@article{ScholzCosgareaSuesskindetal.2018, author = {Scholz, S. L. and Cosgarea, I. and S{\"u}ßkind, D. and Murali, R. and M{\"o}ller, I. and Reis, H. and Leonardelli, S. and Schilling, B. and Schimming, T. and Hadaschik, E. and Franklin, C. and Paschen, A. and Sucker, A. and Steuhl, K. P. and Schadendorf, D. and Westekemper, H. and Griewank, K. G.}, title = {NF1 mutations in conjunctival melanoma}, series = {British Journal of Cancer}, volume = {118}, journal = {British Journal of Cancer}, doi = {10.1038/s41416-018-0046-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-233329}, pages = {1243-1247}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Background Conjunctival melanoma is a potentially deadly eye tumour. Despite effective local therapies, tumour recurrence and metastasis remain frequent. The genetics of conjunctival melanomas remain incompletely understood. Methods A large cohort of 63 conjunctival melanomas was screened for gene mutations known to be important in other melanoma subtypes by targeted next-generation sequencing. Mutation status was correlated with patient prognosis. Results Frequent mutations in genes activating the MAP kinase pathway were identified. NF1 mutations were most frequent (n = 21, 33\%). Recurrent activating mutations were also identified in BRAF (n = 16, 25\%) and RAS genes (n = 12, 19\%; 11 NRAS and 1 KRAS). Conclusions Similar to cutaneous melanomas, conjunctival melanomas can be grouped genetically into four groups: BRAF-mutated, RAS-mutated, NF1-mutated and triple wild-type melanomas. This genetic classification may be useful for assessment of therapeutic options for patients with metastatic conjunctival melanoma}, language = {en} } @article{SteuerCostaVanderAuweraGlocketal.2019, author = {Steuer Costa, Wagner and Van der Auwera, Petrus and Glock, Caspar and Liewald, Jana F. and Bach, Maximilian and Sch{\"u}ler, Christina and Wabnig, Sebastian and Oranth, Alexandra and Masurat, Florentin and Bringmann, Henrik and Schoofs, Liliane and Stelzer, Ernst H. K. and Fischer, Sabine C. and Gottschalk, Alexander}, title = {A GABAergic and peptidergic sleep neuron as a locomotion stop neuron with compartmentalized Ca2+ dynamics}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-12098-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223273}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Animals must slow or halt locomotion to integrate sensory inputs or to change direction. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the GABAergic and peptidergic neuron RIS mediates developmentally timed quiescence. Here, we show RIS functions additionally as a locomotion stop neuron. RIS optogenetic stimulation caused acute and persistent inhibition of locomotion and pharyngeal pumping, phenotypes requiring FLP-11 neuropeptides and GABA. RIS photoactivation allows the animal to maintain its body posture by sustaining muscle tone, yet inactivating motor neuron oscillatory activity. During locomotion, RIS axonal Ca2+ signals revealed functional compartmentalization: Activity in the nerve ring process correlated with locomotion stop, while activity in a branch correlated with induced reversals. GABA was required to induce, and FLP-11 neuropeptides were required to sustain locomotion stop. RIS attenuates neuronal activity and inhibits movement, possibly enabling sensory integration and decision making, and exemplifies dual use of one cell across development in a compact nervous system.}, language = {en} } @article{CarradecPelletierDaSilvaetal.2018, author = {Carradec, Quentin and Pelletier, Eric and Da Silva, Corinne and Alberti, Adriana and Seeleuthner, Yoann and Blanc-Mathieu, Romain and Lima-Mendez, Gipsi and Rocha, Fabio and Tirichine, Leila and Labadie, Karine and Kirilovsky, Amos and Bertrand, Alexis and Engelen, Stefan and Madoui, Mohammed-Amin and M{\´e}heust, Rapha{\"e}l and Poulain, Julie and Romac, Sarah and Richter, Daniel J. and Yoshikawa, Genki and Dimier, C{\´e}line and Kandels-Lewis, Stefanie and Picheral, Marc and Searson, Sarah and Jaillon, Olivier and Aury, Jean-Marc and Karsenti, Eric and Sullivan, Matthew B. and Sunagawa, Shinichi and Bork, Peer and Not, Fabrice and Hingamp, Pascal and Raes, Jeroen and Guidi, Lionel and Ogata, Hiroyuki and de Vargas, Colomban and Iudicone, Daniele and Bowler, Chris and Wincker, Patrick}, title = {A global ocean atlas of eukaryotic gene}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature Communications}, organization = {Tara Oceans Coordinators}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-017-02342-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222250}, year = {2018}, abstract = {While our knowledge about the roles of microbes and viruses in the ocean has increased tremendously due to recent advances in genomics and metagenomics, research on marine microbial eukaryotes and zooplankton has benefited much less from these new technologies because of their larger genomes, their enormous diversity, and largely unexplored physiologies. Here, we use a metatranscriptomics approach to capture expressed genes in open ocean Tara Oceans stations across four organismal size fractions. The individual sequence reads cluster into 116 million unigenes representing the largest reference collection of eukaryotic transcripts from any single biome. The catalog is used to unveil functions expressed by eukaryotic marine plankton, and to assess their functional biogeography. Almost half of the sequences have no similarity with known proteins, and a great number belong to new gene families with a restricted distribution in the ocean. Overall, the resource provides the foundations for exploring the roles of marine eukaryotes in ocean ecology and biogeochemistry.}, language = {en} } @article{BrunkSputhDooseetal.2018, author = {Brunk, Michael and Sputh, Sebastian and Doose, S{\"o}ren and van de Linde, Sebastian and Terpitz, Ulrich}, title = {HyphaTracker: An ImageJ toolbox for time-resolved analysis of spore germination in filamentous fungi}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-19103-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221691}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The dynamics of early fungal development and its interference with physiological signals and environmental factors is yet poorly understood. Especially computational analysis tools for the evaluation of the process of early spore germination and germ tube formation are still lacking. For the time-resolved analysis of conidia germination of the filamentous ascomycete Fusarium fujikuroi we developed a straightforward toolbox implemented in ImageJ. It allows for processing of microscopic acquisitions (movies) of conidial germination starting with drift correction and data reduction prior to germling analysis. From the image time series germling related region of interests (ROIs) are extracted, which are analysed for their area, circularity, and timing. ROIs originating from germlings crossing other hyphae or the image boundaries are omitted during analysis. Each conidium/hypha is identified and related to its origin, thus allowing subsequent categorization. The efficiency of HyphaTracker was proofed and the accuracy was tested on simulated germlings at different signal-to-noise ratios. Bright-field microscopic images of conidial germination of rhodopsin-deficient F. fujikuroi mutants and their respective control strains were analysed with HyphaTracker. Consistent with our observation in earlier studies the CarO deficient mutant germinated earlier and grew faster than other, CarO expressing strains.}, language = {en} } @article{ChinaBurrowsWangetal.2018, author = {China, Swarup and Burrows, Susannah M. and Wang, Bingbing and Harder, Tristan H. and Weis, Johannes and Tanarhte, Meryem and Rizzo, Luciana V. and Brito, Joel and Cirino, Glauber G. and Ma, Po-Lun and Cliff, John and Artaxo, Paulo and Gilles, Mary K. and Laskin, Alexander}, title = {Fungal spores as a source of sodium salt particles in the Amazon basin}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-07066-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222492}, year = {2018}, abstract = {In the Amazon basin, particles containing mixed sodium salts are routinely observed and are attributed to marine aerosols transported from the Atlantic Ocean. Using chemical imaging analysis, we show that, during the wet season, fungal spores emitted by the forest biosphere contribute at least 30\% (by number) to sodium salt particles in the central Amazon basin. Hydration experiments indicate that sodium content in fungal spores governs their growth factors. Modeling results suggest that fungal spores account for ~69\% (31-95\%) of the total sodium mass during the wet season and that their fractional contribution increases during nighttime. Contrary to common assumptions that sodium-containing aerosols originate primarily from marine sources, our results suggest that locally-emitted fungal spores contribute substantially to the number and mass of coarse particles containing sodium. Hence, their role in cloud formation and contribution to salt cycles and the terrestrial ecosystem in the Amazon basin warrant further consideration.}, language = {en} } @article{BruchhagenJarickMewisetal.2018, author = {Bruchhagen, Christin and Jarick, Marcel and Mewis, Carolin and Hertlein, Tobias and Niemann, Silke and Ohlsen, Knut and Peters, Georg and Planz, Oliver and Ludwig, Stephan and Ehrhardt, Christina}, title = {Metabolic conversion of CI-1040 turns a cellular MEK-inhibitor into an antibacterial compound}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-27445-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221648}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Influenza virus (IV) infections cause severe respiratory illnesses that can be complicated by bacterial super-infections. Previously, we identified the cellular Raf-MEK-ERK cascade as a promising antiviral target. Inhibitors of MEK, such as CI-1040, showed potent antiviral activity. However, it remained unclear if this inhibitor and its active form, ATR-002, might sensitize host cells to either IV or secondary bacterial infections. To address these questions, we studied the anti-pathogen activity of ATR-002 in comparison to CI-1040, particularly, its impact on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which is a major cause of IV super-infections. We analysed IV and S. aureus titres in vitro during super-infection in the presence and absence of the drugs and characterized the direct impact of ATR-002 on bacterial growth and phenotypic changes. Importantly, neither CI-1040 nor ATR-002 treatment led to increased bacterial titres during super-infection, indicating that the drug does not sensitize cells for bacterial infection. In contrast, we rather observed reduced bacterial titres in presence of ATR-002. Surprisingly, ATR-002 also led to reduced bacterial growth in suspension cultures, reduced stress- and antibiotic tolerance without resistance induction. Our data identified for the first time that a particular MEK-inhibitor metabolite exhibits direct antibacterial activity, which is likely due to interference with the bacterial PknB kinase/Stp phosphatase signalling system.}, language = {en} } @article{CastilhoHochleitnerWilsonetal.2018, author = {Castilho, Miguel and Hochleitner, Gernot and Wilson, Wouter and van Rietbergen, Bert and Dalton, Paul D. and Groll, J{\"u}rgen and Malda, Jos and Ito, Keita}, title = {Mechanical behavior of a soft hydrogel reinforced with three-dimensional printed microfibre scaffolds}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-19502-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222280}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Reinforcing hydrogels with micro-fibre scaffolds obtained by a Melt-Electrospinning Writing (MEW) process has demonstrated great promise for developing tissue engineered (TE) constructs with mechanical properties compatible to native tissues. However, the mechanical performance and reinforcement mechanism of the micro-fibre reinforced hydrogels is not yet fully understood. In this study, FE models, implementing material properties measured experimentally, were used to explore the reinforcement mechanism of fibre-hydrogel composites. First, a continuum FE model based on idealized scaffold geometry was used to capture reinforcement effects related to the suppression of lateral gel expansion by the scaffold, while a second micro-FE model based on micro-CT images of the real construct geometry during compaction captured the effects of load transfer through the scaffold interconnections. Results demonstrate that the reinforcement mechanism at higher scaffold volume fractions was dominated by the load carrying-ability of the fibre scaffold interconnections, which was much higher than expected based on testing scaffolds alone because the hydrogel provides resistance against buckling of the scaffold. We propose that the theoretical understanding presented in this work will assist the design of more effective composite constructs with potential applications in a wide range of TE conditions.}, language = {en} } @article{CiuchiDiSanteDobrosavljevićetal.2018, author = {Ciuchi, Sergio and Di Sante, Domenico and Dobrosavljević, Vladimir and Fratini, Simone}, title = {The origin of Mooij correlations in disordered metals}, series = {npj Quantum Materials}, volume = {3}, journal = {npj Quantum Materials}, doi = {10.1038/s41535-018-0119-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223148}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Sufficiently disordered metals display systematic deviations from the behavior predicted by semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Here the scattering events from impurities or thermal excitations can no longer be considered as additive-independent processes, as asserted by Matthiessen's rule following from this picture. In the intermediate region between the regime of good conduction and that of insulation, one typically finds a change of sign of the temperature coefficient of resistivity, even at elevated temperature spanning ambient conditions, a phenomenology that was first identified by Mooij in 1973. Traditional weak coupling approaches to identify relevant corrections to the Boltzmann picture focused on long-distance interference effects such as "weak localization", which are especially important in low dimensions (1D and 2D) and close to the zero-temperature limit. Here we formulate a strong-coupling approach to tackle the interplay of strong disorder and lattice deformations (phonons) in bulk three-dimensional metals at high temperatures. We identify a polaronic mechanism of strong disorder renormalization, which describes how a lattice locally responds to the relevant impurity potential. This mechanism, which quantitatively captures the Mooij regime, is physically distinct and unrelated to Anderson localization, but realizes early seminal ideas of Anderson himself, concerning the interplay of disorder and lattice deformations.