TY - JOUR A1 - Knox-Brown, Patrick A1 - Rindfleisch, Tobias A1 - Günther, Anne A1 - Balow, Kim A1 - Bremer, Anne A1 - Walther, Dirk A1 - Miettinen, Markus S. A1 - Hincha, Dirk K. A1 - Thalhammer, Anja T1 - Similar Yet Different BT - Structural and Functional Diversity among Arabidopsis thaliana LEA_4 Proteins JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - The importance of intrinsically disordered late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins in the tolerance to abiotic stresses involving cellular dehydration is undisputed. While structural transitions of LEA proteins in response to changes in water availability are commonly observed and several molecular functions have been suggested, a systematic, comprehensive and comparative study of possible underlying sequence-structure-function relationships is still lacking. We performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as well as spectroscopic and light scattering experiments to characterize six members of two distinct, lowly homologous clades of LEA_4 family proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. We compared structural and functional characteristics to elucidate to what degree structure and function are encoded in LEA protein sequences and complemented these findings with physicochemical properties identified in a systematic bioinformatics study of the entire Arabidopsis thaliana LEA_4 family. Our results demonstrate that although the six experimentally characterized LEA_4 proteins have similar structural and functional characteristics, differences concerning their folding propensity and membrane stabilization capacity during a freeze/thaw cycle are obvious. These differences cannot be easily attributed to sequence conservation, simple physicochemical characteristics or the abundance of sequence motifs. Moreover, the folding propensity does not appear to be correlated with membrane stabilization capacity. Therefore, the refinement of LEA_4 structural and functional properties is likely encoded in specific patterns of their physicochemical characteristics. KW - IDP KW - LEA protein KW - abiotic stress KW - dehydration KW - conformational rearrangement KW - membrane stabilization KW - sequence-structure-function relationship Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082794 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 21 IS - 8 PB - Molecular Diversity Preservation International CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Singh, Jasbir A1 - Dani, Harinder M. A1 - Sharma, Reeta A1 - Steinberg, Pablo T1 - Inhibition of the biosynthesis of SRP polypeptides and secretory proteins by aflatoxin B-1 can disrupt protein targeting JF - Cell biochemistry and function N2 - Cell culture and western blotting studies revealed that aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) inhibits the biosynthesis of two of the constituent polypeptides of signal recognition particle (SRP) (SRP54 and 72). SRP escorts polyribosomes carrying signal peptides from free form in the cytosol to the bound form on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane during protein targeting. These effects of AFB(1) on SRP biosynthesis may inhibit the formation of functional SRP Our experiments have further shown that AFB(1) also inhibits the biosynthesis/translocation of a secretory protein, preprolactin, which fails to appear in the lumen of ER consequent to the treatment with this hepatocarcinogen. The results of the experiments presented in this article therefore enable us to infer for the first time that aflatoxin B-1 may inhibit the functioning of SRP as an escort and deplete the ER of polyribosomes for secretory protein synthesis. As these secretory proteins are important components of the plasma membrane, gap junctions and intercellular matrix, their absence from these locations could disturb cell to cell communication leading to tumorigenesis. KW - aflatoxin B-1 KW - SRP KW - protein targeting KW - protein translocation KW - western blotting Y1 - 2005 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1027/cbf.1285 SN - 0263-6484 VL - 24 SP - 507 EP - 510 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oberauer, Klaus T1 - Reasoning with conditionals: A test of formal models of four theories JF - Cognitive psychology N2 - The four dominant theories of reasoning from conditionals are translated into formal models: The theory of mental models (Johnson-Laird, P. N., & Byrne, R. M. J. (2002). Conditionals: a theory of meaning, pragmatics, and inference. Psychological Review, 109, 646-678), the suppositional theory (Evans, J. S. B. T., & Over, D. E. (2004). If. Oxford: Oxford University Press), a dual-process variant of the model theory (Verschueren, N., Schaeken, W., & d'Ydewalle, G. (2005). A dual-process specification of causal conditional reasoning. Thinking & Reasoning, 11, 278-293), and the probabilistic theory (Oaksford, M., Chater, N., & Larkin, J. (2000). Probabilities and polarity biases in conditional inference. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 26, 883-899). The first three theories are formalized as multinomial models. The models are applied to the frequencies of patterns of acceptance or rejection across the four basic inferences modus ponens, acceptance of the consequent, denial of the antecedent, and modus tollens. Model fits are assessed for two large data sets, one representing reasoning with abstract, basic conditionals, the other reflecting reasoning with pseudo-realistic causal and non-causal conditionals. The best account of the data was provided by a modified version of the mental-model theory, augmented by directionality, and by the dual-process model. KW - conditionals KW - reasoning KW - multinomial models Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2006.04.001 SN - 0010-0285 VL - 53 IS - 3 SP - 238 EP - 283 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mohsen, Ayman A1 - Kind, Rainer A1 - Sobolev, Stephan Vladimir A1 - Weber, Michael T1 - Thickness of the lithosphere east of the Dead Sea Transform JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - We use the S receiver function method to study the lithosphere at the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary network of 22 seismic broad-band stations was operated on both sides of the DST from 2000 to 2001 as part of the DESERT project. We also used data from six additional permanent broad-band seismic stations at the DST and in the surrounding area, that is, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Cyprus. Clear S-to-P converted phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and a deeper discontinuity, which we interpret as lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) have been observed. The Moho depth (30-38 km) obtained from S receiver functions agrees well with the results from P receiver functions and other geophysical data. We observe thinning of the lithosphere on the eastern side of the DST from 80 km in the north of the Dead Sea to about 65 km at the Gulf of Aqaba. On the western side of the DST, the few data indicate a thin LAB of about 65 km. For comparison, we found a 90-km-thick lithosphere in eastern Turkey and a 160-km-thick lithosphere under the Arabian shield, respectively. These observations support previous suggestions, based on xenolith data, heat flow observations, regional uplift history and geodynamic modelling, that the lithosphere around DST has been significantly thinned in the Late Cenozoic, likely following rifting and spreading of the Red Sea. KW - Dead Sea Transform KW - S receiver functions KW - thickness of the lithosphere Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x SN - 0956-540X SN - 1365-246X VL - 167 IS - 2 SP - 845 EP - 852 PB - Blackwell CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Garcia, A. L. A1 - Steiniger, J. A1 - Reich, S. C. A1 - Weickert, M. O. A1 - Harsch, I. A1 - Machowetz, A. A1 - Mohlig, M. A1 - Spranger, Joachim A1 - Rudovich, N. N. A1 - Meuser, F. A1 - Doerfer, J. A1 - Katz, N. A1 - Speth, M. A1 - Zunft, Hans-Joachim Franz A1 - Pfeiffer, Andreas F. H. A1 - Koebnick, Corinna T1 - Arabinoxylan fibre consumption improved glucose metabolism, but did not affect serum adipokines in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance JF - Hormone and metabolic research N2 - The consumption of arabinoxylan, a soluble fibre fraction, has been shown to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic subjects. Soluble dietary fibre may modulate gastrointestinal or adipose tissue hormones regulating food intake. The present study investigated the effects of arabinoxylan consumption on serum glucose, insulin, lipids, leptin, adiponectin and resistin in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. In a randomized, single-blind, controlled, crossover intervention trial, 11 adults consumed white bread rolls as either placebo or supplemented with 15g arabinoxylan for 6 weeks with a 6-week washout period. Fasting serum glucose, insulin, triglycerides, unesterified fatty acids, apolipoprotein A1 and B, adiponectin, resistin and leptin were assessed before and after intervention. Fasting serum glucose, serum triglycerides and apolipoprotein A-1 were significantly lower during arabinoxylan consumption compared to placebo (p = 0.029, p = 0.047; p = 0.029, respectively). No effects of arabinoxylan were observed for insulin, adiponectin, leptin and resistin as well as for apolipoprotein B, and unesterified fatty acids. In conclusion, the consumption of AX in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance improved fasting serum glucose, and triglycerides. However, this beneficial effect was not accompanied by changes in fasting adipokine concentrations. KW - dietary fibre KW - arabinoxylan KW - adiponectin KW - resistin KW - leptin Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-955089 SN - 0018-5043 VL - 38 IS - 2 SP - 761 EP - 766 PB - Thieme CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maares, Maria A1 - Keil, Claudia A1 - Koza, Jenny A1 - Straubing, Sophia A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja A1 - Haase, Hajo T1 - In Vitro Studies on Zinc Binding and Buffering by Intestinal Mucins JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - The investigation of luminal factors influencing zinc availability and accessibility in the intestine is of great interest when analyzing parameters regulating intestinal zinc resorption. Of note, intestinal mucins were suggested to play a beneficial role in the luminal availability of zinc. Their exact zinc binding properties, however, remain unknown and the impact of these glycoproteins on human intestinal zinc resorption has not been investigated in detail. Thus, the aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of intestinal mucins on luminal uptake of zinc into enterocytes and its transfer into the blood. In the present study, in vitro zinc binding properties of mucins were analyzed using commercially available porcine mucins and secreted mucins of the goblet cell line HT-29-MTX. The molecular zinc binding capacity and average zinc binding affinity of these glycoproteins demonstrates that mucins contain multiple zinc-binding sites with biologically relevant affinity within one mucin molecule. Zinc uptake into the enterocyte cell line Caco-2 was impaired by zinc-depleted mucins. Yet this does not represent their form in the intestinal lumen in vivo under zinc adequate conditions. In fact, zinc-uptake studies into enterocytes in the presence of mucins with differing degree of zinc saturation revealed zinc buffering by these glycoproteins, indicating that mucin-bound zinc is still available for the cells. Finally, the impact of mucins on zinc resorption using three-dimensional cultures was studied comparing the zinc transfer of a Caco-2/HT-29-MTX co-culture and conventional Caco-2 monoculture. Here, the mucin secreting co-cultures yielded higher fractional zinc resorption and elevated zinc transport rates, suggesting that intestinal mucins facilitate the zinc uptake into enterocytes and act as a zinc delivery system for the intestinal epithelium. KW - intestinal zinc resorption KW - zinc binding KW - mucus layer KW - intestinal mucins KW - in vitro intestinal model KW - goblet cells KW - Caco-2/HT-29-MTX-model Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19092662 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 19 IS - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Damaschun, Ferdinand T1 - Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg und die Entwicklung der Mikroskop-Technik im 19. Jahrhundert BT - Lebensbilder eines Naturforschers JF - HiN : Alexander von Humboldt im Netz = Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg N2 - Ab Mitte der 1820er Jahre erfuhr die Mikroskop- Technik eine stürmische Entwicklung. Dadurch, dass es gelang, nach und nach die optischen Fehler zu korrigieren, verbesserte sich die Auflösung bis zum Ende des Jahrhunderts um den Faktor 10 von 3 μm auf 0,3 μm. Um 1820 begann Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg mit mikroskopischen Untersuchungen. Er nutzte zunächst ein einfaches Nürnberger Mikroskop. 1832 erwarb er ein Mikroskop aus der Berliner Werkstatt von Pistor & Schiek, das er dann zeitlebens nutzte. Ein Vergleich der Leistungsfähigkeit seines Instruments mit der für seine Untersuchungen notwendigen Auflösung zeigt, dass es für seine Untersuchungen vollkommen genügte. Für seine Untersuchungsobjekte entwickelte er Präparationstechniken und Aufbewahrungsmethoden für die Dauerpräparate. Da er auch die mikroskopischen Abbildungen bis hin zu den Vorlagen für die Kupfertafeln selbst anfertigte, behielt er den gesamten Prozess von der Präparation bis zum Druck der Ergebnisse stets in der Hand. N2 - From the mid-1820s onwards, microscope technology underwent a rapid development. Thanks to new possibilities for correcting optical errors, microscope resolution improved by a factor of 10 from 3 μm to 0.3 μm by the end of the century. Ehrenberg began his investigations in 1820 with a simple “Nürnberger Mikroskop”. In 1832, he acquired a microscope from the Berlin workshop of Pistor & Schiek, which he then used throughout his life. By comparing the performance of his instrument with the resolution required for his objects, this article demonstrates that the Pistor & Schiek was perfectly adequate for his investigations. Furthermore, it traces Ehrenberg’s process of producing microscopic images, which he controlled from start to finish: from the preparation and storage of specimens according to special methods he developed himself to the execution of the illustrations that would be used as templates for the copper plates. N2 - À partir du milieu des années 1820, la technologie des microscopes a connu un développement rapide. Grâce aux nouvelles possibilités de correction des erreurs optiques, il a été possible de corriger et d’améliorer la résolution des microscopes par un facteur de 10, passant de 3 μm à 0,3 μm à la fin du siècle. Ehrenberg a commencé ses recherches en 1820 avec un simple « Nürnberger Mikroskop ». En 1832, il a acquis un microscope de l’atelier berlinois de Pistor & Schiek, qu’il a ensuite utilisé toute sa vie. En comparant les performances de son instrument avec la résolution requise pour ses objets, cet article montre que le Pistor & Schiek était parfaitement adapté à ses investigations. En outre, il retrace le processus de production d’images microscopiques d’Ehrenberg, qu’il a contrôlé de bout en bout: de la préparation et du stockage des spécimens selon des méthodes spéciales qu’il a lui-même développées jusqu’à l’exécution des illustrations qui allaient servir de modèles pour les plaques de cuivre. KW - Ehrenberg KW - Mikroskop KW - Glas KW - Infusorien KW - Infusionsthierchen KW - Mikrogeologie KW - Chevalier KW - Pistor & Schiek Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-515218 SN - 1617-5239 SN - 2568-3543 VL - XXII IS - 42 SP - 119 EP - 134 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhme, Katrin T1 - Das große Ganze. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg und die Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin BT - Lebensbilder eines Naturforschers JF - HiN : Alexander von Humboldt im Netz = Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg N2 - Als langjähriges und aktives Mitglied der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin bestimmte Ehrenberg ihre Aktivitäten und ihr Ansehen maßgeblich mit. Seine Beiträge zu den Sitzungen und Schriften und seine Rolle als Bewohner des gesellschaftseigenen Hauses förderten in der GNF sowohl Fortschritt als auch Beständigkeit. Das Ziel der Naturgeschichte des 18. Jahrhunderts, also die Entdeckung, Beschreibung und Bewahrung möglichst aller Organismen- und Gesteinsarten, wurde in der GNF bis in die zweite Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts tradiert. Ehrenbergs wissenschaftliche Leistungen, insbesondere seine zahlreichen Entdeckungen mit Hilfe des Mikroskops, stehen ganz in dieser Tradition. N2 - As a long-time and active member of the Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (Berlin Society of Friends of Natural Research), Ehrenberg played a major role in determining the society’s activities and shaping its reputation. His contributions to the meetings, his writings, and his role as a resident of the house belonging to the society promoted both progress and permanence of the association. The goal of natural history in the 18th century, that is, the discovery, description, and preservation of as many species of organisms and rocks as possible, was carried forth by the Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde into the second half of the 19th century. Ehrenberg’s scientific achievements, particularly his numerous discoveries with the aid of the microscope, belong entirely to this tradition. N2 - En tant que membre actif et de longue date de la Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (Société des amis naturalistes de Berlin), Ehrenberg a joué un rôle majeur en déterminant les activités et la réputation de cette société. Ses contributions aux réunions et aux écrits et son statut d’habitant de la maison appartenant à la société ont favorisé à la fois le progrès et la pérennité de l’association. L’objectif de l’histoire naturelle au XVIIIe siècle, c’est-à-dire la découverte, la description et la préservation d’autant d’espèces d’organismes et de roches que possible, a été perpétué par la Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde jusqu’à la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle. Les travaux scientifiques d’Ehrenberg, notamment ses nombreuses découvertes à l’aide du microscope, s’inscrivent entièrement dans cette tradition. KW - Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin KW - Ehrenberg KW - GNF KW - Infusorienwerke Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-515226 SN - 1617-5239 SN - 2568-3543 VL - XXII IS - 42 SP - 155 EP - 169 PB - Universitätsverlag Potsdam CY - Potsdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nitze, Ingmar A1 - Grosse, Guido A1 - Jones, Benjamin M. A1 - Romanovsky, Vladimir E. A1 - Boike, Julia T1 - Remote sensing quantifies widespread abundance of permafrost region disturbances across the Arctic and Subarctic JF - Nature Communications N2 - Local observations indicate that climate change and shifting disturbance regimes are causing permafrost degradation. However, the occurrence and distribution of permafrost region disturbances (PRDs) remain poorly resolved across the Arctic and Subarctic. Here we quantify the abundance and distribution of three primary PRDs using time-series analysis of 30-m resolution Landsat imagery from 1999 to 2014. Our dataset spans four continental-scale transects in North America and Eurasia, covering similar to 10% of the permafrost region. Lake area loss (-1.45%) dominated the study domain with enhanced losses occurring at the boundary between discontinuous and continuous permafrost regions. Fires were the most extensive PRD across boreal regions (6.59%), but in tundra regions (0.63%) limited to Alaska. Retrogressive thaw slumps were abundant but highly localized (< 10(-5)%). Our analysis synergizes the global-scale importance of PRDs. The findings highlight the need to include PRDs in next-generation land surface models to project the permafrost carbon feedback. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07663-3 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 9 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kath, Nadja J. A1 - Boit, Alice A1 - Guill, Christian A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Accounting for activity respiration results in realistic trophic transfer efficiencies in allometric trophic network (ATN) models JF - Theoretical ecology N2 - Allometric trophic network (ATN) models offer high flexibility and scalability while minimizing the number of parameters and have been successfully applied to investigate complex food web dynamics and their influence on food web diversity and stability. However, the realism of ATN model energetics has never been assessed in detail, despite their critical influence on dynamic biomass and production patterns. Here, we compare the energetics of the currently established original ATN model, considering only biomass-dependent basal respiration, to an extended ATN model version, considering both basal and assimilation-dependent activity respiration. The latter is crucial in particular for unicellular and invertebrate organisms which dominate the metabolism of pelagic and soil food webs. Based on metabolic scaling laws, we show that the extended ATN version reflects the energy transfer through a chain of four trophic levels of unicellular and invertebrate organisms more realistically than the original ATN version. Depending on the strength of top-down control, the original ATN model yields trophic transfer efficiencies up to 71% at either the third or the fourth trophic level, which considerably exceeds any realistic values. In contrast, the extended ATN version yields realistic trophic transfer efficiencies 30% at all trophic levels, in accordance with both physiological considerations and empirical evidence from pelagic systems. Our results imply that accounting for activity respiration is essential for consistently implementing the metabolic theory of ecology in ATN models and for improving their quantitative predictions, which makes them more powerful tools for investigating the dynamics of complex natural communities. KW - Food web KW - Trophic transfer efficiency KW - Allometric trophic network model KW - Allometry KW - Energy transfer KW - Activity respiration Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12080-018-0378-z SN - 1874-1738 SN - 1874-1746 VL - 11 IS - 4 SP - 453 EP - 463 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER -