TY - JOUR A1 - Kreft, Jürgen A1 - Berger, Harald A1 - Härtlein, Michael A1 - Müller, Bodo A1 - Weidinger, Gerhard A1 - Goebel, Werner T1 - Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis of the hemolysin (cereolysin) determinant from Bacillus cereus N2 - From a cosmid gene bank of Bacillus cereus GP4 in Escherichia coli we isolated clones which, after several days of incubation, formed hemolysis zones on erythrocyte agar plates. These clones contained recombinant cosmids with B. cereus DNA insertions of varying lengths which shared some common restriction fragments. The smallest insertionwas recloned as aPstl fragment into pJKK3-1, a shuttle vector which repücates in Bacillus subtilis and E. coli. When this recombinant plasmid (pJKK3-1 hly-1) was transformed into E. coli, it caused hemolysis on erythrocyte agar plates, but in liquid assays no extemal or intemal hemolytic activity could be detected with the E. coli transformants. B. subtilis carrying the same plasmid exhibited hemolytic activity at Ievels comparable to those ofthe B. cereus donor strain. The hemolysin produced in B. subtilis seemed to be indistinguishable from cereolysin in its sensitivity to cholesterol, activation by dithiothreitol, and inactivation by antibodies raised against cereolysin. When the recombinant DNA carrying the cereolysin gene was used as a probe in hybridization experiments with chromosomal DNA from a streptolysin 0-producing strain of Streptococcus pyogenes or from üsteriolysin-producing strains of Usteria monoeytogenes, no positive hybridization signals were obtained. These data soggest that the genes for these three SH-activated cytolysins do not have extended sequence homology. KW - Biologie Y1 - 1983 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-60596 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwerk, Christian A1 - Papandreou, Thalia A1 - Schuhmann, Daniel A1 - Nickol, Laura A1 - Borkowski, Julia A1 - Steinmann, Ulrike A1 - Quednau, Natascha A1 - Stump, Carolin A1 - Weiss, Christel A1 - Berger, Jürgen A1 - Wolburg, Hartwig A1 - Claus, Heike A1 - Vogel, Ulrich A1 - Ishikawa, Hiroshi A1 - Tenenbaum, Tobias A1 - Schroten, Horst T1 - Polar Invasion and Translocation of Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus suis in a Novel Human Model of the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier JF - PLoS One N2 - Acute bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening disease in humans. Discussed as entry sites for pathogens into the brain are the blood-brain and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). Although human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) constitute a well established human in vitro model for the blood-brain barrier, until now no reliable human system presenting the BCSFB has been developed. Here, we describe for the first time a functional human BCSFB model based on human choroid plexus papilloma cells (HIBCPP), which display typical hallmarks of a BCSFB as the expression of junctional proteins and formation of tight junctions, a high electrical resistance and minimal levels of macromolecular flux when grown on transwell filters. Importantly, when challenged with the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus suis or the human pathogenic bacterium Neisseria meningitidis the HIBCPP show polar bacterial invasion only from the physiologically relevant basolateral side. Meningococcal invasion is attenuated by the presence of a capsule and translocated N. meningitidis form microcolonies on the apical side of HIBCPP opposite of sites of entry. As a functionally relevant human model of the BCSFB the HIBCPP offer a wide range of options for analysis of disease-related mechanisms at the choroid plexus epithelium, especially involving human pathogens. KW - gene expression KW - plexus epithelial-cells KW - central-nervous-system KW - microvascular endothelial-cells KW - choroid-plexus KW - in vitro KW - brain barrier KW - tight junctions KW - meningococcal disease KW - bacterial meningitis Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131459 VL - 7 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hebestreit, Helge A1 - Zeidler, Cornelia A1 - Schippers, Christopher A1 - de Zwaan, Martina A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Heuschmann, Peter A1 - Krauth, Christian A1 - Bullinger, Monika A1 - Berger, Alexandra A1 - Berneburg, Mark A1 - Brandstetter, Lilly A1 - Deibele, Anna A1 - Dieris-Hirche, Jan A1 - Graessner, Holm A1 - Gündel, Harald A1 - Herpertz, Stephan A1 - Heuft, Gereon A1 - Lapstich, Anne-Marie A1 - Lücke, Thomas A1 - Maisch, Tim A1 - Mundlos, Christine A1 - Petermann-Meyer, Andrea A1 - Müller, Susanne A1 - Ott, Stephan A1 - Pfister, Lisa A1 - Quitmann, Julia A1 - Romanos, Marcel A1 - Rutsch, Frank A1 - Schaubert, Kristina A1 - Schubert, Katharina A1 - Schulz, Jörg B. A1 - Schweiger, Susann A1 - Tüscher, Oliver A1 - Ungethüm, Kathrin A1 - Wagner, Thomas O. F. A1 - Haas, Kirsten T1 - Dual guidance structure for evaluation of patients with unclear diagnosis in centers for rare diseases (ZSE-DUO): study protocol for a controlled multi-center cohort study JF - Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases N2 - Background In individuals suffering from a rare disease the diagnostic process and the confirmation of a final diagnosis often extends over many years. Factors contributing to delayed diagnosis include health care professionals' limited knowledge of rare diseases and frequent (co-)occurrence of mental disorders that may complicate and delay the diagnostic process. The ZSE-DUO study aims to assess the benefits of a combination of a physician focusing on somatic aspects with a mental health expert working side by side as a tandem in the diagnostic process. Study design This multi-center, prospective controlled study has a two-phase cohort design. Methods Two cohorts of 682 patients each are sequentially recruited from 11 university-based German Centers for Rare Diseases (CRD): the standard care cohort (control, somatic expertise only) and the innovative care cohort (experimental, combined somatic and mental health expertise). Individuals aged 12 years and older presenting with symptoms and