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Monarch butterflies rely on external cues for orientation during their annual long-distance migration from Northern US and Canada to Central Mexico. These external cues can be celestial cues, such as the sun or polarized light, which are processed in a brain region termed the central complex (CX). Previous research typically focused on how individual simulated celestial cues are encoded in the butterfly's CX. However, in nature, the butterflies perceive several celestial cues at the same time and need to integrate them to effectively use the compound of all cues for orientation. In addition, a recent behavioral study revealed that monarch butterflies can rely on terrestrial cues, such as the panoramic skyline, for orientation and use them in combination with the sun to maintain a directed flight course. How the CX encodes a combination of celestial and terrestrial cues and how they are weighted in the butterfly's CX is still unknown. Here, we examined how input neurons of the CX, termed TL neurons, combine celestial and terrestrial information. While recording intracellularly from the neurons, we presented a sun stimulus and polarized light to the butterflies as well as a simulated sun and a panoramic scene simultaneously. Our results show that celestial cues are integrated linearly in these cells, while the combination of the sun and a panoramic skyline did not always follow a linear integration of action potential rates. Interestingly, while the sun and polarized light were invariantly weighted between individual neurons, the sun stimulus and panoramic skyline were dynamically weighted when both stimuli were simultaneously presented. Taken together, this dynamic weighting between celestial and terrestrial cues may allow the butterflies to flexibly set their cue preference during navigation.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are major players in the control of adaptive tolerance and immunity. Therefore, their specific generation and adoptive transfer into patients or their in vivo targeting is attractive for clinical applications. While injections of mature immunogenic DCs are tested in clinical trials, tolerogenic DCs still are awaiting this step. Besides the tolerogenic potential of immature DCs, also semi-mature DCs can show tolerogenic activity but both types also bear unfavorable features. Optimal tolerogenic DCs, their molecular tool bar, and their use for specific diseases still have to be defined. Here, the usefulness of in vitro generated and adoptively transferred semi-mature DCs for tolerance induction is outlined. The in vivo targeting of semi-mature DCs as represented by steady state migratory DCs are discussed for treatment of autoimmune diseases and allergies. First clinical trials with transcutaneous allergen application may point to their therapeutic use in the future.
The introduction of novel bioactive materials to manipulate living cell behavior is a crucial topic for biomedical research and tissue engineering. Biomaterials or surface patterns that boost specific cell functions can enable innovative new products in cell culture and diagnostics. This study aims at investigating the interaction of living cells with microstructured, nanostructured and nanoporous material surfaces in order to identify distinct systematics in cell-material interplay. For this purpose, three different studies were carried out and yielded individual effects on different cell functions.
Cell migration processes are controlled by sensitive interaction with external cues such as topographic structures of the cell's environment. The first part of this study presents systematically controlled assays to investigate the effects of spatial density and local geometry of micron scale topographic cues on amoeboid migration of Dictyostelium discoideum cells in quasi-3D pillar fields with systematic variation of inter-pillar distance and pillar lattice geometry. We can extract motility parameters in order to elucidate the details of amoeboid migration mechanisms and consolidate them in a two-state contact-controlled motility model, distinguishing directed and random phases. Specifically, we find that directed pillar-to-pillar runs are found preferably in high pillar density regions, and cells in directed motion states sense pillars as attractive topographic stimuli. In contrast, cell motion in random probing states is inhibited by high pillar density, where pillars act as obstacles for cell motion. In a gradient spatial density, these mechanisms lead to topographic guidance of cells, with a general trend towards a regime of inter-pillar spacing close to the cell diameter. In locally anisotropic pillar environments, cell migration is often found to be damped due to competing attraction by different pillars in close proximity and due to lack of other potential stimuli in the vicinity of the cell. Further, we demonstrate topographic cell guidance reflecting the lattice geometry of the quasi-3D environment by distinct preferences in migration direction.
