TY - JOUR A1 - Brust, Henrike A1 - Orzechowski, Slawomir A1 - Fettke, Jörg T1 - Starch and Glycogen Analyses BT - Methods and Techniques JF - Biomolecules N2 - For complex carbohydrates, such as glycogen and starch, various analytical methods and techniques exist allowing the detailed characterization of these storage carbohydrates. In this article, we give a brief overview of the most frequently used methods, techniques, and results. Furthermore, we give insights in the isolation, purification, and fragmentation of both starch and glycogen. An overview of the different structural levels of the glucans is given and the corresponding analytical techniques are discussed. Moreover, future perspectives of the analytical needs and the challenges of the currently developing scientific questions are included KW - starch KW - glycogen KW - analytics Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10071020 SN - 2218-273X VL - 10 IS - 7 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwarzer, Christian A1 - Joshi, Jasmin Radha T1 - Ecotypic differentiation, hybridization and clonality facilitate the persistence of a cold-adapted sedge in European bogs JF - Biological journal of the Linnean Society : a journal of evolution N2 - Recent research has shown that many cold-adapted species survived the last glacial maximum (LGM) in northern refugia. Whether this evolutionary history has had consequences for their genetic diversity and adaptive potential remains unknown. We sampled 14 populations of Carex limosa, a sedge specialized to bog ecosystems, along a latitudinal gradient from its Scandinavian core to the southern lowland range-margin in Germany. Using microsatellite and experimental common-garden data, we evaluated the impacts of global climate change along this gradient and assessed the conservation status of the southern marginal populations. Microsatellite data revealed two highly distinct genetic groups and hybrid individuals. In our common-garden experiment, the two groups showed divergent responses to increased nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) availability, suggesting ecotypic differentiation. Each group formed genetically uniform populations at both northern and southern sampling areas. Mixed populations occurred throughout our sampling area, an area that was entirely glaciated during the LGM. The fragmented distribution implies allopatric divergence at geographically separated refugia that putatively differed in N/P availability. Molecular data and an observed low hybrid fecundity indicate the importance of clonal reproduction for hybrid populations. At the southern range-margin, however, all populations showed effects of clonality, lowered fecundity and low competitiveness, suggesting abiotic and biotic constraints to population persistence. KW - biogeography KW - bog/mire plants KW - Carex limosa KW - climate change KW - glacial divergence KW - global change KW - leading/trailing edge KW - population differentiation KW - sexual/asexual reproduction Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz141 SN - 0024-4066 SN - 1095-8312 VL - 128 IS - 4 SP - 909 EP - 925 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lemaire, Olivier N. A1 - Honore, Flora A. A1 - Tempel, Sebastien A1 - Fortier, Emma M. A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Mejean, Vincent A1 - Iobbi-Nivol, Chantal T1 - Shewanella decolorationis LDS1 Chromate Resistance JF - Applied and environmental microbiology N2 - The genus Shewanella is well known for its genetic diversity, its outstanding respiratory capacity, and its high potential for bioremediation. Here, a novel strain isolated from sediments of the Indian Ocean was characterized. A 16S rRNA analysis indicated that it belongs to the species Shewanella decolorationis. It was named Shewanella decolorationis LDS1. This strain presented an unusual ability to grow efficiently at temperatures from 24 degrees C to 40 degrees C without apparent modifications of its metabolism, as shown by testing respiratory activities or carbon assimilation, and in a wide range of salt concentrations. Moreover, S. decolorationis LDS1 tolerates high chromate concentrations. Indeed, it was able to grow in the presence of 4 mM chromate at 28 degrees C and 3 mM chromate at 40 degrees C. Interestingly, whatever the temperature, when the culture reached the stationary phase, the strain reduced the chromate present in the growth medium. In addition, S. decolorationis LDS1 degrades different toxic dyes, including anthraquinone, triarylmethane, and azo dyes. Thus, compared to Shewanella oneidensis, this strain presented better capacity to cope with various abiotic stresses, particularly at high temperatures. The analysis of genome sequence preliminary data indicated that, in contrast to S. oneidensis and S. decolorationis S12, S. decolorationis LDS1 possesses the phosphorothioate modification machinery that has been described as participating in survival against various abiotic stresses by protecting DNA. We demonstrate that its heterologous production in S. oneidensis allows it to resist higher concentrations of chromate. IMPORTANCE Shewanella species have long been described as interesting microorganisms in regard to their ability to reduce many organic and inorganic compounds, including metals. However, members of the Shewanella genus are often depicted as cold-water microorganisms, although their optimal growth temperature usually ranges from 25 to 28 degrees C under laboratory growth conditions. Shewanella decolorationis LDS1 is highly attractive, since its metabolism allows it to develop efficiently at temperatures from 24 to 40 degrees C, conserving its ability to respire alternative substrates and to reduce toxic compounds such as chromate or toxic dyes. Our results clearly indicate that this novel strain has the potential to be a powerful tool for bioremediation and unveil one of the mechanisms involved in its chromate resistance. KW - Shewanella KW - bioremediation KW - chromium KW - decolorization KW - dndBCDE KW - dyes KW - temperature Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00777-19 SN - 0099-2240 SN - 1098-5336 VL - 85 IS - 18 PB - American Society for Microbiology CY - Washington ER - TY - THES A1 - Dammhahn, Melanie T1 - From individual variation to community structure : paterns, determinants and consequences of within- and between-species variation in behaviour, life-history and ecology Y1 - 2019 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albers, Philip A1 - Üstün, Suayib A1 - Witzel, Katja A1 - Kraner, Max Erdmund A1 - Börnke, Frederik T1 - A Remorin from Nicotiana benthamiana Interacts with the Pseudomonas Type-III Effector Protein HopZ1a and is Phosphorylated by the Immune-Related Kinase PBS1 JF - Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions N2 - The plasma membrane (PM) is at the interface of plant-pathogen interactions and, thus, many bacterial type-III effector (T3E) proteins target membrane-associated processes to interfere with immunity. The Pseudomonas syringae T3E HopZ1a is a host cell PM-localized effector protein that has several immunity-associated host targets but also activates effector-triggered immunity in resistant backgrounds. Although HopZ1a has been shown to interfere with early defense signaling at the PM, no dedicated PM-associated HopZ1a target protein has been identified until now. Here, we show that HopZ1a interacts with the PM-associated remorin protein NbREM4 from Nicotiana benthamiana in several independent assays. NbREM4 relocalizes to membrane nanodomains after treatment with the bacterial elicitor flg22 and transient overexpression of NbREM4 in N. benthamiana induces the expression of a subset of defense-related genes. We can further show that NbREM4 interacts with the immune-related receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase avrPphB-susceptible 1 (PBS1) and is phosphorylated by PBS1 on several residues in vitro. Thus, we conclude that NbREM4 is associated with early defense signaling at the PM. The possible relevance of the HopZ1a-NbREM4 interaction for HopZ1a virulence and avirulence functions is discussed. KW - bacterial pathogenesis KW - defense signaling pathways KW - effectors KW - elicitors KW - HopZ1a KW - MAMPs KW - PAMPs KW - PBS1 KW - Pseudomonas syringae KW - remorin KW - type-3 secretion Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-04-19-0105-R SN - 0894-0282 SN - 1943-7706 VL - 32 IS - 9 SP - 1229 EP - 1242 PB - Amer phytopathological SOC CY - ST Paul ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ozcelikay, Goksu A1 - Kurbanoglu, Sevinc A1 - Zhang, Xiaorong A1 - Söz, Çağla Kosak A1 - Wollenberger, Ulla A1 - Ozkan, Sibel A. A1 - Yarman, Aysu A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. T1 - Electrochemical MIP Sensor for Butyrylcholinesterase JF - Polymers N2 - Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) mimic the binding sites of antibodies by substituting the amino acid-scaffold of proteins by synthetic polymers. In this work, the first MIP for the recognition of the diagnostically relevant enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is presented. The MIP was prepared using electropolymerization of the functional monomer o-phenylenediamine and was deposited as a thin film on a glassy carbon electrode by oxidative potentiodynamic polymerization. Rebinding and removal of the template were detected by cyclic voltammetry using ferricyanide as a redox marker. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity of BuChE rebound to the MIP was measured via the anodic oxidation of thiocholine, the reaction product of butyrylthiocholine. The response was linear between 50 pM and 2 nM concentrations of BuChE with a detection limit of 14.7 pM. In addition to the high sensitivity for BuChE, the sensor responded towards pseudo-irreversible inhibitors in the lower mM range. KW - molecularly imprinted polymers KW - biomimetic sensors KW - butyrylcholinesterase KW - o-phenylenediamine KW - rivastigmine Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11121970 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 11 IS - 12 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Horreo, J. L. A1 - Breedveld, Merel Cathelijne A1 - Lindtke, D. A1 - Heulin, B. A1 - Surget-Groba, Yann A1 - Fitze, Patrick S. T1 - Genetic introgression among differentiated clades is lower among clades exhibiting different parity modes JF - Heredity N2 - Mechanisms leading to sympatric speciation are diverse and may build up reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation among differentiated clades may exist due to genetic incompatibilities, sexual selection, differences in parity mode, reduced post-zygotic survival or reproductive success of hybrids. Here, we test whether differences in parity mode lead to reproductive isolation by investigating introgression in Zootoca vivipara, a lizard species exhibiting oviparous and viviparous reproduction. We measured introgression in transects spanning different viviparous clades, different oviparous subclades, transects containing oviparous and viviparous clades, and transects within the same subclade (control transects). Introgression in transects spanning oviparous and viviparous clades was one order of magnitude smaller than transects spanning the same reproductive mode and no statistical differences existed between transects spanning the same reproductive mode and control transects. Among types of transects, no significant differences existed in genetic and geographic distances, nor number of detected alleles. Moreover, hybrids were detected in all types of transects, showing that parity mode alone does not necessarily lead to complete reproductive isolation, which suggests that reinforcement may play an important role. The evolution of different parity modes together with reinforcement may thus promote reproductive isolation and rapid speciation, potentially explaining why only six of the almost 40,000 vertebrates belonging to groups consisting of viviparous and oviparous species exhibit bimodal reproduction. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-019-0201-7 SN - 0018-067X SN - 1365-2540 VL - 123 IS - 2 SP - 264 EP - 272 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - GEN A1 - Horreo, J. L. A1 - Breedveld, Merel Cathelijne A1 - Lindtke, D. A1 - Heulin, B. A1 - Surget-Groba, Yann A1 - Fitze, Patrick S. T1 - Correction: Genetic introgression among differentiated clades is lower among clades exhibiting different parity modes. - (Heredity. - 123, (2019) pg 264) T2 - Heredity N2 - The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Y. Surget-Groba, which was incorrectly given as J. Surget-Groba. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-019-0223-1 SN - 0018-067X SN - 1365-2540 VL - 123 IS - 2 SP - 285 EP - 285 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sauer, Michael A1 - Kleine-Vehn, Jürgen T1 - PIN-FORMED and PIN-LIKES auxin transport facilitators JF - Development : Company of Biologists N2 - The phytohormone auxin influences virtually all aspects of plant growth and development. Auxin transport across membranes is facilitated by, among other proteins, members of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) and the structurally similar PIN-LIKES (PILS) families, which together govern directional cell-to-cell transport and intracellular accumulation of auxin. Canonical PIN proteins, which exhibit a polar localization in the plasma membrane, determine many patterning and directional growth responses. Conversely, the less-studied noncanonical PINs and PILS proteins, which mostly localize to the endoplasmic reticulum, attenuate cellular auxin responses. Here, and in the accompanying poster, we provide a brief summary of current knowledge of the structure, evolution, function and regulation of these auxin transport facilitators. KW - Auxin KW - Auxin transport KW - Phytohormone Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.168088 SN - 0950-1991 SN - 1477-9129 VL - 146 IS - 15 PB - Company biologists ltd CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Apio, Ann A1 - Plath, Martin A1 - Wronski, Torsten T1 - Patterns of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus from the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda JF - Journal of helminthology N2 - Seasonal, host sex and age-related variations in helminth egg and coccidian oocyst counts were investigated in a naturally infected wild bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) population in Queen Elizabeth National Park, western Uganda from April 2000 to February 2002. The prevalence and mean intensity quantified as the number of eggs and oocysts per gram of faeces were taken as a measure of parasite burdens. Host sex and age-related differences in prevalence values were not found but the overall prevalence of Eimeria sp. was significantly higher during the rainy season, and peak counts were recorded either during or soon after a peak rainfall. A similar trend was observed for Moniezia spp., although the results were marginally not significant. There were also no significant differences in mean intensity values, relative to host sex, age or season. Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1076/JOH2006343 SN - 0022-149X VL - 80 IS - 3 SP - 213 EP - 218 PB - Univ. Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lisso, Janina A1 - Altmann, Thomas A1 - Müssig, Carsten T1 - The AtNFXL1 gene encodes a NF-X1 type zinc finger protein required for growth under salt stress JF - FEBS letters : the journal for rapid publication of short reports in molecular biosciences N2 - The human NF-X1 protein and homologous proteins in eukaryotes represent a class of transcription factors which are characterised. by NF-X1 type zinc finger motifs. The Arabidopsis genome encodes two NF-X1 homologs, which we termed AtNFXL1 and AtNFXL2. Growth and survival was impaired in atnfxl1 knock-out mutants and AtNFXL1-antisense plants under salt stress in comparison to wild-type plants. In contrast, 35S: :AtNFXL1 plants showed higher survival rates. The AtNFXL2 protein potentially plays an antagonistic role. The Arabidopsis NF-X1 type zinc finger proteins likely are part of regulatory mechanisms, which protect major processes such as photosynthesis. KW - Arabidopsis thaliana KW - NF-X1 KW - salt stress Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2006.07.079 SN - 0014-5793 VL - 580 IS - 22 SP - 4851 EP - 4856 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Greil, Holle T1 - Patterns of sexual dimorphism from birth to senescence JF - Collegium antropologicum N2 - Sexual dimorphism is expressed as median of the female values in percent of the median of the male values, of 4 length measurements, 3 circumferences, and 5 measurements of corpulence respectively fat. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of more than 41.000 German subjects, aged from birth to age 62. The pattern of sexual dimorphism is similar in the length measurements. Girls are shorter at birth, but they increase in length at higher rates than boys and even temporarily overgrow the boys up to age 12. Thereafter, males show an obvious growth advantage leading to some 6 to 9% more length in adult males. In contrast, female circumferences are always smaller, from birth to senescence. Though, the differences between the sexes are low in circumferences, up to age 13, sexual dimorphism increases to 17% in the thoracic circumference at adulthood. Sexual dimorphism in weight and BMI is comparably with that in length measurements while subcutaneous fat and total body fat content are always higher in females. The results highlight that sexual dimorphism develops at different pace in the various components of the body and that it associates with a sex specific growth tempo. KW - sexual dimorphism KW - biological age KW - growth-age KW - adulthood Y1 - 2006 SN - 0350-6134 VL - 30 IS - 3 SP - 637 EP - 641 PB - Institute for Anthropological Research CY - Zagreb ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dunsing, Valentin A1 - Irmscher, Tobias A1 - Barbirz, Stefanie A1 - Chiantia, Salvatore T1 - Purely Polysaccharide-Based Biofilm Matrix Provides Size-Selective Diffusion Barriers for Nanoparticles and Bacteriophages JF - Biomacromolecules : an interdisciplinary journal focused at the interface of polymer science and the biological sciences N2 - Biofilms are complex mixtures of proteins, DNA, and polysaccharides surrounding bacterial communities as protective barriers that can be biochemically modified during the bacterial life cycle. However, their compositional heterogeneity impedes a precise analysis of the contributions of individual matrix components to the biofilm structural organization. To investigate the structural properties of glycan-based biofilms, we analyzed the diffusion dynamics of nanometer-sized objects in matrices of the megadalton-sized anionic polysaccharide, stewartan, the major biofilm component of the plant pathogen, Pantoea stewartii. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single-particle tracking of nanobeads and bacteriophages indicated notable subdiffusive dynamics dependent on probe size and stewartan concentration, in contrast to free diffusion of small molecules. Stewartan enzymatic depolymerization by bacteriophage tailspike proteins rapidly restored unhindered diffusion. We, thus, hypothesize that the glycan polymer stewartan determines the major physicochemical properties of the biofilm, which acts as a selective diffusion barrier for nanometer-sized objects and can be controlled by enzymes. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00938 SN - 1525-7797 SN - 1526-4602 VL - 20 IS - 10 SP - 3842 EP - 3854 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zupok, Arkadiusz A1 - Iobbi-Nivol, Chantal A1 - Mejean, Vincent A1 - Leimkühler, Silke T1 - The regulation of Moco biosynthesis and molybdoenzyme gene expression by molybdenum and iron in bacteria JF - Metallomics : integrated biometal science N2 - Bacterial molybdoenzymes are key enzymes involved in the global sulphur, nitrogen and carbon cycles. These enzymes require the insertion of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) into their active sites and are able to catalyse a large range of redox-reactions. Escherichia coli harbours nineteen different molybdoenzymes that require a tight regulation of their synthesis according to substrate availability, oxygen availability and the cellular concentration of molybdenum and iron. The synthesis and assembly of active molybdoenzymes are regulated at the level of transcription of the structural genes and of translation in addition to the genes involved in Moco biosynthesis. The action of global transcriptional regulators like FNR, NarXL/QP, Fur and ArcA and their roles on the expression of these genes is described in detail. In this review we focus on what is known about the molybdenum- and iron-dependent regulation of molybdoenzyme and Moco biosynthesis genes in the model organism E. coli. The gene regulation in E. coli is compared to two other well studied model organisms Rhodobacter capsulatus and Shewanella oneidensis. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c9mt00186g SN - 1756-5901 SN - 1756-591X VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 1602 EP - 1624 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heim, Olga A1 - Puisto, Anna I. E. A1 - Fukui, Dai A1 - Vesterinen, Eero J. T1 - Molecular evidence of bird-eating behavior in Nyctalus aviator JF - Acta ethologica N2 - Insectivorous bats consume a large variety of food items. Previous observations of feathers found in feces led to the hypothesis that the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator, Vespertilionidae) could prey on birds. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed fecal samples from six species (Barbastella pacifica, Murina hilgendorfi, Myotis frater, N. aviator, Plecotus sacrimontis, and Vespertilio sinensis) collected from central Hokkaido, Japan, via DNA barcoding. We identified the presence of the Middendorff’s grasshopper warbler (Locustella ochotensis) in the diet of a pregnant individual of N. aviator. All the other samples proved negative regarding bird prey DNA. This is the first time that the consumption of a bird by N. aviator is confirmed with molecular evidence. Our findings add invaluable insight into the diet of this bat and its potentially opportunistic foraging behavior. KW - Nyctalus aviator KW - Locustella ochotensis KW - Bird prey KW - DNA barcoding KW - Sanger sequencing Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00319-5 SN - 0873-9749 SN - 1437-9546 VL - 22 IS - 3 SP - 223 EP - 226 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rossberg, Axel G. A1 - Gaedke, Ursula A1 - Kratina, Pavel T1 - Dome patterns in pelagic size spectra reveal strong trophic cascades JF - Nature Communications N2 - In ecological communities, especially the pelagic zones of aquatic ecosystems, certain bodysize ranges are often over-represented compared to others. Community size spectra, the distributions of community biomass over the logarithmic body-mass axis, tend to exhibit regularly spaced local maxima, called "domes", separated by steep troughs. Contrasting established theory, we explain these dome patterns as manifestations of top-down trophic cascades along aquatic food chains. Compiling high quality size-spectrum data and comparing these with a size-spectrum model introduced in this study, we test this theory and develop a detailed picture of the mechanisms by which bottom-up and top-down effects interact to generate dome patterns. Results imply that strong top-down trophic cascades are common in freshwater communities, much more than hitherto demonstrated, and may arise in nutrient rich marine systems as well. Transferring insights from the general theory of nonlinear pattern formation to domes patterns, we provide new interpretations of past lake-manipulation experiments. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12289-0 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 10 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Staszek, Pawel A1 - Krasuska, Urszula A1 - Otulak-Koziel, Katarzyna A1 - Fettke, Jörg A1 - Gniazdowska, Agnieszka T1 - Canavanine-Induced Decrease in Nitric Oxide Synthesis Alters Activity of Antioxidant System but Does Not Impact S-Nitrosoglutathione Catabolism in Tomato Roots JF - Frontiers in plant science N2 - Canavanine (CAN) is a nonproteinogenic amino acid synthesized in legumes. In mammalians, as arginine analogue, it is an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of CAN-induced nitric oxide level limitation on the antioxidant system and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) metabolism in roots of tomato seedlings. Treatment with CAN (10 or 50 mu M) for 24-72 h led to restriction in root growth. Arginine-dependent NOS-like activity was almost completely inhibited, demonstrating direct effect of CAN action. CAN increased total antioxidant capacity and the level of sulphydryl groups. Catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased in CAN exposed roots. CAN supplementation resulted in the decrease of transcript levels of genes coding CAT (with the exception of CAT1). Genes coding SOD (except MnSOD and CuSOD) were upregulated by CAN short treatment; prolonged exposition to 50-mu M CAN resulted in downregulation of FeSOD, CuSOD, and SODP-2. Activity of glutathione reductase dropped down after short-term (10-mu M CAN) supplementation, while glutathione peroxidase activity was not affected. Transcript levels of glutathione reductase genes declined in response to CAN. Genes coding glutathione peroxidase were upregulated by 50-mu M CAN, while 10-mu M CAN downregulated GSHPx1. Inhibition of NOS-like activity by CAN resulted in lower GSNO accumulation in root tips. Activity of GSNO reductase was decreased by short-term supplementation with CAN. In contrast, GSNO reductase protein abundance was higher, while transcript levels were slightly altered in roots exposed to CAN. This is the first report on identification of differentially nitrated proteins in response to supplementation with nonproteinogenic amino acid. Among nitrated proteins differentially modified by CAN, seed storage proteins (after short-term CAN treatment) and components of the cellular redox system (after prolonged CAN supplementation) were identified. The findings demonstrate that due to inhibition of NOS-like activity, CAN leads to modification in antioxidant system. Limitation in GSNO level is due to lower nitric oxide formation, while GSNO catabolism is less affected. We demonstrated that monodehydroascorbate reductase, activity of which is inhibited in roots of CAN-treated plants, is the protein preferentially modified by tyrosine nitration. KW - canavanine KW - cellular antioxidant system KW - GSNOR-GSNO reductase KW - nitrated proteins KW - nitric oxide-NO KW - nonproteinogenic amino acid KW - NOS-like activity KW - reactive nitrogen species (RNS) Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01077 SN - 1664-462X VL - 10 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Matthey-Doret, Cyril A1 - van der Kooi, Casper J. A1 - Jeffries, Daniel L. A1 - Bast, Jens A1 - Dennis, Alice B. A1 - Vorburger, Christoph A1 - Schwander, Tanja T1 - Mapping of Multiple Complementary Sex Determination Loci in a Parasitoid Wasp JF - Genome biology and evolution N2 - Sex determination has evolved in a variety of ways and can depend on environmental and genetic signals. A widespread form of genetic sex determination is haplodiploidy, where unfertilized, haploid eggs develop into males and fertilized diploid eggs into females. One of the molecular mechanisms underlying haplodiploidy in Hymenoptera, the large insect order comprising ants, bees, and wasps, is complementary sex determination (CSD). In species with CSD, heterozygosity at one or several loci induces female development. Here, we identify the genomic regions putatively underlying multilocus CSD in the parasitoid wasp Lysiphlebus fabarum using restriction -site associated DNA sequencing. By analyzing segregation patterns at polymorphic sites among 331 diploid males and females, we identify up to four CSD candidate regions, all on different chromosomes. None of the candidate regions feature evidence for homology with the csd gene from the honey bee, the only species in which CSD has been characterized, suggesting that CSD in L. fabarum is regulated via a novel molecular mechanism. Moreover, no homology is shared between the candidate loci, in contrast to the idea that multilocus CSD should emerge from duplications of an ancestral single -locus system. Taken together, our results suggest that the molecular mechanisms underlying CSD in Hymenoptera are not conserved between species, raising the question as to whether CSD may have evolved multiple times independently in the group. KW - hymenoptera KW - sex determination KW - Lysiphlebus fabarum KW - CSD Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evz219 SN - 1759-6653 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 2954 EP - 2962 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rühl, Martin A1 - Pietzner, Verena A1 - Vilcinskas, Andreas A1 - Zorn, Holger T1 - Insects and molds as bio-resources: food biotechnology JF - Chemie in unserer Zeit N2 - Microorganisms are used for the production of foodstuffs since thousands of years. By now, these biotechnological processes are not restricted to some of the known microorganisms. The possibility to produce enzymes independently from their host organisms extended their range of application. Since then, exploration of new bioresources leads to novel enzymes and peptides applicable for a diverse set of food production processes: peptidases of grain pest beetles are able to hydrolyse gluten and antimicrobial active peptides of insects maybe of use for preservation of food. Examples of our own work depict strategies to identify novel biocatalysts for food biotechnology. N2 - Mikroorganismen werden seit Jahrtausenden zur Herstellung von Lebensmitteln genutzt. Mittlerweile sind diese biotechnologischen Verfahren nicht mehr auf die Verwendung einiger Organismen beschränkt. Die Möglichkeit, Enzyme unabhängig von ihrem Wirtsorganismus zu produzieren, erweiterte den Einsatzbereich dieser technischen Hilfsmittel ungemein. Seither werden vermehrt neue Bioressourcen erschlossen, um neuartige Enzyme und Peptide für die Lebensmittelproduktion verfügbar zu machen: Peptidasen aus Getreideschädlingen vermögen Gluten zu hydrolysieren und antimikrobiell wirksame Peptide aus Insekten könnten zur Haltbarmachung von Lebensmitteln eingesetzt werden. Aber wie findet man solche Katalysatoren? Beispiele aus eigenen Arbeiten zeigen es. T2 - Insekten und Schimmelpilze als Bioressource KW - Gelbe Biotechnologie KW - Insekten KW - Ascomyceten KW - antimikrobielle Peptide Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ciuz.201900833 SN - 0009-2851 SN - 1521-3781 VL - 53 IS - 5 SP - 342 EP - 348 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Listek, Martin A1 - Micheel, Burkhard A1 - Heilmann, K. T1 - Insertion of artificial cell surface receptors for antigen-specific labelling of hybridoma cells T2 - Immunology : an official journal of the British Society for Immunology Y1 - 2012 SN - 0019-2805 VL - 137 SP - 651 EP - 651 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lieckfeldt, Elke A1 - Simon-Rosin, Ulrike A1 - Zöller, Daniela A1 - Ebert, Berit A1 - Kehr, Julia A1 - Fisahn, Joachim T1 - Spatio/temporal analysis of gene exression profiles within single cells and specific tissue types of developing Arabidopsis plants Y1 - 2004 SN - 3-00-011587-0 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altmann, Thomas A1 - Brandt, Stephan Peter A1 - Kloska, Sebastian A1 - Kehr, Julia T1 - Using array hybridization to monitore gene expression at the single cell level Y1 - 2002 ER - TY - THES A1 - Kehr, Julia T1 - Mikroanalyse einzelner Zellen und Kompartimente transgener Pflanzen mittels biophysikalischer Methoden Y1 - 1998 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kehr, Julia T1 - Untersuchungen der Proteine in den Langstreckentransportsystemen höherer Pflanzen Y1 - 2005 CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Drago, Claudia A1 - Pawlak, Julia A1 - Weithoff, Guntram T1 - Biogenic aggregation of small microplastics alters their ingestion by a common freshwater micro-invertebrate JF - Frontiers in Environmental Science N2 - In recent years, increasing concerns have been raised about the environmental risk of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. Small microplastics enter the water either directly or accumulate through disintegration of larger plastic particles. These particles might then be ingested by filter-feeding zooplankton, such as rotifers. Particles released into the water may also interact with the biota through the formation of aggregates, which might alter the uptake by zooplankton. In this study, we tested for size-specific aggregation of polystyrene microspheres and their ingestion by a common freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. The ingestion of three sizes of polystyrene microspheres (MS) 1-, 3-, and 6-mu m was investigated. Each MS size was tested in combination with three different treatments: MS as the sole food intake, MS in association with food algae and MS aggregated with biogenic matter. After 72 h incubation in pre-filtered natural river water, the majority of the 1-mu m spheres occurred as aggregates. The larger the particles, the higher the relative number of single particles and the larger the aggregates. All particles were ingested by the rotifer following a Type-II functional response. The presence of algae did not influence the ingestion of the MS for all three sizes. The biogenic aggregation of microspheres led to a significant size-dependent alteration in their ingestion. Rotifers ingested more microspheres (MS) when exposed to aggregated 1- and 3-mu m MS as compared to single spheres, whereas fewer aggregated 6-mu m spheres were ingested. This indicates that the small particles when aggregated were in an effective size range for Brachionus, while the aggregated larger spheres became too large to be efficiently ingested. These observations provide the first evidence of a size- and aggregation-dependent feeding interaction between microplastics and rotifers. Microplastics when aggregated with biogenic particles in a natural environment can rapidly change their size-dependent availability. The aggregation properties of microplastics should be taken into account when performing experiments mimicking the natural environment. KW - microplastics ingestion KW - Brachionus calyciflorus KW - aggregation KW - microplastics KW - polystyrene KW - functional response Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.574274 SN - 2296-665X VL - 8 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xu, Ying T1 - Study on transport mechanism of m5C-edited mRNAs Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ogunkola, Moses Olalekan A1 - Guiraudie-Capraz, Gaelle A1 - Féron, François A1 - Leimkühler, Silke T1 - The Human Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase TUM1 Is Involved in Moco Biosynthesis, Cytosolic tRNA Thiolation and Cellular Bioenergetics in Human Embryonic Kidney Cells JF - Biomolecules N2 - Sulfur is an important element that is incorporated into many biomolecules in humans. The incorporation and transfer of sulfur into biomolecules is, however, facilitated by a series of different sulfurtransferases. Among these sulfurtransferases is the human mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST) also designated as tRNA thiouridine modification protein (TUM1). The role of the human TUM1 protein has been suggested in a wide range of physiological processes in the cell among which are but not limited to involvement in Molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis, cytosolic tRNA thiolation and generation of H2S as signaling molecule both in mitochondria and the cytosol. Previous interaction studies showed that TUM1 interacts with the L-cysteine desulfurase NFS1 and the Molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein 3 (MOCS3). Here, we show the roles of TUM1 in human cells using CRISPR/Cas9 genetically modified Human Embryonic Kidney cells. Here, we show that TUM1 is involved in the sulfur transfer for Molybdenum cofactor synthesis and tRNA thiomodification by spectrophotometric measurement of the activity of sulfite oxidase and liquid chromatography quantification of the level of sulfur-modified tRNA. Further, we show that TUM1 has a role in hydrogen sulfide production and cellular bioenergetics. KW - Moco biosynthesis KW - sulfite oxidase KW - cytosolic tRNA thiolation KW - 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine KW - H2S biosynthesis KW - cellular bioenergetics Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13010144 SN - 2218-273X VL - 13 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Schweiz ET - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marggraf, Lara Christin A1 - Lindecke, Oliver A1 - Voigt, Christian C. A1 - Pētersons, Gunārs A1 - Voigt-Heucke, Silke Luise T1 - Nathusius’ bats, Pipistrellus nathusii, bypass mating opportunities of their own species, but respond to foraging heterospecifics on migratory transit flights JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution N2 - In late summer, migratory bats of the temperate zone face the challenge of accomplishing two energy-demanding tasks almost at the same time: migration and mating. Both require information and involve search efforts, such as localizing prey or finding potential mates. In non-migrating bat species, playback studies showed that listening to vocalizations of other bats, both con-and heterospecifics, may help a recipient bat to find foraging patches and mating sites. However, we are still unaware of the degree to which migrating bats depend on con-or heterospecific vocalizations for identifying potential feeding or mating opportunities during nightly transit flights. Here, we investigated the vocal responses of Nathusius’ pipistrelle bats, Pipistrellus nathusii, to simulated feeding and courtship aggregations at a coastal migration corridor. We presented migrating bats either feeding buzzes or courtship calls of their own or a heterospecific migratory species, the common noctule, Nyctalus noctula. We expected that during migratory transit flights, simulated feeding opportunities would be particularly attractive to bats, as well as simulated mating opportunities which may indicate suitable roosts for a stopover. However, we found that when compared to the natural silence of both pre-and post-playback phases, bats called indifferently during the playback of conspecific feeding sounds, whereas P. nathusii echolocation call activity increased during simulated feeding of N. noctula. In contrast, the call activity of P. nathusii decreased during the playback of conspecific courtship calls, while no response could be detected when heterospecific call types were broadcasted. Our results suggest that while on migratory transits, P. nathusii circumnavigate conspecific mating aggregations, possibly to save time or to reduce the risks associated with social interactions where aggression due to territoriality might be expected. This avoidance behavior could be a result of optimization strategies by P. nathusii when performing long-distance migratory flights, and it could also explain the lack of a response to simulated conspecific feeding. However, the observed increase of activity in response to simulated feeding of N. noctula, suggests that P. nathusii individuals may be eavesdropping on other aerial hawking insectivorous species during migration, especially if these occupy a slightly different foraging niche. KW - playback KW - phonotaxis KW - bats KW - acoustic communication KW - animal migration KW - eavesdropping KW - echolocation KW - Pipistrellus nathusii Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.908560 SN - 2296-701X SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Frontiers CY - Lausanne, Schweiz ER - TY - THES A1 - Fuentes Taladriz, Paulina Andrea T1 - High-level production of the antimalarial drug precursor artemisinic acid in plastids and in vivo visualization of plastid-to-nucleus gene transfer Y1 - 2015 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Endesfelder, Stefanie A1 - Weichelt, Ulrike A1 - Schiller, Cornelia A1 - Winter, Katja A1 - von Haefen, Clarissa A1 - Bührer, Christoph T1 - Caffeine protects against anticonvulsant-induced impaired neurogenesis in the developing rat brain JF - Neurotoxicity Research N2 - In preterm infants, phenobarbital is the first-line antiepileptic drug for neonatal seizures while caffeine is used for the treatment of apnea. Data from experimental animals suggest that phenobarbital and other anticonvulsants are toxic for the developing brain, while neuroprotective effects have been reported for caffeine both in newborn rodents and preterm human infants. To characterize the interaction of phenobarbital and caffeine in the hippocampus of the developing rodent brain, we examined the effects of both drugs given separately or together on postnatal neurogenesis after administration to neonatal rats throughout postnatal day (P) 4 to P6. Phenobarbital treatment (50 mg/kg) resulted in a significant decrease of proliferative capacity in the dentate gyrus. Phenobarbital also reduced expression of neuronal markers (doublecortin (DCX), calretinin, NeuN), neuronal transcription factors (Pax6, Sox2, Tbr1/2, Prox1), and neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3) up to 24 h after the last administration. The phenobarbital-mediated impairment of neurogenesis was largely ameliorated by preconditioning with caffeine (10 mg/kg). In contrast, caffeine alone reduced proliferative capacity and expression of the neuronal markers DCX and NeuN at 6 h, but increased expression of neurotrophins and neuronal transcription factors at 6 and 12 h. These results indicate that administration of phenobarbital during the vulnerable phase of brain development negatively interferes with neuronal development, which can be prevented in part by co-administration of caffeine. KW - Caffeine KW - Developing brain KW - Phenobarbital KW - Preterminfants KW - Hippocampal neurogenesis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-018-9872-8 SN - 1029-8428 SN - 1476-3524 VL - 34 IS - 2 SP - 173 EP - 187 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wojcik, Laurie Anne A1 - Ceulemans, Ruben A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Functional diversity buffers the effects of a pulse perturbation on the dynamics of tritrophic food webs JF - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Biodiversity decline causes a loss of functional diversity, which threatens ecosystems through a dangerous feedback loop: This loss may hamper ecosystems’ ability to buffer environmental changes, leading to further biodiversity losses. In this context, the increasing frequency of human-induced excessive loading of nutrients causes major problems in aquatic systems. Previous studies investigating how functional diversity influences the response of food webs to disturbances have mainly considered systems with at most two functionally diverse trophic levels. We investigated the effects of functional diversity on the robustness, that is, resistance, resilience, and elasticity, using a tritrophic—and thus more realistic—plankton food web model. We compared a non-adaptive food chain with no diversity within the individual trophic levels to a more diverse food web with three adaptive trophic levels. The species fitness differences were balanced through trade-offs between defense/growth rate for prey and selectivity/half-saturation constant for predators. We showed that the resistance, resilience, and elasticity of tritrophic food webs decreased with larger perturbation sizes and depended on the state of the system when the perturbation occurred. Importantly, we found that a more diverse food web was generally more resistant and resilient but its elasticity was context-dependent. Particularly, functional diversity reduced the probability of a regime shift toward a non-desirable alternative state. The basal-intermediate interaction consistently determined the robustness against a nutrient pulse despite the complex influence of the shape and type of the dynamical attractors. This relationship was strongly influenced by the diversity present and the third trophic level. Overall, using a food web model of realistic complexity, this study confirms the destructive potential of the positive feedback loop between biodiversity loss and robustness, by uncovering mechanisms leading to a decrease in resistance, resilience, and potentially elasticity as functional diversity declines. KW - functional diversity KW - nutrient spike KW - pulse perturbation KW - regime shift KW - robustness KW - tritrophic food web Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8214 SN - 2045-7758 N1 - Wojcik and Ceulemans shared first authorship. VL - 11 IS - 22 SP - 15639 EP - 15663 PB - John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CY - Hoboken (New Jersey) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Endesfelder, Stefanie A1 - Weichelt, Ulrike A1 - Strauß, Evelyn A1 - Schlör, Anja A1 - Sifringer, Marco A1 - Scheuer, Till A1 - Bührer, Christoph A1 - Schmitz, Thomas T1 - Neuroprotection by caffeine in hyperoxia-induced neonatal brain injury JF - International journal of molecular sciences N2 - Sequelae of prematurity triggered by oxidative stress and free radical-mediated tissue damage have coined the term “oxygen radical disease of prematurity”. Caffeine, a potent free radical scavenger and adenosine receptor antagonist, reduces rates of brain damage in preterm infants. In the present study, we investigated the effects of caffeine on oxidative stress markers, anti-oxidative response, inflammation, redox-sensitive transcription factors, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix following the induction of hyperoxia in neonatal rats. The brain of a rat pups at postnatal Day 6 (P6) corresponds to that of a human fetal brain at 28–32 weeks gestation and the neonatal rat is an ideal model in which to investigate effects of oxidative stress and neuroprotection of caffeine on the developing brain. Six-day-old Wistar rats were pre-treated with caffeine and exposed to 80% oxygen for 24 and 48 h. Caffeine reduced oxidative stress marker (heme oxygenase-1, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC)), promoted anti-oxidative response (superoxide dismutase, peroxiredoxin 1, and sulfiredoxin 1), down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulated redox-sensitive transcription factor expression (Nrf2/Keap1, and NFκB), reduced pro-apoptotic effectors (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), and caspase-3), and diminished extracellular matrix degeneration (matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2, and inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) 1/2). Our study affirms that caffeine is a pleiotropic neuroprotective drug in the developing brain due to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. KW - anti-oxidative response KW - caffeine KW - hyperoxia KW - oxidative stress KW - preterm infants KW - developing brain Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18010187 SN - 1422-0067 SN - 1661-6596 VL - 18 PB - Molecular Diversity Preservation International CY - Basel ER - TY - THES A1 - Bissinger, Vera T1 - Factors determining growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2.7) N2 - Die vorliegende Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit den Faktoren, die das Wachstum und die Vertikalverteilung von Planktonalgen in extrem sauren Tagebaurestseen (TBS; pH 2-3) beeinflussen. Im exemplarisch untersuchten TBS 111 (pH 2.7; Lausitzer Revier) dominiert die Goldalge Ochromonas sp. in oberen und die Grünalge Chlamydomonas sp. in tieferen Wasserschichten, wobei letztere ein ausgeprägtes Tiefenchlorophyll-Maximum (DCM) ausbildet. Es wurde ein deutlicher Einfluss von Limitation durch anorganischen Kohlenstoff (IC) auf das phototrophe Wachstum von Chlamydomonas sp. in oberen Wasserschichten nachgewiesen, die mit zunehmender Tiefe von Lichtlimitation abgelöst wird. Im Vergleich mit Arbeiten aus neutralen Seen zeigte Chlamydomonas sp. erniedrigte maximale Wachstumsraten, einen gesteigerten Kompensationspunkt und erhöhte Dunkelrespirationsraten, was auf gesteigerte metabolische Kosten unter den extremen physikalisch-chemischen Bedingungen hinweist. Die Photosyntheseleistungen von Chlamydomonas sp. waren in Starklicht-adaptierten Zellen durch IC-Limitation deutlich verringert. Außerdem ergaben die ermittelten minimalen Zellquoten für Phosphor (P) einen erhöhten P-Bedarf unter IC-Limitation. Anschließend konnte gezeigt werden, dass Chlamydomonas sp. ein mixotropher Organismus ist, der seine Wachstumsraten über die osmotrophe Aufnahme gelösten organischen Kohlenstoffs (DOC) erhöhen kann. Dadurch ist dieser Organismus fähig, in tieferen, Licht-limitierten Wasserschichten zu überleben, die einen höheren DOC-Gehalt aufweisen. Da die Vertikalverteilung der Algen im TBS 111 jedoch weder durch IC-Limitation, P-Verfügbarkeit noch die in situ DOC-Konzentrationen abschließend erklärt werden konnte (bottom-up Kontrolle), wurde eine neue Theorie zur Entstehung der Vertikalverteilung geprüft. Grazing der phagotrophen und phototrophen Alge Ochromonas sp. auf der phototrophen Alge Chlamydomonas sp. erwies sich als herausragender Faktor, der über top-down Kontrolle die Abundanz der Beute in höheren Wasserschichten beeinflussen kann. Gemeinsam mit der Tatsache, dass Chlamydomonas sp. DOC zur Wachstumssteigerung verwendet, führt dies zu einer Akkumulation von Chlamydomonas sp. in der Tiefe, ausgeprägt als DCM. Daher erscheint grazing als der Hauptfaktor, der die beobachtete Vertikalschichtung der Algen im TBS 111 hervorruft. Die erzielten Ergebnisse liefern grundlegende Informationen, um die Auswirkungen von Strategien zur Neutralisierung der TBS auf das Nahrungsnetz abschätzen zu können. N2 - In this thesis, I investigated the factors influencing the growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2-3). In the focal study site, Lake 111 (pH 2.7; Lusatia, Germany), the chrysophyte, Ochromonas sp., dominates in the upper water strata and the chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas sp., in the deeper strata, forming a pronounced deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). Inorganic carbon (IC) limitation influenced the phototrophic growth of Chlamydomonas sp. in the upper water strata. Conversely, in deeper strata, light limited its phototrophic growth. When compared with published data for algae from neutral lakes, Chlamydomonas sp. from Lake 111 exhibited a lower maximum growth rate, an enhanced compensation point and higher dark respiration rates, suggesting higher metabolic costs due to the extreme physico-chemical conditions. The photosynthetic performance of Chlamydomonas sp. decreased in high-light-adapted cells when IC limited. In addition, the minimal phosphorus (P) cell quota was suggestive of a higher P requirement under IC limitation. Subsequently, it was shown that Chlamydomonas sp. was a mixotroph, able to enhance its growth rate by taking up dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via osmotrophy. Therefore, it could survive in deeper water strata where DOC concentrations were higher and light limited. However, neither IC limitation, P availability nor in situ DOC concentrations (bottom-up control) could fully explain the vertical distribution of Chlamydomonas sp. in Lake 111. Conversely, when a novel approach was adopted, the grazing influence of the phagotrophic phototroph, Ochromonas sp., was found to exert top-down control on its prey (Chlamydomonas sp.) reducing prey abundance in the upper water strata. This, coupled with the fact that Chlamydomonas sp. uses DOC for growth, leads to a pronounced accumulation of Chlamydomonas sp. cells at depth; an apparent DCM. Therefore, grazing appears to be the main factor influencing the vertical distribution of algae observed in Lake 111. The knowledge gained from this thesis provides information essential for predicting the effect of strategies to neutralize the acidic mining lakes on the food-web. KW - Tagebaurestseen KW - Saure Seen KW - Chlamydomonas KW - IC KW - DOC KW - pH KW - Wachstumsraten KW - Mining lakes KW - acidic lakes KW - chlamydomonas KW - IC KW - DOC KW - pH KW - growthrates Y1 - 2003 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-0000695 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Toulouse, Charlotte Marguerite A1 - Schmucker, Sonja A1 - Metesch, Kristina A1 - Pfannstiel, Jens A1 - Michel, Bernd A1 - Starke, Ines A1 - Möller, Heiko Michael A1 - Stefanski, Volker A1 - Steuber, Julia T1 - Mechanism and impact of catecholamine conversion by Vibrio cholerae JF - Biochimica et biophysica acta : Bioenergetics N2 - Bacterial pathogens are influenced by signaling molecules including the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline which are host-derived hormones and neurotransmitters. Adrenaline and noradrenaline modulate growth, motility and virulence of bacteria. We show that adrenaline is converted by the pathogen Vibrio cholerae to adrenochrome in the course of respiration, and demonstrate that superoxide produced by the respiratory, Na+ - translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NQR) acts as electron acceptor in the oxidative conversion of adrenaline to adrenochrome. Adrenochrome stimulates growth of V. cholerae, and triggers specific responses in V. cholerae and in immune cells. We performed a quantitative proteome analysis of V. cholerae grown in minimal medium with glucose as carbon source without catecholamines, or with adrenaline, noradrenaline or adrenochrome. Significant regulation of proteins participating in iron transport and iron homeostasis, in energy metabolism, and in signaling was observed upon exposure to adrenaline, noradrenaline or adrenochrome. On the host side, adrenochrome inhibited lipopolysaccharide-triggered formation of TNF-alpha by THP-1 monocytes, though to a lesser extent than adrenaline. It is proposed that adrenochrome produced from adrenaline by respiring V. cholerae functions as effector molecule in pathogen-host interaction. KW - Vibrio cholerae KW - Na+ - NADH:quinone oxidoreductase KW - NQR KW - Superoxide KW - Adrenaline KW - Adrenochrome Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.04.003 SN - 0005-2728 SN - 1879-2650 VL - 1860 IS - 6 SP - 478 EP - 487 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reeg, Jette A1 - Strigl, Lea A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Agricultural buffer zone thresholds to safeguard functional bee diversity BT - Insights from a community modeling approach JF - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Wild bee species are important pollinators in agricultural landscapes. However, population decline was reported over the last decades and is still ongoing. While agricultural intensification is a major driver of the rapid loss of pollinating species, transition zones between arable fields and forest or grassland patches, i.e., agricultural buffer zones, are frequently mentioned as suitable mitigation measures to support wild bee populations and other pollinator species. Despite the reported general positive effect, it remains unclear which amount of buffer zones is needed to ensure a sustainable and permanent impact for enhancing bee diversity and abundance. To address this question at a pollinator community level, we implemented a process-based, spatially explicit simulation model of functional bee diversity dynamics in an agricultural landscape. More specifically, we introduced a variable amount of agricultural buffer zones (ABZs) at the transition of arable to grassland, or arable to forest patches to analyze the impact on bee functional diversity and functional richness. We focused our study on solitary bees in a typical agricultural area in the Northeast of Germany. Our results showed positive effects with at least 25% of virtually implemented agricultural buffer zones. However, higher amounts of ABZs of at least 75% should be considered to ensure a sufficient increase in Shannon diversity and decrease in quasi-extinction risks. These high amounts of ABZs represent effective conservation measures to safeguard the stability of pollination services provided by solitary bee species. As the model structure can be easily adapted to other mobile species in agricultural landscapes, our community approach offers the chance to compare the effectiveness of conservation measures also for other pollinator communities in future. KW - agricultural landscape KW - buffer zones KW - community model KW - functional traits KW - solitary bees KW - spatially explicit Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8748 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 12 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Wiley Online Library CY - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA ET - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaunath, Vera A1 - Eccard, Jana T1 - Light Attraction in Carabid Beetles BT - Comparison Among Animals From the Inner City and a Dark Sky Reserve JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution N2 - Artificial light at night (ALAN) is altering the behaviour of nocturnal animals in a manifold of ways. Nocturnal invertebrates are particularly affected, due to their fatal attraction to ALAN. This selective pressure has the potential to reduce the strength of the flight-to-light response in insects, as shown recently in a moth species. Here we investigated light attraction of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae).We compared among animals (three genera) from a highly light polluted (HLP) grassland in the centre of Berlin and animals collected at a low-polluted area in a Dark Sky Reserve (DSR), captured using odour bait. In an arena setting tested at night time, HLP beetles (n = 75 across all genera) showed a reduced attraction towards ALAN. Tested during daytime, HLP beetles were less active in an open field test (measured as latency to start moving), compared to DSR (n = 143). However, we did not observe a reduced attraction towards ALAN within the species most common at both sides, Calathus fuscipes (HLP = 37, DSR = 118 individuals) indicating that not all species may be equally affected by ALAN. Reduced attraction to ALAN in urban beetles may either be a result of phenotypic selection in each generation removing HLP individuals that are attracted to light, or an indication for ongoing evolutionary differentiation among city and rural populations in their light response. Reduced attraction to light sources may directly enhance survival and reproductive success of urban individuals. However, decrease in mobility may negatively influence dispersal, reproduction and foraging success, highlighting the selective pressure that light pollution may have on fitness, by shaping and modifying the behaviour of insects. KW - light pollution KW - artificial light at night (ALAN) KW - Carabidae beetles KW - environmental change KW - Illuminance KW - solar powered light-emitting diode Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.751288 SN - 2296-701X N1 - VK and JE designed the experimental set up and research question. VK performed the animal trapping, experiments and hence, data collection, and organizing of the database. Both authors performed the statistical analyses and contributed to discussion, manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version. VL - 10 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne, Schweiz ER - TY - THES A1 - Artins, Anthony T1 - Crosstalk between Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) and sugar signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana Y1 - 2023 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sultanow, Eldar A1 - Weber, Edzard T1 - Pharmataxigraphie Model of a Hybrid System of RFID Technology and optical Methods JF - Die pharmazeutische Industrie Y1 - 2013 SN - 0031-711X VL - 75 IS - 7 SP - 1197 EP - + PB - Editio-Cantor-Verl. für Medizin und Naturwiss. CY - Aulendorf ER - TY - GEN A1 - Best, Robert B. A1 - Zheng, Wenwei A1 - Borgia, Alessandro A1 - Buholzer, Karin A1 - Borgia, Madeleine B. A1 - Hofmann, Hagen A1 - Soranno, Andrea A1 - Nettels, Daniel A1 - Gast, Klaus A1 - Grishaev, Alexander A1 - Schuler, Benjamin T1 - Comment on "Innovative scattering analysis shows that hydrophobic disordered proteins are expanded in water" T2 - Science N2 - Riback et al. (Reports, 13 October 2017, p. 238) used small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments to infer a degree of compaction for unfolded proteins in water versus chemical denaturant that is highly consistent with the results from Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments. There is thus no "contradiction" between the two methods, nor evidence to support their claim that commonly used FRET fluorophores cause protein compaction. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aar7101 SN - 0036-8075 SN - 1095-9203 VL - 361 IS - 6405 PB - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Otto, Nils A1 - Marelja, Zvonimir A1 - Schoofs, Andreas A1 - Kranenburg, Holger A1 - Bittern, Jonas A1 - Yildirim, Kerem A1 - Berh, Dimitri A1 - Bethke, Maria A1 - Thomas, Silke A1 - Rode, Sandra A1 - Risse, Benjamin A1 - Jiang, Xiaoyi A1 - Pankratz, Michael A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Klämbt, Christian T1 - The sulfite oxidase Shopper controls neuronal activity by regulating glutamate homeostasis in Drosophila ensheathing glia JF - Nature Communications N2 - Specialized glial subtypes provide support to developing and functioning neural networks. Astrocytes modulate information processing by neurotransmitter recycling and release of neuromodulatory substances, whereas ensheathing glial cells have not been associated with neuromodulatory functions yet. To decipher a possible role of ensheathing glia in neuronal information processing, we screened for glial genes required in the Drosophila central nervous system for normal locomotor behavior. Shopper encodes a mitochondrial sulfite oxidase that is specifically required in ensheathing glia to regulate head bending and peristalsis. shopper mutants show elevated sulfite levels affecting the glutamate homeostasis which then act on neuronal network function. Interestingly, human patients lacking the Shopper homolog SUOX develop neurological symptoms, including seizures. Given an enhanced expression of SUOX by oligodendrocytes, our findings might indicate that in both invertebrates and vertebrates more than one glial cell type may be involved in modulating neuronal activity. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05645-z SN - 2041-1723 VL - 9 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chen, Hsiang-Wen A1 - Persson, Staffan A1 - Grebe, Markus A1 - McFarlane, Heather E. T1 - Cellulose synthesis during cell plate assembly JF - Physiologia plantarum N2 - The plant cell wall surrounds and protects the cells. To divide, plant cells must synthesize a new cell wall to separate the two daughter cells. The cell plate is a transient polysaccharide-based compartment that grows between daughter cells and gives rise to the new cell wall. Cellulose constitutes a key component of the cell wall, and mutants with defects in cellulose synthesis commonly share phenotypes with cytokinesis-defective mutants. However, despite the importance of cellulose in the cell plate and the daughter cell wall, many open questions remain regarding the timing and regulation of cellulose synthesis during cell division. These questions represent a critical gap in our knowledge of cell plate assembly, cell division and growth. Here, we review what is known about cellulose synthesis at the cell plate and in the newly formed cross-wall and pose key questions about the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes. We further provide an outlook discussing outstanding questions and possible future directions for this field of research. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12703 SN - 0031-9317 SN - 1399-3054 VL - 164 IS - 1 SP - 17 EP - 26 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schibalski, Anett A1 - Körner, Katrin A1 - Maier, Martin A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Schröder, Boris T1 - Novel model coupling approach for resilience analysis of coastal plant communities JF - Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America N2 - Resilience is a major research focus covering a wide range of topics from biodiversity conservation to ecosystem (service) management. Model simulations can assess the resilience of, for example, plant species, measured as the return time to conditions prior to a disturbance. This requires process-based models (PBM) that implement relevant processes such as regeneration and reproduction and thus successfully reproduce transient dynamics after disturbances. Such models are often complex and thus limited to either short-term or small-scale applications, whereas many research questions require species predictions across larger spatial and temporal scales. We suggest a framework to couple a PBM and a statistical species distribution model (SDM), which transfers the results of a resilience analysis by the PBM to SDM predictions. The resulting hybrid model combines the advantages of both approaches: the convenient applicability of SDMs and the relevant process detail of PBMs in abrupt environmental change situations. First, we simulate dynamic responses of species communities to a disturbance event with a PBM. We aggregate the response behavior in two resilience metrics: return time and amplitude of the response peak. These metrics are then used to complement long-term SDM projections with dynamic short-term responses to disturbance. To illustrate our framework, we investigate the effect of abrupt short-term groundwater level and salinity changes on coastal vegetation at the German Baltic Sea. We found two example species to be largely resilient, and, consequently, modifications of SDM predictions consisted mostly of smoothing out peaks in the occurrence probability that were not confirmed by the PBM. Discrepancies between SDM- and PBM-predicted species responses were caused by community dynamics simulated in the PBM and absent from the SDM. Although demonstrated with boosted regression trees (SDM) and an existing individual-based model, IBC-grass (PBM), our flexible framework can easily be applied to other PBM and SDM types, as well as other definitions of short-term disturbances or long-term trends of environmental change. Thus, our framework allows accounting for biological feedbacks in the response to short- and long-term environmental changes as a major advancement in predictive vegetation modeling. KW - Baltic Sea KW - hybrid model KW - Lolium perenne KW - model coupling KW - Scirpus maritimus KW - transient dynamics Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1758 SN - 1051-0761 SN - 1939-5582 VL - 28 IS - 6 SP - 1640 EP - 1654 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schuurmans, Jasper Merijn A1 - Brinkmann, Bregje W. A1 - Makower, Katharina A1 - Dittmann, Elke A1 - Huisman, Jef A1 - Matthijs, Hans C. P. T1 - Microcystin interferes with defense against high oxidative stress in harmful cyanobacteria JF - Harmful algae N2 - Harmful cyanobacteria producing toxic microcystins are a major concern in water quality management. In recent years, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been successfully applied to suppress cyanobacterial blooms in lakes. Physiological studies, however, indicate that microcystin protects cyanobacteria against oxidative stress, suggesting that H2O2 addition might provide a selective advantage for microcystin-producing (toxic) strains. This study compares the response of a toxic Microcystis strain, its non-toxic mutant, and a naturally non-toxic Microcystis strain to H2O2 addition representative of lake treatments. All three strains initially ceased growth upon H2O2 addition. Contrary to expectation, the non-toxic strain and non-toxic mutant rapidly degraded the added H2O2 and subsequently recovered, whereas the toxic strain did not degrade H2O2 and did not recover. Experimental catalase addition enabled recovery of the toxic strain, demonstrating that rapid H2O2 degradation is indeed essential for cyanobacterial survival. Interestingly, prior to H2O2 addition, gene expression of a thioredoxin and peroxiredoxin was much lower in the toxic strain than in its non-toxic mutant. Thioredoxin and peroxiredoxin are both involved in H2O2 degradation, and microcystin may potentially suppress their activity. These results show that microcystin-producing strains are less prepared for high levels of oxidative stress, and are therefore hit harder by H2O2 addition than non-toxic strains. KW - Cyanobacteria KW - Harmful algal blooms KW - Microcystins KW - Hydrogen peroxide KW - Microarrays KW - Microcystis aeruginosa Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2018.07.008 SN - 1568-9883 SN - 1878-1470 VL - 78 SP - 47 EP - 55 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Biterova, Ekaterina A1 - Esmaeeli Moghaddam Tabalvandani, Mariam A1 - Alanen, Heli I. A1 - Saaranen, Mirva A1 - Ruddock, Lloyd W. T1 - Structures of Angptl3 and Angptl4, modulators of triglyceride levels and coronary artery disease JF - Scientific reports N2 - Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death globally and is linked to a number of risk factors including serum low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides and lipoprotein(a). Recently two proteins, angiopoietin-like protein 3 and 4, have emerged from genetic studies as being factors that significantly modulate plasma triglyceride levels and coronary artery disease. The exact function and mechanism of action of both proteins remains to be elucidated, however, mutations in these proteins results in up to 34% reduction in coronary artery disease and inhibition of function results in reduced plasma triglyceride levels. Here we report the crystal structures of the fibrinogen-like domains of both proteins. These structures offer new insights into the reported loss of function mutations, the mechanisms of action of the proteins and open up the possibility for the rational design of low molecular weight inhibitors for intervention in coronary artery disease. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25237-7 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Whitcomb, Sarah J. A1 - Nguyen, Huu Cuong A1 - Brückner, Franziska A1 - Hesse, Holger A1 - Hoefgen, Rainer T1 - CYSTATHIONINE GAMMA-SYNTHASE activity in rice is developmentally regulated and strongly correlated with sulfate JF - Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology N2 - An important goal of rice cultivar development is improvement of protein quality, especially with respect to essential amino acids such as methionine. With the goal of increasing seed methionine content, we generated Oryza sativa ssp. japonica cv. Taipei 309 transgenic lines expressing a feedback-desensitized CYSTATHIONINE GAMMA-SYNTHASE from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtD-CGS) under the control of the maize ubiquitin promoter. Despite persistently elevated cystathionine gamma-synthase (CGS) activity in the AtD-CGS transgenic lines relative to untransformed Taipei, sulfate was the only sulfur-containing compound found to be elevated throughout vegetative development. Accumulation of methionine and other sulfur-containing metabolites was limited to the leaves of young plants. Sulfate concentration was found to strongly and positively correlate with CGS activity across vegetative development, irrespective of whether the activity was provided by the endogenous rice CGS or by a combination of endogenous and AtD-CGS. Conversely, the concentrations of glutathione, valine, and leucine were clearly negatively correlated with CGS activity in the same tissues. We also observed a strong decrease in CGS activity in both untransformed Taipei and the AtD-CGS transgenic lines as the plants approached heading stage. The mechanism for this downregulation is currently unknown and of potential importance for efforts to increase methionine content in rice. KW - Aromatic amino acids KW - AtD-CGS KW - Branched chain amino acids KW - CYSTATHIONINE GAMMA-SYNTHASE KW - Glutathione KW - Oryza sativa ssp japonica cv. taipei 309 KW - Sulfate Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.02.016 SN - 0168-9452 VL - 270 SP - 234 EP - 244 PB - Elsevier CY - Clare ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Streubel, Susanna A1 - Fritz, Michael Andre A1 - Teltow, Melanie A1 - Kappel, Christian A1 - Sicard, Adrien T1 - Successive duplication-divergence mechanisms at the RCO locus contributed to leaf shape diversity in the Brassicaceae JF - Development : Company of Biologists N2 - Gene duplication is a major driver for the increase of biological complexity. The divergence of newly duplicated paralogs may allow novel functions to evolve, while maintaining the ancestral one. Alternatively, partitioning the ancestral function among paralogs may allow parts of that role to follow independent evolutionary trajectories. We studied the REDUCED COMPLEXITY (RCO) locus, which contains three paralogs that have evolved through two independent events of gene duplication, and which underlies repeated events of leaf shape evolution within the Brassicaceae. In particular, we took advantage of the presence of three potentially functional paralogs in Capsella to investigate the extent of functional divergence among them. We demonstrate that the RCO copies control growth in different areas of the leaf. Consequently, the copies that are retained active in the different Brassicaceae lineages contribute to define the leaf dissection pattern. Our results further illustrate how successive gene duplication events and subsequent functional divergence can increase trait evolvability by providing independent evolutionary trajectories to specialized functions that have an additive effect on a given trait. KW - Plant development KW - Gene duplication KW - Leaf shape KW - Morphological evolution KW - Capsella KW - Arabidopsis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.164301 SN - 0950-1991 SN - 1477-9129 VL - 145 IS - 8 PB - Company of Biologists CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Börnke, Frederik A1 - Rocksch, Thorsten T1 - Thigmomorphogenesis BT - Control of plant growth by mechanical stimulation JF - Scientia horticulturae : an international journal sponsored by the International Society for Horticultural Science N2 - Controlled regulation of plant growth is a general prerequisite for the production of marketable ornamental plants. Consumers as well as retailers prefer stronger, more compact plants with greener leaves as these not only better meet a certain desired visual quality but also allow for a maximization of production per unit area as well as facilitation of packaging and transport. The same applies for the production of young vegetable plants. Special attention is paid to solid, compact and resilient plants that survive transport and planting without any problems. During the last decades plant growth control has mainly been achieved through the application of chemical plant growth regulators that generally interfere with the function of growth regulating hormones. However, there is an increasing demand to replace chemical treatments by other means such as the modulation of growth conditions, including temperature, light and fertilization. Alternatively, the application of mechanical stimulation has been shown to induce plant responses that yield some of the commercially relevant phenotypes including increased compactness, higher girth, darker leaves and a delay in flowering. The ability of plants to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli is an adaptive trait associated with increased fitness in many environmental settings. Mechanical stimulation in nature occurs e.g. through wind, rain, neighboring plants or predatory animals and induces a range of morphogenic responses that have been summarized under the term thigmomorphogenesis. We are only just about to begin to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying mechanosensing and the associated morphogenic changes in plants. However, a number of examples suggest that mechanical stimulation applied in a greenhouse setting can be used to alter plant growth in order to produce marketable plants. In this review will briefly summarize the current knowledge concerning the biological principles of thigmomorphogenesis and discuss the potential of mechanical growth regulation in commercial plant production especially with respect to organic horticulture. KW - Alternative growth regulators KW - Ornamental plants KW - Vegetable KW - Plant growth regulation KW - Mechanical stimulation KW - Mechanically-induced stress KW - Mechanosensing KW - Mechanoperception Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.02.059 SN - 0304-4238 SN - 1879-1018 VL - 234 SP - 344 EP - 353 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - De Frenne, Pieter A1 - Blondeel, H. A1 - Brunet, J. A1 - Caron, M. M. A1 - Chabrerie, O. A1 - Cougnon, M. A1 - Cousins, S. A. O. A1 - Decocq, G. A1 - Diekmann, M. A1 - Graae, B. J. A1 - Hanley, M. E. A1 - Heinken, Thilo A1 - Hermy, M. A1 - Kolb, A. A1 - Lenoir, J. A1 - Liira, J. A1 - Orczewska, A. A1 - Shevtsova, A. A1 - Vanneste, T. A1 - Verheyen, K. T1 - Atmospheric nitrogen deposition on petals enhances seed quality of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa JF - Plant biology N2 - Elevated atmospheric input of nitrogen (N) is currently affecting plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The growth and survival of numerous plant species is known to respond strongly to N fertilisation. Yet, few studies have assessed the effects of N deposition on seed quality and reproductive performance, which is an important life-history stage of plants. Here we address this knowledge gap by assessing the effects of atmospheric N deposition on seed quality of the ancient forest herb Anemone nemorosa using two complementary approaches. By taking advantage of the wide spatiotemporal variation in N deposition rates in pan-European temperate and boreal forests over 2years, we detected positive effects of N deposition on the N concentration (percentage N per unit seed mass, increased from 2.8% to 4.1%) and N content (total N mass per seed more than doubled) of A.nemorosa seeds. In a complementary experiment, we applied ammonium nitrate to aboveground plant tissues and the soil surface to determine whether dissolved N sources in precipitation could be incorporated into seeds. Although the addition of N to leaves and the soil surface had no effect, a concentrated N solution applied to petals during anthesis resulted in increased seed mass, seed N concentration and N content. Our results demonstrate that N deposition on the petals enhances bioaccumulation of N in the seeds of A.nemorosa. Enhanced atmospheric inputs of N can thus not only affect growth and population dynamics via root or canopy uptake, but can also influence seed quality and reproduction via intake through the inflorescences. KW - Latitudinal gradient KW - nitrogen deposition KW - nutrient stoichiometry KW - seed provisioning KW - seed quality KW - sexual reproduction KW - wood anemone Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.12688 SN - 1435-8603 SN - 1438-8677 VL - 20 IS - 3 SP - 619 EP - 626 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Karuwanarint, Piyaporn A1 - Phonrat, Benjaluck A1 - Tungtrongchitr, Anchalee A1 - Suriyaprom, Kanjana A1 - Chuengsamarn, Somlak A1 - Schweigert, Florian J. A1 - Tungtrongchitr, Rungsunn T1 - Vitamin D-binding protein and its polymorphisms as a predictor for metabolic syndrome JF - Biomarkers in medicine N2 - Aim: To investigate the relationship of vitamin D-binding protein (GC) and genetic variation of GC (rs4588, rs7041 and rs2282679) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Thai population. Materials & methods: GCglobulin concentrations were measured by quantitative western blot analysis in 401 adults. All participants were genotyped using TaqMan allelic discrimination assays. Results: GC-globulin levels were significatly lower in MetS subjects than in control subjects, in which significant negative correlations of GC-globulin levels with systolic blood pressure, glucose and age were found. Male participants who carried the GT genotype for rs4588 showed an increased risk of MetS compared with the GG wild-type (odds ratio: 3.25; p = 0.004). Conclusion: GC-globulin concentrations and variation in GC rs4588 were supported as a risk factor for MetS in Thais. KW - GC gene KW - GC-globulin KW - metabolic syndrome KW - polymorphism KW - Thai population KW - vitamin D-binding protein Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2217/bmm-2018-0029 SN - 1752-0363 SN - 1752-0371 VL - 12 IS - 5 SP - 465 EP - 473 PB - Future Medicine CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dunsing, Valentin A1 - Luckner, Madlen A1 - Zuehlke, Boris A1 - Petazzi, Roberto Arturo A1 - Herrmann, Andreas A1 - Chiantia, Salvatore T1 - Optimal fluorescent protein tags for quantifying protein oligomerization in living cells JF - Scientific reports N2 - Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy has become a popular toolbox for non-disruptive analysis of molecular interactions in living cells. The quantification of protein oligomerization in the native cellular environment is highly relevant for a detailed understanding of complex biological processes. An important parameter in this context is the molecular brightness, which serves as a direct measure of oligomerization and can be easily extracted from temporal or spatial fluorescence fluctuations. However, fluorescent proteins (FPs) typically used in such studies suffer from complex photophysical transitions and limited maturation, inducing non-fluorescent states. Here, we show how these processes strongly affect molecular brightness measurements. We perform a systematic characterization of non-fluorescent states for commonly used FPs and provide a simple guideline for accurate, unbiased oligomerization measurements in living cells. Further, we focus on novel red FPs and demonstrate that mCherry2, an mCherry variant, possesses superior properties with regards to precise quantification of oligomerization. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28858-0 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER -