TY - THES A1 - Arsova, Borjana T1 - Functional characterization of two fructokinase-like proteins that potentially integrate metabolic and redox signals to control plastid gene expression Y1 - 2009 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Arrivault, Stéphanie T1 - Functional characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana MTP3, a putative metal transport protein of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) family Y1 - 2005 ER - TY - THES A1 - Arnold, Stefanie T1 - Epitop-Kartierung von PBP2A und Identifizierung MRSA-spezifischer immunodominanter Peptidsequenzen Y1 - 2014 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arnold, Patrick A1 - Rutschmann, Sereina T1 - UCE sequencing-derived mitogenomes reveal the timing of mitochondrial replacement in Malagasy shrew tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae, Microgale) JF - Mammalian biology = Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde N2 - Malagasy shrew tenrecs (Microgale) have increasingly been used to study speciation genetics over the last years. A previous study recently uncovered gene flow between the Shrew-toothed shrew tenrec (M. soricoides) and sympatric southern population of the Pale shrew tenrec (M. fotsifotsy). This gene flow has been suggested to be accompanied by complete mitochondrial replacement in M. fotsifotsy. To explore the temporal framework of this replacement, we assembled mitogenomes from publicly available sequencing data of ultra-conserved elements. We were able to assemble complete and partial mitogenomes for 19 specimens from five species of shrew tenrecs, which represents a multifold increase in mitogenomic resources available for all tenrecs. Phylogenetic inferences and sequence simulations support the close relationship between the mitochondrial lineages of M. soricoides and the southern population of M. fotsifotsy. Based on the nuclear divergence of northern and southern populations of M. fotsifotsy and the mitochondrial divergence between the latter and M. soricoides, there was a mean time window for replacement of similar to 350,000 years. This timeframe implies that the effective size of the ancestral M. fotsifotsy southern population was less 70,000. KW - Microgale KW - Tenrecs KW - Gene flow KW - Mitochondrial replacement KW - Madagascar Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00246-2 SN - 1616-5047 SN - 1618-1476 VL - 102 IS - 2 SP - 531 EP - 536 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - GEN A1 - Arnold, Patrick T1 - The origin of morphological integration and modularity in the Mammalian Neck T2 - Journal of morphology Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21003 SN - 0362-2525 SN - 1097-4687 VL - 280 SP - S13 EP - S13 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arnold, Patrick T1 - Evolution of the mammalian neck from developmental, morpho-functional, and paleontological perspectives JF - Journal of Mammalian Evolution N2 - The mammalian neck adopts a variety of postures during daily life and generates numerous head trajectories. Despite its functional diversity, the neck is constrained to seven cervical vertebrae in (almost) all mammals. Given this low number, an unexpectedly high degree of modularity of the mammalian neck has more recently been uncovered. This work aims to review neck modularity in mammals from a developmental, morpho-functional, and paleontological perspective and how high functional diversity evolved in the mammalian neck after the occurrence of meristic limitations. The fixed number of cervical vertebrae and the developmental modularity of the mammalian neck are closely linked to anterior Hox genes expression and strong developmental integration between the neck and other body regions. In addition, basic neck biomechanics promote morpho-functional modularity due to preferred motion axes in the cranio-cervical and cervico-thoracic junction. These developmental and biomechanical determinants result in the characteristic and highly conserved shape variation among the vertebrae that delimits morphological modules. The step-wise acquisition of these unique cervical traits can be traced in the fossil record. The increasing functional specialization of neck modules, however, did not evolve all at once but started much earlier in the upper than in the lower neck. Overall, the strongly conserved modularity in the mammalian neck represents an evolutionary trade-off between the meristic constraints and functional diversity. Although a morpho-functional partition of the neck is common among amniotes, the degree of modularity and the way neck disparity is realized is unique in mammals. KW - cervical spine KW - modularity KW - developmental constraints KW - mammalian body KW - plan KW - neck evolution Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-020-09506-9 SN - 1064-7554 SN - 1573-7055 VL - 28 IS - 2 SP - 173 EP - 183 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arnold, Anne A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - In search for an accurate model of the photosynthetic carbon metabolism JF - Mathematics and computers in simulation : transactions of IMACS N2 - The photosynthetic carbon metabolism, including the Calvin-Benson cycle, is the primary pathway in C-3-plants, producing starch and sucrose from CO2. Understanding the interplay between regulation and efficiency of this pathway requires the development of mathematical models which would explain the observed dynamics of metabolic transformations. Here, we address this question by casting the existing models of Calvin-Benson cycle and the end-product processes into an analysis framework which not only facilitates the comparison of the different models, but also allows for their ranking with respect to chosen criteria, including stability, sensitivity, robustness and/or compliance with experimental data. The importance of the photosynthetic carbon metabolism for the increase of plant biomass has resulted in many models with various levels of detail. We provide the largest compendium of 15 existing, well-investigated models together with a comprehensive classification as well as a ranking framework to determine the best-performing models for metabolic engineering and planning of in silica experiments. The classification can be additionally used, based on the model structure, as a tool to identify the models which match best the experimental design. The provided ranking is just one alternative to score models and, by changing the weighting factor, this framework also could be applied for selection of other criteria of interest. KW - Calvin-Benson cycle KW - Carbon metabolism KW - Model ranking KW - Differential and algebraic equations Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matcom.2012.03.011 SN - 0378-4754 SN - 1872-7166 VL - 96 SP - 171 EP - 194 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arnold, Anne A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - A quantitative comparison of Calvin-Benson cycle models JF - Trends in plant science N2 - The Calvin-Benson cycle (CBC) provides the precursors for biomass synthesis necessary for plant growth. The dynamic behavior and yield of the CBC depend on the environmental conditions and regulation of the cellular state. Accurate quantitative models hold the promise of identifying the key determinants of the tightly regulated CBC function and their effects on the responses in future climates. We provide an integrative analysis of the largest compendium of existing models for photosynthetic processes. Based on the proposed ranking, our framework facilitates the discovery of best-performing models with regard to metabolomics data and of candidates for metabolic engineering. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2011.09.004 SN - 1360-1385 VL - 16 IS - 12 SP - 676 EP - 683 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - THES A1 - Arnold, Anne T1 - Modeling photosynthesis and related metabolic processes : from detailed examination to consideration of the metabolic context T1 - Modellierung von Photosynthese und damit zusammenhängende metabolische Prozesse : von detaillierter Betrachtung hin zur Erörterung im metabolischen Kontext N2 - Mathematical modeling of biological systems is a powerful tool to systematically investigate the functions of biological processes and their relationship with the environment. To obtain accurate and biologically interpretable predictions, a modeling framework has to be devised whose assumptions best approximate the examined scenario and which copes with the trade-off of complexity of the underlying mathematical description: with attention to detail or high coverage. Correspondingly, the system can be examined in detail on a smaller scale or in a simplified manner on a larger scale. In this thesis, the role of photosynthesis and its related biochemical processes in the context of plant metabolism was dissected by employing modeling approaches ranging from kinetic to stoichiometric models. The Calvin-Benson cycle, as primary pathway of carbon fixation in C3 plants, is the initial step for producing starch and sucrose, necessary for plant growth. Based on an integrative analysis for model ranking applied on the largest compendium of (kinetic) models for the Calvin-Benson cycle, those suitable for development of metabolic engineering strategies were identified. Driven by the question why starch rather than sucrose is the predominant transitory carbon storage in higher plants, the metabolic costs for their synthesis were examined. The incorporation of the maintenance costs for the involved enzymes provided a model-based support for the preference of starch as transitory carbon storage, by only exploiting the stoichiometry of synthesis pathways. Many photosynthetic organisms have to cope with processes which compete with carbon fixation, such as photorespiration whose impact on plant metabolism is still controversial. A systematic model-oriented review provided a detailed assessment for the role of this pathway in inhibiting the rate of carbon fixation, bridging carbon and nitrogen metabolism, shaping the C1 metabolism, and influencing redox signal transduction. The demand of understanding photosynthesis in its metabolic context calls for the examination of the related processes of the primary carbon metabolism. To this end, the Arabidopsis core model was assembled via a bottom-up approach. This large-scale model can be used to simulate photoautotrophic biomass production, as an indicator for plant growth, under so-called optimal, carbon-limiting and nitrogen-limiting growth conditions. Finally, the introduced model was employed to investigate the effects of the environment, in particular, nitrogen, carbon and energy sources, on the metabolic behavior. This resulted in a purely stoichiometry-based explanation for the experimental evidence for preferred simultaneous acquisition of nitrogen in both forms, as nitrate and ammonium, for optimal growth in various plant species. The findings presented in this thesis provide new insights into plant system's behavior, further support existing opinions for which mounting experimental evidences arise, and posit novel hypotheses for further directed large-scale experiments. N2 - Mathematische Modellierung biologischer Systeme eröffnet die Möglichkeit systematisch die Funktionsweise biologischer Prozesse und ihrer Wechselwirkungen mit der Umgebung zu untersuchen. Um präzise und biologisch relevante Vorhersagen treffen zu können, muss eine Modellierungsstrategie konzipiert werden, deren Annahmen das untersuchte Szenario bestmöglichst widerspiegelt und die dem Trade-off der Komplexität der zugrunde liegenden mathematischen Beschreibung gerecht wird: Detailtreue gegenüber Größe. Dementsprechend kann das System detailliert, in kleinerem Umfang oder in vereinfachter Darstellung im größeren Maßstab untersucht werden. In dieser Arbeit wird mittels verschiedener Modellierungsansätze, wie kinetischen und stöchiometrischen Modellen, die Rolle der Photosynthese und damit zusammenhängender biochemischer Prozesse im Rahmen des Pflanzenstoffwechsels analysiert. Der Calvin-Benson-Zyklus, als primärer Stoffwechselweg der Kohlenstofffixierung in C3-Pflanzen, ist der erste Schritt der Stärke- und Saccharoseproduktion, welche maßgeblich für das Wachstum von Pflanzen sind. Basierend auf einer integrativen Analyse zur Modellklassifizierung wurden aus der größten bekannten Sammlung von (kinetischen) Modellen des Calvin-Benson-Zyklus diejenigen ermittelt, die für die Entwicklung von Metabolic-Engineering-Strategien geeignet sind. Angeregt von der Fragestellung warum Kohlenstoff transitorisch vorwiegend in Form von Stärke anstatt Saccharose gespeichert wird, wurden die metabolischen Kosten beider Syntheseprozesse genauer betrachtet. Die Einbeziehung der Bereitstellungskosten der beteiligten Enzyme stützt die Tatsache, dass bevorzugt Stärke als temporärer Kohlenstoffspeicher dient. Die entprechende Untersuchung erfolgte einzig auf Grundlage der Stöchiometrie der Synthesewege. In vielen photosynthetisch-aktiven Organismen findet zudem Photorespiration statt, die der Kohlenstofffixierung entgegenwirkt. Die genaue Bedeutung der Photorespiration für den Pflanzenmetabolismus ist noch umstritten. Eine detaillierte Einschätzung der Rolle dieses Stoffwechselweges bezüglich der Inhibierung der Kohlenstofffixierungsrate, der Verknüpfung von Kohlenstoff- und Stickstoffmetabolismus, der Ausprägung des C1-Stoffwechsels sowie die Einflussnahme auf die Signaltransduktion wurde in einer modell-basierten, kritischen Analyse vorgenommen. Um die Photosynthese in ihrem metabolischen Kontext verstehen zu können, ist die Betrachtung der angrenzenden Prozesse des primären Kohlenstoffmetabolismus unverzichtbar. Hierzu wurde in einem Bottom-up Ansatz das Arabidopsis core Modell entworfen, mittels dessen die Biomasseproduktion, als Indikator für Pflanzenwachtum, unter photoautotrophen Bedingungen simuliert werden kann. Neben sogenannten optimalen Wachstumsbedingungen kann dieses großangelegte Modell auch kohlenstoff- und stickstofflimitierende Umweltbedingungen simulieren. Abschließend wurde das vorgestellte Modell zur Untersuchung von Umwelteinflüssen auf das Stoffwechselverhalten herangezogen, im speziellen verschiedene Stickstoff-, Kohlenstoff- und Energiequellen. Diese auschließlich auf der Stöchiometrie basierende Analyse bietet eine Erklärung für die bevorzugte, gleichzeitige Aufnahme von Nitrat und Ammonium, wie sie in verschiedenen Spezies für optimales Wachstum experimentell beobachtet wurde. Die Resultate dieser Arbeit liefern neue Einsichten in das Verhalten von pflanzlichen Systemen, stützen existierende Ansichten, für die zunehmend experimentelle Hinweise vorhanden sind, und postulieren neue Hypothesen für weiterführende großangelegte Experimente. KW - stöchiometrische Modellierung KW - kinetische Modellierung KW - metabolische Netzwerke KW - metabolische Kosten KW - Photosynthese KW - stoichiometric modeling KW - kinetic modeling KW - metabolic networks KW - metabolic costs KW - photosynthesis Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-72277 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arnison, Paul G. A1 - Bibb, Mervyn J. A1 - Bierbaum, Gabriele A1 - Bowers, Albert A. A1 - Bugni, Tim S. A1 - Bulaj, Grzegorz A1 - Camarero, Julio A. A1 - Campopiano, Dominic J. A1 - Challis, Gregory L. A1 - Clardy, Jon A1 - Cotter, Paul D. A1 - Craik, David J. A1 - Dawson, Michael A1 - Dittmann-Thünemann, Elke A1 - Donadio, Stefano A1 - Dorrestein, Pieter C. A1 - Entian, Karl-Dieter A1 - Fischbach, Michael A. A1 - Garavelli, John S. A1 - Goeransson, Ulf A1 - Gruber, Christian W. A1 - Haft, Daniel H. A1 - Hemscheidt, Thomas K. A1 - Hertweck, Christian A1 - Hill, Colin A1 - Horswill, Alexander R. A1 - Jaspars, Marcel A1 - Kelly, Wendy L. A1 - Klinman, Judith P. A1 - Kuipers, Oscar P. A1 - Link, A. James A1 - Liu, Wen A1 - Marahiel, Mohamed A. A1 - Mitchell, Douglas A. A1 - Moll, Gert N. A1 - Moore, Bradley S. A1 - Mueller, Rolf A1 - Nair, Satish K. A1 - Nes, Ingolf F. A1 - Norris, Gillian E. A1 - Olivera, Baldomero M. A1 - Onaka, Hiroyasu A1 - Patchett, Mark L. A1 - Piel, Jörn A1 - Reaney, Martin J. T. A1 - Rebuffat, Sylvie A1 - Ross, R. Paul A1 - Sahl, Hans-Georg A1 - Schmidt, Eric W. A1 - Selsted, Michael E. A1 - Severinov, Konstantin A1 - Shen, Ben A1 - Sivonen, Kaarina A1 - Smith, Leif A1 - Stein, Torsten A1 - Suessmuth, Roderich D. A1 - Tagg, John R. A1 - Tang, Gong-Li A1 - Truman, Andrew W. A1 - Vederas, John C. A1 - Walsh, Christopher T. A1 - Walton, Jonathan D. A1 - Wenzel, Silke C. A1 - Willey, Joanne M. A1 - van der Donk, Wilfred A. T1 - Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature JF - Natural product reports : a journal of current developments in bio-organic chemistry N2 - This review presents recommended nomenclature for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), a rapidly growing class of natural products. The current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of the >20 distinct compound classes is also reviewed, and commonalities are discussed. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c2np20085f SN - 0265-0568 VL - 30 IS - 1 SP - 108 EP - 160 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Arndt, Katja Maren T1 - Proteine zur Krebstherapie - Zielen, Steuern, Hemmen : Antrittsvorlesung 2010-12-08 N2 - Biotechnologie, Biologie, Protein Engineering, Therapeutische Peptide, Protein Design, Selektionssysteme / biotechnology, biology, protein enginieering, therapeutic peptides, protein design, selection systems Y1 - 2010 UR - http://info.ub.uni-potsdam.de/multimedia/show_multimediafile.php?mediafile_id=239 PB - Univ.-Bibl. CY - Potsdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Armarego-Marriott, Tegan T1 - From dark to light BT - an overexpression and systems biology approach to investigate the development of functional thylakoid membranes Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arlt, Olga A1 - Schwiebs, Anja A1 - Japtok, Lukasz A1 - Rueger, Katja A1 - Katzy, Elisabeth A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Radeke, Heinfried H. T1 - Sphingosine-1-Phosphate modulates dendritic cell function: focus on non-migratory effects in vitro and in vivo JF - Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology N2 - Dendritic cells (DCs) are the cutting edge in innate and adaptive immunity. The major functions of these antigen presenting cells are the capture, endosomal processing and presentation of antigens, providing them an exclusive ability to provoke adaptive immune responses and to induce and control tolerance. Immature DCs capture and process antigens, migrate towards secondary lymphoid organs where they present antigens to naive T cells in a well synchronized sequence of procedures referred to as maturation. Indeed, recent research indicated that sphingolipids are modulators of essential steps in DC homeostasis. It has been recognized that sphingolipids not only modulate the development of DC subtypes from precursor cells but also influence functional activities of DCs such as antigen capture, and cytokine profiling. Thus, it is not astonishing that sphingolipids and sphingolipid metabolism play a substantial role in inflammatory diseases that are modulated by DCs. Here we highlight the function of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) on DC homeostasis and the role of SIP and SW metabolism in inflammatory diseases. KW - Sphingosine-1-phosphate KW - Dendritic cells KW - Fingolimod KW - IL-12 KW - Inflammation Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1159/000362982 SN - 1015-8987 SN - 1421-9778 VL - 34 IS - 1 SP - 27 EP - 44 PB - Karger CY - Basel ER - TY - THES A1 - Arlt, Matthias T1 - Studien zur Initiation, Ausbreitung und Übertragbarkeit verschiedener Varianten von posttranskriptionellem Transgensilencing anhand molekularer Charakteristika in Arabidopsis thaliana Y1 - 2007 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arias-Andres, Maria A1 - Rojas-Jimenez, Keilor A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Collateral effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic microorganisms BT - An ecological perspective JF - Trends in Analytical Chemistry N2 - Microplastics (MP) provide a unique and extensive surface for microbial colonization in aquatic ecosystems. The formation of microorganism-microplastic complexes, such as biofilms, maximizes the degradation of organic matter and horizontal gene transfer. In this context, MP affect the structure and function of microbial communities, which in turn render the physical and chemical fate of MP. This new paradigm generates challenges for microbiology, ecology, and ecotoxicology. Dispersal of MP is concomitant with that of their associated microorganisms and their mobile genetic elements, including antibiotic resistance genes, islands of pathogenicity, and diverse metabolic pathways. Functional changes in aquatic microbiomes can alter carbon metabolism and food webs, with unknown consequences on higher organisms or human microbiomes and hence health. Here, we examine a variety of effects of MP pollution from the microbial ecology perspective, whose repercussions on aquatic ecosystems begin to be unraveled. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Microplastics (MP) KW - Biofilms KW - HGT KW - Microbial ecology KW - Carbon cycling KW - Aquatic ecosystems KW - Health risk assessment Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.11.041 SN - 0165-9936 SN - 1879-3142 VL - 112 SP - 234 EP - 240 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arias-Andres, Maria A1 - Kluemper, Uli A1 - Rojas-Jimenez, Keilor A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Microplastic pollution increases gene exchange in aquatic ecosystems JF - Environmental pollution N2 - Pollution by microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is accumulating at an unprecedented scale, emerging as a new surface for biofilm formation and gene exchange. In this study, we determined the permissiveness of aquatic bacteria towards a model antibiotic resistance plasmid, comparing communities that form biofilms on microplastics vs. those that are free-living. We used an exogenous and red-fluorescent E. coli donor strain to introduce the green-fluorescent broad-host-range plasmid pKJKS which encodes for trimethoprim resistance. We demonstrate an increased frequency of plasmid transfer in bacteria associated with microplastics compared to bacteria that are free-living or in natural aggregates. Moreover, comparison of communities grown on polycarbonate filters showed that increased gene exchange occurs in a broad range of phylogenetically-diverse bacteria. Our results indicate horizontal gene transfer in this habitat could distinctly affect the ecology of aquatic microbial communities on a global scale. The spread of antibiotic resistance through microplastics could also have profound consequences for the evolution of aquatic bacteria and poses a neglected hazard for human health. KW - Microplastics KW - Aquatic ecosystems KW - Biofilm KW - Horizontal gene transfer KW - Antibiotic resistance Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.058 SN - 0269-7491 SN - 1873-6424 VL - 237 SP - 253 EP - 261 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arias Andrés, María de Jesús A1 - Kettner, Marie Therese A1 - Miki, Takeshi A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Microplastics: New substrates for heterotrophic activity contribute to altering organic matter cycles in aquatic ecosystems JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Heterotrophic microbes with the capability to process considerable amounts of organic matter can colonize microplastic particles (MP) in aquatic ecosystems. Weather colonization of microorganisms on MP will alter ecological niche and functioning of microbial communities remains still unanswered. Therefore, we compared the functional diversity of biofilms on microplastics when incubated in three lakes in northeastern Germany differing in trophy and limnological features. For all lakes, we compared heterotrophic activities of MP biofilms with those of microorganisms in the surrounding water by using Biolog (R) EcoPlates and assessed their oxygen consumption in microcosm assays with and without MP. The present study found that the total biofilm biomass was higher in the oligo-mesotrophic and dystrophic lakes than in the eutrophic lake. In all lakes, functional diversity profiles of MP biofilms consistently differed from those in the surrounding water. However, solely in the oligo-mesotrophic lake MP biofilms had a higher functional richness compared to the ambient water. These results demonstrate that the functionality and hence the ecological role of MP-associated microbial communities are context-dependent, i.e. different environments lead to substantial changes in biomass build up and heterotrophic activities of MP biofilms. We propose that MP surfaces act as new niches for aquatic microorganisms and that the constantly increasing MP pollution has the potential to globally impact carbon dynamics of pelagic environments by altering heterotrophic activities. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Microplastics KW - Microorganisms KW - Biofilms KW - Total biomass KW - Heterotrophic activity KW - Functional diversity KW - Multi-functionality index Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.199 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 635 SP - 1152 EP - 1159 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Arias Andrés, María de Jesús T1 - Microbial gene exchange on microplastic particles T1 - Mikrobieller Gentransfer auf Mikroplastikpartikel N2 - Plastic pollution is ubiquitous on the planet since several millions of tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems each year. Furthermore, the amount of plastic produced is expected to increase exponentially shortly. The heterogeneity of materials, additives and physical characteristics of plastics are typical of these emerging contaminants and affect their environmental fate in marine and freshwaters. Consequently, plastics can be found in the water column, sediments or littoral habitats of all aquatic ecosystems. Most of this plastic debris will fragment as a product of physical, chemical and biological forces, producing particles of small size. These particles (< 5mm) are known as “microplastics” (MP). Given their high surface-to-volume ratio, MP stimulate biofouling and the formation of biofilms in aquatic systems. As a result of their unique structure and composition, the microbial communities in MP biofilms are referred to as the “Plastisphere.” While there is increasing data regarding the distinctive composition and structure of the microbial communities that form part of the plastisphere, scarce information exists regarding the activity of microorganisms in MP biofilms. This surface-attached lifestyle is often associated with the increase in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among bacteria. Therefore, this type of microbial activity represents a relevant function worth to be analyzed in MP biofilms. The horizontal exchange of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) is an essential feature of bacteria. It accounts for the rapid evolution of these prokaryotes and their adaptation to a wide variety of environments. The process of HGT is also crucial for spreading antibiotic resistance and for the evolution of pathogens, as many MGEs are known to contain antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and genetic determinants of pathogenicity. In general, the research presented in this Ph.D. thesis focuses on the analysis of HGT and heterotrophic activity in MP biofilms in aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective was to analyze the potential of gene exchange between MP bacterial communities vs. that of the surrounding water, including bacteria from natural aggregates. Moreover, the thesis addressed the potential of MP biofilms for the proliferation of biohazardous bacteria and MGEs from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and associated with antibiotic resistance. Finally, it seeks to prove if the physiological profile of MP biofilms under different limnological conditions is divergent from that of the water communities. Accordingly, the thesis is composed of three independent studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The two laboratory studies were performed using both model and environmental microbial communities. In the field experiment, natural communities from freshwater ecosystems were examined. In Chapter I, the inflow of treated wastewater into a temperate lake was simulated with a concentration gradient of MP particles. The effects of MP on the microbial community structure and the occurrence of integrase 1 (int 1) were followed. The int 1 is a marker associated with mobile genetic elements and known as a proxy for anthropogenic effects on the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. During the experiment, the abundance of int1 increased in the plastisphere with increasing MP particle concentration, but not in the surrounding water. In addition, the microbial community on MP was more similar to the original wastewater community with increasing microplastic concentrations. Our results show that microplastic particles indeed promote persistence of standard indicators of microbial anthropogenic pollution in natural waters. In Chapter II, the experiments aimed to compare the permissiveness of aquatic bacteria towards model antibiotic resistance plasmid pKJK5, between communities that form biofilms on MP vs. those that are free-living. The frequency of plasmid transfer in bacteria associated with MP was higher when compared to bacteria that are free-living or in natural aggregates. Moreover, comparison increased gene exchange occurred in a broad range of phylogenetically-diverse bacteria. The results indicate a different activity of HGT in MP biofilms, which could affect the ecology of aquatic microbial communities on a global scale and the spread of antibiotic resistance. Finally, in Chapter III, physiological measurements were performed to assess whether microorganisms on MP had a different functional diversity from those in water. General heterotrophic activity such as oxygen consumption was compared in microcosm assays with and without MP, while diversity and richness of heterotrophic activities were calculated by using Biolog® EcoPlates. Three lakes with different nutrient statuses presented differences in MP-associated biomass build up. Functional diversity profiles of MP biofilms in all lakes differed from those of the communities in the surrounding water, but only in the oligo-mesotrophic lake MP biofilms had a higher functional richness compared to the ambient water. The results support that MP surfaces act as new niches for aquatic microorganisms and can affect global carbon dynamics of pelagic environments. Overall, the experimental works presented in Chapters I and II support a scenario where MP pollution affects HGT dynamics among aquatic bacteria. Among the consequences of this alteration is an increase in the mobilization and transfer efficiency of ARGs. Moreover, it supposes that changes in HGT can affect the evolution of bacteria and the processing of organic matter, leading to different catabolic profiles such as demonstrated in Chapter III. The results are discussed in the context of the fate and magnitude of plastic pollution and the importance of HGT for bacterial evolution and the microbial loop, i.e., at the base of aquatic food webs. The thesis supports a relevant role of MP biofilm communities for the changes observed in the aquatic microbiome as a product of intense human intervention. N2 - Die Plastikverschmutzung ist auf dem Planeten allgegenwärtig, da jährlich mehrere Millionen Tonnen Plastikabfall in die aquatische Ökosystemen gelangen. Darüber hinaus wird erwartet, dass die Menge an produziertem Plastik in naher Zukunft exponentiell ansteigen wird. Die Heterogenität der Kunststoffmaterialien, ihrer Additive und physikalischen Eigenschaften ist typisch für diese neu auftretenden Schadstoffe und beeinflusst deren Umweltverhalten in Meeres- und Süßwasser. Als Folge kann Plastik in der Wassersäule, den Sedimenten oder Küstenlebensräumen aller aquatischen Ökosysteme gefunden werden. Die meisten dieser Plastikabfälle fragmentieren durch das Zusammenspiel physikalischer, chemischer und biologischer Kräfte, wodurch kleine Partikel erzeugt werden. Diese Partikel (<5mm) sind auch bekannt als "Mikroplastik" (MP). Aufgrund ihres hohen Oberflächen-Volumen-Verhältnisses stimuliert MP das Biofouling und somit die Bildung von Biofilmen in aquatischen Systemen. Aufgrund ihrer einzigartigen Struktur und Zusammensetzung werden die mikrobiellen Gemeinschaften in MP-Biofilmen als "Plastisphäre" bezeichnet. Während es immer mehr Daten über die spezifische Zusammensetzung und Struktur der mikrobiellen Gemeinschaften – die Teil dieser Plastisphäre sind – gibt, existieren hingegen nur wenige Informationen über die Aktivität von Mikroorganismen in MP-Biofilmen. Dieser Lebensstil des Anheftens und Besiedelns von Oberflächen ist oft mit der Zunahme von horizontalem Gentransfer (HGT) unter Bakterien verknüpft. Diese Art der mikrobiellen Aktivität stellt eine besonders relevante Funktion dar und sollte daher in MP-Biofilmen analysiert werden. Der horizontale Austausch von mobilen genetischen Elementen (MGEs) ist ein wesentliches Merkmal von Bakterien. Er ist verantwortlich für die schnelle Evolution dieser Prokaryoten und ihre Anpassungsfähigkeit an verschiedenste Umweltbedingungen. Der Prozess des HGT ist zudem entscheidend für die Verbreitung von Antibiotikaresistenzen sowie für die Entwicklung von Pathogenen, da viele MGEs bekanntermaßen Antibiotikaresistenzgene (ARGs) und genetische Determinanten für Pathogenität enthalten. Im Allgemeinen konzentriert sich die Forschung in der vorliegenden Dissertation auf die Analyse des HGT und der heterotrophen Aktivität in MP-Biofilmen in aquatischen Ökosystemen. Das Hauptziel besteht darin, das Potenzial des Genaustausches zwischen MP-Bakteriengemeinschaften und dem des umgebenden Wassers, einschließlich der Bakterien in natürlichen Aggregaten, zu analysieren. Darüber hinaus befasst sich diese Doktorarbeit mit dem Potenzial von MP-Biofilmen zur Ausbreitung biologisch gefährlicher Bakterien und MGEs, die aus Kläranlagen stammen und mit Antibiotikaresistenzen assoziiert sind. Schließlich soll bei verschiedenen limnologischen Bedingungen überprüft werden, ob das jeweilige physiologische Profil von MP-Biofilmen von dem der Wassergemeinschaften abweicht. Dementsprechend besteht die Arbeit aus drei unabhängigen Studien, die in Fachzeitschriften veröffentlicht wurden. In den beiden Laborstudien wurden sowohl mikrobielle Modell- als auch Umwelt-Gemeinschaften betrachtet. Im Freilandexperiment wurden schließlich die natürlichen Gemeinschaften aus Süßwasserökosystemen untersucht. In Kapitel I wurde der Zufluss von geklärtem Abwasser mit einem Konzentrationsgradienten von MP-Partikeln in einen See der gemäßigten Klimazone simuliert. Dabei wurden die Effekte von MP auf die mikrobielle Gemeinschaftsstruktur und das Auftreten von Integrase 1 (int 1) verfolgt. Int 1 ist ein Marker, der mit mobilen genetischen Elementen assoziiert ist und zur Abschätzung anthropogener Einflüsse auf die Ausbreitung antimikrobieller Resistenzgene verwendet ist. Während des Experiments erhöhte sich das Vorkommen von Int1 in der Plastisphäre mit zunehmender MP-Partikelkonzentration, jedoch nicht im umgebenden Wasser. Darüber hinaus ähnelte die mikrobielle Gemeinschaft auf MP zunehmend der ursprünglichen Abwassergemeinschaft mit steigender Mikroplastikkonzentration. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Mikroplastikpartikel tatsächlich die Persistenz von Standardindikatoren mikrobieller anthropogener Verschmutzung in natürlichen Gewässern fördern. In Kapitel II wurde die Permissivität von aquatischen Bakterien gegen das Modell-Plasmid für Antibiotikaresistenz pKJK5 zwischen Gemeinschaften, die Biofilme auf MP bilden, gegenüber denen, die frei leben, verglichen. Die Häufigkeit des Plasmidtransfers unter den MP-assoziierten Bakterien war höher als unter Bakterien, die frei oder in natürlichen Aggregaten leben. Der verstärkte Genaustausch trat darüber hinaus bei einem breiten Spektrum phylogenetisch diverser Bakterien auf. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf eine unterschiedliche Aktivität von HGT in MP-Biofilmen hin, welche die Ökologie aquatischer mikrobieller Gemeinschaften auf globaler Ebene sowie die Verbreitung von Antibiotikaresistenzen beeinflussen könnten. Schließlich wurden in Kapitel III physiologische Messungen durchgeführt, um festzustellen, ob Mikroorganismen auf MP eine andere funktionelle Diversität aufwiesen als jene im Wasser. Die generelle heterotrophe Aktivität, wie der Sauerstoffverbrauch, wurde in Mikrokosmentests mit und ohne MP verglichen, während die Diversität und Vielfalt heterotropher Aktivitäten mit Hilfe von Biolog® EcoPlates berechnet wurden. Drei Seen mit unterschiedlichen Nährstoffbedingungen wiesen Unterschiede in der Ausprägung der MP-assoziierten Biomasse auf. In allen Seen unterschieden sich die funktionellen Diversitätsprofile der MP-Biofilme von denen der Gemeinschaften im umgebenden Wasser, aber nur die MP-Biofilme des oligo-mesotrophen Sees hatten eine höhere funktionelle Vielfalt im Verglichen zum Umgebungswasser. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass MP-Oberflächen als neue Nischen für aquatische Mikroorganismen fungieren und die globale Kohlenstoffdynamik im Pelagial beeinflussen können. Insgesamt unterstützen die in den Kapiteln I und II vorgestellten experimentellen Studien ein Szenario, in dem die Umweltverschmutzung durch MP die HGT-Dynamik zwischen aquatischen Bakterien beeinflusst. Zu den Folgen dieser Veränderung gehört eine Erhöhung der Mobilisierungs- und Übertragungseffizienz von ARGs. Darüber hinaus wird vermutet, dass eine Beeinflussung des HGT die Evolution von Bakterien und die Umsetzung von organischem Material verändern könnte, was zu verschiedenen katabolischen Profilen führt, wie in Kapitel III gezeigt. Die Ergebnisse werden in Zusammenhang mit dem Ausmaß der Plastikverschmutzung sowie der Bedeutung von HGT für die bakterielle Entwicklung und „mikrobielle Schleife“, d. h. an der Basis der aquatischen Nahrungsnetze, diskutiert. Diese Doktorarbeit veranschaulicht die Bedeutung von MP-Biofilmgemeinschaften für die beobachteten Veränderungen des aquatischen Mikrobioms als eine Folge der intensiven anthropogenen Eingriffe. KW - microplastics KW - horizontal gene transfer KW - aquatic ecosystem KW - microorganisms KW - Mikroplastikpartikel KW - horizontaler Gentransfer KW - aquatische Ökosysteme KW - Mikroorganismen Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-417241 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arend, Marius A1 - Zimmer, David A1 - Xu, Rudan A1 - Sommer, Frederik A1 - Mühlhaus, Timo A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Proteomics and constraint-based modelling reveal enzyme kinetic properties of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii on a genome scale JF - Nature Communications N2 - Metabolic engineering of microalgae offers a promising solution for sustainable biofuel production, and rational design of engineering strategies can be improved by employing metabolic models that integrate enzyme turnover numbers. However, the coverage of turnover numbers for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a model eukaryotic microalga accessible to metabolic engineering, is 17-fold smaller compared to the heterotrophic cell factory Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we generate quantitative protein abundance data of Chlamydomonas covering 2337 to 3708 proteins in various growth conditions to estimate in vivo maximum apparent turnover numbers. Using constrained-based modeling we provide proxies for in vivo turnover numbers of 568 reactions, representing a 10-fold increase over the in vitro data for Chlamydomonas. Integration of the in vivo estimates instead of in vitro values in a metabolic model of Chlamydomonas improved the accuracy of enzyme usage predictions. Our results help in extending the knowledge on uncharacterized enzymes and improve biotechnological applications of Chlamydomonas. KW - Computational models KW - Enzymes KW - Proteomics Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40498-1 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 14 IS - 1 PB - Springer Nature CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arbeiter, Susanne A1 - Tegetmeyer, Cosima T1 - Home range and habitat use by aquatic warblers acrocephalus paludicola on their wintering grounds in Northwestern Senegal JF - Acta ornithologica N2 - The Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola was once a common breeding bird in mesotrophic fen mires all over Central and Western Europe. In the last century large parts of its habitat have been destroyed by wetland drainage and agricultural intensification. Besides protecting the remaining breeding habitats, it is of great importance to preserve suitable migration stopover habitats and wintering grounds to avert the extinction of the species. We determined home-range size and the use of vegetation associations of Aquatic Warblers on the wintering grounds in a flooded plain north of the Djoudj National Park in Senegal. Individual birds (11) were caught in mist nets and equipped with radio transmitters. Locations were assessed by radiotelemetry and a compositional analysis was conducted to determine which vegetation types were preferred within home ranges. Similar to their behaviour on the breeding grounds, the Aquatic Warblers showed no territorial behaviour in their winter quarters. They used home ranges that averaged 4 ha in size, which they shared with conspecifics and other warblers. The home ranges overlapped 54% on average, with a maximum of 90% in an area used by four individuals. The vegetation structure of the wintering habitat is similar to breeding grounds and stopover sites of the species. Preferential vegetation had 80% to 100% cover and consisted of 60 to 90 cm high stands of Oryza longistaminata, Scirpus maritimus or Eleocharis mutata. Most birds stayed more often near the edge of open water, probably for foraging. A constant inundation seems essential, because Aquatic Warblers never occurred in desiccated parts of the study site. KW - Acrocephalus paludicola KW - Djoudj National Park KW - radio telemetry KW - transsaharan migrant KW - vegetation structure Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3161/000164511X625883 SN - 0001-6454 VL - 46 IS - 2 SP - 117 EP - 126 PB - Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences CY - Warsaw ER -