@phdthesis{Schjeide2021,
  author    = {Schjeide, Brit-Maren},
  title     = {Development and characterization of the MoN-Light BoNT assay to determine the toxicity of botulinum neurotoxin in motor neurons differentiated from CRISPR-modified induced pluripotent stem cells},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-51627},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-516278},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {e, xviii, 265},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is one of the most potent toxins found in nature and can enter motor neurons (MN) to cleave proteins necessary for neurotransmission, resulting in flaccid paralysis. The toxin has applications in both traditional and esthetic medicine. Since BoNT activity varies between batches despite identical protein concentrations, the activity of each lot must be assessed. The gold standard method is the mouse lethality assay, in which mice are injected with a BoNT dilution series to determine the dose at which half of the animals suffer death from peripheral asphyxia. Ethical concerns surrounding the use of animals in toxicity testing necessitate the creation of alternative model systems to measure the potency of BoNT. Prerequisites of a successful model are that it is human specific; it monitors the complete toxic pathway of BoNT; and it is highly sensitive, at least in the range of the mouse lethality assay. One model system was developed by our group, in which human SIMA neuroblastoma cells were genetically modified to express a reporter protein (GLuc), which is packaged into neurosecretory vesicles, and which, upon cellular depolarization, can be released - or inhibited by BoNT - simultaneously with neurotransmitters. This assay has great potential, but includes the inherent disadvantages that the GLuc sequence was randomly inserted into the genome and the tumor cells only have limited sensitivity and specificity to BoNT. This project aims to improve these deficits, whereby induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were genetically modified by the CRISPR/Cas9 method to insert the GLuc sequence into the AAVS1 genomic safe harbor locus, precluding genetic disruption through non-specific integrations. Furthermore, GLuc was modified to associate with signal peptides that direct to the lumen of both large dense core vesicles (LDCV), which transport neuropeptides, and synaptic vesicles (SV), which package neurotransmitters. Finally, the modified iPSCs were differentiated into motor neurons (MNs), the true physiological target of BoNT, and hypothetically the most sensitive and specific cells available for the MoN-Light BoNT assay. iPSCs were transfected to incorporate one of three constructs to direct GLuc into LDCVs, one construct to direct GLuc into SVs, and one "no tag" GLuc control construct. The LDCV constructs fused GLuc with the signal peptides for proopiomelanocortin (hPOMC-GLuc), chromogranin-A (CgA-GLuc), and secretogranin II (SgII-GLuc), which are all proteins found in the LDCV lumen. The SV construct comprises a VAMP2-GLuc fusion sequence, exploiting the SV membrane-associated protein synaptobrevin (VAMP2). The no tag GLuc expresses GLuc non-specifically throughout the cell and was created to compare the localization of vesicle-directed GLuc. The clones were characterized to ensure that the GLuc sequence was only incorporated into the AAVS1 safe harbor locus and that the signal peptides directed GLuc to the correct vesicles. The accurate insertion of GLuc was confirmed by PCR with primers flanking the AAVS1 safe harbor locus, capable of simultaneously amplifying wildtype and modified alleles. The PCR amplicons, along with an insert-specific amplicon from candidate clones were Sanger sequenced to confirm the correct genomic region and sequence of the inserted DNA. Off-target integrations were analyzed with the newly developed dc-qcnPCR method, whereby the insert DNA was quantified by qPCR against autosomal and sex-chromosome encoded genes. While the majority of clones had off-target inserts, at least one on-target clone was identified for each construct. Finally, immunofluorescence was utilized to localize GLuc in the selected clones. In iPSCs, the vesicle-directed GLuc should travel through the Golgi apparatus along the neurosecretory pathway, while the no tag GLuc should not follow this pathway. Initial analyses excluded the CgA-GLuc and SgII-GLuc clones due to poor quality protein visualization. The colocalization of GLuc with the Golgi was analyzed by confocal microscopy and quantified. GLuc was strongly colocalized with the Golgi in the hPOMC-GLuc clone (r = 0.85±0.09), moderately in the VAMP2-GLuc clone (r = 0.65±0.01), and, as expected, only weakly in the no tag GLuc clone (r = 0.44±0.10). Confocal microscopy of differentiated MNs was used to analyze the colocalization of GLuc with proteins associated with LDCVs and SVs, SgII in the hPOMC-GLuc clone (r = 0.85±0.08) and synaptophysin in the VAMP2-GLuc clone (r = 0.65±0.07). GLuc was also expressed in the same cells as the MN-associated protein, Islet1. A significant portion of GLuc was found in the correct cell type and compartment. However, in the MoN-Light BoNT assay, the hPOMC-GLuc clone could not be provoked to reliably release GLuc upon cellular depolarization. The depolarization protocol for hPOMC-GLuc must be further optimized to produce reliable and specific release of GLuc upon exposure to a stimulus. On the other hand, the VAMP2-GLuc clone could be provoked to release GLuc upon exposure to the muscarinic and nicotinic agonist carbachol. Furthermore, upon simultaneous exposure to the calcium chelator EGTA, the carbachol-provoked release of GLuc could be significantly repressed, indicating the detection of GLuc was likely associated with vesicular fusion at the presynaptic terminal. The application of the VAMP2-GLuc clone in the MoN-Light BoNT assay must still be verified, but the results thus far indicate that this clone could be appropriate for the application of BoNT toxicity assessment.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Burkhardt2021,
  author    = {Burkhardt, Wiebke},
  title     = {Role of dietary sulfonates in the stimulation of gut bacteria promoting intestinal inflammation},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-51368},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-513685},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {XX, 79, XXXIX},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The interplay between intestinal microbiota and host has increasingly been recognized as a major factor impacting health. Studies indicate that diet is the most influential determinant affecting the gut microbiota. A diet rich in saturated fat was shown to stimulate the growth of the colitogenic bacterium Bilophila wadsworthia by enhancing the secretion of the bile acid taurocholate (TC). The sulfonated taurine moiety of TC is utilized as a substrate by B. wadsworthia. The resulting overgrowth of B. wadsworthia was accompanied by an increased incidence and severity of colitis in interleukin (IL)-10-deficient mice, which are genetically prone to develop inflammation. Based on these findings, the question arose whether the intake of dietary sulfonates also stimulates the growth of B. wadsworthia and thereby promotes intestinal inflammation in genetically susceptible mice. Dietary sources of sulfonates include green vegetables and cyanobacteria, which contain the sulfolipids sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerols (SQDG) in considerable amounts. Based on literature reports, the gut commensal Escherichia coli is able to release sulfoquinovose (SQ) from SQDG and in further steps, convert SQ to 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. DHPS may then be utilized as a growth substrate by B. wadsworthia, which results in the formation of sulfide. Both, sulfide formation and a high abundance of B. wadsworthia have been associated with intestinal inflammation. In the present study, conventional IL-10-deficient mice were fed either a diet supplemented with the SQDG-rich cyanobacterium Spirulina (20\%, SD) or a control diet. In addition SQ, TC, or water were orally applied to conventional or gnotobiotic IL-10-deficient mice. The gnotobiotic mice harbored a simplified human intestinal microbiota (SIHUMI) either with or without B. wadsworthia. During the intervention period, the body weight of the mice was monitored, the colon permeability was assessed and fecal samples were collected. After the three-week intervention, the animals were examined with regard to inflammatory parameters, microbiota composition and sulfonate concentrations in different intestinal sites. None of the mice treated with the above-mentioned sulfonates showed weight loss or intestinal inflammation. Solely mice fed SD or gavaged with TC displayed a slight immune response. These mice also displayed an altered microbiota composition, which was not observed in mice gavaged with SQ. The abundance of B. wadsworthia was strongly reduced in mice fed SD, while that of mice treated with SQ or TC was in part slightly increased. The intestinal SQ-concentration was elevated in mice orally treated with SD or SQ, whereas neither TC nor taurine concentrations were consistently elevated in mice gavaged with TC. Additional colonization of SIHUMI mice with B. wadsworthia resulted in a mild inflammatory response, but only in mice treated with TC. In general, TC-mediated effects on the immune system and abundance of B. wadsworthia were not as strong as described in the literature. In summary, neither the tested dietary sulfonates nor TC led to bacteria-induced intestinal inflammation in the IL-10-deficient mouse model, which was consistently observed in both conventional and gnotobiotic mice. For humans, this means that foods containing SQDG, such as spinach or Spirulina, do not increase the risk of intestinal inflammation.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Baeseler2021,
  author    = {Baeseler, Jessica},
  title     = {Trace element effects on longevity and neurodegeneration with focus on C. elegans},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {X,114,VIII},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The trace elements zinc and manganese are essential for human health, especially due to their enzymatic and protein stabilizing functions. If these elements are ingested in amounts exceeding the requirements, regulatory processes for maintaining their physiological concentrations (homeostasis) can be disturbed. Those homeostatic dysregulations can cause severe health effects including the emergence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The concentrations of essential trace elements also change during the aging process. However, the relations of cause and consequence between increased manganese and zinc uptake and its influence on the aging process and the emergence of the aging-associated PD are still rarely understood. This doctoral thesis therefore aimed to investigate the influence of a nutritive zinc and/or manganese oversupply on the metal homeostasis during the aging process. For that, the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was applied. This nematode suits well as an aging and PD model due to properties such as its short life cycle and its completely sequenced, genetically amenable genome. Different protocols for the propagation of zinc- and/or manganese-supplemented young, middle-aged and aged C. elegans were established. Therefore, wildtypes, as well as genetically modified worm strains modeling inheritable forms of parkinsonism were applied. To identify homeostatic and neurological alterations, the nematodes were investigated with different methods including the analysis of total metal contents via inductively-coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry, a specific probe-based method for quantifying labile zinc, survival assays, gene expression analysis as well as fluorescence microscopy for the identification and quantification of dopaminergic neurodegeneration.. During aging, the levels of iron, as well as zinc and manganese increased.. Furthermore, the simultaneous oversupply with zinc and manganese increased the total zinc and manganese contents to a higher extend than the single metal supplementation. In this relation the C. elegans metallothionein 1 (MTL-1) was identified as an important regulator of metal homeostasis. The total zinc content and the concentration of labile zinc were age-dependently, but differently regulated. This elucidates the importance of distinguishing these parameters as two independent biomarkers for the zinc status. Not the metal oversupply, but aging increased the levels of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Additionally, nearly all these results yielded differences in the aging-dependent regulation of trace element homeostasis between wildtypes and PD models. This confirms that an increased zinc and manganese intake can influence the aging process as well as parkinsonism by altering homeostasis although the underlying mechanisms need to be clarified in further studies.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Mancini2021,
  author    = {Mancini, Carola},
  title     = {Analysis of the effects of age-related changes of metabolic flux on brown adipocyte formation and function},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-51266},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xvii, 134},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis, thereby allowing mammals to maintain a constant body temperature in a cold environment. Thermogenic capacity of this tissue is due to a high mitochondrial density and expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a unique brown adipocyte marker which dissipates the mitochondrial proton gradient to produce heat instead of ATP. BAT is actively involved in whole-body metabolic homeostasis and during aging there is a loss of classical brown adipose tissue with concomitantly reduced browning capacity of white adipose tissue. Therefore, an age-dependent decrease of BAT-related energy expenditure capacity may exacerbate the development of metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given that direct effects of age-related changes of BAT-metabolic flux have yet to be unraveled, the aim of the current thesis is to investigate potential metabolic mechanisms involved in BAT-dysfunction during aging and to identify suitable metabolic candidates as functional biomarkers of BAT-aging. To this aim, integration of transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic data analyses of BAT from young and aged mice was performed, and a group of candidates with age-related changes was revealed. Metabolomic analysis showed age-dependent alterations of metabolic intermediates involved in energy, nucleotide and vitamin metabolism, with major alterations regarding the purine nucleotide pool. These data suggest a potential role of nucleotide intermediates in age-related BAT defects. In addition, the screening of transcriptomic and proteomic data sets from BAT of young and aged mice allowed identification of a 60-kDa lysophospholipase, also known as L-asparaginase (Aspg), whose expression declines during BAT-aging. Involvement of Aspg in brown adipocyte thermogenic function was subsequently analyzed at the molecular level using in vitro approaches and animal models. The findings revealed sensitivity of Aspg expression to β3-adrenergic activation via different metabolic cues, including cold exposure and treatment with β3-adrenergic agonist CL. To further examine ASPG function in BAT, an over-expression model of Aspg in a brown adipocyte cell line was established and showed that these cells were metabolically more active compared to controls, revealing increased expression of the main brown-adipocyte specific marker UCP1, as well as higher lipolysis rates. An in vitro loss-of-function model of Aspg was also functionally analyzed, revealing reduced brown adipogenic characteristics and an impaired lipolysis, thus confirming physiological relevance of Aspg in brown adipocyte function. Characterization of a transgenic mouse model with whole-body inactivation of the Aspg gene (Aspg-KO) allowed investigation of the role of ASPG under in vivo conditions, indicating a mild obesogenic phenotype, hypertrophic white adipocytes, impairment of the early thermogenic response upon cold-stimulation and dysfunctional insulin sensitivity. Taken together, these data show that ASPG may represent a new functional biomarker of BAT-aging that regulates thermogenesis and therefore a potential target for the treatment of age-related metabolic disease.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Rausch2021,
  author    = {Rausch, Ann-Kristin},
  title     = {Development of LC-MS/MS Multi-Methods for the Analysis of Contaminants and Residues},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {IX, 234, v},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several filamentous fungal species, thus occurring ubiquitously in the environment and food. While the heterogeneous group shows differences in their bioavailability and toxicity, the low-molecular-weight xenobiotics are capable of impacting human and animal health acutely and chronically. Therefore, maximum levels for the major mycotoxins in food and feed are regulated in the current European legislation. Besides free mycotoxins, naturally occurring modified mycotoxins are gaining more attention in recent years. Modified mycotoxins constitute toxins altered by plants, microorganisms, and living organisms in different metabolic pathways or food processing steps. The toxicological relevant compounds often co-occur with their free forms in infested food and feed. Thus, the toxins may contribute to the overall toxicity of mycotoxins, wherefore their presence and toxicity should be considered in risk assessment. Until now, however, there are no regulated limits for modified mycotoxins within the European Union. In this thesis, rapid, sensitive, and robust methods for the analysis of mycotoxins and their modified forms were developed and validated using state-of-the-art high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) systems. Firstly, two analytical methods for determining 38 mycotoxins in cereals and 41 mycotoxins in beer were established since agricultural products count as the primary source of mycotoxin contamination. For the analysis of cereal samples, a QuEChERS- based extraction approach was pursued, while analytes from beer samples were extracted using an acetonitrile precipitation scheme. Validation in cereals, namely wheat, corn, rice, and barley, as well as in beer, demonstrated satisfactory results. To obtain information regarding the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in food products, the developed methods were applied to the analysis of several commercial samples partly produced worldwide. The Fusarium toxins deoxynivalenol and its conjugated metabolite deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside turned out to be the most abundant toxins. None of the other modified mycotoxins were quantified in the samples. However, one cereal sample showed traces of zearalenone- 14-sulfate below the limit of quantification. Moreover, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and tropane alkaloids were investigated in this thesis. Pesticides present biologically highly effective compounds applied in the environment to protect humans from the hazardous effects of pests. While plant growth regulators show similar functions, mainly improving agricultural production, tropane alkaloids are naturally occurring secondary metabolites mainly in the species of Solanaceae that may pose unintended poisoning of humans. The third part of the present thesis aimed to analyze cereal-relevant compounds simultaneously, wherefore a multi-method for the analysis of (modified) mycotoxins, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and tropane alkaloids was established. After processing the samples, this should be done in a single extraction step with subsequent one-time measurements. Various sample preparation procedures were compared, whereby an approach based on an acidified acetonitrile/water extraction, followed by an online clean-up, was finally chosen. The simultaneous determination of more than 350 analytes required an analytical tool that offered an increased resolving power, represented as an enhanced peak capacity, and the possibility of analyzing a broad polarity range. Thus, a two-dimensional LC-MS/MS system based on two different separation mechanisms that performed orthogonal to one another was used for the analysis. Validation of the developed method revealed good performance characteristics for most analytes, while subsequent application showed that 86\% of the samples were contaminated with at least one compound. In summary, this thesis provides novel insights into the analysis of food-relevant (modified) mycotoxins. Different sample preparation and LC-MS/MS approaches were introduced, resulting in the development of three new analytical methods. For the first time, such a high number of modified mycotoxins was included in multi-mycotoxin methods and a multi-method ranging both contaminants and residues. Although first steps towards the analysis of modified mycotoxins have been made, further research is needed to elucidate their (co-) occurrence and toxicological behavior in order to understand their relevance to human health in the future.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Hauffe2021,
  author    = {Hauffe, Robert},
  title     = {Investigating metabolic consequences of an HSP60 reduction during diet-induced obesity},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-50929},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-509294},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xxi, 116},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The mitochondrial chaperone complex HSP60/HSP10 facilitates mitochondrial protein homeostasis by folding more than 300 mitochondrial matrix proteins. It has been shown previously that HSP60 is downregulated in brains of type 2 diabetic (T2D) mice and patients, causing mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance. As HSP60 is also decreased in peripheral tissues in T2D animals, this thesis investigated the effect of overall reduced HSP60 in the development of obesity and associated co-morbidities. To this end, both female and male C57Bl/6N control (i.e. without further alterations in their genome, Ctrl) and heterozygous whole-body Hsp60 knock-out (Hsp60+/-) mice, which exhibit a 50 \% reduction of HSP60 in all tissues, were fed a normal chow diet (NCD) or a highfat diet (HFD, 60 \% calories from fat) for 16 weeks and were subjected to extensive metabolic phenotyping including indirect calorimetry, NMR spectroscopy, insulin, glucose and pyruvate tolerance tests, vena cava insulin injections, as well as histological and molecular analysis. Interestingly, NCD feeding did not result in any striking phenotype, only a mild increase in energy expenditure in Hsp60+/- mice. Exposing mice to a HFD however revealed an increased body weight due to higher muscle mass in female Hsp60+/- mice, with a simultaneous decrease in energy expenditure. Additionally, these mice displayed decreased fasting glycemia. Opposingly, male Hsp60+/- compared to control mice showed lower body weight gain due to decreased fat mass and an increased energy expenditure, strikingly independent of lean mass. Further, only male Hsp60+/- mice display improved HOMA-IR and Matsuda insulin sensitivity indices. Despite the opposite phenotype in regards to body weight development, Hsp60+/- mice of both sexes show a significantly higher cell number, as well as a reduction in adipocyte size in the subcutaneous and gonadal white adipose tissue (sc/gWAT). Curiously, this adipocyte hyperplasia - usually associated with positive aspects of WAT function - is disconnected from metabolic improvements, as the gWAT of male Hsp60+/- mice shows mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Transcriptomic analysis of gWAT shows an up regulation of genes involved in macroautophagy. Confirmatory, expression of microtubuleassociated protein 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3), as a protein marker of autophagy, and direct measurement of lysosomal activity is increased in the gWAT of male Hsp60+/- mice. In summary, this thesis revealed a novel gene-nutrient interaction. The reduction of the crucial chaperone HSP60 did not have large effects in mice fed a NCD, but impacted metabolism during DIO in a sex-specific manner, where, despite opposing body weight and body composition phenotypes, both female and male Hsp60+/- mice show signs of protection from high fat diet-induced systemic insulin resistance.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{RodriguezSillke2021,
  author    = {Rodriguez-Sillke, Yasmina},
  title     = {Der Einfluss von Nahrungsmittelantigenen auf die mukosale sowie periphere Hom{\"o}ostase und Entz{\"u}ndung bei chronisch entz{\"u}ndlichen Darmerkrankungen},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {134},
  year      = {2021},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Nieschalke2021,
  author    = {Nieschalke, Kai},
  title     = {Proteinaddukte und Urinmetaboliten des Nagetierkanzerogens Methyleugenol als Biomarker der Exposition},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {142, XLIV},
  year      = {2021},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{HaferkornStarke2021,
  author    = {Haferkorn-Starke, Robert Christian},
  title     = {Entwicklung eines Lebensmitteluntersuchungssystems f{\"u}r mikrobielle Erreger mit Hilfe molekularbiologischer Methoden},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {XVII, 239, vi},
  year      = {2021},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{LenihanGeels2020,
  author    = {Lenihan-Geels, Georgia Ngawai},
  title     = {The regulation of metabolic flexibility by p53 in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Alfine2021,
  author    = {Alfine, Eugenia},
  title     = {Investigation of Sirtuin 3 overexpression as a genetic model of fasting in hypothalamic neurons},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {134},
  year      = {2021},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{AgaBarfknecht2021,
  author    = {Aga-Barfknecht, Heja},
  title     = {Investigation of the phenotype and genetic variant(s) of the diabetes locus Nidd/DBA},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Diabetes is a major public health problem with increasing global prevalence. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), which accounts for 90\% of all diagnosed cases, is a complex polygenic disease also modulated by epigenetics and lifestyle factors. For the identification of T2D-associated genes, linkage analyses combined with mouse breeding strategies and bioinformatic tools were useful in the past. In a previous study in which a backcross population of the lean and diabetes-prone dilute brown non-agouti (DBA) mouse and the obese and diabetes-susceptible New Zealand obese (NZO) mouse was characterized, a major diabetes quantitative trait locus (QTL) was identified on chromosome 4. The locus was designated non-insulin dependent diabetes from DBA (Nidd/DBA). The aim of this thesis was (i) to perform a detailed phenotypic characterization of the Nidd/DBA mice, (ii) to further narrow the critical region and (iii) to identify the responsible genetic variant(s) of the Nidd/DBA locus. The phenotypic characterization of recombinant congenic mice carrying a 13.6 Mbp Nidd/DBA fragment with 284 genes presented a gradually worsening metabolic phenotype. Nidd/DBA allele carriers exhibited severe hyperglycemia (~19.9 mM) and impaired glucose clearance at 12 weeks of age. Ex vivo perifusion experiments with islets of 13-week-old congenic mice revealed a tendency towards reduced insulin secretion in homozygous DBA mice. In addition, 16-week-old mice showed a severe loss of β-cells and reduced pancreatic insulin content. Pathway analysis of transcriptome data from islets of congenic mice pointed towards a downregulation of cell survival genes. Morphological analysis of pancreatic sections displayed a reduced number of bi-hormonal cells co-expressing glucagon and insulin in homozygous DBA mice, which could indicate a reduced plasticity of endocrine cells in response to hyperglycemic stress. Further generation and phenotyping of recombinant congenic mice enabled the isolation of a 3.3 Mbp fragment that was still able to induce hyperglycemia and contained 61 genes. Bioinformatic analyses including haplotype mapping, sequence and transcriptome analysis were integrated in order to further reduce the number of candidate genes and to identify the presumable causative gene variant. Four putative candidate genes (Ttc39a, Kti12, Osbpl9, Calr4) were defined, which were either differentially expressed or carried a sequence variant. In addition, in silico ChIP-Seq analyses of the 3.3 Mbp region indicated a high number of SNPs located in active regions of binding sites of β-cell transcription factors. This points towards potentially altered cis-regulatory elements that could be responsible for the phenotype conferred by the Nidd/DBA locus. In summary, the Nidd/DBA locus mediates impaired glucose homeostasis and reduced insulin secretion capacity which finally leads to β-cell death. The downregulation of cell survival genes and reduced plasticity of endocrine cells could further contribute to the β-cell loss. The critical region was narrowed down to a 3.3 Mbp fragment containing 61 genes, of which four might be involved in the development of the diabetogenic Nidd/DBA phenotype.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Martinez2020,
  author    = {Martinez, Maria Teresa Casta{\~n}o},
  title     = {Effects of Dietary Methionine and Protein Restriction on the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes},
  pages     = {100},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Winkelbeiner2020,
  author    = {Winkelbeiner, Nicola Lisa},
  title     = {Impact of element species on DNA repair processes},
  pages     = {XV, 182, iii},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wolf2020,
  author    = {Wolf, Kristine},
  title     = {Produktentwicklung eines luteinhaltigen, kolloidalen Nahrungserg{\"a}nzungsmittels: physikochemische und ern{\"a}hrungsphysiologische Aspekte},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-48774},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-487743},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xxi, 243},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Sekund{\"a}re Pflanzenstoffe und ihre gesundheitsf{\"o}rdernden Eigenschaften sind in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten vielfach ern{\"a}hrungsphysiologisch untersucht und spezifische positive Effekte im humanen Organismus zum Teil sehr genau beschrieben worden. Zu den Carotinoiden z{\"a}hlend ist der sekund{\"a}re Pflanzenstoff Lutein insbesondere in der Pr{\"a}vention von ophthalmologischen Erkrankungen in den Mittelpunkt der Forschung ger{\"u}ckt. Das ausschließlich von Pflanzen und einigen Algen synthetisierte Xanthophyll wird {\"u}ber die pflanzliche Nahrung insbesondere gr{\"u}nes Blattgem{\"u}se in den humanen Organismus aufgenommen. Dort akkumuliert es bevorzugt im Makulapigment der Retina des menschlichen Auges und ist bedeutend im Prozess der Aufrechterhaltung der Funktionsf{\"a}higkeit der Photorezeptorzellen. Im Laufe des Alterns kann die Abnahme der Dichte des Makulapigments und der Abbau von Lutein beobachtet werden. Die dadurch eintretende Destabilisierung der Photorezeptorzellen im Zusammenhang mit einer ver{\"a}nderten Stoffwechsellage im alternden Organismus kann zur Auspr{\"a}gung der altersbedingten Makuladegeneration (AMD) f{\"u}hren. Die pathologische Symptomatik der Augenerkrankung reicht vom Verlust der Sehsch{\"a}rfe bis hin zum irreversiblen Erblinden. Da therapeutische Mittel ausschließlich ein Fortschreiten verhindern, bestehen hier Forschungsans{\"a}tze pr{\"a}ventive Maßnahmen zu finden. Die Supplementierung von luteinhaltigen Pr{\"a}paraten bietet dabei einen Ansatzpunkt. Auf dem Markt finden sich bereits Nahrungserg{\"a}nzungsmittel (NEM) mit Lutein in verschiedenen Applikationen. Limitierend ist dabei die Stabilit{\"a}t und Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit von Lutein, welches teilweise kostenintensiv und mit unbekannter Reinheit zu erwerben ist. Aus diesem Grund w{\"a}re die Verwendung von Luteinestern als die pflanzliche Speicherform des Luteins im Rahmen eines NEMs vorteilhaft. Neben ihrer nat{\"u}rlichen, h{\"o}heren Stabilit{\"a}t sind Luteinester nachhaltig und kosteng{\"u}nstig einsetzbar. In dieser Arbeit wurden physikochemische und ern{\"a}hrungsphysiologisch relevante Aspekte in dem Produktentwicklungsprozess eines NEMs mit Luteinestern in einer kolloidalen Formulierung untersucht. Die bisher einzigartige Anwendung von Luteinestern in einem Mundspray sollte die Aufnahme des Wirkstoffes insbesondere f{\"u}r {\"a}ltere Menschen erleichtern und verbessern. Unter Beachtung der Ergebnisse und der ern{\"a}hrungsphysiologischen Bewertung sollten u.a. Empfehlungen f{\"u}r die Rezepturzusammensetzungen einer Miniemulsion (Emulsion mit Partikelgr{\"o}ßen <1,0 µm) gegeben werden. Eine Einsch{\"a}tzung der Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit der Luteinester aus den entwickelten, kolloidalen Formulierungen konnte anhand von Studien zur Resorption- und Absorptionsverf{\"u}gbarkeit in vitro erm{\"o}glicht werden. In physikalischen Untersuchungen wurden zun{\"a}chst Basisbestandteile f{\"u}r die Formulierungen pr{\"a}zisiert. In ersten wirkstofffreien Musteremulsionen konnten ausgew{\"a}hlte {\"O}le als Tr{\"a}gerphase sowie Emulgatoren und L{\"o}slichkeitsvermittler (Peptisatoren) hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung zur Bereitstellung einer Miniemulsion physikalisch gepr{\"u}ft werden. Die beste Stabilit{\"a}t und optimale Eigenschaften einer Miniemulsion zeigten sich bei der Verwendung von MCT-{\"O}l (engl. medium chain triglyceride) bzw. Raps{\"o}l in der Tr{\"a}gerphase sowie des Emulgators Tween® 80 (Tween 80) allein oder in Kombination mit dem Molkenproteinhydrolysat Biozate® 1 (Biozate 1). Aus den physikalischen Untersuchungen der Musteremulsionen gingen die Pr{\"a}emulsionen als Prototypen hervor. Diese enthielten den Wirkstoff Lutein in verschiedenen Formen. So wurden Pr{\"a}emulsionen mit Lutein, mit Luteinestern sowie mit Lutein und Luteinestern konzipiert, welche den Emulgator Tween 80 oder die Kombination mit Biozate 1 enthielten. Bei der Herstellung der Pr{\"a}emulsionen f{\"u}hrte die Anwendung der Emulgiertechniken Ultraschall mit anschließender Hochdruckhomogenisation zu den gew{\"u}nschten Miniemulsionen. Beide eingesetzten Emulgatoren boten optimale Stabilisierungseffekte. Anschließend erfolgte die physikochemische Charakterisierung der Wirkstoffe. Insbesondere Luteinester aus Oleoresin erwiesen sich hier als stabil gegen{\"u}ber verschiedenen Lagerungsbedingungen. Ebenso konnte bei einer kurzzeitigen Behandlung der Wirkstoffe unter spezifischen mechanischen, thermischen, sauren und basischen Bedingungen eine Stabilit{\"a}t von Lutein und Luteinestern gezeigt werden. Die Zugabe von Biozate 1 bot dabei nur f{\"u}r Lutein einen zus{\"a}tzlichen Schutz. Bei l{\"a}ngerer physikochemischer Behandlung unterlagen die in den Miniemulsionen eingebrachten Wirkstoffe moderaten Abbauvorg{\"a}ngen. Markant war deren Sensitivit{\"a}t gegen{\"u}ber dem basischen Milieu. Im Rahmen der Rezepturentwicklung des NEMs war hier die Empfehlung, eine Miniemulsion mit einem leicht saurem pH-Milieu zum Schutz des Wirkstoffes durch kontrollierte Zugabe weiterer Inhaltstoffe zu gestalten. Im weiteren Entwicklungsprozess des NEMs wurden Fertigrezepturen mit dem Wirkstoff Luteinester aufgestellt. Die alleinige Anwendung des Emulgators Biozate 1 zeigte sich dabei als ungeeignet. Die weiterhin zur Verf{\"u}gung stehenden Fertigrezepturen enthielten in der {\"O}l-phase neben dem Wirkstoff das MCT-{\"O}L oder Raps{\"o}l sowie a-Tocopherol zur Stabilisierung. Die Wasserphase bestand aus dem Emulgator Tween 80 oder einer Kombination aus Tween 80 und Biozate 1. Zusatzstoffe waren zudem als mikrobiologischer Schutz Ascorbins{\"a}ure und Kaliumsorbat sowie f{\"u}r sensorische Effekte Xylitol und Orangenaroma. Die Anordnung der Basisrezeptur und das angewendete Emulgierverfahren lieferten stabile Miniemulsionen. Weiterhin zeigten langfristige Lagerungsversuche mit den Fertigrezepturen bei 4°C, dass eine Aufrechterhaltung der geforderten Luteinestermenge im Produkt gew{\"a}hrleistet war. Analoge Untersuchungen an einem luteinhaltigen, marktg{\"a}ngigen Pr{\"a}parat best{\"a}tigten dagegen eine bereits bei kurzfristiger Lagerung auftretende Instabilit{\"a}t von Lutein. Abschließend wurde durch Resorptions- und Absorptionsstudien in vitro mit den Pr{\"a}emulsionen und Fertigrezepturen die Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit von Luteinestern gepr{\"u}ft. Nach Behandlung in einem etablierten in vitro Verdaumodell konnte eine geringf{\"u}gige Resorptionsverf{\"u}gbarkeit der Luteinester definiert werden. Limitiert war eine Micellarisierung des Wirkstoffes aus den konzipierten Formulierungen zu beobachten. Eine enzymatische Spaltung der Luteinester zu freiem Lutein wurde nur begrenzt festgestellt. Spezifit{\"a}t und Aktivit{\"a}t von entsprechenden hydrolytischen Lipasen sind als {\"a}ußerst gering gegen{\"u}ber Luteinestern zu bewerten. In sich anschließenden Zellkulturversuchen mit der Zelllinie Caco-2 wurden keine zytotoxischen Effekte durch die relevanten Inhaltsstoffe in den Pr{\"a}emulsionen gezeigt. Dagegen konnten eine Sensibilit{\"a}t gegen{\"u}ber den Fertigrezepturen beobachtet werden. Diese sollte im Zusammenhang mit Irritationen der Schleimh{\"a}ute des Magen-Darm-Traktes bedacht werden. Eine weniger komplexe Rezeptur k{\"o}nnte die beobachteten Einschr{\"a}nkungen m{\"o}glicherweise minimieren. Abschließende Absorptionsstudien zeigten, dass grunds{\"a}tzlich eine geringf{\"u}gige Aufnahme von vorrangig Lutein, aber auch Luteinmonoestern in den Enterocyten aus Miniemulsionen erfolgen kann. Dabei hatte weder Tween 80 noch Biozate 1 einen f{\"o}rderlichen Einfluss auf die Absorptionsrate von Lutein oder Luteinestern. Die Metabolisierung der Wirkstoffe durch vorherigen in vitro-Verdau steigerte die zellul{\"a}re Aufnahme von Wirkstoffen aus Formulierungen mit Lutein und Luteinestern gleichermaßen. Die beobachtete Aufnahme von Lutein und Luteinmonoestern in den Enterocyten scheint {\"u}ber passive Diffusion zu erfolgen, wobei auch der aktive Transport nicht ausgeschlossen werden kann. Dagegen k{\"o}nnen Luteindiester aufgrund ihrer Molek{\"u}lgr{\"o}ße nicht {\"u}ber den Weg der Micellarisierung und einfachen Diffusion in die Enterocyten gelangen. Ihre Aufnahme in die D{\"u}nndarmepithelzellen bedarf einer vorherigen hydrolytischen Spaltung durch spezifische Lipasen. Dieser Schritt limitiert wiederum die effektive Aufnahme der Luteinester in die Zellen bzw. stellt eine Einschr{\"a}nkung in ihrer Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit im Vergleich zu freiem Lutein dar. Zusammenfassend konnte f{\"u}r die physikochemisch stabilen Luteinester eine geringe Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit aus kolloidalen Formulierungen gezeigt werden. Dennoch ist die Verwendung als Wirkstoffquelle f{\"u}r den sekund{\"a}ren Pflanzenstoff Lutein in einem NEM zu empfehlen. Im Zusammenhang mit der Aufnahme von luteinreichen, pflanzlichen Lebensmitteln kann trotz der zu erwartenden geringen Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit der Luteinester aus dem NEM ein Beitrag zur Verbesserung des Luteinstatus erreicht werden. Entsprechende Publikationen zeigten eindeutige Korrelationen zwischen der Aufnahme von luteinesterhaltigen Pr{\"a}paraten und einem Anstieg der Luteinkonzentration im Serum bzw. der Makulapigmentdichte in vivo. Die geringf{\"u}gig bessere Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit von freiem Lutein steht im kritischen Zusammenhang mit seiner Instabilit{\"a}t und Kostenintensit{\"a}t. Bilanzierend wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit das marktg{\"a}ngige Produkt Vita Culus® konzipiert. Im Ausblick sollten humane Interventionsstudien mit dem NEM die abschließende Bewertung der Bioverf{\"u}gbarkeit von Luteinestern aus dem Pr{\"a}parat m{\"o}glich machen.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Schiborn2020,
  author    = {Schiborn, Catarina},
  title     = {Extension of the German Diabetes Risk Score with regard to risk communication and cardiovascular outcomes},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {218},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Finke2020,
  author    = {Finke, Hannah},
  title     = {Toxicological Characterization of Arsenolipids in vitro and Analysis of Global DNA (Hydroxy)methylation in the Context of Aging, Trace Element Status, and Genomic Stability},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {t, 222, XXVII},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Seebeck2020,
  author    = {Seebeck, Nicole},
  title     = {Regulation of the organokines FGF21 and chemerin by diet},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-47114},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-471140},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {i, 132},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The hepatokine FGF21 and the adipokine chemerin have been implicated as metabolic regulators and mediators of inter-tissue crosstalk. While FGF21 is associated with beneficial metabolic effects and is currently being tested as an emerging therapeutic for obesity and diabetes, chemerin is linked to inflammation-mediated insulin resistance. However, dietary regulation of both organokines and their role in tissue interaction needs further investigation. The LEMBAS nutritional intervention study investigated the effects of two diets differing in their protein content in obese human subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The study participants consumed hypocaloric diets containing either low (LP: 10 EN\%, n = 10) or high (HP: 30 EN\%, n = 9) dietary protein 3 weeks prior to bariatric surgery. Before and after the intervention the participants were anthropometrically assessed, blood samples were drawn, and hepatic fat content was determined by MRS. During bariatric surgery, paired subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue biopsies as well as liver biopsies were collected. The aim of this thesis was to investigate circulating levels and tissue-specific regulation of (1) FGF21 and (2) chemerin in the LEMBAS cohort. The results were compared to data obtained in 92 metabolically healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance and normal liver fat content. (1) Serum FGF21 concentrations were elevated in the obese subjects, and strongly associated with intrahepatic lipids (IHL). In accordance, FGF21 serum concentrations increased with severity of NAFLD as determined histologically in the liver biopsies. Though both diets were successful in reducing IHL, the effect was more pronounced in the HP group. FGF21 serum concentrations and mRNA expression were bi-directionally regulated by dietary protein, independent from metabolic improvements. In accordance, in the healthy study subjects, serum FGF21 concentrations dropped by more than 60\% in response to the HP diet. A short-term HP intervention confirmed the acute downregulation of FGF21 within 24 hours. Lastly, experiments in HepG2 cell cultures and primary murine hepatocytes identified nitrogen metabolites (NH4Cl and glutamine) to dose-dependently suppress FGF21 expression. (2) Circulating chemerin concentrations were considerably elevated in the obese versus lean study participants and differently associated with markers of obesity and NAFLD in the two cohorts. The adipokine decreased in response to the hypocaloric interventions while an unhealthy high-fat diet induced a rise in chemerin serum levels. In the lean subjects, mRNA expression of RARRES2, encoding chemerin, was strongly and positively correlated with expression of several cytokines, including MCP1, TNFα, and IL6, as well as markers of macrophage infiltration in the subcutaneous fat depot. However, RARRES2 was not associated with any cytokine assessed in the obese subjects and the data indicated an involvement of chemerin not only in the onset but also resolution of inflammation. Analyses of the tissue biopsies and experiments in human primary adipocytes point towards a role of chemerin in adipogenesis while discrepancies between the in vivo and in vitro data were detected. Taken together, the results of this thesis demonstrate that circulating FGF21 and chemerin levels are considerably elevated in obesity and responsive to dietary interventions. FGF21 was acutely and bi-directionally regulated by dietary protein in a hepatocyte-autonomous manner. Given that both, a lack in essential amino acids and excessive nitrogen intake, exert metabolic stress, FGF21 may serve as an endocrine signal for dietary protein balance. Lastly, the data revealed that chemerin is derailed in obesity and associated with obesity-related inflammation. However, future studies on chemerin should consider functional and regulatory differences between secreted and tissue-specific isoforms.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{ColemanMacGregorofInneregny,
  author    = {Coleman Mac Gregor of Inneregny, Charles Dominic},
  title     = {Rolle von mPGES1-abh{\"a}ngig gebildetem Prostaglandin E2 bei der Ausbildung von Insulinresistenz und nicht-alkoholischer Fettlebererkrankung durch die Modulation der Funktion von Lebermakrophagen},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {183},
  abstract  = {Eine St{\"o}rung des Leberstoffwechsels durch die Ausbildung einer Insulinresistenz kann zu Folgeerkrankungen wie der nicht alkoholischen Fettlebererkrankung (NAFLD) bis hin zur Steatohepatitis (NASH) und zur Entwicklung eines Diabetes Typ II f{\"u}hren. Am Krankheitsverlauf sind residente (Kupfferzellen) sowie infiltrierende Makrophagen beteiligt, die durch inflammatorische Stimuli aktiviert werden und zur Progression von Lebererkrankungen f{\"u}hren k{\"o}nnen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde die Rolle von mPGES1-abh{\"a}ngig gebildetem Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) an der Modulation von aktivierten Lebermakrophagen untersucht. Dazu wurden Kupfferzellen und Peritonealmakrophagen (als Modell f{\"u}r infiltrierende Makrophagen) aus Wildtyp und mPGES1-defizienten M{\"a}usen isoliert. Beide Makrophagen­populationen wurden in Zellkulturversuchen mit Lipopolysacchariden (LPS) aktiviert und auf ihre PGE2-Synthese, Genexpression und Sekretion von verschiedenen Cytokinen hin untersucht. Die beiden Makrophagenpopulationen unterschieden sich hinsichtlich der PGE2-Synthese bei mPGSE1-Defizienz. W{\"a}hrend bei Peritonealmakrophagen die LPS-abh{\"a}ngige PGE2-Synthese bei Abwesenheit der mPGES1 fast vollst{\"a}ndig reprimiert war, war bei Kupfferzellen nur eine 25\%ige Abnahme zu verzeichnen. Die postulierte selbstverst{\"a}rkende R{\"u}ckkopplungsschleife von PGE2 im Hinblick auf seine eigene Synthese konnte in isolierten Peritonealmakrophagen, nicht jedoch in Kupfferzellen, best{\"a}tigt werden. In Kupfferzellen f{\"u}hrte exogenes PGE2 ferner zu einer Repression von den pro-inflammatorischen Cytokinen TNFα und IL-1β und f{\"u}r endogenes PGE2 konnte in diesem Zelltyp kein Effekt festgestellt werden. In Peritonealmakrophagen konnte hingegen auch f{\"u}r endogenes PGE2 eine reprimierende Wirkung auf die Expression von TNFα beobachtet werden. Das ist eventuell auf eine h{\"o}here Sensitivit{\"a}t gegen{\"u}ber PGE2 von Peritonealmakrophagen im Vergleich zu Kupfferzellen zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren. PGE2 wirkte unter den gew{\"a}hlten Versuchsbedingungen in vitro somit eher anti-inflammatorisch. Cholesterolkristalle induzierten in Kupfferzellen die Expression der PGE2-synthetisierenden Enzyme und verschiedener pro-inflammatorische Cytokine. Sie k{\"o}nnten somit zu einer Progression von NAFL zu NASH beitragen. Die Daten aus dieser Arbeit deuten darauf hin, dass PGE2 im Rahmen von entz{\"u}ndlichen Leberver{\"a}nderungen eine eher protektive Wirkung im Hinblick auf die Progression von NAFLD und Insulinresistenz haben k{\"o}nnte.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Ziemann2020,
  author    = {Ziemann, Vanessa},
  title     = {Toxische Effekte von Arsenolipiden in humanen Kulturzellen und Caenorhabditis elegans},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {112},
  year      = {2020},
  language  = {de}
}