}, language = {en} } @article{AlZabenMedyukhinaDietrichetal.2019, author = {Al-Zaben, Naim and Medyukhina, Anna and Dietrich, Stefanie and Marolda, Alessandra and H{\"u}nniger, Kerstin and Kurzai, Oliver and Figge, Marc Thilo}, title = {Automated tracking of label-free cells with enhanced recognition of whole tracks}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-39725-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221093}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Migration and interactions of immune cells are routinely studied by time-lapse microscopy of in vitro migration and confrontation assays. To objectively quantify the dynamic behavior of cells, software tools for automated cell tracking can be applied. However, many existing tracking algorithms recognize only rather short fragments of a whole cell track and rely on cell staining to enhance cell segmentation. While our previously developed segmentation approach enables tracking of label-free cells, it still suffers from frequently recognizing only short track fragments. In this study, we identify sources of track fragmentation and provide solutions to obtain longer cell tracks. This is achieved by improving the detection of low-contrast cells and by optimizing the value of the gap size parameter, which defines the number of missing cell positions between track fragments that is accepted for still connecting them into one track. We find that the enhanced track recognition increases the average length of cell tracks up to 2.2-fold. Recognizing cell tracks as a whole will enable studying and quantifying more complex patterns of cell behavior, e.g. switches in migration mode or dependence of the phagocytosis efficiency on the number and type of preceding interactions. Such quantitative analyses will improve our understanding of how immune cells interact and function in health and disease.}, language = {en} } @article{DammertBraegelmannOlsenetal.2019, author = {Dammert, Marcel A. and Br{\"a}gelmann, Johannes and Olsen, Rachelle R. and B{\"o}hm, Stefanie and Monhasery, Niloufar and Whitney, Christopher P. and Chalishazar, Milind D. and Tumbrink, Hannah L. and Guthrie, Matthew R. and Klein, Sebastian and Ireland, Abbie S. and Ryan, Jeremy and Schmitt, Anna and Marx, Annika and Ozretić, Luka and Castiglione, Roberta and Lorenz, Carina and Jachimowicz, Ron D. and Wolf, Elmar and Thomas, Roman K. and Poirier, John T. and B{\"u}ttner, Reinhard and Sen, Triparna and Byers, Lauren A. and Reinhardt, H. Christian and Letai, Anthony and Oliver, Trudy G. and Sos, Martin L.}, title = {MYC paralog-dependent apoptotic priming orchestrates a spectrum of vulnerabilities in small cell lung cancer}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-11371-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223569}, year = {2019}, abstract = {MYC paralogs are frequently activated in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) but represent poor drug targets. Thus, a detailed mapping of MYC-paralog-specific vulnerabilities may help to develop effective therapies for SCLC patients. Using a unique cellular CRISPR activation model, we uncover that, in contrast to MYCN and MYCL, MYC represses BCL2 transcription via interaction with MIZ1 and DNMT3a. The resulting lack of BCL2 expression promotes sensitivity to cell cycle control inhibition and dependency on MCL1. Furthermore, MYC activation leads to heightened apoptotic priming, intrinsic genotoxic stress and susceptibility to DNA damage checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, combined AURK and CHK1 inhibition substantially prolongs the survival of mice bearing MYC-driven SCLC beyond that of combination chemotherapy. These analyses uncover MYC-paralog-specific regulation of the apoptotic machinery with implications for genotype-based selection of targeted therapeutics in SCLC patients.}, language = {en} } @article{deJongDinizSalomaetal.2018, author = {de Jong, Simone and Diniz, Mateus Jose Abdalla and Saloma, Andiara and Gadelha, Ary and Santoro, Marcos L. and Ota, Vanessa K. and Noto, Cristiano and Curtis, Charles and Newhouse, Stephen J. and Patel, Hamel and Hall, Lynsey S. and O'Reilly, Paul F. and Belangero, Sintia I. and Bressan, Rodrigo A. and Breen, Gerome}, title = {Applying polygenic risk scoring for psychiatric disorders to a large family with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder}, series = {Communications Biology}, volume = {1}, journal = {Communications Biology}, organization = {Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Working Groups of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium}, doi = {10.1038/s42003-018-0155-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223622}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Psychiatric disorders are thought to have a complex genetic pathology consisting of interplay of common and rare variation. Traditionally, pedigrees are used to shed light on the latter only, while here we discuss the application of polygenic risk scores to also highlight patterns of common genetic risk. We analyze polygenic risk scores for psychiatric disorders in a large pedigree (n ~ 260) in which 30\% of family members suffer from major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Studying patterns of assortative mating and anticipation, it appears increased polygenic risk is contributed by affected individuals who married into the family, resulting in an increasing genetic risk over generations. This may explain the observation of anticipation in mood disorders, whereby onset is earlier and the severity increases over the generations of a family. Joint analyses of rare and common variation may be a powerful way to understand the familial genetics of psychiatric disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{DekkerDiekstraPulitetal.2019, author = {Dekker, Annelot M. and Diekstra, Frank P. and Pulit, Sara L. and Tazelaar, Gijs H. P. and van der Spek, Rick A. and van Rheenen, Wouter and van Eijk, Kristel R. and Calvo, Andrea and Brunetti, Maura and Van Damme, Philip and Robberecht, Wim and Hardiman, Orla and McLaughlin, Russell and Chi{\`o}, Adriano and Sendtner, Michael and Ludolph, Albert C. and Weishaupt, Jochen H. and Pardina, Jesus S. Mora and van den Berg, Leonard H. and Veldink, Jan H.}, title = {Exome array analysis of rare and low frequency variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-42091-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223686}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects 1 in ~350 individuals. Genetic association studies have established ALS as a multifactorial disease with heritability estimated at ~61\%, and recent studies show a prominent role for rare variation in its genetic architecture. To identify rare variants associated with disease onset we performed exome array genotyping in 4,244 cases and 3,106 controls from European cohorts. In this largest exome-wide study of rare variants in ALS to date, we performed single-variant association testing, gene-based burden, and exome-wide individual set-unique burden (ISUB) testing to identify single or aggregated rare variation that modifies disease risk. In single-variant testing no variants reached exome-wide significance, likely due to limited statistical power. Gene-based burden testing of rare non-synonymous and loss-of-function variants showed NEK1 as the top associated gene. ISUB analysis did not show an increased exome-wide burden of deleterious variants in patients, possibly suggesting a more region-specific role for rare variation. Complete summary statistics are released publicly. This study did not implicate new risk loci, emphasizing the immediate need for future large-scale collaborations in ALS that will expand available sample sizes, increase genome coverage, and improve our ability to detect rare variants associated to ALS.}, language = {en} } @article{DiehlSchmidLicataGoldhardtetal.2019, author = {Diehl-Schmid, Janine and Licata, Abigail and Goldhardt, Oliver and F{\"o}rstl, Hans and Yakushew, Igor and Otto, Markus and Anderl-Straub, Sarah and Beer, Ambros and Ludolph, Albert Christian and Landwehrmeyer, Georg Bernhard and Levin, Johannes and Danek, Adrian and Fliessbach, Klaus and Spottke, Annika and Fassbender, Klaus and Lyros, Epameinondas and Prudlo, Johannes and Krause, Bernd Joachim and Volk, Alexander and Edbauer, Dieter and Schroeter, Matthias Leopold and Drzezga, Alexander and Kornhuber, Johannes and Lauer, Martin and Grimmer, Timo}, title = {FDG-PET underscores the key role of the thalamus in frontotemporal lobar degeneration caused by C9ORF72 mutations}, series = {Translational Psychiatry}, volume = {9}, journal = {Translational Psychiatry}, organization = {FTLDc Study Group}, doi = {10.1038/s41398-019-0381-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225308}, year = {2019}, abstract = {C9ORF72 mutations are the most common cause of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MRI studies have investigated structural changes in C9ORF72-associated FTLD (C9FTLD) and provided first insights about a prominent involvement of the thalamus and the cerebellum. Our multicenter, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography study of 22 mutation carriers with FTLD, 22 matched non-carriers with FTLD, and 23 cognitively healthy controls provided valuable insights into functional changes in C9FTLD: compared to non-carriers, mutation carriers showed a significant reduction of glucose metabolism in both thalami, underscoring the key role of the thalamus in C9FTLD. Thalamic metabolism did not correlate with disease severity, duration of disease, or the presence of psychotic symptoms. Against our expectations we could not demonstrate a cerebellar hypometabolism in carriers or non-carriers. Future imaging and neuropathological studies in large patient cohorts are required to further elucidate the central role of the thalamus in C9FTLD.}, language = {en} } @article{DietrichKrugKrastletal.2019, author = {Dietrich, Thomas and Krug, Ralf and Krastl, Gabriel and Tomson, Philip L.}, title = {Restoring the unrestorable! Developing coronal tooth tissue with a minimally invasive surgical extrusion technique}, series = {British Dental Journal}, volume = {226}, journal = {British Dental Journal}, doi = {10.1038/s41415-019-0268-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225333}, pages = {789-793}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Surgical extrusion is a recognised treatment option for teeth that have insufficient coronal tooth structure remaining due to deep caries, resorption or traumatic injury. However, the technique has not been widely adopted, arguably because extraction of a severely compromised tooth may be difficult to achieve in a gentle and predictable way. In this paper, we present our novel approach to surgical extrusion and subsequent management of teeth using a vertical extraction system (Benex), which has become the method of choice in the authors' practice for many teeth that would otherwise be deemed unrestorable. We describe the clinical procedure in detail and discuss the advantages and disadvantages compared to alternative approaches, including surgical crown lengthening and orthodontic extrusion.}, language = {en} } @article{KrahBuentgenSchaeferetal.2019, author = {Krah, Franz-Sebastian and B{\"u}ntgen, Ulf and Schaefer, Hanno and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Andrew, Carrie and Boddy, Lynne and Diez, Jeffrey and Egli, Simon and Freckleton, Robert and Gange, Alan C. and Halvorsen, Rune and Heegaard, Einar and Heideroth, Antje and Heibl, Christoph and Heilmann-Clausen, Jacob and H{\o}iland, Klaus and Kar, Ritwika and Kauserud, H{\aa}vard and Kirk, Paul M. and Kuyper, Thomas W. and Krisai-Greilhuber, Irmgard and Norden, Jenni and Papastefanou, Phillip and Senn-Irlet, Beatrice and B{\"a}ssler, Claus}, title = {European mushroom assemblages are darker in cold climates}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-10767-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224815}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Thermal melanism theory states that dark-colored ectotherm organisms are at an advantage at low temperature due to increased warming. This theory is generally supported for ectotherm animals, however, the function of colors in the fungal kingdom is largely unknown. Here, we test whether the color lightness of mushroom assemblages is related to climate using a dataset of 3.2 million observations of 3,054 species across Europe. Consistent with the thermal melanism theory, mushroom assemblages are significantly darker in areas with cold climates. We further show differences in color phenotype between fungal lifestyles and a lifestyle differentiated response to seasonality. These results indicate a more complex ecological role of mushroom colors and suggest functions beyond thermal adaption. Because fungi play a crucial role in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycles, understanding the links between the thermal environment, functional coloration and species' geographical distributions will be critical in predicting ecosystem responses to global warming.}, language = {en} } @article{HauerPoppSchoelleretal.2018, author = {Hauer, Nadine N. and Popp, Bernt and Schoeller, Eva and Schuhmann, Sarah and Heath, Karen E. and Hisado-Oliva, Alfonso and Klinger, Patricia and Kraus, Cornelia and Trautmann, Udo and Zenker, Martin and Zweier, Christiane and Wiesener, Antje and Jamra, Rami Abou and Kunstmann, Erdmute and Wieczorek, Dagmar and Uebe, Steffen and Ferrazzi, Fulvia and B{\"u}ttner, Christian and Ekici, Arif B. and Rauch, Anita and Sticht, Heinrich and D{\"o}rr, Helmuth-G{\"u}nther and Reis, Andr{\´e} and Thiel, Christian T.}, title = {Clinical relevance of systematic phenotyping and exome sequencing in patients with short stature}, series = {Genetics in Medicine}, volume = {20}, journal = {Genetics in Medicine}, doi = {10.1038/gim.2017.159}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227888}, pages = {630-638}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Purpose Short stature is a common condition of great concern to patients and their families. Mostly genetic in origin, the underlying cause often remains elusive due to clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Methods We systematically phenotyped 565 patients where common nongenetic causes of short stature were excluded, selected 200 representative patients for whole-exome sequencing, and analyzed the identified variants for pathogenicity and the affected genes regarding their functional relevance for growth. Results By standard targeted diagnostic and phenotype assessment, we identified a known disease cause in only 13.6\% of the 565 patients. Whole-exome sequencing in 200 patients identified additional mutations in known short-stature genes in 16.5\% of these patients who manifested only part of the symptomatology. In 15.5\% of the 200 patients our findings were of significant clinical relevance. Heterozygous carriers of recessive skeletal dysplasia alleles represented 3.5\% of the cases. Conclusion A combined approach of systematic phenotyping, targeted genetic testing, and whole-exome sequencing allows the identification of the underlying cause of short stature in at least 33\% of cases, enabling physicians to improve diagnosis, treatment, and genetic counseling. Exome sequencing significantly increases the diagnostic yield and consequently care in patients with short stature.}, language = {en} } @article{KreinbergGrbešićStraussetal.2018, author = {Kreinberg, S{\"o}ren and Grbešić, Tomislav and Strauß, Max and Carmele, Alexander and Emmerling, Monika and Schneider, Christian and H{\"o}fling, Sven and Porte, Xavier and Reitzenstein, Stephan}, title = {Quantum-optical spectroscopy of a two-level system using an electrically driven micropillar laser as a resonant excitation source}, series = {Light: Science \& Applications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Light: Science \& Applications}, doi = {10.1038/s41377-018-0045-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229802}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Two-level emitters are the main building blocks of photonic quantum technologies and are model systems for the exploration of quantum optics in the solid state. Most interesting is the strict resonant excitation of such emitters to control their occupation coherently and to generate close to ideal quantum light, which is of utmost importance for applications in photonic quantum technology. To date, the approaches and experiments in this field have been performed exclusively using bulky lasers, which hinders the application of resonantly driven two-level emitters in compact photonic quantum systems. Here we address this issue and present a concept for a compact resonantly driven single-photon source by performing quantum-optical spectroscopy of a two-level system using a compact high-β microlaser as the excitation source. The two-level system is based on a semiconductor quantum dot (QD), which is excited resonantly by a fiber-coupled electrically driven micropillar laser. We dress the excitonic state of the QD under continuous wave excitation, and trigger the emission of single photons with strong multi-photon suppression (g\(^{(2)}\)(0)=0.02) and high photon indistinguishability (V = 57±9\%) via pulsed resonant excitation at 156 MHz. These results clearly demonstrate the high potential of our resonant excitation scheme, which can pave the way for compact electrically driven quantum light sources with excellent quantum properties to enable the implementation of advanced quantum communication protocols.}, language = {en} } @article{LudwigDelforgeFaconetal.2018, author = {Ludwig, Heinz and Delforge, Michel and Facon, Thierry and Einsele, Hermann and Gay, Francesca and Moreau, Philippe and Avet-Loiseau, Herv{\´e} and Boccadoro, Mario and Hajek, Roman and Mohty, Mohamad and Cavo, Michele and Dimopoulos, Meletios A and San-Miguel, Jes{\´u}s F and Terpos, Evangelos and Zweegman, Sonja and Garderet, Laurent and Mateos, Mar{\´i}a-Victoria and Cook, Gordon and Leleu, Xavier and Goldschmidt, Hartmut and Jackson, Graham and Kaiser, Martin and Weisel, Katja and van de Donk, Niels W. C. J. and Waage, Anders and Beksac, Meral and Mellqvist, Ulf H. and Engelhardt, Monika and Caers, Jo and Driessen, Christoph and Blad{\´e}, Joan and Sonneveld, Pieter}, title = {Prevention and management of adverse events of novel agents in multiple myeloma: a consensus of the European Myeloma Network}, series = {Leukemia}, volume = {32}, journal = {Leukemia}, doi = {10.1038/s41375-018-0040-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237338}, pages = {1542-1560}, year = {2018}, abstract = {During the last few years, several new drugs have been introduced for treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, which have significantly improved the treatment outcome. All of these novel substances differ at least in part in their mode of action from similar drugs of the same drug class, or are representatives of new drug classes, and as such present with very specific side effect profiles. In this review, we summarize these adverse events, provide information on their prevention, and give practical guidance for monitoring of patients and for management of adverse events.}, language = {en} } @article{MilaneseMendePaolietal.2019, author = {Milanese, Alessio and Mende, Daniel R and Paoli, Lucas and Salazar, Guillem and Ruscheweyh, Hans-Joachim and Cuenca, Miguelangel and Hingamp, Pascal and Alves, Renato and Costea, Paul I and Coelho, Luis Pedro and Schmidt, Thomas S. B. and Almeida, Alexandre and Mitchell, Alex L and Finn, Robert D. and Huerta-Cepas, Jaime and Bork, Peer and Zeller, Georg and Sunagawa, Shinichi}, title = {Microbial abundance, activity and population genomic profiling with mOTUs2}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-08844-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224089}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Metagenomic sequencing has greatly improved our ability to profile the composition of environmental and host-associated microbial communities. However, the dependency of most methods on reference genomes, which are currently unavailable for a substantial fraction of microbial species, introduces estimation biases. We present an updated and functionally extended tool based on universal (i.e., reference-independent), phylogenetic marker gene (MG)-based operational taxonomic units (mOTUs) enabling the profiling of >7700 microbial species. As more than 30\% of them could not previously be quantified at this taxonomic resolution, relative abundance estimates based on mOTUs are more accurate compared to other methods. As a new feature, we show that mOTUs, which are based on essential housekeeping genes, are demonstrably well-suited for quantification of basal transcriptional activity of community members. Furthermore, single nucleotide variation profiles estimated using mOTUs reflect those from whole genomes, which allows for comparing microbial strain populations (e.g., across different human body sites).}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Machwart2024, author = {Machwart, Khaled}, title = {Modulatorischer Einfluss von Levosimendan bei dem Isch{\"a}mie-Reperfusionsschaden auf die myokardiale Mitochondrienfunktion}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36102}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-361021}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte den Effekt von Levosimendan auf die mitochondriale Funktionen im Herzmuskel, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit dem Isch{\"a}mie/Reperfusions-Schaden. Methoden: In der Studie wurde ein retrogrades Langendorff-Modell verwendet, um die Auswirkungen von Levosimendan, dem Isch{\"a}mie/Reperfusions-Schaden sowie deren Kombination auf die mitochondrialen Funktionen im Herzmuskel zu untersuchen. Dazu wurden vier verschiedene Gruppen von Rattenherzen entsprechend den experimentellen Bedingungen perfundiert, und ihre Funktionen wurden analysiert. Ergebnisse: Der Isch{\"a}mie/Reperfusions-Schaden beeintr{\"a}chtigte die myokardiale Ventrikelfunktion. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurde eine Hypopolarisation des mithochondrialen Membranpotentials in den mit Levosimendan oder Isch{\"a}mie behandelten Gruppen festgestellt. Die ATP-Synthese in den Gruppen mit Levosimendan und Isch{\"a}mie war reduziert. Schlussfolgerung: Levosimendan zeigt signifikante Einfl{\"u}sse auf die Atmungsfunktion der mitochondrialen Komplexe IV und V sowie auf das Membranpotential. Diese Ph{\"a}nomene k{\"o}nnten einem mito-K+ ATP-abh{\"a}ngigen Mechanismus zugrunde liegen. Obwohl Levosimendan w{\"a}hrend des Isch{\"a}mie/Reperfusionsschadens eine protektive Wirkung hinsichtlich einer Ca2+- {\"U}berlastung aufweist, bleibt der kumulative Einfluss der beeintr{\"a}chtigten ATP-Generierung auf die gesamte Myokardfunktion zu kl{\"a}ren.}, subject = {Isch{\"a}mie}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Schaefer2024, author = {Schaefer, Bastian}, title = {Eigenschaften von synthetischen Bandersatzmaterialien zum MPFL-Ersatz - biomechanische in vitro Studie am porcinen Modell}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36139}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-361396}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Der MPFL-Ersatz ist ein g{\"a}ngiges Therapieverfahren zur Behandlung einer patellofemoralen Instabilit{\"a}t. Die Operationstechniken unterscheiden sich zumeist an der patellaren Fixationsmethode und der Auswahl der Transplantate. Biomechanische Studien, welche sich mit den Eigenschaften implantatfreier oss{\"a}rer Fixationsmethoden beim MPFL-Ersatz unter Verwendung k{\"u}nstlicher Transplantate besch{\"a}ftigen gibt es nach aktueller Recherche nicht. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die biomechanischen Eigenschaften zweier patellarer Bohrkanalfixationstechniken beim MPFL-Ersatz mit unterschiedlichem k{\"u}nstlichen Bandersatzmaterial zu ermitteln. Die Hypothese war, dass die biomechanischen Eigenschaften in Elongation, Steifigkeit, Prim{\"a}rstabilit{\"a}t und maximaler Ausreißkraft mit denen der bereits etablierten Verfahren und dem nativen MPFL vergleichbar sind. Hierzu wurden 80 porcine Kniescheiben randomisiert in 8 Gruppen aufgeteilt und getestet. In den Gruppen 1-4 wurden parallele, transpatellare Bohrkan{\"a}le mit Tapes der Breiten 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm und 5 mm getestet. In den Gruppen 5-8 wurden V-Kanal-Fixationsmethoden mit B{\"a}ndern der Breite von 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm und 5 mm untersucht. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurden die biomechanischen Grundeigenschaften der nativen Tapes ermittelt. Alle Tests durchliefen jeweils drei Messabschnitte. Hierbei fand zun{\"a}chst eine Pr{\"a}konditionierung mit 10 Zyklen zwischen 5 N und 20 N statt. Daraufhin folgte eine zyklische Belastung mit 1000 Zyklen zwischen 5 N und 50 N. Am Ende wurde eine maximale Kraftapplikation bis zum Versagen der Fixationskomplexe durchgef{\"u}hrt. Im Rahmen der Messungen wurden Elongation, Steifigkeit, Yield Load und Maximum Load bestimmt. Es konnten Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Fixationsmethoden und den verwendeten Tapes festgestellt werden. Alle acht Gruppen zeigten eine h{\"o}here Prim{\"a}rstabilit{\"a}t als das humane MPFL. Bezogen auf die biomechanischen Eigenschaften und den Versagensmechanismus konnte in dieser Studie ein Vorteil der parallelen transpatellaren Bohrkan{\"a}le gegen{\"u}ber den V- Kanaltechniken festgestellt werden. Die Werte mit der h{\"o}chsten maximalen Ausreißkraft wurden in Gruppe 3 (631,6 ± 83,1 N) und Gruppe 1 (592,9 ± 170,1 N) gemessen. Diese zeigten eine h{\"o}here Prim{\"a}rstabilit{\"a}t mit geringerer Elongation und Steifigkeit im Vergleich zu den in der aktuellen Literatur beschriebenen biomechanischen Studien, welche sich mit unterschiedlichen und teilweise bereits etablierten MPFL-Ersatzverfahren besch{\"a}ftigten. Eine implantatfreie MPFL-Rekonstruktion mit transpatellaren parallelen Bohrkan{\"a}len unter Verwendung eines 2 mm Fiber Tapes (Fa. Arthrex) oder eines 4 mm Tapes (Fa. Topester) k{\"o}nnten dementsprechend eine gute Alternative zur operativen Therapie einer patellofemoralen Instabilit{\"a}t sein.}, subject = {Patellaluxation}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Schwebs2024, author = {Schwebs, Marie}, title = {Structure and dynamics of the plasma membrane: a single-molecule study in \(Trypanosoma\) \(brucei\)}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27569}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-275699}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The unicellular, flagellated parasite Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of human African sleeping sickness and nagana in livestock. In the last decades, it has become an established eukaryotic model organism in the field of biology, as well as in the interdisciplinary field of biophysics. For instance, the dense variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat offers the possibility to study the dynamics of GPI-anchored proteins in the plasma membrane of living cells. The fluidity of the VSG coat is not only an interesting object of study for its own sake, but is critically important for the survival of the parasite in the mammalian host. In order to maintain the integrity of the coat, the entire VSG coat is recycled within a few minutes. This is surprisingly fast for a purely diffusive process with the flagellar pocket (FP) as the sole site for endo- and exocytosis. Previous studies characterising VSG dynamics using FRAP reported diffusion coefficients that were not sufficient to to enable fast turnover based on passive VSG randomisation on the trypanosome surface. In this thesis, live-cell single-molecule fluorescence microscopy (SMFM) was employed to elucidate whether VSG diffusion coefficients were priorly underestimated or whether directed forces could be involved to bias VSGs towards the entrance of the FP. Embedding the highly motile trypanosomes in thermo-stable hydrogels facilitated the investigation of VSG dynamics on living trypanosomes at the mammalian host's temperature of 37°C. To allow for a spatial correlation of the VSG dynamics to the FP entrance, a cell line was employed harbouring a fluorescently labelled structure as a reference. Sequential two-colour SMFM was then established to allow for recording and registration of the dynamic and static single-molecule information. In order to characterise VSG dynamics, an algorithm to obtain reliable information from short trajectories was adapted (shortTrAn). It allowed for the quantification of the local dynamics in two distinct scenarios: diffusion and directed motion. The adaptation of the algorithm to the VSG data sets required the introduction of an additional projection filter. The algorithm was further extended to take into account the localisation errors inherent to single-particle