@article{VossBolhuisFeweretal.2013, author = {Voss, Bj{\"o}rn and Bolhuis, Henk and Fewer, David P. and Kopf, Matthias and M{\"o}ke, Fred and Haas, Fabian and El-Shehawy, Rehab and Hayes, Paul and Bergman, Birgitta and Sivonen, Kaarina and Dittmann-Th{\"u}nemann, Elke and Scanlan, Dave J. and Hagemann, Martin and Stal, Lucas J. and Hess, Wolfgang R.}, title = {Insights into the physiology and ecology of the brackish-water-adapted cyanobacterium nodularia spumigena CCY9414 based on a genome-transcriptome analysis}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS one}, number = {3}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0060224}, pages = {22}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Nodularia spumigena is a filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacterium that dominates the annual late summer cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea. But N. spumigena also is common in brackish water bodies worldwide, suggesting special adaptation allowing it to thrive at moderate salinities. A draft genome analysis of N. spumigena sp. CCY9414 yielded a single scaffold of 5,462,271 nucleotides in length on which genes for 5,294 proteins were annotated. A subsequent strand-specific transcriptome analysis identified more than 6,000 putative transcriptional start sites (TSS). Orphan TSSs located in intergenic regions led us to predict 764 non-coding RNAs, among them 70 copies of a possible retrotransposon and several potential RNA regulators, some of which are also present in other N2-fixing cyanobacteria. Approximately 4\% of the total coding capacity is devoted to the production of secondary metabolites, among them the potent hepatotoxin nodularin, the linear spumigin and the cyclic nodulapeptin. The transcriptional complexity associated with genes involved in nitrogen fixation and heterocyst differentiation is considerably smaller compared to other Nostocales. In contrast, sophisticated systems exist for the uptake and assimilation of iron and phosphorus compounds, for the synthesis of compatible solutes, and for the formation of gas vesicles, required for the active control of buoyancy. Hence, the annotation and interpretation of this sequence provides a vast array of clues into the genomic underpinnings of the physiology of this cyanobacterium and indicates in particular a competitive edge of N. spumigena in nutrient-limited brackish water ecosystems.}, language = {en} } @article{ZirafiKimStaendkeretal.2015, author = {Zirafi, Onofrio and Kim, Kyeong-Ae and St{\"a}ndker, Ludger and Mohr, Katharina B. and Sauter, Daniel and Heigele, Anke and Kluge, Silvia F. and Wiercinska, Eliza and Chudziak, Doreen and Richter, Rudolf and M{\"o}pps, Barbara and Gierschik, Peter and Vas, Virag and Geiger, Hartmut and Lamla, Markus and Weil, Tanja and Burster, Timo and Zgraja, Andreas and Daubeuf, Francois and Frossard, Nelly and Hachet-Haas, Muriel and Heunisch, Fabian and Reichetzeder, Christoph and Galzi, Jean-Luc and Perez-Castells, Javier and Canales-Mayordomo, Angeles and Jimenez-Barbero, Jesus and Gimenez-Gallego, Guillermo and Schneider, Marion and Shorter, James and Telenti, Amalio and Hocher, Berthold and Forssmann, Wolf-Georg and Bonig, Halvard and Kirchhoff, Frank and M{\"u}nch, Jan}, title = {Discovery and Characterization of an Endogenous CXCR4 Antagonist}, series = {Cell reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Cell reports}, number = {5}, publisher = {Cell Press}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {2211-1247}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2015.03.061}, pages = {737 -- 747}, year = {2015}, abstract = {CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling controls multiple physiological processes and its dysregulation is associated with cancers and inflammatory diseases. To discover as-yet-unknown endogenous ligands of CXCR4, we screened a blood-derived peptide library for inhibitors of CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 strains. This approach identified a 16 amino acid fragment of serum albumin as an effective and highly specific CXCR4 antagonist. The endogenous peptide, termed EPI-X4, is evolutionarily conserved and generated from the highly abundant albumin precursor by pH-regulated proteases. EPI-X4 forms an unusual lasso-like structure and antagonizes CXCL12-induced tumor cell migration, mobilizes stem cells, and suppresses inflammatory responses in mice. Furthermore, the peptide is abundant in the urine of patients with inflammatory kidney diseases and may serve as a biomarker. Our results identify EPI-X4 as a key regulator of CXCR4 signaling and introduce proteolysis of an abundant precursor protein as an alternative concept for chemokine receptor regulation.}, language = {en} }