TY - JOUR AB - Optogenetics has been harnessed to shed new mechanistic light on current and future therapeutic strategies. This has been to date achieved by the regulation of ion flow and electrical signals in neuronal cells and neural circuits that are known to be affected by disease. In contrast, the optogenetic delivery of trophic biochemical signals, which support cell survival and are implicated in degenerative disorders, has never been demonstrated in an animal model of disease. Here, we reengineered the human and Drosophila melanogaster REarranged during Transfection (hRET and dRET) receptors to be activated by light, creating one-component optogenetic tools termed Opto-hRET and Opto-dRET. Upon blue light stimulation, these receptors robustly induced the MAPK/ERK proliferative signaling pathway in cultured cells. In PINK1B9 flies that exhibit loss of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a kinase associated with familial Parkinson’s disease (PD), light activation of Opto-dRET suppressed mitochondrial defects, tissue degeneration and behavioral deficits. In human cells with PINK1 loss-of-function, mitochondrial fragmentation was rescued using Opto-dRET via the PI3K/NF-кB pathway. Our results demonstrate that a light-activated receptor can ameliorate disease hallmarks in a genetic model of PD. The optogenetic delivery of trophic signals is cell type-specific and reversible and thus has the potential to inspire novel strategies towards a spatio-temporal regulation of tissue repair. AU - Inglés Prieto, Álvaro AU - Furthmann, Nikolas AU - Crossman, Samuel H. AU - Tichy, Alexandra Madelaine AU - Hoyer, Nina AU - Petersen, Meike AU - Zheden, Vanessa AU - Bicher, Julia AU - Gschaider-Reichhart, Eva AU - György, Attila AU - Siekhaus, Daria E AU - Soba, Peter AU - Winklhofer, Konstanze F. AU - Janovjak, Harald L ID - 9363 IS - 4 JF - PLoS genetics TI - Optogenetic delivery of trophic signals in a genetic model of Parkinson's disease VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The multimeric matrix (M) protein of clinically relevant paramyxoviruses orchestrates assembly and budding activity of viral particles at the plasma membrane (PM). We identified within the canine distemper virus (CDV) M protein two microdomains, potentially assuming α-helix structures, which are essential for membrane budding activity. Remarkably, while two rationally designed microdomain M mutants (E89R, microdomain 1 and L239D, microdomain 2) preserved proper folding, dimerization, interaction with the nucleocapsid protein, localization at and deformation of the PM, the virus-like particle formation, as well as production of infectious virions (as monitored using a membrane budding-complementation system), were, in sharp contrast, strongly impaired. Of major importance, raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS) revealed that both microdomains contributed to finely tune M protein mobility specifically at the PM. Collectively, our data highlighted the cornerstone membrane budding-priming activity of two spatially discrete M microdomains, potentially by coordinating the assembly of productive higher oligomers at the PM. AU - Gast, Matthieu AU - Kadzioch, Nicole P. AU - Milius, Doreen AU - Origgi, Francesco AU - Plattet, Philippe ID - 9361 IS - 2 JF - mSphere TI - Oligomerization and cell egress controlled by two microdomains of canine distemper virus matrix protein VL - 6 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The hexameric AAA-ATPase Drg1 is a key factor in eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis and initiates cytoplasmic maturation of the large ribosomal subunit by releasing the shuttling maturation factor Rlp24. Drg1 monomers contain two AAA-domains (D1 and D2) that act in a concerted manner. Rlp24 release is inhibited by the drug diazaborine which blocks ATP hydrolysis in D2. The mode of inhibition was unknown. Here we show the first cryo-EM structure of Drg1 revealing the inhibitory mechanism. Diazaborine forms a covalent bond to the 2′-OH of the nucleotide in D2, explaining its specificity for this site. As a consequence, the D2 domain is locked in a rigid, inactive state, stalling the whole Drg1 hexamer. Resistance mechanisms identified include abolished drug binding and altered positioning of the nucleotide. Our results suggest nucleotide-modifying compounds as potential novel inhibitors for AAA-ATPases. AU - Prattes, Michael AU - Grishkovskaya, Irina AU - Hodirnau, Victor-Valentin AU - Rössler, Ingrid AU - Klein, Isabella AU - Hetzmannseder, Christina AU - Zisser, Gertrude AU - Gruber, Christian C. AU - Gruber, Karl AU - Haselbach, David AU - Bergler, Helmut ID - 9540 IS - 1 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology KW - General Physics and Astronomy KW - General Chemistry TI - Structural basis for inhibition of the AAA-ATPase Drg1 by diazaborine VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - While high risk of failure is an inherent part of developing innovative therapies, it can be reduced by adherence to evidence-based rigorous research practices. Numerous analyses conducted to date have clearly identified measures that need to be taken to improve research rigor. Supported through the European Union's Innovative Medicines Initiative, the EQIPD consortium has developed a novel preclinical research quality system that can be applied in both public and private sectors and is free for anyone to use. The EQIPD Quality System was designed to be suited to boost innovation by ensuring the generation of robust and reliable preclinical data while being lean, effective and not becoming a burden that could negatively impact the freedom to explore scientific questions. EQIPD defines research quality as the extent to which research data are fit for their intended use. Fitness, in this context, is defined by the stakeholders, who are the scientists directly involved in the research, but also their funders, sponsors, publishers, research tool manufacturers and collaboration partners such as peers in a multi-site research project. The essence of the EQIPD Quality System is the set of 18 core requirements that can be addressed flexibly, according to user-specific needs and following a user-defined trajectory. The EQIPD Quality System proposes guidance on expectations for quality-related measures, defines criteria for adequate processes (i.e., performance standards) and provides examples of how such measures can be developed and implemented. However, it does not prescribe any pre-determined solutions. EQIPD has also developed tools (for optional use) to support users in implementing the system and assessment services for those research units that successfully implement the quality system and seek formal accreditation. Building upon the feedback from users and continuous improvement, a sustainable EQIPD Quality System will ultimately serve the entire community of scientists conducting non-regulated preclinical research, by helping them generate reliable data that are fit for their intended use. AU - Bespalov, Anton AU - Bernard, René AU - Gilis, Anja AU - Gerlach, Björn AU - Guillén, Javier AU - Castagné, Vincent AU - Lefevre, Isabel A. AU - Ducrey, Fiona AU - Monk, Lee AU - Bongiovanni, Sandrine AU - Altevogt, Bruce AU - Arroyo-Araujo, María AU - Bikovski, Lior AU - De Bruin, Natasja AU - Castaños-Vélez, Esmeralda AU - Dityatev, Alexander AU - Emmerich, Christoph H. AU - Fares, Raafat AU - Ferland-Beckham, Chantelle AU - Froger-Colléaux, Christelle AU - Gailus-Durner, Valerie AU - Hölter, Sabine M. AU - Hofmann, Martine Cj AU - Kabitzke, Patricia AU - Kas, Martien Jh AU - Kurreck, Claudia AU - Moser, Paul AU - Pietraszek, Malgorzata AU - Popik, Piotr AU - Potschka, Heidrun AU - Prado Montes De Oca, Ernesto AU - Restivo, Leonardo AU - Riedel, Gernot AU - Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel AU - Samardzic, Janko AU - Schunn, Michael AU - Stöger, Claudia AU - Voikar, Vootele AU - Vollert, Jan AU - Wever, Kimberley E. AU - Wuyts, Kathleen AU - Macleod, Malcolm R. AU - Dirnagl, Ulrich AU - Steckler, Thomas ID - 9607 JF - eLife TI - Introduction to the EQIPD quality system VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Mosaic analysis with double markers (MADM) offers one approach to visualize and concomitantly manipulate genetically defined cells in mice with single-cell resolution. MADM applications include the analysis of lineage, single-cell morphology and physiology, genomic imprinting phenotypes, and dissection of cell-autonomous gene functions in vivo in health and disease. Yet, MADM can only be applied to <25% of all mouse genes on select chromosomes to date. To overcome this limitation, we generate transgenic mice with knocked-in MADM cassettes near the centromeres of all 19 autosomes and validate their use across organs. With this resource, >96% of the entire mouse genome can now be subjected to single-cell genetic mosaic analysis. Beyond a proof of principle, we apply our MADM library to systematically trace sister chromatid segregation in distinct mitotic cell lineages. We find striking chromosome-specific biases in segregation patterns, reflecting a putative mechanism for the asymmetric segregation of genetic determinants in somatic stem cell division. AU - Contreras, Ximena AU - Amberg, Nicole AU - Davaatseren, Amarbayasgalan AU - Hansen, Andi H AU - Sonntag, Johanna AU - Andersen, Lill AU - Bernthaler, Tina AU - Streicher, Carmen AU - Heger, Anna-Magdalena AU - Johnson, Randy L. AU - Schwarz, Lindsay A. AU - Luo, Liqun AU - Rülicke, Thomas AU - Hippenmeyer, Simon ID - 9603 IS - 12 JF - Cell Reports TI - A genome-wide library of MADM mice for single-cell genetic mosaic analysis VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Attachment of adhesive molecules on cell culture surfaces to restrict cell adhesion to defined areas and shapes has been vital for the progress of in vitro research. In currently existing patterning methods, a combination of pattern properties such as stability, precision, specificity, high-throughput outcome, and spatiotemporal control is highly desirable but challenging to achieve. Here, we introduce a versatile and high-throughput covalent photoimmobilization technique, comprising a light-dose-dependent patterning step and a subsequent functionalization of the pattern via click chemistry. This two-step process is feasible on arbitrary surfaces and allows for generation of sustainable patterns and gradients. The method is validated in different biological systems by patterning adhesive ligands on cell-repellent surfaces, thereby constraining the growth and migration of cells to the designated areas. We then implement a sequential photopatterning approach by adding a second switchable patterning step, allowing for spatiotemporal control over two distinct surface patterns. As a proof of concept, we reconstruct the dynamics of the tip/stalk cell switch during angiogenesis. Our results show that the spatiotemporal control provided by our “sequential photopatterning” system is essential for mimicking dynamic biological processes and that our innovative approach has great potential for further applications in cell science. AU - Zisis, Themistoklis AU - Schwarz, Jan AU - Balles, Miriam AU - Kretschmer, Maibritt AU - Nemethova, Maria AU - Chait, Remy P AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Lange, Janina AU - Guet, Calin C AU - Sixt, Michael K AU - Zahler, Stefan ID - 9822 IS - 30 JF - ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces SN - 19448244 TI - Sequential and switchable patterning for studying cellular processes under spatiotemporal control VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR AB - A modern day light microscope has evolved from a tool devoted to making primarily empirical observations to what is now a sophisticated , quantitative device that is an integral part of both physical and life science research. Nowadays, microscopes are found in nearly every experimental laboratory. However, despite their prevalent use in capturing and quantifying scientific phenomena, neither a thorough understanding of the principles underlying quantitative imaging techniques nor appropriate knowledge of how to calibrate, operate and maintain microscopes can be taken for granted. This is clearly demonstrated by the well-documented and widespread difficulties that are routinely encountered in evaluating acquired data and reproducing scientific experiments. Indeed, studies have shown that more than 70% of researchers have tried and failed to repeat another scientist's experiments, while more than half have even failed to reproduce their own experiments. One factor behind the reproducibility crisis of experiments published in scientific journals is the frequent underreporting of imaging methods caused by a lack of awareness and/or a lack of knowledge of the applied technique. Whereas quality control procedures for some methods used in biomedical research, such as genomics (e.g. DNA sequencing, RNA-seq) or cytometry, have been introduced (e.g. ENCODE), this issue has not been tackled for optical microscopy instrumentation and images. Although many calibration standards and protocols have been published, there is a lack of awareness and agreement on common standards and guidelines for quality assessment and reproducibility. In April 2020, the QUality Assessment and REProducibility for instruments and images in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi) initiative was formed. This initiative comprises imaging scientists from academia and industry who share a common interest in achieving a better understanding of the performance and limitations of microscopes and improved quality control (QC) in light microscopy. The ultimate goal of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative is to establish a set of common QC standards, guidelines, metadata models and tools, including detailed protocols, with the ultimate aim of improving reproducible advances in scientific research. This White Paper (1) summarizes the major obstacles identified in the field that motivated the launch of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative; (2) identifies the urgent need to address these obstacles in a grassroots manner, through a community of stakeholders including, researchers, imaging scientists, bioimage analysts, bioimage informatics developers, corporate partners, funding agencies, standards organizations, scientific publishers and observers of such; (3) outlines the current actions of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative and (4) proposes future steps that can be taken to improve the dissemination and acceptance of the proposed guidelines to manage QC. To summarize, the principal goal of the QUAREP-LiMi initiative is to improve the overall quality and reproducibility of light microscope image data by introducing broadly accepted standard practices and accurately captured image data metrics. AU - Nelson, Glyn AU - Boehm, Ulrike AU - Bagley, Steve AU - Bajcsy, Peter AU - Bischof, Johanna AU - Brown, Claire M. AU - Dauphin, Aurélien AU - Dobbie, Ian M. AU - Eriksson, John E. AU - Faklaris, Orestis AU - Fernandez-Rodriguez, Julia AU - Ferrand, Alexia AU - Gelman, Laurent AU - Gheisari, Ali AU - Hartmann, Hella AU - Kukat, Christian AU - Laude, Alex AU - Mitkovski, Miso AU - Munck, Sebastian AU - North, Alison J. AU - Rasse, Tobias M. AU - Resch-Genger, Ute AU - Schuetz, Lucas C. AU - Seitz, Arne AU - Strambio-De-Castillia, Caterina AU - Swedlow, Jason R. AU - Alexopoulos, Ioannis AU - Aumayr, Karin AU - Avilov, Sergiy AU - Bakker, Gert Jan AU - Bammann, Rodrigo R. AU - Bassi, Andrea AU - Beckert, Hannes AU - Beer, Sebastian AU - Belyaev, Yury AU - Bierwagen, Jakob AU - Birngruber, Konstantin A. AU - Bosch, Manel AU - Breitlow, Juergen AU - Cameron, Lisa A. AU - Chalfoun, Joe AU - Chambers, James J. AU - Chen, Chieh Li AU - Conde-Sousa, Eduardo AU - Corbett, Alexander D. AU - Cordelieres, Fabrice P. AU - Nery, Elaine Del AU - Dietzel, Ralf AU - Eismann, Frank AU - Fazeli, Elnaz AU - Felscher, Andreas AU - Fried, Hans AU - Gaudreault, Nathalie AU - Goh, Wah Ing AU - Guilbert, Thomas AU - Hadleigh, Roland AU - Hemmerich, Peter AU - Holst, Gerhard A. AU - Itano, Michelle S. AU - Jaffe, Claudia B. AU - Jambor, Helena K. AU - Jarvis, Stuart C. AU - Keppler, Antje AU - Kirchenbuechler, David AU - Kirchner, Marcel AU - Kobayashi, Norio AU - Krens, Gabriel AU - Kunis, Susanne AU - Lacoste, Judith AU - Marcello, Marco AU - Martins, Gabriel G. AU - Metcalf, Daniel J. AU - Mitchell, Claire A. AU - Moore, Joshua AU - Mueller, Tobias AU - Nelson, Michael S. AU - Ogg, Stephen AU - Onami, Shuichi AU - Palmer, Alexandra L. AU - Paul-Gilloteaux, Perrine AU - Pimentel, Jaime A. AU - Plantard, Laure AU - Podder, Santosh AU - Rexhepaj, Elton AU - Royon, Arnaud AU - Saari, Markku A. AU - Schapman, Damien AU - Schoonderwoert, Vincent AU - Schroth-Diez, Britta AU - Schwartz, Stanley AU - Shaw, Michael AU - Spitaler, Martin AU - Stoeckl, Martin T. AU - Sudar, Damir AU - Teillon, Jeremie AU - Terjung, Stefan AU - Thuenauer, Roland AU - Wilms, Christian D. AU - Wright, Graham D. AU - Nitschke, Roland ID - 9911 IS - 1 JF - Journal of Microscopy SN - 0022-2720 TI - QUAREP-LiMi: A community-driven initiative to establish guidelines for quality assessment and reproducibility for instruments and images in light microscopy VL - 284 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Solution synthesis of particles emerged as an alternative to prepare thermoelectric materials with less demanding processing conditions than conventional solid-state synthetic methods. However, solution synthesis generally involves the presence of additional molecules or ions belonging to the precursors or added to enable solubility and/or regulate nucleation and growth. These molecules or ions can end up in the particles as surface adsorbates and interfere in the material properties. This work demonstrates that ionic adsorbates, in particular Na⁺ ions, are electrostatically adsorbed in SnSe particles synthesized in water and play a crucial role not only in directing the material nano/microstructure but also in determining the transport properties of the consolidated material. In dense pellets prepared by sintering SnSe particles, Na remains within the crystal lattice as dopant, in dislocations, precipitates, and forming grain boundary complexions. These results highlight the importance of considering all the possible unintentional impurities to establish proper structure-property relationships and control material properties in solution-processed thermoelectric materials. AU - Liu, Yu AU - Calcabrini, Mariano AU - Yu, Yuan AU - Genç, Aziz AU - Chang, Cheng AU - Costanzo, Tommaso AU - Kleinhanns, Tobias AU - Lee, Seungho AU - Llorca, Jordi AU - Cojocaru‐Mirédin, Oana AU - Ibáñez, Maria ID - 10123 IS - 52 JF - Advanced Materials KW - mechanical engineering KW - mechanics of materials KW - general materials science SN - 0935-9648 TI - The importance of surface adsorbates in solution‐processed thermoelectric materials: The case of SnSe VL - 33 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Proximity labeling provides a powerful in vivo tool to characterize the proteome of subcellular structures and the interactome of specific proteins. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most intensely studied organisms in biology, offering many advantages for biochemistry. Using the highly active biotin ligase TurboID, we optimize here a proximity labeling protocol for C. elegans. An advantage of TurboID is that biotin's high affinity for streptavidin means biotin-labeled proteins can be affinity-purified under harsh denaturing conditions. By combining extensive sonication with aggressive denaturation using SDS and urea, we achieved near-complete solubilization of worm proteins. We then used this protocol to characterize the proteomes of the worm gut, muscle, skin, and nervous system. Neurons are among the smallest C. elegans cells. To probe the method's sensitivity, we expressed TurboID exclusively in the two AFD neurons and showed that the protocol could identify known and previously unknown proteins expressed selectively in AFD. The active zones of synapses are composed of a protein matrix that is difficult to solubilize and purify. To test if our protocol could solubilize active zone proteins, we knocked TurboID into the endogenous elks-1 gene, which encodes a presynaptic active zone protein. We identified many known ELKS-1-interacting active zone proteins, as well as previously uncharacterized synaptic proteins. Versatile vectors and the inherent advantages of using C. elegans, including fast growth and the ability to rapidly make and functionally test knock-ins, make proximity labeling a valuable addition to the armory of this model organism. AU - Artan, Murat AU - Barratt, Stephen AU - Flynn, Sean M. AU - Begum, Farida AU - Skehel, Mark AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - De Bono, Mario ID - 10117 IS - 3 JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry SN - 0021-9258 TI - Interactome analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans synapses by TurboID-based proximity labeling VL - 297 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Phonon polaritons (PhPs)—light coupled to lattice vibrations—with in-plane hyperbolic dispersion exhibit ray-like propagation with large wave vectors and enhanced density of optical states along certain directions on a surface. As such, they have raised a surge of interest, promising unprecedented manipulation of infrared light at the nanoscale in a planar circuitry. Here, we demonstrate focusing of in-plane hyperbolic PhPs propagating along thin slabs of α-MoO3. To that end, we developed metallic nanoantennas of convex geometries for both efficient launching and focusing of the polaritons. The foci obtained exhibit enhanced near-field confinement and absorption compared to foci produced by in-plane isotropic PhPs. Foci sizes as small as λp/4.5 = λ0/50 were achieved (λp is the polariton wavelength and λ0 is the photon wavelength). Focusing of in-plane hyperbolic polaritons introduces a first and most basic building block developing planar polariton optics using in-plane anisotropic van der Waals materials. AU - Martín-Sánchez, Javier AU - Duan, Jiahua AU - Taboada-Gutiérrez, Javier AU - Álvarez-Pérez, Gonzalo AU - Voronin, Kirill V. AU - Prieto Gonzalez, Ivan AU - Ma, Weiliang AU - Bao, Qiaoliang AU - Volkov, Valentyn S. AU - Hillenbrand, Rainer AU - Nikitin, Alexey Y. AU - Alonso-González, Pablo ID - 10177 IS - 41 JF - Science Advances TI - Focusing of in-plane hyperbolic polaritons in van der Waals crystals with tailored infrared nanoantennas VL - 7 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Inhibitory GABAergic interneurons migrate over long distances from their extracortical origin into the developing cortex. In humans, this process is uniquely slow and prolonged, and it is unclear whether guidance cues unique to humans govern the various phases of this complex developmental process. Here, we use fused cerebral organoids to identify key roles of neurotransmitter signaling pathways in guiding the migratory behavior of human cortical interneurons. We use scRNAseq to reveal expression of GABA, glutamate, glycine, and serotonin receptors along distinct maturation trajectories across interneuron migration. We develop an image analysis software package, TrackPal, to simultaneously assess 48 parameters for entire migration tracks of individual cells. By chemical screening, we show that different modes of interneuron migration depend on distinct neurotransmitter signaling pathways, linking transcriptional maturation of interneurons with their migratory behavior. Altogether, our study provides a comprehensive quantitative analysis of human interneuron migration and its functional modulation by neurotransmitter signaling. AU - Bajaj, Sunanjay AU - Bagley, Joshua A. AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Vertesy, Abel AU - Nagumo Wong, Sakurako AU - Krenn, Veronica AU - Lévi-Strauss, Julie AU - Knoblich, Juergen A. ID - 10179 IS - 23 JF - EMBO Journal SN - 0261-4189 TI - Neurotransmitter signaling regulates distinct phases of multimodal human interneuron migration VL - 40 ER - TY - JOUR AB - During the past decade, the scientific community and outside observers have noted a concerning lack of rigor and transparency in preclinical research that led to talk of a “reproducibility crisis” in the life sciences (Baker, 2016; Bespalov & Steckler, 2018; Heddleston et al, 2021). Various measures have been proposed to address the problem: from better training of scientists to more oversight to expanded publishing practices such as preregistration of studies. The recently published EQIPD (Enhancing Quality in Preclinical Data) System is, to date, the largest initiative that aims to establish a systematic approach for increasing the robustness and reliability of biomedical research (Bespalov et al, 2021). However, promoting a cultural change in research practices warrants a broad adoption of the Quality System and its underlying philosophy. It is here that academic Core Facilities (CF), research service providers at universities and research institutions, can make a difference. It is fair to assume that a significant fraction of published data originated from experiments that were designed, run, or analyzed in CFs. These academic services play an important role in the research ecosystem by offering access to cutting-edge equipment and by developing and testing novel techniques and methods that impact research in the academic and private sectors alike (Bikovski et al, 2020). Equipment and infrastructure are not the only value: CFs employ competent personnel with profound knowledge and practical experience of the specific field of interest: animal behavior, imaging, crystallography, genomics, and so on. Thus, CFs are optimally positioned to address concerns about the quality and robustness of preclinical research. AU - Restivo, Leonardo AU - Gerlach, Björn AU - Tsoory, Michael AU - Bikovski, Lior AU - Badurek, Sylvia AU - Pitzer, Claudia AU - Kos-Braun, Isabelle C. AU - Mausset-Bonnefont, Anne Laure Mj AU - Ward, Jonathan AU - Schunn, Michael AU - Noldus, Lucas P.J.J. AU - Bespalov, Anton AU - Voikar, Vootele ID - 10283 JF - EMBO Reports SN - 1469-221X TI - Towards best practices in research: Role of academic core facilities VL - 22 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The evidence linking innate immunity mechanisms and neurodegenerative diseases is growing, but the specific mechanisms are incompletely understood. Experimental data suggest that microglial TLR4 mediates the uptake and clearance of α-synuclein also termed synucleinophagy. The accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein throughout the brain is central to Parkinson's disease (PD). The distribution and progression of the pathology is often attributed to the propagation of α-synuclein. Here, we apply a classical α-synuclein propagation model of prodromal PD in wild type and TLR4 deficient mice to study the role of TLR4 in the progression of the disease. Our data suggest that TLR4 deficiency facilitates the α-synuclein seed spreading associated with reduced lysosomal activity of microglia. Three months after seed inoculation, more pronounced proteinase K-resistant α-synuclein inclusion pathology is observed in mice with TLR4 deficiency. The facilitated propagation of α-synuclein is associated with early loss of dopamine transporter (DAT) signal in the striatum and loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta of TLR4 deficient mice. These new results support TLR4 signaling as a putative target for disease modification to slow the progression of PD and related disorders. AU - Venezia, Serena AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Wenning, Gregor K. AU - Stefanova, Nadia ID - 10607 JF - Parkinsonism & Related Disorders SN - 1353-8020 TI - Toll-like receptor 4 deficiency facilitates α-synuclein propagation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of prodromal Parkinson's disease VL - 91 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Electrodepositing insulating lithium peroxide (Li2O2) is the key process during discharge of aprotic Li–O2 batteries and determines rate, capacity, and reversibility. Current understanding states that the partition between surface adsorbed and dissolved lithium superoxide governs whether Li2O2 grows as a conformal surface film or larger particles, leading to low or high capacities, respectively. However, better understanding governing factors for Li2O2 packing density and capacity requires structural sensitive in situ metrologies. Here, we establish in situ small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) as a suitable method to record the Li2O2 phase evolution with atomic to submicrometer resolution during cycling a custom-built in situ Li–O2 cell. Combined with sophisticated data analysis, SAXS allows retrieving rich quantitative structural information from complex multiphase systems. Surprisingly, we find that features are absent that would point at a Li2O2 surface film formed via two consecutive electron transfers, even in poorly solvating electrolytes thought to be prototypical for surface growth. All scattering data can be modeled by stacks of thin Li2O2 platelets potentially forming large toroidal particles. Li2O2 solution growth is further justified by rotating ring-disk electrode measurements and electron microscopy. Higher discharge overpotentials lead to smaller Li2O2 particles, but there is no transition to an electronically passivating, conformal Li2O2 coating. Hence, mass transport of reactive species rather than electronic transport through a Li2O2 film limits the discharge capacity. Provided that species mobilities and carbon surface areas are high, this allows for high discharge capacities even in weakly solvating electrolytes. The currently accepted Li–O2 reaction mechanism ought to be reconsidered. AU - Prehal, Christian AU - Samojlov, Aleksej AU - Nachtnebel, Manfred AU - Lovicar, Ludek AU - Kriechbaum, Manfred AU - Amenitsch, Heinz AU - Freunberger, Stefan Alexander ID - 9301 IS - 14 JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences KW - small-angle X-ray scattering KW - oxygen reduction KW - disproportionation KW - Li-air battery SN - 0027-8424 TI - In situ small-angle X-ray scattering reveals solution phase discharge of Li–O2 batteries with weakly solvating electrolytes VL - 118 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Pranger, Christina L. AU - Fazekas-Singer, Judit AU - Köhler, Verena K. AU - Pali‐Schöll, Isabella AU - Fiocchi, Alessandro AU - Karagiannis, Sophia N. AU - Zenarruzabeitia, Olatz AU - Borrego, Francisco AU - Jensen‐Jarolim, Erika ID - 10836 IS - 5 JF - Allergy KW - Immunology KW - Immunology and Allergy SN - 0105-4538 TI - PIPE‐cloned human IgE and IgG4 antibodies: New tools for investigating cow's milk allergy and tolerance VL - 76 ER - TY - JOUR AB - There are two elementary superconducting qubit types that derive directly from the quantum harmonic oscillator. In one, the inductor is replaced by a nonlinear Josephson junction to realize the widely used charge qubits with a compact phase variable and a discrete charge wave function. In the other, the junction is added in parallel, which gives rise to an extended phase variable, continuous wave functions, and a rich energy-level structure due to the loop topology. While the corresponding rf superconducting quantum interference device Hamiltonian was introduced as a quadratic quasi-one-dimensional potential approximation to describe the fluxonium qubit implemented with long Josephson-junction arrays, in this work we implement it directly using a linear superinductor formed by a single uninterrupted aluminum wire. We present a large variety of qubits, all stemming from the same circuit but with drastically different characteristic energy scales. This includes flux and fluxonium qubits but also the recently introduced quasicharge qubit with strongly enhanced zero-point phase fluctuations and a heavily suppressed flux dispersion. The use of a geometric inductor results in high reproducibility of the inductive energy as guaranteed by top-down lithography—a key ingredient for intrinsically protected superconducting qubits. AU - Peruzzo, Matilda AU - Hassani, Farid AU - Szep, Gregory AU - Trioni, Andrea AU - Redchenko, Elena AU - Zemlicka, Martin AU - Fink, Johannes M ID - 9928 IS - 4 JF - PRX Quantum KW - quantum physics KW - mesoscale and nanoscale physics TI - Geometric superinductance qubits: Controlling phase delocalization across a single Josephson junction VL - 2 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Growth regulation tailors development in plants to their environment. A prominent example of this is the response to gravity, in which shoots bend up and roots bend down1. This paradox is based on opposite effects of the phytohormone auxin, which promotes cell expansion in shoots while inhibiting it in roots via a yet unknown cellular mechanism2. Here, by combining microfluidics, live imaging, genetic engineering and phosphoproteomics in Arabidopsis thaliana, we advance understanding of how auxin inhibits root growth. We show that auxin activates two distinct, antagonistically acting signalling pathways that converge on rapid regulation of apoplastic pH, a causative determinant of growth. Cell surface-based TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE1 (TMK1) interacts with and mediates phosphorylation and activation of plasma membrane H+-ATPases for apoplast acidification, while intracellular canonical auxin signalling promotes net cellular H+ influx, causing apoplast alkalinization. Simultaneous activation of these two counteracting mechanisms poises roots for rapid, fine-tuned growth modulation in navigating complex soil environments. AU - Li, Lanxin AU - Verstraeten, Inge AU - Roosjen, Mark AU - Takahashi, Koji AU - Rodriguez Solovey, Lesia AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Chen, Jian AU - Shabala, Lana AU - Smet, Wouter AU - Ren, Hong AU - Vanneste, Steffen AU - Shabala, Sergey AU - De Rybel, Bert AU - Weijers, Dolf AU - Kinoshita, Toshinori AU - Gray, William M. AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 10223 IS - 7884 JF - Nature KW - Multidisciplinary SN - 00280836 TI - Cell surface and intracellular auxin signalling for H+ fluxes in root growth VL - 599 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is the major route of entry of cargos into cells and thus underpins many physiological processes. During endocytosis, an area of flat membrane is remodeled by proteins to create a spherical vesicle against intracellular forces. The protein machinery which mediates this membrane bending in plants is unknown. However, it is known that plant endocytosis is actin independent, thus indicating that plants utilize a unique mechanism to mediate membrane bending against high-turgor pressure compared to other model systems. Here, we investigate the TPLATE complex, a plant-specific endocytosis protein complex. It has been thought to function as a classical adaptor functioning underneath the clathrin coat. However, by using biochemical and advanced live microscopy approaches, we found that TPLATE is peripherally associated with clathrin-coated vesicles and localizes at the rim of endocytosis events. As this localization is more fitting to the protein machinery involved in membrane bending during endocytosis, we examined cells in which the TPLATE complex was disrupted and found that the clathrin structures present as flat patches. This suggests a requirement of the TPLATE complex for membrane bending during plant clathrin–mediated endocytosis. Next, we used in vitro biophysical assays to confirm that the TPLATE complex possesses protein domains with intrinsic membrane remodeling activity. These results redefine the role of the TPLATE complex and implicate it as a key component of the evolutionarily distinct plant endocytosis mechanism, which mediates endocytic membrane bending against the high-turgor pressure in plant cells. AU - Johnson, Alexander J AU - Dahhan, Dana A AU - Gnyliukh, Nataliia AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Zheden, Vanessa AU - Costanzo, Tommaso AU - Mahou, Pierre AU - Hrtyan, Mónika AU - Wang, Jie AU - Aguilera Servin, Juan L AU - van Damme, Daniël AU - Beaurepaire, Emmanuel AU - Loose, Martin AU - Bednarek, Sebastian Y AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 9887 IS - 51 JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences TI - The TPLATE complex mediates membrane bending during plant clathrin-mediated endocytosis VL - 118 ER - TY - JOUR AB - A semiconducting nanowire fully wrapped by a superconducting shell has been proposed as a platform for obtaining Majorana modes at small magnetic fields. In this study, we demonstrate that the appearance of subgap states in such structures is actually governed by the junction region in tunneling spectroscopy measurements and not the full-shell nanowire itself. Short tunneling regions never show subgap states, whereas longer junctions always do. This can be understood in terms of quantum dots forming in the junction and hosting Andreev levels in the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov regime. The intricate magnetic field dependence of the Andreev levels, through both the Zeeman and Little-Parks effects, may result in robust zero-bias peaks—features that could be easily misinterpreted as originating from Majorana zero modes but are unrelated to topological superconductivity. AU - Valentini, Marco AU - Peñaranda, Fernando AU - Hofmann, Andrea C AU - Brauns, Matthias AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Krogstrup, Peter AU - San-Jose, Pablo AU - Prada, Elsa AU - Aguado, Ramón AU - Katsaros, Georgios ID - 8910 IS - 6550 JF - Science SN - 00368075 TI - Nontopological zero-bias peaks in full-shell nanowires induced by flux-tunable Andreev states VL - 373 ER - TY - COMP AB - Pattern separation is a fundamental brain computation that converts small differences in input patterns into large differences in output patterns. Several synaptic mechanisms of pattern separation have been proposed, including code expansion, inhibition and plasticity; however, which of these mechanisms play a role in the entorhinal cortex (EC)–dentate gyrus (DG)–CA3 circuit, a classical pattern separation circuit, remains unclear. Here we show that a biologically realistic, full-scale EC–DG–CA3 circuit model, including granule cells (GCs) and parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons (PV+-INs) in the DG, is an efficient pattern separator. Both external gamma-modulated inhibition and internal lateral inhibition mediated by PV+-INs substantially contributed to pattern separation. Both local connectivity and fast signaling at GC–PV+-IN synapses were important for maximum effectiveness. Similarly, mossy fiber synapses with conditional detonator properties contributed to pattern separation. By contrast, perforant path synapses with Hebbian synaptic plasticity and direct EC–CA3 connection shifted the network towards pattern completion. Our results demonstrate that the specific properties of cells and synapses optimize higher-order computations in biological networks and might be useful to improve the deep learning capabilities of technical networks. AU - Guzmán, José AU - Schlögl, Alois AU - Espinoza Martinez, Claudia AU - Zhang, Xiaomin AU - Suter, Benjamin AU - Jonas, Peter M ID - 10110 TI - How connectivity rules and synaptic properties shape the efficacy of pattern separation in the entorhinal cortex–dentate gyrus–CA3 network ER - TY - JOUR AB - De novo loss of function mutations in the ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene Cullin3 lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In mouse, constitutive haploinsufficiency leads to motor coordination deficits as well as ASD-relevant social and cognitive impairments. However, induction of Cul3 haploinsufficiency later in life does not lead to ASD-relevant behaviors, pointing to an important role of Cul3 during a critical developmental window. Here we show that Cul3 is essential to regulate neuronal migration and, therefore, constitutive Cul3 heterozygous mutant mice display cortical lamination abnormalities. At the molecular level, we found that Cul3 controls neuronal migration by tightly regulating the amount of Plastin3 (Pls3), a previously unrecognized player of neural migration. Furthermore, we found that Pls3 cell-autonomously regulates cell migration by regulating actin cytoskeleton organization, and its levels are inversely proportional to neural migration speed. Finally, we provide evidence that cellular phenotypes associated with autism-linked gene haploinsufficiency can be rescued by transcriptional activation of the intact allele in vitro, offering a proof of concept for a potential therapeutic approach for ASDs. AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Schwarz, Lena A AU - Basilico, Bernadette AU - Tasciyan, Saren AU - Dimchev, Georgi A AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Kreuzinger, Caroline AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Knaus, Lisa AU - Dobler, Zoe AU - Cacci, Emanuele AU - Schur, Florian KM AU - Danzl, Johann G AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 9429 IS - 1 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology TI - Cul3 regulates cytoskeleton protein homeostasis and cell migration during a critical window of brain development VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Spin qubits are considered to be among the most promising candidates for building a quantum processor. Group IV hole spin qubits have moved into the focus of interest due to the ease of operation and compatibility with Si technology. In addition, Ge offers the option for monolithic superconductor-semiconductor integration. Here we demonstrate a hole spin qubit operating at fields below 10 mT, the critical field of Al, by exploiting the large out-of-plane hole g-factors in planar Ge and by encoding the qubit into the singlet-triplet states of a double quantum dot. We observe electrically controlled X and Z-rotations with tunable frequencies exceeding 100 MHz and dephasing times of 1μs which we extend beyond 15μs with echo techniques. These results show that Ge hole singlet triplet qubits outperform their electronic Si and GaAs based counterparts in speed and coherence, respectively. In addition, they are on par with Ge single spin qubits, but can be operated at much lower fields underlining their potential for on chip integration with superconducting technologies. AU - Jirovec, Daniel AU - Hofmann, Andrea C AU - Ballabio, Andrea AU - Mutter, Philipp M. AU - Tavani, Giulio AU - Botifoll, Marc AU - Crippa, Alessandro AU - Kukucka, Josip AU - Sagi, Oliver AU - Martins, Frederico AU - Saez Mollejo, Jaime AU - Prieto Gonzalez, Ivan AU - Borovkov, Maksim AU - Arbiol, Jordi AU - Chrastina, Daniel AU - Isella, Giovanni AU - Katsaros, Georgios ID - 8909 IS - 8 JF - Nature Materials SN - 1476-1122 TI - A singlet triplet hole spin qubit in planar Ge VL - 20 ER - TY - CHAP AB - High-resolution visualization and quantification of membrane proteins contribute to the understanding of their functions and the roles they play in physiological and pathological conditions. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-digested freeze-fracture replica labeling (SDS-FRL) is a powerful electron microscopy method to study quantitatively the two-dimensional distribution of transmembrane proteins and their tightly associated proteins. During treatment with SDS, intracellular organelles and proteins not anchored to the replica are dissolved, whereas integral membrane proteins captured and stabilized by carbon/platinum deposition remain on the replica. Their intra- and extracellular domains become exposed on the surface of the replica, facilitating the accessibility of antibodies and, therefore, providing higher labeling efficiency than those obtained with other immunoelectron microscopy techniques. In this chapter, we describe the protocols of SDS-FRL adapted for mammalian brain samples, and optimization of the SDS treatment to increase the labeling efficiency for quantification of Cav2.1, the alpha subunit of P/Q-type voltage-dependent calcium channels utilizing deep learning algorithms. AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Kleindienst, David AU - Harada, Harumi AU - Shigemoto, Ryuichi ID - 9756 KW - Freeze-fracture replica: Deep learning KW - Immunogold labeling KW - Integral membrane protein KW - Electron microscopy SN - 9781071615218 T2 - Receptor and Ion Channel Detection in the Brain TI - High-Resolution localization and quantitation of membrane proteins by SDS-digested freeze-fracture replica labeling (SDS-FRL) VL - 169 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Auxin is a major plant growth regulator, but current models on auxin perception and signaling cannot explain the whole plethora of auxin effects, in particular those associated with rapid responses. A possible candidate for a component of additional auxin perception mechanisms is the AUXIN BINDING PROTEIN 1 (ABP1), whose function in planta remains unclear. Here we combined expression analysis with gain- and loss-of-function approaches to analyze the role of ABP1 in plant development. ABP1 shows a broad expression largely overlapping with, but not regulated by, transcriptional auxin response activity. Furthermore, ABP1 activity is not essential for the transcriptional auxin signaling. Genetic in planta analysis revealed that abp1 loss-of-function mutants show largely normal development with minor defects in bolting. On the other hand, ABP1 gain-of-function alleles show a broad range of growth and developmental defects, including root and hypocotyl growth and bending, lateral root and leaf development, bolting, as well as response to heat stress. At the cellular level, ABP1 gain-of-function leads to impaired auxin effect on PIN polar distribution and affects BFA-sensitive PIN intracellular aggregation. The gain-of-function analysis suggests a broad, but still mechanistically unclear involvement of ABP1 in plant development, possibly masked in abp1 loss-of-function mutants by a functional redundancy. AU - Gelová, Zuzana AU - Gallei, Michelle C AU - Pernisová, Markéta AU - Brunoud, Géraldine AU - Zhang, Xixi AU - Glanc, Matous AU - Li, Lanxin AU - Michalko, Jaroslav AU - Pavlovicova, Zlata AU - Verstraeten, Inge AU - Han, Huibin AU - Hajny, Jakub AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Čovanová, Milada AU - Zwiewka, Marta AU - Hörmayer, Lukas AU - Fendrych, Matyas AU - Xu, Tongda AU - Vernoux, Teva AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 8931 JF - Plant Science KW - Agronomy and Crop Science KW - Plant Science KW - Genetics KW - General Medicine SN - 0168-9452 TI - Developmental roles of auxin binding protein 1 in Arabidopsis thaliana VL - 303 ER - TY - GEN AB - Growth regulation tailors plant development to its environment. A showcase is response to gravity, where shoots bend up and roots down1. This paradox is based on opposite effects of the phytohormone auxin, which promotes cell expansion in shoots, while inhibiting it in roots via a yet unknown cellular mechanism2. Here, by combining microfluidics, live imaging, genetic engineering and phospho-proteomics in Arabidopsis thaliana, we advance our understanding how auxin inhibits root growth. We show that auxin activates two distinct, antagonistically acting signalling pathways that converge on the rapid regulation of the apoplastic pH, a causative growth determinant. Cell surface-based TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE1 (TMK1) interacts with and mediates phosphorylation and activation of plasma membrane H+-ATPases for apoplast acidification, while intracellular canonical auxin signalling promotes net cellular H+-influx, causing apoplast alkalinisation. The simultaneous activation of these two counteracting mechanisms poises the root for a rapid, fine-tuned growth modulation while navigating complex soil environment. AU - Li, Lanxin AU - Verstraeten, Inge AU - Roosjen, Mark AU - Takahashi, Koji AU - Rodriguez Solovey, Lesia AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Chen, Jian AU - Shabala, Lana AU - Smet, Wouter AU - Ren, Hong AU - Vanneste, Steffen AU - Shabala, Sergey AU - De Rybel, Bert AU - Weijers, Dolf AU - Kinoshita, Toshinori AU - Gray, William M. AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 10095 SN - 2693-5015 T2 - Research Square TI - Cell surface and intracellular auxin signalling for H+-fluxes in root growth ER - TY - COMP AU - Hauschild, Robert ID - 8181 TI - Amplified centrosomes in dendritic cells promote immune cell effector functions ER - TY - COMP AB - Automated root growth analysis and tracking of root tips. AU - Hauschild, Robert ID - 8294 TI - RGtracker ER - TY - GEN AB - A look at international activities on Open Science reveals a broad spectrum from individual institutional policies to national action plans. The present Recommendations for a National Open Science Strategy in Austria are based on these international initiatives and present practical considerations for their coordinated implementation with regard to strategic developments in research, technology and innovation (RTI) in Austria until 2030. They are addressed to all relevant actors in the RTI system, in particular to Research Performing Organisations, Research Funding Organisations, Research Policy, memory institutions such as Libraries and Researchers. The recommendation paper was developed from 2018 to 2020 by the OANA working group "Open Science Strategy" and published for the first time in spring 2020 for a public consultation. The now available final version of the recommendation document, which contains feedback and comments from the consultation, is intended to provide an impetus for further discussion and implementation of Open Science in Austria and serves as a contribution and basis for a potential national Open Science Strategy in Austria. The document builds on the diverse expertise of the authors (academia, administration, library and archive, information technology, science policy, funding system, etc.) and reflects their personal experiences and opinions. AU - Mayer, Katja AU - Rieck, Katharina AU - Reichmann, Stefan AU - Danowski, Patrick AU - Graschopf, Anton AU - König, Thomas AU - Kraker, Peter AU - Lehner, Patrick AU - Reckling, Falk AU - Ross-Hellauer, Tony AU - Spichtinger, Daniel AU - Tzatzanis, Michalis AU - Schürz, Stefanie ID - 8695 TI - Empfehlungen für eine nationale Open Science Strategie in Österreich / Recommendations for a National Open Science Strategy in Austria ER - TY - JOUR AB - As part of the Austrian Transition to Open Access (AT2OA) project, subproject TP1-B is working on designing a monitoring solution for the output of Open Access publications in Austria. This report on a potential Open Access monitoring approach in Austria is one of the results of these efforts and can serve as a basis for discussion on an international level. AU - Danowski, Patrick AU - Ferus, Andreas AU - Hikl, Anna-Laetitia AU - McNeill, Gerda AU - Miniberger, Clemens AU - Reding, Steve AU - Zarka, Tobias AU - Zojer, Michael ID - 8706 IS - 2 JF - Mitteilungen der Vereinigung Österreichischer Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare TI - „Recommendation“ for the further procedure for open access monitoring. Deliverable of the AT2OA subproject TP1-B VL - 73 ER - TY - BOOK AB - This booklet is a collection of abstracts presented at the AHPC conference. ED - Schlögl, Alois ED - Kiss, Janos ED - Elefante, Stefano ID - 7474 SN - 978-3-99078-004-6 TI - Austrian High-Performance-Computing meeting (AHPC2020) ER - TY - JOUR AB - In plants, clathrin mediated endocytosis (CME) represents the major route for cargo internalisation from the cell surface. It has been assumed to operate in an evolutionary conserved manner as in yeast and animals. Here we report characterisation of ultrastructure, dynamics and mechanisms of plant CME as allowed by our advancement in electron microscopy and quantitative live imaging techniques. Arabidopsis CME appears to follow the constant curvature model and the bona fide CME population generates vesicles of a predominantly hexagonal-basket type; larger and with faster kinetics than in other models. Contrary to the existing paradigm, actin is dispensable for CME events at the plasma membrane but plays a unique role in collecting endocytic vesicles, sorting of internalised cargos and directional endosome movement that itself actively promote CME events. Internalized vesicles display a strongly delayed and sequential uncoating. These unique features highlight the independent evolution of the plant CME mechanism during the autonomous rise of multicellularity in eukaryotes. AU - Narasimhan, Madhumitha AU - Johnson, Alexander J AU - Prizak, Roshan AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Tan, Shutang AU - Casillas Perez, Barbara E AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 7490 JF - eLife TI - Evolutionarily unique mechanistic framework of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in plants VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Phonon polaritons—light coupled to lattice vibrations—in polar van der Waals crystals are promising candidates for controlling the flow of energy on the nanoscale due to their strong field confinement, anisotropic propagation and ultra-long lifetime in the picosecond range1,2,3,4,5. However, the lack of tunability of their narrow and material-specific spectral range—the Reststrahlen band—severely limits their technological implementation. Here, we demonstrate that intercalation of Na atoms in the van der Waals semiconductor α-V2O5 enables a broad spectral shift of Reststrahlen bands, and that the phonon polaritons excited