TY - JOUR A1 - Maaz, Denny A1 - Krücken, Juergen A1 - Blümke, Julia A1 - Richter, Dania A1 - McKay-Demeler, Janina A1 - Matuschka, Franz-Rainer A1 - Hartmann, Susanne A1 - von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg T1 - Factors associated with diversity, quantity and zoonotic potential of ectoparasites on urban mice and voles JF - PLoS one N2 - Wild rodents are important hosts for tick larvae but co-infestations with other mites and insects are largely neglected. Small rodents were trapped at four study sites in Berlin, Germany, to quantify their ectoparasite diversity. Host-specific, spatial and temporal occurrence of ectoparasites was determined to assess their influence on direct and indirect zoonotic risk due to mice and voles in an urban agglomeration. Rodent-associated arthropods were diverse, including 63 species observed on six host species with an overall prevalence of 99%. The tick Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species, found on 56% of the rodents. The trapping location clearly affected the presence of different rodent species and, therefore, the occurrence of particular host-specific parasites. In Berlin, fewer temporary and periodic parasite species as well as non-parasitic species (fleas, chiggers and nidicolous Gamasina) were detected than reported from rural areas. In addition, abundance of parasites with low host-specificity (ticks, fleas and chiggers) apparently decreased with increasing landscape fragmentation associated with a gradient of urbanisation. In contrast, stationary ectoparasites, closely adapted to the rodent host, such as the fur mites Myobiidae and Listrophoridae, were most abundant at the two urban sites. A direct zoonotic risk of infection for people may only be posed by Nosopsyllus fasciatus fleas, which were prevalent even in the city centre. More importantly, peridomestic rodents clearly supported the life cycle of ticks in the city as hosts for their subadult stages. In addition to trapping location, season, host species, body condition and host sex, infestation with fleas, gamasid Laelapidae mites and prostigmatic Myobiidae mites were associated with significantly altered abundance of I. ricinus larvae on mice and voles. Whether this is caused by predation, grooming behaviour or interaction with the host immune system is unclear. The present study constitutes a basis to identify interactions and vector function of rodent-associated arthropods and their potential impact on zoonotic diseases. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199385 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 6 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maaz, Denny A1 - Rausch, Sebastian A1 - Richter, Dania A1 - Kruecken, Juergen A1 - Kuehl, Anja A. A1 - Demeler, Janina A1 - Bluemke, Julia A1 - Matuschka, Franz-Rainer A1 - von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg A1 - Hartmann, Susanne T1 - Susceptibility to Ticks and Lyme Disease Spirochetes Is Not Affected in Mice Coinfected with Nematodes JF - Infection and immunity N2 - Small rodents serve as reservoir hosts for tick-borne pathogens, such as the spirochetes causing Lyme disease. Whether natural coinfections with other macroparasites alter the success of tick feeding, antitick immunity, and the host's reservoir competence for tick-borne pathogens remains to be determined. In a parasitological survey of wild mice in Berlin, Germany, approximately 40% of Ixodes ricinus-infested animals simultaneously harbored a nematode of the genus Heligmosomoides. We therefore aimed to analyze the immunological impact of the nematode/tick coinfection as well as its effect on the tick-borne pathogen Borrelia afzelii. Hosts experimentally coinfected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus and larval/nymphal I. ricinus ticks developed substantially stronger systemic type 2 T helper cell (Th2) responses, on the basis of the levels of GATA-3 and interleukin-13 expression, than mice infected with a single pathogen. During repeated larval infestations, however, anti-tick Th2 reactivity and an observed partial immunity to tick feeding were unaffected by concurrent nematode infections. Importantly, the strong systemic Th2 immune response in coinfected mice did not affect susceptibility to tick-borne B. afzelii. An observed trend for decreased local and systemic Th1 reactivity against B. afzelii in coinfected mice did not result in a higher spirochete burden, nor did it facilitate bacterial dissemination or induce signs of immunopathology. Hence, this study indicates that strong systemic Th2 responses in nematode/tick-coinfected house mice do not affect the success of tick feeding and the control of the causative agent of Lyme disease. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.01309-15 SN - 0019-9567 SN - 1098-5522 VL - 84 SP - 1274 EP - 1286 PB - American Society for Microbiology CY - Washington ER - TY - GEN A1 - Maaz, Denny A1 - Krücken, Jürgen A1 - Blümke, Julia A1 - Richter, Dania A1 - McKay-Demeler, Janina A1 - Matuschka, Franz-Rainer A1 - Hartmann, Susanne A1 - von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg T1 - Factors associated with diversity, quantity and zoonotic potential of ectoparasites on urban mice and voles T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Wild rodents are important hosts for tick larvae but co-infestations with other mites and insects are largely neglected. Small rodents were trapped at four study sites in Berlin, Germany, to quantify their ectoparasite diversity. Host-specific, spatial and temporal occurrence of ectoparasites was determined to assess their influence on direct and indirect zoonotic risk due to mice and voles in an urban agglomeration. Rodent-associated arthropods were diverse, including 63 species observed on six host species with an overall prevalence of 99%. The tick Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species, found on 56% of the rodents. The trapping location clearly affected the presence of different rodent species and, therefore, the occurrence of particular host-specific parasites. In Berlin, fewer temporary and periodic parasite species as well as non-parasitic species (fleas, chiggers and nidicolous Gamasina) were detected than reported from rural areas. In addition, abundance of parasites with low host-specificity (ticks, fleas and chiggers) apparently decreased with increasing landscape fragmentation associated with a gradient of urbanisation. In contrast, stationary ectoparasites, closely adapted to the rodent host, such as the fur mites Myobiidae and Listrophoridae, were most abundant at the two urban sites. A direct zoonotic risk of infection for people may only be posed by Nosopsyllus fasciatus fleas, which were prevalent even in the city centre. More importantly, peridomestic rodents clearly supported the life cycle of ticks in the city as hosts for their subadult stages. In addition to trapping location, season, host species, body condition and host sex, infestation with fleas, gamasid Laelapidae mites and prostigmatic Myobiidae mites were associated with significantly altered abundance of I. ricinus larvae on mice and voles. Whether this is caused by predation, grooming behaviour or interaction with the host immune system is unclear. The present study constitutes a basis to identify interactions and vector function of rodent-associated arthropods and their potential impact on zoonotic diseases. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 685 KW - Ixodes-ricinus ticks KW - small mammals KW - geographical-distribution KW - Dermanyssus-gallinea KW - Borrelia-burgdorferi KW - occidental europe KW - immature stages KW - mites acari KW - s-str KW - rodents Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-426843 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 685 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kachler, Katerina A1 - Bailer, Maximilian A1 - Heim, Lisanne A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Reichel, Martin A1 - Holzinger, Corinna D. A1 - Trump, Sonja A1 - Mittler, Susanne A1 - Monti, Juliana A1 - Trufa, Denis I. A1 - Rieker, Ralf J. A1 - Hartmann, Arndt A1 - Sirbu, Horia A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Kornhuber, Johannes A1 - Finotto, Susetta T1 - Enhanced acid sphingomyelinase activity drives immune evasion and tumor growth in non-small cell lung carcinoma JF - Cancer research N2 - The lipid hydrolase enzyme acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) is required for the conversion of the lipid cell membrane component sphingomyelin into ceramide. In cancer cells, ASM-mediated ceramide production is important for apoptosis, cell proliferation, and immune modulation, highlighting ASM as a potential multimodal therapeutic target. In this study, we demonstrate elevated ASM activity in the lung tumor environment and blood serum of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RNAi-mediated attenuation of SMPD1 in human NSCLC cells rendered them resistant to serum starvation-induced apoptosis. In a murine model of lung adenocarcinoma, ASM deficiency reduced tumor development in a manner associated with significant enhancement of Th1-mediated and cytotoxic T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Our findings indicate that targeting ASM in NSCLC can act by tumor cell-intrinsic and-extrinsic mechanisms to suppress tumor cell growth, most notably by enabling an effective antitumor immune response by the host. (C) 2017 AACR. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-3313 SN - 0008-5472 SN - 1538-7445 VL - 77 IS - 21 SP - 5963 EP - 5976 PB - American Association for Cancer Research CY - Philadelphia ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Voss, Henning A1 - Meyer, Jeannette A1 - Schwonbeck, Susanne A1 - Fritsche, Immo A1 - Hartmann, Bernhard A1 - Wegwarth, Odette A1 - Friedrich, Anke A1 - Buchheister-Knappe, Stefanie A1 - Marwan, Norbert A1 - Bandau, Anja A1 - Bullinger, Hans-Jörg A1 - Weith, Thomas T1 - Portal alumni T2 - Das Ehemaligen-Magazin der Universität Potsdam N2 - Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser, erforschen, was die Welt im Innersten zusammenhält- das ist für viele Studierende ein Traum. Doch welche Opfer muss man bringen, um ihn zu verwirklichen? Welche Bemfsperspektive hat der Bemf Forscher heute noch? Auch viele Absolventen der Universität Potsdam müssen sich diese Fragen beantworten. Zu welchen Antworten einige dabei gekommen sind und welche Probleme sie zu bewältigen haben, vom Spaß am Forschen und von Zukunftsängsten berichten sie in der Rubrik "Forscherkarrieren". Gelder für die Forschung fließen in Deutschland zu spärlich, verglichen mit anderen führenden Industrienationen. So sind die Bedingungen für Forscher hierzulande nicht die besten. Manchen jungen Wissenschaftler zieht es- mitunter notgedrungen- ins Ausland. Wie Deutschland dadurch seine ZukunftsHihigkeit riskiert, thematisiert der Präsident der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, in der Rubrik "wissenstransfer". Auch die Universität ist kein Garant für eine gesicherte Zukunft in der Forschung. Wer sechs Jahre nach der Promotion den Sprung zur Professur nicht geschafft hat, geht einer ungewissen Zukunft als Privatdozent entgegen. Seit einigen Jahren gibt es neben der Habilitation noch einen zweiten Weg zur Professur- die Juniorprofessur. Auch an der Universität Potsdam gibt es seit 2002 Juniorprofessoren, von denen die ersten jetzt evaluiert wurden. Näheres dazu finden Sie ebenfalls in der Rubrik "wissenstransfer". Wer noch nach einer Finanzierungsmöglichkeit für seine Promotion sucht, findet Tipps in der Rubrik "wegweiser". Die Redaktion wünscht Ihnen viel Vergnügen beim Lesen von Portal alumni und freut sich auf zahlreiche Leserbriefe. N2 - Dear readers, many students dream of researching the world's inner and outermost secrets. Still, what sacrifice must one bring in order to achieve this goa/, and what are the professional perspectives being offered to researchers today? Many University of Potsdom alumni have to find answers to these questions as weil. in the section "forscher/eben", a number of alumni discuss their answers, the problems that they have encountered along the way, the enJoyment that they have received through their research and their worries for the future. In Germany, the funding of research on part ofboth the state and the corporate world is sparsein comparison to other leading industrial countries, and the current opportunities for researchers are clearly not the best. in the section ,.wissenstransfer", the president of the Frauenhofer-Gesellschaft, Prof Dr. Hans-jörg Bullinger, discusses how Germany is losing its future potential in the process. Indeed, the university is no guarantee for a secure profossianal future in the research field. A few years ago, the Junior professorship was created as a second path to a Juli professorship, next to the traditional postdoctoral qualification (Habilitation). in 2002, the University of Potsdom began to establish Junior professorships. The first of these are currently being evaluated. More information on this process can be found in the section "wissenstransfer". In addition, suggestions and tips can be found in the section "wegweiser" for those who are seekingfunding opportunities for their dissertation work. T3 - Portal alumni : das Ehemaligen-Magazin der Universität Potsdam - 3/2005 Y1 - 2005 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-481608 VL - 2005 IS - 3 EP - 58 ER -