TY - JOUR A1 - Lilie, Hauke A1 - Baer, Dorit A1 - Kettner, Karina A1 - Weininger, Ulrich A1 - Balbach, Jochen A1 - Naumann, Manfred A1 - Mueller, Eva-Christina A1 - Otto, Albrecht A1 - Gast, Klaus A1 - Golbik, Ralph A1 - Kriegel, Thomas T1 - Yeast hexokinase isoenzyme ScHxk2 stability of a two-domain protein with discontinuous domains JF - Protein engineering design & selection N2 - The hexokinase isoenzyme 2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScHxk2) represents an archetype of a two-domain protein with the active site located in a cleft between the two domains. Binding of the substrate glucose results in a rigid body movement of the two domains leading to a cleft closure of the active site. Both domains of this enzyme are composed of discontinuous peptide sequences. This structural feature is reflected in the stability and folding of the ScHxk2 protein. Structural transitions induced by urea treatment resulted in the population of a thermodynamically stable folding intermediate, which, however, does not correspond to a molecule with one domain folded and the other unfolded. As demonstrated by different spectroscopic techniques, both domains are structurally affected by the partial denaturation. The intermediate possesses only 40% of the native secondary structural content and a substantial increase in the Stokes radius as judged by circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering analyses. One-dimensional H-1 NMR data prove that all tryptophan residues are in a non-native environment in the intermediate, indicating substantial changes in the tertiary structure. Still, the intermediate possesses quite a high stability for a transition intermediate of about Delta G = -22 kJ mol(-1). KW - dynamic light scattering KW - NMR KW - ScHxk2 KW - stability KW - transition intermediate Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/protein/gzq098 SN - 1741-0126 VL - 24 IS - 1-2 SP - 79 EP - 87 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lilie, Hauke A1 - Bär, Dorit A1 - Kettner, Karina A1 - Weininger, Ulrich A1 - Balbach, Jochen A1 - Naumann, Manfred A1 - Müller, Eva-Christina A1 - Otto, Albrecht A1 - Gast, Klaus A1 - Golbik, Ralph T1 - Yeast hexokinase isoenzyme ScHxk2 : stability of a two-domain protein with discontinuous domains N2 - The hexokinase isoenzyme 2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScHxk2) represents an archetype of a two-domain protein with the active site located in a cleft between the two domains. Binding of the substrate glucose results in a rigid body movement of the two domains leading to a cleft closure of the active site. Both domains of this enzyme are composed of discontinuous peptide sequences. This structural feature is reflected in the stability and folding of the ScHxk2 protein. Structural transitions induced by urea treatment resulted in the population of a thermodynamically stable folding intermediate, which, however, does not correspond to a molecule with one domain folded and the other unfolded. As demonstrated by different spectroscopic techniques, both domains are structurally affected by the partial denaturation. The intermediate possesses only 40% of the native secondary structural content and a substantial increase in the Stokes radius as judged by circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering analyses. One-dimensional 1H NMR data prove that all tryptophan residues are in a non-native environment in the intermediate, indicating substantial changes in the tertiary structure. Still, the intermediate possesses quite a high stability for a transition intermediate of about ;G = ;22 kJ mol;1. Y1 - 2011 UR - http://peds.oxfordjournals.org/content/24/1-2/79.long SN - 0269-2139 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Redelberger, David A1 - Seduk, Farida A1 - Genest, Olivier A1 - Mejean, Vincent A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Iobbi-Nivol, Chantal T1 - YcdY Protein of Escherichia coli, an Atypical Member of the TorD Chaperone Family JF - Journal of bacteriology N2 - The TorD family of specific chaperones is divided into four subfamilies dedicated to molybdoenzyme biogenesis and a fifth one, exemplified by YcdY of Escherichia coli, for which no defined partner has been identified so far. We propose that YcdY is the chaperone of YcdX, a zinc protein involved in the swarming motility process of E. coli, since YcdY interacts with YcdX and increases its activity in vitro. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.05927-11 SN - 0021-9193 VL - 193 IS - 23 SP - 6512 EP - 6516 PB - American Society for Microbiology CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kalimuthu, Palraj A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Bernhardt, Paul V. T1 - Xanthine dehydrogenase electrocatalysis autocatalysis and novel activity JF - The journal of physical chemistry : B, Condensed matter, materials, surfaces, interfaces & biophysical chemistry N2 - The enzyme xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) from the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid as part of purine metabolism. The native electron acceptor is NAD(+) but herein we show that uric acid in its 2-electron oxidized form is able to act as an artificial electron acceptor from XDH in an electrochemically driven catalytic system. Hypoxanthine oxidation is also observed with the novel production of uric acid in a series of two consecutive 2-electron oxidation reactions via xanthine. XDH exhibits native activity in terms of its pH optimum and inhibition by allopurinol. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/jp111809f SN - 1520-6106 VL - 115 IS - 11 SP - 2655 EP - 2662 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albert, Cécile H. A1 - Grassein, Fabrice A1 - Schurr, Frank Martin A1 - Vieilledent, Ghislain A1 - Violle, Cyrille T1 - When and how should intraspecific variability be considered in trait-based plant ecology? JF - Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics N2 - Trait-based studies have become extremely common in plant ecology. Trait-based approaches often rely on the tacit assumption that intraspecific trait variability (ITV) is negligible compared to interspecific variability, so that species can be characterized by mean trait values. Yet, numerous recent studies have challenged this assumption by showing that ITV significantly affects various ecological processes. Accounting for ITV may thus strengthen trait-based approaches, but measuring trait values on a large number of individuals per species and site is not feasible. Therefore, it is important and timely to synthesize existing knowledge on ITV in order to (1) decide critically when ITV should be considered, and (2) establish methods for incorporating this variability. Here we propose a practical set of rules to identify circumstances under which ITV should be accounted for. We formulate a spatial trait variance partitioning hypothesis to highlight the spatial scales at which ITV cannot be ignored in ecological studies. We then refine a set of four consecutive questions on the research question, the spatial scale, the sampling design, and the type of studied traits, to determine case-by-case if a given study should quantify ITV and test its effects. We review methods for quantifying ITV and develop a step-by-step guideline to design and interpret simulation studies that test for the importance of ITV. Even in the absence of quantitative knowledge on ITV, its effects can be assessed by varying trait values within species within realistic bounds around the known mean values. We finish with a discussion of future requirements to further incorporate ITV within trait-based approaches. This paper thus delineates a general framework to account for ITV and suggests a direction towards a more quantitative trait-based ecology. KW - Comparative ecology KW - Functional ecology KW - Genetic variability KW - Intraspecific functional variability KW - Phenotypic plasticity KW - Plant functional hairs KW - Within-species variability Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2011.04.003 SN - 1433-8319 VL - 13 IS - 3 SP - 217 EP - 225 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - THES A1 - Camara Mattos Martins, Marina T1 - What are the downstream targets of trehalose-6-phosphate signalling in plants? Y1 - 2011 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martens, Dörte T1 - Well-being and acceptance - contradictory aims in forest management? JF - Eco.mont : journal on protected mountain areas research N2 - Urban forests fulfil various functions, among them the restoration process and aesthetical needs of urban residents. This article reflects the attitudes towards different managed forests on the one hand and their influence on psychological well-being on the other. Results of empirical approaches from both fields show some inconsistency, suggesting that people have a more positive attitude towards wild forest areas, while the effect on well-being is more positive after a walk in tended forest areas. A discussion follows on the link between perception and the effect of urban forests. An outlook on necessary research reveals the need for longitudinal research. The article concludes by showing management implications. KW - urban forest KW - management KW - well-being KW - attitude KW - wilderness Y1 - 2011 SN - 2073-106X VL - 3 IS - 2 SP - 63 EP - 65 PB - Austrian Academy of Sciences Press CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rocha, Marcia R. A1 - Vasseur, David A. A1 - Hayn, Michael A1 - Holschneider, Matthias A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Variability patterns differ between standing stock and process rates JF - Oikos N2 - Standing stocks are typically easier to measure than process rates such as production. Hence, stocks are often used as indicators of ecosystem functions although the latter are generally more strongly related to rates than to stocks. The regulation of stocks and rates and thus their variability over time may differ, as stocks constitute the net result of production and losses. Based on long-term high frequency measurements in a large, deep lake we explore the variability patterns in primary and bacterial production and relate them to those of the corresponding standing stocks, i.e. chlorophyll concentration, phytoplankton and bacterial biomass. We employ different methods (coefficient of variation, spline fitting and spectral analysis) which complement each other for assessing the variability present in the plankton data, at different temporal scales. In phytoplankton, we found that the overall variability of primary production is dominated by fluctuations at low frequencies, such as the annual, whereas in stocks and chlorophyll in particular, higher frequencies contribute substantially to the overall variance. This suggests that using standing stocks instead of rate measures leads to an under- or overestimation of food shortage for consumers during distinct periods of the year. The range of annual variation in bacterial production is 8 times greater than biomass, showing that the variability of bacterial activity (e.g. oxygen consumption, remineralisation) would be underestimated if biomass is used. The P/B ratios were variable and although clear trends are present in both bacteria and phytoplankton, no systematic relationship between stock and rate measures were found for the two groups. Hence, standing stock and process rate measures exhibit different variability patterns and care is needed when interpreting the mechanisms and implications of the variability encountered. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18786.x SN - 0030-1299 VL - 120 IS - 1 SP - 17 EP - 25 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hempel, Sabrina A1 - Koseska, Aneta A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran A1 - Kurths, Jürgen T1 - Unraveling gene regulatory networks from time-resolved gene expression data - a measures comparison study JF - BMC bioinformatics N2 - Background: Inferring regulatory interactions between genes from transcriptomics time-resolved data, yielding reverse engineered gene regulatory networks, is of paramount importance to systems biology and bioinformatics studies. Accurate methods to address this problem can ultimately provide a deeper insight into the complexity, behavior, and functions of the underlying biological systems. However, the large number of interacting genes coupled with short and often noisy time-resolved read-outs of the system renders the reverse engineering a challenging task. Therefore, the development and assessment of methods which are computationally efficient, robust against noise, applicable to short time series data, and preferably capable of reconstructing the directionality of the regulatory interactions remains a pressing research problem with valuable applications. Results: Here we perform the largest systematic analysis of a set of similarity measures and scoring schemes within the scope of the relevance network approach which are commonly used for gene regulatory network reconstruction from time series data. In addition, we define and analyze several novel measures and schemes which are particularly suitable for short transcriptomics time series. We also compare the considered 21 measures and 6 scoring schemes according to their ability to correctly reconstruct such networks from short time series data by calculating summary statistics based on the corresponding specificity and sensitivity. Our results demonstrate that rank and symbol based measures have the highest performance in inferring regulatory interactions. In addition, the proposed scoring scheme by asymmetric weighting has shown to be valuable in reducing the number of false positive interactions. On the other hand, Granger causality as well as information-theoretic measures, frequently used in inference of regulatory networks, show low performance on the short time series analyzed in this study. Conclusions: Our study is intended to serve as a guide for choosing a particular combination of similarity measures and scoring schemes suitable for reconstruction of gene regulatory networks from short time series data. We show that further improvement of algorithms for reverse engineering can be obtained if one considers measures that are rooted in the study of symbolic dynamics or ranks, in contrast to the application of common similarity measures which do not consider the temporal character of the employed data. Moreover, we establish that the asymmetric weighting scoring scheme together with symbol based measures (for low noise level) and rank based measures (for high noise level) are the most suitable choices. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2105-12-292 SN - 1471-2105 VL - 12 IS - 1 PB - BioMed Central CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Naaf, Tobias A1 - Wulf, Monika T1 - Traits of winner and loser species indicate drivers of herb layer changes over two decades in forests of NW Germany JF - Journal of vegetation science N2 - Questions What are the most likely environmental drivers for compositional herb layer changes as indicated by trait differences between winner and loser species? Location Weser-Elbe region (NW Germany). Methods We resurveyed the herb layer communities of ancient forest patches on base-rich sites of 175 semi-permanent plots. Species traits were tested for their ability to discriminate between winner and loser species using logistic regression analyses and deviance partitioning. Results Of 115 species tested, 31 were identified as winner species and 30 as loser species. Winner species had higher seed longevity, flowered later in the season and more often had an oceanic distribution compared to loser species. Loser species tended to have a higher specific leaf area, were more susceptible to deer browsing and had a performance optimum at higher soil pH compared to winner species. The loser species also represented several ancient forest and threatened species. Deviance partitioning indicated that local drivers (i.e. disturbance due to forest management) were primarily responsible for the species shifts, while regional drivers (i.e. browsing pressure and acidification from atmospheric deposition) and global drivers (i.e. climate warming) had moderate effects. There was no evidence that canopy closure, drainage or eutrophication contributed to herb layer changes. Conclusions The relative importance of the different drivers as indicated by the winner and loser species differs from that found in previous long-term studies. Relating species traits to species performance is a valuable tool that provides insight into the environmental drivers that are most likely responsible for herb layer changes. KW - Acidification KW - Browsing pressure KW - Climate warming KW - Disturbance KW - Long-term change KW - Oceanic distribution KW - Seed longevity KW - Specific leaf area Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01267.x SN - 1100-9233 VL - 22 IS - 3 SP - 516 EP - 527 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - THES A1 - Sun, Xiaoliang T1 - Towards understanding the dynamics of biological systems from -Omics data Y1 - 2011 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Lachmuth, Susanne T1 - Towards a mechanistic understanding of how demography, genetic differentiation and environmental factors interact to generate the invasion dynamics of senecio inaequidens Y1 - 2011 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Rocha, Marcia Rosa T1 - Time series analysis reveals links between functional traits, population dynamics and ecosystem functions in a diverse phytoplankton community Y1 - 2011 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gniosdorz, Birgit A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - The variability of bone strength and skeletal robustness of young men - how it can be influenced T2 - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology : Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie Y1 - 2011 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 68 IS - 4 SP - 497 EP - 498 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Binzer, Amrei A1 - Brose, Ulrich A1 - Curtsdotter, Alva A1 - Ekloef, Anna A1 - Rall, Bjoern C. A1 - Riede, Jens O. A1 - de Castro, Francisco T1 - The susceptibility of species to extinctions in model communities JF - Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft für Ökologie N2 - Despite the fact that the loss of a species from a community has the potential to cause a dramatic decline in biodiversity, for example through cascades of secondary extinctions, little is known about the factors contributing to the extinction risk of any particular species. Here we expand earlier modeling approaches using a dynamic food-web model that accounts for bottom-up as well as top-down effects. We investigate what factors influence a species' extinction risk and time to extinction of the non-persistent species. We identified three basic properties that affect a species' risk of extinction. The highest extinction risk is born by species with (1) low energy input (e.g. high trophic level), (2) susceptibility to the loss of energy pathways (e.g. specialists with few prey species) and (3) dynamic instability (e.g. low Hill exponent and reliance on homogeneous energy channels when feeding on similarly sized prey). Interestingly, and different from field studies, we found that the trophic level and not the body mass of a species influences its extinction risk. On the other hand, body mass is the single most important factor determining the time to extinction of a species, resulting in small species dying first. This suggests that in the field the trophic level might have more influence on the extinction risk than presently recognized. KW - Extinction risk KW - Allometry KW - Dynamic modeling Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2011.09.002 SN - 1439-1791 VL - 12 IS - 7 SP - 590 EP - 599 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sicard, Adrien A1 - Lenhard, Michael T1 - The selfing syndrome a model for studying the genetic and evolutionary basis of morphological adaptation in plants JF - Annals of botany N2 - Background In angiosperm evolution, autogamously selfing lineages have been derived from outbreeding ancestors multiple times, and this transition is regarded as one of the most common evolutionary tendencies in flowering plants. In most cases, it is accompanied by a characteristic set of morphological and functional changes to the flowers, together termed the selfing syndrome. Two major areas that have changed during evolution of the selfing syndrome are sex allocation to male vs. female function and flower morphology, in particular flower (mainly petal) size and the distance between anthers and stigma. Scope A rich body of theoretical, taxonomic, ecological and genetic studies have addressed the evolutionary modification of these two trait complexes during or after the transition to selfing. Here, we review our current knowledge about the genetics and evolution of the selfing syndrome. Conclusions We argue that because of its frequent parallel evolution, the selfing syndrome represents an ideal model for addressing basic questions about morphological evolution and adaptation in flowering plants, but that realizing this potential will require the molecular identification of more of the causal genes underlying relevant trait variation. KW - Evolution KW - selfing syndrome KW - autogamy KW - pollen-to-ovule ratio KW - flower size KW - herkogamy KW - quantitative trait loci KW - self-incompatibility Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcr023 SN - 0305-7364 SN - 1095-8290 VL - 107 IS - 9 SP - 1433 EP - 1443 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Banks, Jo Ann A1 - Nishiyama, Tomoaki A1 - Hasebe, Mitsuyasu A1 - Bowman, John L. A1 - Gribskov, Michael A1 - dePamphilis, Claude A1 - Albert, Victor A. A1 - Aono, Naoki A1 - Aoyama, Tsuyoshi A1 - Ambrose, Barbara A. A1 - Ashton, Neil W. A1 - Axtell, Michael J. A1 - Barker, Elizabeth A1 - Barker, Michael S. A1 - Bennetzen, Jeffrey L. A1 - Bonawitz, Nicholas D. A1 - Chapple, Clint A1 - Cheng, Chaoyang A1 - Correa, Luiz Gustavo Guedes A1 - Dacre, Michael A1 - DeBarry, Jeremy A1 - Dreyer, Ingo A1 - Elias, Marek A1 - Engstrom, Eric M. A1 - Estelle, Mark A1 - Feng, Liang A1 - Finet, Cedric A1 - Floyd, Sandra K. A1 - Frommer, Wolf B. A1 - Fujita, Tomomichi A1 - Gramzow, Lydia A1 - Gutensohn, Michael A1 - Harholt, Jesper A1 - Hattori, Mitsuru A1 - Heyl, Alexander A1 - Hirai, Tadayoshi A1 - Hiwatashi, Yuji A1 - Ishikawa, Masaki A1 - Iwata, Mineko A1 - Karol, Kenneth G. A1 - Koehler, Barbara A1 - Kolukisaoglu, Uener A1 - Kubo, Minoru A1 - Kurata, Tetsuya A1 - Lalonde, Sylvie A1 - Li, Kejie A1 - Li, Ying A1 - Litt, Amy A1 - Lyons, Eric A1 - Manning, Gerard A1 - Maruyama, Takeshi A1 - Michael, Todd P. A1 - Mikami, Koji A1 - Miyazaki, Saori A1 - Morinaga, Shin-ichi A1 - Murata, Takashi A1 - Müller-Röber, Bernd A1 - Nelson, David R. A1 - Obara, Mari A1 - Oguri, Yasuko A1 - Olmstead, Richard G. A1 - Onodera, Naoko A1 - Petersen, Bent Larsen A1 - Pils, Birgit A1 - Prigge, Michael A1 - Rensing, Stefan A. A1 - Mauricio Riano-Pachon, Diego A1 - Roberts, Alison W. A1 - Sato, Yoshikatsu A1 - Scheller, Henrik Vibe A1 - Schulz, Burkhard A1 - Schulz, Christian A1 - Shakirov, Eugene V. A1 - Shibagaki, Nakako A1 - Shinohara, Naoki A1 - Shippen, Dorothy E. A1 - Sorensen, Iben A1 - Sotooka, Ryo A1 - Sugimoto, Nagisa A1 - Sugita, Mamoru A1 - Sumikawa, Naomi A1 - Tanurdzic, Milos A1 - Theissen, Guenter A1 - Ulvskov, Peter A1 - Wakazuki, Sachiko A1 - Weng, Jing-Ke A1 - Willats, William W. G. T. A1 - Wipf, Daniel A1 - Wolf, Paul G. A1 - Yang, Lixing A1 - Zimmer, Andreas D. A1 - Zhu, Qihui A1 - Mitros, Therese A1 - Hellsten, Uffe A1 - Loque, Dominique A1 - Otillar, Robert A1 - Salamov, Asaf A1 - Schmutz, Jeremy A1 - Shapiro, Harris A1 - Lindquist, Erika A1 - Lucas, Susan A1 - Rokhsar, Daniel A1 - Grigoriev, Igor V. T1 - The selaginella genome identifies genetic changes associated with the evolution of vascular plants JF - Science N2 - Vascular plants appeared similar to 410 million years ago, then diverged into several lineages of which only two survive: the euphyllophytes (ferns and seed plants) and the lycophytes. We report here the genome sequence of the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii (Selaginella), the first nonseed vascular plant genome reported. By comparing gene content in evolutionarily diverse taxa, we found that the transition from a gametophyte- to a sporophyte-dominated life cycle required far fewer new genes than the transition from a nonseed vascular to a flowering plant, whereas secondary metabolic genes expanded extensively and in parallel in the lycophyte and angiosperm lineages. Selaginella differs in posttranscriptional gene regulation, including small RNA regulation of repetitive elements, an absence of the trans-acting small interfering RNA pathway, and extensive RNA editing of organellar genes. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1203810 SN - 0036-8075 VL - 332 IS - 6032 SP - 960 EP - 963 PB - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Raabova, Jana A1 - Muenzbergova, Zuzana A1 - Fischer, Markus T1 - The role of spatial scale and soil for local adaptation in Inula hirta JF - Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft für Ökologie N2 - Many plant populations are adapted to their local environment. Reciprocal transplant experiments in the field and in the experimental garden allow for studying different aspects of local adaptation. However, usually only one of these approaches is used. We applied both experimental approaches to study the role of spatial scale and soil conditions for local adaptation in the perennial herb Inula hirta. We reciprocally sowed seeds and transplanted juvenile plants among six field sites from two regions and, in the garden, among pots with soil from each field site. We recorded germination percentage, survival percentage, number of stems and plant height in all experiments. We also recorded above- and below-ground biomass, flowering percentage and the number of flower heads in the garden. No population-specific local adaptation was detected in germination, survival, flowering percentages or in the number of flower heads. At the regional scale in the field, however, the performance of local transplants was higher than the performance of foreign transplants by 10% and 7% in the two regions, respectively. Similarly, when grown in the garden in soil from the more basic and nutrient-poorer region, plant height and aboveground biomass of local transplants were higher than the corresponding values for foreign transplants by 31% and 112%, respectively. Congruent evidence for local adaptation from the juvenile-transplant experiments in field and garden suggests that soil conditions represent an important factor of local adaptation in I. hirta. Overall, our results show that both spatial scale and soil conditions play an important role for local adaptation in I. hirta. Moreover, we underline the importance of combining field and garden experiments to reveal factors affecting local adaptation in plants. KW - Dry grasslands KW - Fitness components KW - Genotype by environment KW - Habitat fragmentation KW - Home-site advantage KW - Natural selection KW - Plant traits KW - Reciprocal transplant Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2011.01.001 SN - 1439-1791 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 152 EP - 160 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - THES A1 - Kartal, Önder T1 - The role of interfacial and 'entropic' enzymes in transitory starch degradation : a mathematical modeling approach T1 - Zur Aufklärung der Rolle grenzflächenaktiver und "entropischer" Enzyme beim Abbau transitorischer Stärke auf Grundlage mathematischer Modelle N2 - Plants and some unicellular algae store carbon in the form of transitory starch on a diurnal basis. The turnover of this glucose polymer is tightly regulated and timely synthesis as well as mobilization is essential to provide energy for heterotrophic growth. Especially for starch degradation, novel enzymes and mechanisms have been proposed recently. However, the catalytic properties of these enzymes and their coordination with metabolic regulation are still to be discovered. This thesis develops theoretical methods in order to interpret and analyze enzymes and their role in starch degradation. In the first part, a novel description of interfacial enzyme catalysis is proposed. Since the initial steps of starch degradation involve reactions at the starch-stroma interface it is necessary to have a framework which allows the derivation of interfacial enzyme rate laws. A cornerstone of the method is the introduction of the available area function - a concept from surface physics - to describe the adsorption step in the catalytic cycle. The method is applied to derive rate laws for two hydrolases, the Beta-amylase (BAM3) and the Isoamylase (DBE/ISA3), as well as to the Glucan, water dikinase (GWD) and a Phosphoglucan phosphatase (DSP/SEX4). The second part uses the interfacial rate laws to formulate a kinetic model of starch degradation. It aims at reproducing the stimulatory effect of reversible phosphorylation by GWD and DSP on the breakdown of the granule. The model can describe the dynamics of interfacial properties during degradation and suggests that interfacial amylopectin side-chains undergo spontaneous helix-coil transitions. Reversible phosphorylation has a synergistic effect on glucan release especially in the early phase dropping off during degradation. Based on the model, the hypothesis is formulated that interfacial phosphorylation is important for the rapid switch from starch synthesis to starch degradation. The third part takes a broader perspective on carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) but is motivated by the organization of the downstream pathway of starch breakdown. This comprises Alpha-1,4-glucanotransferases (DPE1 and DPE2) and Alpha-glucan-phosphorylases (Pho or PHS) both in the stroma and in the cytosol. CAZymes accept many different substrates and catalyze numerous reactions and therefore cannot be characterized in classical enzymological terms. A concise characterization is provided by conceptually linking statistical thermodynamics and polymer biochemistry. Each reactant is interpreted as an energy level, transitions between which are constrained by the enzymatic mechanisms. Combinations of in vitro assays of polymer-active CAZymes essential for carbon metabolism in plants confirmed the dominance of entropic gradients. The principle of entropy maximization provides a generalization of the equilibrium constant. Stochastic simulations confirm the results and suggest that randomization of metabolites in the cytosolic pool of soluble heteroglycans (SHG) may contribute to a robust integration of fluctuating carbon fluxes coming from chloroplasts. N2 - Stärke hat eine herausragende Bedeutung für die menschliche Ernährung. Sie ist ein komplexes, wasserunlösliches Glucosepolymer und dient - als eine der wichtigsten Speicherformen von Kohlenhydraten in Pflanzen - der Aufrechterhaltung des Energiestoffwechsels. Unterschiedliche Organe enthalten Stärke. In Knollen und Samen wird die sogenannte Speicherstärke über lange Zeiträume auf- und abgebaut. Die im Allgemeinen weniger bekannte transitorische Stärke in Blättern und einigen einzelligen Algen wird in einem täglichen Rhythmus umgesetzt: Sie wird während der Photosynthese aufgebaut und in der Nacht abgebaut. Experimentelle Studien haben nachgewiesen, dass die Fähigkeit der Pflanze, den Abbau transitorischer Stärke zu regeln, essentiell ist, um während der Nacht das Wachstum der Pflanze zu gewährleisten. Da die Geschwindigkeit von biochemischen Reaktionen über Enzyme reguliert wird, ist die Aufklärung ihrer Funktion im Stoffwechsel eine notwendige Voraussetzung, um den komplexen Prozess des Wachstums zu erklären. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt einen Versuch dar, die Funktion von Enzymen beim Stärkeabbau anhand von mathematischen Modellen und Computersimulationen besser zu verstehen. Dieser Ansatz erlaubt es, Eigenschaften des Systems durch Abstraktion anhand eines idealisierten Abbildes herzuleiten. Die mathematisch notwendigen Folgerungen dienen der Aufstellung von Hypothesen, die wiederum mit experimentellen Resultaten konfrontiert werden können. Stoffwechselsysteme sind komplexe Untersuchungsobjekte, bei denen eine rein qualitative Argumentation schnell an Grenzen gerät, wo mathematische Methoden die Möglichkeit von Aussagen noch zulassen. Der erste Teil der Arbeit entwickelt einen theoretischen Rahmen, um Gleichungen für die Geschwindigkeit oberflächenaktiver Enzyme herzuleiten. Dies ist notwendig, da die ersten Reaktionen, die dem Stärkeabbau zugeordnet werden, an ihrer Oberfläche stattfinden. Die Methode wird auf vier essentielle Enzyme angewandt: zwei abbauende Enzyme (Beta-Amylase und Isoamylase) und zwei den Abbau unterstützende Enzyme (Alpha-Glucan,Wasser-Dikinase und Phosphoglucan Phosphatase). Der zweite Teil entwickelt ein kinetisches Modell des Stärkeabbaus unter Verwendung der hergeleiteten Ratengleichungen. Das Modell bildet die Dynamik des Systems realistisch ab und legt nahe, dass ein spontaner Phasenübergang an der Oberfläche von geordneten zu weniger geordneten Zuständen stattfindet. Ferner wird die Hypothese aufgestellt, dass die reversible Modifikation der Oberfläche durch Enzyme besonders in der Anfangsphase des Abbaus einen synergetischen Effekt hat, d.h. den Abbau enorm beschleunigt. Dies könnte beim schnellen Umschalten von Stärkeaufbau zu Stärkeabbau regulatorisch relevant sein. Im letzten Teil werden kohlenhydrataktive Enzyme betrachtet, die in der löslichen Phase die Produkte des Stärkeabbaus weiterverarbeiten. Da diese sogenannten Transferasen auch in vielen anderen Organismen und Stoffwechselwegen vorkommen, wird ein allgemeiner Standpunkt eingenommen. Anhand von Methoden aus der statistischen Physik wird theoretisch wie experimentell nachgewiesen, dass diese Enzyme spontan die Entropie innerhalb des Stoffwechselsystems erhöhen. Diese Neigung, "Unordnung" zu schaffen, wird vom Organismus aber paradoxerweise ausgenutzt, um die Weiterverarbeitung von Kohlenhydraten im Stärkestoffwechsel zu stabilisieren. Dieser Mechanismus eröffnet einen neuen Blick auf energie- und entropiegetriebene Prozesse in Zellen. KW - Enzymkinetik KW - Enzymadsorption KW - Disproportionierungsenzym KW - Polysaccharide KW - Statistische Physik KW - Enzyme kinetics KW - Enzyme adsorption KW - Disproportionating Enzyme KW - Polysaccharides KW - Statistical Physics Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-53947 ER - TY - THES A1 - Bauer, Barbara T1 - The relevance of species traits for predicting the dynamics of diverse plankton communities Y1 - 2011 CY - Potsdam ER -