tracking. The results of the quantification of diffusion and directed motion were presented in maps of the trypanosome surface, including an outline generated from a super-resolved static structure as a reference. Information on diffusion was displayed in one map, an ellipse plot. The colour code represented the local diffusion coefficient, while the shape of the ellipses provided an indication of the diffusion behaviour (aniso- or isotropic diffusion). The eccentricity of the ellipses was used to quantify deviations from isotropic diffusion. Information on directed motion was shown in three maps: A velocity map, representing the amplitude of the local velocities in a colour code. A quiver plot, illustrating the orientation of directed motion, and a third map which indicated the relative standard error of the local velocities colour-coded. Finally, a guideline based on random walk simulations was used to identify which of the two motion scenarios dominated locally. Application of the guideline to the VSG dynamics analysed by shortTrAn yielded supermaps that showed the locally dominant motion mode colour-coded. I found that VSG dynamics are dominated by diffusion, but several times faster than previously determined. The diffusion behaviour was additionally characterised by spatial heterogeneity. Moreover, isolated regions exhibiting the characteristics of round and elongated traps were observed on the cell surface. Additionally, VSG dynamics were studied with respect to the entrance of the FP. VSG dynamics in this region displayed similar characteristics compared to the remainder of the cell surface and forces biasing VSGs into the FP were not found. Furthermore, I investigated a potential interference of the attachment of the cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane with the dynamics of VSGs which are anchored to the outer leaflet of the membrane. Preliminary experiments were conducted on osmotically swollen trypanosomes and trypanosomes depleted for a microtubule-associated protein anchoring the subpellicular microtubule cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane. The measurements revealed a trend that detachment of the cytoskeleton could be associated with a reduction in the VSG diffusion coefficient and a loss of elongated traps. The latter could be an indication that these isolated regions were caused by underlying structures associated with the cytoskeleton. The measurements on cells with an intact cytoskeleton were complemented by random walk simulations of VSG dynamics with the newly determined diffusion coefficient on long time scales not accessible in experiments. Simulations showed that passive VSG randomisation is fast enough to allow for a turnover of the full VSG coat within a few minutes. According to an estimate based on the known rate of endocytosis and the newly determined VSG diffusion coefficient, the majority of exocytosed VSGs could escape from the FP to the cell surface without being immediately re-endocytosed.}, subject = {Trypanosoma brucei}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Iosip2024, author = {Iosip, Anda-Larisa}, title = {Molecular Mechanosensing Mechanisms of the Carnivorous Plant \(Dionaea\) \(muscipula\)}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-28764}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287649}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Plants are able to sense mechanical forces in order to defend themselves against predators, for instance by synthesizing repellent compounds. Very few plants evolved extremely sensitive tactile abilities that allow them to perceive, interpret and respond by rapid movement in the milliseconds range. One such rarity is the charismatic Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) - a carnivorous plant which relies on its spectacular active trapping strategy to catch its prey. The snapping traps are equipped with touch-specialised trigger hairs, that upon bending elicit an action potential (AP). This electrical signal originates within the trigger hairs' mechanosensory cells and further propagates throughout the whole trap, alerting the plant of potential prey. Two APs triggered within thirty seconds will set off the trap and more than five APs will initiate the green stomach formation for prey decomposition and nutrient uptake. Neither the molecular components of the plant's AP nor the Venus flytrap's fast closure mechanism have been fully elucidated yet. Therefore, the general objective of this study is to expound on the molecular basis of touch perception: from AP initiation to trap closure and finally to stomach formation. The typical electrical signal in plants lasts for minutes and its shape is determined by the intensity of the mechanical force applied. In contrast, the Venus flytrap's one-second AP is of all-or-nothing type, similar in shape to the animal AP. In order to gain more insight into the molecular components that give rise to the Venus flytrap's emblematic AP, the transcriptomic landscape of its unique mechanotransducer - the trigger hair - was compared to the rest of the non-specialised tissues and organs. Additionally, the transcriptome of the electrically excitable fully-developed adult trap was compared to non-excitable juvenile traps that are unable to produce sharp APs. Together, the two strategies helped with the identification of electrogenic channels and pumps for each step of the AP as follows: (1) the most specific to the trigger hair was the mechanosensitive channel DmMSL10, making up the best candidate for the initial AP depolarization phase, (2) the K+ outward rectifier DmSKOR could be responsible for repolarisation, (3) further, the proton pump DmAHA4, might kick in during repolarisation and go on with hyperpolarisation and (4) the hyperpolarization- and acid-activated K+ inward rectifier KDM1 might contribute to the re-establishment of electrochemical gradient and the resting potential. Responsible for the AP-associated Ca2+ wave and electrical signal propagation, the glutamate-like receptor DmGLR3.6 was also enriched in the trigger hairs. Together, these findings suggest that the reuse of genes involved in electrical signalling in ordinary plants can give rise to the Venus flytrap's trademark AP. The Venus flytrap has been cultivated ever since its discovery, generating more than one hundred cultivars over the years. Among them, indistinguishable from a normal Venus flytrap at first sight, the 'ERROR' cultivar exhibits a peculiar behaviour: it is unable to snap its traps upon two APs. Nevertheless, it is still able to elicit normal APs. To get a better understanding of the key molecular mechanisms and pathways that are essential for a successful trap closure, the 'ERROR' mutant was compared to the functional wild type. Timelapse photography led to the observation that the 'ERROR' mutants were able to leisurely half close their traps when repeated mechanostimulation was applied (10 minutes after 20 APs, 0.03 Hz). As a result of touch or wounding in non-carnivorous plants, jasmonic acid (JA) is synthesized, alerting the plants of potential predators. Curiously, the JA levels were reduced upon mechanostimulation and completely impaired upon wounding in the 'ERROR' mutant. In search of genes accountable for the 'ERROR' mutant's defects, the transcriptomes of the two phenotypes were compared before and after mechanostimulation (1h after 10 APs, 0.01 Hz). The overall dampened response of the mutant compared to the wild type, was reflected at transcriptomic level as well. Only about 50\% of wild type's upregulated genes after touch stimulation were differentially expressed in 'ERROR' and they manifested only half of the wild type's expression amplitude. Among unresponsive functional categories of genes in 'ERROR' phenotype, there were: cell wall integrity surveilling system, auxin biosynthesis and stress-related transcription factors from the ethylene-responsive AP2/ERF and C2H2-ZF families. Deregulated Ca2+-decoding as well as redox-related elements together with JA-pathway components might also contribute to the malfunctioning of the 'ERROR' mutant. As the mutant does not undergo full stomach formation after mechanical treatment, these missing processes represent key milestones that might mediate growth-defence trade-offs under JA signalling. This confirms the idea that carnivory has evolved by recycling the already available molecular machineries of the ubiquitous plant immune system. To better understand the mutant's defect in the trap snapping mechanism, the ground states (unstimulated traps) of the two phenotypes were compared. In this case, many cell wall-related genes (e.g. expansins) were downregulated in the 'ERROR' mutant. For the first time, these data point to the importance of a special cell wall architecture of the trap, that might confer the mechanical properties needed for a functional buckling system - which amplifies the speed of the trap closure. This study provides candidate channels for each of the AP phases that give rise to and shape the sharp Venus flytrap-specific AP. It further underlines the possible contribution of the cell wall architecture to the metastable ready-to-snap configuration of the trap before stimulation - which might be crucial for the buckling-dependent snapping. And finally, it highlights molecular milestones linked to defence responses that ensure trap morphing into a green stomach after mechanostimulation. Altogether, these processes prove to be interdependent and essential for a successful carnivorous lifestyle.}, subject = {Venusfliegenfalle}, language = {en} } @article{PrustyGulveGovindetal.2018, author = {Prusty, Bhupesh K. and Gulve, Nitish and Govind, Sheila and Krueger, Gerhard R. F. and Feichtinger, Julia and Larcombe, Lee and Aspinall, Richard and Ablashi, Dharam V. and Toro, Carla T.}, title = {Active HHV-6 Infection of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells in Mood Disorders}, series = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2018.01955}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369222}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Early-life infections and associated neuroinflammation is incriminated in the pathogenesis of various mood disorders. Infection with human roseoloviruses, HHV-6A and HHV-6B, allows viral latency in the central nervous system and other tissues, which can later be activated causing cognitive and behavioral disturbances. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate possible association of HHV-6A and HHV-6B activation with three different groups of psychiatric patients. DNA qPCR, immunofluorescence and FISH studies were carried out in post-mortem posterior cerebellum from 50 cases each of bipolar disorder (BPD), schizophrenia, 15 major depressive disorder (MDD) and 50 appropriate control samples obtained from two well-known brain collections (Stanley Medical Research Institute). HHV-6A and HHV-6B late proteins (indicating active infection) and viral DNA were detected more frequently (p < 0.001 for each virus) in human cerebellum in MDD and BPD relative to controls. These roseolovirus proteins and DNA were found less frequently in schizophrenia cases. Active HHV-6A and HHV-6B infection in cerebellar Purkinje cells were detected frequently in BPD and MDD cases. Furthermore, we found a significant association of HHV-6A infection with reduced Purkinje cell size, suggesting virus-mediated abnormal Purkinje cell function in these disorders. Finally, gene expression analysis of cerebellar tissue revealed changes in pathways reflecting an inflammatory response possibly to HHV-6A infection. Our results provide molecular evidence to support a role for active HHV-6A and HHV-6B infection in BPD and MDD.}, language = {en} } @article{TichaMoosWajantetal.2018, author = {Ticha, Olga and Moos, Lukas and Wajant, Harald and Bekeredjian-Ding, Isabelle}, title = {Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 Characterizes TLR9-Driven Formation of Interleukin-10-Producing B Cells}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2017.01951}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241323}, year = {2018}, abstract = {B cell-derived interleukin-10 (IL-10) production has been described as a hallmark for regulatory function in B lymphocytes. However, there is an ongoing debate on the origin of IL-10-secreting B cells and lack of specific surface markers has turned into an important obstacle for studying human B regulatory cells. In this study, we propose that tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) expression can be used for enrichment of IL-10-secreting B cells. Our data confirm that IL-10 production can be induced by TLR9 stimulation with CpG ODN and that IL-10 secretion accompanies differentiation of peripheral blood B cells into plasma blasts. We further show that CpG ODN stimulation induces TNFR2 expression, which correlates with IL-10 secretion and terminal differentiation. Indeed, flow cytometric sorting of TNFR2+ B cells revealed that TNFR2+ and TNFR2- fractions correspond to IL-10+ and IL-10- fractions, respectively. Furthermore, CpG-induced TNFR2+ B cells were predominantly found in the IgM+ CD27+ B cell subset and spontaneously released immunoglobulin. Finally, our data corroborate the functional impact of TNFR2 by demonstrating that stimulation with a TNFR2 agonist significantly augments IL-10 and IL-6 production in B cells. Altogether, our data highlight a new role for TNFR2 in IL-10-secreting human B lymphocytes along with the potential to exploit this finding for sorting and isolation of this currently ill-defined B cell subset.}, language = {en} } @article{KlotzHigginsSchaubmaretal.2019, author = {Klotz, Peter and Higgins, Paul G. and Schaubmar, Andreas R. and Failing, Klaus and Leidner, Ursula and Seifert, Harald and Scheufen, Sandra and Semmler, Torsten and Ewers, Christa}, title = {Seasonal Occurrence and Carbapenem Susceptibility of Bovine Acinetobacter baumannii in Germany}, series = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00272}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-325927}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections in humans. To investigate its prevalence, distribution of sequence types (STs), and antimicrobial resistance in cattle, we sampled 422 cattle, including 280 dairy cows, 59 beef cattle, and 83 calves over a 14-month period. Metadata, such as the previous use of antimicrobial agents and feeding, were collected to identify putative determining factors. Bacterial isolates were identified via MALDI-TOF/MS and PCR, antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated via VITEK2 and antibiotic gradient tests, resistance genes were identified by PCR. Overall, 15.6\% of the cattle harbored A. baumannii, predominantly in the nose (60.3\% of the A. baumannii isolates). It was more frequent in dairy cows (21.1\%) than in beef cattle (6.8\%) and calves (2.4\%). A seasonal occurrence was shown with a peak between May and August. The rate of occurrence of A. baumannii was correlated with a history of use of 3rd generation cephalosporins in the last 6 months prior to sampling Multilocus sequence typing (Pasteur scheme) revealed 83 STs among 126 unique isolates. Nine of the bovine STs have previously been implicated in human infections. Besides known intrinsic resistance of the species, the isolates did not show additional resistance to the antimicrobial substances tested, including carbapenems. Our data suggest that cattle are not a reservoir for nosocomial A. baumannii but carry a highly diverse population of this species. Nevertheless, some STs seem to be able to colonize both cattle and humans.}, language = {en} } @article{SchroeterPawelkeBiseniusetal.2018, author = {Schroeter, Matthias L. and Pawelke, Sarah and Bisenius, Sandrine and Kynast, Jana and Schuemberg, Katharina and Polyakova, Maryna and Anderl-Straub, Sarah and Danek, Adrian and Fassbender, Klaus and Jahn, Holger and Jessen, Frank and Kornhuber, Johannes and Lauer, Martin and Prudlo, Johannes and Schneider, Anja and Uttner, Ingo and Th{\"o}ne-Otto, Angelika and Otto, Markus and Diehl-Schmid, Janine}, title = {A Modified Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Predicts Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Better Than Executive Function Tests}, series = {Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience}, organization = {FTLD Study Group Germany}, doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2018.00011}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234254}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterized by deep alterations in behavior and personality. Although revised diagnostic criteria agree for executive dysfunction as most characteristic, impairments in social cognition are also suggested. The study aimed at identifying those neuropsychological and behavioral parameters best discriminating between bvFTD and healthy controls. Eighty six patients were diagnosed with possible or probable bvFTD according to Rascovsky et al. (2011) and compared with 43 healthy age-matched controls. Neuropsychological performance was assessed with a modified Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Stroop task, Trail Making Test (TMT), Hamasch-Five-Point Test (H5PT), and semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks. Behavior was assessed with the Apathy Evaluation Scale, Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale, and Bayer Activities of Daily Living Scale. Each test's discriminatory power was investigated by Receiver Operating Characteristic curves calculating the area under the curve (AUC). bvFTD patients performed significantly worse than healthy controls in all neuropsychological tests. Discriminatory power (AUC) was highest in behavioral questionnaires, high in verbal fluency tasks and the RMET, and lower in executive function tests such as the Stroop task, TMT and H5PT. As fluency tasks depend on several cognitive functions, not only executive functions, results suggest that the RMET discriminated better between bvFTD and control subjects than other executive tests. Social cognition should be incorporated into diagnostic criteria for bvFTD in the future, such as in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, as already suggested in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)-5.}, language = {en} } @article{VaahtorantaLenhartSuggateetal.2019, author = {Vaahtoranta, Enni and Lenhart, Jan and Suggate, Sebastian and Lenhard, Wolfgang}, title = {Interactive Elaborative Storytelling: Engaging Children as Storytellers to Foster Vocabulary}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01534}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232136}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Positive effects of shared reading for children's language development are boosted by including instruction of word meanings and by increasing interactivity. The effects of engaging children as storytellers on vocabulary development have been less well studied. We developed an approach termed Interactive Elaborative Storytelling (IES), which employs both word-learning techniques and children's storytelling in a shared-reading setting. To systematically investigate potential benefits of children as storytellers, we contrasted this approach to two experimental groups, an Elaborative Storytelling group employing word-learning techniques but no storytelling by children and a Read-Aloud group, excluding any additional techniques. The study was a 3 × 2 pre-posttest randomized design with 126 preschoolers spanning 1 week. Measured outcomes were receptive and expressive target vocabulary, story memory, and children's behavior during story sessions. All three experimental groups made comparable gains on target words from pre- to posttest and there was no difference between groups in story memory. However, in the Elaborative Storytelling group, children were the least restless. Findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to optimizing shared reading as a method of fostering language.}, language = {en} } @article{LangFuellsackWajant2018, author = {Lang, Isabell and F{\"u}llsack, Simone and Wajant, Harald}, title = {Lack of Evidence for a Direct Interaction of Progranulin and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1 and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-2 From Cellular Binding Studies}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2018.00793}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236373}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Progranulin (PGRN) is a secreted anti-inflammatory protein which can be processed by neutrophil proteases to various granulins. It has been reported that at least a significant portion of the anti-inflammatory effects of PGRN is due to direct high affinity binding to tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR1) and TNFR2 and inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced TNFR1/2 signaling. Two studies failed to reproduce the interaction of TNFR1 and TNFR2 with PGRN, but follow up reports speculated that this was due to varying experimental circumstances and/or the use of PGRN from different sources. However, even under consideration of these speculations, there is still a striking discrepancy in the literature between the concentrations of PGRN needed to inhibit TNF signaling and the concentrations required to block TNF binding to TNFR1 and TNFR2. While signaling events induced by 0.2-2 nM of TNF have been efficiently inhibited by low, near to equimolar concentrations (0.5-2.5 nM) of PGRN in various studies, the reported inhibitory effects of PGRN on TNF-binding to TNFR1/2 required a huge excess of PGRN (100-1,000-fold). Therefore, we investigated the effect of PGRN on TNF binding to TNFR1 and TNFR2 in highly sensitive cellular binding studies. Unlabeled TNF inhibited >95\% of the specific binding of a Gaussia princeps luciferase (GpL) fusion protein of TNF to TNFR1 and TNFR2 and blocked binding of soluble GpL fusion proteins of TNFR1 and TNFR2 to membrane TNF expressing cells to >95\%, too. Purified PGRN, however, showed in both assays no effect on TNF-TNFR1/2 interaction even when applied in huge excess. To rule out that tags and purification- or storage-related effects compromise the potential ability of PGRN to bind TNF receptors, we directly co-expressed PGRN, and as control TNF, in TNFR1- and TNFR2-expressing cells and looked for binding of GpL-TNF. While expression of TNF strongly inhibited binding of GpL-TNF to TNFR1/2, co-expression of PGRN had not effect on the ability of the TNFR1/2-expressing cells to bind TNF.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissZieglerFliesseretal.2018, author = {Weiss, Esther and Ziegler, Sabrina and Fliesser, Mirjam and Schmitt, Anna-Lena and H{\"u}nniger, Kerstin and Kurzai, Oliver and Morton, Charles-Oliver and Einsele, Hermann and Loeffler, Juergen}, title = {First Insights in NK—DC Cross-Talk and the Importance of Soluble Factors During Infection With Aspergillus fumigatus}, series = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology}, doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2018.00288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-233565}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an infectious disease caused by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus that mainly affects immunocompromised hosts. To investigate immune cell cross-talk during infection with A. fumigatus, we co-cultured natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DC) after stimulation with whole fungal structures, components of the fungal cell wall, fungal lysate or ligands for distinct fungal receptors. Both cell types showed activation after stimulation with fungal components and were able to transfer activation signals to the counterpart not stimulated cell type. Interestingly, DCs recognized a broader spectrum of fungal components and thereby initiated NK cell activation when those did not recognize fungal structures. These experiments highlighted the supportive function of DCs in NK cell activation. Furthermore, we focused on soluble DC mediated NK cell activation and showed that DCs stimulated with the TLR2/Dectin-1 ligand zymosan could maximally stimulate the expression of CD69 on NK cells. Thus, we investigated the influence of both receptors for zymosan, Dectin-1 and TLR2, which are highly expressed on DCs but show only minimal expression on NK cells. Specific focus was laid on the question whether Dectin-1 or TLR2 signaling in DCs is important for the secretion of soluble factors leading to NK cell activation. Our results show that Dectin-1 and TLR2 are negligible for NK cell activation. We conclude that besides Dectin-1 and TLR2 other receptors on DCs are able to compensate for the missing signal.}, language = {en} } @article{SchurigHaeuslerGrittneretal.2019, author = {Schurig, Johannes and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Grittner, Ulrike and Nolte, Christian H. and Fiebach, Jochen B. and Audebert, Heinrich J. and Endres, Matthias and Rocco, Andrea}, title = {Frequency of Hemorrhage on Follow Up Imaging in Stroke Patients Treated With rt-PA Depending on Clinical Course}, series = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2019.00368}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234947}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Background: According to current guidelines, stroke patients treated with rt-PA should undergo brain imaging to exclude intracerebral bleeding 24 h after thrombolysis, before the start of medical secondary prevention. However, the usefulness of routine follow-up imaging with regard to changes in therapeutic management in patients without neurological deterioration is unclear. We hypothesized that follow up brain imaging solely to exclude bleeding in patients who clinically improved after rt-PA application may not be necessary. Methods: Retrospective single-center analysis including stroke patients treated with rt-PA. Records were reviewed for hemorrhagic transformation one day after systemic thrombolysis and brain imaging-based changes in therapeutic management. Twenty-four hour after thrombolysis patients were divided into four groups: (1) increased NIHSS score; (2) unchanged NIHSS score; (3) improved NIHSS score and; (4) NIHSS score = 0. Results: Out of 188 patients (mean age 73 years, 100 female) receiving rt-PA, 32 (17\%) had imaging-proven hemorrhagic transformation including 11 (6\%) patients with parenchymal hemorrhage. Patients in group (1, 2) more often had hypertension (p = 0.015) and more often had parenchymal hemorrhage (9 vs. 4\%; p < 0.206) compared to group (3, 4) and imaging-based changes in therapeutic management were more frequent (19\% vs. 6\%; p = 0.007). Patients of group (3, 4) had no changes in therapeutic management in 94\% of the cases. Patients in group (4) had no hemorrhagic transformation in routine follow-up brain imaging. Conclusions: Frequency of hemorrhagic transformation in Routine follow-up brain imaging and consecutive changes in therapeutic management were different depending on clinical course measured by NHISS score.}, language = {en} } @article{TreffWinkertSarebanetal.2019, author = {Treff, Gunnar and Winkert, Kay and Sareban, Mahdi and Steinacker, J{\"u}rgen M. and Sperlich, Billy}, title = {The Polarization-Index: A Simple Calculation to Distinguish Polarized From Non-polarized Training Intensity Distributions}, series = {Frontiers in Physiology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Physiology}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2019.00707}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229040}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The training intensity distribution (TID) of endurance athletes has retrieved substantial scientific interest since it reflects a vital component of training prescription: (i) the intensity of exercise and its distribution over time are essential components for adaptation to endurance training and (ii) the training volume (at least for most endurance disciplines) is already near or at maximum, so optimization of training procedures including TID have become paramount for success. This paper aims to elaborate the polarization-index (PI) which is calculated as log10(Zone 1/Zone 2∗Zone 3∗100), where Zones 1-3 refer to aggregated volume (time or distance) spent with low, mid, or high intensity training. PI allows to distinguish between non-polarized and polarized TID using a cut-off > 2.00 a.U. and to quantify the level of a polarized TID. Within this hypothesis paper, examples from the literature illustrating the usefulness of PI-calculation are discussed as well as its limitations. Further it is elucidated how the PI may contribute to a more precise definition of TID descriptors.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{CruzdeCasas2024, author = {Cruz de Casas, Paulina}, title = {Sphingolipids as modulators of T cell function}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35969}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-359698}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The immune system is responsible for the preservation of homeostasis whenever a given organism is exposed to distinct kinds of perturbations. Given the complexity of certain organisms like mammals, and the diverse types of challenges that they encounter (e.g. infection or disease), the immune system evolved to harbor a great variety of distinct immune cell populations with specialized functions. For instance, the family of T cells is sub-divided into conventional (Tconv) and unconventional T cells (UTCs). Tconv form part of the adaptive arm of the immune system and are comprised of αβ CD4+ or CD8+ cells that differentiate from na{\"i}ve to effector and memory populations upon activation and are essential during infection and cancer. Furthermore, UTCs, which include γδ T cells, NKT and MAIT, are involved in innate and adaptive immune responses, due to their dual mode of activation, through cytokines (innate-like) or TCR (adaptive), and function. Despite our understanding of the basic functions of T cells in several contexts, a great number of open questions related to their basic biology remain. For instance, the mechanism behind the differentiation of na{\"i}ve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into effector and memory populations is not fully understood. Moreover, the exact function and relevance of distinct UTC subpopulations in a physiological context have not been fully clarified. Here, we investigated the factors mediating na{\"i}ve CD8+ T cell differentiation into effector and memory cells. By using flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, enzymatic assays, and transgenic mouse models, we found that the membrane bound enzyme sphingomyelin-phosphodiesterase acid-like 3b (Smpdl3b) is crucial for the maintenance of memory CD8+ T cells. Our data show that the absence of Smpdl3b leads to diminished CD8+ T cell memory, and a loss of stem-like memory populations due to an aggravated contraction. Our scRNA-seq data suggest that Smpdl3b could be involved in clathrinmediated endocytosis through modulation of Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (Hip1) levels, likely regulating TCR-independent signaling events. Furthermore, in this study we explored the role of UTCs in lymph node-specific immune responses. By using transgenic mouse models for photolabeling, lymph node transplantation models, infection models and flow cytometry, we demonstrate that S1P regulates the migration of tissue-derived UTC from tissues to draining lymph nodes, resulting in heterogeneous immune responses mounted by lymph nodes draining different tissues. Moreover, our unbiased scRNAseq and single lineage-deficient mouse models analysis revealed that all UTC lineages (γδ T cells, NKT and MAIT) are organized in functional units, based on transcriptional homogeneity, shared microanatomical location and migratory behavior, and numerical and functional redundancy. Taken together, our studies describe additional cell intrinsic (Smpdl3b) and extrinsic (S1Pmediated migration) functions of sphingolipid metabolism modulating T cell biology. We propose the S1P/S1PR1/5 signaling axis as the potential survival pathway for Smpdl3b+ memory CD8+ T cells and UTCs, mainly in lymph nodes. Possibly, Smpdl3b regulates S1P/S1PR signaling by balancing ligandreceptor endocytosis, while UTCs migrate to lymph nodes during homeostasis to be exposed to specific levels of S1P that assure their maintenance. Our results are clinically relevant, since several drugs modulating the S1P/S1PR signaling axis or the levels of Smpdl3b are currently used to treat human diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and B cell-mediated diseases. We hope that our discoveries will inspire future studies focusing on sphingolipid metabolism in immune cell biology.}, subject = {T-Lymphozyt}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Amini2024, author = {Amini, Emad}, title = {How central and peripheral clocks and the neuroendocrine system interact to time eclosion behavior in \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\)}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36130}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-361309}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {To grow larger, insects must shed their old rigid exoskeleton and replace it with a new one. This process is called molting and the motor behavior that sheds the old cuticle is called ecdysis. Holometabolic insects have pupal stages in between their larval and adult forms, during which they perform metamorphosis. The pupal stage ends with eclosion, i.e., the emergence of the adult from the pupal shell. Insects typically eclose at a specific time during the day, likely when abiotic conditions are at their optimum. A newly eclosed insect is fragile and needs time to harden its exoskeleton. Hence, eclosion is regulated by sophisticated developmental and circadian timing mechanisms. In Drosophila melanogaster, eclosion is limited to a daily time window in the morning, regarded as the "eclosion gate". In a population of laboratory flies entrained by light/dark cycles, most of the flies eclose around lights on. This rhythmic eclosion pattern is controlled by the circadian clock and persists even under constant conditions. Developmental timing is under the control of complex hormonal signaling, including the steroid ecdysone, insulin-like peptides, and prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). The interactions of the central circadian clock in the brain and a peripheral clock in the prothoracic gland (PG) that produces ecdysone are important for the circadian timing of eclosion. These two clocks are connected by a bilateral pair of peptidergic PTTH neurons (PTTHn) that project to the PG. Before each molt, the ecdysone level rises and then falls shortly before ecdysis. The falling ecdysone level must fall below a certain threshold value for the eclosion gate to open. The activity of PTTHn is inhibited by short neuropeptide F (sNPF) from the small ventrolateral neurons (sLNvs) and inhibition is thought to lead to a decrease in ecdysone production. The general aim of this thesis is to further the understanding of how the circadian clock and neuroendocrinal pathways are coordinated to drive eclosion rhythmicity and to identify when these endocrinal signaling pathways are active. In Chapter I, a series of conditional PTTHn silencing-based behavioral assays, combined with neuronal activity imaging techniques such as non-invasive ARG-Luc show that PTTH signaling is active and required shortly before eclosion and may serve to phase-adjust the activity of the PG at the end of pupal development. Trans-synaptic anatomical stainings identified the sLNvs, dorsal neurons 1 (DN1), dorsal neurons 2 (DN2), and lateral posterior neurons (LPNs) clock neurons as directly upstream of the PTTHn. Eclosion motor behavior is initiated by Ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH) which activates a pair of ventromedial (Vm) neurons to release eclosion hormone (EH) which positively feeds back to the source of ETH, the endocrine Inka cells. In Chapter II trans-synaptic tracing showed that most clock neurons provide input to the Vm and non-canonical EH neurons. Hence, clock can potentially influence the ETH/EH feedback loop. The activity profile of the Inka cells and Vm neurons before eclosion is described. Vm and Inka cells are active around seven hours before eclosion. Interestingly, all EH neurons appear to be exclusively peptidergic. In Chapter III, using chemoconnectomics, PTTHns were found to express receptors for sNPF, allatostatin A (AstA), allatostatin C (AstC), and myosuppressin (Ms), while EH neurons expressed only Ms and AstA receptors. Eclosion assays of flies with impaired AstA, AstC, or Ms signaling do not show arrhythmicity under constant conditions. However, optogenetic activation of the AstA neurons strongly suppresses eclosion. Chapter IV focuses on peripheral ventral' Tracheal dendrite (v'Td) and class IV dendritic arborization (C4da) neurons. The C4da neurons mediate larval light avoidance through endocrine PTTH signaling. The v'Td neurons mainly receive O2/CO2 input from the trachea and are upstream of Vm neurons but are not required for eclosion rhythmicity. Conditional ablation of the C4da neurons or torso (receptor of PTTH) knock-out in the C4da neurons impaired eclosion rhythmicity. Six to seven hours before eclosion, PTTHn, C4da, and Vm neurons are active based on ARG-Luc imaging. Thus, C4da neurons may indirectly connect the PTTHn to the Vm neurons. In summary, this thesis advances our knowledge of the temporal activity and role of PTTH signaling during pupal development and rhythmic eclosion. It further provides a comprehensive characterization of the synaptic and peptidergic inputs from clock neurons to PTTHn and EH neurons. AstA, AstC, and Ms are identified as potential modulators of eclosion circuits and suggest an indirect effect of PTTH signaling on EH signaling via the peripheral sensory C4da neurons.}, subject = {Neuroendokrines System}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Dehmer2024, author = {Dehmer, Markus}, title = {A novel USP11-TCEAL1-mediated mechanism protects transcriptional elongation by RNA Polymerase II}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36054}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-360544}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Deregulated expression of MYC oncoproteins is a driving event in many human cancers. Therefore, understanding and targeting MYC protein-driven mechanisms in tumor biology remain a major challenge. Oncogenic transcription in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma leads to the formation of the MYCN-BRCA1-USP11 complex that terminates transcription by evicting stalling RNAPII from chromatin. This reduces cellular stress and allows reinitiation of new rounds of transcription. Basically, tumors with amplified MYC genes have a high demand on well orchestration of transcriptional processes-dependent and independent from MYC proteins functions in gene regulation. To date, the cooperation between promoter-proximal termination and transcriptional elongation in cancer cells remains still incomplete in its understanding. In this study the putative role of the dubiquitinase Ubiquitin Specific Protease 11 (USP11) in transcription regulation was further investigated. First, several USP11 interaction partners involved in transcriptional regulation in neuroblastoma cancer cells were identified. In particular, the transcription elongation factor A like 1 (TCEAL1) protein, which assists USP11 to engage protein-protein interactions in a MYCN-dependent manner, was characterized. The data clearly show that TCEAL1 acts as a pro-transcriptional factor for RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-medi- ated transcription. In detail, TCEAL1 controls the transcription factor S-II (TFIIS), a factor that assists RNAPII to escape from paused sites. The findings claim that TCEAL1 outcompetes the transcription elongation factor TFIIS in a non-catalytic manner on chromatin of highly expressed genes. This is reasoned by the need regulating TFIIS function in transcription. TCEAL1 equili- brates excessive backtracking and premature termination of transcription caused by TFIIS. Collectively, the work shed light on the stoichiometric control of TFIIS demand in transcriptional regulation via the USP11-TCEAL1-USP7 complex. This complex protects RNAPII from TFIIS-mediated termination helping to regulate productive transcription of highly active genes in neuroblastoma.}, subject = {Transkription}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Wussmann2024, author = {Wußmann, Maximiliane}, title = {Humane organotypische 3D Modelle des Malignen Melanoms als in vitro Testsystem f{\"u}r die Bewertung der Wirksamkeit von anti-Tumor Therapeutika}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36100}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-361005}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Das maligne Melanom, eine der seltensten, aber gleichzeitig auch die t{\"o}dlichste dermatologische Malignit{\"a}t, gekennzeichnet durch die Neigung zu einer fr{\"u}hen Metastasierung sowie die rasche Entwicklung von Therapieresistenzen, z{\"a}hlt zu den Tumorentit{\"a}ten mit dem h{\"o}chsten Anstieg der Inzidenz weltweit. Mausmodelle werden h{\"a}ufig verwendet, um die Melanomagenese zu erforschen und neue effektive therapeutische Strategien zu entwickeln, spiegeln die menschliche Physiologie allerdings nur unzureichend wider. In zweidimensionalen (2D) Zellkulturen mangelt es dagegen an wichtigen Komponenten der Mikroumgebung des Tumors und dem dreidimensionalen Gewebekontext. Um dieses Manko zu beheben und die Entwicklung von auf den Menschen {\"u}bertragbaren Tumormodellen in der onkologischen Forschung voranzutreiben, wurde als Alternative zu Zellkulturen und Tierversuchen humane organotypische dreidimensionale (3D) Melanom-Modelle als in vitro Testsystem f{\"u}r die Bewertung der Wirksamkeit von anti-Tumor Therapeutika entwickelt. Im Zuge dieser Arbeit konnte das in vitro Melanom-Modell entscheidend weiterentwickelt werden. So konnten Modelle unterschiedlichster Komplexit{\"a}t etabliert werden, wobei abh{\"a}ngig von der Fragestellung einfachere epidermale bis hin zu unterschiedlich komplexen Vollhautmodellen Anwendung finden. Durch Simulation der Tumor-Mikroumgebung eignen sich diese zur pr{\"a}klinischen Validierung neuer Tumor-Therapeutika, sowie der Erforschung pathologischer Vorg{\"a}nge, von der Tumor-Formierung bis zur Metastasierung. Zudem konnten erfolgreich unterschiedlichste humane Melanomzelllinien ins Modell integriert werden; dadurch, dass sich diese durch ihre Treibermutationen, die zur Krankheitsentstehung beitragen, unterscheiden, stellen sie unterschiedliche Anspr{\"u}che an potentielle therapeutische Angriffspunkte und erm{\"o}glichen das Widerspiegeln vieler Melanom-Subtypen im Modell. Ferner ist es m{\"o}glich, verschiedene Stadien der Tumor-Entwicklung {\"u}ber die Zugabe von Melanomzellen in Einzelsuspension bzw. von Melanom-Sph{\"a}roiden widerzuspiegeln. Es konnte f{\"u}r bestimmte Therapie-Ans{\"a}tze, wie zielgerichtete Therapien, z.B. die Gabe von sich in der Klinik im Einsatz befindlicher BRAF-/MEK-Inhibitoren, gezeigt werden, dass sich die etablierten Modelle hervorragend als pr{\"a}klinische Testsysteme zur Wirksamkeitsbewertung eignen. Zudem bieten sich einzigartige M{\"o}glichkeiten, um die Interaktion humaner Tumorzellen und gesunder Zellen in einem Gewebeverband zu untersuchen. Ferner konnten drei neue technische Analyse-Verfahren zur nicht-invasiven Detektion der Tumor- Pro- und Regression, Beurteilung der Wirksamkeit von potenziellen Anti-Tumor-Therapien sowie der Evaluierung des Tumor-Metabolismusses implementiert werden. Perspektivisch erm{\"o}glichen immun-kompetente Melanom-Modelle die Austestung neuer Immun- und Zelltherapien in einem voll humanen System; gleichzeitig leisten die etablierten Modelle einen signifikanten Beitrag zur Reduktion von Tierexperimenten.}, subject = {Melanom}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Adhikari2024, author = {Adhikari, Bikash}, title = {Targeted degradation of Myc-interacting oncoproteins}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-31732}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-317326}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The hallmark oncoprotein Myc is a major driver of tumorigenesis in various human cancer entities. However, Myc's structural features make it challenging to develop small molecules against it. A promising strategy to indirectly inhibit the function of Myc is by targeting its interactors. Many Myc-interacting proteins have reported scaffolding functions which are difficult to target using conventional occupancy- driven inhibitors. Thus, in this thesis, the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) approach was used to target two oncoproteins interacting with Myc which promote the oncogenicity of Myc, Aurora-A and WDR5. PROTACs are bifunctional small molecules that bind to the target protein with one ligand and recruit a cellular E3- ligase with the other ligand to induce target degradation via the ubiquitin- proteasome system. So far, the most widely used E3-ligases for PROTAC development are Cereblon (CRBN) and von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL). Furthermore, there are cases of incompatibility between some E3-ligases and proteins to bring about degradation. Hence there is a need to explore new E3- ligases and a demand for a tool to predict degradative E3-ligases for the target protein in the PROTAC field. In the first part, a highly specific mitotic kinase Aurora-A degrader, JB170, was developed. This compound utilized Aurora-A inhibitor alisertib as the target ligand and thalidomide as the E3-ligase CRBN harness. The specificity of JB170 and the ternary complex formation was supported by the interactions between Aurora-A and CRBN. The PROTAC-mediated degradation of Aurora-A induced a distinct S- phase defect rather than mitotic arrest, shown by its catalytic inhibition. The finding demonstrates that Aurora-A has a non-catalytic role in the S-phase. Furthermore, the degradation of Aurora-A led to apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. In the second part, two different series of WDR5 PROTACs based on two protein- protein inhibitors of WDR5 were evaluated. The most efficient degraders from both series recruited VHL as a E3-ligase and showed partial degradation of WDR5. In addition, the degradation efficiency of the PROTACs was significantly affected by the linker nature and length, highlighting the importance of linker length and composition in PROTAC design. The degraders showed modest proliferation defects at best in cancer cell lines. However, overexpression of VHL increased the degradation efficiency and the antiproliferative effect of the PROTACs. In the last part, a rapamycin-based assay was developed to predict the degradative E3-ligase for a target. The assay was validated using the WDR5/VHL and Aurora- A/CRBN pairs. The result that WDR5 is degraded by VHL but not CRBN and Aurora-A is degraded by CRBN, matches observations made with PROTACs. This technique will be used in the future to find effective tissue-specific and essential E3-ligases for targeted degradation of oncoproteins using PROTACs. Collectively, the work presented here provides a strategy to improve PROTAC development and a starting point for developing Aurora-A and WDR5 PROTACs for cancer therapy.}, subject = {Degradation}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bakirci2024, author = {Bakirci, Ezgi}, title = {Development of \(In\) \(vitro\) Models for Tissue Engineering Applications Using a High-Resolution 3D Printing Technology}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-25164}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-251645}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {In vitro models mimic the tissue-specific anatomy and play essential roles in personalized medicine and disease treatments. As a sophisticated manufacturing technology, 3D printing overcomes the limitations of traditional technologies and provides an excellent potential for developing in vitro models to mimic native tissue. This thesis aims to investigate the potential of a high-resolution 3D printing technology, melt electrowriting (MEW), for fabricating in vitro models. MEW has a distinct capacity for depositing micron size fibers with a defined design. In this thesis, three approaches were used, including 1) extending the MEW polymer library for different biomedical applications, 2) developing in vitro models for evaluation of cell growth and migration toward the different matrices, and 3) studying the effect of scaffold designs and biochemical cues of microenvironments on cells. First, we introduce the MEW processability of (AB)n and (ABAC)n segmented copolymers, which have thermally reversible network formulation based on physical crosslinks. Bisurea segments are combined with hydrophobic poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or hydrophilic poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PPO-PEG-PPO) segments to form the (AB)n segmented copolymers. (ABAC)n segmented copolymers contain all three segments: in addition to bisurea, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments are available in the same polymer chain, resulting in tunable mechanical and biological behaviors. MEW copolymers either support cells attachment or dissolve without cytotoxic side effects when in contact with the polymers at lower concentrations, indicating that this copolymer class has potential in biological applications. The unique biological and surface properties, transparency, adjustable hydrophilicity of these copolymers could be beneficial in several in vitro models. The second manuscript addresses the design and development of a melt electrowritten competitive 3D radial migration device. The approach differs from most of the previous literature, as MEW is not used here to produce cell invasive scaffolds but to fabricate an in vitro device. The device is utilized to systematically determine the matrix which promotes cell migration and growth of glioblastoma cells. The glioblastoma cell migration is tested on four different Matrigel concentrations using a melt electrowritten radial device. The glioblastoma U87 cell growth and migration increase at Matrigel concentrations 6 and 8 mg mL-1 In the development of this radial device, the accuracy, and precision of melt electrowritten circular shapes were investigated. The results show that the printing speed and design diameter are essential parameters for the accuracy of printed constructs. It is the first instance where MEW is used for the production of in vitro devices. The influence of biochemical cues and scaffold designs on astrocytes and glioblastoma is investigated in the last manuscript. A fiber comprising the box and triangle-shaped pores within MEW scaffolds are modified with biochemical cues, including RGD and IKVAV peptides using a reactive NCO-sP(EO-stat-PO) macromer. The results show that astrocytes and glioblastoma cells exhibit different phenotypes on scaffold designs and peptide-coated scaffolds.}, subject = {3D-Druck}, language = {en} } @techreport{MaennelBorschinskyKayaletal.2024, author = {M{\"a}nnel, Jonathan and Borschinsky, Erik and Kayal, Hakan and Neumann, Tobias and Riegler, Clemens}, title = {SATEX: Extraterrestrik mit Kleinsatelliten - Kurzbericht}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36325}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-363256}, pages = {42}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Dieser Kurzbericht beleuchtet die Einsatzm{\"o}glichkeiten von Kleinsatelliten in der extraterrestrischen Forschung und zeigt auf welche technologischen Herausforderungen sich bei ihrem Einsatz ergeben. Die pr{\"a}sentierten Ergebnisse sind Teil der SATEX Untersuchung (FKZ 50OO2222). In diesem Dokument werden zun{\"a}chst die allgemeinen Einsatzm{\"o}glichkeiten von Kleinsatelliten in der Extraterrestrik anhand ausgew{\"a}hlter Beispielmissionen beleuchtet. Daraufhin erfolgt die Er{\"o}rterung spezifischer technischer Herausforderungen und Umweltbedingungen bei cislunaren und interplanetaren Kleinsatellitenmissionen, gefolgt von einer kurzen Pr{\"a}sentation von Nutzerw{\"u}nsche aus Deutschland f{\"u}r Missionen zur Erforschung des Weltraums. Zum Abschluss werden zehn konkrete, im Rahmen der Untersuchung ermittelte, Missionsideen vorgestellt und bewertet. Schließlich erfolgt die Zusammenfassung der wichtigsten Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen.}, subject = {Extraterrestrische Forschung}, language = {de} } @techreport{MaennelBorschinskyKayaletal.2024, author = {M{\"a}nnel, Jonathan and Borschinsky, Erik and Kayal, Hakan and Neumann, Tobias and Riegler, Clemens}, title = {SATEX: Extraterrestrik mit Kleinsatelliten - Kurzbericht}, edition = {korrigierte Version}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-36979}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369793}, pages = {42}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Dieser Kurzbericht beleuchtet die Einsatzm{\"o}glichkeiten von Kleinsatelliten in der extraterrestrischen Forschung und zeigt auf welche technologischen Herausforderungen sich bei ihrem Einsatz ergeben. Die pr{\"a}sentierten Ergebnisse sind Teil der SATEX Untersuchung (FKZ 50OO2222). In diesem Dokument werden zun{\"a}chst die allgemeinen Einsatzm{\"o}glichkeiten von Kleinsatelliten in der Extraterrestrik anhand ausgew{\"a}hlter Beispielmissionen beleuchtet. Daraufhin erfolgt die Er{\"o}rterung spezifischer technischer Herausforderungen und Umweltbedingungen bei cislunaren und interplanetaren Kleinsatellitenmissionen, gefolgt von einer kurzen Pr{\"a}sentation von Nutzerw{\"u}nsche aus Deutschland f{\"u}r Missionen zur Erforschung des Weltraums. Zum Abschluss werden zehn konkrete, im Rahmen der Untersuchung ermittelte, Missionsideen vorgestellt und bewertet. Schließlich erfolgt die Zusammenfassung der wichtigsten Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen.}, subject = {Extraterrestrische Forschung}, language = {de} } @article{SnaebjornssonSchulze2018, author = {Snaebjornsson, Marteinn T and Schulze, Almut}, title = {Non-canonical functions of enzymes facilitate cross-talk between cell metabolic and regulatory pathways}, series = {Experimental \& Molecular Medicine}, volume = {50}, journal = {Experimental \& Molecular Medicine}, doi = {10.1038/s12276-018-0065-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-238763}, pages = {1-16}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The metabolic rewiring that occurs during cell transformation is a hallmark of cancer. It is diverse in different cancers as it reflects different combinations of oncogenic drivers, tumor suppressors, and the microenvironment. Metabolic rewiring is essential to cancer as it enables uncontrolled proliferation and adaptation to the fluctuating availability of nutrients and oxygen caused by poor access to the vasculature due to tumor growth and a foreign microenvironment encountered during metastasis. Increasing evidence now indicates that the metabolic state in cancer cells also plays a causal role in tumor growth and metastasis, for example through the action of oncometabolites, which modulate cell signaling and epigenetic pathways to promote malignancy. In addition to altering the metabolic state in cancer cells, some multifunctional enzymes possess non-metabolic functions that also contribute to cell transformation. Some multifunctional enzymes that are highly expressed in cancer, such as pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), have non-canonical functions that are co-opted by oncogenic signaling to drive proliferation and inhibit apoptosis. Other multifunctional enzymes that are frequently downregulated in cancer, such as fructose-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1), are tumor suppressors, directly opposing mitogenic signaling via their non-canonical functions. In some cases, the enzymatic and non-canonical roles of these enzymes are functionally linked, making the modulation of non-metabolic cellular processes dependent on the metabolic state of the cell.}, language = {en} } @article{SirtlKnollDieuThuyetal.2018, author = {Sirtl, Simon and Knoll, Gertrud and Dieu Thuy, Trinh and Lang, Isabell and Siegmund, Daniela and Gross, Stefanie and Schuler-Thurner, Beatrice and Neubert, Patrick and Jantsch, Jonathan and Wajant, Harald and Ehrenschwender, Martin}, title = {Hypertonicity-enforced BCL-2 addiction unleashes the cytotoxic potential of death receptors}, series = {Oncogene}, volume = {37}, journal = {Oncogene}, doi = {10.1038/s41388-018-0265-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-238327}, pages = {4122-4136}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Attempts to exploit the cytotoxic activity of death receptors (DR) for treating cancer have thus far been disappointing. DR activation in most malignant cells fails to trigger cell death and may even promote tumor growth by activating cell death-independent DR-associated signaling pathways. Overcoming apoptosis resistance is consequently a prerequisite for successful clinical exploitation of DR stimulation. Here we show that hyperosmotic stress in the tumor microenvironment unleashes the deadly potential of DRs by enforcing BCL-2 addiction of cancer cells. Hypertonicity robustly enhanced cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and other DR ligands in various cancer entities. Initial events in TRAIL DR signaling remained unaffected, but hypertonic conditions unlocked activation of the mitochondrial death pathway and thus amplified the apoptotic signal. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that hyperosmotic stress imposed a BCL-2-addiction on cancer cells to safeguard the integrity of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), essentially exhausting the protective capacity of BCL-2-like pro-survival proteins. Deprivation of these mitochondrial safeguards licensed DR-generated truncated BH3-interacting domain death agonist (tBID) to activate BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) and initiated mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). Our work highlights that hyperosmotic stress in the tumor environment primes mitochondria for death and lowers the threshold for DR-induced apoptosis. Beyond TRAIL-based therapies, our findings could help to strengthen the efficacy of other apoptosis-inducing cancer treatment regimens.}, language = {en} } @article{StegmannReichertsAndreattaetal.2019, author = {Stegmann, Yannik and Reicherts, Philipp and Andreatta, Marta and Pauli, Paul and Wieser, Matthias J.}, title = {The effect of trait anxiety on attentional mechanisms in combined context and cue conditioning and extinction learning}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-45239-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239394}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Sensory processing and attention allocation are shaped by threat, but the role of trait-anxiety in sensory processing as a function of threat predictability remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we measured steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) as an index of sensory processing of predictable and unpredictable threat cues in 29 low (LA) and 29 high (HA) trait-anxious participants during a modified NPU-paradigm followed by an extinction phase. Three different contextual cues indicated safety (N), predictable (P) or unpredictable threat (U), while foreground cues signalled shocks in the P-condition only. All participants allocated increased attentional resources to the central P-threat cue, replicating previous findings. Importantly, LA individuals exhibited larger ssVEP amplitudes to contextual threat (U and P) than to contextual safety cues, while HA individuals did not differentiate among contextual cues in general. Further, HA exhibited higher aversive ratings of all contexts compared to LA. These results suggest that high trait-anxious individuals might be worse at discriminating contextual threat stimuli and accordingly overestimate the probability and aversiveness of unpredictable threat. These findings support the notion of aberrant sensory processing of unpredictable threat in anxiety disorders, as this processing pattern is already evident in individuals at risk of these disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{SommerfeldSenfBumaetal.2018, author = {Sommerfeld, Andreas and Senf, Cornelius and Buma, Brian and D'Amato, Anthony W. and Despr{\´e}s, Tiphaine and D{\´i}az-Hormaz{\´a}bal, Ignacio and Fraver, Shawn and Frelich, Lee E. and Guti{\´e}rrez, {\´A}lvaro G. and Hart, Sarah J. and Harvey, Brian J. and He, Hong S. and Hl{\´a}sny, Tom{\´a}š and Holz, Andr{\´e}s and Kitzberger, Thomas and Kulakowski, Dominik and Lindenmayer, David and Mori, Akira S. and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Paritsis, Juan and Perry, George L. W. and Stephens, Scott L. and Svoboda, Miroslav and Turner, Monica G. and Veblen, Thomas T. and Seidl, Rupert}, title = {Patterns and drivers of recent disturbances across the temperate forest biome}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-06788-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239157}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Increasing evidence indicates that forest disturbances are changing in response to global change, yet local variability in disturbance remains high. We quantified this considerable variability and analyzed whether recent disturbance episodes around the globe were consistently driven by climate, and if human influence modulates patterns of forest disturbance. We combined remote sensing data on recent (2001-2014) disturbances with in-depth local information for 50 protected landscapes and their surroundings across the temperate biome. Disturbance patterns are highly variable, and shaped by variation in disturbance agents and traits of prevailing tree species. However, high disturbance activity is consistently linked to warmer and drier than average conditions across the globe. Disturbances in protected areas are smaller and more complex in shape compared to their surroundings affected by human land use. This signal disappears in areas with high recent natural disturbance activity, underlining the potential of climate-mediated disturbance to transform forest landscapes.}, language = {en} } @article{ShumilovaLutoevIsaenkoetal.2018, author = {Shumilova, T. G. and Lutoev, V. P. and Isaenko, S. I. and Kovalchuk, N. S. and Makeev, B. A. and Lysiuk, A. Yu. and Zubov, A. A. and Ernstson, K.}, title = {Spectroscopic features of ultrahigh-pressure impact glasses of the Kara astrobleme}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-25037-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237983}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The state of substances under ultrahigh pressures and temperatures (UHPHT) now raises a special interest as a matter existing under extreme conditions and as potential new material. Under laboratory conditions only small amounts of micrometer-sized matter are produced at a pressure up to 100 GPa and at room temperature. Simultaneous combination of ultrahigh pressures and temperatures in a lab still requires serious technological effort. Here we describe the composition and structure of the UHPHT vein-like impact glass discovered by us in 2015 on the territory of the Kara astrobleme (Russia) and compare its properties with impact glass from the Ries crater (Germany). A complex of structural and spectroscopic methods presents unusual high pressure marks of structural elements in 8-fold co-ordination that had been described earlier neither in synthetic nor natural glasses. The Kara natural UHPHT glasses being about 70 Ma old have well preserved initial structure, presenting some heterogeneity as a result of partial liquation and crystallization differentiation where an amorphous component is proposed to originate from low level polymerization. Homogeneous parts of the UHPHT glasses can be used to deepened fundamental investigation of a substance under extreme PT conditions and to technological studies for novel material creations.}, language = {en} } @article{SolimandoBrandlMattenheimeretal.2018, author = {Solimando, A G and Brandl, A and Mattenheimer, K and Graf, C and Ritz, M and Ruckdeschel, A and St{\"u}hmer, T and Mokhtari, Z and Rudelius, M and Dotterweich, J and Bittrich, M and Desantis, V and Ebert, R and Trerotoli, P and Frassanito, M A and Rosenwald, A and Vacca, A and Einsele, H and Jakob, F and Beilhack, A}, title = {JAM-A as a prognostic factor and new therapeutic target in multiple myeloma}, series = {Leukemia}, volume = {32}, journal = {Leukemia}, doi = {10.1038/leu.2017.287}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239069}, pages = {736-743}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Cell adhesion in the multiple myeloma (MM) microenvironment has been recognized as a major mechanism of MM cell survival and the development of drug resistance. Here we addressed the hypothesis that the protein junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) may represent a novel target and a clinical biomarker in MM. We evaluated JAM-A expression in MM cell lines and in 147 MM patient bone marrow aspirates and biopsies at different disease stages. Elevated JAM-A levels in patient-derived plasma cells were correlated with poor prognosis. Moreover, circulating soluble JAM-A (sJAM-A) levels were significantly increased in MM patients as compared with controls. Notably, in vitro JAM-A inhibition impaired MM migration, colony formation, chemotaxis, proliferation and viability. In vivo treatment with an anti-JAM-A monoclonal antibody (αJAM-A moAb) impaired tumor progression in a murine xenograft MM model. These results demonstrate that therapeutic targeting of JAM-A has the potential to prevent MM progression, and lead us to propose JAM-A as a biomarker in MM, and sJAM-A as a serum-based marker for clinical stratification.}, language = {en} } @article{SoltamovKasperPoshakinskiyetal.2019, author = {Soltamov, V. A. and Kasper, C. and Poshakinskiy, A. V. and Anisimov, A. N. and Mokhov, E. N. and Sperlich, A. and Tarasenko, S. A. and Baranov, P. G. and Astakhov, G. V. and Dyakonov, V.}, title = {Excitation and coherent control of spin qudit modes in silicon carbide at room temperature}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-09429-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239149}, year = {2019}, abstract = {One of the challenges in the field of quantum sensing and information processing is to selectively address and coherently manipulate highly homogeneous qubits subject to external perturbations. Here, we present room-temperature coherent control of high-dimensional quantum bits, the so-called qudits, associated with vacancy-related spins in silicon carbide enriched with nuclear spin-free isotopes. In addition to the excitation of a spectrally narrow qudit mode at the pump frequency, several other modes are excited in the electron spin resonance spectra whose relative positions depend on the external magnetic field. We develop a theory of multipole spin dynamics and demonstrate selective quantum control of homogeneous spin packets with sub-MHz spectral resolution. Furthermore, we perform two-frequency Ramsey interferometry to demonstrate absolute dc magnetometry, which is immune to thermal noise and strain inhomogeneity.}, language = {en} } @article{SiegmundEhrenschwenderWajant2018, author = {Siegmund, Daniela and Ehrenschwender, Martin and Wajant, Harald}, title = {TNFR2 unlocks a RIPK1 kinase activity-dependent mode of proinflammatory TNFR1 signaling}, series = {Cell Death \& Disease}, volume = {9}, journal = {Cell Death \& Disease}, doi = {10.1038/s41419-018-0973-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-238034}, year = {2018}, abstract = {TNF is not only a major effector molecule of PAMP/DAMP-activated macrophages, but also regulates macrophage function and viability. We recently demonstrated that TNFR2 triggers necroptosis in macrophages with compromised caspase activity by two cooperating mechanisms: induction of endogenous TNF with subsequent stimulation of TNFR1 and depletion of cytosolic TRAF2-cIAP complexes. Here we show that TNFR2 activation in caspase-inhibited macrophages results in the production of endogenous TNF and TNFR1 stimulation followed by upregulation of A20, TRAF1, IL-6, and IL-1β. Surprisingly, TNFR1-mediated induction of IL-6 and IL-1β was clearly evident in response to TNFR2 stimulation but occurred not or only weakly in macrophages selectively and directly stimulated via TNFR1. Moreover, TNFR2-induced TNFR1-mediated gene induction was largely inhibited by necrostatin-1, whereas upregulation of A20 and TRAF1 by direct and exclusive stimulation of TNFR1 remained unaffected by this compound. Thus, treatment with TNFR2/ZVAD enables TNFR1 in macrophages to stimulate gene induction via a pathway requiring RIPK1 kinase activity. TNFR2/ZVAD-induced production of IL-6 and IL-1β was largely blocked in necroptosis-resistant MLKL- and RIPK3-deficient macrophages, whereas induction of A20 and TRAF1 remained unaffected. In sum, our results show that in caspase-inhibited macrophages TNFR2 not only triggers TNF/TNFR1-mediated necroptosis but also TNF/TNFR1-mediated RIPK3/MLKL-dependent and -independent gene induction.}, language = {en} } @article{VaethWangEcksteinetal.2019, author = {Vaeth, Martin and Wang, Yin-Hu and Eckstein, Miriam and Yang, Jun and Silverman, Gregg J. and Lacruz, Rodrigo S. and Kannan, Kasthuri and Feske, Stefan}, title = {Tissue resident and follicular Treg cell differentiation is regulated by CRAC channels}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-08959-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232148}, year = {2019}, abstract = {T regulatory (Treg) cells maintain immunological tolerance and organ homeostasis. Activated Treg cells differentiate into effector Treg subsets that acquire tissue-specific functions. Ca2+ influx via Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels formed by STIM and ORAI proteins is required for the thymic development of Treg cells, but its function in mature Treg cells remains unclear. Here we show that deletion of Stim1 and Stim2 genes in mature Treg cells abolishes Ca2+ signaling and prevents their differentiation into follicular Treg and tissue-resident Treg cells. Transcriptional profiling of STIM1/STIM2-deficient Treg cells reveals that Ca2+ signaling regulates transcription factors and signaling pathways that control the identity and effector differentiation of Treg cells. In the absence of STIM1/STIM2 in Treg cells, mice develop a broad spectrum of autoantibodies and fatal multiorgan inflammation. Our findings establish a critical role of CRAC channels in controlling lineage identity and effector functions of Treg cells.}, language = {en} } @article{SulzerCassidyHorgaetal.2018, author = {Sulzer, David and Cassidy, Clifford and Horga, Guillermo and Kang, Un Jung and Fahn, Stanley and Casella, Luigi and Pezzoli, Gianni and Langley, Jason and Hu, Xiaoping P. and Zucca, Fabio A. and Isaias, Ioannis U. and Zecca, Luigi}, title = {Neuromelanin detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its promise as a biomarker for Parkinson's disease}, series = {npj Parkinson's Disease}, volume = {4}, journal = {npj Parkinson's Disease}, doi = {10.1038/s41531-018-0047-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-240207}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) occurs after pathogenesis is advanced and many substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons have already died. Now that therapies to block this neuronal loss are under development, it is imperative that the disease be diagnosed at earlier stages and that the response to therapies is monitored. Recent studies suggest this can be accomplished by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of neuromelanin (NM), the characteristic pigment of SN dopaminergic, and locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons. NM is an autophagic product synthesized via oxidation of catecholamines and subsequent reactions, and in the SN and LC it increases linearly during normal aging. In PD, however, the pigment is lost when SN and LC neurons die. As shown nearly 25 years ago by Zecca and colleagues, NM's avid binding of iron provides a paramagnetic source to enable electron and nuclear magnetic resonance detection, and thus a means for safe and noninvasive measure in living human brain. Recent technical improvements now provide a means for MRI to differentiate between PD patients and age-matched healthy controls, and should be able to identify changes in SN NM with age in individuals. We discuss how MRI detects NM and how this approach might be improved. We suggest that MRI of NM can be used to confirm PD diagnosis and monitor disease progression. We recommend that for subjects at risk for PD, and perhaps generally for older people, that MRI sequences performed at regular intervals can provide a pre-clinical means to detect presymptomatic PD.}, language = {en} }