signs which are not explained by current diagnoses will be included. Data will be collected prior to the first visit to the CRD’s outpatient clinic (T0), at the first visit (T1) and 12 months thereafter (T2). Outcomes Primary outcome is the percentage of patients with one or more confirmed diagnoses covering the symptomatic spectrum presented. Sample size is calculated to detect a 10 percent increase from 30% in standard care to 40% in the innovative dual expert cohort. Secondary outcomes are (a) time to diagnosis/diagnoses explaining the symptomatology; (b) proportion of patients successfully referred from CRD to standard care; (c) costs of diagnosis including incremental cost effectiveness ratios; (d) predictive value of screening instruments administered at T0 to identify patients with mental disorders; (e) patients’ quality of life and evaluation of care; and f) physicians’ satisfaction with the innovative care approach. Conclusions This is the first multi-center study to investigate the effects of a mental health specialist working in tandem with a somatic expert physician in CRDs. If this innovative approach proves successful, it will be made available on a larger scale nationally and promoted internationally. In the best case, ZSE-DUO can significantly shorten the time to diagnosis for a suspected rare disease. KW - rare diseases KW - multi‑center cohort study KW - dual guidance Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300440 VL - 17 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sareban, Mahdi A1 - Winkert, Kay A1 - Sperlich, Billy A1 - Berger, Marc M. A1 - Niebauer, Josef A1 - Steinacker, Jürgen M. A1 - Treff, Gunnar T1 - Speckle tracking-derived bi-atrial strain before and after eleven weeks of training in elite rowers JF - Scientific Reports N2 - The left (LA) and right (RA) atria undergo adaptive remodeling in response to hemodynamic stress not only induced by endurance exercise but also as part of several cardiovascular diseases thereby confounding differential diagnosis. Echocardiographic assessment of the atria with novel speckle tracking (STE)-derived variables broadens the diagnostic spectrum compared to conventional analyses and has the potential to differentiate physiologic from pathologic changes. The purpose of this study was to assess and categorize baseline values of bi-atrial structure and function in elite rowers according to recommended cutoffs, and to assess the cardiac changes occurring with endurance training. Therefore, fifteen elite rowers underwent 2D-echocardiographic analysis of established variables of cardiac structure and function as well as STE-derived variables of bi-atrial function. Measurements were performed at baseline and after eleven weeks of extensive training. 40% of athletes displayed mildly enlarged LA and 47% mildly enlarged RA at baseline, whereas no athlete fell below the lower reference values of LA and RA reservoir strain. Average power during a 2000 m ergometer rowing test (P2000 m) improved from 426 +/- 39 W to 442 +/- 34 W (p = 0.010) but there were no changes of echocardiographic variables following training. In elite rowers, longitudinal bi-atrial strain assessment indicates normal resting function of structurally enlarged atria and thereby may assist to differentiate between exercise-induced versus disease-associated structural cardiac changes in which function is commonly impaired. KW - Elite Rowers KW - Reservoir Strain KW - Lower Reference Value KW - Rowing Ergometer KW - Strain Assessment KW - Cardiovascular biology KW - Risk factors Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227362 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Munz, Matthias A1 - Richter, Gesa M. A1 - Loos, Bruno G. A1 - Jepsen, Søren A1 - Divaris, Kimon A1 - Offenbacher, Steven A1 - Teumer, Alexander A1 - Holtfreter, Birte A1 - Kocher, Thomas A1 - Bruckmann, Corinna A1 - Jockel-Schneider, Yvonne A1 - Graetz, Christian A1 - Munoz, Loreto A1 - Bhandari, Anita A1 - Tennstedt, Stephanie A1 - Staufenbiel, Ingmar A1 - van der Velde, Nathalie A1 - Uitterlinden, André G. A1 - de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M. A1 - Wellmann, Jürgen A1 - Berger, Klaus A1 - Krone, Bastian A1 - Hoffmann, Per A1 - Laudes, Matthias A1 - Lieb, Wolfgang A1 - Andre, Franke A1 - Dommisch, Henrik A1 - Erdmann, Jeanette A1 - Schaefer, Arne S. T1 - Genome-wide association meta-analysis of coronary artery disease and periodontitis reveals a novel shared risk locus JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Evidence for a shared genetic basis of association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis (PD) exists. To explore the joint genetic basis, we performed a GWAS meta-analysis. In the discovery stage, we used a German aggressive periodontitis sample (AgP-Ger; 680 cases vs 3,973 controls) and the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D CAD meta-analysis dataset (60,801 cases vs 123,504 controls). Two SNPs at the known CAD risk loci ADAMTS7 (rs11634042) and VAMP8 (rs1561198) passed the pre-assigned selection criteria (PAgP-Ger < 0.05; PCAD < 5 × 10−8; concordant effect direction) and were replicated in an independent GWAS meta-analysis dataset of PD (4,415 cases vs 5,935 controls). SNP rs1561198 showed significant association (PD[Replication]: P = 0.008 OR = 1.09, 95% CI = [1.02–1.16]; PD [Discovery + Replication]: P = 0.0002, OR = 1.11, 95% CI = [1.05–1.17]). For the associated haplotype block, allele specific cis-effects on VAMP8 expression were reported. Our data adds to the shared genetic basis of CAD and PD and indicate that the observed association of the two disease conditions cannot be solely explained by shared environmental risk factors. We conclude that the molecular pathway shared by CAD and PD involves VAMP8 function, which has a role in membrane vesicular trafficking, and is manipulated by pathogens to corrupt host immune defense. KW - vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8) KW - ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 5 (ADAMTS7) KW - shared genetic basis KW - genome-wide association studies (GWAS) KW - GWAS meta-analysis Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-231647 VL - 8 ER -