TY - JOUR A1 - Obertegger, Ulrike A1 - Cieplinski, Adam A1 - Raatz, Michael A1 - Colangeli, Pierluigi T1 - Switching between swimming states in rotifers - case study Keratella cochlearis JF - Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology N2 - Swimming is of vital importance for aquatic organisms because it determines several aspects of fitness, such as encounter rates with food, predators, and mates. Generally, rotifer swimming speed is measured by manual tracking of the swimming paths filmed in videos. Recently, an open-source package has been developed that integrates different open-source software and allows direct processing and analysis of the swimming paths of moving organisms. Here, we filmed groups of females and males of Keratella cochlearis separately and in a mixed experimental setup. We extracted movement trajectories and swimming speeds and applied the classification method random forest to assign sex to individuals of the mixed setup. Finally, we used advanced statistical methods of movement ecology, namely a hidden Markov model, to investigate swimming states of females and males. When not discriminating swimming states, females swam faster than males, while when discriminating states males swam faster. Specifically, females and males showed two main states of movement with many individuals switching between states resulting in four modes of swimming. We suggest that switching between states is related to predator avoidance. Males of K. cochlearis especially exhibited switching between turning in a restricted area and swimming over longer distances. No mating or other male-female interactions were observed. Our study elucidates the steps necessary for automatic analysis of rotifer trajectories with open-source software. Application of sophisticated software and analytical models will broaden our understanding of zooplankton ecology from the individual to the population level. KW - BEMOVI KW - dwarf males KW - hidden markov model KW - Monogononta KW - swimming modes Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/10236244.2018.1503541 SN - 1023-6244 SN - 1029-0362 VL - 51 IS - 3 SP - 159 EP - 173 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zabihi, Fatemeh A1 - Graff, Patrick A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Hedtrich, Sarah A1 - Haag, Rainer T1 - Synthesis of poly(lactide-co-glycerol) as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with high loading capacity for dermal drug delivery JF - Nanoscale N2 - Due to the low cutaneous bioavailability of tacrolimus (TAC), penetration enhancers are used to improve its penetration into the skin. However, poor loading capacity, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and in some cases inefficient skin penetration are challenging issues that hamper their applications for the dermal TAC delivery. Here we present poly(lactide-co-glycerol) (PLG) as a water soluble, biodegradable, and biocompatible TAC-carrier with high loading capacity (14.5% w/w for TAC) and high drug delivery efficiencies into the skin. PLG was synthesized by cationic ring-opening copolymerization of a mixture of glycidol and lactide and showed 35 nm and 300 nm average sizes in aqueous solutions before and after loading of TAC, respectively. Delivery experiments on human skin, quantified by fluorescence microscopy and LC-MS/MS, showed a high ability for PLG to deposit Nile red and TAC into the stratum corneum and viable epidermis of skin in comparison with Protopic (R) (0.03% w/w, TAC ointment). The cutaneous distribution profile of delivered TAC proved that 80%, 16%, and 4% of the cutaneous drug level was deposited in the stratum corneum, viable epidermis, and upper dermis, respectively. TAC delivered by PLG was able to efficiently decrease the IL-2 and TSLP expressions in human skin models. Taking advantage of the excellent physicochemical and biological properties of PLG, it can be used for efficient dermal TAC delivery and potential treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr05536j SN - 2040-3364 SN - 2040-3372 VL - 10 IS - 35 SP - 16848 EP - 16856 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reinhardt, Julia A1 - Liersch, Stefan A1 - Abdeladhim, Mohamed Arbi A1 - Diallo, Mori A1 - Dickens, Chris A1 - Fournet, Samuel A1 - Hattermann, Fred A1 - Kabaseke, Clovis A1 - Muhumuza, Moses A1 - Mul, Marloes L. A1 - Pilz, Tobias A1 - Otto, Ilona M. A1 - Walz, Ariane T1 - Systematic evaluation of scenario assessments supporting sustainable integrated natural resources management BT - evidence from four case studies in Africa JF - Ecology and society : a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability N2 - Scenarios have become a key tool for supporting sustainability research on regional and global change. In this study we evaluate four regional scenario assessments: first, to explore a number of research challenges related to sustainability science and, second, to contribute to sustainability research in the specific case studies. The four case studies used commonly applied scenario approaches that are (i) a story and simulation approach with stakeholder participation in the Oum Zessar watershed, Tunisia, (ii) a participatory scenario exploration in the Rwenzori region, Uganda, (iii) a model-based prepolicy study in the Inner Niger Delta, Mali, and (iv) a model coupling-based scenario analysis in upper Thukela basin, South Africa. The scenario assessments are evaluated against a set of known challenges in sustainability science, with each challenge represented by two indicators, complemented by a survey carried out on the perception of the scenario assessments within the case study regions. The results show that all types of scenario assessments address many sustainability challenges, but that the more complex ones based on story and simulation and model coupling are the most comprehensive. The study highlights the need to investigate abrupt system changes as well as governmental and political factors as important sources of uncertainty. For an in-depth analysis of these issues, the use of qualitative approaches and an active engagement of local stakeholders are suggested. Studying ecological thresholds for the regional scale is recommended to support research on regional sustainability. The evaluation of the scenario processes and outcomes by local researchers indicates the most transparent scenario assessments as the most useful. Focused, straightforward, yet iterative scenario assessments can be very relevant by contributing information to selected sustainability problems. KW - Africa KW - global and regional change KW - integrated assessments KW - participatory research KW - sustainability science Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09728-230105 SN - 1708-3087 VL - 23 IS - 1 PB - Resilience Alliance CY - Wolfville ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Otten, Cecile A1 - Knox, Jessica A1 - Boulday, Gwenola A1 - Eymery, Mathias A1 - Haniszewski, Marta A1 - Neuenschwander, Martin A1 - Radetzki, Silke A1 - Vogt, Ingo A1 - Haehn, Kristina A1 - De Luca, Coralie A1 - Cardoso, Cecile A1 - Hamad, Sabri A1 - Igual Gil, Carla A1 - Roy, Peter A1 - Albiges-Rizo, Corinne A1 - Faurobert, Eva A1 - von Kries, Jens P. A1 - Campillos, Monica A1 - Tournier-Lasserve, Elisabeth A1 - Derry, William Brent A1 - Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim T1 - Systematic pharmacological screens uncover novel pathways involved in cerebral cavernous malformations JF - EMBO molecular medicine N2 - Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular lesions in the central nervous system causing strokes and seizures which currently can only be treated through neurosurgery. The disease arises through changes in the regulatory networks of endothelial cells that must be comprehensively understood to develop alternative, non-invasive pharmacological therapies. Here, we present the results of several unbiased small-molecule suppression screens in which we applied a total of 5,268 unique substances to CCM mutant worm, zebrafish, mouse, or human endothelial cells. We used a systems biology-based target prediction tool to integrate the results with the whole-transcriptome profile of zebrafish CCM2 mutants, revealing signaling pathways relevant to the disease and potential targets for small-molecule-based therapies. We found indirubin-3-monoxime to alleviate the lesion burden in murine preclinical models of CCM2 and CCM3 and suppress the loss-of-CCM phenotypes in human endothelial cells. Our multi-organism-based approach reveals new components of the CCM regulatory network and foreshadows novel small-molecule-based therapeutic applications for suppressing this devastating disease in patients. KW - angiogenesis KW - CCM KW - ERK5 KW - indirubin-3-monoxime KW - KLF2 Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201809155 SN - 1757-4676 SN - 1757-4684 VL - 10 IS - 10 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Förster, Daniel W. A1 - Bull, James K. A1 - Lenz, Dorina A1 - Autenrieth, Marijke A1 - Paijmans, Johanna L. A. A1 - Kraus, Robert H. S. A1 - Nowak, Carsten A1 - Bayerl, Helmut A1 - Kühn, Ralph A1 - Saveljev, Alexander P. A1 - Sindicic, Magda A1 - Hofreiter, Michael A1 - Schmidt, Krzysztof A1 - Fickel, Jörns T1 - Targeted resequencing of coding DNA sequences for SNP discovery in nonmodel species JF - Molecular ecology resources N2 - Targeted capture coupled with high-throughput sequencing can be used to gain information about nuclear sequence variation at hundreds to thousands of loci. Divergent reference capture makes use of molecular data of one species to enrich target loci in other (related) species. This is particularly valuable for nonmodel organisms, for which often no a priori knowledge exists regarding these loci. Here, we have used targeted capture to obtain data for 809 nuclear coding DNA sequences (CDS) in a nonmodel organism, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx, using baits designed with the help of the published genome of a related model organism (the domestic cat Felis catus). Using this approach, we were able to survey intraspecific variation at hundreds of nuclear loci in L. lynx across the species’ European range. A large set of biallelic candidate SNPs was then evaluated using a high-throughput SNP genotyping platform (Fluidigm), which we then reduced to a final 96 SNP-panel based on assay performance and reliability; validation was carried out with 100 additional Eurasian lynx samples not included in the SNP discovery phase. The 96 SNP-panel developed from CDS performed very successfully in the identification of individuals and in population genetic structure inference (including the assignment of individuals to their source population). In keeping with recent studies, our results show that genic SNPs can be valuable for genetic monitoring of wildlife species. KW - CDS KW - conservation genetics KW - Eurasian lynx KW - genetic monitoring KW - hybridization capture KW - single nucleotide polymorphism Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12924 SN - 1755-098X SN - 1755-0998 VL - 18 IS - 6 SP - 1356 EP - 1373 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Taron, Ulrike H. A1 - Lell, Moritz A1 - Barlow, Axel A1 - Paijmans, Johanna L. A. T1 - Testing of Alignment Parameters for Ancient Samples BT - Evaluating and Optimizing Mapping Parameters for Ancient Samples Using the TAPAS Tool JF - Genes N2 - High-throughput sequence data retrieved from ancient or other degraded samples has led to unprecedented insights into the evolutionary history of many species, but the analysis of such sequences also poses specific computational challenges. The most commonly used approach involves mapping sequence reads to a reference genome. However, this process becomes increasingly challenging with an elevated genetic distance between target and reference or with the presence of contaminant sequences with high sequence similarity to the target species. The evaluation and testing of mapping efficiency and stringency are thus paramount for the reliable identification and analysis of ancient sequences. In this paper, we present ‘TAPAS’, (Testing of Alignment Parameters for Ancient Samples), a computational tool that enables the systematic testing of mapping tools for ancient data by simulating sequence data reflecting the properties of an ancient dataset and performing test runs using the mapping software and parameter settings of interest. We showcase TAPAS by using it to assess and improve mapping strategy for a degraded sample from a banded linsang (Prionodon linsang), for which no closely related reference is currently available. This enables a 1.8-fold increase of the number of mapped reads without sacrificing mapping specificity. The increase of mapped reads effectively reduces the need for additional sequencing, thus making more economical use of time, resources, and sample material. KW - ancient DNA KW - short-read mapping KW - palaeogenomics KW - alignment sensitivity / specificity Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9030157 SN - 2073-4425 VL - 9 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Molecular Diversity Preservation International CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Taron, Ulrike H. A1 - Lell, Moritz A1 - Barlow, Axel A1 - Paijmans, Johanna L. A. T1 - Testing of Alignment Parameters for Ancient Samples BT - Evaluating and Optimizing Mapping Parameters for Ancient Samples Using the TAPAS Tool JF - Genese N2 - High-throughput sequence data retrieved from ancient or other degraded samples has led to unprecedented insights into the evolutionary history of many species, but the analysis of such sequences also poses specific computational challenges. The most commonly used approach involves mapping sequence reads to a reference genome. However, this process becomes increasingly challenging with an elevated genetic distance between target and reference or with the presence of contaminant sequences with high sequence similarity to the target species. The evaluation and testing of mapping efficiency and stringency are thus paramount for the reliable identification and analysis of ancient sequences. In this paper, we present ‘TAPAS’, (Testing of Alignment Parameters for Ancient Samples), a computational tool that enables the systematic testing of mapping tools for ancient data by simulating sequence data reflecting the properties of an ancient dataset and performing test runs using the mapping software and parameter settings of interest. We showcase TAPAS by using it to assess and improve mapping strategy for a degraded sample from a banded linsang (Prionodon linsang), for which no closely related reference is currently available. This enables a 1.8-fold increase of the number of mapped reads without sacrificing mapping specificity. The increase of mapped reads effectively reduces the need for additional sequencing, thus making more economical use of time, resources, and sample material. KW - ancient DNA KW - short-read mapping KW - palaeogenomics KW - paleogenomics KW - alignment sensitivity/specificity Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9030157 SN - 2073-4425 VL - 9 IS - 3 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Darwall, William A1 - Bremerich, Vanessa A1 - De Wever, Aaike A1 - Dell, Anthony I. A1 - Freyhof, Joerg A1 - Gessner, Mark O. A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter A1 - Harrison, Ian A1 - Irvine, Ken A1 - Jähnig, Sonja C. A1 - Jeschke, Jonathan M. A1 - Lee, Jessica J. A1 - Lu, Cai A1 - Lewandowska, Aleksandra M. A1 - Monaghan, Michael T. A1 - Nejstgaard, Jens C. A1 - Patricio, Harmony A1 - Schmidt-Kloiber, Astrid A1 - Stuart, Simon N. A1 - Thieme, Michele A1 - Tockner, Klement A1 - Turak, Eren A1 - Weyl, Olaf T1 - The alliance for freshwater life BT - a global call to unite efforts for freshwater biodiversity science and conservation JF - Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems N2 - 1. Global pressures on freshwater ecosystems are high and rising. Viewed primarily as a resource for humans, current practices of water use have led to catastrophic declines in freshwater species and the degradation of freshwater ecosystems, including their genetic and functional diversity. Approximately three-quarters of the world's inland wetlands have been lost, one-third of the 28 000 freshwater species assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List are threatened with extinction, and freshwater vertebrate populations are undergoing declines that are more rapid than those of terrestrial and marine species. This global loss continues unchecked, despite the importance of freshwater ecosystems as a source of clean water, food, livelihoods, recreation, and inspiration. 2. The causes of these declines include hydrological alterations, habitat degradation and loss, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, and the multiple impacts of climate change. Although there are policy initiatives that aim to protect freshwater life, these are rarely implemented with sufficient conviction and enforcement. Policies that focus on the development and management of fresh waters as a resource for people almost universally neglect the biodiversity that they contain. 3. Here we introduce the Alliance for Freshwater Life, a global initiative, uniting specialists in research, data synthesis, conservation, education and outreach, and policymaking. This expert network aims to provide the critical mass required for the effective representation of freshwater biodiversity at policy meetings, to develop solutions balancing the needs of development and conservation, and to better convey the important role freshwater ecosystems play in human well-being. Through this united effort we hope to reverse this tide of loss and decline in freshwater biodiversity. We introduce several short- and medium-term actions as examples for making positive change, and invite individuals, organizations, authorities, and governments to join the Alliance for Freshwater Life. KW - biodiversity KW - conservation evaluation KW - endangered species KW - fish KW - invertebrates KW - macrophytes Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2958 SN - 1052-7613 SN - 1099-0755 VL - 28 IS - 4 SP - 1015 EP - 1022 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lisowska, Justyna A1 - Rödel, Claudia Jasmin A1 - Manet, Sandra A1 - Miroshnikova, Yekaterina A. A1 - Boyault, Cyril A1 - Planus, Emmanuelle A1 - De Mets, Richard A1 - Lee, Hsiao-Hui A1 - Destaing, Olivier A1 - Mertani, Hichem A1 - Boulday, Gwenola A1 - Tournier-Lasserve, Elisabeth A1 - Balland, Martial A1 - Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim A1 - Albiges-Rizo, Corinne A1 - Faurobert, Eva T1 - The CCM1-CCM2 complex controls complementary functions of ROCK1 and ROCK2 that are required for endothelial integrity JF - Journal of cell science N2 - Endothelial integrity relies on a mechanical crosstalk between intercellular and cell-matrix interactions. This crosstalk is compromised in hemorrhagic vascular lesions of patients carrying loss-of-function mutations in cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) genes. RhoA/ROCK-dependent cytoskeletal remodeling is central to the disease, as it causes unbalanced cell adhesion towards increased cell-extracellular matrix adhesions and destabilized cell-cell junctions. This study reveals that CCM proteins directly orchestrate ROCK1 and ROCK2 complementary roles on the mechanics of the endothelium. CCM proteins act as a scaffold, promoting ROCK2 interactions with VE-cadherin and limiting ROCK1 kinase activity. Loss of CCM1 (also known as KRIT1) produces excessive ROCK1-dependent actin stress fibers and destabilizes intercellular junctions. Silencing of ROCK1 but not ROCK2 restores the adhesive and mechanical homeostasis of CCM1 and CCM2-depleted endothelial monolayers, and rescues the cardiovascular defects of ccm1 mutant zebrafish embryos. Conversely, knocking down Rock2 but not Rock1 in wild-type zebrafish embryos generates defects reminiscent of the ccm1 mutant phenotypes. Our study uncovers the role of the CCM1-CCM2 complex in controlling ROCK1 and ROCK2 to preserve endothelial integrity and drive heart morphogenesis. Moreover, it solely identifies the ROCK1 isoform as a potential therapeutic target for the CCM disease. KW - CCM KW - ROCK KW - Endothelial integrity KW - Mechanotransduction Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.216093 SN - 0021-9533 SN - 1477-9137 VL - 131 IS - 15 PB - Company biologists LTD CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van Kleunen, Mark A1 - Essl, Franz A1 - Pergl, Jan A1 - Brundu, Giuseppe A1 - Carboni, Marta A1 - Dullinger, Stefan A1 - Early, Regan A1 - Gonzalez-Moreno, Pablo A1 - Groom, Quentin J. M. A1 - Hulme, Philip E. A1 - Kueffer, Christoph A1 - Kühn, Ingolf A1 - Maguas, Cristina A1 - Maurel, Noelie A1 - Novoa, Ana A1 - Parepa, Madalin A1 - Pysek, Petr A1 - Seebens, Hanno A1 - Tanner, Rob A1 - Touza, Julia A1 - Verbrugge, Laura A1 - Weber, Ewald A1 - Dawson, Wayne A1 - Kreft, Holger A1 - Weigelt, Patrick A1 - Winter, Marten A1 - Klonner, Guenther A1 - Talluto, Matthew V. A1 - Dehnen-Schmutz, Katharina T1 - The changing role of ornamental horticulture in alien plant invasions JF - Biological reviews N2 - The number of alien plants escaping from cultivation into native ecosystems is increasing steadily. We provide an overview of the historical, contemporary and potential future roles of ornamental horticulture in plant invasions. We show that currently at least 75% and 93% of the global naturalised alien flora is grown in domestic and botanical gardens, respectively. Species grown in gardens also have a larger naturalised range than those that are not. After the Middle Ages, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, a global trade network in plants emerged. Since then, cultivated alien species also started to appear in the wild more frequently than non-cultivated aliens globally, particularly during the 19th century. Horticulture still plays a prominent role in current plant introduction, and the monetary value of live-plant imports in different parts of the world is steadily increasing. Historically, botanical gardens - an important component of horticulture - played a major role in displaying, cultivating and distributing new plant discoveries. While the role of botanical gardens in the horticultural supply chain has declined, they are still a significant link, with one-third of institutions involved in retail-plant sales and horticultural research. However, botanical gardens have also become more dependent on commercial nurseries as plant sources, particularly in North America. Plants selected for ornamental purposes are not a random selection of the global flora, and some of the plant characteristics promoted through horticulture, such as fast growth, also promote invasion. Efforts to breed non-invasive plant cultivars are still rare. Socio-economical, technological, and environmental changes will lead to novel patterns of plant introductions and invasion opportunities for the species that are already cultivated. We describe the role that horticulture could play in mediating these changes. We identify current research challenges, and call for more research efforts on the past and current role of horticulture in plant invasions. This is required to develop science-based regulatory frameworks to prevent further plant invasions. KW - botanical gardens KW - climate change KW - horticulture KW - naturalised plants KW - ornamental plants KW - pathways KW - plant invasions KW - plant nurseries KW - trade KW - weeds Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12402 SN - 1464-7931 SN - 1469-185X VL - 93 IS - 3 SP - 1421 EP - 1437 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mazza, Valeria A1 - Eccard, Jana A1 - Zaccaroni, Marco A1 - Jacob, Jens A1 - Dammhahn, Melanie T1 - The fast and the flexible BT - cognitive style drives individual variation in cognition in a small mammal JF - Animal behaviour KW - animal personality KW - associative learning KW - behavioural syndrome KW - fast and slow learner KW - individual differences KW - Myodes glareolus KW - rodent KW - speed-accuracy trade-off KW - temperament Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.011 SN - 0003-3472 SN - 1095-8282 VL - 137 SP - 119 EP - 132 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schedina, Ina Maria A1 - Groth, Detlef A1 - Schlupp, Ingo A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - The gonadal transcriptome of the unisexual Amazon molly Poecilia formosa in comparison to its sexual ancestors, Poecilia mexicana and Poecilia latipinna JF - BMC Genomics N2 - Background The unisexual Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) originated from a hybridization between two sexual species, the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) and the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana). The Amazon molly reproduces clonally via sperm-dependent parthenogenesis (gynogenesis), in which the sperm of closely related species triggers embryogenesis of the apomictic oocytes, but typically does not contribute genetic material to the next generation. We compare for the first time the gonadal transcriptome of the Amazon molly to those of both ancestral species, P. mexicana and P. latipinna. Results We sequenced the gonadal transcriptomes of the P. formosa and its parental species P. mexicana and P. latipinna using Illumina RNA-sequencing techniques (paired-end, 100 bp). De novo assembly of about 50 million raw read pairs for each species was performed using Trinity, yielding 106,922 transcripts for P. formosa, 115,175 for P. latipinna, and 133,025 for P. mexicana after eliminating contaminations. On the basis of sequence similarity comparisons to other teleost species and the UniProt databases, functional annotation, and differential expression analysis, we demonstrate the similarity of the transcriptomes among the three species. More than 40% of the transcripts for each species were functionally annotated and about 70% were assigned to orthologous genes of a closely related species. Differential expression analysis between the sexual and unisexual species uncovered 2035 up-regulated and 564 down-regulated genes in P. formosa. This was exemplary validated for six genes by qRT-PCR. Conclusions We identified more than 130 genes related to meiosis and reproduction within the apomictically reproducing P. formosa. Overall expression of these genes seems to be down-regulated in the P. formosa transcriptome compared to both ancestral species (i.e., 106 genes down-regulated, 29 up-regulated). A further 35 meiosis and reproduction related genes were not found in the P. formosa transcriptome, but were only expressed in the sexual species. Our data support the hypothesis of general down-regulation of meiosis-related genes in the apomictic Amazon molly. Furthermore, the obtained dataset and identified gene catalog will serve as a resource for future research on the molecular mechanisms behind the reproductive mode of this unisexual species. KW - Differential gene expression KW - Gynogenesis KW - Hybrid speciation KW - Meiosis KW - Poecilia formosa KW - Poecilia latipinna KW - Poecilia mexicana Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-017-4382-2 SN - 1471-2164 VL - 19 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - BioMed Central CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Synodinos, Alexis D. A1 - Tietjen, Britta A1 - Lohmann, Dirk A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - The impact of inter-annual rainfall variability on African savannas changes with mean rainfall JF - Journal of theoretical biology N2 - Savannas are mixed tree-grass ecosystems whose dynamics are predominantly regulated by resource competition and the temporal variability in climatic and environmental factors such as rainfall and fire. Hence, increasing inter-annual rainfall variability due to climate change could have a significant impact on savannas. To investigate this, we used an ecohydrological model of stochastic differential equations and simulated African savanna dynamics along a gradient of mean annual rainfall (520–780 mm/year) for a range of inter-annual rainfall variabilities. Our simulations produced alternative states of grassland and savanna across the mean rainfall gradient. Increasing inter-annual variability had a negative effect on the savanna state under dry conditions (520 mm/year), and a positive effect under moister conditions (580–780 mm/year). The former resulted from the net negative effect of dry and wet extremes on trees. In semi-arid conditions (520 mm/year), dry extremes caused a loss of tree cover, which could not be recovered during wet extremes because of strong resource competition and the increased frequency of fires. At high mean rainfall (780 mm/year), increased variability enhanced savanna resilience. Here, resources were no longer limiting and the slow tree dynamics buffered against variability by maintaining a stable population during ‘dry’ extremes, providing the basis for growth during wet extremes. Simultaneously, high rainfall years had a weak marginal benefit on grass cover due to density-regulation and grazing. Our results suggest that the effects of the slow tree and fast grass dynamics on tree-grass interactions will become a major determinant of the savanna vegetation composition with increasing rainfall variability. KW - Rainfall variability KW - Savanna-grassland bistability KW - Stochastic differential equations KW - Coexistence mechanisms KW - Fire Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.10.019 SN - 0022-5193 SN - 1095-8541 VL - 437 SP - 92 EP - 100 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Machatschek, Rainhard Gabriel A1 - Schulz, Burkhard A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - The influence of pH on the molecular degradation mechanism of PLGA JF - MRS Advances N2 - Poly[(rac-lactide)-co-glycolide] (PLGA) is used in medicine to provide mechanical support for healing tissue or as matrix for controlled drug release. The properties of this copolymer depend on the evolution of the molecular weight of the material during degradation. which is determined by the kinetics of the cleavage of hydrolysable bonds. The generally accepted description of the degradation of PLGA is a random fragmentation that is autocatalyzed by the accumulation of acidic fragments inside the bulk material. Since mechanistic studies with lactide oligomers have concluded a chain-end scission mechanism and monolayer degradation experiments with polylactide found no accelerated degradation at lower pH, we hypothesize that the impact of acidic fragments on the molecular degradation kinetics of PLGA is overestimated By means of the Langmuir monolayer degradation technique. the molecular degradation kinetics of PLGA at different pH could be determined. Protons did not catalyze the degradation of PLGA. The molecular mechanism at neutral pH and low pH is a combination of random and chainend-cut events, while the degradation under strongly alkaline conditions is determined by rapid chainend cuts. We suggest that the degradation of bulk PLGA is not catalyzed by the acidic degradation products. Instead. increased concentration of small fragments leads to accelerated mass loss via fast chain-end cut events. In the future, we aim to substantiate the proposed molecular degradation mechanism of PLGA with interfacial rheology. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.602 SN - 2059-8521 VL - 3 IS - 63 SP - 3883 EP - 3889 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paolini, Alessio A1 - Abdelilah-Seyfried, Salim T1 - The mechanobiology of zebrafish cardiac valve leaflet formation JF - Current opinion in cell biology : review articles, recommended reading, bibliography of the world literature N2 - Over a lifetime, rhythmic contractions of the heart provide a continuous flow of blood throughout the body. An essential morphogenetic process during cardiac development which ensures unidirectional blood flow is the formation of cardiac valves. These structures are largely composed of extracellular matrix and of endocardial cells, a specialized population of endothelial cells that line the interior of the heart and that are subjected to changing hemodynamic forces. Recent studies have significantly expanded our understanding of this morphogenetic process. They highlight the importance of the mechanobiology of cardiac valve formation and show how biophysical forces due to blood flow drive biochemical and electrical signaling required for the differentiation of cells to produce cardiac valves. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceb.2018.05.007 SN - 0955-0674 SN - 1879-0410 VL - 55 SP - 52 EP - 58 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - THES A1 - Pham, Phuong Anh T1 - The metabolic significance of the NAD+ salvage pathway and the alternative pathway of respiration in Arabidopsis thaliana Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montiglio, Pierre-Olivier A1 - Dammhahn, Melanie A1 - Messier, Gabrielle Dubuc A1 - Reale, Denis T1 - The pace-of-life syndrome revisited BT - the role of ecological conditions and natural history on the slow-fast continuum JF - Behavioral ecology and sociobiology N2 - The pace-of-life syndrome (i.e., POLS) hypothesis posits that behavioral and physiological traits mediate the trade-off between current and future reproduction. This hypothesis predicts that life history, behavioral, and physiological traits will covary under clearly defined conditions. Empirical tests are equivocal and suggest that the conditions necessary for the POLS to emerge are not always met. We nuance and expand the POLS hypothesis to consider alternative relationships among behavior, physiology, and life history. These relationships will vary with the nature of predation risk, the challenges posed by resource acquisition, and the energy management strategies of organisms. We also discuss how the plastic response of behavior, physiology, and life history to changes in ecological conditions and variation in resource acquisition among individuals determine our ability to detect a fast-slow pace of life in the first place or associations among these traits. Future empirical studies will provide most insights on the coevolution among behavior, physiology, and life history by investigating these traits both at the genetic and phenotypic levels in varying types of predation regimes and levels of resource abundance. KW - Behavior KW - Immunity KW - Life history strategies KW - Metabolism KW - Personality KW - Trait interaction Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2526-2 SN - 0340-5443 SN - 1432-0762 VL - 72 IS - 7 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - THES A1 - de Vera, Jean-Pierre Paul T1 - The relevance of ecophysiology in astrobiology and planetary research T1 - Die Relevanz der Ökophysiologie in der Astrobiologie und Planetenforschung BT - implications for the characterization of the habitability of planets and biosignatures BT - Implikationen für die Charakterisierung der Habitabilität von Planeten und Biosignaturen N2 - Eco-physiological processes are expressing the interaction of organisms within an environmental context of their habitat and their degree of adaptation, level of resistance as well as the limits of life in a changing environment. The present study focuses on observations achieved by methods used in this scientific discipline of “Ecophysiology” and to enlarge the scientific context in a broader range of understanding with universal character. The present eco-physiological work is building the basis for classifying and exploring the degree of habitability of another planet like Mars by a bio-driven experimentally approach. It offers also new ways of identifying key-molecules which are playing a specific role in physiological processes of tested organisms to serve as well as potential biosignatures in future space exploration missions with the goal to search for life. This has important implications for the new emerging scientific field of Astrobiology. Astrobiology addresses the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. The three fundamental questions which are hidden behind this definition are: how does life begin and evolve? Is there life beyond Earth and, if so, how can we detect it? What is the future of life on Earth and in the universe? It means that this multidisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System. It comprises the search for the evidence of prebiotic chemistry and life on Mars and other bodies in our Solar System like the icy moons of the Jovian and Saturnian system, laboratory and field research into the origins and early evolution of life on Earth, and studies of the potential for life to adapt to challenges on Earth and in space. For this purpose an integrated research strategy was applied, which connects field research, laboratory research allowing planetary simulation experiments with investigation enterprises performed in space (particularly performed in the low Earth Orbit. N2 - Ökophysiologische Prozesse sind durch Interaktionen der Organismen mit der Umwelt in ihrem Habitat, durch ihren Grad der Anpassungsfähigkeit, dem Grad der Resistenz als auch durch die Begrenzungen des Lebens in einer sich verändernden Umwelt gekennzeichnet. Die hier vorliegende Studie konzentriert sich auf die Ergebnisse, die durch die Anwendung der Methoden aus der wissenschaftlichen Disziplin „Ökophysiologie“ erzielt wurden und erlaubt eine Erweiterung dieses wissenschaftlichen Kontextes mit mehr universalem Charakter. Die vorliegende Ökophysiologische Arbeit bildet die Grundlage für eine Klassifizierung und Erkundung des Grades der Habitabilität eines anderen Planeten wie dem Mars durch experimentelle Ansätze. Sie zeigt auch neue Wege für die Identifizierung von Schlüsselmolekülen, die eine besondere Rolle in physiologischen Prozessen getesteter Organismen spielt, um auch als mögliche Biosignaturen für zukünftige Weltraumerkundungsmissionen mit dem Ziel der Suche nach Leben im All zu dienen. Das wirkt sich auch im besonderen Maße auf das sich neu ausbildende wissenschaftliche Feld der Astrobiologie aus. Die Astrobiologie befaßt sich mit der Erforschung des Ursprungs, der Entwicklung, der Verbreitung und Zukunft des Lebens im Universum. Die drei grundlegenden Fragen, die sich hinter dieser Definition verbergen, sind: wie entstand und entwickelte sich das Leben? Gibt es Leben außerhalb der Erde, und falls ja, wie können wir es nachweisen? Was ist die Zukunft des Lebens auf der Erde und im Universum? Das bedeutet, dass dieses viele Disziplinen umfassende Arbeitsfeld die Suche nach einer anderen habitablen Umwelt in unserem Sonnensystem und anderen habitablen Planeten außerhalb unseres Sonnensystems, die Suche nach der Evidenz präbiotischer Chemie und Leben auf dem Mars und anderen Himmelskörpern in unserem Sonnensystem, wie beispielsweise auf den Eismonden des Jupiter- und Saturnsystems, Labor- und Feldforschung bis hin zu den Ursprüngen und der Evolution des Lebens auf der Erde beinhaltet und Untersuchungen über das Potential von Leben, sich den Herausforderungen auf der Erde und im All anzupassen, mit einschließt. Zu diesem Zweck wurde eine ganzheitliche Forschungsstrategie angewendet, welche die Feldforschung, Laborforschung mit Planetensimulations-Experimenten und die Forschung im All(insbesondere die Untersuchungen im nahen Erdorbit) miteinander verbindet. KW - astrobiology KW - eco-physiology KW - planetary simulation KW - biosignatures KW - habitability KW - Astrobiologie KW - Ökophysiologie KW - Planetensimulation KW - Biosignaturen KW - Habitabilität Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Guo, Tong A1 - Weise, Hanna A1 - Fiedler, Sebastian A1 - Lohmann, Dirk A1 - Tietjen, Britta T1 - The role of landscape heterogeneity in regulating plant functional diversity under different precipitation and grazing regimes in semi-arid savannas JF - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog N2 - 1. Savanna systems exhibit a high plant functional diversity. While aridity and livestock grazing intensity have been widely discussed as drivers of savanna vegetation composition, physical soil properties have received less attention. Since savannas can show local differences in soil properties, these might act as environmental filters and affect plant diversity and ecosystem functioning at the patch scale. However, research on the link between savanna vegetation diversity and ecosystem function is widely missing. 2. In this study, we aim at understanding the impact of local heterogeneity in soil conditions on plant diversity and on ecosystem functions. For this, we used the ecohydrological savanna model EcoHyD. The model simulates the fate of multiple plant functional types and their interactions with local biotic and abiotic conditions. We applied the model to a set of different landscapes under a wide range of livestock grazing and precipitation scenarios to assess the impact of local heterogeneity in soil conditions on the composition and diversity of plant functional types and on ecosystem functions. 3. Comparisons between homogeneous and heterogeneous landscapes revealed that landscape soil heterogeneity allowed for a higher functional diversity of vegetation under conditions of high competition, i.e. scenarios of low grazing stress. However, landscape heterogeneity did not have this effect under low grazing stress in combination with high mean annual precipitation. Further, landscape heterogeneity led to a higher community biomass, especially for lower rainfall conditions, but also dependent on grazing stress. Total transpiration of the plant community decreased in heterogeneous landscapes under arid conditions. 4. This study highlights that local soil conditions interact with precipitation and grazing in driving savanna vegetation. It clearly shows that vegetation diversity and resulting ecosystem functioning can be driven by landscape heterogeneity. We therefore suggest that future research on ecosystem functioning of savanna systems should focus on the links between local environmental conditions via plant functional diversity to ecosystem functioning. KW - Plant functional type KW - Trait diversity KW - Ecosystem functioning KW - Plant coexistence KW - Soil texture KW - Ecohydrological model Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.04.009 SN - 0304-3800 SN - 1872-7026 VL - 379 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Radloff, Katrin T1 - The role of the fatty acid profile and its modulation by cytokines in the systemic inflammation in cancer cachexia Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bents, Dominik A1 - Groth, Detlef A1 - Satake, Takashi T1 - The secular trend and network effects on height of male Japanese students from 1955 to 2015 JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Introduction: Body height is influenced by biological factors such as genetics, nutrition and health, but also by the social network, and environmental and economical factors. During centuries, the Japanese society has developed on islands. This setting provides ideal natural conditions for studying the influence of social networks on human height. Material and methods: We investigated body height of male Japanese students aged 17.5 years obtained in 47 prefectures, from the Japanese school health survey of the years 1955, 1975, 1995, and 2015. Results: Japanese students increased in height from 163.23 cm in 1955 to 170.84 cm in 1995, with no further increase thereafter (170.63 cm in 2015). Students living in neighboring prefectures were similar in height. The correlation of height between neighboring prefectures ranged between r = 0.79 and r = 0.49 among first degree neighbors, between r = 0.49 and r = 0.21 among second degree neighbors and dropped to insignificance among third degree neighbors indicating psychosocial effects of the community on body height. Tall stature and short stature prefectures did not remain tall or short throughout history. Autocorrelations of height within the same prefectures decreased from the 20 years periods of 1955-1975, 1975-1995 and 1995-2015 (r = 0.52, r = 0.61, r = 0.63, respectively) to the 40 years periods of 1955-1995 and 1975-2015 (r = 0.49, r = 0.52), down to the 60 years period of 1955-2015 (r = 0.27), indicating significant volatility of height. Conclusion: Body height of 17.5 years old Japanese students increased since 1955. Body height depended on height of the neighboring prefecture, but was volatile with decreasing autocorrelation during a period of 60 years. KW - body height KW - community effect KW - neighbor correlation KW - Japan Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0838 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 423 EP - 429 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Börnke, Frederik A1 - Rocksch, Thorsten T1 - Thigmomorphogenesis BT - Control of plant growth by mechanical stimulation JF - Scientia horticulturae : an international journal sponsored by the International Society for Horticultural Science N2 - Controlled regulation of plant growth is a general prerequisite for the production of marketable ornamental plants. Consumers as well as retailers prefer stronger, more compact plants with greener leaves as these not only better meet a certain desired visual quality but also allow for a maximization of production per unit area as well as facilitation of packaging and transport. The same applies for the production of young vegetable plants. Special attention is paid to solid, compact and resilient plants that survive transport and planting without any problems. During the last decades plant growth control has mainly been achieved through the application of chemical plant growth regulators that generally interfere with the function of growth regulating hormones. However, there is an increasing demand to replace chemical treatments by other means such as the modulation of growth conditions, including temperature, light and fertilization. Alternatively, the application of mechanical stimulation has been shown to induce plant responses that yield some of the commercially relevant phenotypes including increased compactness, higher girth, darker leaves and a delay in flowering. The ability of plants to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli is an adaptive trait associated with increased fitness in many environmental settings. Mechanical stimulation in nature occurs e.g. through wind, rain, neighboring plants or predatory animals and induces a range of morphogenic responses that have been summarized under the term thigmomorphogenesis. We are only just about to begin to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying mechanosensing and the associated morphogenic changes in plants. However, a number of examples suggest that mechanical stimulation applied in a greenhouse setting can be used to alter plant growth in order to produce marketable plants. In this review will briefly summarize the current knowledge concerning the biological principles of thigmomorphogenesis and discuss the potential of mechanical growth regulation in commercial plant production especially with respect to organic horticulture. KW - Alternative growth regulators KW - Ornamental plants KW - Vegetable KW - Plant growth regulation KW - Mechanical stimulation KW - Mechanically-induced stress KW - Mechanosensing KW - Mechanoperception Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.02.059 SN - 0304-4238 SN - 1879-1018 VL - 234 SP - 344 EP - 353 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Farhan, Muhammad A1 - Rudolph, Tobias A1 - Kratz, Karl A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Torsional Fiber Actuators from Shape-memory Polymer JF - MRS Advances N2 - Humanoid robots, prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons require soft actuators to perform their primary function, which is controlled movement. In this wont we explored whether crosslinked poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] (cPEVA) fibers, with different vinyl acetate (VA) content can serve as torsional fiber actuators. exhibiting temperature controlled reversible rotational changes. Broad melting transitions ranging from 50 to 90 degrees C for cPEVA18-165 or from 40 to 80 degrees C for cPEVA28-165 fibers in combination with complete crystallization at temperatures around 10 degrees C make them suitable actuating materials with adjustable actuation temperature ranges between 10 and 70 degrees C during repetitive cooling and heating. The obtained fibers exhibited a circular cross section with diameters around 0.4 +/- 0.1 mm, while a length of 4 cm was employed for the investigation of reversible rotational actuation after programming by twist insertion using 30 complete rotations at a temperature above melting transition. Repetitive heating and cooling between 10 to 60 degrees C or 70 degrees C of one-end-tethered programmed fibers revealed reversible rotations and torsional force. During cooling 3 +/- 1 complete rotations (Delta theta(r) = + 1080 +/- 360 degrees) in twisting direction were observed, while 4 +/- 1 turns in the opposite direction (Delta theta(r) = - 1440 +/- 1360 degrees) were found during heating. Such torsional fiber actuators, which are capable of approximately one rotation per cm fiber length, can serve as miniaturized rotary motors to provide rotational actuation in futuristic humanoid robots. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.621 SN - 2059-8521 VL - 3 IS - 63 SP - 3861 EP - 3868 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hilonga, S. A1 - Otieno, Joseph N. A1 - Ghorbani, Abdolbaset A1 - Pereus, D. A1 - Kocyan, Alexander A1 - de Boer, H. T1 - Trade of wild-harvested medicinal plant species in local markets of Tanzania and its implications for conservation JF - South African journal of botany : an international interdisciplinary journal for botanical sciences N2 - In Tanzania, about 10% of the reported 12,000 species of higher plants are estimated to be used as medicine for treating different human health problems. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from wild populations, but their trade and quantities are not properly recorded. Monitoring of trade in wild-harvested medicinal plants is challenging asmostmaterials are traded in various processed forms and most vendors practice informal trade. Yet, monitoring is important for conservation and sustainability. This study aims to assess the trade of wild-harvested medicinal plant species in local markets of Tanzania and its implications for conservation. Semi-structured interviews were used to record frequency, volume of trade and uses of wild-harvested medicinal plants in Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, Morogoro and Mwanza regions. Relative frequency of citation and informant consensus factor were calculated for each species and mentioned use category. Forty vendors were interviewed, and 400 out of 522 collected market samples were identified to 162 species from herbarium-deposited collections. Plant parts with the largest volume of trade were roots (3818 kg), bark (1163 kg) and leaves (492 kg). The most frequently traded species were Zanthoxylum chalybaeum Engl., Albizia anthelmintica Brongn., Zanha africana (Radlk.) Exell, Warburgia stuhlmannii and Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb. The most popular medicinal plants in the markets are connected to local health problems including malaria, libido disorders or infertility. The high diversity of commercialized plants used for medicinal issues mainly relies on wild stock for local consumption and international trade, and this has significant implications for conservation concerns. (C) 2018 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Ethnobotany KW - Medicinal plants KW - Tanzania KW - Trade chain Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2018.08.012 SN - 0254-6299 SN - 1727-9321 VL - 122 SP - 214 EP - 224 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kamranfar, Iman A1 - Xue, Gang-Ping A1 - Tohge, Takayuki A1 - Sedaghatmehr, Mastoureh A1 - Fernie, Alisdair R. A1 - Balazadeh, Salma A1 - Mueller-Roeber, Bernd T1 - Transcription factor RD26 is a key regulator of metabolic reprogramming during dark-induced senescence JF - New phytologist : international journal of plant science N2 - Leaf senescence is a key process in plants that culminates in the degradation of cellular constituents and massive reprogramming of metabolism for the recovery of nutrients from aged leaves for their reuse in newly developing sinks. We used molecular-biological and metabolomics approaches to identify NAC transcription factor (TF) RD26 as an important regulator of metabolic reprogramming in Arabidopsis thaliana. RD26 directly activates CHLOROPLAST VESICULATION (CV), encoding a protein crucial for chloroplast protein degradation, concomitant with an enhanced protein loss in RD26 over-expressors during senescence, but a reduced decline of protein in rd26 knockout mutants. RD26 also directly activates LKR/SDH involved in lysine catabolism, and PES1 important for phytol degradation. Metabolic profiling revealed reduced c-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in RD26 overexpressors, accompanied by the induction of respective catabolic genes. Degradation of lysine, phytol and GABA is instrumental for maintaining mitochondrial respiration in carbon-limiting conditions during senescence. RD26 also supports the degradation of starch and the accumulation of mono-and disaccharides during senescence by directly enhancing the expression of AMY1, SFP1 and SWEET15 involved in carbohydrate metabolism and transport. Collectively, during senescence RD26 acts by controlling the expression of genes across the entire spectrum of the cellular degradation hierarchy. KW - Arabidopsis KW - fatty acid KW - primary metabolism KW - protein and amino acid degradation KW - respiration KW - senescence Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15127 SN - 0028-646X SN - 1469-8137 VL - 218 IS - 4 SP - 1543 EP - 1557 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mitrova, Biljana A1 - Tadjoung Waffo, Armel Franklin A1 - Kaufmann, Paul A1 - Iobbi-Nivol, Chantal A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Wollenberger, Ulla T1 - Trimethylamine N-Oxide Electrochemical Biosensor with a Chimeric Enzyme JF - ChemElectroChem N2 - For the first time, an enzyme-based electrochemical biosensor system for determination of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is described. It employs an active chimeric variant of TorA in combination with an enzymatically deoxygenating system and a low-potential mediator for effective regeneration of the enzyme and cathodic current generation. TMAO reductase (TorA) is a molybdoenzyme found in marine and most enterobacteria that specifically catalyzes the reduction of TMAO to trimethylamine (TMA). The chimeric TorA, named TorA-FDH, corresponds to the apoform of TorA from Escherichia coli reconstituted with the molybdenum cofactor from formate dehydrogenase (FDH). Each enzyme, TorA and TorA-FDH, was immobilized on the surface of a carbon electrode and protected with a dialysis membrane. The biosensor operates at an applied potential of -0.8V [vs. Ag/AgCl (1M KCl)] under ambient air conditions thanks to an additional enzymatic O-2-scavenger system. A comparison between the two enzymatic sensors revealed a much higher sensitivity for the biosensor with immobilized TorA-FDH. This biosensor exhibits a sensitivity of 14.16nA/M TMAO in a useful measuring range of 2-110M with a detection limit of LOD=2.96nM (S/N=3), and was similar for TMAO in buffer and in spiked serum samples. With a response time of 16 +/- 2 s, the biosensor is stable over prolonged daily measurements (n=20). This electrochemical biosensor provides suitable applications in detecting TMAO levels in human serum. KW - trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) KW - TMAO reductase KW - chimeric enzyme KW - molybdoenzyme KW - electrochemical biosensor Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.201801422 SN - 2196-0216 VL - 6 IS - 6 SP - 1732 EP - 1737 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Franco-Obregon, Alfredo A1 - Cambria, Elena A1 - Greutert, Helen A1 - Wernas, Timon A1 - Hitzl, Wolfgang A1 - Egli, Marcel A1 - Sekiguchi, Miho A1 - Boos, Norbert A1 - Hausmann, Oliver A1 - Ferguson, Stephen J. A1 - Kobayashi, Hiroshi A1 - Würtz-Kozak, Karin T1 - TRPC6 in simulated microgravity of intervertebral disc cells JF - European Spine Journal N2 - Purpose Prolonged bed rest and microgravity in space cause intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels are implicated in mechanosensing of several tissues, but are poorly explored in IVDs. Methods Primary human IVD cells from surgical biopsies composed of both annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus (passage 1-2) were exposed to simulated microgravity and to the TRPC channel inhibitor SKF-96365 (SKF) for up to 5days. Proliferative capacity, cell cycle distribution, senescence and TRPC channel expression were analyzed. Results Both simulated microgravity and TRPC channel antagonism reduced the proliferative capacity of IVD cells and induced senescence. While significant changes in cell cycle distributions (reduction in G1 and accumulation in G2/M) were observed upon SKF treatment, the effect was small upon 3days of simulated microgravity. Finally, downregulation of TRPC6 was shown under simulated microgravity. Conclusions Simulated microgravity and TRPC channel inhibition both led to reduced proliferation and increased senescence. Furthermore, simulated microgravity reduced TRPC6 expression. IVD cell senescence and mechanotransduction may hence potentially be regulated by TRPC6 expression. This study thus reveals promising targets for future studies. KW - Intervertebral disc KW - Simulated microgravity KW - Senescence KW - TRP channels KW - Mechanotransduction KW - Gene expression Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-018-5688-8 SN - 0940-6719 SN - 1432-0932 VL - 27 IS - 10 SP - 2621 EP - 2630 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lehmann, Andreas A1 - Eccard, Jana A1 - Scheffler, Christiane A1 - Kurvers, Ralf H. J. M. A1 - Dammhahn, Melanie T1 - Under pressure: human adolescents express a pace-of-life syndrome JF - Behavioral ecology and sociobiology N2 - The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis posits that life-history characteristics, among individual differences in behavior, and physiological traits have coevolved in response to environmental conditions. This hypothesis has generated much research interest because it provides testable predictions concerning the association between the slow-fast life-history continuum and behavioral and physiological traits. Although humans are among the most well-studied species and similar concepts exist in the human literature, the POLS hypothesis has not yet been directly applied to humans. Therefore, we aimed to (i) test predicted relationships between life history, physiology, and behavior in a human population and (ii) better integrate the POLS hypothesis with other similar concepts. Using data of a representative sample of German adolescents, we extracted maturation status for girls (menarche, n = 791) and boys (voice break, n = 486), and a set of health-related risk-taking behaviors and cardiovascular parameters. Maturation status and health-related risk behavior as well as maturation status and cardiovascular physiology covaried in boys and girls. Fast maturing boys and girls had higher blood pressure and expressed more risk-taking behavior than same-aged slow maturing boys and girls, supporting general predictions of the POLS hypothesis. Only some physiological and behavioral traits were positively correlated, suggesting that behavioral and physiological traits might mediate life-history trade-offs differently. Moreover, some aspects of POLS were sex-specific. Overall, the POLS hypothesis shares many similarities with other conceptual frameworks from the human literature and these concepts should be united more thoroughly to stimulate the study of POLS in humans and other animals. Significance statement The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis suggests that life history, behavioral and physiological traits have coevolved in response to environmental conditions. Here, we tested this link in a representative sample of German adolescents, using data from a large health survey (the KIGGs study) containing information on individual age and state of maturity for girls and boys, and a set of health-related risk-taking behaviors and cardiovascular parameters. We found that fast maturing girls and boys had overall higher blood pressure and expressed more risk-taking behavior than same-aged slow maturing girls and boys. Only some behavioral and physiological traits were positively correlated, suggesting that behavioral and physiological traits might mediate life-history trade-offs differently and not necessarily form a syndrome. Our results demonstrate a general link between life history, physiological and behavioral traits in humans, while simultaneously highlighting a more complex and rich set of relationships, since not all relationships followed predictions by the POLS hypothesis. KW - Adolescence KW - Humans KW - Life history KW - Menarche KW - Physiology KW - Risk taking Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2465-y SN - 0340-5443 SN - 1432-0762 VL - 72 IS - 3 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - THES A1 - Zhang, Yunming T1 - Understanding the functional specialization of poly(A) polymerases in Arabidopsis thaliana Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pancrace, Claire A1 - Ishida, Keishi A1 - Briand, Enora A1 - Pichi, Douglas Gatte A1 - Weiz, Annika R. A1 - Guljarmow, Arthur A1 - Scalvenzi, Thibault A1 - Sassoon, Nathalie A1 - Hertweck, Christian A1 - Dittmann, Elke A1 - Gugger, Muriel T1 - Unique Biosynthetic Pathway in Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterial Genus Microcystis Jointly Assembles Cytotoxic Aeruginoguanidines and Microguanidines JF - ACS chemical biology N2 - The cyanobacterial genus Microcystis is known to produce an elaborate array of structurally unique and biologically active natural products, including hazardous cyanotoxins. Cytotoxic aeruginoguanidines represent a yet unexplored family of peptides featuring a trisubstituted benzene unit and farnesylated arginine derivatives. In this study, we aimed at assigning these compounds to a biosynthetic gene cluster by utilizing biosynthetic attributes deduced from public genomes of Microcystis and the sporadic distribution of the metabolite in axenic strains of the Pasteur Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria. By integrating genome mining with untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, we linked aeruginoguanidine (AGD) to a nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene cluster and coassigned a significantly smaller product to this pathway, microguanidine (MGD), previously only reported from two Microcystis blooms. Further, a new intermediate class of compounds named microguanidine amides was uncovered, thereby further enlarging this compound family. The comparison of structurally divergent AGDs and MGDs reveals an outstanding versatility of this biosynthetic pathway and provides insights into the assembly of the two compound subfamilies. Strikingly, aeruginoguanidines and microguanidines were found to be as widespread as the hepatotoxic microcystins, but the occurrence of both toxin families appeared to be mutually exclusive. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.8b00918 SN - 1554-8929 SN - 1554-8937 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 67 EP - 75 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Abreu e Lima, Francisco Anastacio A1 - Li, Kun A1 - Wen, Weiwei A1 - Yan, Jianbing A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran A1 - Willmitzer, Lothar A1 - Brotman, Yariv T1 - Unraveling lipid metabolism in maize with time-resolved multi-omics data JF - The plant journal N2 - Maize is the cereal crop with the highest production worldwide, and its oil is a key energy resource. Improving the quantity and quality of maize oil requires a better understanding of lipid metabolism. To predict the function of maize genes involved in lipid biosynthesis, we assembled transcriptomic and lipidomic data sets from leaves of B73 and the high-oil line By804 in two distinct time-series experiments. The integrative analysis based on high-dimensional regularized regression yielded lipid-transcript associations indirectly validated by Gene Ontology and promoter motif enrichment analyses. The co-localization of lipid-transcript associations using the genetic mapping of lipid traits in leaves and seedlings of a B73 x By804 recombinant inbred line population uncovered 323 genes involved in the metabolism of phospholipids, galactolipids, sulfolipids and glycerolipids. The resulting association network further supported the involvement of 50 gene candidates in modulating levels of representatives from multiple acyl-lipid classes. Therefore, the proposed approach provides high-confidence candidates for experimental testing in maize and model plant species. KW - Zea mays KW - lipid metabolism KW - omics KW - GFLASSO KW - QTL Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13833 SN - 0960-7412 SN - 1365-313X VL - 93 IS - 6 SP - 1102 EP - 1115 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Qinsong A1 - Vain, Thomas A1 - Viotti, Corrado A1 - Doyle, Siamsa M. A1 - Tarkowska, Danuse A1 - Novak, Ondrej A1 - Zipfel, Cyril A1 - Sitbon, Folke A1 - Robert, Stephanie A1 - Hofius, Daniel T1 - Vacuole integrity maintained by DUF300 proteins is required for brassinosteroid signaling regulation JF - Molecular plant N2 - Brassinosteroid (BR) hormone signaling controls multiple processes during plant growth and development and is initiated at the plasma membrane through the receptor kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) together with co-receptors such as BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (BAK1). BRI1 abundance is regulated by endosomal recycling and vacuolar targeting, but the role of vacuole-related proteins in BR receptor dynamics and BR responses remains elusive. Here, we show that the absence of two DUF300 domain-containing tonoplast proteins, LAZARUS1 (LAZ1) and LAZ1 HOMOLOG1 (LAZ1H1), causes vacuole morphology defects, growth inhibition, and constitutive activation of BR signaling. Intriguingly, tonoplast accumulation of BAK1 was substantially increased and appeared causally linked to enhanced BRI1 trafficking and degradation in laz1 laz1h1 plants. Since unrelated vacuole mutants exhibited normal BR responses, our findings indicate that DUF300 proteins play distinct roles in the regulation of BR signaling by maintaining vacuole integrity required to balance subcellular BAK1 pools and BR receptor distribution. KW - brassinosteroid signaling KW - vacuole integrity KW - DUF300 proteins KW - tonoplast KW - Arabidopsis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2017.12.015 SN - 1674-2052 SN - 1752-9867 VL - 11 IS - 4 SP - 553 EP - 567 PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - THES A1 - Lehmann, Andreas T1 - Variability in human life history traits BT - an analysis of spatial and temporal variation and their integration into recent conceptual frameworks Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fujikura, Ushio A1 - Jing, Runchun A1 - Hanada, Atsushi A1 - Takebayashi, Yumiko A1 - Sakakibara, Hitoshi A1 - Yamaguchi, Shinjiro A1 - Kappel, Christian A1 - Lenhard, Michael T1 - Variation in splicing efficiency underlies morphological evolution in capsella JF - Developmental cell N2 - Understanding the molecular basis of morphological change remains a central challenge in evolutionary-developmental biology. The transition from outbreeding to selfing is often associated with a dramatic reduction in reproductive structures and functions, such as the loss of attractive pheromones in hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis elegans and a reduced flower size in plants. Here, we demonstrate that variation in the level of the brassinosteroid-biosynthesis enzyme CYP724A1 contributes to the reduced flower size of selfing Capsella rubella compared with its outbreeding ancestor Capsella grandiflora. The primary transcript of the C. rubella allele is spliced more efficiently than that of C. grandiflora, resulting in higher brassinosteroid levels. These restrict organ growth by limiting cell proliferation. More efficient splicing of the C. rubella allele results from two de novo mutations in the selfing lineage. Thus, our results highlight the potentially widespread importance of differential splicing efficiency and higher-than-optimal hormone levels in generating phenotypic variation. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2017.11.022 SN - 1534-5807 SN - 1878-1551 VL - 44 IS - 2 SP - 192 EP - 203 PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hermanussen, Michael A1 - Bilogub, Maria A1 - Lindl, A. C. A1 - Harper, D. A1 - Mansukoski, L. A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - Weight and height growth of malnourished school-age children during re-feeding BT - three historic studies published shortly after World War I JF - European journal of clinical nutrition N2 - Background In view of the ongoing debate on "chronic malnutrition" and the concept of "stunting" as "a better measure than underweight of the cumulative effects of undernutrition and infection (WHO)", we translate, briefly comment and republish three seminal historic papers on catch-up growth following re-feeding after severe food restriction of German children during and after World War I. The observations were published in 1920 and 1922, and appear to be of particular interest to the modern nutritionist. Results The papers of Abderhalden (1920) and Bloch (1920) describe German children of all social strata who were born shortly before World War I, and raised in apparently "normal" families. After severe long-standing undernutrition, they participated in an international charity program. They experienced exceptional catch-up growth in height of 3-5 cm within 6-8 weeks. Goldstein (1922) observed 512 orphans and children from underprivileged families. Goldstein described very different growth patterns. These children were much shorter (mean height between -2.0 and -2.8 SDS, modern WHO reference). They mostly failed to catch-up in height, but tended to excessively increase in weight particularly during adolescence. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0274-z SN - 0954-3007 SN - 1476-5640 VL - 72 IS - 12 SP - 1603 EP - 1619 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mrochen, Daniel M. A1 - Schulz, Daniel A1 - Fischer, Stefan A1 - Jeske, Kathrin A1 - El Gohary, Heba A1 - Reil, Daniela A1 - Imholt, Christian A1 - Truebe, Patricia A1 - Suchomel, Josef A1 - Tricaud, Emilie A1 - Jacob, Jens A1 - Heroldova, Marta A1 - Bröker, Barbara M. A1 - Strommenger, Birgit A1 - Walther, Birgit A1 - Ulrich, Rainer G. A1 - Holtfreter, Silva T1 - Wild rodents and shrews are natural hosts of Staphylococcus aureus JF - International Journal of Medical Microbiology N2 - Laboratory mice are the most commonly used animal model for Staphylococcus aureus infection studies. We have previously shown that laboratory mice from global vendors are frequently colonized with S. aureus. Laboratory mice originate from wild house mice. Hence, we investigated whether wild rodents, including house mice, as well as shrews are naturally colonized with S. aureus and whether S. aureus adapts to the wild animal host. 295 animals of ten different species were caught in different locations over four years (2012-2015) in Germany, France and the Czech Republic. 45 animals were positive for S. aureus (15.3%). Three animals were co-colonized with two different isolates, resulting in 48 S. aureus isolates in total. Positive animals were found in Germany and the Czech Republic in each studied year. The S. aureus isolates belonged to ten different spa types, which grouped into six lineages (clonal complex (CC) 49, CC88, CC130, CC1956, sequence type (ST) 890, ST3033). CC49 isolates were most abundant (17/48, 35.4%), followed by CC1956 (14/48, 29.2%) and ST890 (9/48, 18.8%). The wild animal isolates lacked certain properties that are common among human isolates, e.g., a phage-encoded immune evasion cluster, superantigen genes on mobile genetic elements and antibiotic resistance genes, which suggests long-term adaptation to the wild animal host. One CC130 isolate contained the mecC gene, implying wild rodents might be both reservoir and vector for methicillin-resistant. In conclusion, we demonstrated that wild rodents and shrews are naturally colonized with S. aureus, and that those S. aureus isolates show signs of host adaptation. KW - Staphylococcus aureus KW - Colonization KW - Wild mice KW - Host adaptation KW - Immune evasion cluster KW - mecC Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2017.09.014 SN - 1438-4221 SN - 1618-0607 VL - 308 IS - 6 SP - 590 EP - 597 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - THES A1 - Meyer, Susann T1 - Wirkung und Wirkungsweise von Ectoin auf DNA-Moleküle Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prat, Tomas A1 - Hajny, Jakub A1 - Grunewald, Wim A1 - Vasileva, Mina A1 - Molnar, Gergely A1 - Tejos, Ricardo A1 - Schmid, Markus A1 - Sauer, Michael A1 - Friml, Jiří T1 - WRKY23 is a component of the transcriptional network mediating auxin feedback on PIN polarity JF - PLoS Genetics : a peer-reviewed, open-access journal N2 - Auxin is unique among plant hormones due to its directional transport that is mediated by the polarly distributed PIN auxin transporters at the plasma membrane. The canalization hypothesis proposes that the auxin feedback on its polar flow is a crucial, plant-specific mechanism mediating multiple self-organizing developmental processes. Here, we used the auxin effect on the PIN polar localization in Arabidopsis thaliana roots as a proxy for the auxin feedback on the PIN polarity during canalization. We performed microarray experiments to find regulators of this process that act downstream of auxin. We identified genes that were transcriptionally regulated by auxin in an AXR3/IAA17-and ARF7/ARF19-dependent manner. Besides the known components of the PIN polarity, such as PID and PIP5K kinases, a number of potential new regulators were detected, among which the WRKY23 transcription factor, which was characterized in more detail. Gain-and loss-of-function mutants confirmed a role for WRKY23 in mediating the auxin effect on the PIN polarity. Accordingly, processes requiring auxin-mediated PIN polarity rearrangements, such as vascular tissue development during leaf venation, showed a higher WRKY23 expression and required the WRKY23 activity. Our results provide initial insights into the auxin transcriptional network acting upstream of PIN polarization and, potentially, canalization-mediated plant development. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007177 SN - 1553-7404 VL - 14 IS - 1 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lohmann, Dirk A1 - Guo, Tong A1 - Tietjen, Britta T1 - Zooming in on coarse plant functional types-simulated response of savanna vegetation composition in response to aridity and grazing JF - Theoretical ecology N2 - Precipitation and land use in terms of livestock grazing have been identified as two of the most important drivers structuring the vegetation composition of semi-arid and arid savannas. Savanna research on the impact of these drivers has widely applied the so-called plant functional type (PFT) approach, grouping the vegetation into two or three broad types (here called meta-PFTs): woody plants and grasses, which are sometimes divided into perennial and annual grasses. However, little is known about the response of functional traits within these coarse types towards water availability or livestock grazing. In this study, we extended an existing eco-hydrological savanna vegetation model to capture trait diversity within the three broad meta-PFTs to assess the effects of both grazing and mean annual precipitation (MAP) on trait composition along a gradient of both drivers. Our results show a complex pattern of trait responses to grazing and aridity. The response differs for the three meta-PFTs. From our findings, we derive that trait responses to grazing and aridity for perennial grasses are similar, as suggested by the convergence model for grazing and aridity. However, we also see that this only holds for simulations below a MAP of 500 mm. This combined with the finding that trait response differs between the three meta-PFTs leads to the conclusion that there is no single, universal trait or set of traits determining the response to grazing and aridity. We finally discuss how simulation models including trait variability within meta-PFTs are necessary to understand ecosystem responses to environmental drivers, both locally and globally and how this perspective will help to extend conceptual frameworks of other ecosystems to savanna research. KW - Traits KW - Dryland KW - Degradation KW - Shrub encroachment KW - Simulation KW - Eco-hydrological model KW - EcoHyD Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12080-017-0356-x SN - 1874-1738 SN - 1874-1746 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 161 EP - 173 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER -