TY  - JOUR
A1  - Nie, Yan
A1  - Wang, Weiwei
A1  - Xu, Xun
A1  - Ma, Nan
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - The response of human induced pluripotent stem cells to cyclic temperature changes explored by BIO-AFM
JF  - MRS advances : a journal of the Materials Research Society (MRS)
N2  - Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are highly sensitive to extrinsic physical and biochemical signals from their extracellular microenvironments. In this study, we analyzed the effect of cyclic temperature changes on hiPSCs behaviors, especially by means of scanning force microscopy (BIO-AFM). The alternation in cellular mechanics, as well as the secretion and pattern of deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein in hiPSCs were evaluated. The arrangement of the actin cytoskeleton changed with the variation of the temperature. The rearranged cytoskeleton architecture led to the subsequent changes in cell mechanics (Young's modulus of hiPSCs). With the exposure to the cyclic cold stimuli, an increase in the average surface roughness (Ra) and roughness mean square (RMS) was detected. This observation might be at least in part due to the upregulated secretion of Laminin alpha 5 during repeated temporary cooling. The expression of pluripotent markers, NANOG and SOX2, was not impaired in hiPSCs, when exposed to the cyclic cold stimuli for 24 h. Our findings provide an insight into the effect of temperature on the hiPSC behaviors, which may contribute to a better understanding of the application of locally controlled therapeutic hypothermia.
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-021-00110-4
SN  - 2059-8521
VL  - 6
IS  - 31
SP  - 745
EP  - 749
PB  - Springer
CY  - Cham
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Song, Yu
A1  - Li, Gang
A1  - Nowak, Jacqueline
A1  - Zhang, Xiaoqing
A1  - Xu, Dongbei
A1  - Yang, Xiujuan
A1  - Huang, Guoqiang
A1  - Liang, Wanqi
A1  - Yang, Litao
A1  - Wang, Canhua
A1  - Bulone, Vincent
A1  - Nikoloski, Zoran
A1  - Hu, Jianping
A1  - Persson, Staffan
A1  - Zhang, Dabing
T1  - The Rice Actin-Binding Protein RMD Regulates Light-Dependent Shoot Gravitropism
JF  - Plant physiology : an international journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics and environmental biology of plants
N2  - Light and gravity are two key determinants in orientating plant stems for proper growth and development. The organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton are essential for cell biology and critically regulated by actin-binding proteins. However, the role of actin cytoskeleton in shoot negative gravitropism remains controversial. In this work, we report that the actin-binding protein Rice Morphology Determinant (RMD) promotes reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in rice (Oryza sativa) shoots. The changes in actin organization are associated with the ability of the rice shoots to respond to negative gravitropism. Here, light-grown rmd mutant shoots exhibited agravitropic phenotypes. By contrast, etiolated rmd shoots displayed normal negative shoot gravitropism. Furthermore, we show that RMD maintains an actin configuration that promotes statolith mobility in gravisensing endodermal cells, and for proper auxin distribution in light-grown, but not dark-grown, shoots. RMD gene expression is diurnally controlled and directly repressed by the phytochrome-interacting factor-like protein OsPIL16. Consequently, overexpression of OsPIL16 led to gravisensing and actin patterning defects that phenocopied the rmd mutant. Our findings outline a mechanism that links light signaling and gravity perception for straight shoot growth in rice.
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.00497
SN  - 0032-0889
SN  - 1532-2548
VL  - 181
IS  - 2
SP  - 630
EP  - 644
PB  - American Society of Plant Physiologists
CY  - Rockville
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Tung, Wing Tai
A1  - Maring, Janita A.
A1  - Xu, Xun
A1  - Liu, Yue
A1  - Becker, Matthias
A1  - Somesh, Dipthi Bachamanda
A1  - Klose, Kristin
A1  - Wang, Weiwei
A1  - Sun, Xianlei
A1  - Ullah, Imran
A1  - Kratz, Karl
A1  - Neffe, Axel T.
A1  - Stamm, Christof
A1  - Ma, Nan
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - In vivo performance of a cell and factor free multifunctional fiber mesh modulating postinfarct myocardial remodeling
JF  - Advanced Functional Materials
N2  - Guidance of postinfarct myocardial remodeling processes by an epicardial patch system may alleviate the consequences of ischemic heart disease. As macrophages are highly relevant in balancing immune response and regenerative processes their suitable instruction would ensure therapeutic success. A polymeric mesh capable of attracting and instructing monocytes by purely physical cues and accelerating implant degradation at the cell/implant interface is designed. In a murine model for myocardial infarction the meshes are compared to those either coated with extracellular matrix or loaded with induced cardiomyocyte progenitor cells. All implants promote macrophage infiltration and polarization in the epicardium, which is verified by in vitro experiments. 6 weeks post-MI, especially the implantation of the mesh attenuates left ventricular adverse remodeling processes as shown by reduced infarct size (14.7% vs 28-32%) and increased wall thickness (854 mu m vs 400-600 mu m), enhanced angiogenesis/arteriogenesis (more than 50% increase compared to controls and other groups), and improved heart function (ejection fraction = 36.8% compared to 12.7-31.3%). Upscaling as well as process controls is comprehensively considered in the presented mesh fabrication scheme to warrant further progression from bench to bedside.
KW  - bioinstructive materials
KW  - cardiac regeneration
KW  - function by structure;
KW  - modulation of in vivo regeneration
KW  - multifunctional biomaterials
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202110179
SN  - 1616-301X
SN  - 1616-3028
VL  - 32
IS  - 31
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Weinheim
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Herzschuh, Ulrike
A1  - Cao, Xianyong
A1  - Laepple, Thomas
A1  - Dallmeyer, Anne
A1  - Telford, Richard J.
A1  - Ni, Jian
A1  - Chen, Fahu
A1  - Kong, Zhaochen
A1  - Liu, Guangxiu
A1  - Liu, Kam-Biu
A1  - Liu, Xingqi
A1  - Stebich, Martina
A1  - Tang, Lingyu
A1  - Tian, Fang
A1  - Wang, Yongbo
A1  - Wischnewski, Juliane
A1  - Xu, Qinghai
A1  - Yan, Shun
A1  - Yang, Zhenjing
A1  - Yu, Ge
A1  - Zhang, Yun
A1  - Zhao, Yan
A1  - Zheng, Zhuo
T1  - Position and orientation of the westerly jet determined Holocene rainfall patterns in China
JF  - Nature Communications
N2  - Proxy-based reconstructions and modeling of Holocene spatiotemporal precipitation patterns for China and Mongolia have hitherto yielded contradictory results indicating that the basic mechanisms behind the East Asian Summer Monsoon and its interaction with the westerly jet stream remain poorly understood. We present quantitative reconstructions of Holocene precipitation derived from 101 fossil pollen records and analyse them with the help of a minimal empirical model. We show that the westerly jet-stream axis shifted gradually southward and became less tilted since the middle Holocene. This was tracked by the summer monsoon rain band resulting in an early-Holocene precipitation maximum over most of western China, a mid-Holocene maximum in north-central and northeastern China, and a late-Holocene maximum in southeastern China. Our results suggest that a correct simulation of the orientation and position of the westerly jet stream is crucial to the reliable prediction of precipitation patterns in China and Mongolia.
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09866-8
SN  - 2041-1723
VL  - 10
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zhang, Naimeng
A1  - Cao, Xianyong
A1  - Xu, Qinghai
A1  - Huang, Xiaozhong
A1  - Herzschuh, Ulrike
A1  - Shen, Zhongwei
A1  - Peng, Wei
A1  - Liu, Sisi
A1  - Wu, Duo
A1  - Wang, Jian
A1  - Xia, Huan
A1  - Zhang, Dongju
A1  - Chen, Fahu
T1  - Vegetation change and human-environment interactions in the Qinghai Lake Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau, since the last deglaciation
JF  - Catena
N2  - The nature of the interaction between prehistoric humans and their environment, especially the vegetation, has long been of interest. The Qinghai Lake Basin in North China is well-suited to exploring the interactions between prehistoric humans and vegetation in the Tibetan Plateau, because of the comparatively dense distribution of archaeological sites and the ecologically fragile environment. Previous pollen studies of Qinghai Lake have enabled a detailed reconstruction of the regional vegetation, but they have provided relatively little information on vegetation change within the Qinghai Lake watershed. To address the issue we conducted a pollen-based vegetation reconstruction for an archaeological site (YWY), located on the southern shore of Qinghai Lake. We used high temporal-resolution pollen records from the YWY site and from Qinghai Lake, spanning the interval since the last deglaciation (15.3 kyr BP to the present) to quantitatively reconstruct changes in the local and regional vegetation using Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm models. The results show that, since the late glacial, spruce forest grew at high altitudes in the surrounding mountains, while the lakeshore environment was occupied mainly by shrub-steppe. From the lateglacial to the middle Holocene, coniferous woodland began to expand downslope and reached the YWY site at 7.1 kyr BP. The living environment of the local small groups of Paleolithic-Epipaleolithic humans (during 15.3-13.1 kyr BP and 9-6.4 kyr BP) changed from shrub-steppe to coniferous forest-steppe. The pollen record shows no evidence of pronounced changes in the vegetation community corresponding to human activity. However, based on a comparison of the local and regional vegetation reconstructions, low values of biodiversity and a significant increase in two indicators of vegetation degradation, Chenopodiaceae and Rosaceae, suggest that prehistoric hunters-gatherers likely disturbed the local vegetation during 9.0-6.4 kyr BP. Our findings are a preliminary attempt to study human-environment interactions at Paleolithic-Epipaleolithic sites in the region, and they contribute to ongoing environmental archaeology research in the Tibetan Plateau.
KW  - Quantitative vegetation reconstruction
KW  - Local and regional vegetation
KW  - dynamics
KW  - Paleolithic-Epipaleolithic human-environment 
KW  - interactions
KW  - Northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2021.105892
SN  - 0341-8162
SN  - 1872-6887
VL  - 210
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Xu, Xun
A1  - Nie, Yan
A1  - Wang, Weiwei
A1  - Ma, Nan
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - Periodic thermomechanical modulation of toll-like receptor expression and distribution in mesenchymal stromal cells
JF  - MRS communications / a publication of the Materials Research Society
N2  - Toll-like receptor (TLR) can trigger an immune response against virus including SARS-CoV-2. TLR expression/distribution is varying in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) depending on their culture environments. Here, to explore the effect of periodic thermomechanical cues on TLRs, thermally controlled shape-memory polymer sheets with programmable actuation capacity were created. The proportion of MSCs expressing SARS-CoV-2-associated TLRs was increased upon stimulation. The TLR4/7 colocalization was promoted and retained in the endoplasmic reticula. The TLR redistribution was driven by myosin-mediated F-actin assembly. These results highlight the potential of boosting the immunity for combating COVID-19 via thermomechanical preconditioning of MSCs.
KW  - Actuation
KW  - Antiviral
KW  - Biomaterial
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - Shape memory
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-021-00049-5
SN  - 2159-6867
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
SP  - 425
EP  - 431
PB  - Springer
CY  - Berlin
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zhang, Kai
A1  - Hu, Jiege
A1  - Yang, Shuai
A1  - Xu, Wei
A1  - Wang, Zhichao
A1  - Zhuang, Peiwen
A1  - Grossart, Hans-Peter
A1  - Luo, Zhuhua
T1  - Biodegradation of polyester polyurethane by the marine fungus Cladosporium halotolerans 6UPA1
JF  - Journal of hazardous materials
N2  - Lack of degradability and the accumulation of polymeric wastes increase the risk for the health of the environment. Recently, recycling of polymeric waste materials becomes increasingly important as raw materials for polymer synthesis are in short supply due to the rise in price and supply chain disruptions. As an important polymer, polyurethane (PU) is widely used in modern life, therefore, PU biodegradation is desirable to avoid its accumulation in the environment. In this study, we isolated a fungal strain Cladosporium halotolerans from the deep sea which can grow in mineral medium with a polyester PU (Impranil DLN) as a sole carbon source. Further, we demonstrate that it can degrade up to 80% of Impranil PU after 3 days of incubation at 28 celcius by breaking the carbonyl groups (1732 cm(-1)) and C-N-H bonds (1532 cm(-1) and 1247 cm(-1)) as confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed polyols and alkanes as PU degradation intermediates, indicating the hydrolysis of ester and urethane bonds. Esterase and urease activities were detected in 7 days-old cultures with PU as a carbon source. Transcriptome analysis showed a number of extracellular protein genes coding for enzymes such as cutinase, lipase, peroxidase and hydrophobic surface binding proteins A (HsbA) were expressed when cultivated on Impranil PU. The yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that the hydrophobic surface binding protein ChHsbA1 directly interacts with inducible esterases, ChLip1 (lipase) and ChCut1 (cutinase). Further, the KEGG pathway for "fatty acid degradation " was significantly enriched in Impranil PU inducible genes, indicating that the fungus may use the degradation intermediates to generate energy via this pathway. Taken together, our data indicates secretion of both esterase and hydrophobic surface binding proteins by C. halotolerans plays an important role in Impranil PU absorption and subsequent degradation. Our study provides a mechanistic insight into Impranil PU biodegradation by deep sea fungi and provides the basis for future development of biotechnological PU recycling.
KW  - Impranil PU degradation
KW  - Lipase
KW  - Cutinase
KW  - HsbA
KW  - Fatty acid degradation
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129406
SN  - 0304-3894
SN  - 1873-3336
VL  - 437
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -