@phdthesis{Baur2019, author = {Baur, Florentin Philipp}, title = {Establishment of a 3D tumour model and targeted therapy of BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17412}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174129}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Cancer remains after cardiovascular diseases the leading cause of death worldwide and an estimated 8.2 million people died of it in 2012. By 2030, 13 million cancer deaths are expected due to the growth and ageing of the population. Hereof, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women with a wide geographical variation across the world. Usually, CRC begins as a non-cancerous growth leading to an adenomatous polyp, or adenoma, arising from glandular cells. Since research has brought about better understanding of the mechanisms of cancer development, novel treatments such as targeted therapy have emerged in the past decades. Despite that, up to 95\% of anticancer drugs tested in clinical phase I trials do not attain a market authorisation and hence these high attrition rates remain a key challenge for the pharmaceutical industry, making drug development processes enormously costly and inefficient. Therefore, new preclinical in vitro models which can predict drug responses in vivo more precisely are urgently needed. Tissue engineering not only provides the possibility of creating artificial three-dimensional (3D) in vitro tissues, such as functional organs, but also enables the investigation of drug responses in pathological tissue models, that is, in 3D cancer models which are superior to conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures on petri dishes and can overcome the limitations of animal models, thereby reducing the need for preclinical in vivo models. In this thesis, novel 3D CRC models on the basis of a decellularised intestinal matrix were established. In the first part, it could be shown that the cell line SW480 exhibited different characteristics when grown in a 3D environment from those in conventional 2D culture. While the cells showed a mesenchymal phenotype in 2D culture, they displayed a more pronounced epithelial character in the 3D model. By adding stromal cells (fibroblasts), the cancer cells changed their growth pattern and built tumour-like structures together with the fibroblasts, thereby remodelling the natural mucosal structures of the scaffold. Additionally, the established 3D tumour model was used as a test system for treatment with standard chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The second part of the thesis focused on the establishment of a 3D in vitro test system for targeted therapy. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved of a number of drugs for targeted therapy of specific types of cancer. For instance, the small molecule vemurafenib (PLX4032, Zelboraf™) which demonstrated impressive response rates of 50-80\% in melanoma patients with a mutation of the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma oncogene type B (BRAF) kinase which belongs to the mitogen active protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway. However, only 5\% of CRC patients harbouring the same BRAF mutation respond to treatment with vemurafenib. An explanation for this unresponsiveness could be a feedback activation of the upstream EGFR, reactivating the MAPK pathway which sustains a proliferative signalling. To test this hypothesis, the two early passage cell lines HROC24 and HROC87, both presenting the mutation BRAF V600E but differing in other mutations, were used and their drug response to vemurafenib and/or gefitinib was assessed in conventional 2D cell culture and compared to the more advanced 3D model. Under 3D culture conditions, both cell lines showed a reduction of the proliferation rate only in the combination therapy approach. Furthermore, no significant differences between the various treatment approaches and the untreated control regarding apoptosis rate and viability for both cell lines could be found in the 3D tumour model which conferred an enhanced chemoresistance to the cancer cells. Because of the observed unresponsiveness to BRAF inhibition by vemurafenib as can be seen in the clinic for patients with BRAF mutations in CRC, the cell line HROC87 was used for further xenografting experiments and analysis of activation changes in the MAPK signalling pathway. It could be shown that the cells presented a reactivation of Akt in the 3D model when treated with both inhibitors, suggesting an escape mechanism for apoptosis which was not present in cells cultured under conventional 2D conditions. Moreover, the cells exhibited an activation of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR, c-Met) in 2D and 3D culture, but this was not detectable in the xenograft model. This shows the limitations of in vivo models. The results suggest another feedback activation loop than that to the EGFR which might not primarily be involved in the resistance mechanism. This reflects the before mentioned high attrition rates in the preclinical drug testing.}, subject = {Dickdarmtumor}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Segerer2019, author = {Segerer, Gabriela}, title = {Characterization of cell biological and physiological functions of the phosphoglycolate phosphatase AUM}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123847}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Mammalian haloacid dehalogenase (HAD)-type phosphatases are a large and ubiquitous family of at least 40 human members. Many of them have important physiological functions, such as the regulation of intermediary metabolism and the modulation of enzyme activities, yet they are also linked to diseases such as cardiovascular or metabolic disorders and cancer. Still, most of the mammalian HAD phosphatases remain functionally uncharacterized. This thesis reveals novel cell biological and physiological functions of the phosphoglycolate phosphatase PGP, also referred to as AUM. To this end, PGP was functionally characterized by performing analyses using purified recombinant proteins to investigate potential protein substrates of PGP, cell biological studies using the spermatogonial cell line GC1, primary mouse lung endothelial cells and lymphocytes, and a range of biochemical techniques to characterize Pgp-deficient mouse embryos. To characterize the cell biological functions of PGP, its role downstream of RTK- and integrin signaling in the regulation of cell migration was investigated. It was shown that PGP inactivation elevates integrin- and RTK-induced circular dorsal ruffle (CDR) formation, cell spreading and cell migration. Furthermore, PGP was identified as a negative regulator of directed lymphocyte migration upon integrin- and GPCR activation. The underlying mechanisms were analyzed further. It was demonstrated that PGP regulates CDR formation and cell migration in a PLC- and PKC-dependent manner, and that Src family kinase activities are required for the observed cellular effects. Upon integrin- and RTK activation, phosphorylation levels of tyrosine residues 1068 and 1173 of the EGF receptor were elevated and PLCγ1 was hyper-activated in PGP-deficient cells. Additionally, PGP-inactivated lymphocytes displayed elevated PKC activity, and PKC-mediated cytoskeletal remodeling was accelerated upon loss of PGP activity. Untargeted lipidomic analyses revealed that the membrane lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) was highly upregulated in PGP-depleted cells. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the accumulation of PS in the plasma membrane leads to a pre-assembly of signaling molecules such as PLCγ1 or PKCs that couple the activation of integrins, EGF receptors and GPCRs to accelerated cytoskeletal remodeling. Thus, this thesis shows that PGP can affect cell spreading and cell migration by acting as a PG-directed phosphatase. To understand the physiological functions of PGP, conditionally PGP-inactivated mice were analyzed. Whole-body PGP inactivation led to an intrauterine growth defect with developmental delay after E8.5, resulting in a gradual deterioration and death of PgpDN/DN embryos between E9.5 and E11.5. However, embryonic lethality upon whole-body PGP inactivation was not caused by a primary defect of the (cardio-) vascular system. Rather, PGP inactivated embryos died during the intrauterine transition from hypoxic to normoxic conditions. Therefore, the potential impact of oxygen on PGP-dependent cell proliferation was investigated. Analyses of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) generated from E8.5 embryos and GC1 cells cultured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions revealed that normoxia (~20\% O2) causes a proliferation defect in PGP-inactivated cells, which can be rescued under hypoxic (~1\% O2) conditions. Mechanistically, it was found that the activity of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), an enzyme previously described to be inhibited by phosphoglycolate (PG) in vitro, was attenuated in PGP-inactivated cells and embryos. TPI constitutes a critical branch point between carbohydrate- and lipid metabolism because it catalyzes the isomerization of the glycolytic intermediates dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP, a precursor of the glycerol backbone required for triglyceride biosynthesis) and glyceraldehyde 3'-phosphate (GADP). Attenuation of TPI activity, likely explains the observed elevation of glycerol 3-phosphate levels and the increased TG biosynthesis (lipogenesis). Analyses of ATP levels and oxygen consumption rates (OCR) showed that mitochondrial respiration rates and ATP production were elevated in PGP-deficient cells in a lipolysis-dependent manner. However under hypoxic conditions (which corrected the impaired proliferation of PGP-inactivated cells), OCR and ATP production was indistinguishable between PGP-deficient and PGP-proficient cells. We therefore propose that the inhibition of TPI activity by PG accumulation due to loss of PGP activity shifts cellular bioenergetics from a pro-proliferative, glycolytic metabolism to a lipogenetic/lipolytic metabolism. Taken together, PGP acts as a metabolic phosphatase involved in the regulation of cell migration, cell proliferation and cellular bioenergetics. This thesis constitutes the basis for further studies of the interfaces between these processes, and also suggests functions of PGP for glucose and lipid metabolism in the adult organism.}, subject = {Phosphoglykolatphosphatase}, 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} } @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{Wollny2019, author = {Wollny, Claudia}, title = {Der p97-Kofaktor UBXD1 ist ein neuer Regulator des NF-kB-Signalweges}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-13243}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-132430}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Die essenzielle, Ubiquitin-selektive ATPase p97 reguliert eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Prozesse in Eukaryoten. Dazu z{\"a}hlen Proteinqualit{\"a}tskontrolle, DNA-Reparatur, Signaltransduktion, Zellzykluskontrolle, Autophagie sowie das endolysosomale System. Diese unterschiedlichen Funktionen von p97 werden durch die Bindung von Kofaktoren engmaschig gesteuert und kontrolliert. Die gr{\"o}ßte und am besten untersuchte Gruppe von p97-Kofaktoren sind die Proteine der UBX Familie. Diese zeichnen sich durch den Besitz einer UBX-Dom{\"a}ne aus, welche die Bindung an p97 vermittelt. Das in h{\"o}heren Eukaryoten konservierte Familienmitglied UBXD1 besitzt dar{\"u}ber hinaus mit einer PUB-Dom{\"a}ne und einem VIM-Motiv noch mindestens zwei weitere p97-Bindemodule. UBXD1 kann an Vesikel des endolysosomalen Degradationssytems lokalisieren, seine genauen zellul{\"a}ren Funktionen sind jedoch noch weitgehend unbekannt. Ziel dieser Arbeit war die funktionelle Charakterisierung von humanem UBXD1. Daf{\"u}r wurden Kandidaten eines zuvor durchgef{\"u}hrten Yeast-Two-Hybrid-Screens auf ihre Two Hybrid-Interaktion mit unterschiedlichen UBXD1-Varianten getestet. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus wurde durch Immunpr{\"a}zipitationsexperimente untersucht, ob die Kandidatenproteine auch in S{\"a}ugerzellen mit UBXD1 interagieren. Als vielversprechende neue Bindungspartner von UBXD1 wurden so die Ubiquitin-Ligase TRIAD3A und das Ubiquitin-editierende Protein A20 identifiziert. Desweiteren konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Interaktion zwischen UBXD1 und A20 von einer funktionellen PUB Dom{\"a}ne und dem siebten Zinkfinger Motiv von A20 abh{\"a}ngig ist. Da sowohl TRIAD3A als auch A20 negative Regulatoren des NF B Signalweges sind, wurde daraufhin untersucht, ob auch UBXD1 eine Funktion in diesem Signalweg besitzt. Tats{\"a}chlich war in UBXD1-depletierten HeLa 57A-Zellen die NF B-abh{\"a}ngige Expression eines Reportgens nach Aktivierung des Signalweges durch TNF, IL-1, Doxorubicin und H2O2 stark reduziert. Dabei spricht die verringerte Aktivierung nach unterschiedlichen Stimuli f{\"u}r eine generelle Rolle von UBXD1 im NF B Signalweg. Durch quantitative Echtzeit-PCR konnte gezeigt werden, dass in HeLa- und HEK293T-Zellen nach UBXD1-Depletion auch die Expression endogener NF B Zielgene verringert ist. Da in UBXD1-depletierten Zellen nach Stimulation mit TNF oder IL-1 bereits die Kerntranslokation des NF B-Transkriptionsfaktor p65 reduziert ist, ist davon auszugehen, dass UBXD1 an einer fr{\"u}heren Phase der Aktivierung des Signalweges beteiligt ist. M{\"o}glicherweise ist dies darauf zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren, dass UBXD1 bekannte Funktionen von A20 reguliert und etwa die Bindung von A20 an Vesikel des endolysosomalen Systems oder an lineare Ubiquitinketten beeinflusst. Diese Arbeit beschreibt somit eine neue Funktion des p97-Kofaktors UBXD1 im NF B-Signalweg.}, subject = {Ubiquitin}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{DiegmanngebWeissbach2019, author = {Diegmann [geb. Weißbach], Susann}, title = {Identifizierung des Mutationsspektrums und Charakterisierung relevanter Mutationen im Multiplen Myelom}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-11480}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114800}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Das Multiple Myelom (MM) ist eine maligne B-Zell-Erkrankung, welche von einer großen Heterogenit{\"a}t auf der biologischen und klinischen Ebene sowie in der Therapieantwort gepr{\"a}gt ist. Durch die biologische Interpretation von whole exome sequencing (WES)-Daten der Tumor- und Normalproben von f{\"u}nf MM-Patienten und sechs MM-Zelllinien (ZL) sowie dem Einbezug von publizierten next generation sequencing (NGS)-Daten von 38 MM-Patienten konnten in dieser Dissertation sowohl somatische tumorrelevante Mutationen identifiziert als auch ein MM-spezifisches Signaltransduktionsnetzwerk definiert werden. Interessanterweise wurde in fast 100 \% der MM-Patienten mindestens eine Mutation und in ~50 \% der MM-Patienten sogar mehr als eine Mutation innerhalb dieses Netzwerkes beobachtet, was auf eine inter- und intra-individuelle Signalweg-Redundanz hinweist, die f{\"u}r die individuelle Therapieentscheidung m{\"o}glicherweise von Bedeutung sein k{\"o}nnte. Außerdem konnte best{\"a}tigt werden, dass identische, positionsspezifische und genspezifische Mutationen im MM selten wiederholt auftreten. Als h{\"a}ufig mutierte Gene im MM konnten KRAS, NRAS, LRP1B, FAM46C, WHSC1, ALOX12B, DIS3 und PKHD1 identifiziert werden. Interessanterweise wurde die DIS3-Mutation in der MM-ZL OPM2 gemeinsam mit einer copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (CNLOH) im DIS3-Lokus detektiert, und in der MM-ZL AMO1 wurde eine noch nicht n{\"a}her charakterisierte KRAS-Mutation in Exon 4 in Verbindung mit einem copy number (CN)-Zugewinn und einer erh{\"o}hten KRAS-Genexpression gefunden. DIS3 ist ein enzymatisch aktiver Teil des humanen RNA-Exosom-Komplexes und KRAS ein zentrales Protein im RTK-Signalweg, wodurch genetische Aberrationen in diesen Genen m{\"o}glicherweise in der Entstehung oder Progression des MMs eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Daher wurde die gesamte coding sequence (CDS) der Gene DIS3 und KRAS an Tumorproben eines einheitlich behandelten Patientensets der DSMM-XI-Studie mit einem Amplikon-Tiefen-Sequenzierungsansatz untersucht. Das Patientenset bestand aus 81 MM-Patienten mit verf{\"u}gbaren zytogenetischen und klinischen Daten. Dies ergab Aufschluss {\"u}ber die Verteilung der Mutationen innerhalb der Gene und dem Vorkommen der Mutationen in Haupt- und Nebenklonen des Tumors. Des Weiteren wurde die Assoziation der Mutationen mit weiteren klassischen zytogenetischen Alterationen (z.B. Deletion von Chr 13q14, t(4;14)-Translokation) untersucht und der Einfluss der Mutationen in Haupt- und Nebenklonen auf den klinischen Verlauf und die Therapieantwort bestimmt. Besonders hervorzuheben war dabei die Entdeckung von sieben neuen Mutationen sowie drei zuvor unbeschriebenen hot spot-Mutationen an den Aminos{\"a}ure (AS)-Positionen p.D488, p.E665 und p.R780 in DIS3. Es wurde des Weiteren die Assoziation von DIS3-Mutationen mit einer Chr 13q14-Deletion und mit IGH-Translokationen best{\"a}tigt. Interessanterweise wurde ein niedrigeres medianes overall survival (OS) f{\"u}r MM-Patienten mit einer DIS3-Mutation sowie auch eine schlechtere Therapieantwort f{\"u}r MM-Patienten mit einer DIS3-Mutation im Nebenklon im Vergleich zum Hauptklon beobachtet. In KRAS konnten die bereits publizierten Mutationen best{\"a}tigt und keine Auswirkungen der KRAS-Mutationen in Haupt- oder Nebenklon auf den klinischen Verlauf oder die Therapieantwort erkannt werden. Erste siRNA vermittelte knockdown-Experimente von KRAS und {\"U}berexpressionsexperimente von KRAS-Wildtyp (WT) und der KRAS-Mutationen p.G12A, p.A146T und p.A146V mittels lentiviraler Transfektion zeigten eine Abh{\"a}ngigkeit der Phosphorylierung von MEK1/2 und ERK1/2 von dem KRAS-Mutationsstatus. Zusammenfassend liefert die vorliegende Dissertation einen detaillierten Einblick in die molekularen Strukturen des MMs, vor allem im Hinblick auf die Rolle von DIS3 und KRAS bei der Tumorentwicklung und dem klinischen Verlauf.}, subject = {Plasmozytom}, language = {de} } @article{GrollBurdickChoetal.2019, author = {Groll, J and Burdick, J A and Cho, D-W and Derby, B and Gelinsky, M and Heilshorn, S C and J{\"u}ngst, T and Malda, J and Mironov, V A and Nakayama, K and Ovsianikov, A and Sun, W and Takeuchi, S and Yoo, J J and Woodfield, T B F}, title = {A definition of bioinks and their distinction from biomaterial inks}, series = {Biofabrication}, volume = {11}, journal = {Biofabrication}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1088/1758-5090/aaec52}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-253993}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Biofabrication aims to fabricate biologically functional products through bioprinting or bioassembly (Groll et al 2016 Biofabrication 8 013001). In biofabrication processes, cells are positioned at defined coordinates in three-dimensional space using automated and computer controlled techniques (Moroni et al 2018 Trends Biotechnol. 36 384-402), usually with the aid of biomaterials that are either (i) directly processed with the cells as suspensions/dispersions, (ii) deposited simultaneously in a separate printing process, or (iii) used as a transient support material. Materials that are suited for biofabrication are often referred to as bioinks and have become an important area of research within the field. In view of this special issue on bioinks, we aim herein to briefly summarize the historic evolution of this term within the field of biofabrication. Furthermore, we propose a simple but general definition of bioinks, and clarify its distinction from biomaterial inks.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwedhelmZdziebloAppeltMenzeletal.2019, author = {Schwedhelm, Ivo and Zdzieblo, Daniela and Appelt-Menzel, Antje and Berger, Constantin and Schmitz, Tobias and Schuldt, Bernhard and Franke, Andre and M{\"u}ller, Franz-Josef and Pless, Ole and Schwarz, Thomas and Wiedemann, Philipp and Walles, Heike and Hansmann, Jan}, title = {Automated real-time monitoring of human pluripotent stem cell aggregation in stirred tank reactors}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-48814-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202649}, pages = {12297}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The culture of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) at large scale becomes feasible with the aid of scalable suspension setups in continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). Innovative monitoring options and emerging automated process control strategies allow for the necessary highly defined culture conditions. Next to standard process characteristics such as oxygen consumption, pH, and metabolite turnover, a reproducible and steady formation of hiPSC aggregates is vital for process scalability. In this regard, we developed a hiPSC-specific suspension culture unit consisting of a fully monitored CSTR system integrated into a custom-designed and fully automated incubator. As a step towards cost-effective hiPSC suspension culture and to pave the way for flexibility at a large scale, we constructed and utilized tailored miniature CSTRs that are largely made from three-dimensional (3D) printed polylactic acid (PLA) filament, which is a low-cost material used in fused deposition modelling. Further, the monitoring tool for hiPSC suspension cultures utilizes in situ microscopic imaging to visualize hiPSC aggregation in real-time to a statistically significant degree while omitting the need for time-intensive sampling. Suitability of our culture unit, especially concerning the developed hiPSC-specific CSTR system, was proven by demonstrating pluripotency of CSTR-cultured hiPSCs at RNA (including PluriTest) and protein level.}, language = {en} } @article{ElmaidomyMohammedHassanetal.2019, author = {Elmaidomy, Abeer H. and Mohammed, Rabab and Hassan, Hossam M. and Owis, Asmaa I. and Rateb, Mostafa E. and Khanfar, Mohammad A. and Krischke, Markus and Mueller, Martin J. and Abdelmohsen, Usama Ramadan}, title = {Metabolomic profiling and cytotoxic tetrahydrofurofuran lignans investigations from Premna odorata Blanco}, series = {Metabolites}, volume = {9}, journal = {Metabolites}, number = {10}, issn = {2218-1989}, doi = {10.3390/metabo9100223}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193187}, pages = {223}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Metabolomic profiling of different Premna odorata Blanco (Lamiaceae) organs, bark, wood, young stems, flowers, and fruits dereplicated 20, 20, 10, 20, and 20 compounds, respectively, using LC-HRESIMS. The identified metabolites (1-34) belonged to different chemical classes, including iridoids, flavones, phenyl ethanoids, and lignans. A phytochemical investigation of P. odorata bark afforded one new tetrahydrofurofuran lignan, 4β-hydroxyasarinin 35, along with fourteen known compounds. The structure of the new compound was confirmed using extensive 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS analyses. A cytotoxic investigation of compounds 35-38 against the HL-60, HT-29, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, using the MTT assay showed that compound 35 had cytotoxic effects against HL-60 and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 2.7 and 4.2 µg/mL, respectively. A pharmacophore map of compounds 35 showed two hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) aligning the phenoxy oxygen atoms of benzodioxole moieties, two aromatic ring features vectored on the two phenyl rings, one hydrogen bond donor (HBD) feature aligning the central hydroxyl group and thirteen exclusion spheres which limit the boundaries of sterically inaccessible regions of the target's active site.}, language = {en} } @article{DraganovSantidrianMinevetal.2019, author = {Draganov, Dobrin D. and Santidrian, Antonio F. and Minev, Ivelina and Duong, Nguyen and Kilinc, Mehmet Okyay and Petrov, Ivan and Vyalkova, Anna and Lander, Elliot and Berman, Mark and Minev, Boris and Szalay, Aladar A.}, title = {Delivery of oncolytic vaccinia virus by matched allogeneic stem cells overcomes critical innate and adaptive immune barriers}, series = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, volume = {17}, journal = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, issn = {100}, doi = {10.1186/s12967-019-1829-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226312}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Background Previous studies have identified IFNγ as an important early barrier to oncolytic viruses including vaccinia. The existing innate and adaptive immune barriers restricting oncolytic virotherapy, however, can be overcome using autologous or allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells as carrier cells with unique immunosuppressive properties. Methods To test the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to overcome innate and adaptive immune barriers and to successfully deliver oncolytic vaccinia virus to tumor cells, we performed flow cytometry and virus plaque assay analysis of ex vivo co-cultures of stem cells infected with vaccinia virus in the presence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors. Comparative analysis was performed to establish statistically significant correlations and to evaluate the effect of stem cells on the activity of key immune cell populations. Results Here, we demonstrate that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have the potential to eradicate resistant tumor cells through a combination of potent virus amplification and sensitization of the tumor cells to virus infection. Moreover, the ADSCs demonstrate ability to function as a virus-amplifying Trojan horse in the presence of both autologous and allogeneic human PBMCs, which can be linked to the intrinsic immunosuppressive properties of stem cells and their unique potential to overcome innate and adaptive immune barriers. The clinical application of ready-to-use ex vivo expanded allogeneic stem cell lines, however, appears significantly restricted by patient-specific allogeneic differences associated with the induction of potent anti-stem cell cytotoxic and IFNγ responses. These allogeneic responses originate from both innate (NK)- and adaptive (T)- immune cells and might compromise therapeutic efficacy through direct elimination of the stem cells or the induction of an anti-viral state, which can block the potential of the Trojan horse to amplify and deliver vaccinia virus to the tumor. Conclusions Overall, our findings and data indicate the feasibility to establish simple and informative assays that capture critically important patient-specific differences in the immune responses to the virus and stem cells, which allows for proper patient-stem cell matching and enables the effective use of off-the-shelf allogeneic cell-based delivery platforms, thus providing a more practical and commercially viable alternative to the autologous stem cell approach.}, 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} } @article{DuanNagelGao2019, author = {Duan, Xiaodong and Nagel, Georg and Gao, Shiqiang}, title = {Mutated channelrhodopsins with increased sodium and calcium permeability}, series = {Applied Sciences}, volume = {9}, journal = {Applied Sciences}, number = {4}, issn = {2076-3417}, doi = {10.3390/app9040664}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197435}, pages = {664}, year = {2019}, abstract = {(1) Background: After the discovery and application of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii channelrhodopsins, the optogenetic toolbox has been greatly expanded with engineered and newly discovered natural channelrhodopsins. However, channelrhodopsins of higher Ca\(^{2+}\) conductance or more specific ion permeability are in demand. (2) Methods: In this study, we mutated the conserved aspartate of the transmembrane helix 4 (TM4) within Chronos and PsChR and compared them with published ChR2 aspartate mutants. (3) Results: We found that the ChR2 D156H mutant (XXM) showed enhanced Na\(^+\) and Ca\(^{2+}\) conductance, which was not noticed before, while the D156C mutation (XXL) influenced the Na\(^+\) and Ca\(^{2+}\) conductance only slightly. The aspartate to histidine and cysteine mutations of Chronos and PsChR also influenced their photocurrent, ion permeability, kinetics, and light sensitivity. Most interestingly, PsChR D139H showed a much-improved photocurrent, compared to wild type, and even higher Na+ selectivity to H\(^+\) than XXM. PsChR D139H also showed a strongly enhanced Ca\(^{2+}\) conductance, more than two-fold that of the CatCh. (4) Conclusions: We found that mutating the aspartate of the TM4 influences the ion selectivity of channelrhodopsins. With the large photocurrent and enhanced Na\(^+\) selectivity and Ca\(^{2+}\) conductance, XXM and PsChR D139H are promising powerful optogenetic tools, especially for Ca\(^{2+}\) manipulation.}, language = {en} } @article{MinevLanderFelleretal.2019, author = {Minev, Boris R. and Lander, Elliot and Feller, John F. and Berman, Mark and Greenwood, Bernadette M. and Minev, Ivelina and Santidrian, Antonio F. and Nguyen, Duong and Draganov, Dobrin and Killinc, Mehmet O. and Vyalkova, Anna and Kesari, Santosh and McClay, Edward and Carabulea, Gabriel and Marincola, Francesco M. and Butterfield, Lisa H. and Szalay, Aladar A.}, title = {First-in-human study of TK-positive oncolytic vaccinia virus delivered by adipose stromal vascular fraction cells}, series = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, volume = {17}, journal = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, doi = {10.1186/s12967-019-2011-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224105}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Background ACAM2000, a thymidine kinase (TK)-positive strain of vaccinia virus, is the current smallpox vaccine in the US. Preclinical testing demonstrated potent oncolytic activity of ACAM2000 against several tumor types. This Phase I clinical trial of ACAM2000 delivered by autologous adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells was conducted to determine the safety and feasibility of such a treatment in patients with advanced solid tumors or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods Twenty-four patients with solid tumors and two patients with AML participated in this open-label, non-randomized dose-escalation trial. All patients were treated with SVF derived from autologous fat and incubated for 15 min to 1 h with ACAM2000 before application. Six patients received systemic intravenous application only, one patient received intra-tumoral application only, 15 patients received combination intravenous with intra-tumoral deployment, 3 patients received intravenous and intra-peritoneal injection and 1 patient received intravenous, intra-tumoral and intra-peritoneal injections. Safety at each dose level of ACAM2000 (1.4 × 106 plaque-forming units (PFU) to 1.8 × 107 PFU) was evaluated. Blood samples for PK assessments, flow cytometry and cytokine analysis were collected at baseline and 1 min, 1 h, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months following treatment. Results No serious toxicities (> grade 2) were reported. Seven patients reported an adverse event (AE) in this study: self-limiting skin rashes, lasting 7 to 18 days—an expected adverse reaction to ACAM2000. No AEs leading to study discontinuation were reported. Viral DNA was detected in all patients' blood samples immediately following treatment. Interestingly, in 8 patients viral DNA disappeared 1 day and re-appeared 1 week post treatment, suggesting active viral replication at tumor sites, and correlating with longer survival of these patients. No major increase in cytokine levels or correlation between cytokine levels and skin rashes was noted. We were able to assess some initial efficacy signals, especially when the ACAM2000/SVF treatment was combined with checkpoint inhibition. Conclusions Treatment with ACAM2000/SVF in patients with advanced solid tumors or AML is safe and well tolerated, and several patients had signals of an anticancer effect. These promising initial clinical results merit further investigation of therapeutic utility. Trial registration Retrospectively registered (ISRCTN\#10201650) on October 22, 2018.}, language = {en} } @article{BreitenbachLorenzDandekar2019, author = {Breitenbach, Tim and Lorenz, Kristina and Dandekar, Thomas}, title = {How to steer and control ERK and the ERK signaling cascade exemplified by looking at cardiac insufficiency}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {20}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {9}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms20092179}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285164}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Mathematical optimization framework allows the identification of certain nodes within a signaling network. In this work, we analyzed the complex extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) cascade in cardiomyocytes using the framework to find efficient adjustment screws for this cascade that is important for cardiomyocyte survival and maladaptive heart muscle growth. We modeled optimal pharmacological intervention points that are beneficial for the heart, but avoid the occurrence of a maladaptive ERK1/2 modification, the autophosphorylation of ERK at threonine 188 (ERK\(^{Thr188}\) phosphorylation), which causes cardiac hypertrophy. For this purpose, a network of a cardiomyocyte that was fitted to experimental data was equipped with external stimuli that model the pharmacological intervention points. Specifically, two situations were considered. In the first one, the cardiomyocyte was driven to a desired expression level with different treatment strategies. These strategies were quantified with respect to beneficial effects and maleficent side effects and then which one is the best treatment strategy was evaluated. In the second situation, it was shown how to model constitutively activated pathways and how to identify drug targets to obtain a desired activity level that is associated with a healthy state and in contrast to the maleficent expression pattern caused by the constitutively activated pathway. An implementation of the algorithms used for the calculations is also presented in this paper, which simplifies the application of the presented framework for drug targeting, optimal drug combinations and the systematic and automatic search for pharmacological intervention points. The codes were designed such that they can be combined with any mathematical model given by ordinary differential equations.}, language = {en} } @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{Lotz2019, author = {Lotz, Christian}, title = {Entwicklung eines Augenirritationstests zur Identifikation aller GHS-Kategorien f{\"u}r den Endpunkt Augenreizung}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17012}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170126}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Die Risikobewertung von Chemikalien ist f{\"u}r die {\"o}ffentliche Gesundheit von entschei-dender Bedeutung, weshalb strenge Testverfahren zu deren toxikologischer Begutach-tung angewandt werden. Die urspr{\"u}nglich tierbasierten Testverfahren werden aufgrund von neuen wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen und wegen {\"o}konomischer Ineffizienz sowie ethischer Fragw{\"u}rdigkeit immer mehr durch alternative Methoden ohne Tiermodelle ersetzt. F{\"u}r den toxikologischen Endpunkt der Augenreizung wurden bereits die ersten alternativen Testsysteme auf der Basis von ex vivo- oder in vitro-Modellen entwickelt. Jedoch ist bis dato kein alternatives Testsystem in der Lage, das gesamte Spektrum der verschiedenen Kategorien der Augenreizungen nach dem global harmonisierten System zur Einstufung und Kennzeichnung von Chemikalien (GHS) vorherzusagen und damit den tierbasierten Draize-Augenreizungstest vollends zu ersetzen. Gr{\"u}nde hierf{\"u}r sind fehlende physiologische Merkmale im Modell sowie eine destruktive Analysemethode. Aufgrund dessen wurden in dieser Studie die Hypothesen getestet, ob ein verbessertes In-vitro-Modell oder eine zerst{\"o}rungsfreie, hochsensitive Analysemethode die Vorher-sagekraft des Augenreizungstests verbessern k{\"o}nnen. Daf{\"u}r wurden zun{\"a}chst neue Mo-delle aus humanen Hornhaut- und Hautepithelzellen entwickelt. Die Modelle aus pri-m{\"a}ren cornealen Zellen zeigten eine gewebespezifische Expression der Marker Zytokera-tin 3 und 12 sowie Loricrin. In beiden Modellen konnte durch die Verk{\"u}rzung der Kul-turdauer die Ausbildung einer Hornschicht verhindert werden. Die Modelle wiesen dadurch eine sensiblere Barriere vergleichbar der nativen Cornea auf. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus konnte durch die chemische Quervernetzung mit Polyethylenglykolsuccinimidylglutara-tester ein transparentes, nicht kontrahierendes Stroma-{\"A}quivalent etabliert werden. Der Stroma-Ersatz konnte zur Generierung von Hemi- und Voll-Cornea-{\"A}quivalenten einge-setzt werden und lieferte somit erste Ansatzpunkte f{\"u}r die Rekonstruktion der nativen Hornhaut. Parallel dazu konnte ein zerst{\"o}rungsfreies Analyseverfahren basierend auf der Impe-danzspektroskopie entwickelt werden, das wiederholte Messungen der Gewebeintegri-t{\"a}t zul{\"a}sst. Zur verbesserten Messung der Barriere in dreidimensionalen Modelle wurde hierf{\"u}r ein neuer Parameter, der transepitheliale elektrische Widerstand (TEER) bei der Frequenz von 1000 Hz, der TEER1000 Hz definiert, der eine genauere Aussage {\"u}ber die Integrit{\"a}t der Modelle zul{\"a}sst. Durch die Kombination der entwickelten cornealen Epithelzellmodelle mit der TEER1000 Hz-Messung konnte die Pr{\"a}dikitivit{\"a}t des Augenrei-zungstests auf 78 - 100 \% erh{\"o}ht werden. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist dabei, dass die nicht destruktive Messung des TEER1000 Hz zum ersten Mal erlaubte, die Persistenz von Irritationen durch wiederholte Messungen in einem in vitro-Modell zu erkennen und somit die GHS-Kategorie 1 von GHS-Kategorie 2 zu unterscheiden. Der wissenschaftli-che Gewinn dieser Forschungsarbeit ist ein neues Testverfahren, das alle GHS-Kategorien in einem einzigen in vitro-Test nachweisen und den Draize-Augenreizungstest g{\"a}nzlich ersetzen kann.}, subject = {Tissue Engineering}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{TshitengeTshitenge2019, author = {Tshitenge Tshitenge, Dieudonn{\´e}}, title = {Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Novel Anti-Infective Naphthylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Ancistrocladus ealaensis, and Phytochemical Analysis of Two Congolese Medicinal Plants}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-15417}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-154175}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Herein described are the isolation, structural elucidation, and biological evaluation of highly thrilling monomeric and dimeric new naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids from A. ealaensis. The separation, chiral resolution, and characterization of a series of stereoisomeric 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran neolignans are also reported. The analytical and phytochemical analysis on two Congolese antimalarial herbal drugs is part of the last chapter of the results. In this last case, major concerns on widely used Congolese herbal drugs are discussed.}, subject = {Naphthylisochinolinalkaloide}, 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} } @article{GrebinykPrylutskaGrebinyketal.2019, author = {Grebinyk, Anna and Prylutska, Svitlana and Grebinyk, Sergii and Prylutskyy, Yuriy and Ritter, Uwe and Matyshevska, Olga and Dandekar, Thomas and Frohme, Marcus}, title = {Complexation with C\(_{60}\) fullerene increases doxorubicin efficiency against leukemic cells in vitro}, series = {Nanoscale Research Letters}, volume = {14}, journal = {Nanoscale Research Letters}, number = {61}, doi = {10.1186/s11671-019-2894-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228257}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Conventional anticancer chemotherapy is limited because of severe side effects as well as a quickly evolving multidrug resistance of the tumor cells. To address this problem, we have explored a C\(_{60}\) fullerene-based nanosized system as a carrier for anticancer drugs for an optimized drug delivery to leukemic cells.Here, we studied the physicochemical properties and anticancer activity of C\(_{60}\) fullerene noncovalent complexes with the commonly used anticancer drug doxorubicin. C\(_{60}\)-Doxorubicin complexes in a ratio 1:1 and 2:1 were characterized with UV/Vis spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The obtained analytical data indicated that the 140-nm complexes were stable and could be used for biological applications. In leukemic cell lines (CCRF-CEM, Jurkat, THP1 and Molt-16), the nanocomplexes revealed 3.5 higher cytotoxic potential in comparison with the free drug in a range of nanomolar concentrations. Also, the intracellular drug's level evidenced C\(_{60}\) fullerene considerable nanocarrier function.The results of this study indicated that C\(_{60}\) fullerene-based delivery nanocomplexes had a potential value for optimization of doxorubicin efficiency against leukemic cells.}, language = {en} } @article{GrubisicHaimBhusaletal.2019, author = {Grubisic, Maja and Haim, Abraham and Bhusal, Pramod and Dominoni, Davide M. and Gabriel, Katharina M. A. and Jechow, Andreas and Kupprat, Franziska and Lerner, Amit and Marchant, Paul and Riley, William and Stebelova, Katarina and van Grunsven, Roy H. A. and Zeman, Michal and Zubidat, Abed E. and H{\"o}lker, Franz}, title = {Light Pollution, Circadian Photoreception, and Melatonin in Vertebrates}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {11}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {22}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su11226400}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193095}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing exponentially worldwide, accelerated by the transition to new efficient lighting technologies. However, ALAN and resulting light pollution can cause unintended physiological consequences. In vertebrates, production of melatonin—the "hormone of darkness" and a key player in circadian regulation—can be suppressed by ALAN. In this paper, we provide an overview of research on melatonin and ALAN in vertebrates. We discuss how ALAN disrupts natural photic environments, its effect on melatonin and circadian rhythms, and different photoreceptor systems across vertebrate taxa. We then present the results of a systematic review in which we identified studies on melatonin under typical light-polluted conditions in fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including humans. Melatonin is suppressed by extremely low light intensities in many vertebrates, ranging from 0.01-0.03 lx for fishes and rodents to 6 lx for sensitive humans. Even lower, wavelength-dependent intensities are implied by some studies and require rigorous testing in ecological contexts. In many studies, melatonin suppression occurs at the minimum light levels tested, and, in better-studied groups, melatonin suppression is reported to occur at lower light levels. We identify major research gaps and conclude that, for most groups, crucial information is lacking. No studies were identified for amphibians and reptiles and long-term impacts of low-level ALAN exposure are unknown. Given the high sensitivity of vertebrate melatonin production to ALAN and the paucity of available information, it is crucial to research impacts of ALAN further in order to inform effective mitigation strategies for human health and the wellbeing and fitness of vertebrates in natural ecosystems.}, language = {en} }