TY - GEN A1 - Balazadeh, Salma A1 - Müller-Röber, Bernd T1 - A balance to death T2 - Nature plants N2 - Leaf senescence plays a crucial role in nutrient recovery in late-stage plant development and requires vast transcriptional reprogramming by transcription factors such as ORESARA1 (ORE1). A proteolytic mechanism is now found to control ORE1 degradation, and thus senescence, during nitrogen starvation. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-018-0279-6 SN - 2055-026X SN - 2055-0278 VL - 4 IS - 11 SP - 863 EP - 864 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Klauschies, Toni A1 - Coutinho, Renato Mendes A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - A beta distribution-based moment closure enhances the reliability of trait-based aggregate models for natural populations and communities JF - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog N2 - Ecological communities are complex adaptive systems that exhibit remarkable feedbacks between their biomass and trait dynamics. Trait-based aggregate models cope with this complexity by focusing on the temporal development of the community’s aggregate properties such as its total biomass, mean trait and trait variance. They are based on particular assumptions about the shape of the underlying trait distribution, which is commonly assumed to be normal. However, ecologically important traits are usually restricted to a finite range, and empirical trait distributions are often skewed or multimodal. As a result, normal distribution-based aggregate models may fail to adequately represent the biomass and trait dynamics of natural communities. We resolve this mismatch by developing a new moment closure approach assuming the trait values to be beta-distributed. We show that the beta distribution captures important shape properties of both observed and simulated trait distributions, which cannot be captured by a Gaussian. We further demonstrate that a beta distribution-based moment closure can strongly enhance the reliability of trait-based aggregate models. We compare the biomass, mean trait and variance dynamics of a full trait distribution (FD) model to the ones of beta (BA) and normal (NA) distribution-based aggregate models, under different selection regimes. This way, we demonstrate under which general conditions (stabilizing, fluctuating or disruptive selection) different aggregate models are reliable tools. All three models predicted very similar biomass and trait dynamics under stabilizing selection yielding unimodal trait distributions with small standing trait variation. We also obtained an almost perfect match between the results of the FD and BA models under fluctuating selection, promoting skewed trait distributions and ongoing oscillations in the biomass and trait dynamics. In contrast, the NA model showed unrealistic trait dynamics and exhibited different alternative stable states, and thus a high sensitivity to initial conditions under fluctuating selection. Under disruptive selection, both aggregate models failed to reproduce the results of the FD model with the mean trait values remaining within their ecologically feasible ranges in the BA model but not in the NA model. Overall, a beta distribution-based moment closure strongly improved the realism of trait-based aggregate models. KW - Moment closure KW - Normal and beta distribution KW - Skewed and peaked trait distributions KW - Fitness landscape and frequency-dependent selection KW - Eco-evolutionary dynamics KW - Modelling functional diversity Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.02.001 SN - 0304-3800 SN - 1872-7026 VL - 381 SP - 46 EP - 77 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Noonan, Michael J. A1 - Tucker, Marlee A. A1 - Fleming, Christen H. A1 - Akre, Thomas S. A1 - Alberts, Susan C. A1 - Ali, Abdullahi H. A1 - Altmann, Jeanne A1 - Antunes, Pamela Castro A1 - Belant, Jerrold L. A1 - Beyer, Dean A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - Boehning-Gaese, Katrin A1 - Cullen Jr, Laury A1 - de Paula, Rogerio Cunha A1 - Dekker, Jasja A1 - Drescher-Lehman, Jonathan A1 - Farwig, Nina A1 - Fichtel, Claudia A1 - Fischer, Christina A1 - Ford, Adam T. A1 - Goheen, Jacob R. A1 - Janssen, Rene A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Kauffman, Matthew A1 - Kappeler, Peter M. A1 - Koch, Flavia A1 - LaPoint, Scott A1 - Markham, A. Catherine A1 - Medici, Emilia Patricia A1 - Morato, Ronaldo G. A1 - Nathan, Ran A1 - Oliveira-Santos, Luiz Gustavo R. A1 - Olson, Kirk A. A1 - Patterson, Bruce D. A1 - Paviolo, Agustin A1 - Ramalho, Emiliano Estero A1 - Rosner, Sascha A1 - Schabo, Dana G. A1 - Selva, Nuria A1 - Sergiel, Agnieszka A1 - da Silva, Marina Xavier A1 - Spiegel, Orr A1 - Thompson, Peter A1 - Ullmann, Wiebke A1 - Zieba, Filip A1 - Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz A1 - Fagan, William F. A1 - Mueller, Thomas A1 - Calabrese, Justin M. T1 - A comprehensive analysis of autocorrelation and bias in home range estimation JF - Ecological monographs : a publication of the Ecological Society of America. N2 - Home range estimation is routine practice in ecological research. While advances in animal tracking technology have increased our capacity to collect data to support home range analysis, these same advances have also resulted in increasingly autocorrelated data. Consequently, the question of which home range estimator to use on modern, highly autocorrelated tracking data remains open. This question is particularly relevant given that most estimators assume independently sampled data. Here, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of autocorrelation on home range estimation. We base our study on an extensive data set of GPS locations from 369 individuals representing 27 species distributed across five continents. We first assemble a broad array of home range estimators, including Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) with four bandwidth optimizers (Gaussian reference function, autocorrelated‐Gaussian reference function [AKDE], Silverman's rule of thumb, and least squares cross‐validation), Minimum Convex Polygon, and Local Convex Hull methods. Notably, all of these estimators except AKDE assume independent and identically distributed (IID) data. We then employ half‐sample cross‐validation to objectively quantify estimator performance, and the recently introduced effective sample size for home range area estimation ( N̂ area ) to quantify the information content of each data set. We found that AKDE 95% area estimates were larger than conventional IID‐based estimates by a mean factor of 2. The median number of cross‐validated locations included in the hold‐out sets by AKDE 95% (or 50%) estimates was 95.3% (or 50.1%), confirming the larger AKDE ranges were appropriately selective at the specified quantile. Conversely, conventional estimates exhibited negative bias that increased with decreasing N̂ area. To contextualize our empirical results, we performed a detailed simulation study to tease apart how sampling frequency, sampling duration, and the focal animal's movement conspire to affect range estimates. Paralleling our empirical results, the simulation study demonstrated that AKDE was generally more accurate than conventional methods, particularly for small N̂ area. While 72% of the 369 empirical data sets had >1,000 total observations, only 4% had an N̂ area >1,000, where 30% had an N̂ area <30. In this frequently encountered scenario of small N̂ area, AKDE was the only estimator capable of producing an accurate home range estimate on autocorrelated data. KW - animal movement KW - kernel density estimation KW - local convex hull KW - minimum convex polygon KW - range distribution KW - space use KW - telemetry KW - tracking data Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1344 SN - 0012-9615 SN - 1557-7015 VL - 89 IS - 2 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Palkopoulou, Eleftheria A1 - Lipson, Mark A1 - Mallick, Swapan A1 - Nielsen, Svend A1 - Rohland, Nadin A1 - Baleka, Sina Isabelle A1 - Karpinski, Emil A1 - Ivancevici, Atma M. A1 - Thu-Hien To, A1 - Kortschak, Daniel A1 - Raison, Joy M. A1 - Qu, Zhipeng A1 - Chin, Tat-Jun A1 - Alt, Kurt W. A1 - Claesson, Stefan A1 - Dalen, Love A1 - MacPhee, Ross D. E. A1 - Meller, Harald A1 - Rocar, Alfred L. A1 - Ryder, Oliver A. A1 - Heiman, David A1 - Young, Sarah A1 - Breen, Matthew A1 - Williams, Christina A1 - Aken, Bronwen L. A1 - Ruffier, Magali A1 - Karlsson, Elinor A1 - Johnson, Jeremy A1 - Di Palma, Federica A1 - Alfoldi, Jessica A1 - Adelsoni, David L. A1 - Mailund, Thomas A1 - Munch, Kasper A1 - Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin A1 - Hofreiter, Michael A1 - Poinar, Hendrik A1 - Reich, David T1 - A comprehensive genomic history of extinct and living elephants JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America KW - paleogenomics KW - elephantid evolution KW - mammoth KW - admixture KW - species divergence Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720554115 SN - 0027-8424 VL - 115 IS - 11 SP - E2566 EP - E2574 PB - National Acad. of Sciences CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kersting, Sebastian A1 - Rausch, Valentina A1 - Bier, Frank Fabian A1 - von Nickisch-Rosenegk, Markus T1 - A recombinase polymerase amplification assay for the diagnosis of atypical pneumonia JF - Analytical biochemistry : methods in the biological sciences N2 - Pneumonia is one of the most common and potentially lethal infectious conditions worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the pathogen most frequently associated with bacterial community-acquired pneumonia, while Legionella pneumophila is the major cause for local outbreaks of legionellosis. Both pathogens can be difficult to diagnose since signs and symptoms are nonspecific and do not differ from other causes of pneumonia. Therefore, a rapid diagnosis within a clinically relevant time is essential for a fast onset of the proper treatment. Although methods based on polymerase chain reaction significantly improved the identification of pathogens, they are difficult to conduct and need specialized equipment. We describe a rapid and sensitive test using isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification and detection on a disposable test strip. This method does not require any special instrumentation and can be performed in less than 20 min. The analytical sensitivity in the multiplex assay amplifying specific regions of S. pneumoniae and L. pneumophila simultaneously was 10 CFUs of genomic DNA per reaction. In cross detection studies with closely related strains and other bacterial agents the specificity of the RPA was confirmed. The presented method is applicable for near patient and field testing with a rather simple routine and the possibility for a read out with the naked eye. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2018.04.014 SN - 0003-2697 SN - 1096-0309 VL - 550 SP - 54 EP - 60 PB - Elsevier CY - San Diego ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Basler, Georg A1 - Fernie, Alisdair R. A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Advances in metabolic flux analysis toward genome-scale profiling of higher organisms JF - Bioscience reports : communications and reviews in molecular and cellular biology N2 - Methodological and technological advances have recently paved the way for metabolic flux profiling in higher organisms, like plants. However, in comparison with omics technologies, flux profiling has yet to provide comprehensive differential flux maps at a genome-scale and in different cell types, tissues, and organs. Here we highlight the recent advances in technologies to gather metabolic labeling patterns and flux profiling approaches. We provide an opinion of how recent local flux profiling approaches can be used in conjunction with the constraint-based modeling framework to arrive at genome-scale flux maps. In addition, we point at approaches which use metabolomics data without introduction of label to predict either non-steady state fluxes in a time-series experiment or flux changes in different experimental scenarios. The combination of these developments allows an experimentally feasible approach for flux-based large-scale systems biology studies. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20170224 SN - 0144-8463 SN - 1573-4935 VL - 38 PB - Portland Press (London) CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Özer, Aydan A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - Affinity to host population stimulates physical growth in adult offspring of Turkish migrants in Germany JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Because of political conflicts and climate change, migration will be increased worldwide and integration in host societies is a challenge also for migrants. We hypothesize that migrants, who take up the challenge in a new social environment are taller than migrants who do not pose this challenge. We analyze by a questionnaire possible social, nutritional and ethnic influencing factors to body height (BH) of adult offspring of Turkish migrants (n = 82, 39 males) aged from 18 to 34 years (mean age 24.6 years). The results of multiple regression (downward selection) show that the more a male adult offspring of Turkish migrants feels like belonging to the Turkish culture, the smaller he is (95% CI, -3.79, -0.323). Further, the more a male adult offspring of Turkish migrants feels like belonging to the German culture, the taller he is (95% CI, -0.152, 1.738). We discussed it comparable to primates taking up their challenge in dominance, where as a result their body size increase is associated with higher IGF-1 level. IGF-1 is associated with emotional belonging and has a fundamental role in the regulation of metabolism and growth of the human body. With all pilot characteristics of our study results show that the successful challenge of integration in a new society is strongly associated with the emotional integration and identification in the sense of a personal sense of belonging to society. We discuss taller BH as a signal of social growth adjustment. In this sense, a secular trend of BH adaptation of migrants to hosts is a sign of integration. KW - height of Turkish migrants KW - social identification KW - strategic growth adjustments Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0825 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 359 EP - 364 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sharma, Niharika A1 - Dang, Trang Minh A1 - Singh, Namrata A1 - Ruzicic, Slobodan A1 - Müller-Röber, Bernd A1 - Baumann, Ute A1 - Heuer, Sigrid T1 - Allelic variants of OsSUB1A cause differential expression of transcription factor genes in response to submergence in rice JF - Rice N2 - Background: Flooding during seasonal monsoons affects millions of hectares of rice-cultivated areas across Asia. Submerged rice plants die within a week due to lack of oxygen, light and excessive elongation growth to escape the water. Submergence tolerance was first reported in an aus-type rice landrace, FR13A, and the ethylene-responsive transcription factor (TF) gene SUB1A-1 was identified as the major tolerance gene. Intolerant rice varieties generally lack the SUB1A gene but some intermediate tolerant varieties, such as IR64, carry the allelic variant SUB1A-2. Differential effects of the two alleles have so far not been addressed. As a first step, we have therefore quantified and compared the expression of nearly 2500 rice TF genes between IR64 and its derived tolerant near isogenic line IR64-Sub1, which carries the SUB1A-1 allele. Gene expression was studied in internodes, where the main difference in expression between the two alleles was previously shown. Results: Nineteen and twenty-six TF genes were identified that responded to submergence in IR64 and IR64-Sub1, respectively. Only one gene was found to be submergence-responsive in both, suggesting different regulatory pathways under submergence in the two genotypes. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly included MYB, NAC, TIFY and Zn-finger TFs, and most genes were downregulated upon submergence. In IR64, but not in IR64-Sub1, SUB1B and SUB1C, which are also present in the Sub1 locus, were identified as submergence responsive. Four TFs were not submergence responsive but exhibited constitutive, genotype-specific differential expression. Most of the identified submergence responsive DEGs are associated with regulatory hormonal pathways, i.e. gibberellins (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and jasmonic acid (JA), apart from ethylene. An in-silico promoter analysis of the two genotypes revealed the presence of allele-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms, giving rise to ABRE, DRE/CRT, CARE and Site II cis-elements, which can partly explain the observed differential TF gene expression. Conclusion: This study identified new gene targets with the potential to further enhance submergence tolerance in rice and provides insights into novel aspects of SUB1A-mediated tolerance. KW - Submergence tolerance KW - SUB1A KW - Rice KW - Transcription factors Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-017-0192-z SN - 1939-8425 SN - 1939-8433 VL - 11 IS - 2 PB - Springer Open CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, S. M. A1 - Finke, Hannah A1 - Ebert, Franziska A1 - Kopp, Johannes Florian A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Francesconi, Kevin A. A1 - Raber, G. A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja T1 - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons BT - effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and biotransformation in HepG2 cells JF - Archives of toxicology : official journal of EUROTOX N2 - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), a subgroup of arsenolipids found in fish and algae, elicit substantial toxic effects in various human cell lines and have a considerable impact on cellular energy levels. The underlying mode of action, however, is still unknown. The present study analyzes the effects of two AsHCs (AsHC 332 and AsHC 360) on the expression of 44 genes covering DNA repair, stress response, cell death, autophagy, and epigenetics via RT-qPCR in human liver (HepG2) cells. Both AsHCs affected the gene expression, but to different extents. After treatment with AsHC 360, flap structure-specific endonuclease 1 (FEN1) as well as xeroderma pigmentosum group A complementing protein (XPA) and (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) showed time- and concentration-dependent alterations in gene expression, thereby indicating an impact on genomic stability. In the subsequent analysis of epigenetic markers, within 72 h, neither AsHC 332 nor AsHC 360 showed an impact on the global DNA methylation level, whereas incubation with AsHC 360 increased the global DNA hydroxymethylation level. Analysis of cell extracts and cell media by HPLC-mass spectrometry revealed that both AsHCs were considerably biotransformed. The identified metabolites include not only the respective thioxo-analogs of the two AsHCs, but also several arsenic-containing fatty acids and fatty alcohols, contributing to our knowledge of biotransformation mechanisms of arsenolipids. KW - Arsenolipids KW - Gene expression KW - Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons KW - Global DNA methylation KW - Arsenic speciation KW - Metabolism Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-018-2194-z SN - 0340-5761 SN - 1432-0738 VL - 92 IS - 5 SP - 1751 EP - 1765 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bogin, Barry A1 - Hermanussen, Michael A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - As tall as my peers BT - similarity in body height between migrants and hosts JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Background: We define migrants as people who move from their place of birth to a new place of residence. Migration usually is directed by "Push-Pull" factors, for example to escape from poor living conditions or to find more prosperous socio-economic conditions. Migrant children tend to assimilate quickly, and soon perceive themselves as peers within their new social networks. Differences exist between growth of first generation and second generation migrants. Methods: We review body heights and height distributions of historic and modern migrant populations to test two hypotheses: 1) that migrant and adopted children coming from lower social status localities to higher status localities adjust their height growth toward the mean of the dominant recipient social network, and 2) social dominant colonial and military migrants display growth that significantly surpasses the median height of both the conquered population and the population of origin. Our analytical framework also considered social networks. Recent publications indicate that spatial connectedness (community effects) and social competitiveness can affect human growth. Results: Migrant children and adolescents of lower social status rapidly adjust in height towards average height of their hosts, but tend to mature earlier, and are prone to overweight. The mean height of colonial/military migrants does surpass that of the conquered and origin population. Conclusion: Observations on human social networks, non-human animal strategic growth adjustments, and competitive growth processes strengthen the concept of social connectedness being involved in the regulation of human migrant growth. KW - growth of migrants KW - community effect on height KW - dominance KW - strategic growth adjustments KW - competitive growth Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0828 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 365 EP - 376 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Khozroughi, Amin Ghadiri A1 - Kroh, Lothar W. A1 - Schlueter, Oliver A1 - Rawel, Harshadrai Manilal T1 - Assessment of the bacterial impact on the post-mortem formation of zinc protoporphyrin IX in pork meat JF - Food chemistry N2 - The post-mortem accumulation of the heme biosynthesis metabolite zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) in porcine muscle is associated with both a meat-inherent and a bacterial enzymatic reaction during meat storage. To estimate the bacterial impact on ZnPP formation, meat and meat-like media were investigated by HPLC-FLD (and MALDI-TOF-MS) after inoculation with a representative microorganism (P. fluorescens). Results indicate the principal ability of meat-inherent bacteria to form ZnPP in meat extracts and meat-like media, but not on the meat muscle. Thus it was concluded that the ZnPP formation in meat is due to a meat-inherent enzymatic reaction induced by porcine ferrochelatase (FECH), while the bacterial (FECH) induced reaction seems to be not significant. KW - Meat storage KW - Pseudomonas KW - Post mortem chemistry KW - Microorganisms KW - Fluorescence Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.01.045 SN - 0308-8146 SN - 1873-7072 VL - 256 SP - 25 EP - 30 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bollier, Norbert A1 - Sicard, Adrien A1 - Leblond, Julie A1 - Latrasse, David A1 - Gonzalez, Nathalie A1 - Gevaudant, Frederic A1 - Benhamed, Moussa A1 - Raynaud, Cecile A1 - Lenhard, Michael A1 - Chevalier, Christian A1 - Hernould, Michel A1 - Delmas, Frederic T1 - At-MINI ZINC FINGER2 and Sl-INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY, a Conserved Missing Link in the Regulation of Floral Meristem Termination in Arabidopsis and Tomato JF - The plant cell N2 - In angiosperms, the gynoecium is the last structure to develop within the flower due to the determinate fate of floral meristem (FM) stem cells. The maintenance of stem cell activity before its arrest at the stage called FM termination affects the number of carpels that develop. The necessary inhibition at this stage of WUSCHEL (WUS), which is responsible for stem cell maintenance, involves a two-step mechanism. Direct repression mediated by the MADS domain transcription factor AGAMOUS (AG), followed by indirect repression requiring the C2H2 zinc-finger protein KNUCKLES (KNU), allow for the complete termination of floral stem cell activity. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana MINI ZINC FINGER2 (AtMIF2) and its homolog in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY (SlIMA), participate in the FM termination process by functioning as adaptor proteins. AtMIF2 and SlIMA recruit AtKNU and SlKNU, respectively, to form a transcriptional repressor complex together with TOPLESS and HISTONE DEACETYLASE19. AtMIF2 and SlIMA bind to the WUS and SIWUS loci in the respective plants, leading to their repression. These results provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms governing (FM) termination and highlight the essential role of AtMIF2/SlIMA during this developmental step, which determines carpel number and therefore fruit size. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00653 SN - 1040-4651 SN - 1532-298X VL - 30 IS - 1 SP - 83 EP - 100 PB - American Society of Plant Physiologists CY - Rockville 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 - THES A1 - Stößel, Daniel T1 - Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease T1 - Biomarkerentwicklung in Multiple Sklerose und der Parkinson-Krankheit BT - novel insights into metabolic disease mechanisms N2 - Neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) often result in a severe impairment of the patient´s quality of life. Effective therapies for the treatment are currently not available, which results in a high socio-economic burden. Due to the heterogeneity of the disease subtypes, stratification is particularly difficult in the early phase of the disease and is mainly based on clinical parameters such as neurophysiological tests and central nervous imaging. Due to good accessibility and stability, blood and cerebrospinal fluid metabolite markers could serve as surrogates for neurodegenerative processes. This can lead to an improved mechanistic understanding of these diseases and further be used as "treatment response" biomarkers in preclinical and clinical development programs. Therefore, plasma and CSF metabolite profiles will be identified that allow differentiation of PD from healthy controls, association of PD with dementia (PDD) and differentiation of PD subtypes such as akinetic rigid and tremor dominant PD patients. In addition, plasma metabolites for the diagnosis of primary progressive MS (PPMS) should be investigated and tested for their specificity to relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and their development during PPMS progression. By applying untargeted high-resolution metabolomics of PD patient samples and in using random forest and partial least square machine learning algorithms, this study identified 20 plasma metabolites and 14 CSF metabolite biomarkers. These differentiate against healthy individuals with an AUC of 0.8 and 0.9 in PD, respectively. We also identify ten PDD specific serum metabolites, which differentiate against healthy individuals and PD patients without dementia with an AUC of 1.0, respectively. Furthermore, 23 akinetic-rigid specific plasma markers were identified, which differentiate against tremor-dominant PD patients with an AUC of 0.94 and against healthy individuals with an AUC of 0.98. These findings also suggest more severe disease pathology in the akinetic-rigid PD than in tremor dominant PD. In the analysis of MS patient samples a partial least square analysis yielded predictive models for the classification of PPMS and resulted in 20 PPMS specific metabolites. In another MS study unknown changes in human metabolism were identified after administration of the multiple sclerosis drug dimethylfumarate, which is used for the treatment of RRMS. These results allow to describe and understand the hitherto completely unknown mechanism of action of this new drug and to use these findings for the further development of new drugs and targets against RRMS. In conclusion, these results have the potential for improved diagnosis of these diseases and improvement of mechanistic understandings, as multiple deregulated pathways were identified. Moreover, novel Dimethylfumarate targets can be used to aid drug development and treatment efficiency. Overall, metabolite profiling in combination with machine learning identified as a promising approach for biomarker discovery and mode of action elucidation. N2 - Neuroinflammatorische and neurodegenerative Erkrankungen wie Parkinson (PD) und Multiple Sklerose (MS) gehen oft mit einer starken Beeinträchtigung der Lebensqualität einher. Effektive Therapien für die Behandlung sind derzeit nicht verfügbar, was nicht zuletzt eine hohe sozioökonomische Last zur Folge hat. Aufgrund der Heterogenität der Krankheitsbilder ist eine Stratifizierung gerade in der Frühphase der Erkrankung schwierig und basiert hauptsächlich auf klinischen Parametern wie bspw. neurophysiologischen Tests und bildgebenden Verfahren. Aufgrund ihrer guten Zugänglichkeit und Stabilität könnten bestimmte Blut- und Liquor-Metabolitenmarker als Surrogat für neurodegenerative Prozesse dienen, zu einem verbesserten mechanistischen Verständnis dieser Krankheiten führen und nicht zuletzt als “treatment response“ Biomarker in präklinischen und klinischen Entwicklungsprogrammen herangezogen werden. In dieser Arbeit sollten deshalb Plasma- und CSF-Metabolitprofile identifiziert werden, die eine Differenzierung von PD zu gesunden Kontrollen, Assoziierung zu PD mit Demenz (PDD) sowie eine Abgrenzung zu unterschiedlichen PD-Subtypen wie akinetisch-rigiden sowie tremor-dominanten PD-Patienten ermöglichen. Weiterhin wurden in dieser Arbeit Plasmametabolite zur Diagnose von primär-progressiver MS (PPMS) erforscht und auf ihre Spezifität gegenüber schubförmig remittierender MS (RRMS) und PD geprüft sowie deren Verlauf während der PPMS Progression getestet. Hierbei konnten durch “untargeted Metabolomics“ in Kombination mit statistischen Modellen mehrere Plasma- und CSF-Metabolite in PD-Patienten/Erkrankten ermittelt werden, die mit Hilfe von statistischen Diagnosemodellen eine Differenzierung zu gesunden Personen ermöglichen. Darüber hinaus wurden in dieser Arbeit PDD-spezifische Serummetabolite identifiziert, die wiederum genutzt werden können, um diesen PD-Typen von gesunden Individuen und PD-Patienten ohne Demenz abzugrenzen. Des Weiteren konnten bei akinetisch-rigiden PD-Patienten spezifische Metabolite entdeckt werden, die im Vergleich zu tremor-dominanten PD-Patienten eine stärkere metabolische Krankheitssymptomatik suggerieren. Im Zusammenhang mit PPMS wurden in dieser Arbeit spezifische Plasma-Metabolite entdeckt, die zur Diagnose gegen RRMS, PD und gesunden Kontrollen genutzt werden können. Interessanterweise zeigte dabei ein spezifisches Lipid geringere Werte im PPMS Krankheitsverlauf, wodurch sich dieses als möglicher Marker zur Progressionsdiagnostik dieser Krankheit qualifiziert. Abschließend konnten in dieser Arbeit im humanen Stoffwechsel bisher unbekannte Angriffspunkte des Medikaments Dimethylfumarat, das zur Behandlung von RRMS verwendet wird, ermittelt werden. Durch diese Ergebnisse kann der bis jetzt gänzlich unbekannte Wirkungsmechanismus dieses neuen Medikaments besser beschrieben und verstanden, sowie zur Weiterentwicklung neuer Medikamente gegen RRMS genutzt werden. KW - metabolomics KW - biomarker KW - multiple sclerosis KW - Parkinson's disease KW - neurodegeneration KW - neuroinflammation KW - machine-learning KW - Parkinson-Krankheit KW - Biomarker KW - Maschinelles-Lernen KW - Metabolomics KW - Multiple-Sklerose Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Yuk-Chien A1 - Groth, Detlef T1 - Body height, social dominance and the political climate BT - a comment JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Background: The association between stature and social dominance is known. Dominance within social groups and current politics are related issues. We therefore aimed to compare estimates of the opinion of a population about their current political issues, with physical growth. Material and methods: We used data on the 2012 and the 2014 elections for the Japanese House of Representatives and the percent proportion of votes of the 47 prefectures of Japan, and regional data on body height of 17.5 year old men and women. Information on capita income, possession of mobile phones, urban/rural population ratio, and age distribution were added to capture socioeconomic factors. Four political parties were present in most of the 47 prefectures: the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the New Komeito Party (Kom) that is known for their social network community, and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). Results: A dense network of associations exists between height, age distribution, per capita income, number of smartphones, and voting results. Male and female body height was inversely related with the proportion of votes for New Komeito Party. Average stature decreases by one mm per percent votes for this political party. Medium strong positive associations were found for male body height and voting results of the DPJ and for female body height with the JCP election results. Conclusion: In modern Japan, popular preferences for conservative political structures coincide with shorter stature. KW - stature KW - social dominance KW - strategic growth adjustments Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0855 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 445 EP - 450 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bäurle, Isabel A1 - Brzezinka, Krzysztof A1 - Altmann, Simone T1 - BRUSHY1/TONSOKU/MGOUN3 is required for heat stress memory JF - Plant Cell & Environment N2 - Plants encounter biotic and abiotic stresses many times during their life cycle and this limits their productivity. Moderate heat stress (HS) primes a plant to survive higher temperatures that are lethal in the naïve state. Once temperature stress subsides, the memory of the priming event is actively retained for several days preparing the plant to better cope with recurring HS. Recently, chromatin regulation at different levels has been implicated in HS memory. Here, we report that the chromatin protein BRUSHY1 (BRU1)/TONSOKU/MGOUN3 plays a role in the HS memory in Arabidopsis thaliana. BRU1 is also involved in transcriptional gene silencing and DNA damage repair. This corresponds with the functions of its mammalian orthologue TONSOKU‐LIKE/NFΚBIL2. During HS memory, BRU1 is required to maintain sustained induction of HS memory‐associated genes, whereas it is dispensable for the acquisition of thermotolerance. In summary, we report that BRU1 is required for HS memory in A. thaliana, and propose a model where BRU1 mediates the epigenetic inheritance of chromatin states across DNA replication and cell division. KW - Arabidopsis thaliana KW - BRUSHY1 KW - chromatin KW - priming Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13365 VL - 42 SP - 771 EP - 781 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 - Kobel-Höller, Konstanze A1 - Gley, Kevin A1 - Jochinke, Janina A1 - Heider, Kristina A1 - Fritsch, Verena Nadin A1 - Ha Viet Duc Nguyen, A1 - Lischke, Timo A1 - Radek, Renate A1 - Baumgrass, Ria A1 - Mutzel, Rupert A1 - Thewes, Sascha T1 - Calcineurin Silencing in Dictyostelium discoideum Leads to Cellular Alterations Affecting Mitochondria, Gene Expression, and Oxidative Stress Response JF - Protist N2 - Calcineurin is involved in development and cell differentiation of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. However, since knockouts of the calcineurin-encoding genes are not possible in D. discoideum it is assumed that the phosphatase also plays a crucial role during vegetative growth of the amoebae. Therefore, we investigated the role of calcineurin during vegetative growth in D. discoideum. RNAi-silenced calcineurin mutants showed cellular alterations with an abnormal morphology of mitochondria and had increased content of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In contrast, mitochondria showed no substantial functional impairment. Calcineurin-silencing led to altered expression of calcium-regulated genes as well as mitochondrially-encoded genes. Furthermore, genes related to oxidative stress were higher expressed in the mutants, which correlated to an increased resistance towards reactive oxygen species (ROS). Most of the changes observed during vegetative growth were not seen after starvation of the calcineurin mutants. We show that impairment of calcineurin led to many subtle, but in the sum crucial cellular alterations in vegetative D. discoideum cells. As these alterations were not observed after starvation we propose a dual role for calcineurin during growth and development. Our results imply that calcineurin is one player in the mutual interplay between mitochondria and ROS during vegetative growth. KW - mtDNA KW - mitochondrial remodelling KW - calcium KW - oxidative stress KW - phototaxis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2018.04.004 SN - 1434-4610 VL - 169 IS - 4 SP - 584 EP - 602 PB - Elsevier GMBH CY - München ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pitzen, Valentin A1 - Askarzada, Sophie A1 - Gräf, Ralph A1 - Meyer, Irene T1 - CDK5RAP2 Is an Essential Scaffolding Protein of the Corona of the Dictyostelium Centrosome JF - Cells N2 - Dictyostelium centrosomes consist of a nucleus-associated cylindrical, three-layered core structure surrounded by a corona consisting of microtubule-nucleation complexes embedded in a scaffold of large coiled-coil proteins. One of them is the conserved CDK5RAP2 protein. Here we focus on the role of Dictyostelium CDK5RAP2 for maintenance of centrosome integrity, its interaction partners and its dynamic behavior during interphase and mitosis. GFP-CDK5RAP2 is present at the centrosome during the entire cell cycle except from a short period during prophase, correlating with the normal dissociation of the corona at this stage. RNAi depletion of CDK5RAP2 results in complete disorganization of centrosomes and microtubules suggesting that CDK5RAP2 is required for organization of the corona and its association to the core structure. This is in line with the observation that overexpressed GFP-CDK5RAP2 elicited supernumerary cytosolic MTOCs. The phenotype of CDK5RAP2 depletion was very reminiscent of that observed upon depletion of CP148, another scaffolding protein of the corona. BioID interaction assays revealed an interaction of CDK5RAP2 not only with the corona markers CP148, gamma-tubulin, and CP248, but also with the core components Cep192, CP75, and CP91. Furthermore, protein localization studies in both depletion strains revealed that CP148 and CDK5RAP2 cooperate in corona organization. KW - centrosome KW - centriole KW - Dictyostelium KW - microtubules KW - mitosis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cells7040032 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 7 IS - 4 PB - MDPI CY - Basel 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 - Perillon, Cecile A1 - van de Weyer, Klaus A1 - Päzolt, Jens A1 - Kasprzak, Peter A1 - Hilt, Sabine T1 - Changes in submerged macrophyte colonization in shallow areas of an oligo-mesotrophic lake and the potential role of groundwater JF - Limnologica : ecology and management of inland waters N2 - Groundwater influx can significantly contribute to nutrient budgets of lakes and its influence is strongest in shallow littoral areas. In oligo-or mesotrophic systems, additional nutrient supply by groundwater influx may affect benthic primary producers and their interactions. Potential changes can be expected in community composition, biomass, stoichiometry and interactions between submerged macrophytes and epiphyton. KW - Seepage KW - Eutrophication KW - Charophytes KW - Periphyton KW - Nutrients KW - Littoral Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.limno.2017.03.002 SN - 0075-9511 SN - 1873-5851 VL - 68 SP - 168 EP - 176 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Götz, Klaus-Peter A1 - Naher, Jobadatun A1 - Fettke, Jörg A1 - Chmielewski, Frank M. T1 - Changes of proteins during dormancy and bud development of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) JF - Scientia horticulturae : an international journal sponsored by the International Society for Horticultural Science N2 - Trees control the flowering processes in response to both environmental and endogenous (mechanisms at cellular/tissue level) conditions. Dormancy of flower buds is characterized by the reduction of growth and the enhancement of frost and desiccation resistance. The release of endodormancy and the beginning of ontogenetic development, as two important dates for developing reliable phenological models, escape from any visible signs. Thus, we identified - to our knowledge as first - relevant proteins in sweet cherry buds occurring during these phenological phases at high time resolution in three seasons (2012/13–2014/15) under natural conditions in Northeast Germany. The protein content of buds from the first week of October to leaf fall, from leaf fall to the end of endodormancy (t1), from t1 to the beginning of ontogenetic development (t1*), and from t1* until swollen bud, was comparable in each of the seasons. The increase of the protein content began after swollen bud and markedly differences occurred at side green, green tip, tight and open cluster. SDS gel electrophoresis followed by peptide mass fingerprinting accomplished by MALDI-TOF MS was applied for protein identification. ‘Volume intensity’ has been used to demonstrate the pattern and changes of proteins. None of the analysed proteins like for cell proliferation/differentiation (Phytosulfokines 3), carbon fixation (Rubisco), and defense against pathogenes (Major allergen Pru sv 1) indicates the date of endodormancy release or the beginning of the (invisible) ontogenetic development. The stages around green tip, tight, and open cluster resulted in markedly increase of the volume intensity of the protein for cell proliferation/differentiation and the carbon fixation, whereas the volume intensity of a protein for defense against pathogens markedly decreased. The pattern and changes of the volume intensity of neoxanthin synthase (NXS) in sweet cherry buds followed the increasing demand during endo- and ecodormancy to produce neoxanthin, which is a prominent member of the group of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. KW - Dormancy phases KW - Buds KW - Prunus avium L. KW - Peptide mass fingerprinting Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.05.016 SN - 0304-4238 SN - 1879-1018 VL - 239 SP - 41 EP - 49 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Ma, Xuemin T1 - Characterization of NAC transcription factors involved in leaf senescence and fruit ripening in tomato Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - THES A1 - Bühning, Martin T1 - Charakterisierung des Zusammenspiels von FeS-Cluster-Assemblierung, Molybdänkofaktor-Biosynthese und tRNA-Thiolierung in Escherichia coli Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Friedrich, Thomas A1 - Faivre, Lea A1 - Bäurle, Isabel A1 - Schubert, Daniel T1 - Chromatin-based mechanisms of temperature memory in plants JF - Plant, cell & environment : cell physiology, whole-plant physiology, community physiology N2 - For successful growth and development, plants constantly have to gauge their environment. Plants are capable to monitor their current environmental conditions, and they are also able to integrate environmental conditions over time and store the information induced by the cues. In a developmental context, such an environmental memory is used to align developmental transitions with favourable environmental conditions. One temperature-related example of this is the transition to flowering after experiencing winter conditions, that is, vernalization. In the context of adaptation to stress, such an environmental memory is used to improve stress adaptation even when the stress cues are intermittent. A somatic stress memory has now been described for various stresses, including extreme temperatures, drought, and pathogen infection. At the molecular level, such a memory of the environment is often mediated by epigenetic and chromatin modifications. Histone modifications in particular play an important role. In this review, we will discuss and compare different types of temperature memory and the histone modifications, as well as the reader, writer, and eraser proteins involved. KW - chromatin KW - cold KW - epigenetics KW - heat KW - memory KW - nucleosome remodelling KW - polycomb KW - priming KW - trithorax Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13373 SN - 0140-7791 SN - 1365-3040 VL - 42 IS - 3 SP - 762 EP - 770 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kroeger, Janine A1 - Meidtner, Karina A1 - Stefan, Norbert A1 - Guevara, Marcela A1 - Kerrison, Nicola D. A1 - Ardanaz, Eva A1 - Aune, Dagfinn A1 - Boeing, Heiner A1 - Dorronsoro, Miren A1 - Dow, Courtney A1 - Fagherazzi, Guy A1 - Franks, Paul W. A1 - Freisling, Heinz A1 - Gunter, Marc J. A1 - Maria Huerta, Jose A1 - Kaaks, Rudolf A1 - Key, Timothy J. A1 - Khaw, Kay Tee A1 - Krogh, Vittorio A1 - Kuehn, Tilman A1 - Mancini, Francesca Romana A1 - Mattiello, Amalia A1 - Nilsson, Peter M. A1 - Olsen, Anja A1 - Overvad, Kim A1 - Palli, Domenico A1 - Ramon Quiros, J. A1 - Rolandsson, Olov A1 - Sacerdote, Carlotta A1 - Sala, Nuria A1 - Salamanca-Fernandez, Elena A1 - Sluijs, Ivonne A1 - Spijkerman, Annemieke M. W. A1 - Tjonneland, Anne A1 - Tsilidis, Konstantinos K. A1 - Tumino, Rosario A1 - van der Schouw, Yvonne T. A1 - Forouhi, Nita G. A1 - Sharp, Stephen J. A1 - Langenberg, Claudia A1 - Riboli, Elio A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Wareham, Nicholas J. T1 - Circulating Fetuin-A and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes BT - a mendelian randomization analysis JF - Diabetes : a journal of the American Diabetes Association N2 - Fetuin-A, a hepatic-origin protein, is strongly positively associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in human observational studies, but it is unknown whether this association is causal. Weaimed to study the potential causal relation of circulating fetuin-A to risk of type 2 diabetes in a Mendelian randomization study with single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the fetuin-A-encoding AHSG gene. We used data from eight European countries of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct case-cohort study including 10,020 incident cases. Plasma fetuin-A concentration was measured in a subset of 965 subcohort participants and 654 case subjects. A genetic score of the AHSG single nucleotide polymorphisms was strongly associated with fetuin-A (28% explained variation). Using the genetic score as instrumental variable of fetuin-A, we observed no significant association of a 50 mu g/mL higher fetuin-A concentration with diabetes risk (hazard ratio 1.02 [95% CI 0.97, 1.07]). Combining our results with those from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) consortium (12,171 case subjects) also did not suggest a clear significant relation of fetuin-A with diabetes risk. In conclusion, although there is mechanistic evidence for an effect of fetuin-A on insulin sensitivity and secretion, this study does not support a strong, relevant relationship between circulating fetuin-A and diabetes risk in the general population. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2337/db17-1268 SN - 0012-1797 SN - 1939-327X VL - 67 IS - 6 SP - 1200 EP - 1205 PB - American Diabetes Association CY - Alexandria ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Abreu e Lima, Francisco Anastacio A1 - Willmitzer, Lothar A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Classification-driven framework to predict maize hybrid field performance from metabolic profiles of young parental roots JF - PLoS one N2 - Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food whose production relies on seed stocks that largely comprise hybrid varieties. Therefore, knowledge about the molecular determinants of hybrid performance (HP) in the field can be used to devise better performing hybrids to address the demands for sustainable increase in yield. Here, we propose and test a classification-driven framework that uses metabolic profiles from in vitro grown young roots of parental lines from the Dent x Flint maize heterotic pattern to predict field HP. We identify parental analytes that best predict the metabolic inheritance patterns in 328 hybrids. We then demonstrate that these analytes are also predictive of field HP (0.64 >= r >= 0.79) and discriminate hybrids of good performance (accuracy of 87.50%). Therefore, our approach provides a cost-effective solution for hybrid selection programs. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196038 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 4 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - THES A1 - Schwarzer, Christian T1 - Climate change, adaptive divergence and their effects on species interactions in European bog-plant communities Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arias-Andres, Maria A1 - Rojas-Jimenez, Keilor A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Collateral effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic microorganisms BT - An ecological perspective JF - Trends in Analytical Chemistry N2 - Microplastics (MP) provide a unique and extensive surface for microbial colonization in aquatic ecosystems. The formation of microorganism-microplastic complexes, such as biofilms, maximizes the degradation of organic matter and horizontal gene transfer. In this context, MP affect the structure and function of microbial communities, which in turn render the physical and chemical fate of MP. This new paradigm generates challenges for microbiology, ecology, and ecotoxicology. Dispersal of MP is concomitant with that of their associated microorganisms and their mobile genetic elements, including antibiotic resistance genes, islands of pathogenicity, and diverse metabolic pathways. Functional changes in aquatic microbiomes can alter carbon metabolism and food webs, with unknown consequences on higher organisms or human microbiomes and hence health. Here, we examine a variety of effects of MP pollution from the microbial ecology perspective, whose repercussions on aquatic ecosystems begin to be unraveled. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Microplastics (MP) KW - Biofilms KW - HGT KW - Microbial ecology KW - Carbon cycling KW - Aquatic ecosystems KW - Health risk assessment Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.11.041 SN - 0165-9936 SN - 1879-3142 VL - 112 SP - 234 EP - 240 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - 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 - Teckentrup, Lisa A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Community consequences of foraging under fear JF - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog N2 - Non-consumptive effects of predators within ecosystems can alter the behavior of individual prey species, and have cascading effects on other trophic levels. In this context, an understanding of non-consumptive predator effects on the whole prey community is crucial for predicting community structure and composition, hence biodiversity patterns. We used an individual-based, spatially-explicit modelling approach to investigate the consequences of landscapes of fear on prey community metrics. The model spans multiple hierarchical levels from individual home range formation based on food availability and perceived predation risk to consequences on prey community structure and composition. This mechanistic approach allowed us to explore how important factors such as refuge availability and foraging strategy under fear affect prey community metrics. Fear of predators affected prey space use, such as home range formation. These adaptations had broader consequences for the community leading to changes in community structure and composition. The strength of community responses to perceived predation risk was driven by refuge availability in the landscape and the foraging strategy of prey animals. Low refuge availability in the landscape strongly decreased diversity and total biomass of prey communities. Additionally, body mass distributions in prey communities facing high predation risk were shifted towards small prey animals. With increasing refuge availability the consequences of non-consumptive predator effects were reduced, diversity and total biomass of the prey community increased. Prey foraging strategies affected community composition. Under medium refuge availability, risk-averse prey communities consisted of many small animals while risk-taking prey communities showed a more even body mass distribution. Our findings reveal that non-consumptive predator effects can have important implications for prey community diversity and should therefore be considered in the context of conservation and nature management. KW - Predator-prey interactions KW - Individual-based model KW - Landscape of fear KW - Home range KW - Biodiversity KW - Foraging Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.05.015 SN - 0304-3800 SN - 1872-7026 VL - 383 SP - 80 EP - 90 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Abd Allah Salem, Mohamed T1 - Comparative and systemic metabolomic analysis of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana after perturbing the essential Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Gräf, Ralph T1 - Comparative Biology of Centrosomal Structures in Eukaryotes T2 - Cells N2 - The centrosome is not only the largest and most sophisticated protein complex within a eukaryotic cell, in the light of evolution, it is also one of its most ancient organelles. This special issue of "Cells" features representatives of three main, structurally divergent centrosome types, i.e., centriole-containing centrosomes, yeast spindle pole bodies (SPBs), and amoebozoan nucleus-associated bodies (NABs). Here, I discuss their evolution and their key-functions in microtubule organization, mitosis, and cytokinesis. Furthermore, I provide a brief history of centrosome research and highlight recently emerged topics, such as the role of centrioles in ciliogenesis, the relationship of centrosomes and centriolar satellites, the integration of centrosomal structures into the nuclear envelope and the involvement of centrosomal components in non-centrosomal microtubule organization. KW - centrosome KW - centriole KW - cilium KW - basal body KW - spindle pole body KW - SPB KW - nucleus-associated body KW - NAB KW - microtubules Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cells7110202 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 7 IS - 11 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tabares, Ximena A1 - Mapani, Benjamin A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - Herzschuh, Ulrike T1 - Composition and diversity of vegetation and pollen spectra along gradients of grazing intensity and precipitation in southern Africa JF - Review of palaeobotany and palynology : an international journal N2 - Understanding vegetation-modern pollen relationships is essential to provide confidence in fossil pollen reconstructions of long-term vegetation changes in savanna ecosystems. In this paper we compare the taxonomical composition and the diversity (Hill NO, N1, N2) of vegetation and modern pollen along precipitation and local grazing-intensity gradients in Namibian savannas. Modern pollen was extracted from surface soil samples collected from 5 x 5 m plots distributed along four 500 m gradients. Vegetation was surveyed in each plot. The results show a high correspondence between vegetation and pollen data in terms of composition. Precipitation and grazing explain a significant although low proportion of compositional change in the vegetation and pollen spectra. We identified pollen taxa as indicators of grazing pressure such as Limeum, Alternanthera, and particularly Tribulus. Correspondence between vegetation and pollen data in terms of taxa richness (NO) is limited, probably because of the influence of landscape heterogeneity and openness, as well as low pollen concentrations. In contrast, the effective numbers of common and dominant taxa (N1, N2) are consistent among the different datasets. We conclude that in spite of limitations, modern pollen assemblages can reflect changes in vegetation composition, richness and diversity patterns along precipitation and grazing gradients in savanna environments. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Modern pollen-vegetation relationships KW - Hill numbers KW - Indicator species KW - Savanna ecology KW - Namibia Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2018.04.004 SN - 0034-6667 SN - 1879-0615 VL - 253 SP - 88 EP - 100 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Watanabe, Mutsumi A1 - Tohge, Takayuki A1 - Balazadeh, Salma A1 - Erban, Alexander A1 - Giavalisco, Patrick A1 - Kopka, Joachim A1 - Mueller-Roeber, Bernd A1 - Fernie, Alisdair R. A1 - Hoefgen, Rainer T1 - Comprehensive Metabolomics Studies of Plant Developmental Senescence JF - Plant Senescence: Methods and Protocols N2 - Leaf senescence is an essential developmental process that involves diverse metabolic changes associated with degradation of macromolecules allowing nutrient recycling and remobilization. In contrast to the significant progress in transcriptomic analysis of leaf senescence, metabolomics analyses have been relatively limited. A broad overview of metabolic changes during leaf senescence including the interactions between various metabolic pathways is required to gain a better understanding of the leaf senescence allowing to link transcriptomics with metabolomics and physiology. In this chapter, we describe how to obtain comprehensive metabolite profiles and how to dissect metabolic shifts during leaf senescence in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Unlike nucleic acid analysis for transcriptomics, a comprehensive metabolite profile can only be achieved by combining a suite of analytic tools. Here, information is provided for measurements of the contents of chlorophyll, soluble proteins, and starch by spectrophotometric methods, ions by ion chromatography, thiols and amino acids by HPLC, primary metabolites by GC/TOF-MS, and secondary metabolites and lipophilic metabolites by LC/ESI-MS. These metabolite profiles provide a rich catalogue of metabolic changes during leaf senescence, which is a helpful database and blueprint to be correlated to future studies such as transcriptome and proteome analyses, forward and reverse genetic studies, or stress-induced senescence studies. KW - Senescence KW - Metabolomics KW - Arabidopsis KW - GC/MS KW - LC/MS KW - HPLC KW - IC Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-1-4939-7672-0 SN - 978-1-4939-7670-6 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7672-0_28 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 VL - 1744 SP - 339 EP - 358 PB - Humana Press CY - Totowa ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Park, Misoon A1 - Krause, Cornelia A1 - Karnahl, Matthias A1 - Reichardt, Ilka A1 - El Kasmi, Farid A1 - Mayer, Ulrike A1 - Stierhof, York-Dieter A1 - Hiller, Ulrike A1 - Strompen, Georg A1 - Bayer, Martin A1 - Kientz, Marika A1 - Sato, Masa H. A1 - Nishimura, Marc T. A1 - Dangl, Jeffery L. A1 - Sanderfoot, Anton A. A1 - Jürgens, Gerd T1 - Concerted Action of Evolutionarily Ancient and Novel SNARE Complexes in Flowering-Plant Cytokinesis JF - Developmental cell N2 - Membrane vesicles delivered to the cell-division plane fuse with one another to form the partitioning membrane during plant cytokinesis, starting in the cell center. In Arabidopsis, this requires SNARE complexes involving the cytokinesis-specific Qa-SNARE KNOLLE. However, cytokinesis still occurs in knolle mutant embryos, suggesting contributions from KNOLLE-independent SNARE complexes. Here we show that Qa-SNARE SYP132, having counterparts in lower plants, functionally overlaps with the flowering plant-specific KNOLLE. SYP132 mutation causes cytokinesis defects, knolle syp132 double mutants consist of only one or a few multi-nucleate cells, and SYP132 has the same SNARE partners as KNOLLE. SYP132 and KNOLLE also have non-overlapping functions in secretion and in cellularization of the embryo-nourishing endosperm resulting from double fertilization unique to flowering plants. Evolutionarily ancient non-specialized SNARE complexes originating in algae were thus amended by the appearance of cytokinesis-specific SNARE complexes, meeting the high demand for membrane-fusion capacity during endosperm cellularization in angiosperms. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2017.12.027 SN - 1534-5807 SN - 1878-1551 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 500 EP - + PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wiegmann, Alex A1 - Rutschmann, Ronja A1 - Willemsen, Pascale T1 - Correction to: Empirically Investigating the Concept of Lying (vol 34, pg 591, 2017) T2 - Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-017-0123-9 SN - 0970-7794 SN - 2363-9962 VL - 35 IS - 1 SP - 223 EP - 223 PB - Springer CY - New Dehli ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shi, Jun A1 - Joshi, Jasmin Radha A1 - Tielboerger, Katja A1 - Verhoeven, Koen J. F. A1 - Macel, Mirka T1 - Costs and benefits of admixture between foreign genotypes and local populations in the field JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - Admixture is the hybridization between populations within one species. It can increase plant fitness and population viability by alleviating inbreeding depression and increasing genetic diversity. However, populations are often adapted to their local environments and admixture with distant populations could break down local adaptation by diluting the locally adapted genomes. Thus, admixed genotypes might be selected against and be outcompeted by locally adapted genotypes in the local environments. To investigate the costs and benefits of admixture, we compared the performance of admixed and within-population F1 and F2 generations of the European plant Lythrum salicaria in a reciprocal transplant experiment at three European field sites over a 2-year period. Despite strong differences between site and plant populations for most of the measured traits, including herbivory, we found limited evidence for local adaptation. The effects of admixture depended on experimental site and plant population, and were positive for some traits. Plant growth and fruit production of some populations increased in admixed offspring and this was strongest with larger parental distances. These effects were only detected in two of our three sites. Our results show that, in the absence of local adaptation, admixture may boost plant performance, and that this is particularly apparent in stressful environments. We suggest that admixture between foreign and local genotypes can potentially be considered in nature conservation to restore populations and/or increase population viability, especially in small inbred or maladapted populations. KW - heterosis KW - inbreeding depression KW - local adaptation KW - Lythrum salicaria KW - outbreeding depression Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3946 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 7 SP - 3675 EP - 3684 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ayllon, Daniel A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Attinger, Sabine A1 - Hauhs, Michael A1 - Simmer, Clemens A1 - Vereecken, Harry A1 - Lischeid, Gunnar T1 - Cross-disciplinary links in environmental systems science BT - Current state and claimed needs identified in a meta-review of process models JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Terrestrial environmental systems are characterised by numerous feedback links between their different compartments. However, scientific research is organized into disciplines that focus on processes within the respective compartments rather than on interdisciplinary links. Major feedback mechanisms between compartments might therefore have been systematically overlooked so far. Without identifying these gaps, initiatives on future comprehensive environmental monitoring schemes and experimental platforms might fail. We performed a comprehensive overview of feedbacks between compartments currently represented in environmental sciences and explores to what degree missing links have already been acknowledged in the literature. We focused on process models as they can be regarded as repositories of scientific knowledge that compile findings of numerous single studies. In total, 118 simulation models from 23 model types were analysed. Missing processes linking different environmental compartments were identified based on a meta-review of 346 published reviews, model inter-comparison studies, and model descriptions. Eight disciplines of environmental sciences were considered and 396 linking processes were identified and ascribed to the physical, chemical or biological domain. There were significant differences between model types and scientific disciplines regarding implemented interdisciplinary links. The most wide-spread interdisciplinary links were between physical processes in meteorology, hydrology and soil science that drive or set the boundary conditions for other processes (e.g., ecological processes). In contrast, most chemical and biological processes were restricted to links within the same compartment. Integration of multiple environmental compartments and interdisciplinary knowledge was scarce in most model types. There was a strong bias of suggested future research foci and model extensions towards reinforcing existing interdisciplinary knowledge rather than to open up new interdisciplinary pathways. No clear pattern across disciplines exists with respect to suggested future research efforts. There is no evidence that environmental research would clearly converge towards more integrated approaches or towards an overarching environmental systems theory. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Review KW - Interdisciplinary links KW - Integrated environmental modelling KW - Research needs Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.007 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 622 SP - 954 EP - 973 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhivkova, Veselina A1 - Kiecker, Felix A1 - Langer, Peter A1 - Eberle, Jürgen T1 - Crucial role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the proapoptotic effects of indirubin derivative DKP-073 in melanoma cells JF - Molecular carcinogenesis N2 - Melanoma represents a prime example demonstrating the success of targeted therapy in cancer. Nevertheless, it remained a deadly disease until now, and the identification of new, independent strategies as well as the understanding of their molecular mechanisms may help to finally overcome the high mortality. Both indirubins and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) represent promising candidates. Here, the indirubin derivative DKP-073 is shown to trigger apoptosis in melanoma cells, which is enhanced by the combination with TRAIL and is accompanied by complete loss of cell viability. Addressing the signaling cascade, characteristic molecular steps were identified as caspase-3 activation, downregulation of XIAP, upregulation of p53 and TRAIL receptor 2, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and STAT-3 dephosphorylation. The decisive step, however, turned out to be the early production of ROS already at 1 h. This was proven by antioxidant pretreatment, which completely abolished apoptosis induction and loss of cell viability as well as abrogated all signaling effects listed above. Thus, ROS appeared as upstream of all proapoptotic signaling. The data indicate a dominant role of ROS in apoptosis regulation, and the new pathway may expose a possible Achilles heel of melanoma. KW - apoptosis KW - kinase pathway KW - melanoma KW - stat 3 Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/mc.22924 SN - 0899-1987 SN - 1098-2744 VL - 58 IS - 2 SP - 258 EP - 269 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beermann, Jan A1 - Westbury, Michael V. A1 - Hofreiter, Michael A1 - Hilgers, Leon A1 - Deister, Fabian A1 - Neumann, Hermann A1 - Raupach, Michael J. T1 - Cryptic species in a well-known habitat BT - applying taxonomics to the amphipod genus Epimeria (Crustacea, Peracarida) JF - Scientific reports N2 - Taxonomy plays a central role in biological sciences. It provides a communication system for scientists as it aims to enable correct identification of the studied organisms. As a consequence, species descriptions should seek to include as much available information as possible at species level to follow an integrative concept of 'taxonomics'. Here, we describe the cryptic species Epimeria frankei sp. nov. from the North Sea, and also redescribe its sister species, Epimeria cornigera. The morphological information obtained is substantiated by DNA barcodes and complete nuclear 18S rRNA gene sequences. In addition, we provide, for the first time, full mitochondrial genome data as part of a metazoan species description for a holotype, as well as the neotype. This study represents the first successful implementation of the recently proposed concept of taxonomics, using data from high-throughput technologies for integrative taxonomic studies, allowing the highest level of confidence for both biodiversity and ecological research. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25225-x 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 - Prahl, Boris F. A1 - Boettle, Markus A1 - Costa, Luís Fílípe Carvalho da A1 - Kropp, Jürgen A1 - Rybski, Diego T1 - Damage and protection cost curves for coastal floods within the 600 largest European cities JF - Scientific Data N2 - The economic assessment of the impacts of storm surges and sea-level rise in coastal cities requires high-level information on the damage and protection costs associated with varying flood heights. We provide a systematically and consistently calculated dataset of macroscale damage and protection cost curves for the 600 largest European coastal cities opening the perspective for a wide range of applications. Offering the first comprehensive dataset to include the costs of dike protection, we provide the underpinning information to run comparative assessments of costs and benefits of coastal adaptation. Aggregate cost curves for coastal flooding at the city-level are commonly regarded as by-products of impact assessments and are generally not published as a standalone dataset. Hence, our work also aims at initiating a more critical discussion on the availability and derivation of cost curves. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.34 SN - 2052-4463 VL - 5 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mantzouki, Evanthia A1 - Campbell, James A1 - van Loon, Emiel A1 - Visser, Petra A1 - Konstantinou, Iosif A1 - Antoniou, Maria A1 - Giuliani, Gregory A1 - Machado-Vieira, Danielle A1 - de Oliveira, Alinne Gurjao A1 - Maronic, Dubravka Spoljaric A1 - Stevic, Filip A1 - Pfeiffer, Tanja Zuna A1 - Vucelic, Itana Bokan A1 - Zutinic, Petar A1 - Udovic, Marija Gligora A1 - Plenkovic-Moraj, Andelka A1 - Tsiarta, Nikoletta A1 - Blaha, Ludek A1 - Geris, Rodan A1 - Frankova, Marketa A1 - Christoffersen, Kirsten Seestern A1 - Warming, Trine Perlt A1 - Feldmann, Tonu A1 - Laas, Alo A1 - Panksep, Kristel A1 - Tuvikene, Lea A1 - Kangro, Kersti A1 - Haggqvist, Kerstin A1 - Salmi, Pauliina A1 - Arvola, Lauri A1 - Fastner, Jutta A1 - Straile, Dietmar A1 - Rothhaupt, Karl-Otto A1 - Fonvielle, Jeremy Andre A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter A1 - Avagianos, Christos A1 - Kaloudis, Triantafyllos A1 - Triantis, Theodoros A1 - Zervou, Sevasti-Kiriaki A1 - Hiskia, Anastasia A1 - Gkelis, Spyros A1 - Panou, Manthos A1 - McCarthy, Valerie A1 - Perello, Victor C. A1 - Obertegger, Ulrike A1 - Boscaini, Adriano A1 - Flaim, Giovanna A1 - Salmaso, Nico A1 - Cerasino, Leonardo A1 - Koreiviene, Judita A1 - Karosiene, Jurate A1 - Kasperoviciene, Jurate A1 - Savadova, Ksenija A1 - Vitonyte, Irma A1 - Haande, Sigrid A1 - Skjelbred, Birger A1 - Grabowska, Magdalena A1 - Karpowicz, Maciej A1 - Chmura, Damian A1 - Nawrocka, Lidia A1 - Kobos, Justyna A1 - Mazur-Marzec, Hanna A1 - Alcaraz-Parraga, Pablo A1 - Wilk-Wozniak, Elzbieta A1 - Krzton, Wojciech A1 - Walusiak, Edward A1 - Gagala, Ilona A1 - Mankiewicz-Boczek, Joana A1 - Toporowska, Magdalena A1 - Pawlik-Skowronska, Barbara A1 - Niedzwiecki, Michal A1 - Peczula, Wojciech A1 - Napiorkowska-Krzebietke, Agnieszka A1 - Dunalska, Julita A1 - Sienska, Justyna A1 - Szymanski, Daniel A1 - Kruk, Marek A1 - Budzynska, Agnieszka A1 - Goldyn, Ryszard A1 - Kozak, Anna A1 - Rosinska, Joanna A1 - Szelag-Wasielewska, Elzbieta A1 - Domek, Piotr A1 - Jakubowska-Krepska, Natalia A1 - Kwasizur, Kinga A1 - Messyasz, Beata A1 - Pelechata, Aleksandra A1 - Pelechaty, Mariusz A1 - Kokocinski, Mikolaj A1 - Madrecka, Beata A1 - Kostrzewska-Szlakowska, Iwona A1 - Frak, Magdalena A1 - Bankowska-Sobczak, Agnieszka A1 - Wasilewicz, Michal A1 - Ochocka, Agnieszka A1 - Pasztaleniec, Agnieszka A1 - Jasser, Iwona A1 - Antao-Geraldes, Ana M. A1 - Leira, Manel A1 - Hernandez, Armand A1 - Vasconcelos, Vitor A1 - Morais, Joao A1 - Vale, Micaela A1 - Raposeiro, Pedro M. A1 - Goncalves, Vitor A1 - Aleksovski, Boris A1 - Krstic, Svetislav A1 - Nemova, Hana A1 - Drastichova, Iveta A1 - Chomova, Lucia A1 - Remec-Rekar, Spela A1 - Elersek, Tina A1 - Delgado-Martin, Jordi A1 - Garcia, David A1 - Luis Cereijo, Jose A1 - Goma, Joan A1 - Carmen Trapote, Mari A1 - Vegas-Vilarrubia, Teresa A1 - Obrador, Biel A1 - Garcia-Murcia, Ana A1 - Real, Monserrat A1 - Romans, Elvira A1 - Noguero-Ribes, Jordi A1 - Parreno Duque, David A1 - Fernandez-Moran, Elisabeth A1 - Ubeda, Barbara A1 - Angel Galvez, Jose A1 - Marce, Rafael A1 - Catalan, Nuria A1 - Perez-Martinez, Carmen A1 - Ramos-Rodriguez, Eloisa A1 - Cillero-Castro, Carmen A1 - Moreno-Ostos, Enrique A1 - Maria Blanco, Jose A1 - Rodriguez, Valeriano A1 - Juan Montes-Perez, Jorge A1 - Palomino, Roberto L. A1 - Rodriguez-Perez, Estela A1 - Carballeira, Rafael A1 - Camacho, Antonio A1 - Picazo, Antonio A1 - Rochera, Carlos A1 - Santamans, Anna C. A1 - Ferriol, Carmen A1 - Romo, Susana A1 - Soria, Juan Miguel A1 - Hansson, Lars-Anders A1 - Urrutia-Cordero, Pablo A1 - Ozen, Arda A1 - Bravo, Andrea G. A1 - Buck, Moritz A1 - Colom-Montero, William A1 - Mustonen, Kristiina A1 - Pierson, Don A1 - Yang, Yang A1 - Verspagen, Jolanda M. H. A1 - Domis, Lisette N. de Senerpont A1 - Seelen, Laura A1 - Teurlincx, Sven A1 - Verstijnen, Yvon A1 - Lurling, Miquel A1 - Maliaka, Valentini A1 - Faassen, Elisabeth J. A1 - Latour, Delphine A1 - Carey, Cayelan C. A1 - Paerl, Hans W. A1 - Torokne, Andrea A1 - Karan, Tunay A1 - Demir, Nilsun A1 - Beklioglu, Meryem A1 - Filiz, Nur A1 - Levi, Eti E. A1 - Iskin, Ugur A1 - Bezirci, Gizem A1 - Tavsanoglu, Ulku Nihan A1 - Celik, Kemal A1 - Ozhan, Koray A1 - Karakaya, Nusret A1 - Kocer, Mehmet Ali Turan A1 - Yilmaz, Mete A1 - Maraslioglu, Faruk A1 - Fakioglu, Ozden A1 - Soylu, Elif Neyran A1 - Yagci, Meral Apaydin A1 - Cinar, Sakir A1 - Capkin, Kadir A1 - Yagci, Abdulkadir A1 - Cesur, Mehmet A1 - Bilgin, Fuat A1 - Bulut, Cafer A1 - Uysal, Rahmi A1 - Koker, Latife A1 - Akcaalan, Reyhan A1 - Albay, Meric A1 - Alp, Mehmet Tahir A1 - Ozkan, Korhan A1 - Sevindik, Tugba Ongun A1 - Tunca, Hatice A1 - Onem, Burcin A1 - Richardson, Jessica A1 - Edwards, Christine A1 - Bergkemper, Victoria A1 - Beirne, Eilish A1 - Cromie, Hannah A1 - Ibelings, Bastiaan W. T1 - Data Descriptor: A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins JF - Scientific Data N2 - Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment. KW - Climate-change ecology KW - Limnology KW - Water resources Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.226 SN - 2052-4463 VL - 5 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwahn, Kevin A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Data reduction approaches for dissecting transcriptional effects on metabolism JF - Frontiers in plant science N2 - The availability of high-throughput data from transcriptomics and metabolomics technologies provides the opportunity to characterize the transcriptional effects on metabolism. Here we propose and evaluate two computational approaches rooted in data reduction techniques to identify and categorize transcriptional effects on metabolism by combining data on gene expression and metabolite levels. The approaches determine the partial correlation between two metabolite data profiles upon control of given principal components extracted from transcriptomics data profiles. Therefore, they allow us to investigate both data types with all features simultaneously without doing preselection of genes. The proposed approaches allow us to categorize the relation between pairs of metabolites as being under transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation. The resulting classification is compared to existing literature and accumulated evidence about regulatory mechanism of reactions and pathways in the cases of Escherichia coil, Saccharomycies cerevisiae, and Arabidopsis thaliana. KW - E. coil KW - S. cerevisiae KW - A. thaliana KW - partial correlation KW - principal component analysis KW - metabolomics KW - data reduction KW - regulation Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.00538 SN - 1664-462X VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wutke, Saskia A1 - Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson A1 - Benecke, Norbert A1 - Döhle, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Friederich, Susanne A1 - Gonzalez, Javier A1 - Hofreiter, Michael A1 - Lougas, Lembi A1 - Magnell, Ola A1 - Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo A1 - Morales-Muniz, Arturo A1 - Orlando, Ludovic A1 - Reissmann, Monika A1 - Trinks, Alexandra A1 - Ludwig, Arne T1 - Decline of genetic diversity in ancient domestic stallions in Europe JF - Science Advances N2 - Present-day domestic horses are immensely diverse in their maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, yet they show very little variation on their paternally inherited Y chromosome. Although it has recently been shown that Y chromosomal diversity in domestic horses was higher at least until the Iron Age, when and why this diversity disappeared remain controversial questions. We genotyped 16 recently discovered Y chromosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 96 ancient Eurasian stallions spanning the early domestication stages (Copper and Bronze Age) to the Middle Ages. Using this Y chromosomal time series, which covers nearly the entire history of horse domestication, we reveal how Y chromosomal diversity changed over time. Our results also show that the lack of multiple stallion lineages in the extant domestic population is caused by neither a founder effect nor random demographic effects but instead is the result of artificial selection-initially during the Iron Age by nomadic people from the Eurasian steppes and later during the Roman period. Moreover, the modern domestic haplotype probably derived from another, already advantageous, haplotype, most likely after the beginning of the domestication. In line with recent findings indicating that the Przewalski and domestic horse lineages remained connected by gene flow after they diverged about 45,000 years ago, we present evidence for Y chromosomal introgression of Przewalski horses into the gene pool of European domestic horses at least until medieval times. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aap9691 SN - 2375-2548 VL - 4 IS - 4 PB - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Spijkerman, Elly A1 - Behrend, Hella A1 - Fach, Bettina A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Decreased phosphorus incorporation explains the negative effect of high iron concentrations in the green microalga Chlamydomonas acidophila JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - The green microalga Chlamydomonas acidophila is an important primary producer in very acidic lakes (pH 2.0-3.5), characterized by high concentrations of ferric iron (up to 1 g total Fe L-1) and low rates of primary production. It was previously suggested that these high iron concentrations result in high iron accumulation and inhibit photosynthesis in C. acidophila. To test this, the alga was grown in sterilized lake water and in medium with varying total iron concentrations under limiting and sufficient inorganic phosphorus (Pi) supply, because Pi is an important growth limiting nutrient in acidic waters. Photosynthesis and growth of C. acidophila as measured over 5 days were largely unaffected by high total iron concentrations and only decreased if free ionic Fe3+ concentrations exceeded 100 mg Fe3+ L-1. Although C. acidophila was relatively rich in iron (up to 5 mmol Fe: mol C), we found no evidence of iron toxicity. In contrast, a concentration of 260 mg total Fe L-1 (i.e. 15 mg free ionic Fe3+ L-1), which is common in many acidic lakes, reduced Pi-incorporation by 50% and will result in Pi-limited photosynthesis. The resulting Pi-limitation present at high iron and Pi concentrations was illustrated by elevated maximum Pi-uptake rates. No direct toxic effects of high iron were found, but unfavourable chemical Pi-speciation reduced growth of the acidophile alga. KW - Chlamydomonas KW - Ecotoxicology KW - Extreme environment KW - Iron toxicity KW - Phosphate limitation KW - Phytoplankton Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.188 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 626 SP - 1342 EP - 1349 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Schöne, Anne-Christin T1 - Degradation of Aliphatic Polyesters at the Air-Water Interface - Capabilities of the Langmuir Monolayer Technique Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - THES A1 - Schwanhold, Nadine T1 - Die Funktion und Spezifität der Molybdän-Cofaktor-bindenden Chaperone für die Formiat-Dehydrogenasen aus Escherichia coli und Rhodobacter capsulatus Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laux, Eva-Maria A1 - Ermilova, Elena A1 - Pannwitz, Daniel A1 - Gibbons, Jessica A1 - Hölzel, Ralph A1 - Bier, Frank Fabian T1 - Dielectric Spectroscopy of Biomolecules up to 110 GHz JF - Frequenz N2 - Radio-frequency fields in the GHz range are increasingly applied in biotechnology and medicine. In order to fully exploit both their potential and their risks detailed information about the dielectric properties of biological material is needed. For this purpose a measuring system is presented that allows the acquisition of complex dielectric spectra over 4 frequency decade up to 110 GHz. Routines for calibration and for data evaluation according to physicochemical interaction models have been developed. The frequency dependent permittivity and dielectric loss of some proteins and nucleic acids, the main classes of biomolecules, and of their sub-units have been determined. Dielectric spectra are presented for the amino acid alanine, the proteins lysozyme and haemoglobin, the nucleotides AMP and ATP, and for the plasmid pET-21, which has been produced by bacterial culture. Characterisation of a variety of biomolecules is envisaged, as is the application to studies on protein structure and function. KW - dielectric KW - spectroscopy KW - permittivity KW - protein KW - DNA KW - amino acid KW - plasmid Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/freq-2018-0010 SN - 0016-1136 SN - 2191-6349 VL - 72 IS - 3-4 SP - 135 EP - 140 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laux, Eva-Maria A1 - Bier, Frank Fabian A1 - Hölzel, Ralph T1 - Dielectrophoretic Stretching of DNA JF - DNA Nanotechnology N2 - The spatial control of DNA and of self-assembled DNA constructs is a prerequisite for the preparation of DNA-based nanostructures and microstructures and a useful tool for studies on single DNA molecules. Here we describe a protocol for the accumulation of dissolved lambda-DNA molecules between planar microelectrodes by the action of inhomogeneous radiofrequency electric fields. The resulting AC electrokinetic forces stretch the DNA molecules and align them parallel to the electric field. The electrode preparation from off-the-shelf electronic components is explained, and a detailed description of the electronic setup is given. The experimental procedure is controlled in real-time by fluorescence microscopy. KW - Alignment KW - Dielectrophoresis KW - DNA KW - Electrokinetics KW - Interdigitated electrodes KW - Stretching Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-1-4939-8582-1 SN - 978-1-4939-8581-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8582-1_14 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 SP - 199 EP - 208 PB - Humana Press Inc. CY - New York ET - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weyrich, Alexandra A1 - Jeschek, Marie A1 - Schrapers, Katharina T. A1 - Lenz, Dorina A1 - Chung, Tzu Hung A1 - Ruebensam, Kathrin A1 - Yasar, Sermin A1 - Schneemann, Markus A1 - Ortmann, Sylvia A1 - Jewgenow, Katarina A1 - Fickel, Jörns T1 - Diet changes alter paternally inherited epigenetic pattern in male Wild guinea pigs JF - Environmental Epigenetics N2 - Epigenetic modifications, of which DNA methylation is the most stable, are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. The paternal contribution to adaptive processes in the offspring might be crucial, but has been widely neglected in comparison to the maternal one. To address the paternal impact on the offspring’s adaptability to changes in diet composition, we investigated if low protein diet (LPD) in F0 males caused epigenetic alterations in their subsequently sired sons. We therefore fed F0 male Wild guinea pigs with a diet lowered in protein content (LPD) and investigated DNA methylation in sons sired before and after their father’s LPD treatment in both, liver and testis tissues. Our results point to a ‘heritable epigenetic response’ of the sons to the fathers’ dietary change. Because we detected methylation changes also in the testis tissue, they are likely to be transmitted to the F2 generation. Gene-network analyses of differentially methylated genes in liver identified main metabolic pathways indicating a metabolic reprogramming (‘metabolic shift’). Epigenetic mechanisms, allowing an immediate and inherited adaptation may thus be important for the survival of species in the context of a persistently changing environment, such as climate change. KW - DNA methylation KW - exposure KW - wild mammal species KW - inheritance KW - plasticity KW - adaptation Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/eep/dvy011 SN - 2058-5888 VL - 4 IS - 2 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paraskevopoulou, Sofia A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Weithoff, Guntram T1 - Differential response to heat stress among evolutionary lineages of an aquatic invertebrate species complex JF - Biology letters N2 - Under global warming scenarios, rising temperatures can constitute heat stress to which species may respond differentially. Within a described species, knowledge on cryptic diversity is of further relevance, as different lineages/cryptic species may respond differentially to environmental change. The Brachionus calyciflorus species complex (Rotifera), which was recently described using integrative taxonomy, is an essential component of aquatic ecosystems. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these (formerly cryptic) species differ in their heat tolerance. We assigned 47 clones with nuclear ITS1 (nuITS1) and mitochondrial COI (mtCOI) markers to evolutionary lineages, now named B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (s.s.) and B. fernandoi. We selected 15 representative clones and assessed their heat tolerance as a bi-dimensional phenotypic trait affected by both the intensity and duration of heat stress. We found two distinct groups, with B. calyciflorus s.s. clones having higher heat tolerance than the novel species B. fernandoi. This apparent temperature specialization among former cryptic species underscores the necessity of a sound species delimitation and assignment, when organismal responses to environmental changes are investigated. KW - Brachionus calyciflorus KW - critical thermal maximum KW - cryptic species KW - ecological speciation KW - rotifers KW - heat tolerance Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0498 SN - 1744-9561 SN - 1744-957X VL - 14 IS - 11 PB - Royal Society CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heger, Tina A1 - Nikles, Gabriele A1 - Jacobs, Brooke S. T1 - Differentiation in native as well as introduced ranges BT - germination reflects mean and variance in cover of surrounding vegetation JF - AoB PLANTS N2 - Germination, a crucial phase in the life cycle of a plant, can be significantly influenced by competition and facilitation. The aim of this study was to test whether differences in cover of surrounding vegetation can lead to population differentiation in germination behaviour of an annual grassland species, and if so, whether such a differentiation can be found in the native as well as in the introduced range. We used maternal progeny of Erodium cicutarium previously propagated under uniform conditions that had been collected in multiple populations in the native and two introduced ranges, in populations representing extremes in terms of mean and variability of the cover of surrounding vegetation. In the first experiment, we tested the effect of germination temperature and mean cover at the source site on germination, and found interlinked effects of these factors. In seeds from one of the introduced ranges (California), we found indication for a 2-fold dormancy, hindering germination at high temperatures even if physical dormancy was broken and water was available. This behaviour was less strong in high cover populations, indicating cross-generational facilitating effects of dense vegetation. In the second experiment, we tested whether spatial variation in cover of surrounding vegetation has an effect on the proportion of dormant seeds. Contrary to our expectations, we found that across source regions, high variance in cover was associated with higher proportions of seeds germinating directly after storage. In all three regions, germination seemed to match the local environment in terms of climate and vegetation cover. We suggest that this is due to a combined effect of introduction of preadapted genotypes and local evolutionary processes. KW - Bet-hedging KW - competition KW - eco-evolutionary experience KW - facilitation KW - genetic adaptation KW - physical and physiological dormancy KW - preadaptation Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/ply009 SN - 2041-2851 VL - 10 IS - 1 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Olmer, Ruth A1 - Engels, Lena A1 - Usman, Abdulai A1 - Menke, Sandra A1 - Malik, Muhammad Nasir Hayat A1 - Pessler, Frank A1 - Goehring, Gudrun A1 - Bornhorst, Dorothee A1 - Bolten, Svenja A1 - Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim A1 - Scheper, Thomas A1 - Kempf, Henning A1 - Zweigerdt, Robert A1 - Martin, Ulrich T1 - Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Functional Endothelial Cells in Scalable Suspension Culture JF - Stem Cell Reports N2 - Endothelial cells (ECs) are involved in a variety of cellular responses. As multifunctional components of vascular structures, endothelial (progenitor) cells have been utilized in cellular therapies and are required as an important cellular component of engineered tissue constructs and in vitro disease models. Although primary ECs from different sources are readily isolated and expanded, cell quantity and quality in terms of functionality and karyotype stability is limited. ECs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent an alternative and potentially superior cell source, but traditional culture approaches and 2D differentiation protocols hardly allow for production of large cell numbers. Aiming at the production of ECs, we have developed a robust approach for efficient endothelial differentiation of hiPSCs in scalable suspension culture. The established protocol results in relevant numbers of ECs for regenerative approaches and industrial applications that show in vitro proliferation capacity and a high degree of chromosomal stability. KW - virus infection KW - progenitor cells KW - in vitro KW - telomere dysfunction KW - cord blood KW - cardiomyogenic differentiation KW - angiogenesis KW - efficient KW - aberrations KW - expression Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.03.017 SN - 2213-6711 VL - 10 IS - 5 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Küçükgöze, Gökhan A1 - Leimkühler, Silke T1 - Direct comparison of the four aldehyde oxidase enzymes present in mouse gives insight into their substrate specificities JF - PLOS ONE N2 - Mammalian aldehyde oxidases (AOXs) are molybdo-flavoenzymes which are present in many tissues in various mammalian species, including humans and rodents. Different species contain a different number of AOX isoforms. In particular, the reasons why mammals other than humans express a multiplicity of tissue-specific AOX enzymes is unknown. In mouse, the isoforms mAOX1, mAOX3, mAOX4 and mAOX2 are present. We previously established a codon-optimized heterologous expression systems for the mAOX1-4 isoforms in Escherichia coli that gives yield to sufficient amounts of active protein for kinetic characterizations and sets the basis in this study for site-directed mutagenesis and structure-function studies. A direct and simultaneous comparison of the enzymatic properties and characteristics of the four enzymes on a larger number of substrates has never been performed. Here, thirty different structurally related aromatic, aliphatic and N-heterocyclic compounds were used as substrates, and the kinetic parameters of all four mAOX enzymes were directly compared. The results show that especially mAOX4 displays a higher substrate selectivity, while no major differences between mAOX1, mAOX2 and mAOX3 were identified. Generally, mAOX1 was the enzyme with the highest catalytic turnover for most substrates. To understand the factors that contribute to the substrate specificity of mAOX4, site-directed mutagenesis was applied to substitute amino acids in the substrate-binding funnel by the ones present in mAOX1, mAOX3, and mAOX2. An increase in activity was obtained by the amino acid exchange M1088V in the active site identified to be specific for mAOX4, to the amino acid identified in mAOX3. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191819 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 1 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - GEN A1 - Dunsing, Valentin A1 - Magnus, Mayer A1 - Liebsch, Filip A1 - Multhaup, Gerhard A1 - Chiantia, Salvatore T1 - Direct Evidence of APLP1 Trans Interactions in Cell-Cell Adhesion Platforms Investigated via Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy T2 - Biophysical journal N2 - The Amyloid-precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1) is a neuronal type I transmembrane protein which plays a role in synaptic adhesion and synaptogenesis. Past investigations indicated that APLP1 is involved in the formation of protein-protein complexes that bridge the junctions between neighboring cells. Nevertheless, APLP1-APLP1 trans interactions have never been directly observed in higher eukaryotic cells. Here, we investigate APLP1 interactions and dynamics directly in living human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells, using fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy techniques, namely cross-correlation scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (sFCS) and Number&Brightness (N&B). Our results show that APLP1 forms homotypic trans complexes at cell-cell contacts. In the presence of zinc ions, the protein forms macroscopic clusters, exhibiting an even higher degree of trans binding and strongly reduced dynamics. Further evidence from Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles and live cell actin staining suggests that the presence of an intact cortical cytoskeleton is required for zinc-induced cis multimerization. Subsequently, large adhesion platforms bridging interacting cells are formed through APLP1-APLP1 direct trans interactions. Taken together, our results provide direct evidence that APLP1 functions as a neuronal zinc-dependent adhesion protein and provide a more detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving the formation of APLP1 adhesion platforms. Further, they show that fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy techniques are useful tools for the investigation of protein-protein interactions at cell-cell adhesion sites. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2017.11.2067 SN - 0006-3495 SN - 1542-0086 VL - 114 IS - 3 SP - 373A EP - 373A PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Hsiang-chin A1 - Lämke, Jörn A1 - Lin, Siou-ying A1 - Hung, Meng-Ju A1 - Liu, Kuan-Ming A1 - Charng, Yee-yung A1 - Bäurle, Isabel T1 - Distinct heat shock factors and chromatin modifications mediate the organ-autonomous transcriptional memory of heat stress JF - The plant journal N2 - Plants can be primed by a stress cue to mount a faster or stronger activation of defense mechanisms upon subsequent stress. A crucial component of such stress priming is the modified reactivation of genes upon recurring stress; however, the underlying mechanisms of this are poorly understood. Here, we report that dozens of Arabidopsis thaliana genes display transcriptional memory, i.e. stronger upregulation after a recurring heat stress, that lasts for at least 3 days. We define a set of transcription factors involved in this memory response and show that the transcriptional memory results in enhanced transcriptional activation within minutes of the onset of a heat stress cue. Further, we show that the transcriptional memory is active in all tissues. It may last for up to a week, and is associated during this time with histone H3 lysine 4 hypermethylation. This transcriptional memory is cis-encoded, as we identify a promoter fragment that confers memory onto a heterologous gene. In summary, heat-induced transcriptional memory is a widespread and sustained response, and our study provides a framework for future mechanistic studies of somatic stress memory in higher plants. KW - epigenetics KW - priming KW - heat stress KW - H3K4 methylation KW - transcriptional memory KW - Arabidopsis thaliana KW - HSF Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13958 SN - 0960-7412 SN - 1365-313X VL - 95 IS - 3 SP - 401 EP - 413 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolora, Sree Rohit Raj A1 - Weigert, Anne A1 - Saffari, Amin A1 - Kehr, Stephanie A1 - Walter Costa, Maria Beatriz A1 - Spröer, Cathrin A1 - Indrischek, Henrike A1 - Chintalapati, Manjusha A1 - Lohse, Konrad A1 - Doose, Gero A1 - Overmann, Jörg A1 - Bunk, Boyke A1 - Bleidorn, Christoph A1 - Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret A1 - Henle, Klaus A1 - Nowick, Katja A1 - Faria, Rui A1 - Stadler, Peter F. A1 - Schlegel, Martin T1 - Divergent evolution in the genomes of closely related lacertids, Lacerta viridis and L. bilineata, and implications for speciation JF - GigaScience N2 - Background Lacerta viridis and Lacerta bilineata are sister species of European green lizards (eastern and western clades, respectively) that, until recently, were grouped together as the L. viridis complex. Genetic incompatibilities were observed between lacertid populations through crossing experiments, which led to the delineation of two separate species within the L. viridis complex. The population history of these sister species and processes driving divergence are unknown. We constructed the first high-quality de novo genome assemblies for both L. viridis and L. bilineata through Illumina and PacBio sequencing, with annotation support provided from transcriptome sequencing of several tissues. To estimate gene flow between the two species and identify factors involved in reproductive isolation, we studied their evolutionary history, identified genomic rearrangements, detected signatures of selection on non-coding RNA, and on protein-coding genes. Findings Here we show that gene flow was primarily unidirectional from L. bilineata to L. viridis after their split at least 1.15 million years ago. We detected positive selection of the non-coding repertoire; mutations in transcription factors; accumulation of divergence through inversions; selection on genes involved in neural development, reproduction, and behavior, as well as in ultraviolet-response, possibly driven by sexual selection, whose contribution to reproductive isolation between these lacertid species needs to be further evaluated. Conclusion The combination of short and long sequence reads resulted in one of the most complete lizard genome assemblies. The characterization of a diverse array of genomic features provided valuable insights into the demographic history of divergence among European green lizards, as well as key species differences, some of which are candidates that could have played a role in speciation. In addition, our study generated valuable genomic resources that can be used to address conservation-related issues in lacertids. KW - sister species KW - PacBio and Illumina KW - de novo hybrid assembly KW - transcripts KW - noncoding RNA KW - zinc fingers KW - positive selection KW - UV response KW - inversions KW - gene flow Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy160 SN - 2047-217X VL - 8 IS - 2 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Van den Wyngaert, Silke A1 - Rojas-Jimenez, Keilor A1 - Seto, Kensuke A1 - Kagami, Maiko A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Diversity and Hidden Host Specificity of Chytrids Infecting Colonial Volvocacean Algae JF - Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology N2 - Chytrids are zoosporic fungi that play an important, but yet understudied, ecological role in aquatic ecosystems. Many chytrid species have been morphologically described as parasites on phytoplankton. However, the majority of them have rarely been isolated and lack DNA sequence data. In this study we isolated and cultivated three parasitic chytrids, infecting a common volvocacean host species, Yamagishiella unicocca. To identify the chytrids, we characterized morphology and life cycle, and analyzed phylogenetic relationships based on 18S and 28S rDNA genes. Host range and specificity of the chytrids was determined by cross-infection assays with host strains, characterized by rbcL and ITS markers. We were able to confirm the identity of two chytrid strains as Endocoenobium eudorinae Ingold and Dangeardia mamillata Schroder and described the third chytrid strain as Algomyces stechlinensis gen. et sp. nov. The three chytrids were assigned to novel and phylogenetically distant clades within the phylum Chytridiomycota, each exhibiting different host specificities. By integrating morphological and molecular data of both the parasitic chytrids and their respective host species, we unveiled cryptic host-parasite associations. This study highlights that a high prevalence of (pseudo)cryptic diversity requires molecular characterization of both phytoplankton host and parasitic chytrid to accurately identify and compare host range and specificity, and to study phytoplankton-chytrid interactions in general. KW - Chytridiomycota KW - Dangeardia mamillata KW - Endocoenobium eudorinae KW - fungal parasites KW - life cycle KW - phytoplankton Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12632 SN - 1066-5234 SN - 1550-7408 VL - 65 IS - 6 SP - 870 EP - 881 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pereus, D. A1 - Otieno, J. N. A1 - Ghorbani, Abdolbaset A1 - Kocyan, Alexander A1 - Hilonga, S. A1 - de Boer, H. J. T1 - Diversity of Hypoxis species used in ethnomedicine in Tanzania JF - South African journal of botany : an international interdisciplinary journal for botanical sciences N2 - The corms of different Hypoxis species (Hypoxidaceae) are used for the treatment and management of a variety of human ailments and disorders in African traditional medicine. However, the used corms are morphologically similar and it is not known whether this has resulted in different species being harvested, prescribed and sold as the same species. Ethnomedicinal information regarding its use in Tanzania is scanty and the available ethnobotanical information about the plants is mostly from various studies done outside Tanzania. The objective of the study was to document the diverse uses of Hypoxis in Tanzania and study what species are used and whether preferences exist for specific species. Focus group discussions and in depth interviews with informants were done in 15 regions of Tanzania to document local uses of Hypoxis species and collect vouchers for identification. Traditional practitioners use Hypoxis to manage a variety of human illness in Tanzania, and appear to use different species indiscriminately for medicine, socio-cultural applications and for food. Medicinal uses include treatment of benign prostate hypertrophy, cancer, diabetes, gout, headache, HIV/AIDS, infertility, ringworms, stomachache, and urinary tract infections. In Tanzania, different Hypoxis species are used indiscriminately for a range of sociocultural and medicinal purposes. The reported medicinal uses could aid testing and evaluation of traditional herbal medicine and more research is needed to test their pharmacological effects. (C) 2018 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Corms KW - Ethnobotany KW - Hypoxis KW - Tanzania KW - Traditional medicine Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2018.03.004 SN - 0254-6299 SN - 1727-9321 VL - 122 SP - 336 EP - 341 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reverey, Florian A1 - Ganzert, Lars A1 - Lischeid, Gunnar A1 - Ulrich, Andreas A1 - Premke, Katrin A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Dry-wet cycles of kettle hole sediments leave a microbial and biogeochemical legacy JF - The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man N2 - Understanding interrelations between an environment's hydrological past and its current biogeochemistry is necessary for the assessment of biogeochemical and microbial responses to changing hydrological conditions. The question how previous dry-wet events determine the contemporary microbial and biogeochemical state is addressed in this study. Therefore, sediments exposed to the atmosphere of areas with a different hydrological past within one kettle hole, i.e. (1) the predominantly inundated pond center, (2) the pond margin frequently desiccated for longer periods and (3) an intermediate zone, were incubated with the same rewetting treatment. Physicochemical and textural characteristics were related to structural microbial parameters regarding carbon and nitrogen turnover, i.e. abundance of bacteria and fungi, denitrifiers (targeted by the nirK und nirS functional genes) and nitrate ammonifiers (targeted by the nrfA functional gene). Our study reveals that, in combination with varying sediment texture, the hydrological history creates distinct microbial habitats with defined boundary conditions within the kettle hole, mainly driven by redox conditions, pH and organic matter (OM) composition. OM mineralization, as indicated by CO2-outgassing, was most efficient in exposed sediments with a less stable hydrological past. The potential for nitrogen retention via nitrate ammonification was highest in the hydrologically rather stable pond center, counteracting nitrogen loss due to denitrification. Therefore, the degree of hydrological stability is an important factor leaving a microbial and biogeochemical legacy, which determines carbon and nitrogen losses from small lentic freshwater systems in the long term run. KW - Desiccation KW - DNRA KW - Denitrifiers KW - Organic matter mineralization KW - Carbon KW - Nitrogen Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.220 SN - 0048-9697 SN - 1879-1026 VL - 627 SP - 985 EP - 996 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Malinova, Irina A1 - Mahto, Harendra A1 - Brandt, Felix A1 - AL-Rawi, Shadha A1 - Qasim, Hadeel A1 - Brust, Henrike A1 - Hejazi, Mahdi A1 - Fettke, Jörg T1 - EARLY STARVATION1 specifically affects the phosphorylation action of starch-related dikinases JF - The plant journal N2 - Starch phosphorylation by starch-related dikinases glucan, water dikinase (GWD) and phosphoglucan, water dikinase (PWD) is a key step in starch degradation. Little information is known about the precise structure of the glucan substrate utilized by the dikinases and about the mechanisms by which these structures may be influenced. A 50-kDa starch-binding protein named EARLY STARVATION1 (ESV1) was analyzed regarding its impact on starch phosphorylation. In various invitro assays, the influences of the recombinant protein ESV1 on the actions of GWD and PWD on the surfaces of native starch granules were analyzed. In addition, we included starches from various sources as well as truncated forms of GWD. ESV1 preferentially binds to highly ordered, -glucans, such as starch and crystalline maltodextrins. Furthermore, ESV1 specifically influences the action of GWD and PWD at the starch granule surface. Starch phosphorylation by GWD is decreased in the presence of ESV1, whereas the action of PWD increases in the presence of ESV1. The unique alterations observed in starch phosphorylation by the two dikinases are discussed in regard to altered glucan structures at the starch granule surface. KW - Arabidopsis thaliana KW - EARLY STARVATION1 KW - glucan KW - phosphoglucan KW - starch granule surface KW - starch phosphorylation KW - water dikinase Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13937 SN - 0960-7412 SN - 1365-313X VL - 95 IS - 1 SP - 126 EP - 137 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laux, Eva-Maria A1 - Bier, Frank Fabian A1 - Hölzel, Ralph T1 - Electrode-based AC electrokinetics of proteins BT - a mini-review JF - Bioelectrochemistry : official journal of the Bioelectrochemical Society ; an international journal devoted to electrochemical aspects of biology and biological aspects of electrochemistry N2 - Employing electric phenomena for the spatial manipulation of bioparticles from whole cells down to dissolved molecules has become a useful tool in biotechnology and analytics. AC electrokinetic effects like dielectrophoresis and AC electroosmosis are increasingly used to concentrate, separate and immobilize DNA and proteins. With the advance of photolithographical micro- and nanofabrication methods, novel or improved bioanalytical applications benefit from concentrating analytes, signal enhancement and locally controlled immobilization by AC electrokinetic effects. In this review of AC electrokinetics of proteins, the respective studies are classified according to their different electrode geometries: individual electrode pairs, interdigitated electrodes, quadrupole electrodes, and 3D configurations of electrode arrays. Known advantages and disadvantages of each layout are discussed. KW - AC electrokinetics KW - Dielectrophoresis KW - Electrodes KW - Electroosmosis KW - Proteins Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2017.11.010 SN - 1567-5394 SN - 1878-562X VL - 120 SP - 76 EP - 82 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Xiaorong A1 - Yarman, Aysu A1 - Erdossy, Julia A1 - Katz, Sagie A1 - Zebger, Ingo A1 - Jetzschmann, Katharina J. A1 - Altintas, Zeynep A1 - Wollenberger, Ulla A1 - Gyurcsanyi, Robert E. A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. T1 - Electrosynthesized MIPs for transferrin BT - Plastibodies or nano-filters? JF - Biosensors and bioelectronics : the principal international journal devoted to research, design development and application of biosensors and bioelectronics N2 - Molecularly imprinted polymer (MP) nanofilrns for transferrin (Trf) have been synthesized on gold surfaces by electro-polymerizing the functional monomer scopoletin in the presence of the protein target or around pre-adsorbed Trf. As determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the film thickness was comparable with the molecular dimension of the target. The target (re)binding properties of the electro-synthesized MIP films was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) through the target-binding induced permeability changes of the MIP nanofilms to the ferricyanide redox marker, as well as by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) of the immobilized protein molecules. For Trf a linear concentration dependence in the lower micromolar range and an imprinting factor of similar to 5 was obtained by SWV and SPR. Furthermore, non-target proteins including the iron-free apo-Trf were discriminated by pronounced size and shape specificity. Whilst it is generally assumed that the rebinding of the target or of cross-reacting proteins exclusively takes place at the polymer here we considered also the interaction of the protein molecules with the underlying gold transducers. We demonstrate by SWV that adsorption of proteins suppresses the signal of the redox marker even at the bare gold surface and by SEIRAS that the treatment of the MIP with proteinase K or NaOH only partially removes the target protein. Therefore, we conclude that when interpreting binding of proteins to directly MIP-covered gold electrodes the interactions between the protein and the gold surface should also be considered. KW - Molecularly imprinted polymer KW - Scopoletin KW - Transferrin KW - Protein adsorption KW - Redox marker Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2018.01.011 SN - 0956-5663 SN - 1873-4235 VL - 105 SP - 29 EP - 35 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yarman, Aysu T1 - Electrosynthesized Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Laccase Using the Inactivated Enzyme as the Target JF - Bulletin of the Korean chemical society N2 - The first molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the recognition of the copper-enzyme laccase was successfully prepared by electropolymerizing scopoletin in the presence of alkaline-inactivated enzyme. Laccase-MIP and the control polymer without laccase (nonimprinted polymer, NIP) were characterized by voltammetry using the redox marker ferricyanide. After electropolymerization, the signals for ferricyanide for both the MIP and the NIP were almost completely suppressed and increased after removal of the target from the polymer layer. Rebinding of both inactivated and active laccase decreased the ferricyanide peak currents to almost equal extent. The relative decrease of signal suppression approached saturation above 10 nM. Furthermore, the surface activity of rebound laccase toward the oxidation of catechol was investigated. The surface activity approached saturation above 10 nM, a value close to the value of the measurements with ferricyanide. Interaction of NIP with laccase brought about a six times smaller signal of catechol oxidation. KW - Molecularly imprinted polymers KW - Biomimetic sensors KW - Laccase KW - Electropolymerization KW - Scopoletin Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/bkcs.11413 SN - 1229-5949 VL - 39 IS - 4 SP - 483 EP - 488 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Dietze, Stefanie A1 - Yan, Wan A1 - Liu, Yue A1 - Fang, Liang A1 - Kratz, Karl A1 - Lendlein, Andreas A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Endothelial cell migration, adhesion and proliferation on different polymeric substrates JF - Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation : blood flow and vessels N2 - BACKGROUND: The formation of a functionally-confluent endothelial cell (EC) monolayer affords proliferation of EC, which only happens in case of appropriate migratory activity. AIM OF THE STUDY: The migratory pathway of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) was investigated on different polymeric substrates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Surface characterization of the polymers was performed by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy under wet conditions. 30,000 HUVEC per well were seeded on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (theta(adv) = 119 degrees +/- 2 degrees), on low-attachment plate LAP (theta(adv) = 28 degrees +/- 2 degrees) and on polystyrene based tissue culture plates (TCP, theta(adv) = 22 degrees +/- 1 degrees). HUVEC tracks (trajectories) were recorded by time lapse microscopy and the euclidean distance (straight line between starting and end point), the total distance and the velocities of HUVEC not leaving the vision field were determined. RESULTS: On PTFE, 42 HUVEC were in the vision field directly after seeding. The mean length of single migration steps (SML) was 6.1 +/- 5.2 mu m, the mean velocity (MV) 0.40 +/- 0.3 mu m.min(-1) and the complete length of the trajectory (LT) was 710 +/- 440 mu m. On TCP 82 HUVEC were in the vision field subsequent to seeding. The LT was 840 +/- 550 mu m, the SML 6.1 +/- 5.2 mu m and the MV 0.44 +/- 0.3 mu m.min(-1). The trajectories on LAP differed significantly in respect to SML (2.4 +/- 3.9 mu m, p <0.05), the MV (0.16 +/- 0.3 mu m.min(-1), p <0.05) and the LT (410 +/- 300 mu m, p <0.05), compared to PTFE and TCP. Solely on TCP a nearly confluent EC monolayer developed after three days. While on TCP diffuse signals of vinculin were found over the whole basal cell surface organizing the binding of the cells by focal adhesions, on PTFE vinculin was merely arranged at the cell rims, and on the hydrophilic material (LAP) no focal adhesions were found. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the wettability of polymers affected not only the initial adherence but also the migration of EC, which is of importance for the proliferation and ultimately the endothelialization of polymer-based biomaterials. KW - Endothelial cells KW - migration KW - polymer-based biomaterials KW - cytokine release Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-189317 SN - 1386-0291 SN - 1875-8622 VL - 70 IS - 4 SP - 511 EP - 529 PB - IOS Press CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Agrawal, Shreya T1 - Engineering the isoprenoid pathway for molecular farming and effect of tRNA(Glu) manipulation on tetrapyrrole biosynthesis Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Neumann, Bettina A1 - Götz, Robert A1 - Wrzolek, Pierre A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. A1 - Weidinger, Inez M. A1 - Schwalbe, Matthias A1 - Wollenberger, Ulla T1 - Enhancement of the Electrocatalytic Activity of Thienyl-Substituted Iron Porphyrin Electropolymers by a Hangman Effect JF - ChemCatChem : heterogeneous & homogeneous & bio- & nano-catalysis ; a journal of ChemPubSoc Europe N2 - The thiophene-modified iron porphyrin FeT3ThP and the respective iron Hangman porphyrin FeH3ThP, incorporating a carboxylic acid hanging group in the second coordination sphere of the iron center, were electropolymerized on glassy carbon electrodes using 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as co-monomer. Scanning electron microscopy images and Resonance Raman spectra demonstrated incorporation of the porphyrin monomers into a fibrous polymer network. Porphyrin/polyEDOT films catalyzed the reduction of molecular oxygen in a four-electron reaction to water with onset potentials as high as +0.14V vs. Ag/AgCl in an aqueous solution of pH7. Further, FeT3ThP/polyEDOT films showed electrocatalytic activity towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide at highly positive potentials, which was significantly enhanced by introduction of the carboxylic acid hanging group in FeH3ThP. The second coordination sphere residue promotes formation of a highly oxidizing reaction intermediate, presumably via advantageous proton supply, as observed for peroxidases and catalases making FeH3ThP/polyEDOT films efficient mimics of heme enzymes. KW - activation of oxygen species KW - electro-polymerization KW - Hangman porphyrin KW - heterogeneous catalysis KW - immobilization Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.201800934 SN - 1867-3880 SN - 1867-3899 VL - 10 IS - 19 SP - 4353 EP - 4361 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weyrich, Alexandra A1 - Lenz, Dorina A1 - Fickel, Jörns T1 - Environmental Change-Dependent Inherited Epigenetic Response JF - GENES N2 - Epigenetic modifications are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. Research on epigenetic responses to environmental changes in wild mammals has been widely neglected, as well as studies that compare responses to changes in different environmental factors. Here, we focused on the transmission of DNA methylation changes to naive male offspring after paternal exposure to either diet (~40% less protein) or temperature increase (10 °C increased temperature). Because both experiments focused on the liver as the main metabolic and thermoregulation organ, we were able to decipher if epigenetic changes differed in response to different environmental changes. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) revealed differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in annotated genomic regions in sons sired before (control) and after the fathers’ treatments. We detected both a highly specific epigenetic response dependent on the environmental factor that had changed that was reflected in genes involved in specific metabolic pathways, and a more general response to changes in outer stimuli reflected by epigenetic modifications in a small subset of genes shared between both responses. Our results indicated that fathers prepared their offspring for specific environmental changes by paternally inherited epigenetic modifications, suggesting a strong paternal contribution to adaptive processes. KW - DNA methylation KW - exposure KW - wild mammal species KW - inheritance KW - plasticity KW - adaptation KW - RRBS Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10010004 SN - 2073-4425 VL - 10 IS - 1 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grzesiuk, Malgorzata A1 - Spijkerman, Elly A1 - Lachmann, Sabrina C. A1 - Wacker, Alexander T1 - Environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals directly affect phytoplankton and effects propagate through trophic interactions JF - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety N2 - Pharmaceuticals are found in freshwater ecosystems where even low concentrations in the range of ng L−1 may affect aquatic organisms. In the current study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure to three pharmaceuticals on two microalgae, a potential modulation of the effects by additional inorganic phosphorus (Pi) limitation, and a potential propagation of the pharmaceuticals’ effect across a trophic interaction. The latter considers that pharmaceuticals are bioaccumulated by algae, potentially metabolized into more (or less) toxic derivates and consequently consumed by zooplankton. We cultured Acutodesmus obliquus and Nannochloropsis limnetica in Pi-replete and Pi-limited medium contaminated with one of three commonly human used pharmaceuticals: fluoxetine, ibuprofen, and propranolol. Secondly, we tested to what extent first level consumers (Daphnia magna) were affected when fed with pharmaceutical-grown algae. Chronic exposure, covering 30 generations, led to (i) decreased cell numbers of A. obliquus in the presence of fluoxetine (under Pi-replete conditions) (ii) increased carotenoid to chlorophyll ratios in N. limnetica (under Pi-limited conditions), and (iii) increased photosynthetic yields in A. obliquus (in both Pi-conditions). In addition, ibuprofen affected both algae and their consumer: Feeding ibuprofen-contaminated algae to Pi-stressed D. magna improved their survival. We demonstrate, that even very low concentrations of pharmaceuticals present in freshwater ecosystems can significantly affect aquatic organisms when chronically exposed. Our study indicates that pharmaceutical effects can cross trophic levels and travel up the food chain. KW - Freshwater microalgae KW - Cellular phosphorus KW - Daphnia KW - Human used-drugs KW - Chronic exposure KW - Environmental risk KW - Fatty acids Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.019 SN - 0147-6513 SN - 1090-2414 VL - 156 SP - 271 EP - 278 PB - Elsevier CY - San Diego ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bálint, Miklós A1 - Pfenninger, Markus A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter A1 - Taberlet, Pierre A1 - Vellend, Mark A1 - Leibold, Mathew A. A1 - Englund, Goran A1 - Bowler, Diana T1 - Environmental DNA time series in ecology JF - Trends in ecology & evolution N2 - Ecological communities change in time and space, but long-term dynamics at the century-to-millennia scale are poorly documented due to lack of relevant data sets. Nevertheless, understanding long-term dynamics is important for explaining present-day biodiversity patterns and placing conservation goals in a historical context. Here, we use recent examples and new perspectives to highlight how environmental DNA (eDNA) is starting to provide a powerful new source of temporal data for research questions that have so far been overlooked, by helping to resolve the ecological dynamics of populations, communities, and ecosystems over hundreds to thousands of years. We give examples of hypotheses that may be addressed by temporal eDNA biodiversity data, discuss possible research directions, and outline related challenges. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2018.09.003 SN - 0169-5347 SN - 1872-8383 VL - 33 IS - 12 SP - 945 EP - 957 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bachmann, Jennifer A1 - Heimbach, Tabea A1 - Hassenrück, Christiane A1 - Kopprio, German A. A1 - Iversen, Morten Hvitfeldt A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter A1 - Gärdes, Astrid T1 - Environmental Drivers of Free-Living vs. Particle-Attached Bacterial Community Composition in the Mauritania Upwelling System JF - Frontiers in microbiology N2 - Saharan dust input and seasonal upwelling along North-West Africa provide a model system for studying microbial processes related to the export and recycling of nutrients. This study offers the first molecular characterization of prokaryotic particle-attached (PA; > 3.0 mu m) and free-living (FL; 0.2-3.0 mu m) players in this important ecosystem during August 2016. Environmental drivers for alpha-diversity, bacterial community composition, and differences between FL and PA fractions were identified. The ultra-oligotrophic waters off Senegal were dominated by Cyanobacteria while higher relative abundances of Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Planctomycetes (known particle-degraders) occurred in the upwelling area. Temperature, proxy for different water masses, was the best predictor for changes in FL communities. PA community variation was best explained by temperature and ammonium. Bray Curtis dissimilarities between FL and PA were generally very high and correlated with temperature and salinity in surface waters. Greatest similarities between FL and PA occurred at the deep chlorophyll maximum, where bacterial substrate availability was likely highest. This indicates that environmental drivers do not only influence changes among FL and PA communities but also differences between them. This could provide an explanation for contradicting results obtained by different studies regarding the dissimilarity/similarity between FL and PA communities and their biogeochemical functions. KW - prokaryotes KW - biodiversity KW - microbial ecology KW - alpha diversity KW - Bray Curtis dissimilarity KW - temperature KW - salinity KW - 16S rRNA Illumina amplicon sequencing Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02836 SN - 1664-302X VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wozniak, Natalia Joanna A1 - Sicard, Adrien T1 - Evolvability of flower geometry BT - Convergence in pollinator-driven morphological evolution of flowers JF - Seminars in cell & developmental biology N2 - Flowers represent a key innovation during plant evolution. Driven by reproductive optimization, evolution of flower morphology has been central in boosting species diversification. In most cases, this has happened through specialized interactions with animal pollinators and subsequent reduction of gene flow between specialized morphs. While radiation has led to an enormous variability in flower forms and sizes, recurrent evolutionary patterns can be observed. Here, we discuss the targets of selection involved in major trends of pollinator-driven flower evolution. We review recent findings on their adaptive values, developmental grounds and genetic bases, in an attempt to better understand the repeated nature of pollinator-driven flower evolution. This analysis highlights how structural innovation can provide flexibility in phenotypic evolution, adaptation and speciation. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Flower KW - Developmental evolution KW - Morphogenesis KW - Angiosperms KW - Co-evolution KW - Plant-pollinator interactions Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.028 SN - 1084-9521 VL - 79 SP - 3 EP - 15 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westbury, Michael V. A1 - Hartmann, Stefanie A1 - Barlow, Axel A1 - Wiesel, Ingrid A1 - Leo, Viyanna A1 - Welch, Rebecca A1 - Parker, Daniel M. A1 - Sicks, Florian A1 - Ludwig, Arne A1 - Dalen, Love A1 - Hofreiter, Michael T1 - Extended and continuous decline in effective population size results in low genomic diversity in the world's rarest hyena species, the brown hyena JF - Molecular biology and evolution N2 - Hyenas (family Hyaenidae), as the sister group to cats (family Felidae), represent a deeply diverging branch within the cat-like carnivores (Feliformia). With an estimated population size of <10,000 individuals worldwide, the brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) represents the rarest of the four extant hyena species and has been listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Here, we report a high-coverage genome from a captive bred brown hyena and both mitochondrial and low-coverage nuclear genomes of 14 wild-caught brown hyena individuals from across southern Africa. We find that brown hyena harbor extremely low genetic diversity on both the mitochondrial and nuclear level, most likely resulting from a continuous and ongoing decline in effective population size that started similar to 1 Ma and dramatically accelerated towards the end of the Pleistocene. Despite the strikingly low genetic diversity, we find no evidence of inbreeding within the captive bred individual and reveal phylogeographic structure, suggesting the existence of several potential subpopulations within the species. KW - evolution KW - hyena KW - genomics KW - population genomics KW - diversity Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy037 SN - 0737-4038 SN - 1537-1719 VL - 35 IS - 5 SP - 1225 EP - 1237 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mumm, Rebekka A1 - Godina, Elena A1 - Koziel, Slawomir A1 - Musalek, Martin A1 - Sedlak, Petr A1 - Wittwer-Backofen, Ursula A1 - Hess, Volker A1 - Dasgupta, Parasmani A1 - Henneberg, Maciej A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - External skeletal robusticity of children and adolescents BT - European references from birth to adulthood and international comparisons JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Background: In our modern world, the way of life in nutritional and activity behaviour has changed. As a consequence, parallel trends of an epidemic of overweight and a decline in external skeletal robusticity are observed in children and adolescents. Aim: We aim to develop reference centiles for external skeletal robusticity of European girls and boys aged 0 to 18 years using the Frame Index as an indicator and identify population specific age-related patterns. Methods: We analysed cross-sectional & longitudinal data on body height and elbow breadth of boys and girls from Europe (0-18 years, n = 41.679), India (7-18 years, n = 3.297) and South Africa (3-18 years, n = 4.346). As an indicator of external skeletal robusticity Frame Index after Frisancho (1990) was used. We developed centiles for boys and girls using the LMS-method and its extension. Results: Boys have greater external skeletal robusticity than girls. Whereas in girls Frame Index decreases continuously during growth, an increase of Frame Index from 12 to 16 years in European boys can be observed. Indian and South African boys are almost similar in Frame Index to European boys. In girls, the pattern is slightly different. Whereas South African girls are similar to European girls, Indian girls show a lesser external skeletal robusticity. Conclusion: Accurate references for external skeletal robusticity are needed to evaluate if skeletal development is adequate per age. They should be used to monitor effects of changes in way of life and physical activity levels in children and adolescents to avoid negative health outcomes like osteoporosis and arthrosis. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0826 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 383 EP - 391 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bayerl, Helmut A1 - Kraus, Robert H. S. A1 - Nowak, Carsten A1 - Foerster, Daniel W. A1 - Fickel, Jörns A1 - Kühn, Ralph T1 - Fast and cost-effective single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection in the absence of a reference genome using semideep next-generation Random Amplicon Sequencing (RAMseq) JF - Molecular ecology resources N2 - Biodiversity has suffered a dramatic global decline during the past decades, and monitoring tools are urgently needed providing data for the development and evaluation of conservation efforts both on a species and on a genetic level. However, in wild species, the assessment of genetic diversity is often hampered by the lack of suitable genetic markers. In this article, we present Random Amplicon Sequencing (RAMseq), a novel approach for fast and cost-effective detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nonmodel species by semideep sequencing of random amplicons. By applying RAMseq to the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), we identified 238 putative SNPs after quality filtering of all candidate loci and were able to validate 32 of 77 loci tested. In a second step, we evaluated the genotyping performance of these SNP loci in noninvasive samples, one of the most challenging genotyping applications, by comparing it with genotyping results of the same faecal samples at microsatellite markers. We compared (i) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) success rate, (ii) genotyping errors and (iii) Mendelian inheritance (population parameters). SNPs produced a significantly higher PCR success rate (75.5% vs. 65.1%) and lower mean allelic error rate (8.8% vs. 13.3%) than microsatellites, but showed a higher allelic dropout rate (29.7% vs. 19.8%). Genotyping results showed no deviations from Mendelian inheritance in any of the SNP loci. Hence, RAMseq appears to be a valuable tool for the detection of genetic markers in nonmodel species, which is a common challenge in conservation genetic studies. KW - high-throughput sequencing KW - Lutra lutra KW - nonmodel species KW - RAMseq KW - RAPD KW - variant detection Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12717 SN - 1755-098X SN - 1755-0998 VL - 18 IS - 1 SP - 107 EP - 117 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reckendorf, Anja A1 - Ludes-Wehrmeister, Eva A1 - Wohlsein, Peter A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Siebert, U. A1 - Lehnert, Kristina T1 - First record of Halocercus sp (Pseudaliidae) lungworm infections in two stranded neonatal orcas (Orcinus orca) JF - Parasitology N2 - Orca (Orcinus orca) strandings are rare and post-mortem examinations on fresh individuals are scarce. Thus, little is known about their parasitological fauna, prevalence of infections, associated pathology and the impact on their health. During post-mortem examinations of two male neonatal orcas stranded in Germany and Norway, lungworm infections were found within the bronchi of both individuals. The nematodes were identified as Halocercus sp. (Pseudaliidae), which have been described in the respiratory tract of multiple odontocete species, but not yet in orcas. The life cycle and transmission pathways of some pseudaliid nematodes are incompletely understood. Lungworm infections in neonatal cetaceans are an unusual finding and thus seem to be an indicator for direct mother-to-calf transmission (transplacental or transmammary) of Halocercus sp. nematodes in orcas. KW - Cetaceans KW - endoparasites KW - killer whale KW - life cycle KW - nematodes KW - vertical transmission Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182018000586 SN - 0031-1820 SN - 1469-8161 VL - 145 IS - 12 SP - 1553 EP - 1557 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Navarro-Retamal, Carlos A1 - Bremer, Anne A1 - Ingolfsson, Helgi I. A1 - Alzate-Morales, Jans A1 - Caballero, Julio A1 - Thalhammer, Anja A1 - Gonzalez, Wendy A1 - Hincha, Dirk K. T1 - Folding and Lipid Composition Determine Membrane Interaction of the Disordered Protein COR15A JF - Biophysical journal N2 - Plants from temperate climates, such as the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, are challenged with seasonal low temperatures that lead to increased freezing tolerance in fall in a process termed cold acclimation. Among other adaptations, this involves the accumulation of cold-regulated (COR) proteins, such as the intrinsically disordered chloroplast-localized protein COR15A. Together with its close homolog COR15B, it stabilizes chloroplast membranes during freezing. COR15A folds into amphipathic alpha-helices in the presence of high concentrations of low-molecular-mass crowders or upon dehydration. Under these conditions, the (partially) folded protein binds peripherally to membranes. In our study, we have used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the details of COR15A-membrane binding and its effects on membrane structure and dynamics. Simulation results indicate that at least partial folding of COR15A and the presence of highly unsaturated galactolipids in the membranes are necessary for efficient membrane binding. The bound protein is stabilized on the membrane by interactions of charged and polar amino acids with galactolipid headgroups and by interactions of hydrophobic amino acids with the upper part of the fatty acyl chains. Experimentally, the presence of liposomes made from a mixture of lipids mimicking chloroplast membranes induces additional folding in COR15A under conditions of partial dehydration, in agreement with the simulation results. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2018.08.014 SN - 0006-3495 SN - 1542-0086 VL - 115 IS - 6 SP - 968 EP - 980 PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nitsch, Paula A1 - Kaupenjohann, Martin A1 - Wulf, Monika T1 - Forest continuity, soil depth and tree species are important parameters for SOC stocks in an old forest (Templiner Buchheide, northeast Germany) JF - Geoderma : an international journal of soil science N2 - Forest mineral soils have the potential to accumulate large amounts of carbon (C). Numerous factors, which have often been insufficiently studied, affect soil organic C (SOC) stocks. Detailed knowledge of variation in SOC storage is important to assess the C accumulation potential of forest soils. To examine the impacts of forest continuity, soil depth and tree species on SOC stocks, 15 ancient ( > 230 years of forest continuity) and 15 old ( > 100 but < 200 years of forest continuity) forest soils, topsoil and subsoil in the Templiner Buchheide (Brandenburg, NE Germany) were compared. The old forest sites were afforested on former grassland or wasteland. On all sites grew one of three dominant tree species: European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) or oak (Quercus spec.). Pine forest sites had been underplanted with beech and were mixed-species stands. Soil samples were taken down to a mean depth of 55 cm. Total contents of SOC, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg); soil pH; and bulk densities were determined. The soils of ancient forest sites stored significantly more total SOC, N, P, S, K and Mg than did the old ones. Mean total SOC stocks in ancient forests of all three tree species were 12-17% larger compared with those in old forests. Significant differences in SOC stocks between the two forest continuity groups appeared only in subsoil and not in topsoil. Pine forest stored larger SOC stocks than did beech and oak forests. Significant differences were found between ancient pine and oak forests and between ancient beech and oak forests. Soils in ancient beech and pine forests at depths of between 29 and 55 cm contained, on average, even 50% larger SOC stocks than did soils at the same depths in ancient oak forests and in all old forests. Forest continuity significantly affected SOC stocks. These results support previous studies that old forests are still able to enrich SOC. Although soil samples were carried out to a mean depth of only 55 cm, the results indicate that differences in SOC stocks between ancient and old forest could also be found in deeper soil layers. It was suggested that beech and mixed-species stands of beech and pine and total soil P stocks had a positive effect on SOC stocks in subsoil. To understand SOC accumulation in forests, especially in subsoil, with a forest continuity of > 100 years, the role of different tree species and of total P cycling in forests, deeper sampling depths and repeated sampling would be required. KW - Ancient forest KW - C sequestration KW - Land-use history KW - Forest age KW - Total P KW - Subsoil Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.08.041 SN - 0016-7061 SN - 1872-6259 VL - 310 SP - 65 EP - 76 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Hilgers, Leon T1 - From innovation to diversification BT - the genetic basis of the molluscan radula and its adaptive diversification in Tylomelania Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaufmann, Paul A1 - Duffus, Benjamin R. A1 - Teutloff, Christian A1 - Leimkühler, Silke T1 - Functional Studies on Oligotropha carboxidovorans Molybdenum-Copper CO Dehydrogenase Produced in Escherichia coli JF - Biochemistry N2 - The Mo/Cu-dependent CO dehydrogenase (CODH) from Oligotropha carboxidovorans is an enzyme that is able to catalyze both the oxidation of CO to CO2 and the oxidation of H-2 to protons and electrons. Despite the close to atomic resolution structure (1.1 angstrom), significant uncertainties have remained with regard to the reaction mechanism of substrate oxidation at the unique Mo/Cu center, as well as the nature of intermediates formed during the catalytic cycle. So far, the investigation of the role of amino acids at the active site was hampered by the lack of a suitable expression system that allowed for detailed site-directed mutagenesis studies at the active site. Here, we report on the establishment of a functional heterologous expression system of O. carboxidovorans CODH in Escherichia coli. We characterize the purified enzyme in detail by a combination of kinetic and spectroscopic studies and show that it was purified in a form with characteristics comparable to those of the native enzyme purified from O. carboxidovorans. With this expression system in hand, we were for the first time able to generate active-site variants of this enzyme. Our work presents the basis for more detailed studies of the reaction mechanism for CO and H-2 oxidation of Mo/Cu-dependent CODHs in the future. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00128 SN - 0006-2960 VL - 57 IS - 19 SP - 2889 EP - 2901 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vanneste, Thomas A1 - Valdes, Alicia A1 - Verheyen, Kris A1 - Perring, Michael P. A1 - Bernhardt-Roemermann, Markus A1 - Andrieu, Emilie A1 - Brunet, Jorg A1 - Cousins, Sara A. O. A1 - Deconchat, Marc A1 - De Smedt, Pallieter A1 - Diekmann, Martin A1 - Ehrmann, Steffen A1 - Heinken, Thilo A1 - Hermy, Martin A1 - Kolb, Annette A1 - Lenoir, Jonathan A1 - Liira, Jaan A1 - Naaf, Tobias A1 - Paal, Taavi A1 - Wulf, Monika A1 - Decocq, Guillaume A1 - De Frenne, Pieter T1 - Functional trait variation of forest understorey plant communities across Europe JF - Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft für Ökologie N2 - Global environmental changes are expected to alter the functional characteristics of understorey herb-layer communities, potentially affecting forest ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about what drives the variability of functional traits in forest understories. Here, we assessed the role of different environmental drivers in shaping the functional trait distribution of understorey herbs in fragmented forests across three spatial scales. We focused on 708 small, deciduous forest patches located in 16 agricultural landscape windows, spanning a 2500-km macroclimatic gradient across the temperate forest biome in Europe. We estimated the relative effect of patch-scale, landscape-scale and macroclimatic variables on the community mean and variation of plant height, specific leaf area and seed mass. Macroclimatic variables (monthly temperature and precipitation extremes) explained the largest proportion of variation in community trait means (on average 77% of the explained variation). In contrast, patch-scale factors dominated in explaining community trait variation (on average 68% of the explained variation). Notably, patch age, size and internal heterogeneity had a positive effect on the community-level variability. Landscape-scale variables explained only a minor part of the variation in both trait distribution properties. The variation explained by shared combinations of the variable groups was generally negligible. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales in predictions of environmental-change effects on the functionality of forest understories. We propose that forest management sustainability could benefit from conserving larger, historically continuous and internally heterogeneous forest patches to maximise ecosystem service diversity in rural landscapes. (C) 2018 Gesellschaft fur Okologie. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. KW - Agricultural landscapes KW - Biogeography KW - Community ecology KW - Forest understorey KW - Functional trait diversity KW - Fragmentation KW - Global environmental change KW - Landscape connectivity KW - Macroclimatic gradient KW - Multi-scale analysis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2018.09.004 SN - 1439-1791 SN - 1618-0089 VL - 34 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier GmbH CY - München ER - TY - THES A1 - Albers, Philip T1 - Funktionelle Charakterisierung des bakteriellen Typ-III Effektorproteins HopZ1a in Nicotiana benthamiana T1 - Functional characterization of the bacterial type-III effector protein HopZ1a in Nicotiana benthamiana N2 - Um das Immunsystem der Pflanze zu manipulieren translozieren gram-negative pathogene Bakterien Typ-III Effektorproteine (T3E) über ein Typ-III Sekretionssystem (T3SS) in die pflanzliche Wirtszelle. Dort lokalisieren T3Es in verschiedenen subzellulären Kompartimenten, wo sie Zielproteine modifizieren und so die Infektion begünstigen. HopZ1a, ein T3E des Pflanzenpathogens Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, ist eine Acetyltransferase und lokalisiert über ein Myristolierungsmotiv an der Plasmamembran der Wirtszelle. Obwohl gezeigt wurde, dass HopZ1a die frühe Signalweiterleitung an der Plasmamembran stört, wurde bisher kein mit der Plasmamembran assoziiertes Zielprotein für diesen T3E identifiziert. Um bisher unbekannte HopZ1a-Zieleproteine zu identifizieren wurde im Vorfeld dieser Arbeit eine Hefe-Zwei-Hybrid-Durchmusterung mit einer cDNA-Bibliothek aus Tabak durchgeführt, wobei ein nicht näher charakterisiertes Remorin als Interaktor gefunden wurde. Bei dem Remorin handelt es sich um einen Vertreter der Gruppe 4 der Remorin-Familie, weshalb es in NbREM4 umbenannt wurde. Durch den Einsatz verschiedener Interaktionsstudien konnte demonstriert werden, dass HopZ1a mit NbREM4 in Hefe, in vitro und in planta wechselwirkt. Es wurde ferner deutlich, dass HopZ1a auf spezifische Weise mit dem konservierten C-Terminus von NbREM4 interagiert, das Remorin jedoch in vitro nicht acetyliert. Analysen mittels BiFC haben zudem ergeben, dass NbREM4 in Homodimeren an der Plasmamembran lokalisiert, wo auch die Interaktion mit HopZ1a stattfindet. Eine funktionelle Charakterisierung von NbREM4 ergab, dass das Remorin eine spezifische Rolle im Immunsystem der Pflanze einnimmt. Die transiente Expression in N. benthamiana induziert die Expression von Abwehrgenen sowie einen veränderten Blattphänotyp. In A. thaliana wird HopZ1a über das Decoy ZED1 und das R-Protein ZAR1 erkannt, was zur Auslösung einer starken Hypersensitiven Antwort (HR von hypersensitive response) führt. Es konnte im Rahmen dieser Arbeit gezeigt werden, dass ZAR1 in N. benthamiana konserviert ist, NbREM4 jedoch nicht in der ETI als Decoy fungiert. Mit Hilfe einer Hefe-Zwei-Hybrid-Durchmusterung mit NbZAR1 als Köder konnten zwei Proteine, die Catalase CAT1 und der Protonenpumpeninteraktor PPI1, als Interaktoren von NbZAR1 identifiziert werden, welche möglicherweise in der Regulation der HR eine Rolle spielen. Aus Voruntersuchungen war bekannt, dass NbREM4 mit weiteren, nicht näher charakterisierten Proteinen aus Tabak interagieren könnte. Eine phylogenetische Einordnung hat gezeigt, dass es sich um die bekannte Immun-Kinase PBS1 sowie zwei E3-Ubiquitin-Ligasen, NbSINA1 und NbSINAL3, handelt. PBS1 interagiert mit NbREM4 an der Plasmamembran und phosphoryliert das Remorin innerhalb des intrinsisch ungeordneten N-Terminus. Mittels Massenspektrometrie konnten die Serine an Position 64 und 65 innerhalb der Aminosäuresequenz von NbREM4 als PBS1-abhängige Phosphorylierungsstellen identifiziert wurden. NbSINA1 und NbSINAL3 besitzen in vitro Ubiquitinierungsaktivität, bilden Homo- und Heterodimere und interagieren ebenfalls mit dem N-terminalen Teil von NbREM4, wobei sie das Remorin in vitro nicht ubiquitinieren. Aus den in dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Ergebnissen lässt sich ableiten, dass der bakterielle T3E HopZ1a gezielt mit dem Tabak-Remorin NbREM4 an der Plasmamembran interagiert und über einen noch unbekannten Mechanismus mit dem Immunsystem der Pflanze interferiert, wobei NbREM4 möglicherweise eine Rolle als Adapter- oder Ankerprotein zukommt, über welches HopZ1a mit weiteren Immunkomponenten interagiert. NbREM4 ist Teil eines größeren Immunnetzwerkes, zu welchem die bekannte Immun-Kinase PBS1 und zwei E3-Ubiquitin-Ligasen gehören. Mit NbREM4 konnte damit erstmalig ein membranständiges Protein mit einer Funktion im Immunsystem der Pflanze als Zielprotein von HopZ1a identifiziert werden. N2 - In order to manipulate the plant's immune system, gram-negative pathogenic bacteria inject type-III effector proteins (T3E) via a type III secretion system (T3SS) into the plant host cell. Inside the cell, T3Es localize to different subcellular compartments, where they modify target proteins and thereby promote the infection. HopZ1a, a T3E of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is an acetyltransferase and localizes to the plasma membrane. Although it has been shown that HopZ1a interferes with early signal transduction at the plasma membrane, no dedicated plasma membrane-associated target protein has been identified so far. To identify unknown HopZ1a target proteins, a yeast two-hybrid screening using a cDNA library from tobacco was performed in advance of this work. The screen identified a previously uncharacterized remorin-family protein as a putative interactor of HopZ1a. Using phylogenetic analyses, the remorin could be classified as a group 4 remorin family member and therefore was renamed NbREM4. By using different interaction studies, it has could be demonstrated that HopZ1a interacts with NbREM4 in yeast, in vitro, and in planta. It also became evident that HopZ1a specifically interacts with the conserved C-terminus of NbREM4 but does not acetylate it. BiFC analyses showed that NbREM4 localizes in homodimers at the plasma membrane, and NbREM4 interacts with HopZ1a in this subcellular compartment. From preliminary studies it was known that NbREM4 may interact with other uncharacterized proteins from tobacco. A phylogenetic analysis revealed the immune kinase NbPBS1 and two E3 ubiquitin ligases, NbSINA1 and NbSINAL3, as putative NbREM4 interacting proteins. Analysis showed that NbPBS1 interacts with NbREM4 at the plasma membrane and phosphorylates the Remorin within the intrinsically disordered N-terminus. By means of mass spectrometry, serines at position 64 and 65 within the amino acid sequence of NbREM4 were identified as PBS1-dependent phosphorylation sites. NbSINA1 and NbSINAL3 have in vitro ubiquitination activity and also interact with the N-terminal part of NbREM4, but do not ubiquitinate it. It has already been shown that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, HopZ1a is recognized by the R protein ZAR1. In the presence of the effector, ZAR1 induces a strong hypersensitive response (HR) of the cell. In this study it could be confirmed that ZAR1 is conserved in Nicotiana benthamiana and is also responsible for the recognition of HopZ1a. In addition, a yeast two-hybrid screen revealed the catalase CAT1 and the proton pump interactor PPI1 as putative NbZAR1-interacting proteins, possibly contributing to the downstream activation of HR. From the results obtained in this work, it can be deduced that the bacterial T3E HopZ1a specifically interacts with the Remorin NbREM4 at the plasma membrane and interferes with the immune system via a yet unknown mechanism. NbREM4 is part of a larger immune network that includes NbPBS1 and two E3 ligases. With NbREM4, the first membrane-associated target protein of HopZ1a could have been identified. KW - Pseudomonas syringae KW - Remorin KW - HopZ1a KW - PBS1 KW - pflanzliches Immunsystem KW - Pseudomonas syringae KW - Remorin KW - HopZ1a KW - PBS1 KW - plant immune system Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schlör, Anja A1 - Holzlöhner, Pamela A1 - Listek, Martin A1 - Grieß, Cindy A1 - Butze, Monique A1 - Micheel, Burkhard A1 - Hentschel, Christian A1 - Sowa, Mandy A1 - Roggenbuck, Dirk A1 - Schierack, Peter A1 - Füner, Jonas A1 - Schliebs, Erik A1 - Goihl, Alexander A1 - Reinhold, Dirk A1 - Hanack, Katja T1 - Generation and validation of murine monoclonal and camelid recombinant single domain antibodies specific for human pancreatic glycoprotein 2 JF - New biotechnology N2 - Pancreatic secretory zymogen-granule membrane glycoprotein 2 (GP2) has been identified as a major autoantigenic target in Crohn’s disease patients. It was reported recently that a long (GP2a) and a short (GP2b) isoform of GP2 exist and that in the outcome of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) GP2-specific autoantibodies probably appear as new serological markers for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. To investigate this further and in order to establish diagnostic tools for the discrimination of both GP2 isoforms, a set of different murine monoclonal and camelid recombinant single domain antibodies (camelid VHH) was generated and validated in various enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) formats, immunofluorescence on transgenic cell lines and immunohistochemistry on monkey pancreas tissue sections. Out of six binders identified, one was validated as highly specific for GP2a. This murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) was used as capture antibody in construction of a sandwich ELISA for the detection of GP2a. Camelid VHHs or a second murine mAb served as detection antibodies in this system. All antibodies were also able to stain GP2a or GP2b on transgenic cell lines as well as on pancreatic tissue in immunohistochemistry. The KD values measured for the camelid VHHs were between 7 nM and 23pM. This set of specific binders will enable the development of suitable diagnostic tools for GP2-related studies in IBD. KW - glycoprotein GP2 KW - Monoclonal antibodies KW - Camelid single domain antibodies Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2018.03.006 SN - 1871-6784 SN - 1876-4347 VL - 45 SP - 60 EP - 68 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holzlöhner, Pamela A1 - Butze, Monique A1 - Maier, Natalia A1 - Hebel, Nicole A1 - Schliebs, Erik A1 - Micheel, Burkhard A1 - Fuener, Jonas A1 - Heidicke, Gabriele A1 - Hanack, Katja T1 - Generation of murine monoclonal antibodies with specificity against conventional camelid IgG1 and heavy-chain only IgG2/3 JF - Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology N2 - Camelids possess antibodies with a conventional four-chain structure consisting of two heavy and two light chains (of subclass IgG1) but further they also generate heavy-chain only antibodies (of subclass IgG2 and 3) which are fully functional in antigen binding. In this study subclass-specific murine monoclonal antibodies specific to conventional camelid IgG1 and heavy-chain only IgG2/3 were generated and validated for the use as potent secondary detection reagents. The monoclonal antibodies are able to differentiate between all camelid IgGs, conventional four-chain camelid antibodies (of subclass IgG1) and exclusively heavy chain-only antibodies (of subclasses IgG2 and IgG3). Further these antibodies were used to detect specific immune responses after vaccination of Camelids against bovine corona- and rotavirus strains and different E.coli. and Clostridia - antigens and to identify Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infected animals within a herd. The described antibodies are suitable as new secondary agents for the detection of different camelid subclasses and the validation of camelid immune reactions. KW - Camelid antibodies KW - Heavy-chain only antibodies KW - Monoclonal antibodies KW - Secondary antibodies KW - Vaccination KW - Disease monitoring Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.01.006 SN - 0165-2427 SN - 1873-2534 VL - 197 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laitinen, Roosa A. E. A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Genetic basis of plasticity in plants JF - Journal of experimental botany N2 - The ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to different environments, termed plasticity, is a particularly important characteristic to enable sessile plants to adapt to rapid changes in their surroundings. Plasticity is a quantitative trait that can provide a fitness advantage and mitigate negative effects due to environmental perturbations. Yet, its genetic basis is not fully understood. Alongside technological limitations, the main challenge in studying plasticity has been the selection of suitable approaches for quantification of phenotypic plasticity. Here, we propose a categorization of the existing quantitative measures of phenotypic plasticity into nominal and relative approaches. Moreover, we highlight the recent advances in the understanding of the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic plasticity in plants. We identify four pillars for future research to uncover the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity, with emphasis on development of computational approaches and theories. These developments will allow us to perform specific experiments to validate the causal genes for plasticity and to discover their role in plant fitness and evolution. KW - Genetic architecture KW - GWA KW - GxE interaction KW - hub genes KW - plant adaptation KW - plasticity KW - variance Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ery404 SN - 0022-0957 SN - 1460-2431 VL - 70 IS - 3 SP - 739 EP - 745 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beaumont, Robin N. A1 - Warrington, Nicole M. A1 - Cavadino, Alana A1 - Tyrrell, Jessica A1 - Nodzenski, Michael A1 - Horikoshi, Momoko A1 - Geller, Frank A1 - Myhre, Ronny A1 - Richmond, Rebecca C. A1 - Paternoster, Lavinia A1 - Bradfield, Jonathan P. A1 - Kreiner-Moller, Eskil A1 - Huikari, Ville A1 - Metrustry, Sarah A1 - Lunetta, Kathryn L. A1 - Painter, Jodie N. A1 - Hottenga, Jouke-Jan A1 - Allard, Catherine A1 - Barton, Sheila J. A1 - Espinosa, Ana A1 - Marsh, Julie A. A1 - Potter, Catherine A1 - Zhang, Ge A1 - Ang, Wei A1 - Berry, Diane J. A1 - Bouchard, Luigi A1 - Das, Shikta A1 - Hakonarson, Hakon A1 - Heikkinen, Jani A1 - Helgeland, Oyvind A1 - Hocher, Berthold A1 - Hofman, Albert A1 - Inskip, Hazel M. A1 - Jones, Samuel E. A1 - Kogevinas, Manolis A1 - Lind, Penelope A. A1 - Marullo, Letizia A1 - Medland, Sarah E. A1 - Murray, Anna A1 - Murray, Jeffrey C. A1 - Njolstad, Pal R. A1 - Nohr, Ellen A. A1 - Reichetzeder, Christoph A1 - Ring, Susan M. A1 - Ruth, Katherine S. A1 - Santa-Marina, Loreto A1 - Scholtens, Denise M. A1 - Sebert, Sylvain A1 - Sengpiel, Verena A1 - Tuke, Marcus A. A1 - Vaudel, Marc A1 - Weedon, Michael N. A1 - Willemsen, Gonneke A1 - Wood, Andrew R. A1 - Yaghootkar, Hanieh A1 - Muglia, Louis J. A1 - Bartels, Meike A1 - Relton, Caroline L. A1 - Pennell, Craig E. A1 - Chatzi, Leda A1 - Estivill, Xavier A1 - Holloway, John W. A1 - Boomsma, Dorret I. A1 - Montgomery, Grant W. A1 - Murabito, Joanne M. A1 - Spector, Tim D. A1 - Power, Christine A1 - Jarvelin, Marjo-Ritta A1 - Bisgaard, Hans A1 - Grant, Struan F. A. A1 - Sorensen, Thorkild I. A. A1 - Jaddoe, Vincent W. A1 - Jacobsson, Bo A1 - Melbye, Mads A1 - McCarthy, Mark I. A1 - Hattersley, Andrew T. A1 - Hayes, M. Geoffrey A1 - Frayling, Timothy M. A1 - Hivert, Marie-France A1 - Felix, Janine F. A1 - Hypponen, Elina A1 - Lowe, William L. A1 - Evans, David M. A1 - Lawlor, Debbie A. A1 - Feenstra, Bjarke A1 - Freathy, Rachel M. T1 - Genome-wide association study of offspring birth weight in 86 577 women identifies five novel loci and highlights maternal genetic effects that are independent of fetal genetics JF - Human molecular genetics N2 - Genome-wide association studies of birth weight have focused on fetal genetics, whereas relatively little is known about the role of maternal genetic variation. We aimed to identify maternal genetic variants associated with birth weight that could highlight potentially relevant maternal determinants of fetal growth. We meta-analysed data on up to 8.7 million SNPs in up to 86 577 women of European descent from the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium and the UK Biobank. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) and analyses of mother-child pairs to quantify the separate maternal and fetal genetic effects. Maternal SNPs at 10 loci (MTNR1B, HMGA2, SH2B3, KCNAB1, L3MBTL3, GCK, EBF1, TCF7L2, ACTL9, CYP3A7) were associated with offspring birth weight at P< 5 x 10(-8). In SEM analyses, at least 7 of the 10 associations were consistent with effects of the maternal genotype acting via the intrauterine environment, rather than via effects of shared alleles with the fetus. Variants, or correlated proxies, at many of the loci had been previously associated with adult traits, including fasting glucose (MTNR1B, GCK and TCF7L2) and sex hormone levels (CYP3A7), and one (EBF1) with gestational duration. The identified associations indicate that genetic effects on maternal glucose, cytochrome P450 activity and gestational duration, and potentially on maternal blood pressure and immune function, are relevant for fetal growth. Further characterization of these associations in mechanistic and causal analyses will enhance understanding of the potentially modifiable maternal determinants of fetal growth, with the goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with low and high birth weights. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddx429 SN - 0964-6906 SN - 1460-2083 VL - 27 IS - 4 SP - 742 EP - 756 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Perring, Michael P. A1 - Bernhardt-Roemermann, Markus A1 - Baeten, Lander A1 - Midolo, Gabriele A1 - Blondeel, Haben A1 - Depauw, Leen A1 - Landuyt, Dries A1 - Maes, Sybryn L. A1 - De Lombaerde, Emiel A1 - Caron, Maria Mercedes A1 - Vellend, Mark A1 - Brunet, Joerg A1 - Chudomelova, Marketa A1 - Decocq, Guillaume A1 - Diekmann, Martin A1 - Dirnboeck, Thomas A1 - Doerfler, Inken A1 - Durak, Tomasz A1 - De Frenne, Pieter A1 - Gilliam, Frank S. A1 - Hedl, Radim A1 - Heinken, Thilo A1 - Hommel, Patrick A1 - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan A1 - Kirby, Keith J. A1 - Kopecky, Martin A1 - Lenoir, Jonathan A1 - Li, Daijiang A1 - Malis, Frantisek A1 - Mitchell, Fraser J. G. A1 - Naaf, Tobias A1 - Newman, Miles A1 - Petrik, Petr A1 - Reczynska, Kamila A1 - Schmidt, Wolfgang A1 - Standovar, Tibor A1 - Swierkosz, Krzysztof A1 - Van Calster, Hans A1 - Vild, Ondrej A1 - Wagner, Eva Rosa A1 - Wulf, Monika A1 - Verheyen, Kris T1 - Global environmental change effects on plant community composition trajectories depend upon management legacies JF - Global change biology N2 - The contemporary state of functional traits and species richness in plant communities depends on legacy effects of past disturbances. Whether temporal responses of community properties to current environmental changes are altered by such legacies is, however, unknown. We expect global environmental changes to interact with land-use legacies given different community trajectories initiated by prior management, and subsequent responses to altered resources and conditions. We tested this expectation for species richness and functional traits using 1814 survey-resurvey plot pairs of understorey communities from 40 European temperate forest datasets, syntheses of management transitions since the year 1800, and a trait database. We also examined how plant community indicators of resources and conditions changed in response to management legacies and environmental change. Community trajectories were clearly influenced by interactions between management legacies from over 200 years ago and environmental change. Importantly, higher rates of nitrogen deposition led to increased species richness and plant height in forests managed less intensively in 1800 (i.e., high forests), and to decreases in forests with a more intensive historical management in 1800 (i.e., coppiced forests). There was evidence that these declines in community variables in formerly coppiced forests were ameliorated by increased rates of temperature change between surveys. Responses were generally apparent regardless of sites’ contemporary management classifications, although sometimes the management transition itself, rather than historic or contemporary management types, better explained understorey responses. Main effects of environmental change were rare, although higher rates of precipitation change increased plant height, accompanied by increases in fertility indicator values. Analysis of indicator values suggested the importance of directly characterising resources and conditions to better understand legacy and environmental change effects. Accounting for legacies of past disturbance can reconcile contradictory literature results and appears crucial to anticipating future responses to global environmental change. KW - biodiversity change KW - climate change KW - disturbance regime KW - forestREplot KW - herbaceous layer KW - management intensity KW - nitrogen deposition KW - plant functional traits KW - time lag KW - vegetation resurvey Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14030 SN - 1354-1013 SN - 1365-2486 VL - 24 IS - 4 SP - 1722 EP - 1740 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Omidbakhshfard, Mohammad Amin A1 - Fujikura, Ushio A1 - Olas, Justyna Jadwiga A1 - Xue, Gang-Ping A1 - Balazadeh, Salma A1 - Mueller-Roeber, Bernd T1 - GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR 9 negatively regulates arabidopsis leaf growth by controlling ORG3 and restricting cell proliferation in leaf primordia JF - PLoS Genetics : a peer-reviewed, open-access journal N2 - Leaf growth is a complex process that involves the action of diverse transcription factors (TFs) and their downstream gene regulatory networks. In this study, we focus on the functional characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana TF GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR9 (GRF9) and demonstrate that it exerts its negative effect on leaf growth by activating expression of the bZIP TF OBP3-RESPONSIVE GENE 3 (ORG3). While grf9 knockout mutants produce bigger incipient leaf primordia at the shoot apex, rosette leaves and petals than the wild type, the sizes of those organs are reduced in plants overexpressing GRF9 (GRF9ox). Cell measurements demonstrate that changes in leaf size result from alterations in cell numbers rather than cell sizes. Kinematic analysis and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay revealed that GRF9 restricts cell proliferation in the early developing leaf. Performing in vitro binding site selection, we identified the 6-base motif 5'-CTGACA-3' as the core binding site of GRF9. By global transcriptome profiling, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) we identified ORG3 as a direct downstream, and positively regulated target of GRF9. Genetic analysis of grf9 org3 and GRF9ox org3 double mutants reveals that both transcription factors act in a regulatory cascade to control the final leaf dimensions by restricting cell number in the developing leaf. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007484 SN - 1553-7404 VL - 14 IS - 7 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mayer, Martin A1 - Ullmann, Wiebke A1 - Sunde, Peter A1 - Fischer, Christina A1 - Blaum, Niels T1 - Habitat selection by the European hare in arable landscapes BT - The importance of small-scale habitat structure for conservation JF - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Agricultural land-use practices have intensified over the last decades, leading to population declines of various farmland species, including the European hare (Lepus europaeus). In many European countries, arable fields dominate agricultural landscapes. Compared to pastures, arable land is highly variable, resulting in a large spatial variation of food and cover for wildlife over the course of the year, which potentially affects habitat selection by hares. Here, we investigated within-home-range habitat selection by hares in arable areas in Denmark and Germany to identify habitat requirements for their conservation. We hypothesized that hare habitat selection would depend on local habitat structure, that is, vegetation height, but also on agricultural field size, vegetation type, and proximity to field edges. Active hares generally selected for short vegetation (1-25 cm) and avoided higher vegetation and bare ground, especially when fields were comparatively larger. Vegetation >50 cm potentially restricts hares from entering parts of their home range and does not provide good forage, the latter also being the case on bare ground. The vegetation type was important for habitat selection by inactive hares, with fabaceae, fallow, and maize being selected for, potentially providing both cover and forage. Our results indicate that patches of shorter vegetation could improve the forage quality and habitat accessibility for hares, especially in areas with large monocultures. Thus, policymakers should aim to increase areas with short vegetation throughout the year. Further, permanent set-asides, like fallow and wildflower areas, would provide year-round cover for inactive hares. Finally, the reduction in field sizes would increase the density of field margins, and farming different crop types within small areas could improve the habitat for hares and other farmland species. KW - agriculture KW - arable land KW - conservation KW - GPS KW - habitat selection KW - Lepus europaeus KW - vegetation height Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4613 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 23 SP - 11619 EP - 11633 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reil, Daniela A1 - Binder, Florian A1 - Freise, Jona A1 - Imholt, Christian A1 - Beyrers, Konrad A1 - Jacob, Jens A1 - Krüger, Detlev H. A1 - Hofmann, Jörg A1 - Dreesman, Johannes A1 - Ulrich, Rainer Günter T1 - Hantaviren in Deutschland BT - Aktuelle Erkenntnisse zu Erreger, Reservoir, Verbreitung und Prognosemodellen JF - Berliner und Münchener tierärztliche Wochenschrift N2 - Hantaviruses are small mammal-associated pathogens that are found in rodents but also in shrews, moles and bats. Aim of this manuscript is to give a current overview of the epidemiology and ecology of hantaviruses in Germany and to discuss respective models for the prediction of virus outbreaks. In Germany the majority of human disease cases are caused by the Puumala virus (PUUV), transmitted by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). PUUV is associated with the Western evolutionary lineage of the bank vole and is not present in the eastern and northern parts of Germany. A second human pathogenic hantavirus is the Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV), genotype Kurkino; its reservoir host, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), is mostly occurring in the eastern part of Germany. A PUUV-related hantavirus is the rarely pathogenic Tula virus (TULV), that is associated with the common vole (Microtus arvalis). In addition, Seewis virus, Asikkala virus, and Bruges virus are shrew- and mole-associated hantaviruses with still unknown pathogenicity in humans. Human disease cases are associated with the different hantaviruses according to their regional distribution. The viruses can cause mild to severe but also subclinical courses of the respective disease. The number of human PUUV disease cases in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2017 correlates with the occurrence of high levels of seed production of beech trees ("beech mast") in the preceding year. Models based on weather parameters for the prediction of PUUV disease clusters as developed in recent years need further validation and optimisation. in addition to the abundance of infected reservoir rodents, the exposure behaviour of humans affects the risk of human infection. The application of robust forecast models can assist the public health service to develop and communicate spatially and temporally targeted information. Thus, further recommendations to mitigate infection risk for the public may be provided. N2 - Hantaviren sind Kleinsäuger-assoziierte Krankheitserreger, die vor allem in Nagetieren, aber auch in Spitzmäusen, Maulwürfen und Fledermäusen vorkommen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, einen aktuellen Überblick zur Epidemiologie und Ökologie der Hantaviren in Deutschland zu geben und Modelle zur Vorhersage von Virusausbrüchen zu diskutieren. In Deutschland werden die meisten humanen Erkrankungsfälle beim Menschen durch das von der Rötelmaus (Myodes glareolus) übertragene Puumalavirus (PUUV) verursacht. PUUV ist mit der westlichen evolutionären Linie der Rötelmaus assoziiert und fehlt im östlichen und nördlichen Teil Deutschlands. Ein zweites humanpathogenes Hantavirus ist das Dobrava-Belgrad-Virus (DOBV), Genotyp Kurkino, dessen Reservoir die vor allem im östlichen Teil Deutschlands vorkommende Brandmaus (Apodemus agrarius) ist. Ein PUUV-verwandtes Hantavirus ist das selten humanpathogene Tulavirus (TULV), das mit der Feldmaus (Microtus arvalis) assoziiert ist. Darüber hinaus wurden mit dem Seewis-, Asikkala- und Brugesvirus Spitzmaus- und Maulwurf-assoziierte Hantaviren mit noch unklarer Humanpathogenität gefunden. Die humanen Erkrankungen sind jeweils mit den verschiedenen Hantaviren in deren regionaler Verteilung assoziiert und können mild bis schwer, aber auch subklinisch verlaufen. Das Auftreten von Häufungen humaner, durch PUUV verursachter Erkrankungen in den Jahren 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 und 2017 korreliert mit dem Auftreten einer starken Fruktifikation der Buche („Buchenmast“) im jeweiligen Vorjahr. Auf der Basis von Wetterparametern sind Modelle zur Vorhersage von PUUV-Erkrankungshäufungen entwickelt worden, die zukünftig validiert und optimiert werden müssen. Neben dem Ausmaß des Virusvorkommens im Reservoir wird das Risiko humaner Infektionen durch das Expositionsverhalten des Menschen beeinflusst. Durch die Anwendung von Prognosemodellen soll der öffentliche Gesundheitsdienst in die Lage versetzt werden, räumlich und zeitlich gezielte und sachgerechte Präventionsempfehlungen für die Bevölkerung abzugeben. T2 - Hantaviruses in Germany: current knowledge on pathogens, reservoirs, distribution and forecast models KW - early warning system KW - hantavirus KW - hantavirus disease KW - rodents KW - population dynamics KW - Frühwarn-System KW - Hantavirus KW - Hantavirus-Erkrankung KW - Nagetiere KW - Populationsdynamik Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2376/0005-9366-18003 SN - 0005-9366 SN - 1439-0299 VL - 131 IS - 11-12 SP - 453 EP - 464 PB - Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. CY - Hannover ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Donat, Stefan A1 - Lourenco, Marta Sofia Rocha A1 - Paolini, Alessio A1 - Otten, Cecile A1 - Renz, Marc A1 - Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim T1 - Heg1 and Ccm1/2 proteins control endocardial mechanosensitivity during zebrafish valvulogenesis JF - eLife N2 - Endothelial cells respond to different levels of fluid shear stress through adaptations of their mechanosensitivity. Currently, we lack a good understanding of how this contributes to sculpting of the cardiovascular system. Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is an inherited vascular disease that occurs when a second somatic mutation causes a loss of CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2, or CCM3 proteins. Here, we demonstrate that zebrafish Krit1 regulates the formation of cardiac valves. Expression of heg1, which encodes a binding partner of Krit1, is positively regulated by blood-flow. In turn, Heg1 stabilizes levels of Krit1 protein, and both Heg1 and Krit1 dampen expression levels of klf2a, a major mechanosensitive gene. Conversely, loss of Krit1 results in increased expression of klf2a and notch1b throughout the endocardium and prevents cardiac valve leaflet formation. Hence, the correct balance of blood-flow-dependent induction and Krit1 protein mediated repression of klf2a and notch1b ultimately shapes cardiac valve leaflet morphology. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.28939 SN - 2050-084X VL - 7 PB - eLife Sciences Publications CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ryll, Rene A1 - Eiden, Martin A1 - Heuser, Elisa A1 - Weinhardt, Markus A1 - Ziege, Madlen A1 - Hoeper, Dirk A1 - Groschup, Martin H. A1 - Heckel, Gerald A1 - Johne, Reimar A1 - Ulrich, Rainer G. T1 - Hepatitis E virus in feral rabbits along a rural-urban transect in Central Germany JF - Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics and infectious diseases (MEEGID) N2 - Rabbit associated genotype 3 hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains were detected in feral, pet and farm rabbits in different parts of the world since 2009 and recently also in human patients. Here, we report a serological and molecular survey on 72 feral rabbits, collected along a rural-urban transect in and next to Frankfurt am Main, Central Germany. ELISA investigations revealed in 25 of 72 (34.7%) animals HEV-specific antibodies. HEV derived RNA was detected in 18 of 72 (25%) animals by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. The complete genomes from two rabbitHEV-strains, one from a rural site and the other from an inner-city area, were generated by a combination of high-throughput sequencing, a primer walking approach and 5′- and 3′- rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Phylogenetic analysis of open reading frame (ORF)1-derived partial and complete ORF1/ORF2 concatenated coding sequences indicated their similarity to rabbit-associated HEV strains. The partial sequences revealed one cluster of closely-related rabbitHEV sequences from the urban trapping sites that is well separated from several clusters representing rabbitHEV sequences from rural trapping sites. The complete genome sequences of the two novel strains indicated similarities of 75.6–86.4% to the other 17 rabbitHEV sequences; the amino acid sequence identity of the concatenated ORF1/ORF2-encoded proteins reached 89.0–93.1%. The detection of rabbitHEV in an inner-city area with a high human population density suggests a high risk of potential human infection with the zoonotic rabbitHEV, either by direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Therefore, future investigations on the occurrence and frequency of human infections with rabbitHEV are warranted in populations with different contact to rabbits. KW - European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) KW - Hepatitis E virus KW - Germany KW - Inner-city area KW - Rural habitat KW - Zoonosis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2018.03.019 SN - 1567-1348 SN - 1567-7257 VL - 61 SP - 155 EP - 159 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kruse, Stefan A1 - Epp, Laura Saskia A1 - Wieczorek, Mareike A1 - Pestryakova, Luidmila Agafyevna A1 - Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie A1 - Herzschuh, Ulrike T1 - High gene flow and complex treeline dynamics of Larix Mill. stands on the Taymyr Peninsula (north-central Siberia) revealed by nuclear microsatellites JF - Tree Genetics & Genomes N2 - Arctic treelines are facing a strong temperature increase as a result of recent global warming, causing possible changes in forest extent, which will alter vegetation-climate feedbacks. However, the mode and strength of the response is rather unclear, as potential changes are happening in areas that are very remote and difficult to access, and empirical data are still largely lacking. Here, we assessed the current population structure and genetic differentiation of Larix Mill. tree stands within the northernmost latitudinal treeline reaching ~ 72° N in the southern lowlands of the Taymyr Peninsula (~ 100° E). We sampled 743 individuals belonging to different height classes (seedlings, saplings, trees) at 11 locations along a gradient from ‘single tree’ tundra over ‘forest line’ to ‘dense forest’ stands and conducted investigations applying eight highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellites. Results suggest a high diversity within sub-populations (HE = 0.826–0.893), coupled, however, with heterozygote deficits in all sub-populations, but pronounced in ‘forest line’ stands. Overall, genetic differentiation of sub-populations is low (FST = 0.005), indicating a region-wide high gene flow, although ‘forest line’ stands harbour few rare and private alleles, likely indicating greater local reproduction. ‘Single tree’ stands, located beyond the northern forest line, are currently not involved in treeline expansion, but show signs of a long-term refuge, namely asexual reproduction and change of growth-form from erect to creeping growth, possibly having persisted for thousands of years. The lack of differentiation between the sub-populations points to a sufficiently high dispersal potential, and thus a rapid northward migration of the Siberian arctic treeline under recent global warming seems potentially unconstrained, but observations show it to be unexpectedly slow. KW - Larch KW - Population genetics KW - Boreal forests KW - Tundra-taiga transition KW - Range expansion Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-018-1235-3 SN - 1614-2942 SN - 1614-2950 VL - 14 IS - 2 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Stefan A1 - Spierling, Nastasja G. A1 - Heuser, Elisa A1 - Kling, Christopher A1 - Schmidt, Sabrina A1 - Rosenfeld, Ulrike M. A1 - Reil, Daniela A1 - Imholt, Christian A1 - Jacob, Jens A1 - Ulrich, Rainer G. A1 - Essbauer, Sandra T1 - High prevalence of Rickettsia helvetica in wild small mammal populations in Germany JF - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases N2 - Since the beginning of the 21st century, spotted fever rickettsioses are known as emerging diseases worldwide. Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. The ecology of Rickettsia species has not been investigated in detail, but small mammals are considered to play a role as reservoirs. Aim of this study was to monitor rickettsiae in wild small mammals over a period of five years in four federal states of Germany. Initial screening of ear pinna tissues of 3939 animals by Pan-Rick real-time PCR targeting the citrate synthase (gltA) gene revealed 296 rodents of seven species and 19 shrews of two species positive for rickettsial DNA. Outer membrane protein gene (ompB, ompAIV) PCRs based typing resulted in the identification of three species: Rickettsia helvetica (90.9%) was found as the dominantly occurring species in the four investigated federal states, but Rickettsia felis (7.8%) and Rickettsia raoultii (1.3%) were also detected. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in rodents of the genus Apodemus was found to be higher (approximately 14%) than in all other rodent and shrew species at all investigated sites. General linear mixed model analyses indicated that heavier (older) individuals of yellow-necked mice and male common voles seem to contain more often rickettsial DNA than younger ones. Furthermore, rodents generally collected in forests in summer and autumn more often carried rickettsial DNA. In conclusion, this study indicated a high prevalence of R. helvetica in small mammal populations and suggests an age-dependent increase of the DNA prevalence in some of the species and in animals originating from forest habitats. The finding of R. helvetica and R. felis DNA in multiple small mammal species may indicate frequent trans-species transmission by feeding of vectors on different species. Further investigations should target the reason for the discrepancy between the high rickettsial DNA prevalence in rodents and the so far almost absence of clinical apparent human infections. KW - Rickettsia helvetica KW - Rodent KW - Germany KW - Age KW - Reproduction KW - Season Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.01.009 SN - 1877-959X SN - 1877-9603 VL - 9 IS - 3 SP - 500 EP - 505 PB - Elsevier GMBH CY - München ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Autenrieth, Marijke A1 - Hartmann, Stefanie A1 - Lah, Ljerka A1 - Roos, Anna A1 - Dennis, Alice B. A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - High-quality whole-genome sequence of an abundant Holarctic odontocete, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) JF - Molecular ecology resources N2 - The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a highly mobile cetacean found across the Northern hemisphere. It occurs in coastal waters and inhabits basins that vary broadly in salinity, temperature and food availability. These diverse habitats could drive subtle differentiation among populations, but examination of this would be best conducted with a robust reference genome. Here, we report the first harbour porpoise genome, assembled de novo from an individual originating in the Kattegat Sea (Sweden). The genome is one of the most complete cetacean genomes currently available, with a total size of 2.39 Gb and 50% of the total length found in just 34 scaffolds. Using 122 of the longest scaffolds, we were able to show high levels of synteny with the genome of the domestic cattle (Bos taurus). Our draft annotation comprises 22,154 predicted genes, which we further annotated through matches to the NCBI nucleotide database, GO categorization and motif prediction. Within the predicted genes, we have confirmed the presence of >20 genes or gene families that have been associated with adaptive evolution in other cetaceans. Overall, this genome assembly and draft annotation represent a crucial addition to the genomic resources currently available for the study of porpoises and Phocoenidae evolution, phylogeny and conservation. KW - cetaceans KW - genomics/proteomics KW - mammals KW - molecular evolution Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12932 SN - 1755-098X SN - 1755-0998 VL - 18 IS - 6 SP - 1469 EP - 1481 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martins, Renata F. A1 - Schmidt, Anke A1 - Lenz, Dorina A1 - Wilting, Andreas A1 - Fickel, Jörns T1 - Historical biogeography of Rusa unicolor and R-timorensis BT - Historical biogeography of Rusa unicolor and R. timorensis JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - In this study we compared the phylogeographic patterns of two Rusa species, Rusa unicolor and Rusa timorensis, in order to understand what drove and maintained differentiation between these two geographically and genetically close species and investigated the route of introduction of individuals to the islands outside of the Sunda Shelf. We analyzed full mitogenomes from 56 archival samples from the distribution areas of the two species and 18 microsatellite loci in a subset of 16 individuals to generate the phylogeographic patterns of both species. Bayesian inference with fossil calibration was used to estimate the age of each species and major divergence events. Our results indicated that the split between the two species took place during the Pleistocene, similar to 1.8Mya, possibly driven by adaptations of R. timorensis to the drier climate found on Java compared to the other islands of Sundaland. Although both markers identified two well-differentiated clades, there was a largely discrepant pattern between mitochondrial and nuclear markers. While nDNA separated the individuals into the two species, largely in agreement with their museum label, mtDNA revealed that all R. timorensis sampled to the east of the Sunda shelf carried haplotypes from R. unicolor and one Rusa unicolor from South Sumatra carried a R. timorensis haplotype. Our results show that hybridization occurred between these two sister species in Sundaland during the Late Pleistocene and resulted in human-mediated introduction of hybrid descendants in all islands outside Sundaland. KW - Cervidae KW - human introduction KW - hybridization KW - Phylogeography KW - Sundaland Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3754 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 3 SP - 1465 EP - 1479 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ambarli, Hüseyin A1 - Mengüllüoğlu, Deniz A1 - Fickel, Jörns A1 - Förster, Daniel W. T1 - Hotel AMANO Grand Central of brown bears in southwest Asia JF - PeerJ N2 - Genetic studies of the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) have so far focused on populations from Europe and North America, although the largest distribution area of brown bears is in Asia. In this study, we reveal population genetic parameters for the brown bear population inhabiting the Grand Kackar Mountains (GKM) in the north east of Turkey, western Lesser Caucasus. Using both hair (N = 147) and tissue samples (N = 7) collected between 2008 and 2014, we found substantial levels of genetic variation (10 microsatellite loci). Bear samples (hair) taken from rubbing trees worked better for genotyping than those from power poles, regardless of the year collected. Genotyping also revealed that bears moved between habitat patches, despite ongoing massive habitat alterations and the creation of large water reservoirs. This population has the potential to serve as a genetic reserve for future reintroduction in the Middle East. Due to the importance of the GKM population for on-going and future conservation actions, the impacts of habitat alterations in the region ought to be minimized; e.g., by establishing green bridges or corridors over reservoirs and major roads to maintain habitat connectivity and gene flow among populations in the Lesser Caucasus. KW - Ursus arctos KW - Microsatellite KW - Conservation KW - Anatolia KW - Isolation KW - Source population KW - Noninvasive sampling KW - Rubbing tree KW - Turkey Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5660 SN - 2167-8359 VL - 6 PB - PeerJ Inc. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bogin, Barry A1 - Varea, Carlos A1 - Hermanussen, Michael A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - Human life course biology BT - a centennial perspective of scholarship on the human pattern of physical growth and its place in human biocultural evolution JF - American journal of physical anthropology KW - adolescence KW - childhood KW - life history KW - menopause KW - senescence Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23357 SN - 0002-9483 SN - 1096-8644 VL - 165 IS - 4 SP - 834 EP - 854 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER -