@article{BadalyanDierichStibaetal.2014, author = {Badalyan, Artavazd and Dierich, Marlen and Stiba, Konstanze and Schwuchow, Viola and Leimk{\"u}hler, Silke and Wollenberger, Ulla}, title = {Electrical wiring of the aldehyde oxidoreductase PaoABC with a polymer containing osmium redox centers}, series = {Biosensors}, volume = {4}, journal = {Biosensors}, number = {4}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/bios4040403}, pages = {403 -- 421}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Biosensors for the detection of benzaldehyde and g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are reported using aldehyde oxidoreductase PaoABC from Escherichia coli immobilized in a polymer containing bound low potential osmium redox complexes. The electrically connected enzyme already electrooxidizes benzaldehyde at potentials below -0.15 V (vs. Ag|AgCl, 1 M KCl). The pH-dependence of benzaldehyde oxidation can be strongly influenced by the ionic strength. The effect is similar with the soluble osmium redox complex and therefore indicates a clear electrostatic effect on the bioelectrocatalytic efficiency of PaoABC in the osmium containing redox polymer. At lower ionic strength, the pH-optimum is high and can be switched to low pH-values at high ionic strength. This offers biosensing at high and low pH-values. A "reagentless" biosensor has been formed with enzyme wired onto a screen-printed electrode in a flow cell device. The response time to addition of benzaldehyde is 30 s, and the measuring range is between 10-150 µM and the detection limit of 5 µM (signal to noise ratio 3:1) of benzaldehyde. The relative standard deviation in a series (n = 13) for 200 µM benzaldehyde is 1.9\%. For the biosensor, a response to succinic semialdehyde was also identified. Based on this response and the ability to work at high pH a biosensor for GABA is proposed by coimmobilizing GABA-aminotransferase (GABA-T) and PaoABC in the osmium containing redox polymer.}, language = {en} } @article{DolgenerFreudenbergerSchneeweissetal.2014, author = {Dolgener, Nicola and Freudenberger, L. and Schneeweiss, N. and Ibisch, P. L. and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Projecting current and potential future distribution of the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina under climate change in north-eastern Germany}, series = {Regional environmental change}, volume = {14}, journal = {Regional environmental change}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1436-3798}, doi = {10.1007/s10113-013-0468-9}, pages = {1063 -- 1072}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Environmental change is likely to have a strong impact on biodiversity, and many species may shift their distribution in response. In this study, we aimed at projecting the availability of suitable habitat for an endangered amphibian species, the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina, in Brandenburg (north-eastern Germany). We modelled a potential habitat distribution map based on (1) a database with 10,581 presence records for Bombina from the years 1990 to 2009, (2) current estimates for ecogeographical variables (EGVs) and (3) the future projection of these EGVs according to the statistical regional model, respectively, the soil and water integrated model, applying the maximum entropy approach (Maxent). By comparing current and potential future distributions, we evaluated the projected change in distribution of suitable habitats and identified the environmental variables most associated with habitat suitability that turned out to be climatic variables related to the hydrological cycle. Under the applied scenario, our results indicate increasing habitat suitability in many areas and an extended range of suitable habitats. However, even if the environmental conditions in Brandenburg may change as predicted, it is questionable whether the Fire-bellied toad will truly benefit, as dispersal abilities of amphibian species are limited and strongly influenced by anthropogenic disturbances, that is, intensive agriculture, habitat destruction and fragmentation. Furthermore, agronomic pressure is likely to increase on productive areas with fertile soils and high water retention capacities, indeed those areas suitable for B. bombina. All these changes may affect temporary pond hydrology as well as the reproductive success and breeding phenology of toads.}, language = {en} } @article{DolgenerFreudenbergerSchlucketal.2014, author = {Dolgener, N. and Freudenberger, L. and Schluck, M. and Schneeweiss, N. and Ibisch, P. L. and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {Environmental niche factor analysis (ENFA) relates environmental parameters to abundance and genetic diversity in an endangered amphibian, the fire-bellied-toad (Bombina bombina)}, series = {Conservation genetics}, volume = {15}, journal = {Conservation genetics}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {1566-0621}, doi = {10.1007/s10592-013-0517-4}, pages = {11 -- 21}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Increasing attempts are made to understand the factors responsible for both the demographic and genetic depletion in amphibian populations. Landscape genetics aims at a spatially explicit correlation of genetic population parameters to landscape features. Using data from the endangered fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina in Brandenburg (Northeastern Germany), we performed an environmental niche factor analysis (ENFA), relating demographic (abundance) and genetic (diversity at 17 microsatellite loci and partial sequences of the mitochondrial control region in 434 individuals from 16 populations) parameters to ecological and anthropogenic variables such as temperature, precipitation, soil wetness, water runoff, vegetation density, and road/traffic impact. We found significant correlations between road disturbance and observed heterozygosity and between soil wetness and mitochondrial diversity. As the influences of the environmental variables can differ between different indicators for genetic diversity, population size and abundance data, our ENFA-based landscape genetics approach allows us to put various aspects of long- versus short term effective population size and genetic connectivity into an ecological and spatially explicit context, enabling potentially even forecast assessment under future environmental scenarios.}, language = {en} } @article{LamannaKirschbaumTiedemann2014, author = {Lamanna, Francesco and Kirschbaum, Frank and Tiedemann, Ralph}, title = {De novo assembly and characterization of the skeletal muscle and electric organ transcriptomes of the African weakly electric fish Campylomormyrus compressirostris (Mormyridae, Teleostei)}, series = {Molecular ecology resources}, volume = {14}, journal = {Molecular ecology resources}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1755-098X}, doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.12260}, pages = {1222 -- 1230}, year = {2014}, abstract = {African weakly electric fishes (Mormyridae) underwent an outstanding adaptive radiation (about 200 species), putatively owing to their ability to communicate through species-specific weak electric signals. The electric organ discharge (EOD) is produced by muscle-derived electrocytes organized in piles to form an electric organ. Despite the importance of this trait as a prezygotic isolation mechanism, genomic resources remained limited. We present here a first draft of the skeletal muscle and electric organ transcriptomes from the weakly electric fish species Campylomormyrus compressirostris, obtained using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing technology. Approximately 6.8 Gbp of cDNA sequence data were produced from both tissues, resulting in 57268109 raw reads for the skeletal muscle and 46934923 for the electric organ, and assembled de novo into 46143 and 89270 contigs, respectively. About 50\% of both transcriptomes were annotated after protein databases search. The two transcriptomes show similar profiles in terms of Gene Ontology categories composition. We identified several candidate genes which are likely to play a central role in the production and evolution of the electric signal. For most of these genes, and for many other housekeeping genes, we were able to obtain the complete or partial coding DNA sequences (CDS), which can be used for the development of primers to be utilized in qRT-PCR experiments. We present also the complete mitochondrial genome and compare it to those available from other weakly electric fish species. Additionally, we located 1671 SSR-containing regions with their flanking sites and designed the relative primers. This study establishes a first step in the development of genomic tools aimed at understanding the role of electric communication during speciation.}, language = {en} } @article{StiefAltmannHoffmannetal.2014, author = {Stief, Anna and Altmann, Simone and Hoffmann, Karen and Pant, Bikram Datt and Scheible, Wolf-R{\"u}diger and B{\"a}urle, Isabel}, title = {Arabidopsis miR156 regulates tolerance to recurring environmental stress through SPL transcription factors}, series = {The plant cell}, volume = {26}, journal = {The plant cell}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Physiologists}, address = {Rockville}, issn = {1040-4651}, doi = {10.1105/tpc.114.123851}, pages = {1792 -- 1807}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Plants are sessile organisms that gauge stressful conditions to ensure survival and reproductive success. While plants in nature often encounter chronic or recurring stressful conditions, the strategies to cope with those are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of ARGONAUTE1 and the microRNA pathway in the adaptation to recurring heat stress (HS memory) at the physiological and molecular level. We show that miR156 isoforms are highly induced after HS and are functionally important for HS memory. miR156 promotes sustained expression of HS-responsive genes and is critical only after HS, demonstrating that the effects of modulating miR156 on HS memory do not reflect preexisting developmental alterations. miR156 targets SPL transcription factor genes that are master regulators of developmental transitions. SPL genes are posttranscriptionally downregulated by miR156 after HS, and this is critical for HS memory. Altogether, the miR156-SPL module mediates the response to recurring HS in Arabidopsis thaliana and thus may serve to integrate stress responses with development.}, language = {en} } @article{KabelitzKappelHennebergeretal.2014, author = {Kabelitz, Tina and Kappel, Christian and Henneberger, Kirstin and Benke, Eileen and Noeh, Christiane and B{\"a}urle, Isabel}, title = {eQTL mapping of transposon silencing reveals a position-dependent stable escape from epigenetic silencing and transposition of AtMu1 in thee arabidopsis lineage}, series = {The plant cell}, volume = {26}, journal = {The plant cell}, number = {8}, publisher = {American Society of Plant Physiologists}, address = {Rockville}, issn = {1040-4651}, doi = {10.1105/tpc.114.128512}, pages = {3261 -- 3271}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Transposons are massively abundant in all eukaryotic genomes and are suppressed by epigenetic silencing. Transposon activity contributes to the evolution of species; however, it is unclear how much transposition-induced variation exists at a smaller scale and how transposons are targeted for silencing. Here, we exploited differential silencing of the AtMu1c transposon in the Arabidopsis thaliana accessions Columbia (Col) and Landsberg erecta (Ler). The difference persisted in hybrids and recombinant inbred lines and was mapped to a single expression quantitative trait locus within a 20-kb interval. In Ler only, this interval contained a previously unidentified copy of AtMu1c, which was inserted at the 39 end of a protein-coding gene and showed features of expressed genes. By contrast, AtMu1c(Col) was intergenic and associated with heterochromatic features. Furthermore, we identified widespread natural AtMu1c transposition from the analysis of over 200 accessions, which was not evident from alignments to the reference genome. AtMu1c expression was highest for insertions within 39 untranslated regions, suggesting that this location provides protection from silencing. Taken together, our results provide a species-wide view of the activity of one transposable element at unprecedented resolution, showing that AtMu1c transposed in the Arabidopsis lineage and that transposons can escape epigenetic silencing by inserting into specific genomic locations, such as the 3' end of genes.}, language = {en} } @article{KoesslHechavarriaVossetal.2014, author = {Koessl, M. and Hechavarria, J. C. and Voss, C. and Macias, S. and Mora, E. C. and Vater, Marianne}, title = {Neural maps for target range in the auditory cortex of echolocating bats}, series = {Current opinion in neurobiology : reviews of all advances ; evaluation of key references ; comprehensive listing of papers}, volume = {24}, journal = {Current opinion in neurobiology : reviews of all advances ; evaluation of key references ; comprehensive listing of papers}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {0959-4388}, doi = {10.1016/j.conb.2013.08.016}, pages = {68 -- 75}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Computational brain maps as opposed to maps of receptor surfaces strongly reflect functional neuronal design principles. In echolocating bats, computational maps are established that topographically represent the distance of objects. These target range maps are derived from the temporal delay between emitted call and returning echo and constitute a regular representation of time (chronotopy). Basic features of these maps are innate, and in different bat species the map size and precision varies. An inherent advantage of target range maps is the implementation of mechanisms for lateral inhibition and excitatory feedback. Both can help to focus target ranging depending on the actual echolocation situation. However, these maps are not absolutely necessary for bat echolocation since there are bat species without cortical target-distance maps, which use alternative ensemble computation mechanisms.}, language = {en} } @article{DevosGraefField2014, author = {Devos, Damien P. and Gr{\"a}f, Ralph and Field, Mark C.}, title = {Evolution of the nucleus}, series = {Current opinion in cell biology : review articles, recommended reading, bibliography of the world literature}, volume = {28}, journal = {Current opinion in cell biology : review articles, recommended reading, bibliography of the world literature}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {0955-0674}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceb.2014.01.004}, pages = {8 -- 15}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The nucleus represents a major evolutionary transition. As a consequence of separating translation from transcription many new functions arose, which likely contributed to the remarkable success of eukaryotic cells. Here we will consider what has recently emerged on the evolutionary histories of several key aspects of nuclear biology; the nuclear pore complex, the lamina, centrosomes and evidence for prokaryotic origins of relevant players.}, language = {en} } @article{SchefflerGniosdorzStaubetal.2014, author = {Scheffler, Christiane and Gniosdorz, Birgit and Staub, Kaspar and R{\"u}hli, Frank}, title = {Skeletal robustness and bone strength as measured by anthropometry and ultrasonography as a function of physical activity in young adults}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @article{LangeTuerkePasalicetal.2014, author = {Lange, Markus and T{\"u}rke, Manfred and Pasalic, Esther and Boch, Steffen and Hessenm{\"o}ller, Dominik and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Prati, Daniel and Socher, Stephanie A. and Fischer, Markus and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and Gossner, Martin M.}, title = {Effects of forest management on ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae, Staphylinidae) in Central Europe are mainly mediated by changes in forest structure}, series = {Forest ecology and management}, volume = {329}, journal = {Forest ecology and management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2014.06.012}, pages = {166 -- 176}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Forest management is known to influence species diversity of various taxa but inconsistent or even contrasting effects are reported for arthropods. Regional differences in management as well as differences in regional species pools might be responsible for these inconsistencies, but, inter-regional replicated studies that account for regional variability are rare. We investigated the effect of forest type on the abundance, diversity, community structure and composition of two important ground-dwelling beetle families, Carabidae and Staphylinidae, in 149 forest stands distributed over three regions in Germany. In particular we focused on recent forestry history, stand age and dominant tree species, in addition to a number of environmental descriptors. Overall management effects on beetle communities were small and mainly mediated by structural habitat parameters such as the cover of forest canopy or the plant diversity on forest stands. The general response of both beetle taxa to forest management was similar in all regions: abundance and species richness of beetles was higher in older than in younger stands and species richness was lower in unmanaged than in managed stands. The abundance ratio of forest species-to-open habitat species differed between regions, but generally increased from young to old stands, from coniferous to deciduous stands and from managed to unmanaged stands. The response of both beetle families to dominant tree species was variable among regions and staphylinid richness varied in the response to recent forestry history. Our results suggest that current forest management practices change the composition of ground-dwelling beetle communities mainly by favoring generalists and open habitat species. To protect important forest beetle communities and thus the ecosystem functions and services provided by them, we suggest to shelter remaining ancient forests and to develop near-to-nature management strategies by prolonging rotation periods and increasing structural diversity of managed forests. Possible geographic variations in the response of beetle communities need to be considered in conservation-orientated forest management strategies. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{RoethleinMiettinenBorwankaretal.2014, author = {Roethlein, Christoph and Miettinen, Markus S. and Borwankar, Tejas and Buerger, Joerg and Mielke, Thorsten and Kumke, Michael Uwe and Ignatova, Zoya}, title = {Architecture of polyglutamine-containing fibrils from time-resolved fluorescence decay}, series = {The journal of biological chemistry}, volume = {289}, journal = {The journal of biological chemistry}, number = {39}, publisher = {American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}, address = {Bethesda}, issn = {0021-9258}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.M114.581991}, pages = {26817 -- 26828}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The disease risk and age of onset of Huntington disease (HD) and nine other repeat disorders strongly depend on the expansion of CAG repeats encoding consecutive polyglutamines (polyQ) in the corresponding disease protein. PolyQ length-dependent misfolding and aggregation are the hallmarks of CAG pathologies. Despite intense effort, the overall structure of these aggregates remains poorly understood. Here, we used sensitive time-dependent fluorescent decay measurements to assess the architecture of mature fibrils of huntingtin (Htt) exon 1 implicated in HD pathology. Varying the position of the fluorescent labels in the Htt monomer with expanded 51Q (Htt51Q) and using structural models of putative fibril structures, we generated distance distributions between donors and acceptors covering all possible distances between the monomers or monomer dimensions within the polyQ amyloid fibril. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we systematically scanned all possible monomer conformations that fit the experimentally measured decay times. Monomers with four-stranded 51Q stretches organized into five-layered beta-sheets with alternating N termini of the monomers perpendicular to the fibril axis gave the best fit to our data. Alternatively, the core structure of the polyQ fibrils might also be a zipper layer with antiparallel four-stranded stretches as this structure showed the next best fit. All other remaining arrangements are clearly excluded by the data. Furthermore, the assessed dimensions of the polyQ stretch of each monomer provide structural evidence for the observed polyQ length threshold in HD pathology. Our approach can be used to validate the effect of pharmacological substances that inhibit or alter amyloid growth and structure.}, language = {en} } @article{HaemaelaeinenDammhahnAujardetal.2014, author = {Haemaelaeinen, Anni and Dammhahn, Melanie and Aujard, Fabienne and Eberle, Manfred and Hardy, Isabelle and Kappeler, Peter M. and Perret, Martine and Schliehe-Diecks, Susanne and Kraus, Cornelia}, title = {Senescence or selective disappearance? Age trajectories of body mass in wild and captive populations of a small-bodied primate}, series = {Proceedings of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, volume = {281}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, number = {1791}, publisher = {Royal Society}, address = {London}, issn = {0962-8452}, doi = {10.1098/rspb.2014.0830}, pages = {10}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Classic theories of ageing consider extrinsic mortality (EM) a major factor in shaping longevity and ageing, yet most studies of functional ageing focus on species with low EM. This bias may cause overestimation of the influence of senescent declines in performance over condition-dependent mortality on demographic processes across taxa. To simultaneously investigate the roles of functional senescence (FS) and intrinsic, extrinsic and condition-dependent mortality in a species with a high predation risk in nature, we compared age trajectories of body mass (BM) in wild and captive grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) using longitudinal data (853 individuals followed through adulthood). We found evidence of non-random mortality in both settings. In captivity, the oldest animals showed senescence in their ability to regain lost BM, whereas no evidence of FS was found in the wild. Overall, captive animals lived longer, but a reversed sex bias in lifespan was observed between wild and captive populations. We suggest that even moderately condition-dependent EM may lead to negligible FS in the wild. While high EM may act to reduce the average lifespan, this evolutionary process may be counteracted by the increased fitness of the long-lived, high-quality individuals.}, language = {en} } @article{BechiHerterMcKennaetal.2014, author = {Bechi, Beatrice and Herter, Susanne and McKenna, Shane and Riley, Christopher and Leimk{\"u}hler, Silke and Turner, Nicholas J. and Carnell, Andrew J.}, title = {Catalytic bio-chemo and bio-bio tandem oxidation reactions for amide and carboxylic acid synthesis}, series = {Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource}, volume = {16}, journal = {Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource}, number = {10}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c4gc01321b}, pages = {4524 -- 4529}, year = {2014}, abstract = {A catalytic toolbox for three different water-based one-pot cascades to convert aryl alcohols to amides and acids and cyclic amines to lactams, involving combination of oxidative enzymes (monoamine oxidase, xanthine dehydrogenase, galactose oxidase and laccase) and chemical oxidants (TBHP or Cul(cat)/H2O2) at mild temperatures, is presented. Mutually compatible conditions were found to afford products in good to excellent yields.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheinerSteinbachClassenetal.2014, author = {Scheiner, Ricarda and Steinbach, Anne and Classen, Gerbera and Strudthoff, Nicole and Scholz, Henrike}, title = {Octopamine indirectly affects proboscis extension response habituation in Drosophila melanogaster by controlling sucrose responsiveness}, series = {Journal of insect physiology}, volume = {69}, journal = {Journal of insect physiology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0022-1910}, doi = {10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.03.011}, pages = {107 -- 117}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Octopamine is an important neurotransmitter in insects with multiple functions. Here, we investigated the role of this amine in a simple form of learning (habituation) in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Specifically, we asked if octopamine is necessary for normal habituation of a proboscis extension response (PER) to different sucrose concentrations. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between responsiveness to sucrose solutions applied to the tarsus and habituation of the proboscis extension response in the same individual. The Tyramine-beta-hydroxylase (T beta h) mutant lacks the enzyme catalyzing the final step of octopamine synthesis. This mutant was significantly less responsive to sucrose than controls. The reduced responsiveness directly led to faster habituation. Systemic application of octopamine or induction of octopamine synthesis by T beta h expression in a cluster of octopaminergic neurons within the suboesophageal ganglion restored sucrose responsiveness and habituation of octopamine mutants to control level. Further analyses imply that the reduced sucrose responsiveness of T beta h mutants is related to a lower sucrose preference, probably due to a changed carbohydrate metabolism, since T beta h mutants survived significantly longer under starved conditions. These findings suggest a pivotal role for octopamine in regulating sucrose responsiveness in fruit flies. Further, octopamine indirectly influences non-associative learning and possibly associative appetitive learning by regulating the evaluation of the sweet component of a sucrose reward. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{HeindorffBaumann2014, author = {Heindorff, Kristoffer and Baumann, Otto}, title = {Calcineurin is part of a negative feedback loop in the InsP(3)/Ca2+ signalling pathway in blowfly salivary glands}, series = {Cell calcium}, volume = {56}, journal = {Cell calcium}, number = {3}, publisher = {Churchill Livingstone}, address = {Edinburgh}, issn = {0143-4160}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceca.2014.07.009}, pages = {215 -- 224}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The ubiquitous InsP(3)/Ca2+ signalling pathway is modulated by diverse mechanisms, i.e. feedback of Ca2+ and interactions with other signalling pathways. In the salivary glands of the blowfly Calliphora vicina, the hormone serotonin (5-HT) causes a parallel rise in intracellular [Ca2+] and [cAMP] via two types of 5-HT receptors. We have shown recently that cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) sensitizes InsP(3)-induced Ca2+ release. We have now identified the protein phosphatase that counteracts the effect of PKA on 5-HT-induced InsP(3)/Ca2+ signalling. We demonstrate that (1) tautomycin and okadaic acid, inhibitors of protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A, have no effect on 5-HT-induced Ca2+ signals; (2) cyclosporin A and FK506, inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin, cause an increase in the frequency of 5-HT-induced Ca2+ oscillations; (3) the sensitizing effect of cyclosporin A on 5-HT-induced Ca2+ responses does not involve Ca2+ entry into the cells; (4) cyclosporin A increases InsP(3)-dependent Ca2+ release; (5) inhibition of PKA abolishes the effect of cyclosporin A on the 5-HT-induced Ca2+ responses, indicating that PKA and calcineurin act antagonistically on the InsP(3)/Ca2+ signalling pathway. These findings suggest that calcineurin provides a negative feedback on InsP(3)/Ca2+ signalling in blowfly salivary glands, counteracting the effect of PKA and desensitizing the signalling cascade at higher 5-HT concentrations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwahndeSouzaFernieetal.2014, author = {Schwahn, Kevin and de Souza, Leonardo Perez and Fernie, Alisdair R. and Tohge, Takayuki}, title = {Metabolomics-assisted refinement of the pathways of steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis in the tomato clade}, series = {Journal of integrative plant biology}, volume = {56}, journal = {Journal of integrative plant biology}, number = {9}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1672-9072}, doi = {10.1111/jipb.12274}, pages = {864 -- 875}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites of the Solanum species, which are known to have large chemical and bioactive diversity in nature. While recent effort and development on LC/MS techniques for SGA profiling have elucidated the main pathways of SGA metabolism in tomato, the problem of peak annotation still remains due to the vast diversity of chemical structure and similar on overlapping of chemical formula. Here we provide a case study of peak classification and annotation approach by integration of species and tissue specificities of SGA accumulation for provision of comprehensive pathways of SGA biosynthesis. In order to elucidate natural diversity of SGA biosynthesis, a total of 169 putative SGAs found in eight tomato accessions (Solanum lycopersicum, S. pimpinellifolium, S. cheesmaniae, S. chmielewskii, S. neorickii, S. peruvianum, S. habrochaites, S. pennellii) and four tissue types were used for correlation analysis. The results obtained in this study contribute annotation and classification of SGAs as well as detecting putative novel biosynthetic branch points. As such this represents a novel strategy for peak annotation for plant secondary metabolites.}, language = {en} } @article{YarmanSchulzSygmundetal.2014, author = {Yarman, Aysu and Schulz, Christopher and Sygmund, Cristoph and Ludwig, Roland and Gorton, Lo and Wollenberger, Ursula and Scheller, Frieder W.}, title = {Third generation ATP sensor with enzymatic analyte recycling}, series = {Electroanalysis : an international journal devoted to fundamental and practical aspects of electroanalysis}, volume = {26}, journal = {Electroanalysis : an international journal devoted to fundamental and practical aspects of electroanalysis}, number = {9}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1040-0397}, doi = {10.1002/elan.201400231}, pages = {2043 -- 2048}, year = {2014}, abstract = {For the first time the direct electron transfer of an enzyme - cellobiose dehydrogenase, CDH - has been coupled with the hexokinase catalyzed competition for glucose in a sensor for ATP. To enhance the signal output for ATP, pyruvate kinase was coimmobilized to recycle ADP by the phosphoenolpyruvate driven reaction. The new sensor overcomes the limit of 1:1 stoichiometry of the sequential or competitive conversion of ATP by effective enzymatic recycling of the analyte. The anodic oxidation of the glucose converting CDH proceeds at electrode potentials below 0 mV vs. Ag vertical bar AgCl thus potentially interfering substances like ascorbic acid or catecholamines do not influence the measuring signal. The combination of direct electron transfer of CDH with the enzymatic recycling results in an interference-free and oxygen-independent measurement of ATP in the lower mu molar concentration range with a lower limit of detection of 63.3 nM (S/N=3).}, language = {en} } @article{SimonsGossnerLewinsohnetal.2014, author = {Simons, Nadja K. and Gossner, Martin M. and Lewinsohn, Thomas M. and Boch, Steffen and Lange, Markus and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Pasalic, Esther and Socher, Stephanie A. and T{\"u}rke, Manfred and Fischer, Markus and Weisser, Wolfgang W.}, title = {Resource-mediated indirect effects of grassland management on arthropod diversity}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLoS one}, number = {9}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0107033}, pages = {12}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Intensive land use is a driving force for biodiversity decline in many ecosystems. In semi-natural grasslands, land-use activities such as mowing, grazing and fertilization affect the diversity of plants and arthropods, but the combined effects of different drivers and the chain of effects are largely unknown. In this study we used structural equation modelling to analyse how the arthropod communities in managed grasslands respond to land use and whether these responses are mediated through changes in resource diversity or resource quantity (biomass). Plants were considered resources for herbivores which themselves were considered resources for predators. Plant and arthropod (herbivores and predators) communities were sampled on 141 meadows, pastures and mown pastures within three regions in Germany in 2008 and 2009. Increasing land-use intensity generally increased plant biomass and decreased plant diversity, mainly through increasing fertilization. Herbivore diversity decreased together with plant diversity but showed no response to changes in plant biomass. Hence, land-use effects on herbivore diversity were mediated through resource diversity rather than quantity. Land-use effects on predator diversity were mediated by both herbivore diversity (resource diversity) and herbivore quantity (herbivore biomass), but indirect effects through resource quantity were stronger. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing both direct and indirect effects of land-use intensity and mode on different trophic levels. In addition to the overall effects, there were subtle differences between the different regions, pointing to the importance of regional land-use specificities. Our study underlines the commonly observed strong effect of grassland land use on biodiversity. It also highlights that mechanistic approaches help us to understand how different land-use modes affect biodiversity.}, language = {en} } @article{AzumaKuekenshoenerMaetal.2014, author = {Azuma, Yusuke and Kuekenshoener, Tim and Ma, Guangyong and Yasunaga, Jun-ichiro and Imanishi, Miki and Tanaka, Gen and Nakase, Ikuhiko and Maruno, Takahiro and Kobayashi, Yuji and Arndt, Katja Maren and Matsuoka, Masao and Futaki, Shiroh}, title = {Controlling leucine-zipper partner recognition in cells through modification of a-g interactions}, series = {Chemical communications}, volume = {50}, journal = {Chemical communications}, number = {48}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc00555d}, pages = {6364 -- 6367}, year = {2014}, abstract = {By focusing on the a-g interactions, successful design and selection were accomplished to obtain a leucine-zipper segment that discriminates the appropriate partner over another that provides very similar patterns of electrostatic interactions.}, language = {en} } @article{KoehlerLutherMeyeretal.2014, author = {K{\"o}hler, Yvonne and Luther, Eva Maria and Meyer, S{\"o}ren and Schwerdtle, Tanja and Dringen, Ralf}, title = {Uptake and toxicity of arsenite and arsenate in cultured brain astrocytes}, series = {Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology}, volume = {28}, journal = {Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology}, number = {3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Jena}, issn = {0946-672X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtemb.2014.04.007}, pages = {328 -- 337}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Inorganic arsenicals are environmental toxins that have been connected with neuropathies and impaired cognitive functions. To investigate whether such substances accumulate in brain astrocytes and affect their viability and glutathione metabolism, we have exposed cultured primary astrocytes to arsenite or arsenate. Both arsenicals compromised the cell viability of astrocytes in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. However, the early onset of cell toxicity in arsenite-treated astrocytes revealed the higher toxic potential of arsenite compared with arsenate. The concentrations of arsenite and arsenate that caused within 24 h half-maximal release of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase were around 0.3 mM and 10 mM, respectively. The cellular arsenic contents of astrocytes increased rapidly upon exposure to arsenite or arsenate and reached after 4 h of incubation almost constant steady state levels. These levels were about 3-times higher in astrocytes that had been exposed to a given concentration of arsenite compared with the respective arsenate condition. Analysis of the intracellular arsenic species revealed that almost exclusively arsenite was present in viable astrocytes that had been exposed to either arsenate or arsenite. The emerging toxicity of arsenite 4 h after exposure was accompanied by a loss in cellular total glutathione and by an increase in the cellular glutathione disulfide content. These data suggest that the high arsenite content of astrocytes that had been exposed to inorganic arsenicals causes an increase in the ratio of glutathione disulfide to glutathione which contributes to the toxic potential of these substances.}, language = {en} }