related proteins were found to exclusively localize to C. albicans and C. dubliniensis chlamydospores. Our findings uncover the first chlamydospore specific markers in Candida species and provide novel insights in the complex morphogenetic development of these important fungal pathogens.}, language = {en} } @article{AgostonLiHaslingeretal.2012, author = {Agoston, Zsuzsa and Li, Naixin and Haslinger, Anja and Wizenmann, Andrea and Schulte, Dorothea}, title = {Genetic and physical interaction of Meis2, Pax3 and Pax7 during dorsal midbrain development}, series = {BMC Developmental Biology}, volume = {12}, journal = {BMC Developmental Biology}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1186/1471-213X-12-10}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-132626}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Background: During early stages of brain development, secreted molecules, components of intracellular signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators act in positive and negative feed-back or feed-forward loops at the mid-hindbrain boundary. These genetic interactions are of central importance for the specification and subsequent development of the adjacent mid-and hindbrain. Much less, however, is known about the regulatory relationship and functional interaction of molecules that are expressed in the tectal anlage after tectal fate specification has taken place and tectal development has commenced. Results: Here, we provide experimental evidence for reciprocal regulation and subsequent cooperation of the paired-type transcription factors Pax3, Pax7 and the TALE-homeodomain protein Meis2 in the tectal anlage. Using in ovo electroporation of the mesencephalic vesicle of chick embryos we show that (i) Pax3 and Pax7 mutually regulate each other's expression in the mesencephalic vesicle, (ii) Meis2 acts downstream of Pax3/7 and requires balanced expression levels of both proteins, and (iii) Meis2 physically interacts with Pax3 and Pax7. These results extend our previous observation that Meis2 cooperates with Otx2 in tectal development to include Pax3 and Pax7 as Meis2 interacting proteins in the tectal anlage. Conclusion: The results described here suggest a model in which interdependent regulatory loops involving Pax3 and Pax7 in the dorsal mesencephalic vesicle modulate Meis2 expression. Physical interaction with Meis2 may then confer tectal specificity to a wide range of otherwise broadly expressed transcriptional regulators, including Otx2, Pax3 and Pax7.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Adenugba2021, author = {Adenugba, Akinbami Raphael}, title = {Functional analysis of the gene organization of the pneumoviral attachment protein G}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-12814}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128146}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The putative attachment protein G of pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), a member of the Pneumoviruses, is an important virulence factor with so far ambiguous function in a virus-cell as well as in virus-host context. The sequence of the corresponding G gene is characterized by significant heterogeneity between and even within strains, affecting the gene and possibly the protein structure. This accounts in particular for the PVM strain J3666 for which two differing G gene organizations have been described: a polymorphism in nucleotide 65 of the G gene results in the presence of an upstream open reading frame (uORF) that precedes the main ORF in frame (GJ366665A) or extension of the major G ORF for 18 codons (GJ366665U). Therefore, this study was designed to analyse the impact of the sequence variations in the respective G genes of PVM strains J3666 and the reference strain 15 on protein expression, replication and virulence. First, the controversy regarding the consensus sequence of PVM J3666 was resolved. The analysis of 45 distinct cloned fragments showed that the strain separated into two distinct virus populations defined by the sequence and structure of the G gene. This division was further supported by nucleotide polymorphisms in the neighbouring M and SH genes. Sequential passage of this mixed strain in the cell line standardly used for propagation of virus stocks resulted in selection for the GJ366665A-containing population in one of two experiments pointing towards a moderate replicative advantage. The replacement of the G gene of the recombinant PVM 15 with GJ366665A or GJ366665U, respectively, using a reverse genetic approach indicated that the presence of uORF within the GJ366665A significantly reduced the expression of the main G ORF on translational level while the potential extension of the ORF in GJ366665U increased G protein expression. In comparison, the effect of the G gene-structure on virus replication was inconsistent and dependent on cell line and type. While the presence of uORF correlated with a replication advantage in the standardly used BHK-21 cells and primary murine embryonic fibroblasts, replication in the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 did not. In comparison, the GJ366665U variant was not associated with any effect on replication in cultured cells at all. Nonetheless, in-vivo analysis of the recombinant viruses associated the GJ366665U gene variant, and hence an increased G expression, with higher virulence whereas the GJ366665A gene, and therefore an impaired G expression, conferred an attenuated phenotype to the virus. To extend the study to other G gene organizations, a recombinant PVM expressing a G protein without the cytoplasmic domain and for comparison a G-deletion mutant, both known to be attenuated in vivo, were studied. Not noticed before, this structure of the G gene was associated with a 75\% reduction in G protein expression and a significant attenuation of replication in macrophage-like cells. This attenuation was even more prominent for the virus lacking G. Taking into consideration the higher reduction in G protein levels compared to the GJ366665A variant indicates that a threshold amount of G is required for efficient replication in these cells. In conclusion, the results gathered indicated that the expression levels of the G protein were modulated by the sequence of the 5' untranslated region of the gene. At the same time the G protein levels modulated the virulence of PVM.}, subject = {G glycoprotein}, language = {en} } @article{CoxLimpensVlesvandenHoveetal.2014, author = {Cox-Limpens, Kimberly E. M. and Vles, Johan S. H. and van den Hove, Daniel L. A. and Zimmermann, Luc Ji and Gavilanes, Antonio W. D.}, title = {Fetal asphyctic preconditioning alters the transcriptional response to perinatal asphyxia}, series = {BMC Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, journal = {BMC Neuroscience}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2202-15-67}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-116185}, pages = {67}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: Genomic reprogramming is thought to be, at least in part, responsible for the protective effect of brain preconditioning. Unraveling mechanisms of this endogenous neuroprotection, activated by preconditioning, is an important step towards new clinical strategies for treating asphyctic neonates. Therefore, we investigated whole-genome transcriptional changes in the brain of rats which underwent perinatal asphyxia (PA), and rats where PA was preceded by fetal asphyctic preconditioning (FAPA). Offspring were sacrificed 6 h and 96 h after birth, and whole-genome transcription was investigated using the Affymetrix Gene1.0ST chip. Microarray data were analyzed with the Bioconductor Limma package. In addition to univariate analysis, we performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) in order to derive results with maximum biological relevance. Results: We observed minimal, 25\% or less, overlap of differentially regulated transcripts across different experimental groups which leads us to conclude that the transcriptional phenotype of these groups is largely unique. In both the PA and FAPA group we observe an upregulation of transcripts involved in cellular stress. Contrastingly, transcripts with a function in the cell nucleus were mostly downregulated in PA animals, while we see considerable upregulation in the FAPA group. Furthermore, we observed that histone deacetylases (HDACs) are exclusively regulated in FAPA animals. Conclusions: This study is the first to investigate whole-genome transcription in the neonatal brain after PA alone, and after perinatal asphyxia preceded by preconditioning (FAPA). We describe several genes/pathways, such as ubiquitination and proteolysis, which were not previously linked to preconditioning-induced neuroprotection. Furthermore, we observed that the majority of upregulated genes in preconditioned animals have a function in the cell nucleus, including several epigenetic players such as HDACs, which suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are likely to play a role in preconditioning-induced neuroprotection.}, language = {en} } @article{WeiderWegenerSchmittetal.2015, author = {Weider, Matthias and Wegener, Am{\´e}lie and Schmitt, Christian and K{\"u}spert, Melanie and Hillg{\"a}rtner, Simone and B{\"o}sl, Michael R. and Hermans-Borgmeyer, Irm and Nait-Oumesmar, Brahim and Wegner, Michael}, title = {Elevated in vivo levels of a single transcription factor directly convert satellite glia into oligodendrocyte-like cells}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1005008}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-144123}, pages = {e1005008}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating glia of the central nervous system and ensure rapid saltatory conduction. Shortage or loss of these cells leads to severe malfunctions as observed in human leukodystrophies and multiple sclerosis, and their replenishment by reprogramming or cell conversion strategies is an important research aim. Using a transgenic approach we increased levels of the transcription factor Sox10 throughout the mouse embryo and thereby prompted Fabp7-positive glial cells in dorsal root ganglia of the peripheral nervous system to convert into cells with oligodendrocyte characteristics including myelin gene expression. These rarely studied and poorly characterized satellite glia did not go through a classic oligodendrocyte precursor cell stage. Instead, Sox10 directly induced key elements of the regulatory network of differentiating oligodendrocytes, including Olig2, Olig1, Nkx2.2 and Myrf. An upstream enhancer mediated the direct induction of the Olig2 gene. Unlike Sox10, Olig2 was not capable of generating oligodendrocyte-like cells in dorsal root ganglia. Our findings provide proof-of-concept that Sox10 can convert conducive cells into oligodendrocyte-like cells in vivo and delineates options for future therapeutic strategies.}, language = {en} } @article{HohoffGorjiKaiseretal.2013, author = {Hohoff, Christa and Gorji, Ali and Kaiser, Sylvia and Willscher, Edith and Korsching, Eberhard and Ambr{\´e}e, Oliver and Arolt, Volker and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Sachser, Norbert and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Lewejohann, Lars}, title = {Effect of Acute Stressor and Serotonin Transporter Genotype on Amygdala First Wave Transcriptome in Mice}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0058880}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131040}, pages = {e58880}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The most prominent brain region evaluating the significance of external stimuli immediately after their onset is the amygdala. Stimuli evaluated as being stressful actuate a number of physiological processes as an immediate stress response. Variation in the serotonin transporter gene has been associated with increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior, altered stress reactivity and adaptation, and pathophysiology of stress-related disorders. In this study the instant reactions to an acute stressor were measured in a serotonin transporter knockout mouse model. Mice lacking the serotonin transporter were verified to be more anxious than their wild-type conspecifics. Genome-wide gene expression changes in the amygdala were measured after the mice were subjected to control condition or to an acute stressor of one minute exposure to water. The dissection of amygdalae and stabilization of RNA was conducted within nine minutes after the onset of the stressor. This extremely short protocol allowed for analysis of first wave primary response genes, typically induced within five to ten minutes of stimulation, and was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Arrays. RNA profiling revealed a largely new set of differentially expressed primary response genes between the conditions acute stress and control that differed distinctly between wild-type and knockout mice. Consequently, functional categorization and pathway analysis indicated genes related to neuroplasticity and adaptation in wild-types whereas knockouts were characterized by impaired plasticity and genes more related to chronic stress and pathophysiology. Our study therefore disclosed different coping styles dependent on serotonin transporter genotype even directly after the onset of stress and accentuates the role of the serotonergic system in processing stressors and threat in the amygdala. Moreover, several of the first wave primary response genes that we found might provide promising targets for future therapeutic interventions of stress-related disorders also in humans.}, language = {en} } @article{HarterBernatzScholzetal.2015, author = {Harter, Patrick N. and Bernatz, Simon and Scholz, Alexander and Zeiner, Pia S. and Zinke, Jenny and Kiyose, Makoto and Blasel, Stella and Beschorner, Rudi and Senft, Christian and Bender, Benjamin and Ronellenfitsch, Michael W. and Wikman, Harriet and Glatzel, Markus and Meinhardt, Matthias and Juratli, Tareq A. and Steinbach, Joachim P. and Plate, Karl H. and Wischhusen, J{\"o}rg and Weide, Benjamin and Mittelbronn, Michel}, title = {Distribution and prognostic relevance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoints in human brain metastases}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {6}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {38}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.5696}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-137107}, pages = {40836 -- 40849}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The activation of immune cells by targeting checkpoint inhibitors showed promising results with increased patient survival in distinct primary cancers. Since only limited data exist for human brain metastases, we aimed at characterizing tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and expression of immune checkpoints in the respective tumors. Two brain metastases cohorts, a mixed entity cohort (n = 252) and a breast carcinoma validation cohort (n = 96) were analyzed for CD3+, CD8+, FOXP3+, PD-1+ lymphocytes and PD-L1+ tumor cells by immunohistochemistry. Analyses for association with clinico-epidemiological and neuroradiological parameters such as patient survival or tumor size were performed. TILs infiltrated brain metastases in three different patterns (stromal, peritumoral, diffuse). While carcinomas often show a strong stromal infiltration, TILs in melanomas often diffusely infiltrate the tumors. Highest levels of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were seen in renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and strongest PD-1 levels on RCCs and melanomas. High amounts of TILs, high ratios of PD-1+/CD8+ cells and high levels of PD-L1 were negatively correlated with brain metastases size, indicating that in smaller brain metastases CD8+ immune response might get blocked. PD-L1 expression strongly correlated with TILs and FOXP3 expression. No significant association of patient survival with TILs was observed, while high levels of PD-L1 showed a strong trend towards better survival in melanoma brain metastases (Log-Rank p = 0.0537). In summary, melanomas and RCCs seem to be the most immunogenic entities. Differences in immunotherapeutic response between tumor entities regarding brain metastases might be attributable to this finding and need further investigation in larger patient cohorts.}, language = {en} } @article{ReinholdBattiBilbaoetal.2015, author = {Reinhold, A. K. and Batti, L. and Bilbao, D. and Buness, A. and Rittner, H. L. and Heppenstall, P. A.}, title = {Differential Transcriptional Profiling of Damaged and Intact Adjacent Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons in Neuropathic Pain}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0123342}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143290}, pages = {e0123342}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Neuropathic pain, caused by a lesion in the somatosensory system, is a severely impairing mostly chronic disease. While its underlying molecular mechanisms are not thoroughly understood, neuroimmune interactions as well as changes in the pain pathway such as sensitization of nociceptors have been implicated. It has been shown that not only are different cell types involved in generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, like neurons, immune and glial cells, but, also, intact adjacent neurons are relevant to the process. Here, we describe an experimental approach to discriminate damaged from intact adjacent neurons in the same dorsal root ganglion (DRG) using differential fluorescent neuronal labelling and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Two fluorescent tracers, Fluoroemerald (FE) and 1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), were used, whose properties allow us to distinguish between damaged and intact neurons. Subsequent sorting permitted transcriptional analysis of both groups. Results and qPCR validation show a strong regulation in damaged neurons versus contralateral controls as well as a moderate regulation in adjacent neurons. Data for damaged neurons reveal an mRNA expression pattern consistent with established upregulated genes like galanin, which supports our approach. Moreover, novel genes were found strongly regulated such as corticotropinreleasing hormone (CRH), providing novel targets for further research. Differential fluorescent neuronal labelling and sorting allows for a clear distinction between primarily damaged neuropathic neurons and "bystanders," thereby facilitating a more detailed understanding of their respective roles in neuropathic processes in the DRG.}, language = {en} } @article{HartliebKempfPartillaetal.2013, author = {Hartlieb, Eva and Kempf, Bettina and Partilla, Miriam and Vigh, Bal{\´a}zs and Spindler, Volker and Waschke, Jens}, title = {Desmoglein 2 Is Less Important than Desmoglein 3 for Keratinocyte Cohesion}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0053739}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131192}, pages = {e53739}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Desmosomes provide intercellular adhesive strength required for integrity of epithelial and some non-epithelial tissues. Within the epidermis, the cadherin-type adhesion molecules desmoglein (Dsg) 1-4 and desmocollin (Dsc) 1-3 build the adhesive core of desmosomes. In keratinocytes, several isoforms of these proteins are co-expressed. However, the contribution of specific isoforms to overall cell cohesion is unclear. Therefore, in this study we investigated the roles of Dsg2 and Dsg3, the latter of which is known to be essential for keratinocyte adhesion based on its autoantibody-induced loss of function in the autoimmune blistering skin disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The pathogenic PV antibody AK23, targeting the Dsg3 adhesive domain, led to profound loss of cell cohesion in human keratinocytes as revealed by the dispase-based dissociation assays. In contrast, an antibody against Dsg2 had no effect on cell cohesion although the Dsg2 antibody was demonstrated to interfere with Dsg2 transinteraction by single molecule atomic force microscopy and was effective to reduce cell cohesion in intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells which express Dsg2 as the only Dsg isoform. To substantiate these findings, siRNA-mediated silencing of Dsg2 or Dsg3 was performed in keratinocytes. In contrast to Dsg3-depleted cells, Dsg2 knockdown reduced cell cohesion only under conditions of increased shear. These experiments indicate that specific desmosomal cadherins contribute differently to keratinocyte cohesion and that Dsg2 compared to Dsg3 is less important in this context.}, language = {en} } @article{SchokraieWarnkenHotzWagenblattetal.2012, author = {Schokraie, Elham and Warnken, Uwe and Hotz-Wagenblatt, Agnes and Grohme, Markus A. and Hengherr, Steffen and F{\"o}rster, Frank and Schill, Ralph O. and Frohme, Marcus and Dandekar, Thomas and Schn{\"o}lzer, Martina}, title = {Comparative proteome analysis of Milnesium tardigradum in early embryonic state versus adults in active and anhydrobiotic state}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {7}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0045682}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134447}, pages = {e45682}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Tardigrades have fascinated researchers for more than 300 years because of their extraordinary capability to undergo cryptobiosis and survive extreme environmental conditions. However, the survival mechanisms of tardigrades are still poorly understood mainly due to the absence of detailed knowledge about the proteome and genome of these organisms. Our study was intended to provide a basis for the functional characterization of expressed proteins in different states of tardigrades. High-throughput, high-accuracy proteomics in combination with a newly developed tardigrade specific protein database resulted in the identification of more than 3000 proteins in three different states: early embryonic state and adult animals in active and anhydrobiotic state. This comprehensive proteome resource includes protein families such as chaperones, antioxidants, ribosomal proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, transporters, protein channels, nutrient reservoirs, and developmental proteins. A comparative analysis of protein families in the different states was performed by calculating the exponentially modified protein abundance index which classifies proteins in major and minor components. This is the first step to analyzing the proteins involved in early embryonic development, and furthermore proteins which might play an important role in the transition into the anhydrobiotic state.}, language = {en} } @article{vanKoolwijkRamdasIkrametal.2012, author = {van Koolwijk, Leonieke M. E. and Ramdas, Wishal D. and Ikram, M. Kamran and Jansonius, Nomdo M. and Pasutto, Francesca and Hys, Pirro G. and Macgregor, Stuart and Janssen, Sarah F. and Hewitt, Alex W. and Viswanathan, Ananth C. and ten Brink, Jacoline B. and Hosseini, S. Mohsen and Amin, Najaf and Despriet, Dominiek D. G. and Willemse-Assink, Jacqueline J. M. and Kramer, Rogier and Rivadeneira, Fernando and Struchalin, Maksim and Aulchenko, Yurii S. and Weisschuh, Nicole and Zenkel, Matthias and Mardin, Christian Y. and Gramer, Eugen and Welge-L{\"u}ssen, Ulrich and Montgomery, Grant W. and Carbonaro, Francis and Young, Terri L. and Bellenguez, C{\´e}line and McGuffin, Peter and Foster, Paul J. and Topouzis, Fotis and Mitchell, Paul and Wang, Jie Jin and Wong, Tien Y. and Czudowska, Monika A. and Hofman, Albert and Uitterlinden, Andre G. and Wolfs, Roger C. W. and de Jong, Paulus T. V. M. and Oostra, Ben A. and Paterson, Andrew D. and Mackey, David A. and Bergen, Arthur A. B. and Reis, Andre and Hammond, Christopher J. and Vingerling, Johannes R. and Lemij, Hans G. and Klaver, Caroline C. W. and van Duijn, Cornelia M.}, title = {Common Genetic Determinants of Intraocular Pressure and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1002611}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131378}, pages = {e1002611}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a highly heritable risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma and is the only target for current glaucoma therapy. The genetic factors which determine IOP are largely unknown. We performed a genome-wide association study for IOP in 11,972 participants from 4 independent population-based studies in The Netherlands. We replicated our findings in 7,482 participants from 4 additional cohorts from the UK, Australia, Canada, and the Wellcome Trust Case-Control Consortium 2/Blue Mountains Eye Study. IOP was significantly associated with rs11656696, located in GAS7 at 17p13.1 (p = 1.4 x 10\(^{-8}\)), and with rs7555523, located in TMCO1 at 1q24.1 (p = 1.6 x 10\(^{-8}\)). In a meta-analysis of 4 case-control studies (total N = 1,432 glaucoma cases), both variants also showed evidence for association with glaucoma (p = 2.4 x 10\(^{-2}\) for rs11656696 and p = 9.1 x 10\(^{-4}\) for rs7555523). GAS7 and TMCO1 are highly expressed in the ciliary body and trabecular meshwork as well as in the lamina cribrosa, optic nerve, and retina. Both genes functionally interact with known glaucoma disease genes. These data suggest that we have identified two clinically relevant genes involved in IOP regulation.}, language = {en} } @article{SchuetzJurastowBaderetal.2015, author = {Sch{\"u}tz, Burkhard and Jurastow, Innokentij and Bader, Sandra and Ringer, Cornelia and Engelhardt, Jakob von and Chubanov, Vladimir and Gudermann, Thomas and Diener, Martin and Kummer, Wolfgang and Krasteva-Christ, Gabriela and Weihe, Eberhard}, title = {Chemical coding and chemosensory properties of cholinergic brush cells in the mouse gastrointestinal and biliary tract}, series = {Frontiers in Physiology}, volume = {6}, journal = {Frontiers in Physiology}, number = {87}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2015.00087}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143550}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The mouse gastro-intestinal and biliary tract mucosal epithelia harbor choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive brush cells with taste cell-like traits. With the aid of two transgenic mouse lines that express green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the ChAT promoter (EGFP\(^{ChAT}\)) and by using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry we found that EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells were clustered in the epithelium lining the gastric groove. EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells were numerous in the gall bladder and bile duct, and found scattered as solitary cells along the small and large intestine. While all EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells were also ChAT-positive, expression of the high-affinity choline transporter (ChT1) was never detected. Except for the proximal colon, EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells also lacked detectable expression of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells were found to be separate from enteroendocrine cells, however they were all immunoreactive for cytokeratin 18 (CK18), transient receptor potential melastatin-like subtype 5 channel (TRPM5), and for cyclooxygenases 1 (COX1) and 2 (COX2). The ex vivo stimulation of colonic EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) cells with the bitter substance denatonium resulted in a strong increase in intracellular calcium, while in other epithelial cells such an increase was significantly weaker and also timely delayed. Subsequent stimulation with cycloheximide was ineffective in both cell populations. Given their chemical coding and chemosensory properties, EGFP\(^{ChAT}\) brush cells thus may have integrative functions and participate in induction of protective reflexes and inflammatory events by utilizing ACh and prostaglandins for paracrine signaling.}, language = {en} } @article{EvdokimovDinkelFranketal.2020, author = {Evdokimov, Dimitar and Dinkel, Philine and Frank, Johanna and Sommer, Claudia and {\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan}, title = {Characterization of dermal skin innervation in fibromyalgia syndrome}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {15}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0227674}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229299}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Introduction We characterized dermal innervation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) as potential contribution to small fiber pathology. Methods Skin biopsies of the calf were collected (86 FMS patients, 35 healthy controls). Skin was immunoreacted with antibodies against protein gene product 9.5, calcitonine gene-related peptide, substance P, CD31, and neurofilament 200 for small fiber subtypes. We assessed two skin sections per patient; on each skin section, two dermal areas (150 x 700 mu m each) were investigated for dermal nerve fiber length (DNFL). Results In FMS patients we found reduced DNFL of fibers with vessel contact compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). There were no differences for the other nerve fiber subtypes. Discussion We found less dermal nerve fibers in contact with blood vessels in FMS patients than in controls. The pathophysiological relevance of this finding is unclear, but we suggest the possibility of a relationship with impaired thermal tolerance commonly reported by FMS patients.}, language = {en} } @article{RathBrandlHilleretal.2014, author = {Rath, Subha N. and Brandl, Andreas and Hiller, Daniel and Hoppe, Alexander and Gbureck, Uwe and Horch, Raymund E. and Boccaccini, Aldo R. and Kneser, Ulrich}, title = {Bioactive Copper-Doped Glass Scaffolds Can Stimulate Endothelial Cells in Co-Culture in Combination with Mesenchymal Stem Cells}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {12}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0113319}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114339}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Bioactive glass (BG) scaffolds are being investigated for bone tissue engineering applications because of their osteoconductive and angiogenic nature. However, to increase the in vivo performance of the scaffold, including enhancing the angiogenetic growth into the scaffolds, some researchers use different modifications of the scaffold including addition of inorganic ionic components to the basic BG composition. In this study, we investigated the in vitro biocompatibility and bioactivity of Cu2+-doped BG derived scaffolds in either BMSC (bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells)-only culture or co-culture of BMSC and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC). In BMSC-only culture, cells were seeded either directly on the scaffolds (3D or direct culture) or were exposed to ionic dissolution products of the BG scaffolds, kept in permeable cell culture inserts (2D or indirect culture). Though we did not observe any direct osteoinduction of BMSCs by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay or by PCR, there was increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, observed by PCR and ELISA assays. Additionally, the scaffolds showed no toxicity to BMSCs and there were healthy live cells found throughout the scaffold. To analyze further the reasons behind the increased VEGF expression and to exploit the benefits of the finding, we used the indirect method with HDMECs in culture plastic and Cu2+-doped BG scaffolds with or without BMSCs in cell culture inserts. There was clear observation of increased endothelial markers by both FACS analysis and acetylated LDL (acLDL) uptake assay. Only in presence of Cu2+-doped BG scaffolds with BMSCs, a high VEGF secretion was demonstrated by ELISA; and typical tubular structures were observed in culture plastics. We conclude that Cu2+-doped BG scaffolds release Cu2+, which in turn act on BMSCs to secrete VEGF. This result is of significance for the application of BG scaffolds in bone tissue engineering approaches.}, language = {en} } @article{AlJanabiTaubertLohseFischeretal.2014, author = {Al-Janabi, Omar and Taubert, Helge and Lohse-Fischer, Andrea and Fr{\"o}hner, Michael and Wach, Sven and St{\"o}hr, Robert and Keck, Bastian and Burger, Max and Wieland, Wolf and Erdmann, Kati and Wirth, Manfred P. and Wullich, Bernd and Baretton, Gustavo and Magdolen, Viktor and Kotzsch, Mathias and F{\"u}ssel, Susanne}, title = {Association of Tissue mRNA and Serum Antigen Levels of Members of the Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator System with Clinical and Prognostic Parameters in Prostate Cancer}, series = {Biomed Research International}, journal = {Biomed Research International}, number = {972587}, issn = {2314-6141}, doi = {10.1155/2014/972587}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-117967}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The objective was to determine the mRNA expression and protein levels of uPA system components in tissue specimens and serum samples, respectively, from prostate cancer (PCa) patients and to assess their association with clinicopathological parameters and overall survival (OS). The mRNA expression levels of uPA, its receptor (uPAR), and its inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) were analyzed in corresponding malignant and adjacent nonmalignant tissue specimens from 132 PCa patients by quantitative PCR. Preoperative serum samples from 81 PCa patients were analyzed for antigen levels of uPA system members by ELISA. RNA levels of uPA system components displayed significant correlations with each other in the tumor tissues. A significantly decreased uP AmRNA expression in PCa compared to the corresponding nonmalignant tissue was detected. High uPA mRNA level was significantly associated with a high Gleason score. Elevated concentration of soluble uPAR (suPAR) in serum was significantly associated with a poor OS of PCa patients (P = 0.022). PCa patients with high suPAR levels have a significantly higher risk of death (multivariate Cox's regression analysis; IIR - 7.12, P - 0.027). The association of high suPAR levels with poor survival of PCa patients suggests a prognostic impact of suPAR levels in serum of cancer patients.}, language = {en} } @article{WenckerMarincolaSchoenfelderetal.2021, author = {Wencker, Freya D. R and Marincola, Gabriella and Schoenfelder, Sonja M. K. and Maaß, Sandra and Becher, D{\"o}rte and Ziebuhr, Wilma}, title = {Another layer of complexity in Staphylococcus aureus methionine biosynthesis control: unusual RNase III-driven T-box riboswitch cleavage determines met operon mRNA stability and decay}, series = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {49}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkaa1277}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259029}, pages = {2192-2212}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In Staphylococcus aureus, de novo methionine biosynthesis is regulated by a unique hierarchical pathway involving stringent-response controlled CodY repression in combination with a T-box riboswitch and RNA decay. The T-box riboswitch residing in the 5′ untranslated region (met leader RNA) of the S. aureus metICFE-mdh operon controls downstream gene transcription upon interaction with uncharged methionyl-tRNA. met leader and metICFE-mdh (m)RNAs undergo RNase-mediated degradation in a process whose molecular details are poorly understood. Here we determined the secondary structure of the met leader RNA and found the element to harbor, beyond other conserved T-box riboswitch structural features, a terminator helix which is target for RNase III endoribonucleolytic cleavage. As the terminator is a thermodynamically highly stable structure, it also forms posttranscriptionally in met leader/ metICFE-mdh read-through transcripts. Cleavage by RNase III releases the met leader from metICFE-mdh mRNA and initiates RNase J-mediated degradation of the mRNA from the 5′-end. Of note, metICFE-mdh mRNA stability varies over the length of the transcript with a longer lifespan towards the 3′-end. The obtained data suggest that coordinated RNA decay represents another checkpoint in a complex regulatory network that adjusts costly methionine biosynthesis to current metabolic requirements.}, language = {en} } @article{EbertBenischKrugetal.2015, author = {Ebert, Regina and Benisch, Peggy and Krug, Melanie and Zeck, Sabine and Meißner-Weigl, Jutta and Steinert, Andre and Rauner, Martina and Hofbauer, Lorenz and Jakob, Franz}, title = {Acute phase serum amyloid A induces proinflammatory cytokines and mineralization via toll-like receptor 4 in mesenchymal stem cells}, series = {Stem Cell Research}, volume = {15}, journal = {Stem Cell Research}, doi = {10.1016/j.scr.2015.06.008}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148491}, pages = {231-239}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The role of serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins, which are ligands for toll-like receptors, was analyzed in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and their osteogenic offspring with a focus on senescence, differentiation andmineralization. In vitro aged hMSC developed a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), resulting in enhanced SAA1/2, TLR2/4 and proinflammatory cytokine (IL6, IL8, IL1\(\beta\), CXCL1, CXCL2) expression before entering replicative senescence. Recombinant human SAA1 (rhSAA1) induced SASP-related genes and proteins in MSC, which could be abolished by cotreatment with the TLR4-inhibitor CLI-095. The same pattern of SASP-resembling genes was stimulated upon induction of osteogenic differentiation, which is accompanied by autocrine SAA1/2 expression. In this context additional rhSAA1 enhanced the SASP-like phenotype, accelerated the proinflammatory phase of osteogenic differentiation and enhanced mineralization. Autocrine/paracrine and rhSAA1 via TLR4 stimulate a proinflammatory phenotype that is both part of the early phase of osteogenic differentiation and the development of senescence. This signaling cascade is tightly involved in bone formation and mineralization, but may also propagate pathological extraosseous calcification conditions such as calcifying inflammation and atherosclerosis.}, language = {en} }