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626 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 626
Hepatocytes contribute to residual glucose production in a mouse model for glycogen storage disease type Ia.

Abstract (Expand)

It is a long-standing enigma how glycogen storage disease (GSD) type I patients retain a limited capacity for endogenous glucose production despite the loss of glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Insight … into the source of residual endogenous glucose production is of clinical importance given the risk of sudden death in these patients, but so far contradictory mechanisms have been proposed. We investigated glucose-6-phosphatase-independent endogenous glucose production in hepatocytes isolated from a liver-specific GSD Ia mouse model (L-G6pc(-/-) mice) and performed real-time analysis of hepatic glucose fluxes and glycogen metabolism in L-G6pc(-/-) mice using state-of-the-art stable isotope methodologies. Here we show that G6pc-deficient hepatocytes are capable of producing glucose. In vivo analysis of hepatic glucose metabolism revealed that the hepatic glucokinase flux was decreased by 95% in L-G6pc(-/-) mice. It also showed increased glycogen phosphorylase flux in L-G6pc(-/-) mice, which is coupled to the release of free glucose through glycogen debranching. Although the ex vivo activities of debranching enzyme and lysosomal acid maltase, two major hepatic alpha-glucosidases, were unaltered in L-G6pc(-/-) mice, pharmacological inhibition of alpha-glucosidase activity almost completely abolished residual glucose production by G6pc-deficient hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that hepatocytes contribute to residual glucose production in GSD Ia. We show that alpha-glucosidase activity, i.e. glycogen debranching and/or lysosomal glycogen breakdown, contributes to residual glucose production by GSD Ia hepatocytes. A strong reduction in hepatic GCK flux in L-G6pc-/- mice furthermore limits the phosphorylation of free glucose synthesized by G6pc-deficient hepatocytes, allowing the release of glucose into the circulation. The almost complete abrogation of GCK flux in G6pc-deficient liver also explains the contradictory reports on residual glucose production in GSD Ia patients. (Hepatology 2017;66:2042-2054).

Authors: B. S. Hijmans, A. Boss, T. H. van Dijk, M. Soty, H. Wolters, E. Mutel, A. K. Groen, T. G. J. Derks, G. Mithieux, A. Heerschap, D. J. Reijngoud, F. Rajas, M. H. Oosterveer

Date Published: 21st Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

MaBoSS 2.0: an environment for stochastic Boolean modeling.

Abstract (Expand)

Motivation: Modeling of signaling pathways is an important step towards the understanding and the treatment of diseases such as cancers, HIV or auto-immune diseases. MaBoSS is a software that allows … to simulate populations of cells and to model stochastically the intracellular mechanisms that are deregulated in diseases. MaBoSS provides an output of a Boolean model in the form of time-dependent probabilities, for all biological entities (genes, proteins, phenotypes, etc.) of the model. Results: We present a new version of MaBoSS (2.0), including an updated version of the core software and an environment. With this environment, the needs for modeling signaling pathways are facilitated, including model construction, visualization, simulations of mutations, drug treatments and sensitivity analyses. It offers a framework for automated production of theoretical predictions. Availability and Implementation: MaBoSS software can be found at https://maboss.curie.fr , including tutorials on existing models and examples of models. Contact: gautier.stoll@upmc.fr or laurence.calzone@curie.fr. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Authors: G. Stoll, B. Caron, E. Viara, A. Dugourd, A. Zinovyev, A. Naldi, G. Kroemer, E. Barillot, L. Calzone

Date Published: 15th Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Systems biology of the modified branched Entner-Doudoroff pathway in Sulfolobus solfataricus.

Abstract (Expand)

Sulfolobus solfataricus is a thermoacidophilic Archaeon that thrives in terrestrial hot springs (solfatares) with optimal growth at 80 degrees C and pH 2-4. It catabolizes specific carbon sources, such … as D-glucose, to pyruvate via the modified Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway. This pathway has two parallel branches, the semi-phosphorylative and the non-phosphorylative. However, the strategy of S.solfataricus to endure in such an extreme environment in terms of robustness and adaptation is not yet completely understood. Here, we present the first dynamic mathematical model of the ED pathway parameterized with quantitative experimental data. These data consist of enzyme activities of the branched pathway at 70 degrees C and 80 degrees C and of metabolomics data at the same temperatures for the wild type and for a metabolic engineered knockout of the semi-phosphorylative branch. We use the validated model to address two questions: 1. Is this system more robust to perturbations at its optimal growth temperature? 2. Is the ED robust to deletion and perturbations? We employed a systems biology approach to answer these questions and to gain further knowledge on the emergent properties of this biological system. Specifically, we applied deterministic and stochastic approaches to study the sensitivity and robustness of the system, respectively. The mathematical model we present here, shows that: 1. Steady state metabolite concentrations of the ED pathway are consistently more robust to stochastic internal perturbations at 80 degrees C than at 70 degrees C; 2. These metabolite concentrations are highly robust when faced with the knockout of either branch. Connected with this observation, these two branches show different properties at the level of metabolite production and flux control. These new results reveal how enzyme kinetics and metabolomics synergizes with mathematical modelling to unveil new systemic properties of the ED pathway in S.solfataricus in terms of its adaptation and robustness.

Authors: A. S. Figueiredo, T. Kouril, D. Esser, P. Haferkamp, P. Wieloch, D. Schomburg, P. Ruoff, B. Siebers, J. Schaber

Date Published: 12th Jul 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Application of a simple quantum chemical approach to ligand fragment scoring for Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 inhibition.

Abstract (Expand)

There is a need for improved and generally applicable scoring functions for fragment-based approaches to ligand design. Here, we evaluate the performance of a computationally efficient model for … inhibitory activity estimation, which is composed only of multipole electrostatic energy and dispersion energy terms that approximate long-range ab initio quantum mechanical interaction energies. We find that computed energies correlate well with inhibitory activity for a compound series with varying substituents targeting two subpockets of the binding site of Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1. For one subpocket, we find that the model is more predictive for inhibitory activity than the ab initio interaction energy calculated at the MP2 level. Furthermore, the model is found to outperform a commonly used empirical scoring method. Finally, we show that the results for the two subpockets can be combined, which suggests that this simple nonempirical scoring function could be applied in fragment-based drug design.

Authors: W. Jedwabny, J. Panecka-Hofman, E. Dyguda-Kazimierowicz, R. C. Wade, W. A. Sokalski

Date Published: 9th Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

TRAPP webserver: predicting protein binding site flexibility and detecting transient binding pockets.

Abstract (Expand)

The TRAnsient Pockets in Proteins (TRAPP) webserver provides an automated workflow that allows users to explore the dynamics of a protein binding site and to detect pockets or sub-pockets that may … transiently open due to protein internal motion. These transient or cryptic sub-pockets may be of interest in the design and optimization of small molecular inhibitors for a protein target of interest. The TRAPP workflow consists of the following three modules: (i) TRAPP structure- generation of an ensemble of structures using one or more of four possible molecular simulation methods; (ii) TRAPP analysis-superposition and clustering of the binding site conformations either in an ensemble of structures generated in step (i) or in PDB structures or trajectories uploaded by the user; and (iii) TRAPP pocket-detection, analysis, and visualization of the binding pocket dynamics and characteristics, such as volume, solvent-exposed area or properties of surrounding residues. A standard sequence conservation score per residue or a differential score per residue, for comparing on- and off-targets, can be calculated and displayed on the binding pocket for an uploaded multiple sequence alignment file, and known protein sequence annotations can be displayed simultaneously. The TRAPP webserver is freely available at http://trapp.h-its.org.

Authors: A. Stank, D. B. Kokh, M. Horn, E. Sizikova, R. Neil, J. Panecka, S. Richter, R. C. Wade

Date Published: 3rd Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Pathogenic human coronavirus infections: causes and consequences of cytokine storm and immunopathology

Abstract (Expand)

Human coronaviruses (hCoVs) can be divided into low pathogenic and highly pathogenic coronaviruses. The low pathogenic CoVs infect the upper respiratory tract and cause mild, cold-like respiratory … illness. In contrast, highly pathogenic hCoVs such as severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) predominantly infect lower airways and cause fatal pneumonia. Severe pneumonia caused by pathogenic hCoVs is often associated with rapid virus replication, massive inflammatory cell infiltration and elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine responses resulting in acute lung injury (ALI), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recent studies in experimentally infected animal strongly suggest a crucial role for virus-induced immunopathological events in causing fatal pneumonia after hCoV infections. Here we review the current understanding of how a dysregulated immune response may cause lung immunopathology leading to deleterious clinical manifestations after pathogenic hCoV infections.

Authors: Rudragouda Channappanavar, Stanley Perlman

Date Published: 1st Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Biphasic response as a mechanism against mutant takeover in tissue homeostasis circuits

Abstract (Expand)

Tissues use feedback circuits in which cells send signals to each other to control their growth and survival. We show that such feed- back circuits are inherently unstable to mutants that misread the … signal level: Mutants have a growth advantage to take over the tissue, and cannot be eliminated by known cell-intrinsic mecha- nisms. To resolve this, we propose that tissues have biphasic responses in which the signal is toxic at both high and low levels, such as glucotoxicity of beta cells, excitotoxicity in neurons, and toxicity of growth factors to T cells. This gives most of these mutants a frequency-dependent selective disadvantage, which leads to their elimination. However, the biphasic mechanisms create a new unstable fixed point in the feedback circuit beyond which runaway processes can occur, leading to risk of diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disease. Hence, glucotoxicity, which is a dangerous cause of diabetes, may have a protective anti- mutant effect. Biphasic responses in tissues may provide an evolu- tionary stable strategy that avoids invasion by commonly occurring mutants, but at the same time cause vulnerability to disease.

Authors: Omer Karin, Uri Alon

Date Published: 26th Jun 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Modeling metabolic networks including gene expression and uncertainties

Abstract (Expand)

Constraint based methods, such as the Flux Balance Analysis, are widely used to model cellular growth processes without relying on extensive information on the regulatory features. The regulation is … instead substituted by an optimization problem usually aiming at maximal biomass accumulation. A recent extension to these methods called the dynamic enzyme-cost Flux Balance Analysis (deFBA) is a fully dynamic modeling method allowing for the prediction of necessary enzyme levels under changing environmental conditions. However, this method was designed for deterministic settings in which all dynamics, parameters, etc. are exactly known. In this work, we present a theoretical framework extending the deFBA to handle uncertainties and provide a robust solution. We use the ideas from multi-stage nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC) and its feature to represent the evolution of uncertainties by an exponentially growing scenario tree. While this representation is able to construct a deterministic optimization problem in the presence of uncertainties, the computational cost also increases exponentially. We counter this by using a receding prediction horizon and reshape the standard deFBA to the short-time deFBA (sdeFBA). This leads us, along with further simplification of the scenario tree, to the robust deFBA (rdeFBA). This framework is capable of handling the uncertainties in the model itself as well as uncertainties experienced by the modeled system. We applied these algorithms to two case-studies: a minimal enzymatic nutrient uptake network, and the abstraction of the core metabolic process in bacteria.

Authors: Henning Lindhorst, Sergio Lucia, Rolf Findeisen, Steffen Waldherr

Date Published: 13th Jun 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Miniaturized and automated adaptive laboratory evolution: Evolving Corynebacterium glutamicum towards an improved d-xylose utilization.

Abstract (Expand)

Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) is increasingly being used as a technique for untargeted strain optimization. This work aimed at developing an automated and miniaturized ALE approach based on … repetitive batch cultivations in microtiter plates. The new method is applied to the recently published strain Corynebacterium glutamicum pEKEx3-xylXABCDCc, which is capable of utilizing d-xylose via the Weimberg (WMB) pathway. As a result, the significantly improved strain WMB2evo was obtained, showing a specific growth rate of 0.26h-1 on d-xylose as sole carbon and energy source. WMB2evo grows stable during lab-scale bioreactor operation, demonstrating the high potential of this strain for future biorefinery applications. Genome sequencing of cell samples from two different ALE processes revealed potential key mutations, e.g. in the gene cg0196 (encoding for the transcriptional regulator IolR of the myo-inositol metabolism). These findings open up new perspectives for the rational engineering of C. glutamicum towards improved d-xylose utilization.

Authors: A. Radek, N. Tenhaef, M. F. Muller, C. Brusseler, W. Wiechert, J. Marienhagen, T. Polen, S. Noack

Date Published: 30th May 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Oxidative Stickland reactions in an obligate aerobic organism - amino acid catabolism in the Crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

Abstract (Expand)

The thermoacidophilic Crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus is a model organism for archaeal adaptation to extreme environments and renowned for its ability to degrade a broad variety of substrates. It … has been well characterised concerning the utilisation of numerous carbohydrates as carbon source. However, its amino acid metabolism, especially the degradation of single amino acids, is not as well understood. In this work, we performed metabolic modelling as well as metabolome, transcriptome and proteome analysis on cells grown on caseinhydrolysate as carbon source in order to draw a comprehensive picture of amino acid metabolism in S. solfataricus P2. We found that 10 out of 16 detectable amino acids are imported from the growth medium. Overall, uptake of glutamate, methionine, leucine, phenylalanine and isoleucine was the highest of all observed amino acids. Our simulations predict an incomplete degradation of leucine and tyrosine to organic acids, and in accordance with this, we detected the export of branched-chain and aromatic organic acids as well as amino acids, ammonium and trehalose into the culture supernatants. The branched-chain amino acids as well as phenylalanine and tyrosine are degraded to organic acids via oxidative Stickland reactions. Such reactions are known for prokaryotes capable of anaerobic growth, but so far have never been observed in an obligate aerobe. Also, 3-methyl-2-butenoate and 2-methyl-2-butenoate are for the first time found as products of modified Stickland reactions for the degradation of branched-chain amino acids. This work presents the first detailed description of branched-chain and aromatic amino acid catabolism in S. solfataricus.

Authors: Helge Stark, Jacqueline Wolf, Andreas Albersmeier, Trong K. Pham, Julia D. Hofmann, Bettina Siebers, Jörn Kalinowski, Phillip C. Wright, Meina Neumann-Schaal, Dietmar Schomburg

Date Published: 29th May 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

The Future of Drug Development for Neglected Tropical Diseases: How the European Commission Can Continue to Make a Difference.

Abstract (Expand)

In this article, the four coordinators of neglected tropical disease (NTD) drug development projects funded under the European Commission (EC) Framework Programme 7 argue that the EC should reassess … their funding strategy to cover the steps necessary to translate a lead compound into a drug candidate for testing in clinical trials, and suggest ways in which this might be achieved.

Authors: R. J. Pierce, J. MacDougall, R. Leurs, M. P. Costi

Date Published: 23rd May 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Antimalarial efficacy of MMV390048, an inhibitor of Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase

Abstract (Expand)

MMV390048, a member of a new class of inhibitors of the Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, shows potential for both treatment and prophylaxis. …e, shows potential for both treatment and prophylaxis.

Authors: Tanya Paquet, Claire Le Manach, Diego González Cabrera, Yassir Younis, Philipp P. Henrich, Tara S. Abraham, Marcus C. S. Lee, Rajshekhar Basak, Sonja Ghidelli-Disse, María José Lafuente-Monasterio, Marcus Bantscheff, Andrea Ruecker, Andrew M. Blagborough, Sara E. Zakutansky, Anne-Marie Zeeman, Karen L. White, David M. Shackleford, Janne Mannila, Julia Morizzi, Christian Scheurer, Iñigo Angulo-Barturen, María Santos Martínez, Santiago Ferrer, Laura María Sanz, Francisco Javier Gamo, Janette Reader, Mariette Botha, Koen J. Dechering, Robert W. Sauerwein, Anchalee Tungtaeng, Pattaraporn Vanachayangkul, Chek Shik Lim, Jeremy Burrows, Michael J. Witty, Kennan C. Marsh, Christophe Bodenreider, Rosemary Rochford, Suresh M. Solapure, María Belén Jiménez-Díaz, Sergio Wittlin, Susan A. Charman, Cristina Donini, Brice Campo, Lyn-Marie Birkholtz, Kirsten K. Hanson, Gerard Drewes, Clemens H. M. Kocken, Michael J. Delves, Didier Leroy, David A. Fidock, David Waterson, Leslie J. Street, Kelly Chibale

Date Published: 26th Apr 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals perturbation of lipid metabolic pathways in the liver of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) treated with PCB 153

Abstract (Expand)

PCB 153 is one of the most abundant PCB congeners detected in biological samples. It is a persistent compound that is still present in the environment despite the ban on production and use of PCBs in … the late 1970s. It has strong tendencies to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in biota, and studies have suggested that it is an endocrine and metabolic disruptor. In order to study mechanisms of toxicity, we exposed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) to various doses of PCB 153 (0, 0.5, 2 and 8 mg/kg body weight) for two weeks and examined the effects on expression of liver proteins using label-free quantitative proteomics. Label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the liver proteome resulted in the quantification of 1272 proteins, of which 78 proteins were differentially regulated in the PCB 153-treated dose groups compared to the control group. Functional enrichment analysis showed that pathways significantly affected are related to the lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal remodeling, cell cycle and cell adhesion. Importantly, the main effects appear to be on lipid metabolism, with up-regulation of enzymes in the de novo fatty acid synthesis pathway, consistent with previous transcriptomics results. Increased plasma triglyceride levels were also observed in the PCB 153 treated fish, in agreement with the induction of the lipogenic genes and proteins. The results suggest that PCB 153 perturbs lipid metabolism in the Atlantic cod liver. Elevated levels of lipogenic enzymes and plasma triglycerides further suggest increased synthesis of fatty acids and triglycerides.

Author: Fekadu Yadetie, Eystein Oveland, Anne Døskeland, Frode Berven Anders Goksøyr, Odd André Karlsen

Date Published: 1st Apr 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Exercise-Induced Fitness Changes Correlate with Changes in Neural Specificity in Older Adults

Abstract (Expand)

Neural specificity refers to the degree to which neural representations of different stimuli can be distinguished. Evidence suggests that neural specificity, operationally defined as stimulus-related … differences in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns, declines with advancing adult age, and that individual differences in neural specificity are associated with individual differences in fluid intelligence. A growing body of literature also suggests that regular physical activity may help preserve cognitive abilities in old age. Based on this literature, we hypothesized that exercise-induced improvements in fitness would be associated with greater neural specificity among older adults. A total of 52 adults aged 59–74 years were randomly assigned to one of two aerobic-fitness training regimens, which differed in intensity. Participants in both groups trained three times a week on stationary bicycles. In the low-intensity (LI) group, the resistance was kept constant at a low level (10 Watts). In the high-intensity (HI) group, the resistance depended on participants’ heart rate and therefore typically increased with increasing fitness. Before and after the 6-month training phase, participants took part in a functional MRI experiment in which they viewed pictures of faces and buildings. We used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to estimate the distinctiveness of neural activation patterns in ventral visual cortex (VVC) evoked by face or building stimuli. Fitness was also assessed before and after training. In line with our hypothesis, training-induced changes in fitness were positively associated with changes in neural specificity. We conclude that physical activity may protect against age-related declines in neural specificity.

Authors: Maike M. Kleemeyer, Thad A. Polk, Sabine Schaefer, Nils C. Bodammer, Lars Brechtel, Ulman Lindenberger

Date Published: 16th Mar 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Chroman-4-One Derivatives Targeting Pteridine Reductase 1 and Showing Anti-Parasitic Activity.

Abstract (Expand)

Flavonoids have previously been identified as antiparasitic agents and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) inhibitors. Herein, we focus our attention on the chroman-4-one scaffold. Three chroman-4-one analogues … (1-3) of previously published chromen-4-one derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated against parasitic enzymes (Trypanosoma brucei PTR1-TbPTR1 and Leishmania major-LmPTR1) and parasites (Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania infantum). A crystal structure of TbPTR1 in complex with compound 1 and the first crystal structures of LmPTR1-flavanone complexes (compounds 1 and 3) were solved. The inhibitory activity of the chroman-4-one and chromen-4-one derivatives was explained by comparison of observed and predicted binding modes of the compounds. Compound 1 showed activity both against the targeted enzymes and the parasites with a selectivity index greater than 7 and a low toxicity. Our results provide a basis for further scaffold optimization and structure-based drug design aimed at the identification of potent anti-trypanosomatidic compounds targeting multiple PTR1 variants.

Authors: F. Di Pisa, G. Landi, L. Dello Iacono, C. Pozzi, C. Borsari, S. Ferrari, M. Santucci, N. Santarem, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, C. B. Moraes, L. M. Alcantara, V. Fontana, L. H. Freitas-Junior, S. Gul, M. Kuzikov, B. Behrens, I. Pohner, R. C. Wade, M. P. Costi, S. Mangani

Date Published: 8th Mar 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Second-Generation Engineering of a Thermostable Transketolase (TK Gst ) for Aliphatic Aldehyde Acceptors with Either Improved or Reversed Stereoselectivity

Abstract (Expand)

The transketolase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus (TKGst) is a thermostable enzyme with notable high activity and stability at elevated temperatures, but it accepts non‐α‐hydroxylated aldehydes … only with low efficiency. Here we report a protein engineering study of TKGst based on double‐site saturation mutagenesis either at Leu191 or at Phe435 in combination with Asp470; these are the residues responsible for substrate binding in the active site. Screening of the mutagenesis libraries resulted in several positive variants with activity towards propanal up to 7.4 times higher than that of the wild type. Variants F435L/D470E and L191V/D470I exhibited improved (73 % ee, 3S) and inverted (74 % ee, 3R) stereoselectivity, respectively, for propanal. L191V, L382F/E, F435L, and D470/D470I were concluded to be positive mutations at Leu191, Leu382, Phe435, and Asp470 both for activity and for stereoselectivity improvement. These results should benefit further engineering of TKGst for various applications in asymmetric carboligation.

Authors: Chaoqiang Zhou, Thangavelu Saravanan, Marion Lorillière, Dongzhi Wei, Franck Charmantray, Laurence Hecquet, Wolf-Dieter Fessner, Dong Yi

Date Published: 2nd Mar 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

SABIO-RK, von Daten in der Publikation zur Suchlösung für Spezialisten

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Wolfgang Müller, Meik Bittkowski, Martin Golebiewski, Renate Kania, Maja Rey, Andreas Weidemann, Ulrike Wittig

Date Published: 1st Mar 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Specifications of Standards in Systems and Synthetic Biology: Status and Developments in 2016.

Abstract (Expand)

Standards are essential to the advancement of science and technology. In systems and synthetic biology, numerous standards and associated tools have been developed over the last 16 years. This special … issue of the Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics aims to support the exchange, distribution and archiving of these standards, as well as to provide centralised and easily citable access to them.

Authors: F. Schreiber, G. D. Bader, P. Gleeson, M. Golebiewski, M. Hucka, N. Le Novere, C. Myers, D. Nickerson, B. Sommer, D. Walthemath

Date Published: 12th Feb 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Linking circadian time to growth rate quantitatively via carbon metabolism

Abstract (Expand)

Summary paragraph Predicting a multicellular organism’s phenotype quantitatively from its genotype is challenging, as genetic effects must propagate up time and length scales. Circadian clocks are …length scales. Circadian clocks are intracellular regulators that control temporal gene expression patterns and hence metabolism, physiology and behaviour, from sleep/wake cycles in mammals to flowering in plants 1–3 . Clock genes are rarely essential but appropriate alleles can confer a competitive advantage 4,5 and have been repeatedly selected during crop domestication 3,6 . Here we quantitatively explain and predict canonical phenotypes of circadian timing in a multicellular, model organism. We used metabolic and physiological data to combine and extend mathematical models of rhythmic gene expression, photoperiod-dependent flowering, elongation growth and starch metabolism within a Framework Model for growth of Arabidopsis thaliana 7–9 . The model predicted the effect of altered circadian timing upon each particular phenotype in clock-mutant plants. Altered night-time metabolism of stored starch accounted for most but not all of the decrease in whole-plant growth rate. Altered mobilisation of a secondary store of organic acids explained the remaining defect. Our results link genotype through specific processes to higher-level phenotypes, formalising our understanding of a subtle, pleiotropic syndrome at the whole-organism level, and validating the systems approach to understand complex traits starting from intracellular circuits.

Authors: Yin Hoon Chew, Daniel D. Seaton, Virginie Mengin, Anna Flis, Sam T. Mugford, Alison M. Smith, Mark Stitt, Andrew J Millar

Date Published: 6th Feb 2017

Publication Type: Tech report

The Arabidopsis Framework Model version 2 predicts the organism-level effects of circadian clock gene mis-regulation

Abstract (Expand)

Predicting a multicellular organism’s phenotype quantitatively from its genotype is challenging, as genetic effects must propagate across scales. Circadian clocks are intracellular regulators that … control temporal gene expression patterns and hence metabolism, physiology and behaviour. Here we explain and predict canonical phenotypes of circadian timing in a multicellular, model organism. We used diverse metabolic and physiological data to combine and extend mathematical models of rhythmic gene expression, photoperiod-dependent flowering, elongation growth and starch metabolism within a Framework Model for the vegetative growth of Arabidopsis thaliana, sharing the model and data files in a structured, public resource. The calibrated model predicted the effect of altered circadian timing upon each particular phenotype in clock-mutant plants under standard laboratory conditions. Altered night-time metabolism of stored starch accounted for most of the decrease in whole-plant biomass, as previously proposed. Mobilisation of a secondary store of malate and fumarate was also mis-regulated, accounting for any remaining biomass defect. We test three candidate mechanisms for the accumulation of these organic acids. Our results link genotype through specific processes to higher-level phenotypes, formalising our understanding of a subtle, pleiotropic syndrome at the whole-organism level, and validating the systems approach to understand complex traits starting from intracellular circuits. This work updates the first biorXiv version, February 2017,with an expanded description and additional analysis of the same core data sets and the same FMv2 model, summary tables and supporting, follow-on data from three further studies with further collaborators. This biorXiv revision constitutes the second version of this report.

Authors: Yin Hoon Chew, Daniel D. Seaton, Virginie Mengin, Anna Flis, Sam T. Mugford, Gavin M. George, Michael Moulin, Alastair Hume, Samuel C. Zeeman, Teresa B. Fitzpatrick, Alison M. Smith, Mark Stitt, Andrew J. Millar

Date Published: 6th Feb 2017

Publication Type: Tech report

miRNA profiling of human naive CD4 T cells links miR-34c-5p to cell activation and HIV replication.

Abstract (Expand)

Cell activation is a vital step for T-cell memory/effector differentiation as well as for productive HIV infection. To identify novel regulators of this process, we used next-generation sequencing to … profile changes in microRNA expression occurring in purified human naive CD4 T cells in response to TCR stimulation and/or HIV infection. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the transcriptional up-regulation of miR-34c-5p in response to TCR stimulation in naive CD4 T cells. The induction of this miR was further consistently found to be reduced by both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections. Overexpression of miR-34c-5p led to changes in the expression of several genes involved in TCR signaling and cell activation, confirming its role as a novel regulator of naive CD4 T-cell activation. We additionally show that miR-34c-5p promotes HIV-1 replication, suggesting that its down-regulation during HIV infection may be part of an anti-viral host response.

Authors: A. J. Amaral, J. Andrade, R. B. Foxall, P. Matoso, A. M. Matos, R. S. Soares, C. Rocha, C. G. Ramos, R. Tendeiro, A. Serra-Caetano, J. A. Guerra-Assuncao, M. Santa-Marta, J. Goncalves, M. Gama-Carvalho, A. E. Sousa

Date Published: 1st Feb 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Methoxylated 2'-hydroxychalcones as antiparasitic hit compounds.

Abstract (Expand)

Chalcones display a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Herein, a series of 2'-hydroxy methoxylated chalcones was synthesized and evaluated towards Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi … and Leishmania infantum. Among the synthesized library, compounds 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 were the most potent and selective anti-T. brucei compounds (EC50 = 1.3-4.2 muM, selectivity index >10-fold). Compound 4 showed the best early-tox and antiparasitic profile. The pharmacokinetic studies of compound 4 in BALB/c mice using hydroxypropil-beta-cyclodextrins formulation showed a 7.5 times increase in oral bioavailability.

Authors: C. Borsari, N. Santarem, J. Torrado, A. I. Olias, M. J. Corral, C. Baptista, S. Gul, M. Wolf, M. Kuzikov, B. Ellinger, G. Witt, P. Gribbon, J. Reinshagen, P. Linciano, A. Tait, L. Costantino, L. H. Freitas-Junior, C. B. Moraes, P. Bruno Dos Santos, L. M. Alcantara, C. H. Franco, C. D. Bertolacini, V. Fontana, P. Tejera Nevado, J. Clos, J. M. Alunda, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, S. Ferrari, M. P. Costi

Date Published: 27th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Protein abundance of AKT and ERK pathway components governs cell type-specific regulation of proliferation.

Abstract (Expand)

Signaling through the AKT and ERK pathways controls cell proliferation. However, the integrated regulation of this multistep process, involving signal processing, cell growth and cell cycle progression, … is poorly understood. Here, we study different hematopoietic cell types, in which AKT and ERK signaling is triggered by erythropoietin (Epo). Although these cell types share the molecular network topology for pro-proliferative Epo signaling, they exhibit distinct proliferative responses. Iterating quantitative experiments and mathematical modeling, we identify two molecular sources for cell type-specific proliferation. First, cell type-specific protein abundance patterns cause differential signal flow along the AKT and ERK pathways. Second, downstream regulators of both pathways have differential effects on proliferation, suggesting that protein synthesis is rate-limiting for faster cycling cells while slower cell cycles are controlled at the G1-S progression. The integrated mathematical model of Epo-driven proliferation explains cell type-specific effects of targeted AKT and ERK inhibitors and faithfully predicts, based on the protein abundance, anti-proliferative effects of inhibitors in primary human erythroid progenitor cells. Our findings suggest that the effectiveness of targeted cancer therapy might become predictable from protein abundance.

Authors: L. Adlung, S. Kar, M. C. Wagner, B. She, S. Chakraborty, J. Bao, S. Lattermann, M. Boerries, H. Busch, P. Wuchter, A. D. Ho, J. Timmer, M. Schilling, T. Hofer, U. Klingmuller

Date Published: 24th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Molecular basis for covalent inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by a 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone small molecule.

Abstract (Expand)

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has recently gained attention as an antiprotozoan and anticancer drug target. We have previously identified 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone as an inhibitor … of both Trypanosoma brucei and human GAPDH. Herein, through multiple chemical, biochemical, and biological studies, and through the design of analogs, we confirmed the formation of a covalent adduct, we clarified the inhibition mechanism, and we demonstrated antitrypanosomal, antiplasmodial, and cytotoxic activities in cell cultures. The overall results lent support to the hypothesis that 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone binds the GAPDH catalytic cysteine covalently through a phenolate displacement mechanism. By investigating the reactivity of 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and its analogs with four GAPDH homologs, we showed that the covalent inhibition is not preceded by the formation of a strong non-covalent complex. However, an up to fivefold difference in inactivation rates among homologs hinted at structural or electrostatic differences of their active sites that could be exploited to further design kinetically selective inhibitors. Moreover, we preliminarily showed that 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone displays selectivity for GAPDHs over two other cysteine-dependent enzymes, supporting its suitability as a warhead starting fragment for the design of novel inhibitors.

Authors: S. Bruno, E. Uliassi, M. Zaffagnini, F. Prati, C. Bergamini, R. Amorati, G. Paredi, M. Margiotta, P. Conti, M. P. Costi, M. Kaiser, A. Cavalli, R. Fato, M. L. Bolognesi

Date Published: 13th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Large-Scale Transposition Mutagenesis of Streptomyces coelicolor Identifies Hundreds of Genes Influencing Antibiotic Biosynthesis.

Abstract (Expand)

Gram-positive Streptomyces bacteria produce thousands of bioactive secondary metabolites, including antibiotics. To systematically investigate genes affecting secondary metabolism, we developed a … hyperactive transposase-based Tn5 transposition system and employed it to mutagenize the model species Streptomyces coelicolor, leading to the identification of 51,443 transposition insertions. These insertions were distributed randomly along the chromosome except for some preferred regions associated with relatively low GC content in the chromosomal core. The base composition of the insertion site and its flanking sequences compiled from the 51,443 insertions implied a 19-bp expanded target site surrounding the insertion site, with a slight nucleic acid base preference in some positions, suggesting a relative randomness of Tn5 transposition targeting in the high-GC Streptomyces genome. From the mutagenesis library, 724 mutants involving 365 genes had altered levels of production of the tripyrrole antibiotic undecylprodigiosin (RED), including 17 genes in the RED biosynthetic gene cluster. Genetic complementation revealed that most of the insertions (more than two-thirds) were responsible for the changed antibiotic production. Genes associated with branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, DNA metabolism, and protein modification affected RED production, and genes involved in signaling, stress, and transcriptional regulation were overrepresented. Some insertions caused dramatic changes in RED production, identifying future targets for strain improvement.IMPORTANCE High-GC Gram-positive streptomycetes and related actinomycetes have provided more than 100 clinical drugs used as antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and antitumor drugs. Their genomes harbor biosynthetic genes for many more unknown compounds with potential as future drugs. Here we developed a useful genome-wide mutagenesis tool based on the transposon Tn5 for the study of secondary metabolism and its regulation. Using Streptomyces coelicolor as a model strain, we found that chromosomal insertion was relatively random, except at some hot spots, though there was evidence of a slightly preferred 19-bp target site. We then used prodiginine production as a model to systematically survey genes affecting antibiotic biosynthesis, providing a global view of antibiotic regulation. The analysis revealed 348 genes that modulate antibiotic production, among which more than half act to reduce production. These might be valuable targets in future investigations of regulatory mechanisms, for strain improvement, and for the activation of silent biosynthetic gene clusters.

Authors: Z. Xu, Y. Wang, K. F. Chater, H. Y. Ou, H. H. Xu, Z. Deng, M. Tao

Date Published: 8th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

Linking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy through RNA-transcriptome homeostasis: a genomics perspective.

Abstract (Expand)

In this review, we present our most recent understanding of key biomolecular processes that underlie two motor neuron degenerative disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinal muscular atrophy. … We focus on the role of four multifunctional proteins involved in RNA metabolism (TDP-43, FUS, SMN, and Senataxin) that play a causal role in these diseases. Recent results have led to a novel scenario of intricate connections between these four proteins, bringing transcriptome homeostasis into the spotlight as a common theme in motor neuron degeneration. We review reported functional and physical interactions between these four proteins, highlighting their common association with nuclear bodies and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle biogenesis and function. We discuss how these interactions are turning out to be particularly relevant for the control of transcription and chromatin homeostasis, including the recent identification of an association between SMN and Senataxin required to ensure the resolution of DNA-RNA hybrid formation and proper termination by RNA polymerase II. These connections strongly support the existence of common pathways underlying the spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis phenotype. We also discuss the potential of genome-wide expression profiling, in particular RNA sequencing derived data, to contribute to unravelling the underlying mechanisms. We provide a review of publicly available datasets that have addressed both diseases using these approaches, and highlight the value of investing in cross-disease studies to promote our understanding of the pathways leading to neurodegeneration.

Authors: M. Gama-Carvalho, M. L Garcia-Vaquero, F. R Pinto, F. Besse, J. Weis, A. Voigt, J. B. Schulz, J. De Las Rivas

Date Published: 6th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Not specified

FAIRDOMHub: a repository and collaboration environment for sharing systems biology research.

Abstract (Expand)

The FAIRDOMHub is a repository for publishing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) Data, Operating procedures and Models (https://fairdomhub.org/) for the Systems Biology community. … It is a web-accessible repository for storing and sharing systems biology research assets. It enables researchers to organize, share and publish data, models and protocols, interlink them in the context of the systems biology investigations that produced them, and to interrogate them via API interfaces. By using the FAIRDOMHub, researchers can achieve more effective exchange with geographically distributed collaborators during projects, ensure results are sustained and preserved and generate reproducible publications that adhere to the FAIR guiding principles of data stewardship.

Authors: K. Wolstencroft, O. Krebs, J. L. Snoep, N. J. Stanford, F. Bacall, M. Golebiewski, R. Kuzyakiv, Q. Nguyen, S. Owen, S. Soiland-Reyes, J. Straszewski, D. D. van Niekerk, A. R. Williams, L. Malmstrom, B. Rinn, W. Muller, C. Goble

Date Published: 4th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Journal

FAIRDOMHub: a repository and collaboration environment for sharing systems biology research.

Abstract (Expand)

The FAIRDOMHub is a repository for publishing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) Data, Operating procedures and Models (https://fairdomhub.org/) for the Systems Biology community. … It is a web-accessible repository for storing and sharing systems biology research assets. It enables researchers to organize, share and publish data, models and protocols, interlink them in the context of the systems biology investigations that produced them, and to interrogate them via API interfaces. By using the FAIRDOMHub, researchers can achieve more effective exchange with geographically distributed collaborators during projects, ensure results are sustained and preserved and generate reproducible publications that adhere to the FAIR guiding principles of data stewardship.

Authors: K. Wolstencroft, O. Krebs, J. L. Snoep, N. J. Stanford, F. Bacall, M. Golebiewski, R. Kuzyakiv, Q. Nguyen, S. Owen, S. Soiland-Reyes, J. Straszewski, D. D. van Niekerk, A. R. Williams, L. Malmstrom, B. Rinn, W. Muller, C. Goble

Date Published: 4th Jan 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Frequency doubling in the cyanobacterial circadian clock

Abstract (Expand)

Organisms use circadian clocks to generate 24-h rhythms in gene expression. However, the clock can interact with other pathways to generate shorter period oscillations. It remains unclear how these … different frequencies are generated. Here, we examine this problem by studying the coupling of the clock to the alternative sigma factor sigC in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. Using single-cell microscopy, we find that psbAI, a key photosyn- thesis gene regulated by both sigC and the clock, is activated with two peaks of gene expression every circadian cycle under constant low light. This two-peak oscillation is dependent on sigC, without which psbAI rhythms revert to one oscillatory peak per day. We also observe two circadian peaks of elongation rate, which are dependent on sigC, suggesting a role for the frequency doubling in modulating growth. We propose that the two-peak rhythm in psbAI expression is generated by an incoherent feedforward loop between the clock, sigC and psbAI. Modelling and experiments suggest that this could be a general network motif to allow frequency doubling of outputs.

Authors: Bruno MC Martins, Arijit K Das, Liliana Antunes, James CW Locke

Date Published: 22nd Dec 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Living on the edge: substrate competition explains loss of robustness in mitochondrial fatty-acid oxidation disorders.

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Defects in genes involved in mitochondrial fatty-acid oxidation (mFAO) reduce the ability of patients to cope with metabolic challenges. mFAO enzymes accept multiple substrates of different … chain length, leading to molecular competition among the substrates. Here, we combined computational modeling with quantitative mouse and patient data to investigate whether substrate competition affects pathway robustness in mFAO disorders. RESULTS: First, we used comprehensive biochemical analyses of wild-type mice and mice deficient for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) to parameterize a detailed computational model of mFAO. Model simulations predicted that MCAD deficiency would have no effect on the pathway flux at low concentrations of the mFAO substrate palmitoyl-CoA. However, high concentrations of palmitoyl-CoA would induce a decline in flux and an accumulation of intermediate metabolites. We proved computationally that the predicted overload behavior was due to substrate competition in the pathway. Second, to study the clinical relevance of this mechanism, we used patients' metabolite profiles and generated a humanized version of the computational model. While molecular competition did not affect the plasma metabolite profiles during MCAD deficiency, it was a key factor in explaining the characteristic acylcarnitine profiles of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficient patients. The patient-specific computational models allowed us to predict the severity of the disease phenotype, providing a proof of principle for the systems medicine approach. CONCLUSION: We conclude that substrate competition is at the basis of the physiology seen in patients with mFAO disorders, a finding that may explain why these patients run a risk of a life-threatening metabolic catastrophe.

Authors: K. van Eunen, C. M. Volker-Touw, A. Gerding, A. Bleeker, J. C. Wolters, W. J. van Rijt, A. M. Martines, K. E. Niezen-Koning, R. M. Heiner, H. Permentier, A. K. Groen, D. J. Reijngoud, T. G. Derks, B. M. Bakker

Date Published: 7th Dec 2016

Publication Type: Journal

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