TY  - JOUR
A1  - Estrada, Veronica
A1  - Krebbers, Julia
A1  - Voss, Christian
A1  - Brazda, Nicole
A1  - Blazyca, Heinrich
A1  - Illgen, Jennifer
A1  - Seide, Klaus
A1  - Jürgens, Christian
A1  - Müller, Jörg
A1  - Martini, Rudolf
A1  - Trieu, Hoc Khiem
A1  - Müller, Hans Werner
T1  - Low-pressure micro-mechanical re-adaptation device sustainably and effectively improves locomotor recovery from complete spinal cord injury
JF  - Communications Biology
N2  - Traumatic spinal cord injuries result in impairment or even complete loss of motor, sensory and autonomic functions. Recovery after complete spinal cord injury is very limited even in animal models receiving elaborate combinatorial treatments. Recently, we described an implantable microsystem (microconnector) for low-pressure re-adaption of severed spinal stumps in rat. Here we investigate the long-term structural and functional outcome following microconnector implantation after complete spinal cord transection. Re-adaptation of spinal stumps supports formation of a tissue bridge, glial and vascular cell invasion, motor axon regeneration and myelination, resulting in partial recovery of motor-evoked potentials and a thus far unmet improvement of locomotor behaviour. The recovery lasts for at least 5 months. Despite a late partial decline, motor recovery remains significantly superior to controls. Our findings demonstrate that microsystem technology can foster long-lasting functional improvement after complete spinal injury, providing a new and effective tool for combinatorial therapies.
KW  - implants
KW  - preclinical research
KW  - spinal cord injury
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227357
VL  - 1
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dunce, James M.
A1  - Milburn, Amy E.
A1  - Gurusaran, Manickam
A1  - da Cruz, Irene
A1  - Sen, Lee T.
A1  - Benavente, Ricardo
A1  - Davies, Owen R.
T1  - Structural basis of meiotic telomere attachment to the nuclear envelope by MAJIN-TERB2-TERB1
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Meiotic chromosomes undergo rapid prophase movements, which are thought to facilitate the formation of inter-homologue recombination intermediates that underlie synapsis, crossing over and segregation. The meiotic telomere complex (MAJIN, TERB1, TERB2) tethers telomere ends to the nuclear envelope and transmits cytoskeletal forces via the LINC complex to drive these rapid movements. Here, we report the molecular architecture of the meiotic telomere complex through the crystal structure of MAJIN-TERB2, together with light and X-ray scattering studies of wider complexes. The MAJIN-TERB2 2:2 hetero-tetramer binds strongly to DNA and is tethered through long flexible linkers to the inner nuclear membrane and two TRF1-binding 1:1 TERB2-TERB1 complexes. Our complementary structured illumination microscopy studies and biochemical findings reveal a telomere attachment mechanism in which MAJIN-TERB2-TERB1 recruits telomere-bound TRF1, which is then displaced during pachytene, allowing MAJIN-TERB2-TERB1 to bind telomeric DNA and form a mature attachment plate.
KW  - DNA
KW  - meiosis
KW  - proteins
KW  - super-resolution microscopy
KW  - X-ray crystallography
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226416
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dubail, Johanne
A1  - Huber, Céline
A1  - Chantepie, Sandrine
A1  - Sonntag, Stephan
A1  - Tüysüz, Beyhan
A1  - Mihci, Ercan
A1  - Gordon, Christopher T.
A1  - Steichen-Gersdorf, Elisabeth
A1  - Amiel, Jeanne
A1  - Nur, Banu
A1  - Stolte-Dijkstra, Irene
A1  - van Eerde, Albertien M.
A1  - van Gassen, Koen L.
A1  - Breugem, Corstiaan C.
A1  - Stegmann, Alexander
A1  - Lekszas, Caroline
A1  - Maroofian, Reza
A1  - Karimiani, Ehsan Ghayoor
A1  - Bruneel, Arnaud
A1  - Seta, Nathalie
A1  - Munnich, Arnold
A1  - Papy-Garcia, Dulce
A1  - De La Dure-Molla, Muriel
A1  - Cormier-Daire, Valérie
T1  - SLC10A7 mutations cause a skeletal dysplasia with amelogenesis imperfecta mediated by GAG biosynthesis defects
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Skeletal dysplasia with multiple dislocations are severe disorders characterized by dislocations of large joints and short stature. The majority of them have been linked to pathogenic variants in genes encoding glycosyltransferases, sulfotransferases or epimerases required for glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Using exome sequencing, we identify homozygous mutations in SLC10A7 in six individuals with skeletal dysplasia with multiple dislocations and amelogenesis imperfecta. SLC10A7 encodes a 10-transmembrane-domain transporter located at the plasma membrane. Functional studies in vitro demonstrate that SLC10A7 mutations reduce SLC10A7 protein expression. We generate a Slc10a7−/− mouse model, which displays shortened long bones, growth plate disorganization and tooth enamel anomalies, recapitulating the human phenotype. Furthermore, we identify decreased heparan sulfate levels in Slc10a7−/− mouse cartilage and patient fibroblasts. Finally, we find an abnormal N-glycoprotein electrophoretic profile in patient blood samples. Together, our findings support the involvement of SLC10A7 in glycosaminoglycan synthesis and specifically in skeletal development.
KW  - bone development
KW  - disease genetics
KW  - medical genetics
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226377
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dostál, Jakub
A1  - Fennel, Franziska
A1  - Koch, Federico
A1  - Herbst, Stefanie
A1  - Würthner, Frank
A1  - Brixner, Tobias
T1  - Direct observation of exciton–exciton interactions
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Natural light harvesting as well as optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices depend on efficient transport of energy following photoexcitation. Using common spectroscopic methods, however, it is challenging to discriminate one-exciton dynamics from multi-exciton interactions that arise when more than one excitation is present in the system. Here we introduce a coherent two-dimensional spectroscopic method that provides a signal only in case that the presence of one exciton influences the behavior of another one. Exemplarily, we monitor exciton diffusion by annihilation in a perylene bisimide-based J-aggregate. We determine quantitatively the exciton diffusion constant from exciton–exciton-interaction 2D spectra and reconstruct the annihilation-free dynamics for large pump powers. The latter enables for ultrafast spectroscopy at much higher intensities than conventionally possible and thus improves signal-to-noise ratios for multichromophore systems; the former recovers spatio–temporal dynamics for a broad range of phenomena in which exciton interactions are present.
KW  - energy transfer
KW  - self-assembly
KW  - optical spectroscopy
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226271
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dindas, Julian
A1  - Scherzer, Sönke
A1  - Roelfsema, M. Rob G.
A1  - Meyer, Katharina von
A1  - Müller, Heike M.
A1  - Al-Rasheid, K. A. S.
A1  - Palme, Klaus
A1  - Dietrich, Petra
A1  - Becker, Dirk
A1  - Bennett, Malcolm J.
A1  - Hedrich, Rainer
T1  - AUX1-mediated root hair auxin influx governs SCFTIR1/AFB-type Ca2+ signaling
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Auxin is a key regulator of plant growth and development, but the causal relationship between hormone transport and root responses remains unresolved. Here we describe auxin uptake, together with early steps in signaling, in Arabidopsis root hairs. Using intracellular microelectrodes we show membrane depolarization, in response to IAA in a concentration- and pH-dependent manner. This depolarization is strongly impaired in aux1 mutants, indicating that AUX1 is the major transporter for auxin uptake in root hairs. Local intracellular auxin application triggers Ca2+ signals that propagate as long-distance waves between root cells and modulate their auxin responses. AUX1-mediated IAA transport, as well as IAA- triggered calcium signals, are blocked by treatment with the SCFTIR1/AFB - inhibitor auxinole. Further, they are strongly reduced in the tir1afb2afb3 and the cngc14 mutant. Our study reveals that the AUX1 transporter, the SCFTIR1/AFB receptor and the CNGC14 Ca2+ channel, mediate fast auxin signaling in roots.
KW  - auxin
KW  - permeation and transport
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225368
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - de Jong, Simone
A1  - Diniz, Mateus Jose Abdalla
A1  - Saloma, Andiara
A1  - Gadelha, Ary
A1  - Santoro, Marcos L.
A1  - Ota, Vanessa K.
A1  - Noto, Cristiano
A1  - Curtis, Charles
A1  - Newhouse, Stephen J.
A1  - Patel, Hamel
A1  - Hall, Lynsey S.
A1  - O'Reilly, Paul F.
A1  - Belangero, Sintia I.
A1  - Bressan, Rodrigo A.
A1  - Breen, Gerome
T1  - Applying polygenic risk scoring for psychiatric disorders to a large family with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder
JF  - Communications Biology
N2  - Psychiatric disorders are thought to have a complex genetic pathology consisting of interplay of common and rare variation. Traditionally, pedigrees are used to shed light on the latter only, while here we discuss the application of polygenic risk scores to also highlight patterns of common genetic risk. We analyze polygenic risk scores for psychiatric disorders in a large pedigree (n ~ 260) in which 30% of family members suffer from major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Studying patterns of assortative mating and anticipation, it appears increased polygenic risk is contributed by affected individuals who married into the family, resulting in an increasing genetic risk over generations. This may explain the observation of anticipation in mood disorders, whereby onset is earlier and the severity increases over the generations of a family. Joint analyses of rare and common variation may be a powerful way to understand the familial genetics of psychiatric disorders.
KW  - bipolar disorder
KW  - depression
KW  - genetic association study
KW  - genetic linkage study
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223622
VL  - 1
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ciuchi, Sergio
A1  - Di Sante, Domenico
A1  - Dobrosavljević, Vladimir
A1  - Fratini, Simone
T1  - The origin of Mooij correlations in disordered metals
JF  - npj Quantum Materials
N2  - Sufficiently disordered metals display systematic deviations from the behavior predicted by semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Here the scattering events from impurities or thermal excitations can no longer be considered as additive-independent processes, as asserted by Matthiessen’s rule following from this picture. In the intermediate region between the regime of good conduction and that of insulation, one typically finds a change of sign of the temperature coefficient of resistivity, even at elevated temperature spanning ambient conditions, a phenomenology that was first identified by Mooij in 1973. Traditional weak coupling approaches to identify relevant corrections to the Boltzmann picture focused on long-distance interference effects such as “weak localization”, which are especially important in low dimensions (1D and 2D) and close to the zero-temperature limit. Here we formulate a strong-coupling approach to tackle the interplay of strong disorder and lattice deformations (phonons) in bulk three-dimensional metals at high temperatures. We identify a polaronic mechanism of strong disorder renormalization, which describes how a lattice locally responds to the relevant impurity potential. This mechanism, which quantitatively captures the Mooij regime, is physically distinct and unrelated to Anderson localization, but realizes early seminal ideas of Anderson himself, concerning the interplay of disorder and lattice deformations.
KW  - electronic properties and materials
KW  - phase transitions and critical phenomena
KW  - theory and computation
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223148
VL  - 3
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - China, Swarup
A1  - Burrows, Susannah M.
A1  - Wang, Bingbing
A1  - Harder, Tristan H.
A1  - Weis, Johannes
A1  - Tanarhte, Meryem
A1  - Rizzo, Luciana V.
A1  - Brito, Joel
A1  - Cirino, Glauber G.
A1  - Ma, Po-Lun
A1  - Cliff, John
A1  - Artaxo, Paulo
A1  - Gilles, Mary K.
A1  - Laskin, Alexander
T1  - Fungal spores as a source of sodium salt particles in the Amazon basin
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - In the Amazon basin, particles containing mixed sodium salts are routinely observed and are attributed to marine aerosols transported from the Atlantic Ocean. Using chemical imaging analysis, we show that, during the wet season, fungal spores emitted by the forest biosphere contribute at least 30% (by number) to sodium salt particles in the central Amazon basin. Hydration experiments indicate that sodium content in fungal spores governs their growth factors. Modeling results suggest that fungal spores account for ~69% (31–95%) of the total sodium mass during the wet season and that their fractional contribution increases during nighttime. Contrary to common assumptions that sodium-containing aerosols originate primarily from marine sources, our results suggest that locally-emitted fungal spores contribute substantially to the number and mass of coarse particles containing sodium. Hence, their role in cloud formation and contribution to salt cycles and the terrestrial ecosystem in the Amazon basin warrant further consideration.
KW  - atmospheric chemistry
KW  - biogeochemistry
KW  - environmental sciences
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222492
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Castilho, Miguel
A1  - Hochleitner, Gernot
A1  - Wilson, Wouter
A1  - van Rietbergen, Bert
A1  - Dalton, Paul D.
A1  - Groll, Jürgen
A1  - Malda, Jos
A1  - Ito, Keita
T1  - Mechanical behavior of a soft hydrogel reinforced with three-dimensional printed microfibre scaffolds
JF  - Scientific Reports
N2  - Reinforcing hydrogels with micro-fibre scaffolds obtained by a Melt-Electrospinning Writing (MEW) process has demonstrated great promise for developing tissue engineered (TE) constructs with mechanical properties compatible to native tissues. However, the mechanical performance and reinforcement mechanism of the micro-fibre reinforced hydrogels is not yet fully understood. In this study, FE models, implementing material properties measured experimentally, were used to explore the reinforcement mechanism of fibre-hydrogel composites. First, a continuum FE model based on idealized scaffold geometry was used to capture reinforcement effects related to the suppression of lateral gel expansion by the scaffold, while a second micro-FE model based on micro-CT images of the real construct geometry during compaction captured the effects of load transfer through the scaffold interconnections. Results demonstrate that the reinforcement mechanism at higher scaffold volume fractions was dominated by the load carrying-ability of the fibre scaffold interconnections, which was much higher than expected based on testing scaffolds alone because the hydrogel provides resistance against buckling of the scaffold. We propose that the theoretical understanding presented in this work will assist the design of more effective composite constructs with potential applications in a wide range of TE conditions.
KW  - biomedical engineering
KW  - biomedical materials
KW  - gels and hydrogels
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222280
VL  - 8
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Carradec, Quentin
A1  - Pelletier, Eric
A1  - Da Silva, Corinne
A1  - Alberti, Adriana
A1  - Seeleuthner, Yoann
A1  - Blanc-Mathieu, Romain
A1  - Lima-Mendez, Gipsi
A1  - Rocha, Fabio
A1  - Tirichine, Leila
A1  - Labadie, Karine
A1  - Kirilovsky, Amos
A1  - Bertrand, Alexis
A1  - Engelen, Stefan
A1  - Madoui, Mohammed-Amin
A1  - Méheust, Raphaël
A1  - Poulain, Julie
A1  - Romac, Sarah
A1  - Richter, Daniel J.
A1  - Yoshikawa, Genki
A1  - Dimier, Céline
A1  - Kandels-Lewis, Stefanie
A1  - Picheral, Marc
A1  - Searson, Sarah
A1  - Jaillon, Olivier
A1  - Aury, Jean-Marc
A1  - Karsenti, Eric
A1  - Sullivan, Matthew B.
A1  - Sunagawa, Shinichi
A1  - Bork, Peer
A1  - Not, Fabrice
A1  - Hingamp, Pascal
A1  - Raes, Jeroen
A1  - Guidi, Lionel
A1  - Ogata, Hiroyuki
A1  - de Vargas, Colomban
A1  - Iudicone, Daniele
A1  - Bowler, Chris
A1  - Wincker, Patrick
T1  - A global ocean atlas of eukaryotic gene
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - While our knowledge about the roles of microbes and viruses in the ocean has increased tremendously due to recent advances in genomics and metagenomics, research on marine microbial eukaryotes and zooplankton has benefited much less from these new technologies because of their larger genomes, their enormous diversity, and largely unexplored physiologies. Here, we use a metatranscriptomics approach to capture expressed genes in open ocean Tara Oceans stations across four organismal size fractions. The individual sequence reads cluster into 116 million unigenes representing the largest reference collection of eukaryotic transcripts from any single biome. The catalog is used to unveil functions expressed by eukaryotic marine plankton, and to assess their functional biogeography. Almost half of the sequences have no similarity with known proteins, and a great number belong to new gene families with a restricted distribution in the ocean. Overall, the resource provides the foundations for exploring the roles of marine eukaryotes in ocean ecology and biogeochemistry.
KW  - genomics
KW  - marine biology
KW  - microbial ecology
KW  - water microbiology
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222250
VL  - 9
ER  -