Regulation and structure of YahD, a copper-inducible α/β serine hydrolase of Lactococcus lactis IL1403

Lactococcus lactis IL1403 is a lactic acid bacterium that is used widely for food fermentation. Copper homeostasis in this organism chiefly involves copper secretion by the CopA copper ATPase. This enzyme is under the control of the CopR transcriptional regulator. CopR not only controls its own expression and that of CopA, but also that of an additional three operons and two monocistronic genes. One of the genes under the control of CopR, yahD, encodes an α/β-hydrolase. YahD expression was induced by copper and cadmium, but not by other metals or oxidative or nitrosative stress. The three-dimensional structure of YahD was determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.88 Å. The protein was found to adopt an α/β-hydrolase fold with the characteristic Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad. Functional testing of YahD for a wide range of substrates for esterases, lipases, epoxide hydrolases, phospholipases, amidases and proteases was, however, unsuccessful. A copper-inducible serine hydrolase has not been described previously and YahD appears to be a new functional member of this enzyme famil

DBRepo: a Semantic Digital Repository for Relational Databases

Data curation is a complex, multi-faceted task. While dedicated data stewards are starting to take care of these activities in close collaboration with researchers for many types of (usually file-based) data in many institutions, this is rarely yet the case for data held in relational databases. Beyond large-scale infrastructures hosting e.g. climate or genome data, researchers usually have to create, build and maintain their database, care about security patches, and feed data into it in order to use it in their research. Data curation, if at all, usually happens after a project is finished, when data may be exported for digital preservation into file repository systems. We present DBRepo, a semantic digital repository for relational databases in a private cloud setting designed to (1) host research data stored in relational databases right from the beginning of a research project, (2) provide separation of concerns, allowing the researchers to focus on the domain aspects of the data and their work while bringing in experts to handle classic data management tasks, (3) improve findability, accessibility and reusability by offering semantic mapping of metadata attributes, and (4) focus on reproducibility in dynamically evolving data by supporting versioning and precise identification/cite-ability for arbitrary subsets of data.&nbsp

Cupulin Is a Zona Pellucida-Like Domain Protein and Major Component of the Cupula from the Inner Ear

The extracellular membranes of the inner ear are essential constituents to maintain sensory functions, the cupula for sensing torsional movements of the head, the otoconial membrane for sensing linear movements and accelerations like gravity, and the tectorial membrane in the cochlea for hearing. So far a number of structural proteins have been described, but for the gelatinous cupula precise data are missing. Here, we describe for the first time a major proteinogenic component of the cupula structure with an apparent molecular mass of 45 kDa from salmon. Analyses of respective peptides revealed highly conserved amino-acid sequences with identity to zona pellucida-like domain proteins. Immunohistochemistry studies localized the protein in the ampulla of the inner ear from salmon and according to its anatomical appearance we identified this glycoprotein as Cupulin. Future research on structure and function of zona pellucida-like domain proteins will enhance our knowledge of inner ear diseases, like sudden loss of vestibular function and other disturbances

Comparison of vaccine-induced antibody neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern following primary and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has, as of July 2022, infected more than 550 million people and caused over 6 million deaths across the world. COVID-19 vaccines were quickly developed to protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death. In the present study, we performed a direct comparative analysis of four COVID-19 vaccines: BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), ChAdOx1 (Oxford/AstraZeneca) and Ad26.COV2.S (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen), following primary and booster vaccination. We focused on the vaccine-induced antibody-mediated immune response against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants: wildtype, B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.1.529 (Omicron). The analysis included the quantification of total IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2 Spike, as well as the quantification of antibody neutralization titers. Furthermore, the study assessed the high-throughput ACE2 competition assay as a surrogate for the traditional pseudovirus neutralization assay. The results demonstrated marked differences in antibody-mediated immune responses. The lowest Spike-specific IgG levels and antibody neutralization titers were induced by one dose of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine, intermediate levels by two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, and the highest levels by two doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine or heterologous vaccination of one dose of the ChAdOx1 vaccine and a subsequent mRNA vaccine. The study also demonstrated that accumulation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein mutations was accompanied by a marked decline in antibody neutralization capacity, especially for B.1.1.529. Administration of a booster dose was shown to significantly increase Spike-specific IgG levels and antibody neutralization titers, erasing the differences between the vaccine-induced antibody-mediated immune response between the four vaccines. The findings of this study highlight the importance of booster vaccines and the potential inclusion of future heterologous vaccination strategies for broad protection against current and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

Analysis of subcellular metabolite levels of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) displaying alterations in cellular or extracellular sucrose metabolism

The expression of a heterologous invertase in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) in either the cytosol or apoplast leads to a decrease in total sucrose content and to an increase in glucose. Depending on the targeting of the enzyme different changes in phenotype and metabolism of the tubers occur: the cytosolic invertase expressing tubers show an increase in the glycolytic flux, accumulation of amino acids and organic acids, and the appearance of novel disaccharides; however, these changes are not observed when the enzyme is expressed in the apoplast [Roessner et al. (2001). Plant Cell, 13, 11-29]. The analysis of these lines raised several questions concerning the regulation of compartmentation of metabolites in potato tubers. In the current study we addressed these questions by performing comparative subcellular metabolite profiling. We demonstrate that: (i) hexoses accumulate in the vacuole independently of their site of production, but that the cytosolic invertase expression led to a strong increase in the cytosolic glucose concentration and decrease in cytosolic sucrose, whereas these effects were more moderate in the apoplastic expressors; (ii) three out of four of the novel compounds found in the cytosolic overexpressors accumulate in the same compartment; (iii) despite changes in absolute cellular content the subcellular distribution of amino acids was invariant in the invertase overexpressing tubers. These results are discussed in the context of current models of the compartmentation of primary metabolism in heterotrophic plant tissues

Distribution and Cconnection to other Plant-Communities of Genista radiata (L.) Scop in the South Tyrol (Italy)

Es werden die Genista radiata-Bestände an der Mendel in Südtirol (Italien) beschrieben und ihr Gesellschaftsanschluß diskutiert. Das Genisto-Festucetum alpestris Peer 83 besidelt steile südexponierte Kalkhänge der hochmontanen und subalpinen Stufe und ersetzt z.T. den Zwergstrauchgürtel mit Pinus mugo. Ähnlich zusammengesetzt ist das Genisto-Festucetum alpestris pinetosum Peer 83, das in den ¡lockeren Erika-Kiefernwäldern auftritt und bis in die tiefmontane Stufe hinunterreicht. Keinerlei syntaxonomische Bedeutung besitzt Genista radiata in den thermophilen Buschwaldgesellschaften, in denen die Pflanze lediglich eine Variante zum Orno-Ostryetum seslerietosum Peer 81 darstellt und speziell in der Saumzone anzutreffen ist. Auch in den Lärchenwiesen der Kammlagen kommt Genista radiata nur sporadisch vor. Sie ist hier mit dem Festucetum nigrescentis laricetosum subass. prov. verzahnt.Istražene su vegetacijske sastojine vrste Genista radiata u južnom Tirolu i razmatrana njihova fitocenološka pripadnost. Asocijacija Genisto-Festucetum alpestris Peer 83 nastava strme, južne vapnenačke obronke visokobrdskog i subalpskog pojasa. Subasocijacija Genisto-Festucetum alpestris pinetosum Peer 83 dolazi u rijetkim borovim šumama s crnjušom i spušta se do u niži brdski pojas. Termofilne niske šume, u kojima Genista radiata nema posebno sintaksonomsko značenje, označene su samo kao varijanta zajednice Orno-Ostryetum seslerietosum Peer 81. Genista radiata dolazi također na travnjacima s arišem, ali samo sporadično i to u mješavini sa zajednicom Festucetum nigrescentis laricetosnm subass. prov.The Genista radiata-communities of the Mendel in the South Tyrol (Italy) are described and their connection to other plant-communities is discussed. Genisto-Festucetum alpestris Peer 83 settles on steep, south- exposed colcareous slopes of high-mountain and subalpine altitudes and replaces particularly the dwarf-shrub-belt with Firms mugo. Similar contents aire found in Genisto-F estucetum alpestris pinetasum Peer 83, which occurs in undensed Erico-Pinetum-communities and reaches down to the low-mountain-altitude. In the thermophilic bush-communities, in which Genista radiata is found only as a variant of Orneto-Ostryetum seslerie- tosum (Peer 81), the plant has no syntaxonomic importance. Genista radiata especially is found in the edge-zone. In the grassland of the larch- communities of the ridges Genista radiata appears only sporadically. Here the plant appeals in Festucetum nigrescentis laricetosum subass. prov

Animal-borne telemetry: An integral component of the ocean observing toolkit

Animal telemetry is a powerful tool for observing marine animals and the physical environments that they inhabit, from coastal and continental shelf ecosystems to polar seas and open oceans. Satellite-linked biologgers and networks of acoustic receivers allow animals to be reliably monitored over scales of tens of meters to thousands of kilometers, giving insight into their habitat use, home range size, the phenology of migratory patterns and the biotic and abiotic factors that drive their distributions. Furthermore, physical environmental variables can be collected using animals as autonomous sampling platforms, increasing spatial and temporal coverage of global oceanographic observation systems. The use of animal telemetry, therefore, has the capacity to provide measures from a suite of essential ocean variables (EOVs) for improved monitoring of Earth's oceans. Here we outline the design features of animal telemetry systems, describe current applications and their benefits and challenges, and discuss future directions. We describe new analytical techniques that improve our ability to not only quantify animal movements but to also provide a powerful framework for comparative studies across taxa. We discuss the application of animal telemetry and its capacity to collect biotic and abiotic data, how the data collected can be incorporated into ocean observing systems, and the role these data can play in improved ocean management

Die pathogenetische Bedeutung intraoraler Befunde bei der Entstehung von Kiefernekrosen unter tumortherapeutischer Bisphosphonatgabe

For several decades bisphosphonates are widely used in the treatment of various benign and malignant diseases of the bone. Within the last few years, besides the known therapy side effects, a new clinical picture with increasing incidence has been described – the bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BON). The start of the disease usually lacks any symptoms. The typical clinical symptoms then are persistently exposed avital bony areas in both the maxilla and mandible, foetor ex ore, fistula, pain or paresthesia. The majority of reported cases of avascular necrosis of the jaw bones have been diagnosed after dental procedures such as tooth extraction. Less commonly, BON appears to occur spontaneously. Risk factors for osteonecrosis are malignant diseases with additional chemo-, radiation or corticoid therapy (systemic risk factor), an intravenous bisphosphonate therapy with high potential amino-bisphosphonates (drug-related risk factor) and – a local risk factor including dental infections or lesions of the oral mucosa occurring after teeth extractions or caused accidental by dental prosthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenetic relevance of this local factor. For this purpose an intraoral examination based on a sample of 169 patients receiving intravenous amino-bisphosphonates was performed within the period between February 2006 and March 2008. The statistical evaluation of the collected data set was performed in cooperation with the Institute of Medical Statistics of the RWTH Aachen based on the usage of the t- and Fisher tests. The statistical analysis supported the current assumptions concerning the systemic and the drug-related risk factors: patients with breast cancer or multiple myeloma showed a higher risk to develop a bisphosphonate-related necrosis of the jaws compared to patients with other diseases. A statistical significant result emphasized the pathogenetic importance of the bisphosphonate-medication: corresponding to the high pharmaceutical potency of zoledronic acid, the application of zoledronic acid was statistical significant related to the appearance of osteonecrosis of the jaws. Concerning the local risk factor, all potential pathogenetic dental evidences were statistically proved. Previous dental extractions showed the only statistically significant influence. However, there are some other factors such as periodontal disease, mucosal trauma or exostosis, that may play an important role in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw. The results of this study affirmed the relevance of the local factor in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw. They underline the importance of prae- and peri-therapeutical dental recall-systems and they make us aware of the significance of an intensified cooperation between oncologists and dentists

Die pathogenetische Bedeutung intraoraler Befunde bei der Entstehung von Kiefernekrosen unter tumortherapeutischer Bisphosphonatgabe

For several decades bisphosphonates are widely used in the treatment of various benign and malignant diseases of the bone. Within the last few years, besides the known therapy side effects, a new clinical picture with increasing incidence has been described – the bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BON). The start of the disease usually lacks any symptoms. The typical clinical symptoms then are persistently exposed avital bony areas in both the maxilla and mandible, foetor ex ore, fistula, pain or paresthesia. The majority of reported cases of avascular necrosis of the jaw bones have been diagnosed after dental procedures such as tooth extraction. Less commonly, BON appears to occur spontaneously. Risk factors for osteonecrosis are malignant diseases with additional chemo-, radiation or corticoid therapy (systemic risk factor), an intravenous bisphosphonate therapy with high potential amino-bisphosphonates (drug-related risk factor) and – a local risk factor including dental infections or lesions of the oral mucosa occurring after teeth extractions or caused accidental by dental prosthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenetic relevance of this local factor. For this purpose an intraoral examination based on a sample of 169 patients receiving intravenous amino-bisphosphonates was performed within the period between February 2006 and March 2008. The statistical evaluation of the collected data set was performed in cooperation with the Institute of Medical Statistics of the RWTH Aachen based on the usage of the t- and Fisher tests. The statistical analysis supported the current assumptions concerning the systemic and the drug-related risk factors: patients with breast cancer or multiple myeloma showed a higher risk to develop a bisphosphonate-related necrosis of the jaws compared to patients with other diseases. A statistical significant result emphasized the pathogenetic importance of the bisphosphonate-medication: corresponding to the high pharmaceutical potency of zoledronic acid, the application of zoledronic acid was statistical significant related to the appearance of osteonecrosis of the jaws. Concerning the local risk factor, all potential pathogenetic dental evidences were statistically proved. Previous dental extractions showed the only statistically significant influence. However, there are some other factors such as periodontal disease, mucosal trauma or exostosis, that may play an important role in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw. The results of this study affirmed the relevance of the local factor in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw. They underline the importance of prae- and peri-therapeutical dental recall-systems and they make us aware of the significance of an intensified cooperation between oncologists and dentists