We further investigate amoeboid single-cell migration on intrinsically nano-structured, biodegradable silica fibers in comparison to chemically equivalent plain glass surfaces. Cell migration trajectories are classified into directed runs and quasi-random migration by a local mean squared displacement (LMSD) analysis. We find that directed movement on silica fibers is enhanced in a significant manner by the fibers' nanoscale surface-patterns. Further, cell adhesion on the silica fibers is a microtubule-mediated process. Cells lacking microtubules detach from the fibers, but adhere well to glass surfaces. Knock-out mutants of myosin II migrating on the fibers are as active as cells with active myosin II, while the migration of the knock-out mutants is hindered on plain glass.
We investigate the influence of the intrinsically nano-patterned surface of nanoporous glass membranes on the behavior of mammalian cells. Three different cell lines and primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) proliferate readily on nanoporous glass membranes with mean pore sizes between 10 nm and 124 nm. In both proliferation and mRNA expression experiments, L929 fibroblasts show a distinct trend towards mean pore sizes > 80 nm. For primary hMSCs, excellent proliferation is observed on all nanoporous surfaces. hMSC on samples with 17 nm pore size display increased expression of COL10, COL2A1 and SOX9, especially during the first two weeks of culture. In upside down culture, SK MEL-28 cells on nanoporous glass resist the gravitational force and proliferate well in contrast to cells on flat references. The effect of paclitaxel treatment of MDA MB 321 breast cancer cells is already visible after 48 h on nanoporous membranes and strongly pronounced in comparison to reference samples.
The studies presented in this work showed novel and distinct effects of micro- and nanoscale topographies on the behavior of various types of living cells. These examples display how versatile the potential for applications of bioactive materials could become in the next years and decades. And yet this variety of different alterations of cell functions due to topographic cues also shows the crucial part of this field of research: Carving out distinct, robust correlations of external cues and cell behavior is of utmost importance to derive definitive design implications that can lead to scientifically, clinically and commercially successful products.
Most animals live in seasonal environments and experience very different conditions throughout the year. Behavioral strategies like migration, hibernation, and a life cycle adapted to the local seasonality help to cope with fluctuations in environmental conditions. Thus, how an individual utilizes the environment depends both on the current availability of habitat and the behavioral prerequisites of the individual at that time. While the increasing availability and richness of animal movement data has facilitated the development of algorithms that classify behavior by movement geometry, changes in the environmental correlates of animal movement have so far not been exploited for a behavioral annotation. Here, we suggest a method that uses these changes in individual–environment associations to divide animal location data into segments of higher ecological coherence, which we term niche segmentation. We use time series of random forest models to evaluate the transferability of habitat use over time to cluster observational data accordingly. We show that our method is able to identify relevant changes in habitat use corresponding to both changes in the availability of habitat and how it was used using simulated data, and apply our method to a tracking data set of common teal (Anas crecca). The niche segmentation proved to be robust, and segmented habitat suitability outperformed models neglecting the temporal dynamics of habitat use. Overall, we show that it is possible to classify animal trajectories based on changes of habitat use similar to geometric segmentation algorithms. We conclude that such an environmentally informed classification of animal trajectories can provide new insights into an individuals' behavior and enables us to make sensible predictions of how suitable areas might be connected by movement in space and time.
The present article examines the narrative modes in which Lebanese author Amin Maalouf investigates his roots in Origines a hybrid work which stands in contrast with his previous essays and fictions as to its (auto)biographical dimension. Resembling what Dominique Viart and Bruno Vercier in their analysis of predominant themes and narrative strategies in contemporary French literature name «récit de filiation», Maalouf’s quest for his familial past explores the concept of intergenerational transmission of memory. However, despite this individual postmemorial approach, Maalouf’s intimate writing is intrinsically linked with the complex history of the Ottoman Empire and therefore with collective narratives of war, diasporic identities, and migration relating to the present time or the recent past.
Measles, mumps and rubella are viral infectious diseases that may cause severe and devastating complications among affected individuals. The disease burden of all three diseases is high, but could be reduced entirely through successful vaccination strategies. As such, the WHO has established the goal of globally eliminating measles and rubella and concomitantly controlling the frequently co-vaccinated mumps.
In 2010, the WHO European Region member states agreed to strengthen efforts to eliminate measles and rubella from Europe by the end of 2015. As this date draws closer, progress analyses become increasingly relevant. In this systematic literature review, the immunization strategies, vaccination coverages and disease incidences of eleven European nations were assessed and their progress towards disease elimination evaluated.
Successful prevention of the endemic transmission of measles, mumps, or rubella could be achieved in several nations, including Sweden, Croatia, Greece and Spain. Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, though having improved their overall immunization rates, have not yet been able to reach the elimination goals. In Turkey, Italy and Poland, sharp increases in case numbers during recent years are potentially threatening the successful measles, mumps and rubella control in Europe.
Pockets of susceptible population groups that may contribute to the perpetuation of the diseases have been identified. They include infants and young children, adolescents and young adults, adolescent and adult males, recent immigrants and refugees,and traveling ethnic minority groups. Reasons for the increased risk of infection among these groups are manifold and a result of various historic and current vaccination practices, cultural, political and religious differences, as well as individual believes and concerns. Travel and migration of infected individuals to and between the various European nations also play an essential role in the continual transmission of measles, mumps and rubella in Europe. Only an adequate population-wide immunity can prevent the occurrence of major outbreaks due to viral importation. Efforts should therefore be made to immunize all population members able to receive vaccinations and to offer additional immunization opportunities to those susceptible population subgroups that are difficult to reach through routine vaccination programs.
In countries struggling to meet the WHO elimination goals, alternative immunization practices may be necessary. A uniform, European-wide MMR vaccination schedule based on the successful immunization methods of countries that have eliminated measles, mumps and rubella may be an effective tool for improving the overall population-wide immunity and controlling the three diseases. A model for such a schedule was created and includes strategies for reaching population members regardless of age, gender or migratory background. The implementation of uniform immunization recommendations is challenging, but the advantages in terms of improved vaccination, surveillance and disease control methods may be worth at least considering such a strategy in Europe.
Measles, mumps and rubella elimination may be attainable in the WHO European Region. The current epidemiological situation suggests that the goal is unlikely to be reached by the end of 2015, but through continued international efforts and collaboration, effective disease control could be achieved in the near future. In the meantime, improvements in immunization strategies, vaccination coverages, supplementary campaigns as well as disease notification systems and confirmations should be made on a national and international level, so that an adequate population-wide immunity can be established and the disease elimination progresses effectively monitored within the entire European region.
The size-dependent exciton dynamics of one-dimensional aggregates of substituted perylene bisimides are studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations as a function of the excitation density and the temperature in the range of 25-90 degrees C. For low temperatures, the aggregates can be treated as infinite chains and the dynamics is dominated by diffusion-driven exciton-exciton annihilation. With increasing temperature the aggregates dissociate into small fragments consisting of very few monomers. This scenario is also supported by the time-dependent anisotropy deduced from polarization-dependent experiments.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have considerable therapeutic abilities in various disorders, including hepatic fibrosis. They may be affected with different culture conditions. This study investigated, on molecular basics, the effect of pretreatment with eugenol on the characteristics of adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASCs) in vitro and the implication of eugenol preconditioning on the in vivo therapeutic abilities of ASCs against CCl\(_4\)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. The effect of eugenol on ASCs was assessed using viability, scratch migration and sphere formation assays. Expressions of genes and proteins were estimated by immunofluorescence or qRT-PCR. For the in vivo investigations, rats were divided into four groups: the normal control group, fibrotic (CCl\(_4\)) group, CCl\(_4\)+ASCs group and CCl\(_4\) + eugenol-preconditioned ASCs (CCl\(_4\)+E-ASCs) group. Eugenol affected the viability of ASCs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Eugenol improved their self-renewal, proliferation and migration abilities and significantly increased their expression of c-Met, reduced expression 1 (Rex1), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) and nanog genes. Furthermore, E-ASCs showed more of a homing ability than ASCs and improved the serum levels of ALT, AST, albumin, total bilirubin and hyaluronic acid more efficient than ASCs in treating CCl\(_4\)-induced hepatic fibrosis, which was confirmed with histopathology. More interestingly, compared to the CCl\(_4\)+ASCs group, CCl\(_4\)+E-ASCs group showed a lower expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), cluster of differentiation 163 (CD163) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) genes and higher expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-13 genes. This study, for the first time, revealed that eugenol significantly improved the self-renewal, migration and proliferation characteristics of ASCs, in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that eugenol-preconditioning significantly enhanced the therapeutic abilities of the injected ASCs against CCl\(_4\)-induced hepatic fibrosis.
Die Migration von Tumorzellen im Bindegewebe erfordert adhäsive Zell-Matrix-Interaktionen, die durch Integrine und andere Adhäsionsmoleküle auf der Zelloberfläche vermittelt werden. In 3DKollagenmatrices benötigen hochinvasive MV3-Melanomzellen überwiegend α2β1-Integrine zur Elongation, Adhäsion an den Kollagenfasern und zur Faserbündelung, sowie zur Kraftgenerierung und Migration. Wir haben untersucht, ob die Migration von Tumorzellen in 3D-Kollagenmatrices vollständig durch die Blockade der Integrinfunktion inhibierbar ist, oder ob es kompensatorische Mechanismen gibt, die zur Migration beitragen. Die β1-Integrinfunktion wurde durch verschiedene Methoden reduziert: a) durchflusszytometrische Sortierung der Zellen in Subgruppen mit niedriger und hoher β1-Integrin-Oberflächenexpression; b) Adhäsionsblockade mit monoklonalem anti β1-Antikörper 4B4 oder Rhodocetin, einem selektiven α2β1-Integrininantagonist; und c) Expression von dominant-negativen Peptiden zur Blockade der Funktion der β1-Integrin-zytoplasmatischen Domäne. Alle β1-Integrin-Interferenzstrategien induzierten einen Übergang der konstitutiv vorhandenen mesenchymalen Migration in einen neuen, amöboiden Migrationstyp (Mesenchymal-Amoeboid Transition, MAT), ähnlich der Migrationsweise von Monozyten oder Lymphozyten. Der Übergang zu amöboider Migration ging einher mit dem Verlust der zellvermittelten Kollagenkontraktion und -reorganisation. Subtotale Inhibition der Integrinfunktion (ca. 50%) durch Antikörper 4B4 ergab eine schnelle (0,3-0,4 >m/min) amöboide Migration, während 90-95%ige Absättigung des β1-Integrin- Epitops zu langsamer amöboider Migration (0,03-0,2 >m/min) führte. Induzierte amöboide Migration verursachte eine gleichmäßige Verteilung der β1-Integrine auf der Zelloberfläche, ein diffuses kortikales Aktin-Zytoskelett, und war mit einer ausgeprägten Formanpassung der Zelle an die Matrixstrukturen verbunden, die von kleinen Filopodien oder Oberflächenblebs getragen wurde. Die Befunde wurden für β1-Integrin-defiziente murine embryonale Fibroblasten (MEF) und murine embryonale Stammzellen (GD25) bestätigt. β1-Integrin-defiziente Fibroblasten zeigten eine schnelle, und GD25 ES-Zellen eine langsame amöboide Migration. Somit erfolgte die amöboide Migration ohne β1-Integrin-vermittelte Zell-Matrix-Interaktionen. Weil keine vollständige Immobilisierung der Zellen erzielt wurde, haben wir alternative Mechanismen von Zell-Matrix-Interaktionen untersucht, die zur Restaktivität der amöboiden Migration beitragen. Als potentielle Kandidaten wurden αv-Integrine, die an denaturiertes Kollagen binden, und Oberflächen-Glycokonjugate getestet. Es wurden keine promigratorischen Funktionen RGDabhängiger Integrine (αv oder β3) mittels zyklischer Arginin-Glycin-Asparaginsäure (cRGD)beobachtet. Um herauszufinden, welche Rolle die Oberfächen-Glycokalyx bei der Zellmigration spielen, wurden verschiedene Methoden angewandt: a) Die an die Proteine gebundenen Glycokonjugate wurden mit Hilfe von N- und O-Glycosidasen von der Oberfläche der lebenden Zellen enzymatisch abgespalten; b) um die Sulfatierung der Glycokonjugate zu verhindern, wurden die Zellen in sulfatfreiem Medium kultiviert. Durch beide Methoden wurde die Bindung von Rutheniumrot an die Zelloberfläche(Glycokalyx) um 60% bzw. die von Heparansulfat der Zelloberfläche um 60% bis 100% reduziert. Nicht die Desulfatierung führte zur Ablösung der Zellen vom Kulturflaschenboden, sondern allein dieBehandlung mit N- und O-Glycosidasen. Die gleichzeitige Behandlung von MV3 Melanomzellen mit N-, O- Glycosidase mit Inhibition der β1-, αvβ3-Integrine führten zur Abrundung der Mehrzahl der Zellen, gefolgt von oszillierender Immobilität (‚Running on the spot’) bzw. sehr langsamer Restmigration (<0,1 >m/min). Dagegen war die Migration der MV3-Zellen nach Kultivierung in sulfatfreiem Medium unverändert. Eine ähnliche Hemmung der Migration erfolgte in β1-/- MEFs nach Glycanverdau. Folglich sind β1-Integrine essentiell für fokalisierte Zell-Matrix-Interaktionen, für die mesenchymale Migration und den Matrixumbau, während amöboide Migration ohne Beteiligung von β1-Integrinen erfolgt, aber durch niedrigaffine, diffuse Zell-Matrix-Interaktionen von Oberflächenglycanen vermittelt wird. Somit ist die Glycokalyx ein alternatives Adhäsionssystem für die integrinunabhängige Zellmigration.
Pfadbildung durch invasive Melanomzellen : Matrixdefekte, Zellfragmente und erleichterte Migration
(2006)
Die metastatische Invasion von Tumorzellen durch die extrazelluläre Matrix von Geweben erfordert aktive Zellmigration sowie häufig auch den Umbau der Gewebestruktur. In dieser Arbeit sollte mittels metastasierender MV3-Melonomzellen in einem 3D-Kollagenmatrixmodell der migrationsassozierte Matrixumbau zellulär und molekular untersucht werden, insbesondere die physikalische Charakterisierung gebildeter Matrixdefekte, die molekulare Identifi kation freigesetzter Zellbestandteile, sowie den Einfluß pfadbildender Zellen auf die Invasion nachfolgender Zellen. Die Daten zeigen, daß MV3-Melanomzellen während der Migration durch ein 3DKollagengewebe komplette Zellfragmente in zurückbleibenden röhrenförmigen Trassen deponieren. Diese beinhalteten Zytoplasma und teils Zytoskelett umgeben von intakter Zellmembran mit integrierten Oberflächenrezeptoren wie β1-Integrinen, nicht jedoch DNA-Material. Der Durchmesser der Fragmente lag überwiegend bei 1-5 μm, selten über 10 μm, entsprechend unspezifisch freigesetzter Zellfragmente, die während der Migration vom Zellhinterende abgeschilftet werden. In einem Sphäroidmodell ließen sich mehrere Invasionsfronten nachweisen, in denen einer ersten pfadbildenden Zelle entlang neu gebildeter Matrixtrassen weitere Zellen den gleichen präformierten Trassen folgten. Die videomikroskopischen Befunde wurden mittels Konfokalmikroskopie bestätigt. Eine erwartete höhere Migrationsgeschwindigkeit der nachfolgenden Zellen in dem präformierten Pfad bestätigte sich jedoch nicht. Somit führt die Invasion von MV3-Melanomzellen zur Ausbildung strukturell umgebauter Matrixtrassen, die aus Matrixdefekt freigesetzten Zellfragmenten und angrenzender Extrazellulärmatrix bestehen und nachfolgenden Zellen als Leitstruktur für eine orientierte Form der Invasion dienen (Kettenwanderung). Diese Befunde beleuchten die Dynamik von Zellarrangements ähnlich dem Invasionsmuster in histopathologischen Tumorproben.