show ultra-low losses (lifetime of 4 ± 1 ps), similar to phonon polaritons in a non-intercalated crystal (lifetime of 6 ± 1 ps). We expect our intercalation method to be applicable to other van der Waals crystals, opening the door for the use of phonon polaritons in broad spectral bands in the mid-infrared domain. AU - Taboada-Gutiérrez, Javier AU - Álvarez-Pérez, Gonzalo AU - Duan, Jiahua AU - Ma, Weiliang AU - Crowley, Kyle AU - Prieto Gonzalez, Ivan AU - Bylinkin, Andrei AU - Autore, Marta AU - Volkova, Halyna AU - Kimura, Kenta AU - Kimura, Tsuyoshi AU - Berger, M. H. AU - Li, Shaojuan AU - Bao, Qiaoliang AU - Gao, Xuan P.A. AU - Errea, Ion AU - Nikitin, Alexey Y. AU - Hillenbrand, Rainer AU - Martín-Sánchez, Javier AU - Alonso-González, Pablo ID - 7792 JF - Nature Materials SN - 14761122 TI - Broad spectral tuning of ultra-low-loss polaritons in a van der Waals crystal by intercalation VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Cells navigating through complex tissues face a fundamental challenge: while multiple protrusions explore different paths, the cell needs to avoid entanglement. How a cell surveys and then corrects its own shape is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that spatially distinct microtubule dynamics regulate amoeboid cell migration by locally promoting the retraction of protrusions. In migrating dendritic cells, local microtubule depolymerization within protrusions remote from the microtubule organizing center triggers actomyosin contractility controlled by RhoA and its exchange factor Lfc. Depletion of Lfc leads to aberrant myosin localization, thereby causing two effects that rate-limit locomotion: (1) impaired cell edge coordination during path finding and (2) defective adhesion resolution. Compromised shape control is particularly hindering in geometrically complex microenvironments, where it leads to entanglement and ultimately fragmentation of the cell body. We thus demonstrate that microtubules can act as a proprioceptive device: they sense cell shape and control actomyosin retraction to sustain cellular coherence. AU - Kopf, Aglaja AU - Renkawitz, Jörg AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Girkontaite, Irute AU - Tedford, Kerry AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Thorn-Seshold, Oliver AU - Trauner, Dirk AU - Häcker, Hans AU - Fischer, Klaus Dieter AU - Kiermaier, Eva AU - Sixt, Michael K ID - 7875 IS - 6 JF - The Journal of Cell Biology TI - Microtubules control cellular shape and coherence in amoeboid migrating cells VL - 219 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Embryonic stem cell cultures are thought to self-organize into embryoid bodies, able to undergo symmetry-breaking, germ layer specification and even morphogenesis. Yet, it is unclear how to reconcile this remarkable self-organization capacity with classical experiments demonstrating key roles for extrinsic biases by maternal factors and/or extraembryonic tissues in embryogenesis. Here, we show that zebrafish embryonic tissue explants, prepared prior to germ layer induction and lacking extraembryonic tissues, can specify all germ layers and form a seemingly complete mesendoderm anlage. Importantly, explant organization requires polarized inheritance of maternal factors from dorsal-marginal regions of the blastoderm. Moreover, induction of endoderm and head-mesoderm, which require peak Nodal-signaling levels, is highly variable in explants, reminiscent of embryos with reduced Nodal signals from the extraembryonic tissues. Together, these data suggest that zebrafish explants do not undergo bona fide self-organization, but rather display features of genetically encoded self-assembly, where intrinsic genetic programs control the emergence of order. AU - Schauer, Alexandra AU - Nunes Pinheiro, Diana C AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J ID - 7888 JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X TI - Zebrafish embryonic explants undergo genetically encoded self-assembly VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Purpose of review: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and the incidence rates are constantly rising. The heterogeneity of tumors poses a big challenge for the treatment of the disease and natural antibodies additionally affect disease progression. The introduction of engineered mAbs for anticancer immunotherapies has substantially improved progression-free and overall survival of cancer patients, but little efforts have been made to exploit other antibody isotypes than IgG. Recent findings: In order to improve these therapies, ‘next-generation antibodies’ were engineered to enhance a specific feature of classical antibodies and form a group of highly effective and precise therapy compounds. Advanced antibody approaches include among others antibody-drug conjugates, glyco-engineered and Fc-engineered antibodies, antibody fragments, radioimmunotherapy compounds, bispecific antibodies and alternative (non-IgG) immunoglobulin classes, especially IgE. Summary: The current review describes solutions for the needs of next-generation antibody therapies through different approaches. Careful selection of the best-suited engineering methodology is a key factor in developing personalized, more specific and more efficient mAbs against cancer to improve the outcomes of cancer patients. We highlight here the large evidence of IgE exploiting a highly cytotoxic effector arm as potential next-generation anticancer immunotherapy. AU - Singer, Judit AU - Singer, Josef AU - Jensen-Jarolim, Erika ID - 7864 IS - 3 JF - Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology TI - Precision medicine in clinical oncology: the journey from IgG antibody to IgE VL - 20 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Dentate gyrus granule cells (GCs) connect the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampal CA3 region, but how they process spatial information remains enigmatic. To examine the role of GCs in spatial coding, we measured excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and action potentials (APs) in head-fixed mice running on a linear belt. Intracellular recording from morphologically identified GCs revealed that most cells were active, but activity level varied over a wide range. Whereas only ∼5% of GCs showed spatially tuned spiking, ∼50% received spatially tuned input. Thus, the GC population broadly encodes spatial information, but only a subset relays this information to the CA3 network. Fourier analysis indicated that GCs received conjunctive place-grid-like synaptic input, suggesting code conversion in single neurons. GC firing was correlated with dendritic complexity and intrinsic excitability, but not extrinsic excitatory input or dendritic cable properties. Thus, functional maturation may control input-output transformation and spatial code conversion. AU - Zhang, Xiaomin AU - Schlögl, Alois AU - Jonas, Peter M ID - 8261 IS - 6 JF - Neuron SN - 0896-6273 TI - Selective routing of spatial information flow from input to output in hippocampal granule cells VL - 107 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Error analysis and data visualization of positive COVID-19 cases in 27 countries have been performed up to August 8, 2020. This survey generally observes a progression from early exponential growth transitioning to an intermediate power-law growth phase, as recently suggested by Ziff and Ziff. The occurrence of logistic growth after the power-law phase with lockdowns or social distancing may be described as an effect of avoidance. A visualization of the power-law growth exponent over short time windows is qualitatively similar to the Bhatia visualization for pandemic progression. