Cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinases (CLKs) are dual specificity protein kinases that phosphorylate Serine/Arginine-rich (SR) proteins involved in pre-mRNA processing. Four CLKs, termed PfCLK-1-4, can be identified in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which show homology with the yeast SR protein kinase Sky1p. The four PfCLKs are present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the asexual blood stages and of gametocytes, sexual precursor cells crucial for malaria parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes. We identified three plasmodial SR proteins, PfSRSF12, PfSFRS4 and PfSF-1, which are predominantly present in the nucleus of blood stage trophozoites, PfSRSF12 and PfSF-1 are further detectable in the nucleus of gametocytes. We found that recombinantly expressed SR proteins comprising the Arginine/Serine (RS)-rich domains were phosphorylated by the four PfCLKs in in vitro kinase assays, while a recombinant PfSF-1 peptide lacking the RS-rich domain was not phosphorylated. Since it was hitherto not possible to knock-out the pfclk genes by conventional gene disruption, we aimed at chemical knock-outs for phenotype analysis. We identified five human CLK inhibitors, belonging to the oxo-beta-carbolines and aminopyrimidines, as well as the antiseptic chlorhexidine as PfCLK-targeting compounds. The six inhibitors block P. falciparum blood stage replication in the low micromolar to nanomolar range by preventing the trophozoite-to-schizont transformation. In addition, the inhibitors impair gametocyte maturation and gametogenesis in in vitro assays. The combined data show that the four PfCLKs are involved in phosphorylation of SR proteins with essential functions for the blood and sexual stages of the malaria parasite, thus pointing to the kinases as promising targets for antimalarial and transmission blocking drugs.

Emerging data demonstrate that the activity of immune cells can be modulated by microbial molecules. Here, we show that the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) pentanoate and butyrate enhance the anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells through metabolic and epigenetic reprograming. We show that in vitro treatment of CTLs and CAR T cells with pentanoate and butyrate increases the function of mTOR as a central cellular metabolic sensor, and inhibits class I histone deacetylase activity. This reprogramming results in elevated production of effector molecules such as CD25, IFN-γ and TNF-α, and significantly enhances the anti-tumor activity of antigen-specific CTLs and ROR1-targeting CAR T cells in syngeneic murine melanoma and pancreatic cancer models. Our data shed light onto microbial molecules that may be used for enhancing cellular anti-tumor immunity. Collectively, we identify pentanoate and butyrate as two SCFAs with therapeutic utility in the context of cellular cancer immunotherapy.

Forest fragmentation and selective logging are two main drivers of global environmental change and modify biodiversity and environmental conditions in many tropical forests. The consequences of these changes for the functioning of tropical forest ecosystems have rarely been explored in a comprehensive approach. In a Kenyan rainforest, we studied six animal-mediated ecosystem processes and recorded species richness and community composition of all animal taxa involved in these processes. We used linear models and a formal meta-analysis to test whether forest fragmentation and selective logging affected ecosystem processes and biodiversity and used structural equation models to disentangle direct from biodiversity-related indirect effects of human disturbance on multiple ecosystem processes. Fragmentation increased decomposition and reduced antbird predation, while selective logging consistently increased pollination, seed dispersal and army-ant raiding. Fragmentation modified species richness or community composition of five taxa, whereas selective logging did not affect any component of biodiversity. Changes in the abundance of functionally important species were related to lower predation by antbirds and higher decomposition rates in small forest fragments. The positive effects of selective logging on bee pollination, bird seed dispersal and army-ant raiding were direct, i.e. not related to changes in biodiversity, and were probably due to behavioural changes of these highly mobile animal taxa. We conclude that animal-mediated ecosystem processes respond in distinct ways to different types of human disturbance in Kakamega Forest. Our findings suggest that forest fragmentation affects ecosystem processes indirectly by changes in biodiversity, whereas selective logging influences processes directly by modifying local environmental conditions and resource distributions. The positive to neutral effects of selective logging on ecosystem processes show that the functionality of tropical forests can be maintained in moderately disturbed forest fragments. Conservation concepts for tropical forests should thus include not only remaining pristine forests but also functionally viable forest remnants.

MicroRNAs sind kleine, nicht kodierende RNA-Moleküle, die posttranskriptionell die Genexpression regulieren. Sie binden hierfür spezifisch an 3’-UTRs von messenger-RNAs und führen entweder direkt zu deren Abbau oder inhibieren deren Translation. Über die Mechanismen, die die Expression von microRNAs regulieren, ist jedoch noch wenig bekannt. Die Tatsache, dass sie als lange Vorläufermoleküle (pri-microRNAs) durch die RNA-Polymerase-II transkribiert werden, legt die Existenz eines Promotorbereiches nahe, der dem proteinkodierender Gene ähnelt. Mit Hilfe von microRNA-Arrays konnten wir im linksventrikulären Myokard mehrere bei Herzinsuffizienz deutlich verändert exprimierte microRNAs identifizieren. Die microRNA-21 ist dabei bereits im Frühstadium der Herzinsuffizienz verstärkt exprimiert (Northern Blot). Auch in primären, kardialen Zellen (Fibroblasten, Kardiomyozyten) wird die microRNA-21 nach Induktion einer Hypertrophie verstärkt exprimiert. Weiterführendes Ziel dieser Arbeit war es nun, diejenigen Mechanismen aufzuklären, die der starken Induktion der microRNA-21 im erkrankten Myokard zu Grunde liegen. Durch bioinformatische Analyse des zugehörigen Promotorbereiches (Trans-Spezies-Konservierung) und Klonierung danach ausgerichteter Fragmente in Luciferase-basierte Reporter-Plasmide konnte ein 118 Basen langer Bereich identifiziert werden, der maßgeblich die Expression der microRNA-21 im Herzen bedingt. Durch Deaktivierung einzelner cis-Elemente konnte die kardiale Expression auf zwei essentielle Transkriptionsfaktorbindungsstellen zurückgeführt werden. Es handelt sich dabei um Erkennungssequenzen für die im Herz bedeutsamen Transkriptionsfaktoren CREB und SRF. Sie liegen in enger räumlicher Nachbarschaft ungefähr 1150 bp vor der Transkriptionsstartstelle. Die Suppression der Expression dieser beiden Transkriptionsfaktoren mittels geeigneter siRNAs führte jeweils zu einer signifikanten Aktivitätsminderung des microRNA-21-Promotors und konnte somit die vorangehenden Ergebnisse validieren. Durch Generierung einer transgenen Tierlinie, die lacZ unter der Kontrolle des microRNA-21-Promotors exprimiert, werden in naher Zukunft nähere Aufschlüsse über die gewebsspezifische Verteilung der microRNA-21-Expresssion in vivo möglich sein. Zusammenfassend beschreiben wir hier erstmals den Mechanismus der transkriptionellen Regulation der microRNA-21 im Herzen. Dieser Mechanismus bedingt wahrscheinlich die starke Induktion dieser microRNA bei kardialer Hypertrophie und Herzinsuffizienz.

The human-pathogenic bacterium Salmonella enterica adjusts and adapts to different environments while attempting colonization. In the course of infection nutrient availabilities change drastically. New techniques, “-omics” data and subsequent integration by systems biology improve our understanding of these changes. We review changes in metabolism focusing on amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, the adaptation process is associated with the activation of genes of the Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs). Anti-infective strategies have to take these insights into account and include metabolic and other strategies. Salmonella infections will remain a challenge for infection biology.