TY  - JOUR
A1  - Albrecht, Marco
A1  - Sharma, Cynthia M.
A1  - Dittrich, Marcus T.
A1  - Müller, Tobias
A1  - Reinhardt, Richard
A1  - Vogel, Jörg
A1  - Rudel, Thomas
T1  - The Transcriptional Landscape of Chlamydia pneumoniae
N2  - Background: Gene function analysis of the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae is hampered by the facts that this organism is inaccessible to genetic manipulations and not cultivable outside the host. The genomes of several strains have been sequenced; however, very little information is available on the gene structure and transcriptome of C. pneumoniae. Results: Using a differential RNA-sequencing approach with specific enrichment of primary transcripts, we defined the transcriptome of purified elementary bodies and reticulate bodies of C. pneumoniae strain CWL-029; 565 transcriptional start sites of annotated genes and novel transcripts were mapped. Analysis of adjacent genes for cotranscription revealed 246 polycistronic transcripts. In total, a distinct transcription start site or an affiliation to an operon could be assigned to 862 out of 1,074 annotated protein coding genes. Semi-quantitative analysis of mapped cDNA reads revealed significant differences for 288 genes in the RNA levels of genes isolated from elementary bodies and reticulate bodies. We have identified and in part confirmed 75 novel putative non-coding RNAs. The detailed map of transcription start sites at single nucleotide resolution allowed for the first time a comprehensive and saturating analysis of promoter consensus sequences in Chlamydia. Conclusions: The precise transcriptional landscape as a complement to the genome sequence will provide new insights into the organization, control and function of genes. Novel non-coding RNAs and identified common promoter motifs will help to understand gene regulation of this important human pathogen.
KW  - Chlamydia pneumoniae
Y1  - 2011
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-69116
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schmitt, Jessica
A1  - Eckardt, Sigrid
A1  - Schlegel, Paul G
A1  - Sirén, Anna-Leena
A1  - Bruttel, Valentin S
A1  - McLaughlin, K John
A1  - Wischhusen, Jörg
A1  - Müller, Albrecht M
T1  - Human parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem cells express HLA-G and show unique resistance to NK cell-mediated killing
JF  - Molecular Medicine
N2  - Parent-of-origin imprints have been implicated in the regulation of neural differentiation and brain development. Previously we have shown that, despite the lack of a paternal genome, human parthenogenetic (PG) embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can form proliferating neural stem cells (NSCs) that are capable of differentiation into physiologically functional neurons while maintaining allele-specific expression of imprinted genes. Since biparental ("normal") hESC-derived NSCs (N NSCs) are targeted by immune cells, we characterized the immunogenicity of PG NSCs. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry revealed that both N NSCs and PG NSCs exhibited surface expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I but not HLA-DR molecules. Functional analyses using an in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction assay resulted in less proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with PG compared with N NSCs. In addition, natural killer (NK) cells cytolyzed PG less than N NSCs. At a molecular level, expression analyses of immune regulatory factors revealed higher HLA-G levels in PG compared with N NSCs. In line with this finding, MIR152, which represses HLA-G expression, is less transcribed in PG compared with N cells. Blockage of HLA-G receptors ILT2 and KIR2DL4 on natural killer cell leukemia (NKL) cells increased cytolysis of PG NSCs. Together this indicates that PG NSCs have unique immunological properties due to elevated HLA-G expression.
KW  - brain development
KW  - immune response
KW  - T lymphocytes
KW  - blastocysts
KW  - lines
KW  - HLA-G gene
KW  - mhc molecules
KW  - nervous system
KW  - in vitro
KW  - stem/progenitor cells
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-149170
VL  - 21
IS  - 2101185
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Albrecht, Jörg
A1  - Classen, Alice
A1  - Vollstädt, Maximilian G.R.
A1  - Mayr, Antonia
A1  - Mollel, Neduvoto P.
A1  - Schellenberger Costa, David
A1  - Dulle, Hamadi I.
A1  - Fischer, Markus
A1  - Hemp, Andreas
A1  - Howell, Kim M.
A1  - Kleyer, Michael
A1  - Nauss, Thomas
A1  - Peters, Marcell K.
A1  - Tschapka, Marco
A1  - Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
A1  - Böhning-Gaese, Katrin
A1  - Schleuning, Matthias
T1  - Plant and animal functional diversity drive mutualistic network assembly across an elevational gradient
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Species' functional traits set the blueprint for pair-wise interactions in ecological networks. Yet, it is unknown to what extent the functional diversity of plant and animal communities controls network assembly along environmental gradients in real-world ecosystems. Here we address this question with a unique dataset of mutualistic bird-fruit, bird-flower and insect-flower interaction networks and associated functional traits of 200 plant and 282 animal species sampled along broad climate and land-use gradients on Mt. Kilimanjaro. We show that plant functional diversity is mainly limited by precipitation, while animal functional diversity is primarily limited by temperature. Furthermore, shifts in plant and animal functional diversity along the elevational gradient control the niche breadth and partitioning of the respective other trophic level. These findings reveal that climatic constraints on the functional diversity of either plants or animals determine the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down control in plant-animal interaction networks.
KW  - Traits-Environment Relationships
KW  - Species Traits
KW  - Ecological Networks
KW  - 4TH-Corner Problem
KW  - Multiple Traits
KW  - Bottom-up
KW  - Biodiversity
KW  - Community ecology
KW  - Ecological networks
KW  - Ecology
KW  - Ecosystem ecology
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221056
VL  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Heidrich, Benjamin
A1  - Cordes, Hans-Jörg
A1  - Klinker, Hartwig
A1  - Möller, Bernd
A1  - Naumann, Uwe
A1  - Rössle, Martin
A1  - Kraus, Michael R.
A1  - Böker, Klaus H.
A1  - Roggel, Christoph
A1  - Schuchmann, Marcus
A1  - Stoehr, Albrecht
A1  - Trein, Andreas
A1  - Hardtke, Svenja
A1  - Gonnermann, Andrea
A1  - Koch, Armin
A1  - Wedemeyer, Heiner
A1  - Manns, Michael P.
A1  - Cornberg, Markus
T1  - Treatment Extension of Pegylated Interferon Alpha and Ribavirin Does Not Improve SVR in Patients with Genotypes 2/3 without Rapid Virological Response (OPTEX Trial): A Prospective, Randomized, Two-Arm, Multicentre Phase IV Clinical Trial
JF  - PLoS ONE
N2  - Although sofosbuvir has been approved for patients with genotypes 2/3 (G2/3), many parts of the world still consider pegylated Interferon alpha (P) and ribavirin (R) as standard of care for G2/3. Patients with rapid virological response (RVR) show response rates >80%. However, SVR (sustained virological response) in non-RVR patients is not satisfactory. Longer treatment duration may be required but evidence from prospective trials are lacking. A total of 1006 chronic HCV genotype 2/3 patients treated with P/R were recruited into a German HepNet multicenter screening registry. Of those, only 226 patients were still HCV RNA positive at week 4 (non-RVR). Non-RVR patients with ongoing response after 24 weeks P-2b/R qualified for OPTEX, a randomized trial investigating treatment extension of additional 24 weeks (total 48 weeks, Group A) or additional 12 weeks (total 36 weeks, group B) of 1.5 \(\mu\)g/kg P-2b and 800-1400 mg R. Due to the low number of patients without RVR, the number of 150 anticipated study patients was not met and only 99 non-RVR patients (n=50 Group A, n=49 Group B) could be enrolled into the OPTEX trial. Baseline factors did not differ between groups. Sixteen patients had G2 and 83 patients G3. Based on the ITT (intention-to-treat) analysis, 68% [55%; 81%] in Group A and 57% [43%; 71%] in Group B achieved SVR (p=0.31). The primary endpoint of better SVR rates in Group A compared to a historical control group (SVR 70%) was not met. In conclusion, approximately 23% of G2/3 patients did not achieve RVR in a real world setting. However, subsequent recruitment in a treatment-extension study was difficult. Prolonged therapy beyond 24 weeks did not result in higher SVR compared to a historical control group.
KW  - chronic hepatitis C
KW  - peginterferon alpha-2b
KW  - infection
KW  - sofosbuvir
KW  - therapy
KW  - HCV genotype 2
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151811
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Brand, Jessica S.
A1  - Forster, Leonard
A1  - Böck, Thomas
A1  - Stahlhut, Philipp
A1  - Teßmar, Jörg
A1  - Groll, Jürgen
A1  - Albrecht, Krystyna
T1  - Covalently Cross-Linked Pig Gastric Mucin Hydrogels Prepared by Radical-Based Chain-Growth and Thiol-ene Mechanisms
JF  - Macromolecular Bioscience
N2  - Mucin, a high molecular mass hydrophilic glycoprotein, is the main component of mucus that coats every wet epithelium in animals. It is thus intrinsically biocompatible, and with its protein backbone and the o-glycosidic bound oligosaccharides, it contains a plethora of functional groups which can be used for further chemical modifications. Here, chain-growth and step-growth (thiol-ene) free-radical cross-linked hydrogels prepared from commercially available pig gastric mucin (PGM) are introduced and compared as cost-efficient and easily accessible alternative to the more broadly applied bovine submaxillary gland mucin. For this, PGM is functionalized with photoreactive acrylate groups or allyl ether moieties, respectively. Whereas homopolymerization of acrylate-functionalized polymers is performed, for thiol-ene cross-linking, the allyl-ether-functionalized PGM is cross-linked with thiol-functionalized hyaluronic acid. Morphology, mechanical properties, and cell compatibility of both kinds of PGM hydrogels are characterized and compared. Furthermore, the biocompatibility of these hydrogels can be evaluated in cell culture experiments.
KW  - click chemistry
KW  - photopolymerization
KW  - hydrogels
KW  - mucin
KW  - thiol-ene
Y1  - 2022
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318453
VL  - 22
IS  - 4
ER  -