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Quantitative analyses of the hepatic proteome of methylmercury-exposed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) suggest oxidative stress-mediated effects on cellular energy metabolism
Systems toxicology of Atlantic cod

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Methylmecury (MeHg) is a widely distributed environmental pollutant with considerable risk to both human health and wildlife. To gain better insight into the underlying mechanisms of … MeHg-mediated toxicity, we have used label-free quantitative mass spectrometry to analyze the liver proteome of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed in vivo to MeHg (0, 0.5, 2 mg/kg body weight) for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Out of a toltal of 1143 proteins quantified, 125 proteins were differentially regulated between MeHg-treated samples and controls. Using various bioinformatics tools, we performed gene ontology, pathway and network enrichment analysis, which indicated that proteins and pathways mainly related to energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, cytoskeleton remodeling, and protein synthesis were regulated in the hepatic proteome after MeHg exposure. Comparison with previous gene expression data strengthened these results, and further supported that MeHg predominantly affects many energy metabolism pathways, presumably through its strong induction of oxidative stress. Some enzymes known to have functionally important oxidation-sensitive cysteine residues in other animals are among the differentially regulated proteins, suggesting their modulations by MeHg-induced oxidative stress. Integrated analysis of the proteomics dataset combined with previous gene expression dataset showed a more pronounced effect of MeHg on amino acid, glucose and fatty acid metabolic pathways, and suggested possible interactions of the cellular energy metabolism and antioxidant defense pathways. CONCLUSIONS: MeHg disrupts mainly redox homeostasis and energy generating metabolic pathways in cod liver. The energy pathways appear to be modulated through MeHg-induced oxidative stress, possibly mediated by oxidation sensitive enzymes.

Authors: F. Yadetie, S. Bjorneklett, H. K. Garberg, E. Oveland, F. Berven, A. Goksoyr, O. A. Karlsen

Date Published: 9th Aug 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Identification of Cell Type-Specific Differences in Erythropoietin Receptor Signaling in Primary Erythroid and Lung Cancer Cells.
SBEpo - Systems Biology of Erythropoietin

Abstract (Expand)

Lung cancer, with its most prevalent form non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and is commonly treated with chemotherapeutic drugs … such as cisplatin. Lung cancer patients frequently suffer from chemotherapy-induced anemia, which can be treated with erythropoietin (EPO). However, studies have indicated that EPO not only promotes erythropoiesis in hematopoietic cells, but may also enhance survival of NSCLC cells. Here, we verified that the NSCLC cell line H838 expresses functional erythropoietin receptors (EPOR) and that treatment with EPO reduces cisplatin-induced apoptosis. To pinpoint differences in EPO-induced survival signaling in erythroid progenitor cells (CFU-E, colony forming unit-erythroid) and H838 cells, we combined mathematical modeling with a method for feature selection, the L1 regularization. Utilizing an example model and simulated data, we demonstrated that this approach enables the accurate identification and quantification of cell type-specific parameters. We applied our strategy to quantitative time-resolved data of EPO-induced JAK/STAT signaling generated by quantitative immunoblotting, mass spectrometry and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in CFU-E and H838 cells as well as H838 cells overexpressing human EPOR (H838-HA-hEPOR). The established parsimonious mathematical model was able to simultaneously describe the data sets of CFU-E, H838 and H838-HA-hEPOR cells. Seven cell type-specific parameters were identified that included for example parameters for nuclear translocation of STAT5 and target gene induction. Cell type-specific differences in target gene induction were experimentally validated by qRT-PCR experiments. The systematic identification of pathway differences and sensitivities of EPOR signaling in CFU-E and H838 cells revealed potential targets for intervention to selectively inhibit EPO-induced signaling in the tumor cells but leave the responses in erythroid progenitor cells unaffected. Thus, the proposed modeling strategy can be employed as a general procedure to identify cell type-specific parameters and to recommend treatment strategies for the selective targeting of specific cell types.

Authors: R. Merkle, B. Steiert, F. Salopiata, S. Depner, A. Raue, N. Iwamoto, M. Schelker, H. Hass, M. Wasch, M. E. Bohm, O. Mucke, D. B. Lipka, C. Plass, W. D. Lehmann, C. Kreutz, J. Timmer, M. Schilling, U. Klingmuller

Date Published: 6th Aug 2016

Publication Type: Journal

SARS and MERS: recent insights into emerging coronaviruses
COVID-19 Disease Map

Abstract (Expand)

The emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 marked the second introduction of a highly pathogenic coronavirus into the human population in the twenty-first century. … The continuing introductions of MERS-CoV from dromedary camels, the subsequent travel-related viral spread, the unprecedented nosocomial outbreaks and the high case-fatality rates highlight the need for prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Scientific advancements since the 2002–2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) pandemic allowed for rapid progress in our understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of MERS-CoV and the development of therapeutics. In this Review, we detail our present understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and discuss the current state of development of measures to combat emerging coronaviruses.

Authors: Emmie de Wit, Neeltje van Doremalen, Darryl Falzarano, Vincent J. Munster

Date Published: 1st Aug 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Photoreceptor effects on plant biomass, resource allocation, and metabolic state
PHYTOCAL: Phytochrome Control of Resource Allocation and Growth in Arabidopsis and in Brassicaceae crops

Abstract (Expand)

Plants sense the light environment through an ensemble of photoreceptors. Members of the phytochrome class of light receptors are known to play a critical role in seedling establishment, and are among … the best-characterized plant signaling components. Phytochromes also regulate adult plant growth; however, our knowledge of this process is rather fragmented. This study demonstrates that phytochrome controls carbon allocation and biomass production in the developing plant. Phytochrome mutants have a reduced CO2 uptake, yet overaccumulate daytime sucrose and starch. This finding suggests that even though carbon fixation is impeded, the available carbon resources are not fully used for growth during the day. Supporting this notion, phytochrome depletion alters the proportion of day:night growth. In addition, phytochrome loss leads to sizeable reductions in overall growth, dry weight, total protein levels, and the expression of CELLULOSE SYNTHASE-LIKE genes. Because cellulose and protein are major constituents of plant biomass, our data point to an important role for phytochrome in regulating these fundamental components of plant productivity. We show that phytochrome loss impacts core metabolism, leading to elevated levels of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, amino acids, sugar derivatives, and notably the stress metabolites proline and raffinose. Furthermore, the already growth-retarded phytochrome mutants are less responsive to growth-inhibiting abiotic stresses and have elevated expression of stress marker genes. This coordinated response appears to divert resources from energetically costly biomass production to improve resilience. In nature, this strategy may be activated in phytochrome-disabling, vegetation-dense habitats to enhance survival in potentially resource-limiting conditions.

Authors: Deyue Yang, Daniel D. Seaton, Johanna Krahmer, Karen J. Halliday

Date Published: 5th Jul 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Toward community standards and software for whole-cell modeling
Multi-Scale Models for Personalized Liver Function Tests (LiSyM-MM-PLF)

Abstract (Expand)

Whole-cell (WC) modeling is a promising tool for biological research, bioengineering, and medicine. However, substantial work remains to create accurate, comprehensive models of complex cells. METHODS: … We organized the 2015 Whole-Cell Modeling Summer School to teach WC modeling and evaluate the need for new WC modeling standards and software by recoding a recently published WC model in SBML. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed several challenges to representing WC models using the current standards. CONCLUSION: We, therefore, propose several new WC modeling standards, software, and databases. SIGNIFICANCE: We anticipate that these new standards and software will enable more comprehensive models.

Authors: D. Waltemath, J. Karr, F. Bergmann, V. Chelliah, M. Hucka, M. Krantz, W. Liebermeister, P. Mendes, C. Myers, P. Pir, B. Alaybeyoglu, N. Aranganathan, K. Baghalian, A. Bittig, P. Burke, M. Cantarelli, Y. Chew, R. Costa, J. Cursons, T. Czauderna, A. Goldberg, H. Gomez, J. Hahn, T. Hameri, D. Gardiol, D. Kazakiewicz, I. Kiselev, V. Knight-Schrijver, C. Knupfer, M. Konig, D. Lee, A. Lloret-Villas, N. Mandrik, J. Medley, B. Moreau, H. Naderi-Meshkin, S. Palaniappan, D. Priego-Espinosa, M. Scharm, M. Sharma, K. Smallbone, N. Stanford, J. H. Song, T. Theile, M. Tokic, N. Tomar, V. Toure, J. Uhlendorf, T. Varusai, L. Watanabe, F. Wendland, M. Wolfien, J. Yurkovich, Y. Zhu, A. Zardilis, A. Zhukova, F. Schreiber

Date Published: 16th Jun 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Formation of xylitol and xylitol-5-phosphate and its impact on growth of d-xylose-utilizing Corynebacterium glutamicum strains
XyloCut

Abstract (Expand)

Wild-type Corynebacterium glutamicum has no endogenous metabolic activity for utilizing the lignocellulosic pentose d-xylose for cell growth. Therefore, two different engineering approaches have been … pursued resulting in platform strains harbouring a functional version of either the Isomerase (ISO) or the Weimberg (WMB) pathway for d-xylose assimilation. In a previous study we found for C. glutamicum WMB by-product formation of xylitol during growth on d-xylose and speculated that the observed lower growth rates are due to the growth inhibiting effect of this compound. Based on a detailed phenotyping of the ISO, WMB and the wild-type strain of C. glutamicum, we here show that this organism has a natural capability to synthesize xylitol from d-xylose under aerobic cultivation conditions. We furthermore observed the intracellular accumulation of xylitol-5-phosphate as a result of the intracellular phosphorylation of xylitol, which was particularly pronounced in the C. glutamicum ISO strain. Interestingly, low amounts of supplemented xylitol strongly inhibit growth of this strain on d-xylose, d-glucose and d-arabitol. These findings demonstrate that xylitol is a suitable substrate of the endogenous xylulokinase (XK, encoded by xylB) and its overexpression in the ISO strain leads to a significant phosphorylation of xylitol in C. glutamicum. Therefore, in order to circumvent cytotoxicity by xylitol-5-phosphate, the WMB pathway represents an interesting alternative route for engineering C. glutamicum towards efficient d-xylose utilization.

Authors: A. Radek, M. F. Muller, J. Gatgens, L. Eggeling, K. Krumbach, J. Marienhagen, S. Noack

Date Published: 15th Jun 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Principles of Virus Uncoating: Cues and the Snooker Ball
COVID-19 Disease Map

Abstract (Expand)

The architecture of a virus particle allows timely release of the viral genome in a host cell during entry. This critical step is known as viral uncoating. It is regulated by cues from receptors, enzymes … and chemicals, and facilitated by factors that do not contact the virion directly. This review covers a wide range of cellular processes that enhance viral uncoating. The underlying mechanisms provide deep insights into cell biological and immunological processes of virus–host interactions and infections.

Authors: Yohei Yamauchi, Urs F. Greber

Date Published: 1st Jun 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Transcriptomic analysis reveals how a lack of potassium ions increases Sulfolobus acidocaldarius sensitivity to pH changes
Kinetics on the move - Workshop 2016

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Antoine Buetti-Dinh, Olga Dethlefsen, Ran Friedman, Mark Dopson

Date Published: 26th May 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Molecular biological correlation of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Kinetics on the move - Workshop 2016

Abstract (Expand)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) uptake and molecular biological markers in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) … patients. METHODS: Our patient population included 51 patients who underwent F-FDG PET/computed tomography before surgery. Excised tumor tissue was analyzed immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies for glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1), GLUT-3, CD34 [microvessel density (MVD) marker], CD68 (macrophage marker), and CD163 (tumor-associated macrophage marker). The relationships among pathological factors [pathological T stage (p-T stage), pathological lymph node status (p-N status), pathological stage (p-stage), and pathological tumor length], the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), and these molecular biological markers were evaluated using Spearman's rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: GLUT-1, GLUT-3, CD34, and CD163 significantly correlated with SUVmax (r=0.547, P<0.001 for GLUT-1; r=0.569, P<0.001 for GLUT-3; r=0.463, P=0.001 for CD34, r=0.455, P=0.001 for CD163), whereas SUVmax, GLUT-1, GLUT-3, CD34, and CD163 significantly correlated with p-T stage (r=0.552, P<0.001 for SUVmax, r=0.307, P=0.03 for GLUT-1, r=0.349, P=0.013 for GLUT-3, r=0.313, P=0.027 for CD34, r=0.526 for CD163, P<0.001), but not with p-N status. CD68 levels showed no significant correlation with SUVmax, p-T stage, p-stage, or p-N status. CONCLUSION: SUVmax, GLUT-1 expression, GLUT-3 expression, MVD, and TAMs show a relationship with the tumor stage and extent of ESCC. GLUT-1, GLUT-3, MVD, and TAMs are associated with the mechanism of F-FDG uptake in ESCC.

Authors: Y. Hirose, H. Kaida, A. Kawahara, S. Matono, T. Tanaka, S. Kurata, M. Kage, M. Ishibashi, T. Abe

Date Published: 25th May 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Hedgehog signaling is a potent regulator of liver lipid metabolism and reveals a GLI-code associated with steatosis
The Hedgehog Signalling Pathway (LiSyM-JGMMS)

Abstract (Expand)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in industrialized countries and is increasing in prevalence. The pathomechanisms, however, are poorly understood. This study … assessed the unexpected role of the Hedgehog pathway in adult liver lipid metabolism. Using transgenic mice with conditional hepatocyte-specific deletion of Smoothened in adult mice, we showed that hepatocellular inhibition of Hedgehog signaling leads to steatosis by altering the abundance of the transcription factors GLI1 and GLI3. This steatotic 'Gli-code' caused the modulation of a complex network of lipogenic transcription factors and enzymes, including SREBP1 and PNPLA3, as demonstrated by microarray analysis and siRNA experiments and could be confirmed in other steatotic mouse models as well as in steatotic human livers. Conversely, activation of the Hedgehog pathway reversed the "Gli-code" and mitigated hepatic steatosis. Collectively, our results reveal that dysfunctions in the Hedgehog pathway play an important role in hepatic steatosis and beyond.

Authors: Madlen Matz-Soja, Christiane Rennert, Kristin Schönefeld, Susanne Aleithe, Jan Boettger, Wolfgang Schmidt-Heck, Thomas S Weiss, Amalya Hovhannisyan, Sebastian Zellmer, Nora Klöting, Angela Schulz, Jürgen Kratzsch, Reinhardt Guthke, Rolf Gebhardt

Date Published: 17th May 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Parallel DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction (PD-PCR)
FAIRDOM, PoLiMeR - Polymers in the Liver: Metabolism and Regulation

Abstract (Expand)

This protocol describe an approach in which the first primer binds in a parallel complementary orientation to the single-stranded DNA, leading to synthesis in a parallel direction. Further reactions … happened in a conventional way leading to the synthesis of PCR product having polarity opposite to the template used. Here in FAIRDOM we use this SOP as an example/template

Authors: vikash bhardwaj, Vikash bhardwaj, Kulbhushan Sharma

Date Published: 5th May 2016

Publication Type: Journal

The Atlantic salmon genome provides insights into rediploidization
DigiSal

Abstract (Expand)

The whole-genome duplication 80 million years ago of the common ancestor of salmonids (salmonid-specific fourth vertebrate whole-genome duplication, Ss4R) provides unique opportunities to learn about … the evolutionary fate of a duplicated vertebrate genome in 70 extant lineages. Here we present a high-quality genome assembly for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and show that large genomic reorganizations, coinciding with bursts of transposon-mediated repeat expansions, were crucial for the post-Ss4R rediploidization process. Comparisons of duplicate gene expression patterns across a wide range of tissues with orthologous genes from a pre-Ss4R outgroup unexpectedly demonstrate far more instances of neofunctionalization than subfunctionalization. Surprisingly, we find that genes that were retained as duplicates after the teleost-specific whole-genome duplication 320 million years ago were not more likely to be retained after the Ss4R, and that the duplicate retention was not influenced to a great extent by the nature of the predicted protein interactions of the gene products. Finally, we demonstrate that the Atlantic salmon assembly can serve as a reference sequence for the study of other salmonids for a range of purposes.

Authors: S. Lien, B. F. Koop, S. R. Sandve, J. R. Miller, M. P. Kent, T. Nome, T. R. Hvidsten, J. S. Leong, D. R. Minkley, A. Zimin, F. Grammes, H. Grove, A. Gjuvsland, B. Walenz, R. A. Hermansen, K. von Schalburg, E. B. Rondeau, A. Di Genova, J. K. Samy, J. Olav Vik, M. D. Vigeland, L. Caler, U. Grimholt, S. Jentoft, D. Inge Vage, P. de Jong, T. Moen, M. Baranski, Y. Palti, D. R. Smith, J. A. Yorke, A. J. Nederbragt, A. Tooming-Klunderud, K. S. Jakobsen, X. Jiang, D. Fan, Y. Hu, D. A. Liberles, R. Vidal, P. Iturra, S. J. Jones, I. Jonassen, A. Maass, S. W. Omholt, W. S. Davidson

Date Published: 18th Apr 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

The Human Physiome: how standards, software and innovative service infrastructures are providing the building blocks to make it achievable
FAIRDOM, LiSyM Core Infrastructure and Management (LiSyM-PD)

Abstract (Expand)

Reconstructing and understanding the Human Physiome virtually is a complex mathematical problem, and a highly demanding computational challenge. Mathematical models spanning from the molecular level … through to whole populations of individuals must be integrated, then personalized. This requires interoperability with multiple disparate and geographically separated data sources, and myriad computational software tools. Extracting and producing knowledge from such sources, even when the databases and software are readily available, is a challenging task. Despite the difficulties, researchers must frequently perform these tasks so that available knowledge can be continually integrated into the common framework required to realize the Human Physiome. Software and infrastructures that support the communities that generate these, together with their underlying standards to format, describe and interlink the corresponding data and computer models, are pivotal to the Human Physiome being realized. They provide the foundations for integrating, exchanging and re-using data and models efficiently, and correctly, while also supporting the dissemination of growing knowledge in these forms. In this paper, we explore the standards, software tooling, repositories and infrastructures that support this work, and detail what makes them vital to realizing the Human Physiome.

Authors: D. Nickerson, K. Atalag, B. de Bono, J. Geiger, C. Goble, S. Hollmann, J. Lonien, W. Muller, B. Regierer, N. J. Stanford, M. Golebiewski, P. Hunter

Date Published: 7th Apr 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship.
FAIRDOM

Abstract (Expand)

There is an urgent need to improve the infrastructure supporting the reuse of scholarly data. A diverse set of stakeholders-representing academia, industry, funding agencies, and scholarly publishers-have … come together to design and jointly endorse a concise and measureable set of principles that we refer to as the FAIR Data Principles. The intent is that these may act as a guideline for those wishing to enhance the reusability of their data holdings. Distinct from peer initiatives that focus on the human scholar, the FAIR Principles put specific emphasis on enhancing the ability of machines to automatically find and use the data, in addition to supporting its reuse by individuals. This Comment is the first formal publication of the FAIR Principles, and includes the rationale behind them, and some exemplar implementations in the community.

Authors: M. D. Wilkinson, M. Dumontier, I. J. Aalbersberg, G. Appleton, M. Axton, A. Baak, N. Blomberg, J. W. Boiten, L. B. da Silva Santos, P. E. Bourne, J. Bouwman, A. J. Brookes, T. Clark, M. Crosas, I. Dillo, O. Dumon, S. Edmunds, C. T. Evelo, R. Finkers, A. Gonzalez-Beltran, A. J. Gray, P. Groth, C. Goble, J. S. Grethe, J. Heringa, P. A. 't Hoen, R. Hooft, T. Kuhn, R. Kok, J. Kok, S. J. Lusher, M. E. Martone, A. Mons, A. L. Packer, B. Persson, P. Rocca-Serra, M. Roos, R. van Schaik, S. A. Sansone, E. Schultes, T. Sengstag, T. Slater, G. Strawn, M. A. Swertz, M. Thompson, J. van der Lei, E. van Mulligen, J. Velterop, A. Waagmeester, P. Wittenburg, K. Wolstencroft, J. Zhao, B. Mons

Date Published: 15th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Journal

The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship
Sustainable co-production

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Mark D. Wilkinson, Michel Dumontier, IJsbrand Jan Aalbersberg, Gabrielle Appleton, Myles Axton, Arie Baak, Niklas Blomberg, Jan-Willem Boiten, Luiz Bonino da Silva Santos, Philip E. Bourne, Jildau Bouwman, Anthony J. Brookes, Tim Clark, Mercè Crosas, Ingrid Dillo, Olivier Dumon, Scott Edmunds, Chris T. Evelo, Richard Finkers, Alejandra Gonzalez-Beltran, Alasdair J.G. Gray, Paul Groth, Carole Goble, Jeffrey S. Grethe, Jaap Heringa, Peter A.C ’t Hoen, Rob Hooft, Tobias Kuhn, Ruben Kok, Joost Kok, Scott J. Lusher, Maryann E. Martone, Albert Mons, Abel L. Packer, Bengt Persson, Philippe Rocca-Serra, Marco Roos, Rene van Schaik, Susanna-Assunta Sansone, Erik Schultes, Thierry Sengstag, Ted Slater, George Strawn, Morris A. Swertz, Mark Thompson, Johan van der Lei, Erik van Mulligen, Jan Velterop, Andra Waagmeester, Peter Wittenburg, Katherine Wolstencroft, Jun Zhao, Barend Mons

Date Published: 15th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Evaluation of GMP-compliant culture media for in vitro expansion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.
SBEpo - Systems Biology of Erythropoietin

Abstract (Expand)

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from human bone marrow serve as a resource for cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine. Clinical applications require standardized protocols according to good … manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines. Donor variability as well as the intrinsic heterogeneity of MSC populations must be taken into consideration. The composition of the culture medium is a key factor in successful MSC expansion. The aim of this study was to comparatively assess the efficiency of xeno-free human platelet lysate (HPL)-based cell expansion with two commercially available media-StemPro MSC SFM CTS (for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications) and MSCGM (non-GMP-compliant, for research only)-in an academic setting as the first optimization step toward GMP-compliant manufacturing. We report the feasibility of MSC expansion up to the yielded cell number with all three media. MSCs exhibited the typical fibroblastoid morphology, with distinct differences in cell size depending on the medium. The differentiation capacity and characteristic immunophenotype were confirmed for all MSC populations. Proliferation was highest using StemPro MSC SFM CTS, whereas HPL medium was more cost-effective and its composition could be adjusted individually according to the respective needs. In summary, we present a comprehensive evaluation of GMP-compatible culture media for MSC expansion. Both StemPro and HPL medium proved to be suitable for clinical application and allowed sufficient cell proliferation. Specific differences were observed and should be considered according to the intended use. This study provides a detailed cost analysis and tools that may be helpful for the establishment of GMP-compliant MSC expansion.

Authors: P. Wuchter, M. Vetter, R. Saffrich, A. Diehlmann, K. Bieback, A. D. Ho, P. Horn

Date Published: 26th Feb 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Microcavity arrays as an in vitro model system of the bone marrow niche for hematopoietic stem cells.
SBEpo - Systems Biology of Erythropoietin

Abstract (Expand)

In previous studies human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) maintained the "stemness" of human hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) through direct cell-cell contact in two-dimensional co-culture … systems. We establish a three-dimensional (3D) co-culture system based on a custom-made chip, the 3(D)-KITChip, as an in vitro model system of the human hematopoietic stem cell niche. This array of up to 625 microcavities, with 300 mum size in each orientation, was inserted into a microfluidic bioreactor. The microcavities of the 3(D)-KITChip were inoculated with human bone marrow MSCs together with umbilical cord blood HPCs. MSCs used the microcavities as a scaffold to build a complex 3D mesh. HPCs were distributed three-dimensionally inside this MSC network and formed ss-catenin- and N-cadherin-based intercellular junctions to the surrounding MSCs. Using RT(2)-PCR and western blots, we demonstrate that a proportion of HPCs maintained the expression of CD34 throughout a culture period of 14 days. In colony-forming unit assays, the hematopoietic stem cell plasticity remained similar after 14 days of bioreactor co-culture, whereas monolayer co-cultures showed increasing signs of HPC differentiation and loss of stemness. These data support the notion that the 3D microenvironment created within the microcavity array preserves vital stem cell functions of HPCs more efficiently than conventional co-culture systems.

Authors: P. Wuchter, R. Saffrich, S. Giselbrecht, C. Nies, H. Lorig, S. Kolb, A. D. Ho, E. Gottwald

Date Published: 3rd Feb 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Context-specific flow through the MEK/ERK module produces cell- and ligand-specific patterns of ERK single and double phosphorylation.
SBEpo - Systems Biology of Erythropoietin

Abstract (Expand)

The same pathway, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, can produce different cellular responses, depending on stimulus or cell type. We examined the phosphorylation dynamics of … the MAPK kinase MEK and its targets extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in primary hepatocytes and the transformed keratinocyte cell line HaCaT A5 exposed to either hepatocyte growth factor or interleukin-6. By combining quantitative mass spectrometry with dynamic modeling, we elucidated network structures for the reversible threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK in both cell types. In addition to differences in the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions, the HaCaT network model required two feedback mechanisms, which, as the experimental data suggested, involved the induction of the dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP6 and the scaffold paxillin. We assayed and modeled the accumulation of the double-phosphorylated and active form of ERK1/2, as well as the dynamics of the changes in the monophosphorylated forms of ERK1/2. Modeling the differences in the dynamics of the changes in the distributions of the phosphorylated forms of ERK1/2 suggested that different amounts of MEK activity triggered context-specific responses, with primary hepatocytes favoring the formation of double-phosphorylated ERK1/2 and HaCaT A5 cells that produce both the threonine-phosphorylated and the double-phosphorylated form. These differences in phosphorylation distributions explained the threshold, sensitivity, and saturation of the ERK response. We extended the findings of differential ERK phosphorylation profiles to five additional cultured cell systems and matched liver tumor and normal tissue, which revealed context-specific patterns of the various forms of phosphorylated ERK.

Authors: N. Iwamoto, L. A. D'Alessandro, S. Depner, B. Hahn, B. A. Kramer, P. Lucarelli, A. Vlasov, M. Stepath, M. E. Bohm, D. Deharde, G. Damm, D. Seehofer, W. D. Lehmann, U. Klingmuller, M. Schilling

Date Published: 2nd Feb 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Targeting glycolysis in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Whole body modelling of glucose metabolism in malaria patients

Abstract (Expand)

Glycolysis is the main pathway for ATP production in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and essential for its survival. Following a sensitivity analysis of a detailed kinetic model for glycolysis … in the parasite, the glucose transport reaction was identified as the step whose activity needed to be inhibited to the least extent to result in a 50% reduction in glycolytic flux. In a subsequent inhibitor titration with cytochalasin B, we confirmed the model analysis experimentally and measured a flux control coefficient of 0.3 for the glucose transporter. In addition to the glucose transporter, the glucokinase and phosphofructokinase had high flux control coefficients, while for the ATPase a small negative flux control coefficient was predicted. In a broader comparative analysis of glycolytic models, we identified a weakness in the P. falciparum pathway design with respect to stability towards perturbations in the ATP demand.

Authors: David D. van Niekerk, Gerald P. Penkler, Francois du Toit, Jacky L. Snoep

Date Published: 1st Feb 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

A molecular arms race between host innate antiviral response and emerging human coronaviruses
COVID-19 Disease Map

Abstract (Expand)

Coronaviruses have been closely related with mankind for thousands of years. Communityacquired human coronaviruses have long been recognized to cause common cold. However, zoonotic coronaviruses are … now becoming more a global concern with the discovery of highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses causing severe respiratory diseases. Infections by these emerging human coronaviruses are characterized by less robust interferon production. Treatment of patients with recombinant interferon regimen promises beneficial outcomes, suggesting that compromised interferon expression might contribute at least partially to the severity of disease. The mechanisms by which coronaviruses evade host innate antiviral response are under intense investigations. This review focuses on the fierce arms race between host innate antiviral immunity and emerging human coronaviruses. Particularly, the host pathogen recognition receptors and the signal transduction pathways to mount an effective antiviral response against SARS and MERS coronavirus infection are discussed. On the other hand, the counter-measures evolved by SARS and MERS coronaviruses to circumvent host defense are also dissected. With a better understanding of the dynamic interaction between host and coronaviruses, it is hoped that insights on the pathogenesis of newly-identified highly pathogenic human coronaviruses and new strategies in antiviral development can be derived.

Authors: Lok-Yin Roy Wong, Pak-Yin Lui, Dong-Yan Jin

Date Published: 1st Feb 2016

Publication Type: Journal

Dysregulated Type I Interferon and Inflammatory Monocyte-Macrophage Responses Cause Lethal Pneumonia in SARS-CoV-Infected Mice
COVID-19 Disease Map

Abstract (Expand)

Highly pathogenic human respiratory coronaviruses cause acute lethal disease characterized by exuberant inflammatory responses and lung damage. However, the factors leading to lung pathology are not … well understood. Using mice infected with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-CoV, we show that robust virus replication accompanied by delayed type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling orchestrates inflammatory responses and lung immunopathology with diminished survival. IFN-I remains detectable until after virus titers peak, but early IFN-I administration ameliorates immunopathology. This delayed IFN-I signaling promotes the accumulation of pathogenic inflammatory monocytemacrophages (IMMs), resulting in elevated lung cytokine/chemokine levels, vascular leakage, and impaired virus-specific T cell responses. Genetic ablation of the IFN-ab receptor (IFNAR) or IMM depletion protects mice from lethal infection, without affecting viral load. These results demonstrate that IFN-I and IMM promote lethal SARS-CoV infection and identify IFN-I and IMMs as potential therapeutic targets in patients infected with pathogenic coronavirus and perhaps other respiratory viruses.

Authors: Rudragouda Channappanavar, Anthony R. Fehr, Rahul Vijay, Matthias Mack, Jincun Zhao, David K. Meyerholz, Stanley Perlman

Date Published: 1st Feb 2016

Publication Type: Journal

ORF8-Related Genetic Evidence for Chinese Horseshoe Bats as the Source of Human Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
COVID-19 Disease Map

Abstract

Abstract. Several lineage B betacoronaviruses termed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)–like CoVs (SL-CoVs) were identified from Rhinolophus bats in Chin

Authors: Zhiqiang Wu, Li Yang, Xianwen Ren, Junpeng Zhang, Fan Yang, Shuyi Zhang, Qi Jin

Date Published: 21st Jan 2016

Publication Type: Journal

cy3sabiork: A Cytoscape app for visualizing kinetic data from SABIO-RK
Multi-Scale Models for Personalized Liver Function Tests (LiSyM-MM-PLF), Kinetics on the move - Workshop 2016

Abstract (Expand)

Kinetic data of biochemical reactions are essential for the creation of kinetic models of biochemical networks. One of the main resources of such information is SABIO-RK, a curated database for kinetic … data of biochemical reactions and their related information. Despite the importance for computational modelling there has been no simple solution to visualize the kinetic data from SABIO-RK. In this work, I present cy3sabiork, an app for querying and visualization of kinetic data from SABIO-RK in Cytoscape. The kinetic information is accessible via a combination of graph structure and annotations of nodes, with provided information consisting of: (I) reaction details, enzyme and organism; (II) kinetic law, formula, parameters; (III) experimental conditions; (IV) publication; (V) additional annotations. cy3sabiork creates an intuitive visualization of kinetic entries in form of a species-reaction-kinetics graph, which reflects the reaction-centered approach of SABIO-RK. Kinetic entries can be imported in SBML format from either the SABIO-RK web interface or via web service queries. The app allows for easy comparison of kinetic data, visual inspection of the elements involved in the kinetic record and simple access to the annotation information of the kinetic record. I applied cy3sabiork in the computational modelling of galactose metabolism in the human liver.

Author: Matthias König

Date Published: 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Search for a minimal set of parameters by assessing the total optimisation potential for a dynamic model of a biochemical network

Abstract (Expand)

Selecting an efficient small set of adjustable parameters to improve metabolic features of an organism is important for a reduction of implementation costs and risks of unpredicted side effects. In … practice, to avoid the analysis of a huge combinatorial space for the possible sets of adjustable parameters, experience-, and intuition-based subsets of parameters are often chosen, possibly leaving some interesting counter-intuitive combinations of parameters unrevealed. The combinatorial scan of possible adjustable parameter combinations at the model optimization level is possible; however, the number of analyzed combinations is still limited. The total optimization potential (TOP) approach is proposed to assess the full potential for increasing the value of the objective function by optimizing all possible adjustable parameters. This seemingly unpractical combination of adjustable parameters allows assessing the maximum attainable value of the objective function and stopping the combinatorial space scanning when the desired fraction of TOP is reached and any further increase in the number of adjustable parameters cannot bring any reasonable improvement. The relation between the number of adjustable parameters and the reachable fraction of TOP is a valuable guideline in choosing a rational solution for industrial implementation. The TOP approach is demonstrated on the basis of two case studies.

Authors: Egils Stalidzans, Ivars Mozga, Jurijs Sulins, Peteris Zikmanis

Date Published: 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

The role of HPV RNA transcription, immune response-related gene expression and disruptive TP53 mutations in diagnostic and prognostic profiling of head and neck cancer.
COVID-19 related studies and tools in Germany

Abstract (Expand)

Stratification of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) based on HPV16 DNA and RNA status, gene expression patterns, and mutated candidate genes may facilitate patient treatment decision. We … characterize head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) with different HPV16 DNA and RNA (E6*I) status from 290 consecutively recruited patients by gene expression profiling and targeted sequencing of 50 genes. We show that tumors with transcriptionally inactive HPV16 (DNA+ RNA-) are similar to HPV-negative (DNA-) tumors regarding gene expression and frequency of TP53 mutations (47%, 8/17 and 43%, 72/167, respectively). We also find that an immune response-related gene expression cluster is associated with lymph node metastasis, independent of HPV16 status and that disruptive TP53 mutations are associated with lymph node metastasis in HPV16 DNA- tumors. We validate each of these associations in another large data set. Four gene expression clusters which we identify differ moderately but significantly in overall survival. Our findings underscore the importance of measuring the HPV16 RNA (E6*I) and TP53-mutation status for patient stratification and identify associations of an immune response-related gene expression cluster and TP53 mutations with lymph node metastasis in HNSCC.

Authors: G. Wichmann, M. Rosolowski, K. Krohn, M. Kreuz, A. Boehm, A. Reiche, U. Scharrer, D. Halama, J. Bertolini, U. Bauer, D. Holzinger, M. Pawlita, J. Hess, C. Engel, D. Hasenclever, M. Scholz, P. Ahnert, H. Kirsten, A. Hemprich, C. Wittekind, O. Herbarth, F. Horn, A. Dietz, M. Loeffler

Date Published: 15th Dec 2015

Publication Type: Journal

Quantitative analysis of drug effects at the whole-body level: a case study for glucose metabolism in malaria patients
Whole body modelling of glucose metabolism in malaria patients

Abstract (Expand)

We propose a hierarchical modelling approach to construct models for disease states at the whole-body level. Such models can simulate effects of drug-induced inhibition of reaction steps on the whole-body … physiology. We illustrate the approach for glucose metabolism in malaria patients, by merging two detailed kinetic models for glucose metabolism in the parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the human red blood cell with a coarse-grained model for whole-body glucose metabolism. In addition we use a genome-scale metabolic model for the parasite to predict amino acid production profiles by the malaria parasite that can be used as a complex biomarker.

Authors: J. L. Snoep, K. Green, J. Eicher, D. C. Palm, G. Penkler, F. du Toit, N. Walters, R. Burger, H. V. Westerhoff, D. D. van Niekerk

Date Published: 27th Nov 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Subcellular Distribution of NAD+ between Cytosol and Mitochondria Determines the Metabolic Profile of Human Cells.
NAD COMPARTMENTATION

Abstract (Expand)

The mitochondrial NAD pool is particularly important for the maintenance of vital cellular functions. Although at least in some fungi and plants, mitochondrial NAD is imported from the cytosol by carrier … proteins, in mammals, the mechanism of how this organellar pool is generated has remained obscure. A transporter mediating NAD import into mammalian mitochondria has not been identified. In contrast, human recombinant NMNAT3 localizes to the mitochondrial matrix and is able to catalyze NAD(+) biosynthesis in vitro. However, whether the endogenous NMNAT3 protein is functionally effective at generating NAD(+) in mitochondria of intact human cells still remains to be demonstrated. To modulate mitochondrial NAD(+) content, we have expressed plant and yeast mitochondrial NAD(+) carriers in human cells and observed a profound increase in mitochondrial NAD(+). None of the closest human homologs of these carriers had any detectable effect on mitochondrial NAD(+) content. Surprisingly, constitutive redistribution of NAD(+) from the cytosol to the mitochondria by stable expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondrial NAD(+) transporter NDT2 in HEK293 cells resulted in dramatic growth retardation and a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis, despite the elevated mitochondrial NAD(+) levels. These results suggest that a mitochondrial NAD(+) transporter, similar to the known one from A. thaliana, is likely absent and could even be harmful in human cells. We provide further support for the alternative possibility, namely intramitochondrial NAD(+) synthesis, by demonstrating the presence of endogenous NMNAT3 in the mitochondria of human cells.

Authors: M. R. VanLinden, C. Dolle, I. K. Pettersen, V. A. Kulikova, M. Niere, G. Agrimi, S. E. Dyrstad, F. Palmieri, A. A. Nikiforov, K. J. Tronstad, M. Ziegler

Date Published: 13th Nov 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Data2Dynamics: a modeling environment tailored to parameter estimation in dynamical systems.
SBEpo - Systems Biology of Erythropoietin

Abstract (Expand)

UNLABELLED: Modeling of dynamical systems using ordinary differential equations is a popular approach in the field of systems biology. Two of the most critical steps in this approach are to construct … dynamical models of biochemical reaction networks for large datasets and complex experimental conditions and to perform efficient and reliable parameter estimation for model fitting. We present a modeling environment for MATLAB that pioneers these challenges. The numerically expensive parts of the calculations such as the solving of the differential equations and of the associated sensitivity system are parallelized and automatically compiled into efficient C code. A variety of parameter estimation algorithms as well as frequentist and Bayesian methods for uncertainty analysis have been implemented and used on a range of applications that lead to publications. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The Data2Dynamics modeling environment is MATLAB based, open source and freely available at http://www.data2dynamics.org. CONTACT: andreas.raue@fdm.uni-freiburg.de SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Authors: A. Raue, B. Steiert, M. Schelker, C. Kreutz, T. Maiwald, H. Hass, J. Vanlier, C. Tonsing, L. Adlung, R. Engesser, W. Mader, T. Heinemann, J. Hasenauer, M. Schilling, T. Hofer, E. Klipp, F. Theis, U. Klingmuller, B. Schoberl, J. Timmer

Date Published: 1st Nov 2015

Publication Type: Journal

Current and Future Chemotherapy for Chagas Disease.
NMTrypI - New Medicines for Trypanosomatidic Infections

Abstract (Expand)

Human American trypanosomiasis, commonly called Chagas disease, is one of the most neglected illnesses in the world and remains one of the most prevalent chronic infectious diseases of Latin America … with thousands of new cases every year. The only treatments available have been introduced five decades ago. They have serious, undesirable side effects and disputed benefits in the chronic stage of the disease - a characteristic and debilitating cardiomyopathy and/or megavisceras. Several laboratories have therefore focused their efforts in finding better drugs. Although recent years have brought new clinical trials, these are few and lack diversity in terms of drug mechanism of action, thus resulting in a weak drug discovery pipeline. This fragility has been recently exposed by the failure of two candidates; posaconazole and E1224, to sterilely cure patients in phase 2 clinical trials. Such setbacks highlight the need for continuous, novel and high quality drug discovery and development efforts to discover better and safer treatments. In this article we will review past and current findings on drug discovery for Trypanosoma cruzi made by academic research groups, industry and other research organizations over the last half century. We also analyze the current research landscape that is now better placed than ever to deliver alternative treatments for Chagas disease in the near future.

Authors: L. Gaspar, C. B. Moraes, L. H. Freitas-Junior, S. Ferrari, L. Costantino, M. P. Costi, R. P. Coron, T. K. Smith, J. L. Siqueira-Neto, J. H. McKerrow, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva

Date Published: 20th Oct 2015

Publication Type: Journal

Defining the robust behaviour of the plant clock gene circuit with absolute RNA timeseries and open infrastructure
Millar group

Abstract (Expand)

Our understanding of the complex, transcriptional feedback loops in the circadian clock mechanism has depended upon quantitative, timeseries data from disparate sources. We measure clock gene RNA … profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, grown with or without exogenous sucrose, or in soil-grown plants and in wild-type and mutant backgrounds. The RNA profiles were strikingly robust across the experimental conditions, so current mathematical models are likely to be broadly applicable in leaf tissue. In addition to providing reference data, unexpected behaviours included co-expression of PRR9 and ELF4, and regulation of PRR5 by GI. Absolute RNA quantification revealed low levels of PRR9 transcripts (peak approx. 50 copies cell(-1)) compared with other clock genes, and threefold higher levels of LHY RNA (more than 1500 copies cell(-1)) than of its close relative CCA1. The data are disseminated from BioDare, an online repository for focused timeseries data, which is expected to benefit mechanistic modelling. One data subset successfully constrained clock gene expression in a complex model, using publicly available software on parallel computers, without expert tuning or programming. We outline the empirical and mathematical justification for data aggregation in understanding highly interconnected, dynamic networks such as the clock, and the observed design constraints on the resources required to make this approach widely accessible.

Authors: A. Flis, A. P. Fernandez, T. Zielinski, V. Mengin, R. Sulpice, K. Stratford, A. Hume, A. Pokhilko, M. M. Southern, D. D. Seaton, H. G. McWatters, M. Stitt, K. J. Halliday, A. J. Millar

Date Published: 16th Oct 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

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