@article{UeceylerKahnKrameretal.2013, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Kahn, Ann-Kathrin and Kramer, Daniela and Zeller, Daniel and Casanova-Molla, Jordi and Wanner, Christoph and Weidemann, Frank and Katsarava, Zaza and Sommer, Claudia}, title = {Impaired small fiber conduction in patients with Fabry disease: a neurophysiological case-control study}, series = {BMC Neurology}, journal = {BMC Neurology}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2377-13-47}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-96527}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background Fabry disease is an inborn lysosomal storage disorder which is associated with small fiber neuropathy. We set out to investigate small fiber conduction in Fabry patients using pain-related evoked potentials (PREP). Methods In this case-control study we prospectively studied 76 consecutive Fabry patients for electrical small fiber conduction in correlation with small fiber function and morphology. Data were compared with healthy controls using non-parametric statistical tests. All patients underwent neurological examination and were investigated with pain and depression questionnaires. Small fiber function (quantitative sensory testing, QST), morphology (skin punch biopsy), and electrical conduction (PREP) were assessed and correlated. Patients were stratified for gender and disease severity as reflected by renal function. Results All Fabry patients (31 men, 45 women) had small fiber neuropathy. Men with Fabry disease showed impaired cold (p < 0.01) and warm perception (p < 0.05), while women did not differ from controls. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) was reduced at the lower leg (p < 0.001) and the back (p < 0.05) mainly of men with impaired renal function. When investigating A-delta fiber conduction with PREP, men but not women with Fabry disease had lower amplitudes upon stimulation at face (p < 0.01), hands (p < 0.05), and feet (p < 0.01) compared to controls. PREP amplitudes further decreased with advance in disease severity. PREP amplitudes and warm (p < 0.05) and cold detection thresholds (p < 0.01) at the feet correlated positively in male patients. Conclusion Small fiber conduction is impaired in men with Fabry disease and worsens with advanced disease severity. PREP are well-suited to measure A-delta fiber conduction.}, 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{ZellerMuellerGutberletetal.2013, author = {Zeller, Mario and M{\"u}ller, Alexander and Gutberlet, Marcel and Nichols, Thomas and Hahn, Dietbert and K{\"o}stler, Herbert and Bartsch, Andreas J.}, title = {Boosting BOLD fMRI by K-Space Density Weighted Echo Planar Imaging}, series = {PLoS ONE}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0074501}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-97233}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a powerful and influential method to non-invasively study neuronal brain activity. For this purpose, the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effect is most widely used. T2* weighted echo planar imaging (EPI) is BOLD sensitive and the prevailing fMRI acquisition technique. Here, we present an alternative to its standard Cartesian recordings, i.e. k-space density weighted EPI, which is expected to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in fMRI data. Based on in vitro and in vivo pilot measurements, we show that fMRI by k-space density weighted EPI is feasible and that this new acquisition technique in fact boosted spatial and temporal SNR as well as the detection of local fMRI activations. Spatial resolution, spatial response function and echo time were identical for density weighted and conventional Cartesian EPI. The signal-to-noise ratio gain of density weighting can improve activation detection and has the potential to further increase the sensitivity of fMRI investigations.}, language = {en} } @article{ZahnleiterUebeEkicietal.2013, author = {Zahnleiter, Diana and Uebe, Steffen and Ekici, Arif B. and Hoyer, Juliane and Wiesener, Antje and Wieczorek, Dagmar and Kunstmann, Erdmute and Reis, Andr{\´e} and Doerr, Helmuth-Guenther and Rauch, Anita and Thiel, Christian T.}, title = {Rare Copy Number Variants Are a Common Cause of Short Stature}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {3}, issn = {1553-7404}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1003365}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-127645}, pages = {e1003365}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Human growth has an estimated heritability of about 80\%-90\%. Nevertheless, the underlying cause of shortness of stature remains unknown in the majority of individuals. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that both common single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variants (CNVs) contribute to height variation under a polygenic model, although explaining only a small fraction of overall genetic variability in the general population. Under the hypothesis that severe forms of growth retardation might also be caused by major gene effects, we searched for rare CNVs in 200 families, 92 sporadic and 108 familial, with idiopathic short stature compared to 820 control individuals. Although similar in number, patients had overall significantly larger CNVs \((p-value <1 x 10^{-7})\). In a gene-based analysis of all non-polymorphic CNVs >50 kb for gene function, tissue expression, and murine knock-out phenotypes, we identified 10 duplications and 10 deletions ranging in size from 109 kb to 14 Mb, of which 7 were de novo (p < 0.03) and 13 inherited from the likewise affected parent but absent in controls. Patients with these likely disease causing 20 CNVs were smaller than the remaining group (p < 0.01). Eleven (55\%) of these CNVs either overlapped with known microaberration syndromes associated with short stature or contained GWAS loci for height. Haploinsufficiency (HI) score and further expression profiling suggested dosage sensitivity of major growth-related genes at these loci. Overall 10\% of patients carried a disease-causing CNV indicating that, like in neurodevelopmental disorders, rare CNVs are a frequent cause of severe growth retardation.}, 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{YanHongChenetal.2013, author = {Yan, Yan and Hong, Ni and Chen, Tiansheng and Li, Mingyou and Wang, Tiansu and Guan, Guijun and Qiao, Yongkang and Chen, Songlin and Schartl, Manfred and Li, Chang-Ming and Hong, Yunhan}, title = {p53 Gene Targeting by Homologous Recombination in Fish ES Cells}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0059400}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-133416}, pages = {e59400}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background: Gene targeting (GT) provides a powerful tool for the generation of precise genetic alterations in embryonic stem (ES) cells to elucidate gene function and create animal models for human diseases. This technology has, however, been limited to mouse and rat. We have previously established ES cell lines and procedures for gene transfer and selection for homologous recombination (HR) events in the fish medaka (Oryzias latipes). Methodology and Principal Findings: Here we report HR-mediated GT in this organism. We designed a GT vector to disrupt the tumor suppressor gene p53 (also known as tp53). We show that all the three medaka ES cell lines, MES1 similar to MES3, are highly proficient for HR, as they produced detectable HR without drug selection. Furthermore, the positive-negative selection (PNS) procedure enhanced HR by similar to 12 folds. Out of 39 PNS-resistant colonies analyzed, 19 (48.7\%) were positive for GT by PCR genotyping. When 11 of the PCR-positive colonies were further analyzed, 6 (54.5\%) were found to be bona fide homologous recombinants by Southern blot analysis, sequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridization. This produces a high efficiency of up to 26.6\% for p53 GT under PNS conditions. We show that p53 disruption and long-term propagation under drug selection conditions do not compromise the pluripotency, as p53-targeted ES cells retained stable growth, undifferentiated phenotype, pluripotency gene expression profile and differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that medaka ES cells are proficient for HR-mediated GT, offering a first model organism of lower vertebrates towards the development of full ES cell-based GT technology.}, language = {en} } @article{WolfahrtHermanScholzetal.2013, author = {Wolfahrt, Sonja and Herman, Sandra and Scholz, Claus-J{\"u}rgen and Sauer, Georg and Deissler, Helmut}, title = {Identification of alternative transcripts of rat CD9 expressed by tumorigenic neural cell lines and in normal tissues}, series = {Genetics and Molecular Biology}, volume = {36}, journal = {Genetics and Molecular Biology}, number = {2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131801}, pages = {276-281}, year = {2013}, abstract = {CD9 is the best-studied member of the tetraspanin family of transmembrane proteins. It is involved in various fundamental cellular processes and its altered expression is a characteristic of malignant cells of different origins. Despite numerous investigations confirming its fundamental role, the heterogeneity of CD9 or other tetraspanin proteins was considered only to be caused by posttranslational modification, rather than alternative splicing. Here we describe the first identification of CD9 transcript variants expressed by cell lines derived from fetal rat brain cells. Variant mRNA-B lacks a potential translation initiation codon in the alternative exon 1 and seems to be characteristic of the tumorigenic BT cell lines. In contrast, variant mRNA-C can be translated from a functional initiation codon located in its extended exon 2, and substantial amounts of this form detected in various tissues suggest a contribution to CD9 functions. From the alternative sequence of variant C, a different membrane topology ( 5 transmembrane domains) and a deviating spectrum of functions can be expected.}, language = {en} } @article{WolfChenSongetal.2013, author = {Wolf, Matthias and Chen, Shilin and Song, Jingyuan and Ankenbrand, Markus and M{\"u}ller, Tobias}, title = {Compensatory Base Changes in ITS2 Secondary Structures Correlate with the Biological Species Concept Despite Intragenomic Variability in ITS2 Sequences - A Proof of Concept}, series = {PLoS ONE}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0066726}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-96450}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Compensatory base changes (CBCs) in internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rDNA secondary structures correlate with Ernst Mayr's biological species concept. This hypothesis also referred to as the CBC species concept recently was subjected to large-scale testing, indicating two distinct probabilities. (1) If there is a CBC then there are two different species with a probability of ~0.93. (2) If there is no CBC then there is the same species with a probability of ~0.76. In ITS2 research, however, the main problem is the multicopy nature of ITS2 sequences. Most recently, 454 pyrosequencing data have been used to characterize more than 5000 intragenomic variations of ITS2 regions from 178 plant species, demonstrating that mutation of ITS2 is frequent, with a mean of 35 variants per species, respectively per individual organism. In this study, using those 454 data, the CBC criterion is reconsidered in the light of intragenomic variability, a proof of concept, a necessary criterion, expecting no intragenomic CBCs in variant ITS2 copies. In accordance with the CBC species concept, we could demonstrate that the probability that there is no intragenomic CBC is ~0.99.}, language = {en} } @article{WolfAkrapMargetal.2013, author = {Wolf, Annette and Akrap, Nina and Marg, Berenice and Galliardt, Helena and Heiligentag, Martyna and Humpert, Fabian and Sauer, Markus and Kaltschmidt, Barbara and Kaltschmidt, Christian and Seidel, Thorsten}, title = {Elements of Transcriptional Machinery Are Compatible among Plants and Mammals}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0053737}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131203}, pages = {e53737}, year = {2013}, abstract = {In the present work, the objective has been to analyse the compatibility of plant and human transcriptional machinery. The experiments revealed that nuclear import and export are conserved among plants and mammals. Further it has been shown that transactivation of a human promoter occurs by human transcription factor NF-\(\kappa\) B in plant cells, demonstrating that the transcriptional machinery is highly conserved in both kingdoms. Functionality was also seen for regulatory elements of NF-\(\kappa\) B such as its inhibitor I\(\kappa\)B isoform \(\alpha\) that negatively regulated the transactivation activity of the p50/RelA heterodimer by interaction with NF-\(\kappa\)B in plant cells. Nuclear export of RelA could be demonstrated by FRAP-measurements so that RelA shows nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling as reported for RelA in mammalian cells. The data reveals the high level of compatibility of human transcriptional elements with the plant transcriptional machinery. Thus, Arabidopsis thaliana mesophyll protoplasts might provide a new heterologous expression system for the investigation of the human NF-\(\kappa\)B signaling pathways. The system successfully enabled the controlled manipulation of NF-\(\kappa\)B activity. We suggest the plant protoplast system as a tool for reconstitution and analyses of mammalian pathways and for direct observation of responses to e. g. pharmaceuticals. The major advantage of the system is the absence of interference with endogenous factors that affect and crosstalk with the pathway.}, language = {en} } @article{WobserSiedelKneitzetal.2013, author = {Wobser, Marion and Siedel, Claudia and Kneitz, Hermann and Br{\"o}cker, Eva-Bettina and Goebeler, Mathias and Houben, Roland and Geissinger, Eva}, title = {Microvessel Density and Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and its Receptors in Different Subtypes of Primary Cutaneous B-cell Lymphoma}, series = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, volume = {93}, journal = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, number = {6}, doi = {10.2340/00015555-1589}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128608}, pages = {656-662}, year = {2013}, abstract = {A proangiogenic micromilieu is associated with a worse prognosis in systemic lymphoma. Hence, targeting the tumour microenvironment and its vasculature has evolved as a promising novel treatment strategy. The role of tumour neoangiogenesis in cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, however, has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, as well as microvessel density by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded specimens of different subtypes of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and cutaneous B-cell pseudolymphoma. Primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma (PCLBCL) were characterized by significantly higher intratumoral expression levels of VEGF and its receptors in comparison with the indolent lymphoma subtypes. Moreover, PCLBCL exhibited significantly higher intratumoral microvessel counts. Our study provides evidence that the most aggressive subtype of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, PCLBCL, is characterized by a proangiogenic micromilieu.}, language = {en} }