@article{HicklHeintzBuschartTrautweinSchultetal.2019,
  author    = {Hickl, Oskar and Heintz-Buschart, Anna and Trautwein-Schult, Anke and Hercog, Rajna and Bork, Peer and Wilmes, Paul and Becher, D{\"o}rte},
  title     = {Sample preservation and storage significantly impact taxonomic and functional profiles in metaproteomics studies of the human gut microbiome},
  series = {Microorganisms},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Microorganisms},
  number    = {9},
  issn      = {2076-2607},
  doi       = {10.3390/microorganisms7090367},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195976},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {With the technological advances of the last decade, it is now feasible to analyze microbiome samples, such as human stool specimens, using multi-omic techniques. Given the inherent sample complexity, there exists a need for sample methods which preserve as much information as possible about the biological system at the time of sampling. Here, we analyzed human stool samples preserved and stored using different methods, applying metagenomics as well as metaproteomics. Our results demonstrate that sample preservation and storage have a significant effect on the taxonomic composition of identified proteins. The overall identification rates, as well as the proportion of proteins from Actinobacteria were much higher when samples were flash frozen. Preservation in RNAlater overall led to fewer protein identifications and a considerable increase in the share of Bacteroidetes, as well as Proteobacteria. Additionally, a decrease in the share of metabolism-related proteins and an increase of the relative amount of proteins involved in the processing of genetic information was observed for RNAlater-stored samples. This suggests that great care should be taken in choosing methods for the preservation and storage of microbiome samples, as well as in comparing the results of analyses using different sampling and storage methods. Flash freezing and subsequent storage at -80 °C should be chosen wherever possible.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ThoelkenThammErbacheretal.2019,
  author    = {Th{\"o}lken, Clemens and Thamm, Markus and Erbacher, Christoph and Lechner, Marcus},
  title     = {Sequence and structural properties of circular RNAs in the brain of nurse and forager honeybees (Apis mellifera)},
  series = {BMC Genomics},
  volume    = {20},
  journal   = {BMC Genomics},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12864-018-5402-6},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241302},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Background The honeybee (Apis mellifera) represents a model organism for social insects displaying behavioral plasticity. This is reflected by an age-dependent task allocation. The most protruding tasks are performed by young nurse bees and older forager bees that take care of the brood inside the hive and collect food from outside the hive, respectively. The molecular mechanism leading to the transition from nurse bees to foragers is currently under intense research. Circular RNAs, however, were not considered in this context so far. As of today, this group of non-coding RNAs was only known to exist in two other insects, Drosophila melanogaster and Bombyx mori. Here we complement the state of circular RNA research with the first characterization in a social insect. Results We identified numerous circular RNAs in the brain of A. mellifera nurse bees and forager bees using RNA-Seq with exonuclease enrichment. Presence and circularity were verified for the most abundant representatives. Back-splicing in honeybee occurs further towards the end of transcripts and in transcripts with a high number of exons. The occurrence of circularized exons is correlated with length and CpG-content of their flanking introns. The latter coincides with increased DNA-methylation in the respective loci. For two prominent circular RNAs the abundance in worker bee brains was quantified in TaqMan assays. In line with previous findings of circular RNAs in Drosophila, circAmrsmep2 accumulates with increasing age of the insect. In contrast, the levels of circAmrad appear age-independent and correlate with the bee's task. Its parental gene is related to amnesia-resistant memory. Conclusions We provide the first characterization of circRNAs in a social insect. Many of the RNAs identified here show homologies to circular RNAs found in Drosophila and Bombyx, indicating that circular RNAs are a common feature among insects. We find that exon circularization is correlated to DNA-methylation at the flanking introns. The levels of circAmrad suggest a task-dependent abundance that is decoupled from age. Moreover, a GO term analysis shows an enrichment of task-related functions. We conclude that circular RNAs could be relevant for task allocation in honeybee and should be investigated further in this context.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DechaudVolffSchartletal.2019,
  author    = {Dechaud, Corentin and Volff, Jean-Nicolas and Schartl, Manfred and Naville, Magali},
  title     = {Sex and the TEs: transposable elements in sexual development and function in animals},
  series = {Mobile DNA},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Mobile DNA},
  doi       = {10.1186/s13100-019-0185-0},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202510},
  pages     = {42},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Transposable elements are endogenous DNA sequences able to integrate into and multiply within genomes. They constitute a major source of genetic innovations, as they can not only rearrange genomes but also spread ready-to-use regulatory sequences able to modify host gene expression, and even can give birth to new host genes. As their evolutionary success depends on their vertical transmission, transposable elements are intrinsically linked to reproduction. In organisms with sexual reproduction, this implies that transposable elements have to manifest their transpositional activity in germ cells or their progenitors. The control of sexual development and function can be very versatile, and several studies have demonstrated the implication of transposable elements in the evolution of sex. In this review, we report the functional and evolutionary relationships between transposable elements and sexual reproduction in animals. In particular, we highlight how transposable elements can influence expression of sexual development genes, and how, reciprocally, they are tightly controlled in gonads. We also review how transposable elements contribute to the organization, expression and evolution of sexual development genes and sex chromosomes. This underscores the intricate co-evolution between host functions and transposable elements, which regularly shift from a parasitic to a domesticated status useful to the host.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{StreinzerChakravortyNeumayeretal.2019,
  author    = {Streinzer, Martin and Chakravorty, Jharna and Neumayer, Johann and Megu, Karsing and Narah, Jaya and Schmitt, Thomas and Bharti, Himender and Spaethe, Johannes and Brockmann, Axel},
  title     = {Species composition and elevational distribution of bumble bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus Latreille) in the East Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India},
  series = {ZooKeys},
  volume    = {851},
  journal   = {ZooKeys},
  doi       = {10.3897/zookeys.851.32956},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201937},
  pages     = {71-89},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {The East Himalaya is one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems. However, very little is known about the abundance and distribution of many plant and animal taxa in this region. Bumble bees are a group of cold-adapted and high elevation insects that fulfil an important ecological and economical function as pollinators of wild and agricultural flowering plants and crops. The Himalayan mountain range provides ample suitable habitats for bumble bees. Systematic study of Himalayan bumble bees began a few decades ago and the main focus has centred on the western region, while the eastern part of the mountain range has received little attention and only a few species have been verified. During a three-year survey, more than 700 bumble bee specimens of 21 species were collected in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest of the north-eastern states of India. The material included a range of species that were previously known from a limited number of collected specimens, which highlights the unique character of the East Himalayan ecosystem. Our results are an important first step towards a future assessment of species distribution, threat, and conservation. Clear elevation patterns of species diversity were observed, which raise important questions about the functional adaptations that allow bumble bees to thrive in this particularly moist region in the East Himalaya.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{RoesergebAssmus2019,
  author    = {R{\"o}ser [geb. Aßmus], Benjamin},
  title     = {SPRED2 (Sprouty-related EVH1 domain containing 2) reguliert die Autophagie in Kardiomyozyten},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-18270},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-182700},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Das Sprouty-related, EVH1 domain containing protein 2 (SPRED2) ist ein inhibitorisches, downstream von Ras wirkendes Protein des MAP-Kinase Signalwegs, welches entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Regulation von Proliferation, Expression von Proteinen und der zellul{\"a}ren Hom{\"o}ostase hat. Der kardiale Ph{\"a}notyp von SPRED2- defizienten M{\"a}usen zeigt nicht nur eine deutliche linksventrikul{\"a}re Hypertrophie, sondern auch eine erh{\"o}hte Fibrosierung des Herzgewebes. Zellul{\"a}r wird die SPRED2- Defizienz durch die Akkumulation von vesikul{\"a}ren Strukturen innerhalb der Zelle, sowie eine markant erh{\"o}hte Anzahl von Vesikeln entlang der longitudinalen Reihen der Mitochondrien gekennzeichnet. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, den Charakter dieser vesikul{\"a}ren Strukturen n{\"a}her zu beleuchten und festzustellen, in welchem Zusammenhang die subzellul{\"a}r ver{\"a}nderte Architektur mit der Hypertrophie der SPRED2-defizienten Tiere steht. Um diese Fragestellung zu beantworten, wurde zun{\"a}chst nach einem vesikul{\"a}ren Degradationsmechanismus gesucht, der in SPRED2-/--Cardiomyocyten betroffen sein k{\"o}nnte. Die Macroautophagie, im folgenden Autophagie bezeichnet, ist ein solcher Degradationsmechanismus, bei dem selektiv langlebige Proteine und Zellorganellen abgebaut werden. Es konnten signifikante Ver{\"a}nderung der Protein-Level an Schl{\"u}sselpositionen der Autophagie identifiziert werden. Das Ubiquitin-aktivierende (E1) Enzym Homolog Atg7 sowie die Cystein-Protease Atg4B zeigen sich im SPRED2- KO deutlich reduziert. Ebenso Atg16L, das als essentieller Bestandteil des Atg5- Atg12-Atg16-Konjugationssystems bei der Konjugation von MAPLC3-II an das Phospholipid Phosphatidylethanolamin beteiligt ist. Die Autophagie-Rate als Verh{\"a}ltnis von konjugiertem zu unkonjugiertem MAPLC3 ist ebenfalls reduziert. Die Akkumulation der autophagischen Vesikel zeigt sich kongruent zu dem erh{\"o}hten Protein-Level der autophagischen Cargo-Rezeptoren SQSTM1 und NBR1, sowie des lysosomalen Markers CathepsinD. Außer der verringerten Autophagie-Rate zeigt sich in Einklang mit der Fibrosierung des Herzgewebes eine erh{\"o}ht aktive Caspase-3 als Marker f{\"u}r Apoptose. Um die mitochondriale Integrit{\"a}t n{\"a}her zu beleuchten, wurde die Menge an reaktiven Sauerstoffspezies (ROS) in Wildtyp und SPRED2-KO untersucht. Hierbei zeigte sich eine erh{\"o}hte Menge an ROS im KO, was ein Hinweis auf eine Beeintr{\"a}chtigung der Mitochondrien darstellt. Letztlich wurde die Hypothese {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft, ob ein gest{\"o}rter Transport der Vesikel durch eine Beeintr{\"a}chtigung der Motorproteine Dynein und Kinesin vorliegt. In der Tat zeigte sich die Aktivit{\"a}t der Dynein-ATPase verringert in der Abwesenheit von SPRED2. Diese Beobachtung wird durch die erh{\"o}hten Mengen des vSNARE-Proteins VTI1b unterst{\"u}tzt, was letztlich die Akkumulation der autophagischen Vesikel mit einer verringerten F{\"a}higkeit zur Membranfusion und dem ineffizienteren Transport der Vesikel in Einklang bringt. Da die gesamten Experimente in einem globalen SPRED2-KO System durchgef{\"u}hrt wurden, k{\"o}nnen eventuelle Auswirkungen der beeinflussten hormonellen Situation der SPRED2-KO Tiere auf den Herzph{\"a}notyp nicht final ausgeschlossen werden. Um die genaue Wirkung einer SPRED2-Defizienz auf das Herzgewebe und das Herz als Organ zu untersuchen, wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit eine SPRED2- defiziente knockout Mauslinie mit konditionalem Potential generiert, die eine gesteuerte Deletion von SPRED2 im Herzgewebe erlaubt.},
  subject      = {Spred-Proteine},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Baig2019,
  author    = {Baig, Ayesha Anjum},
  title     = {Studies on platelet interactions with the coagulation system and on modulators of platelet (hem)ITAM signaling in genetically modified mice},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-16488},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164888},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Activated platelets and coagulation jointly contribute to physiological hemostasis. However, pathological conditions can also trigger unwanted platelet activation and initiation of coagulation resulting in thrombosis and precipitation of ischemic damage of vital organs such as the heart or brain. The specific contribution of procoagulant platelets, positioned at the interface of the processes of platelet activation and coagulation, in ischemic stroke had remained uninvestigated. The first section of the thesis addresses this aspect through experiments conducted in novel megakaryocyte- and platelet-specific TMEM16F conditional KO mice (cKO). cKO platelets phenocopied defects in platelets from Scott Syndrome patients and had severely impaired procoagulant characteristics. This led to decelerated platelet-driven thrombin generation and delayed fibrin formation. cKO mice displayed prolonged bleeding times and impaired arterial thrombosis. However, infarct volumes in cKO mice were comparable to wildtype (WT) mice in an experimental model of ischemic stroke. Therefore, while TMEM16F-regulated platelet procoagulant activity is critical for hemostasis and thrombosis, it is dispensable for cerebral thrombo-inflammation in mice. The second section describes the generation and initial characterization of a novel knockin mouse strain that expresses human coagulation factor XII (FXII) instead of endogenous murine FXII. These knockin mice had normal occlusion times in an experimental model of arterial thrombosis demonstrating that human FXII is functional in mice. Therefore, these mice constitute a valuable tool for testing novel pharmacological agents against human FXII - an attractive potential target for antithrombotic therapy. Glycoprotein (GP)VI and C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2)-mediated (hem)immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) signaling represent a major pathway for platelet activation. The last section of the thesis provides experimental evidence for redundant functions between the two members of the Grb2 family of adapter proteins - Grb2 and Gads that lie downstream of GPVI and CLEC-2 stimulation. In vitro and in vivo studies in mice deficient in both Grb2 and Gads (DKO) revealed that DKO platelets had defects in (hem)ITAM-stimulation-specific activation, aggregation and signal transduction that were more severe than the defects observed in single Grb2 KO or Gads KO mice. Furthermore, the specific role of these adapters downstream of (hem)ITAM signaling was essential for maintenance of hemostasis but dispensable for the known CLEC-2 dependent regulation of blood-lymphatic vessel separation.},
  subject      = {Blutgerinnung},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{SchmittgebWolf2019,
  author    = {Schmitt [geb. Wolf], Karen},
  title     = {Studies on the role of platelet serotonin in platelet function, hemostasis, thrombosis and stroke},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-13471},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134711},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Platelet activation and aggregation are important processes in hemostasis resulting in reduction of blood loss upon vessel wall injury. However, platelet activation can lead to thrombotic events causing myocardial infarction and stroke. A more detailed understanding of the regulation of platelet activation and the subsequent formation of thrombi is essential to prevent thrombosis and ischemic stroke. Cations, platelet surface receptors, cytoskeletal rearrangements, activation of the coagulation cas-cade and intracellular signaling molecules are important in platelet activation and thrombus formation. One such important molecule is serotonin (5 hydroxytryptamin, 5 HT), an indolamine platelet agonist, biochemically derived from tryptophan. 5 HT is secreted from the enterochromaffin cells into the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and blood. Blood borne 5 HT has been proposed to regulate hemostasis by acting as a vaso-constrictor and by triggering platelet signaling through 5 HT2A receptor. Although platelets do not synthetize 5 HT, they take it up from the blood and store it in their dense granules which are secreted upon platelet activation. To identify the molecu-lar composite of the 5 HT uptake system in platelets and elucidate the role of platelet released 5-HT in thrombosis and ischemic stroke, 5 HT transporter knock out mice (5Htt / ) were analyzed in different in vitro and in vivo assays and in a model of is-chemic stroke. In 5Htt / platelets, 5 HT uptake from the blood was completely abol-ished and agonist-induced Ca2+ influx through store operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), integrin activation, degranulation and aggregation responses to glycoprotein (GP) VI and C type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC 2) were reduced. These observed in vitro defects in 5Htt / platelets could be normalized by the addition of exogenous 5 HT. Moreover, reduced 5 HT levels in the plasma, an increased bleeding time and the formation of unstable thrombi were observed ex vivo under flow and in vivo in the abdominal aorta and carotid artery of 5Htt / mice. Surprisingly, in the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model (tMCAO) of ischemic stroke 5Htt / mice showed near-ly normal infarct volumes and a neurological outcome comparable to control mice. Although secreted platelet 5 HT does not appear to play a crucial role in the devel-opment of reperfusion injury after stroke, it is essential to amplify the second phase of platelet activation through SOCE and thus plays an important role in thrombus stabilization. To further investigate the role of cations, granules and their contents and regulation of integrin activation in the process of thrombus formation, genetically modified mice were analyzed in the different in vivo thrombosis models. Whereas Tph1 / mice (lacking the enzyme responsible for the production of 5 HT in the periphery), Trpm7KI (point mu-tation in the kinase domain of Trpm7 channel, lacking kinase activity) and Unc13d / /Nbeal2 / mice (lacking α granules and the release machinery of dense granules) showed a delayed thrombus formation in vivo, MagT1y/ mice (lacking a specific Mg2+ transporter) displayed a pro thrombotic phenotype in vivo. Trpm7fl/fl Pf4Cre (lacking the non specific Mg2+ channel) and RIAM / mice (lacking a potential linker protein in integrin "inside out" signaling) showed no alterations in thrombus formation upon injury of the vessel wall.},
  subject      = {Serotonin},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Gulve2019,
  author    = {Gulve, Nitish},
  title     = {Subversion of Host Genome Integrity by Human Herpesvirus 6 and \(Chlamydia\) \(trachomatis\)},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-162026},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies in the world. The prevalence of a microbial signature in ovarian cancer has been reported by several studies till date. In these microorganisms, Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and Chlamydia trachomatis (C.tr) are especially important as they have significantly high prevalence rate. Moreover, these pathogens are directly involved in causing DNA damage and thereby disrupting the integrity of host genome which is the underlying cause of any cancer. This study focuses on how the two pathogens, HHV-6 and C. trachomatis can affect the genome integrity in their individual capacities and thereby may drive ovarian epithelial cells towards transformation. HHV-6 has unique tendency to integrate its genome into the host genome at subtelomeric regions and achieve a state of latency. This latent virus may get reactivated during the course of life by stress, drugs such as steroids, during transplantation, pregnancy etc. The study presented here began with an interesting observation wherein the direct repeat (DR) sequences flanking the ends of double stranded viral genome were found in unusually high numbers in human blood samples as opposed to normal ratio of two DR copies per viral genome. This study was corroborated with in vitro data where cell lines were generated to mimic the HHV-6 status in human samples. The same observation of unusually high DR copies was found in these cell lines as well. Interestingly, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and inverse polymerase chain reaction followed by southern blotting showed that DR sequences were found to be integrated in nontelomeric regions as opposed to the usual sub-telomeric integration sites in both human samples and in cell lines. Sanger sequencing confirmed the non-telomeric integration of viral DR sequences in the host genome. Several studies have shown that C. trachomatis causes DNA damage and inhibits the signaling cascade of DNA damage response. However, the effect of C. trachomatis infection on process of DNA repair itself was not addressed. In this study, the effect of C. trachomatis infection on host base excision repair (BER) has been addressed. Base excision repair is a pathway which is responsible for replacing the oxidized bases with new undamaged ones. Interestingly, it was found that C. trachomatis infection downregulated polymerase β expression and attenuated polymerase β- mediated BER in vitro. The mechanism of the polymerase β downregulation was found to be associated with the changes in the host microRNAs and downregulation of tumor suppressor, p53. MicroRNA-499 which has a binding site in the polymerase β 3'UTR was shown to be upregulated during C. trachomatis infection. Inhibition of miR-499 using synthetic miR-499 inhibitor indeed improved the repair efficiency during C. trachomatis infection in the in vitro repair assay. Moreover, p53 transcriptionally regulates polymerase β and stabilizing p53 during C. trachomatis infection enhanced the repair efficiency. Previous studies have shown that C. trachomatis can reactivate latent HHV-6. Therefore, genomic instability due to insertions of unstable 'transposon-like' HHV-6 DR followed by compromised BER during C. trachomatis infection cumulatively support the hypothesis of pathogenic infections as a probable cause of ovarian cancer},
  subject      = {Chlamydia trachomatis},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchlegelPetersDooseetal.2019,
  author    = {Schlegel, Jan and Peters, Simon and Doose, S{\"o}ren and Schubert-Unkmeir, Alexandra and Sauer, Markus},
  title     = {Super-resolution microscopy reveals local accumulation of plasma membrane gangliosides at Neisseria meningitidis Invasion Sites},
  series = {Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology},
  number    = {194},
  doi       = {10.3389/fcell.2019.00194},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201639},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for epidemic meningitis and sepsis worldwide. A critical step in the development of meningitis is the interaction of bacteria with cells forming the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, which requires tight adhesion of the pathogen to highly specialized brain endothelial cells. Two endothelial receptors, CD147 and the β2-adrenergic receptor, have been found to be sequentially recruited by meningococci involving the interaction with type IV pilus. Despite the identification of cellular key players in bacterial adhesion the detailed mechanism of invasion is still poorly understood. Here, we investigated cellular dynamics and mobility of the type IV pilus receptor CD147 upon treatment with pili enriched fractions and specific antibodies directed against two extracellular Ig-like domains in living human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Modulation of CD147 mobility after ligand binding revealed by single-molecule tracking experiments demonstrates receptor activation and indicates plasma membrane rearrangements. Exploiting the binding of Shiga (STxB) and Cholera toxin B (CTxB) subunits to the two native plasma membrane sphingolipids globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and raft-associated monosialotetrahexosylganglioside GM1, respectively, we investigated their involvement in bacterial invasion by super-resolution microscopy. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) unraveled accumulation and coating of meningococci with GM1 upon cellular uptake. Blocking of CTxB binding sites did not impair bacterial adhesion but dramatically reduced bacterial invasion efficiency. In addition, cell cycle arrest in G1 phase induced by serum starvation led to an overall increase of GM1 molecules in the plasma membrane and consequently also in bacterial invasion efficiency. Our results will help to understand downstream signaling events after initial type IV pilus-host cell interactions and thus have general impact on the development of new therapeutics targeting key molecules involved in infection.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Hieke2019,
  author    = {Hieke, Marie},
  title     = {Synaptic arrangements and potential communication partners of \(Drosophila's\) PDF-containing clock neurons within the accessory medulla},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-17598},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175988},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Endogenous clocks regulate physiological as well as behavioral rhythms within all organisms. They are well investigated in D. melanogaster on a molecular as well as anatomical level. The neuronal clock network within the brain represents the center for rhythmic activity control. One neuronal clock subgroup, the pigment dispersing factor (PDF) neurons, stands out for its importance in regulating rhythmic behavior. These neurons express the neuropeptide PDF (pigment dispersing factor). A small neuropil at the medulla's edge, the accessory medulla (AME), is of special interest, as it has been determined as the main center for clock control. It is not only highly innervated by the PDF neurons but also by terminals of all other clock neuron subgroups. Furthermore, terminals of the photoreceptors provide light information to the AME. Many different types of neurons converge within the AME and afterward spread to their next target. Thereby the AME is supplied with information from a variety of brain regions. Among these neurons are the aminergic ones whose receptors' are expressed in the PDF neurons. The present study sheds light onto putative synaptic partners and anatomical arrangements within the neuronal clock network, especially within the AME, as such knowledge is a prerequisite to understand circadian behavior. The aminergic neurons' conspicuous vicinity to the PDF neurons suggests synaptic communication among them. Thus, based on former anatomical studies regarding this issue detailed light microscopic studies have been performed. Double immunolabellings, analyses of the spatial relation of pre- and postsynaptic sites of the individual neuron populations with respect to each other and the identification of putative synaptic partners using GRASP reenforce the hypothesis of synaptic interactions within the AME between dopaminergic/ serotonergic neurons and the PDF neurons. To shed light on the synaptic partners I performed first steps in array tomography, as it allows terrific informative analyses of fluorescent signals on an ultrastructural level. Therefore, I tested different ways of sample preparation in order to achieve and optimize fluorescent signals on 100 nm thin tissue sections and I made overlays with electron microscopic images. Furthermore, I made assumptions about synaptic modulations within the neuronal clock network via glial cells. I detected their cell bodies in close vicinity to the AME and PDFcontaining clock neurons. It has already been shown that glial cells modulate the release of PDF from s-LNvs' terminals within the dorsal brain. On an anatomical level this modulation appears to exist also within the AME, as synaptic contacts that involve PDF-positive dendritic terminals are embedded into glial fibers. Intriguingly, these postsynaptic PDF fibers are often VIIAbstract part of dyadic or even multiple-contact sites in opposite to prolonged presynaptic active zonesimplicating complex neuronal interactions within the AME. To unravel possible mechanisms of such synaptic arrangements, I tried to localize the ABC transporter White. Its presence within glial cells would indicate a recycling mechanism of transmitted amines which allows their fast re-provision. Taken together, synapses accompanied by glial cells appear to be a common arrangement within the AME to regulate circadian behavior. The complexity of mechanisms that contribute in modulation of circadian information is reflected by the complex diversity of synaptic arrangements that involves obviously several types of neuron populations},
  subject      = {Taufliege},
  language  = {en}
}