TY - JOUR A1 - Baesler, Jessica A1 - Kopp, Johannes Florian A1 - Pohl, Gabriele A1 - Aschner, Michael A1 - Haase, Hajo A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja A1 - Bornhorst, Julia T1 - Zn homeostasis in genetic models of Parkinson’s disease in Caenorhabditis elegans JF - Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology N2 - While the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are still insufficiently studied, a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors is emphasized. Nevertheless, the role of the essential trace element zinc (Zn) in this regard remains controversial. In this study we altered Zn balance within PD models of the versatile model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in order to examine whether a genetic predisposition in selected genes with relevance for PD affects Zn homeostasis. Protein-bound and labile Zn species act in various areas, such as enzymatic catalysis, protein stabilization pathways and cell signaling. Therefore, total Zn and labile Zn were quantitatively determined in living nematodes as individual biomarkers of Zn uptake and bioavailability with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) or a multi-well method using the fluorescent probe ZinPyr-1. Young and middle-aged deletion mutants of catp-6 and pdr-1, which are orthologues of mammalian ATP13A2 (PARK9) and parkin (PARK2), showed altered Zn homeostasis following Zn exposure compared to wildtype worms. Furthermore, age-specific differences in Zn uptake were observed in wildtype worms for total as well as labile Zn species. These data emphasize the importance of differentiation between Zn species as meaningful biomarkers of Zn uptake as well as the need for further studies investigating the role of dysregulated Zn homeostasis in the etiology of PD. KW - Caenorhabditis elegans KW - Zinc KW - Zinc homeostasis KW - Parkinson disease KW - Labile zinc Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.05.005 VL - 55 SP - 44 EP - 49 PB - Elsevier CY - München ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schjeide, Brit-Maren A1 - Schenke, Maren A1 - Seeger, Bettina A1 - Püschel, Gerhard T1 - Validation of a novel double control quantitative copy number PCR method to quantify off-target transgene integration after CRISPR-induced DNA modification JF - Methods and protocols : M&Ps N2 - In order to improve a recently established cell-based assay to assess the potency of botulinum neurotoxin, neuroblastoma-derived SiMa cells and induced pluripotent stem-cells (iPSC) were modified to incorporate the coding sequence of a reporter luciferase into a genetic safe harbor utilizing CRISPR/Cas9. A novel method, the double-control quantitative copy number PCR (dc-qcnPCR), was developed to detect off-target integrations of donor DNA. The donor DNA insertion success rate and targeted insertion success rate were analyzed in clones of each cell type. The dc-qcnPCR reliably quantified the copy number in both cell lines. The probability of incorrect donor DNA integration was significantly increased in SiMa cells in comparison to the iPSCs. This can possibly be explained by the lower bundled relative gene expression of a number of double-strand repair genes (BRCA1, DNA2, EXO1, MCPH1, MRE11, and RAD51) in SiMa clones than in iPSC clones. The dc-qcnPCR offers an efficient and cost-effective method to detect off-target CRISPR/Cas9-induced donor DNA integrations. KW - CRISPR editing validation KW - copy number analyses KW - homology-directed repair KW - homologous recombination deficiency Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/mps5030043 SN - 2409-9279 VL - 5 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Schweiz ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knebel, Constanze A1 - Neeb, Jannika A1 - Zahn, Elisabeth A1 - Schmidt, Flavia A1 - Carazo, Alejandro A1 - Holas, Ondej A1 - Pavek, Petr A1 - Püschel, Gerhard Paul A1 - Zanger, Ulrich M. A1 - Süssmuth, Roderich A1 - Lampen, Alfonso A1 - Marx-Stoelting, Philip A1 - Braeuning, Albert T1 - Unexpected Effects of Propiconazole, Tebuconazole, and Their Mixture on the Receptors CAR and PXR in Human Liver Cells JF - Toxicological sciences N2 - Analyzing mixture toxicity requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of action of its individual components. Substances with the same target organ, same toxic effect and same mode of action (MoA) are believed to cause additive effects, whereas substances with different MoAs are assumed to act independently. Here, we tested 2 triazole fungicides, propiconazole, and tebuconazole (Te), for individual and combined effects on liver toxicity-related endpoints. Both triazoles are proposed to belong to the same cumulative assessment group and are therefore thought to display similar and additive behavior. Our data show that Te is an antagonist of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) in rats and humans, while propiconazole is an agonist of this receptor. Both substances activate the pregnane X-receptor (PXR) and further induce mRNA expression of CYP3A4. CYP3A4 enzyme activity, however, is inhibited by propiconazole. For common targets of PXR and CAR, the activation of PXR by Te overrides CAR inhibition. In summary, propiconazole and Te affect different hepatotoxicity-relevant cellular targets and, depending on the individual endpoint analyzed, act via similar or dissimilar mechanisms. The use of molecular data based on research in human cell systems extends the picture to refine cumulative assessment group grouping and substantially contributes to the understanding of mixture effects of chemicals in biological systems. KW - triazole fungicides KW - constitutive androstane receptor KW - pregnane X-receptor KW - enzyme induction KW - liver toxicity KW - mixtures Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfy026 SN - 1096-6080 SN - 1096-0929 VL - 163 IS - 1 SP - 170 EP - 181 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xiong, Chan A1 - Stiboller, Michael A1 - Glabonjat, Ronald A. A1 - Rieger, Jaqueline A1 - Paton, Lhiam A1 - Francesconi, Kevin A. T1 - Transport of arsenolipids to the milk of a nursing mother after consuming salmon fish JF - Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology N2 - Objective: We address two questions relevant to infants' exposure to potentially toxic arsenolipids, namely, are the arsenolipids naturally present in fish transported intact to a mother's milk, and what is the efficiency of this transport. Methods: We investigated the transport of arsenolipids and other arsenic species present in fish to mother's milk by analyzing the milk of a single nursing mother at 15 sampling times over a 3-day period after she had consumed a meal of salmon. Total arsenic values were obtained by elemental mass spectrometry, and arsenic species were measured by HPLC coupled to both elemental and molecular mass spectrometry. Results: Total arsenic increased from background levels (0.1 mu g As kg(-1)) to a peak value of 1.72 lig As kg(-1) eight hours after the fish meal. The pattern for arsenolipids was similar to that of total arsenic, increasing from undetectable background levels (< 0.01 mu g As kg(-1)) to a peak after eight hours of 0.45 mu g As kg(-1). Most of the remaining total arsenic in the milk was accounted for by arsenobetaine. The major arsenolipids in the salmon were arsenic hydrocarbons (AsHCs; 55 % of total arsenolipids), and these compounds were also the dominant arsenolipids in the milk where they contributed over 90 % of the total arsenolipids. Conclusions: Our study has shown that ca 2-3 % of arsenic hydrocarbons, natural constituents of fish, can be directly transferred unchanged to the milk of a nursing mother. In view of the potential neurotoxicity of AsHCs, the effects of these compounds on the brain developmental stage of infants need to be investigated. KW - human milk KW - arsenolipids KW - salmon fish KW - HPLC/ICPMS KW - HPLC/HR-ESMS Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126502 SN - 0946-672X VL - 61 PB - Elsevier CY - München ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jannasch, Franziska A1 - Nickel, Daniela A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd T1 - The reliability and relative validity of predefined dietary patterns were higher than that of exploratory dietary patterns in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam population JF - British journal of nutrition : BJN : an international journal of nutritional science / published on behalf of The Nutrition Society N2 - The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the FFQ to describe reliable and valid dietary pattern (DP) scores. In a total of 134 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study aged 35-67 years, the FFQ was applied twice (baseline and after 1 year) to assess its reliability. Between November 1995 and March 1997, twelve 24-h dietary recalls (24HDR) as reference instrument were applied to assess the validity of the FFQ. Exploratory DP were derived by principal component analyses. Investigated predefined DP were the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and two Mediterranean diet indices. From dietary data of each FFQ, two exploratory DP were retained, but differed in highly loading food groups, resulting in moderate correlations (r 0 center dot 45-0 center dot 58). The predefined indices showed higher correlations between the FFQ (r(AHEI) 0 center dot 62, r(Mediterranean Diet Pyramid Index (MedPyr)) 0 center dot 62 and r(traditional Mediterranean Diet Score (tMDS)) 0 center dot 51). From 24HDR dietary data, one exploratory DP retained differed in composition to the first FFQ-based DP, but showed similarities to the second DP, reflected by a good correlation (r 0 center dot 70). The predefined DP correlated moderately (r 0 center dot 40-0 center dot 60). To conclude, long-term analyses on exploratory DP should be interpreted with caution, due to only moderate reliability. The validity differed extensively for the two exploratory DP. The investigated predefined DP showed a better reliability and a moderate validity, comparable to other studies. Within the two Mediterranean diet indices, the MedPyr performed better than the tMDs in this middle-aged, semi-urban German study population. KW - dietary patterns KW - reliability KW - validity Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114520003517 SN - 1475-2662 SN - 0007-1145 VL - 125 IS - 11 SP - 1270 EP - 1280 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cramer, Sandra A1 - Tacke, Sebastian A1 - Bornhorst, Julia A1 - Klingauf, Jürgen A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja A1 - Galla, Hans-Joachim T1 - The Influence of Silver Nanoparticles on the Blood-Brain and the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier in vitro JF - Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology N2 - The use of silver nanoparticles in medical and consumer products such as wound dressings, clothing and cosmetic has increased significantly in recent years. Still, the influence of these particles on our health and especially on our brain, has not been examined adequately up to now. We studied the influence of AgEO- (Ethylene Oxide) and AgCitrate-Nanoparticles (NPs) on the protective barriers of the brain, namely the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (blood-CSF) barrier in vitro. The NPs toxicity was evaluated by examining changes in membrane integrity, cell morphology, barrier properties, oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. AgNPs decreased cell viability, disturbed barrier integrity and tight junctions and triggered oxidative stress and DNA strand breaks. However, all mentioned effects were, at least partly, suppressed by a Citrate-coating and were most pronounced in the cells of the BBB as compared to the epithelial cells representing the blood-CSF barrier. AgEO- but not AgCitrate-NPs also triggered an inflammatory reaction in porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (PBCEC), which represent the BBB. Our data indicate that AgNPs may cause adverse effects within the barriers of the brain, but their toxicity can be reduced by choosing an appropriate coating material. Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7439.1000225 SN - 2157-7439 VL - 5 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zoicas, Iulia A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Reichel, Martin A1 - Gulbins, Erich A1 - Fejtova, Anna A1 - Kornhuber, Johannes A1 - Rhein, Cosima T1 - The forebrain-specific overexpression of acid sphingomyelinase induces depressive-like symptoms in mice JF - Cells N2 - Human and murine studies identified the lysosomal enzyme acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) as a target for antidepressant therapy and revealed its role in the pathophysiology of major depression. In this study, we generated a mouse model with overexpression of Asm (Asm-tg(fb)) that is restricted to the forebrain to rule out any systemic effects of Asm overexpression on depressive-like symptoms. The increase in Asm activity was higher in male Asm-tg(fb) mice than in female Asm-tg(fb) mice due to the breeding strategy, which allows for the generation of wild-type littermates as appropriate controls. Asm overexpression in the forebrain of male mice resulted in a depressive-like phenotype, whereas in female mice, Asm overexpression resulted in a social anxiogenic-like phenotype. Ceramides in male Asm-tg(fb) mice were elevated specifically in the dorsal hippocampus. mRNA expression analyses indicated that the increase in Asm activity affected other ceramide-generating pathways, which might help to balance ceramide levels in cortical brain regions. This forebrain-specific mouse model offers a novel tool for dissecting the molecular mechanisms that play a role in the pathophysiology of major depression. KW - Smpd1 KW - acid sphingomyelinase KW - forebrain KW - depressive-like behavior KW - anxiety-like behavior KW - ceramide Y1 - 2020 VL - 9 IS - 5 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bishop, Christopher Allen A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Klaus, Susanne A1 - Weitkunat, Karolin T1 - The branched-chain amino acids valine and leucine have differential effects on hepatic lipid metabolism JF - The FASEB journal : the official journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology N2 - Dairy intake, as a source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), has been linked to a lower incidence of type-2-diabetes and increased circulating odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA). To understand this connection, we aimed to investigate differences in BCAA metabolism of leucine and valine, a possible source of OCFA, and their role in hepatic metabolism. Male mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with leucine and valine for 1 week and phenotypically characterized with a focus on lipid metabolism. Mouse primary hepatocytes were treated with the BCAA or a Ppar alpha activator WY-14643 to systematically examine direct hepatic effects and their mechanisms. Here, we show that only valine supplementation was able to increase hepatic and circulating OCFA levels via two pathways; a PPAR alpha-dependent induction of alpha-oxidation and an increased supply of propionyl-CoA for de novo lipogenesis. Meanwhile, we were able to confirm leucine-mediated effects on the inhibition of food intake and transport of fatty acids, as well as induction of S6 ribosomal protein phosphorylation. Taken together, these data illustrate differential roles of the BCAA in lipid metabolism and provide preliminary evidence that exclusively valine contributes to the endogenous formation of OCFA which is important for a better understanding of these metabolites in metabolic health. KW - fatty acid metabolism KW - leucine KW - liver KW - OCFA KW - valine Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202000195R SN - 0892-6638 SN - 1530-6860 VL - 34 IS - 7 SP - 9727 EP - 9739 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Witt, Barbara A1 - Schaumlöffel, Dirk A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja T1 - Subcellular Localization of Copper BT - Cellular Bioimaging with Focus on Neurological Disorders JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - As an essential trace element, copper plays a pivotal role in physiological body functions. In fact, dysregulated copper homeostasis has been clearly linked to neurological disorders including Wilson and Alzheimer’s disease. Such neurodegenerative diseases are associated with progressive loss of neurons and thus impaired brain functions. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Characterization of the element species and their subcellular localization is of great importance to uncover cellular mechanisms. Recent research activities focus on the question of how copper contributes to the pathological findings. Cellular bioimaging of copper is an essential key to accomplish this objective. Besides information on the spatial distribution and chemical properties of copper, other essential trace elements can be localized in parallel. Highly sensitive and high spatial resolution techniques such as LA-ICP-MS, TEM-EDS, S-XRF and NanoSIMS are required for elemental mapping on subcellular level. This review summarizes state-of-the-art techniques in the field of bioimaging. Their strengths and limitations will be discussed with particular focus on potential applications for the elucidation of copper-related diseases. Based on such investigations, further information on cellular processes and mechanisms can be derived under physiological and pathological conditions. Bioimaging studies might enable the clarification of the role of copper in the context of neurodegenerative diseases and provide an important basis to develop therapeutic strategies for reduction or even prevention of copper-related disorders and their pathological consequences. KW - copper KW - cellular bioimaging KW - neurodegenerative diseases KW - copper-related disorders KW - SIMS techniques KW - TEM KW - S-XRF Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072341 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 21 IS - 7 PB - Molecular Diversity Preservation International CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wigger, Dominik A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Schneider-Schaulies, Sibylle A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard T1 - Sphingosine 1-phosphate metabolism and insulin signaling JF - Cellular signalling N2 - Insulin is the main anabolic hormone secreted by 13-cells of the pancreas stimulating the assimilation and storage of glucose in muscle and fat cells. It modulates the postprandial balance of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins via enhancing lipogenesis, glycogen and protein synthesis and suppressing glucose generation and its release from the liver. Resistance to insulin is a severe metabolic disorder related to a diminished response of peripheral tissues to the insulin action and signaling. This leads to a disturbed glucose homeostasis that precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a disease reaching epidemic proportions. A large number of studies reported an association between elevated circulating fatty acids and the development of insulin resistance. The increased fatty acid lipid flux results in the accumulation of lipid droplets in a variety of tissues. However, lipid intermediates such as diacylglycerols and ceramides are also formed in response to elevated fatty acid levels. These bioactive lipids have been associated with the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. More recently, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), another bioactive sphingolipid derivative, has also been shown to increase in T2D and obesity. Although many studies propose a protective role of S1P metabolism on insulin signaling in peripheral tissues, other studies suggest a causal role of S1P on insulin resistance. In this review, we critically summarize the current state of knowledge of S1P metabolism and its modulating role on insulin resistance. A particular emphasis is placed on S1P and insulin signaling in hepatocytes, skeletal muscle cells, adipocytes and pancreatic 13-cells. In particular, modulation of receptors and enzymes that regulate S1P metabolism can be considered as a new therapeutic option for the treatment of insulin resistance and T2D. KW - Insulin resistance KW - Type 2 diabetes KW - Sphingolipids KW - Hepatocytes KW - Adipocytes KW - Skeletal muscle cells Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellsig.2021.109959 SN - 0898-6568 SN - 1873-3913 VL - 82 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] ER -