TY - JOUR A1 - Hommers, L. G. A1 - Richter, J. A1 - Yang, Y. A1 - Raab, A. A1 - Baumann, C. A1 - Lang, K. A1 - Schiele, M. A. A1 - Weber, H. A1 - Wittmann, A. A1 - Wolf, C. A1 - Alpers, G. W. A1 - Arolt, V. A1 - Domschke, K. A1 - Fehm, L. A1 - Fydrich, T. A1 - Gerlach, A. A1 - Gloster, A. T. A1 - Hamm, A. O. A1 - Helbig-Lang, S. A1 - Kircher, T. A1 - Lang, T. A1 - Pané-Farré, C. A. A1 - Pauli, P. A1 - Pfleiderer, B. A1 - Reif, A. A1 - Romanos, M. A1 - Straube, B. A1 - Ströhle, A. A1 - Wittchen, H.-U. A1 - Frantz, S. A1 - Ertl, G. A1 - Lohse, M. J. A1 - Lueken, U. A1 - Deckert, J. T1 - A functional genetic variation of SLC6A2 repressor hsa-miR-579-3p upregulates sympathetic noradrenergic processes of fear and anxiety JF - Translational Psychiatry N2 - Increased sympathetic noradrenergic signaling is crucially involved in fear and anxiety as defensive states. MicroRNAs regulate dynamic gene expression during synaptic plasticity and genetic variation of microRNAs modulating noradrenaline transporter gene (SLC6A2) expression may thus lead to altered central and peripheral processing of fear and anxiety. In silico prediction of microRNA regulation of SLC6A2 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assays and identified hsa-miR-579-3p as a regulating microRNA. The minor (T)-allele of rs2910931 (MAFcases = 0.431, MAFcontrols = 0.368) upstream of MIR579 was associated with panic disorder in patients (pallelic = 0.004, ncases = 506, ncontrols = 506) and with higher trait anxiety in healthy individuals (pASI = 0.029, pACQ = 0.047, n = 3112). Compared to the major (A)-allele, increased promoter activity was observed in luciferase reporter assays in vitro suggesting more effective MIR579 expression and SLC6A2 repression in vivo (p = 0.041). Healthy individuals carrying at least one (T)-allele showed a brain activation pattern suggesting increased defensive responding and sympathetic noradrenergic activation in midbrain and limbic areas during the extinction of conditioned fear. Panic disorder patients carrying two (T)-alleles showed elevated heart rates in an anxiety-provoking behavioral avoidance test (F(2, 270) = 5.47, p = 0.005). Fine-tuning of noradrenaline homeostasis by a MIR579 genetic variation modulated central and peripheral sympathetic noradrenergic activation during fear processing and anxiety. This study opens new perspectives on the role of microRNAs in the etiopathogenesis of anxiety disorders, particularly their cardiovascular symptoms and comorbidities. KW - clinical genetics KW - psychiatric disorders Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-322497 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bury, Susanne A1 - Soundararajan, Manonmani A1 - Bharti, Richa A1 - von Bünau, Rudolf A1 - Förstner, Konrad U. A1 - Oelschlaeger, Tobias A. T1 - The probiotic escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 combats lambdoid bacteriophages stx and lambda JF - Frontiers in Microbiology N2 - Shiga toxin (Stx) producing E. coli (STEC) such as Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are the major cause of foodborne illness in humans. In vitro studies showed the probiotic Escherichia coil strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) to efficiently inhibit the production of Stx. Life threatening EHEC strains as for example the serotype 0104:H4, responsible for the great outbreak in 2011 in Germany, evolutionary developed from certain E. coll strains which got infected by stx2-encoding lambdoid phages turning the E. coil into lysogenic and subsequently Stx producing strains. Since antibiotics induce stx genes and Stx production, EHEC infected persons are not recommended to be treated with antibiotics. Therefore, EcN might be an alternative medication. However, because even commensal E. coli strains might be converted into Stx-producers after becoming host to a stx encoding prophage, we tested EcN for stx-phage genome integration. Our experiments revealed the resistance of EcN toward not only stx-phages but also against lambda-phages. This resistance was not based on the lack of or by mutated phage receptors. Rather it involved the expression of a phage repressor (pr) gene of a defective prophage in EcN which was able to partially protect E. coli K-12 strain MG1655 against stx and lambda phage infection. Furthermore, we observed EcN to inactivate phages and thereby to protect E. coli K-12 strains against infection by stx- as well as lambda-phages. Inactivation of lambda-phages was due to binding of lambda-phages to LamB of EcN whereas inactivation of stx-phages was caused by a thermostable protein of EcN. These properties together with its ability to inhibit Stx production make EcN a good candidate for the prevention of illness caused by EHEC and probably for the treatment of already infected people. KW - probiotic KW - E. coli Nissle 1917 KW - EHEC KW - Shiga toxin producing E. coli KW - stx-phages KW - lambda-phages KW - lambdoid prophage KW - LamB Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221960 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Breitinger, Ulrike A1 - Bahnassawy, Lamiaa M. A1 - Janzen, Dieter A1 - Römer, Vera A1 - Becker, Cord-Michael A1 - Villmann, Carmen A1 - Breitinger, Hans-Georg T1 - PKA and PKC modulators affect ion channel function and internalization of recombinant alpha1 and alpha1-beta glycine receptors JF - Frontiers in Molecular Neurosience N2 - Glycine receptors (GlyRs) are important mediators of fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the mammalian central nervous system. Their function is controlled by multiple cellular mechanisms, including intracellular regulatory processes. Modulation of GlyR function by protein kinases has been reported for many cell types, involving different techniques, and often yielding contradictory results. Here, we studied the effects of protein kinase C (PKC) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) on glycine induced currents in HEK293 cells expressing human homomeric \(\alpha\)1 and heteromeric \(\alpha\)1-\(\beta\) GlyRs using whole-cell patch clamp techniques as well as internalization assays. In whole-cell patch-clamp measurements, modulators were applied in the intracellular buffer at concentrations between 0.1 \(\mu\)M and 0.5 \(\mu\)M. EC50 of glycine increased upon application of the protein kinase activators Forskolin and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) but decreased in the presence of the PKC inhibitor Staurosporine aglycon and the PKA inhibitor H-89. Desensitization of recombinant \(\alpha\)1 receptors was significantly increased in the presence of Forskolin. Staurosporine aglycon, on the other hand decreased desensitization of heteromeric \(\alpha\)1-\(\beta\) GlyRs. The time course of receptor activation was determined for homomeric \(\alpha\)1 receptors and revealed two simultaneous effects: cells showed a decrease of EC50 after 3-6 min of establishing whole-cell configuration. This effect was independent of protein kinase modulators. All modulators of PKA and PKC, however, produced an additional shift of EC50, which overlay and eventually exceeded the cells intrinsic variation of EC50. The effect of kinase activators was abolished if the corresponding inhibitors were co-applied, consistent with PKA and PKC directly mediating the modulation of GlyR function. Direct effects of PKA-and PKC-modulators on receptor expression on transfected HEK cells were monitored within 15 min of drug application, showing a significant increase of receptor internalization with PKA and PKC activators, while the corresponding inhibitors had no significant effect on receptor surface expression or internalization. Our results confirm the observation that phosphorylation via PKA and PKC has a direct effect on the GlyR ion channel complex and plays an important role in the fine-tuning of glycinergic signaling. KW - glycine receptor KW - PKA KW - PKC KW - activators/inhibitors of phosphorylation KW - whole-cell currents KW - modulation kinetics KW - receptor internalization Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-220401 VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bohmann, Ferdinand O. A1 - Kurka, Natalia A1 - du Mesnil de Rochemont, Richard A1 - Gruber, Katharina A1 - Guenther, Joachim A1 - Rostek, Peter A1 - Rai, Heike A1 - Zickler, Philipp A1 - Ertl, Michael A1 - Berlis, Ansgar A1 - Poli, Sven A1 - Mengel, Annerose A1 - Ringleb, Peter A1 - Nagel, Simon A1 - Pfaff, Johannes A1 - Wollenweber, Frank A. A1 - Kellert, Lars A1 - Herzberg, Moriz A1 - Koehler, Luzie A1 - Haeusler, Karl Georg A1 - Alegiani, Anna A1 - Schubert, Charlotte A1 - Brekenfeld, Caspar A1 - Doppler, Christopher E. J. A1 - Onur, Oezguer A. A1 - Kabbasch, Christoph A1 - Manser, Tanja A1 - Pfeilschifter, Waltraud T1 - Simulation-based training of the rapid evaluation and management of acute stroke (STREAM) — a prospective single-arm multicenter trial JF - Frontiers in Neurology N2 - Introduction: Acute stroke care delivered by interdisciplinary teams is time-sensitive. Simulation-based team training is a promising tool to improve team performance in medical operations. It has the potential to improve process times, team communication, patient safety, and staff satisfaction. We aim to assess whether a multi-level approach consisting of a stringent workflow revision based on peer-to-peer review and 2–3 one-day in situ simulation trainings can improve acute stroke care processing times in high volume neurocenters within a 6 months period. Methods and Analysis: The trial is being carried out in a pre-test-post-test design at 7 tertiary care university hospital neurocenters in Germany. The intervention is directed at the interdisciplinary multiprofessional stroke teams. Before and after the intervention, process times of all direct-to-center stroke patients receiving IV thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular therapy (EVT) will be recorded. The primary outcome measure will be the “door-to-needle” time of all consecutive stroke patients directly admitted to the neurocenters who receive IVT. Secondary outcome measures will be intervention-related process times of the fraction of patients undergoing EVT and effects on team communication, perceived patient safety, and staff satisfaction via a staff questionnaire. Interventions: We are applying a multi-level intervention in cooperation with three “STREAM multipliers” from each center. First step is a central meeting of the multipliers at the sponsor's institution with the purposes of algorithm review in a peer-to-peer process that is recorded in a protocol and an introduction to the principles of simulation training and debriefing as well as crew resource management and team communication. Thereafter, the multipliers cooperate with the stroke team trainers from the sponsor's institution to plan and execute 2–3 one-day simulation courses in situ in the emergency department and CT room of the trial centers whereupon they receive teaching materials to perpetuate the trainings. Clinical Trial Registration: STREAM is a registered trial at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03228251. KW - CRM KW - thrombolysis (tPA) KW - stroke KW - emergency care KW - simulation training Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369239 SN - 1664-2295 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bolzoni, Francesco A1 - Esposti, Roberto A1 - Marchese, Silvia M. A1 - Pozzi, Nicoló G. A1 - Ramirez-Pasos, Uri E. A1 - Isaias, Ioannis U. A1 - Cavallari, Paolo T1 - Disrupt of intra-limb APA pattern in parkinsonian patients performing index-finger flexion JF - Frontiers in Physiology N2 - Voluntary movements induce postural perturbations which are counteracted by anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). These actions are known to build up long fixation chains toward available support points (inter-limb APAs), so as to grant whole body equilibrium. Moreover, recent studies highlighted that APAs also build-up short fixation chains, within the same limb where a distal segment is moved (intra-limb APAs), aimed at stabilizing the proximal segments. The neural structures generating intra-limb APAs still need investigations; the present study aims to compare focal movement kinematics and intra-limb APA latencies and pattern between healthy subjects and parkinsonian patients, assuming the latter as a model of basal ganglia dysfunction. Intra-limb APAs that stabilize the arm when the index-finger is briskly flexed were recorded in 13 parkinsonian patients and in 10 age-matched healthy subjects. Index-finger movement was smaller in parkinsonian patients vs. healthy subjects (p = 0.01) and more delayed with respect to the onset of the prime mover flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS, p < 0.0001). In agreement with the literature, in all healthy subjects the FDS activation was preceded by an inhibitory intra-limb APA in biceps brachii (BB) and anterior deltoid (AD), and almost simultaneous to an excitatory intra-limb APA in triceps brachii (TB). In parkinsonian patients, no significant differences were found for TB and AD intra-limb APA timings, however only four patients showed an inhibitory intra-limb APA in BB, while other four did not show any BB intra-limb APAs and five actually developed a BB excitation. The frequency of occurrence of normal sign, lacking, and inverted BB APAs was different in healthy vs. parkinsonian participants (p = 0.0016). The observed alterations in index-finger kinematics and intra-limb APA pattern in parkinsonian patients suggest that basal ganglia, in addition to shaping the focal movement, may also contribute to intra-limb APA control. KW - intra-limb anticipatory postural adjustments KW - Parkinson disease KW - basal ganglia KW - motor control KW - human Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369245 SN - 1664-042X VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hobbs, Christopher A1 - Jaskaniec, Sonia A1 - McCarthy, Eoin K. A1 - Downing, Clive A1 - Opelt, Konrad A1 - Güth, Konrad A1 - Shmeliov, Aleksey A1 - Mourad, Maurice C. D. A1 - Mandel, Karl A1 - Nicolosi, Valeria T1 - Structural transformation of layered double hydroxides: an in situ TEM analysis JF - npj 2D Materials and Applications N2 - A comprehensive nanoscale understanding of layered double hydroxide (LDH) thermal evolution is critical for their current and future applications as catalysts, flame retardants and oxygen evolution performers. In this report, we applied in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to extensively characterise the thermal progressions of nickel-iron containing (Ni-Fe) LDH nanomaterials. The combinative approach of TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) yielded both a morphological and crystallographic understanding of such processes. As the Ni-Fe LDH nanomaterials are heated in situ, an amorphization occurred at 250 °C, followed by a transition to a heterogeneous structure of NiO particles embedded throughout a NiFe2O4 matrix at 850 °C, confirmed by high-resolution TEM and scanning TEM. Further electron microscopy characterisation methodologies of energy-filtered TEM were utilised to directly observe these mechanistic behaviours in real time, showing an evolution and nucleation to an array of spherical NiO nanoparticles on the platelet surfaces. The versatility of this characterisation approach was verified by the analogous behaviours of Ni-Fe LDH materials heated ex situ as well as parallel in situ TEM and SAED comparisons to that of an akin magnesium-aluminium containing (Mg-Al) LDH structure. The in situ TEM work hereby discussed allows for a state-of-the-art understanding of the Ni-Fe material thermal evolution. This is an important first, which reveals pivotal information, especially when considering LDH applications as catalysts and flame retardants. KW - electrocatalysis KW - two-dimensional materials Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-320752 VL - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herbst, Stefanie A1 - Soberats, Bartolome A1 - Leowanawat, Pawaret A1 - Stolte, Matthias A1 - Lehmann, Matthias A1 - Würthner, Frank T1 - Self-assembly of multi-stranded perylene dye J-aggregates in columnar liquid-crystalline phases JF - Nature Communications N2 - Many discoid dyes self-assemble into columnar liquid-crystalline (LC) phases with packing arrangements that are undesired for photonic applications due to H-type exciton coupling. Here, we report a series of crystalline and LC perylene bisimides (PBIs) self-assembling into single or multi-stranded (two, three, and four strands) aggregates with predominant J-type exciton coupling. These differences in the supramolecular packing and optical properties are achieved by molecular design variations of tetra-bay phenoxy-dendronized PBIs with two N–H groups at the imide positions. The self-assembly is driven by hydrogen bonding, slipped π–π stacking, nanosegregation, and steric requirements of the peripheral building blocks. We could determine the impact of the packing motifs on the spectroscopic properties and demonstrate different J- and H-type coupling contributions between the chromophores. Our findings on structure–property relationships and strong J-couplings in bulk LC materials open a new avenue in the molecular engineering of PBI J-aggregates with prospective applications in photonics. KW - liquid crystals KW - self-assembly Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-319914 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Izquierdo, Manuel A1 - Karolak, Michael A1 - Prabhakaran, Dharmalingam A1 - Boothroyd, Andrew T. A1 - Scherz, Andreas O. A1 - Lichtenstein, Alexander A1 - Molodtsov, Serguei L. T1 - Monitoring ultrafast metallization in LaCoO3 with femtosecond soft x-ray spectroscopy JF - Communications Physics N2 - The study of ultrafast dynamics is a new tool to understand and control the properties of correlated oxides. By enhancing some properties and realizing new dynamically excited phrases, this tool has opened new routes for technological applications. LaCoO3 is one paradigmatic example where the strong electron, spin, and lattice coupling induced by electronic correlations results in a low-temperature spin transition and a high-temperature semiconductor-to-metal transition that is still not completely understood. Here, we monitor ultrafast metallization in LaCoO3 using time-resolved soft x-ray reflectivity experiments. While the process is entangled at the Co L3 edge, the time information of the different channels is decrypted at different resonant energies of the O K edge. Metallization is shown to occur via transient electronic, spin, and lattice separation. Our results agree with the thermodynamical model and demonstrate the potential of femtosecond soft x-ray experiments at the O K edge to understand correlated oxides. KW - electronic properties and materials KW - magnetic properties and materials Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-323265 VL - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holtfrerich, Sarah K. C. A1 - Pfister, Roland A1 - El Gammal, Alexander T. A1 - Bellon, Eugen A1 - Diekhof, Esther K. T1 - Endogenous testosterone and exogenous oxytocin influence the response to baby schema in the female brain JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Nurturing behavior may be critically influenced by the interplay of different hormones. The neuropeptide oxytocin is known to promote maternal behavior and its reduction has been associated with postpartum depression risk and child neglect. Contrariwise, the observed decrease in testosterone level during early parenthood may benefit caretaking behavior, whereas increased testosterone may reduce attention to infants. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the interactive influence of testosterone and oxytocin on selective attention to and neural processing of the baby schema (BS). 57 nulliparous women performed a target detection task with human faces with varying degree of BS following double-blinded placebo-controlled oxytocin administration in a between-subjects design. Our results support the idea that oxytocin enhances attention to the BS. Oxytocin had a positive effect on activation of the inferior frontal junction during identification of infant targets with a high degree of BS that were presented among adult distractors. Further, activation of the putamen was positively correlated with selective attention to the BS, but only in women with high endogenous testosterone who received oxytocin. These findings provide initial evidence for the neural mechanism by which oxytocin may counteract the negative effects of testosterone in the modulation of nurturing behavior. KW - attention KW - reward Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-322285 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kessler, Almuth F. A1 - Frömbling, Greta E. A1 - Gross, Franziska A1 - Hahn, Mirja A1 - Dzokou, Wilfrid A1 - Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo A1 - Löhr, Mario A1 - Hagemann, Carsten T1 - Effects of tumor treating fields (TTFields) on glioblastoma cells are augmented by mitotic checkpoint inhibition JF - Cell Death Discovery N2 - Tumor treating fields (TTFields) are approved for glioblastoma (GBM) therapy. TTFields disrupt cell division by inhibiting spindle fiber formation. Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) inhibition combined with antimitotic drugs synergistically decreases glioma cell growth in cell culture and mice. We hypothesized that SAC inhibition will increase TTFields efficacy. Human GBM cells (U-87 MG, GaMG) were treated with TTFields (200 kHz, 1.7 V/cm) and/or the SAC inhibitor MPS1-IN-3 (IN-3, 4 µM). Cells were counted after 24, 48, and 72 h of treatment and at 24 and 72 h after end of treatment (EOT). Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, Annexin-V staining and TUNEL assay were used to detect alterations in cell cycle and apoptosis after 72 h of treatment. The TTFields/IN-3 combination decreased cell proliferation after 72 h compared to either treatment alone (−78.6% vs. TTFields, P = 0.0337; −52.6% vs. IN-3, P = 0.0205), and reduced the number of viable cells (62% less than seeded). There was a significant cell cycle shift from G1 to G2/M phase (P < 0.0001). The apoptotic rate increased to 44% (TTFields 14%, P = 0.0002; IN-3 4%, P < 0.0001). Cell growth recovered 24 h after EOT with TTFields and IN-3 alone, but the combination led to further decrease by 92% at 72 h EOT if IN-3 treatment was continued (P = 0.0288). The combination of TTFields and SAC inhibition led to earlier and prolonged effects that significantly augmented the efficacy of TTFields and highlights a potential new targeted multimodal treatment for GBM. Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-325744 VL - 4 ER -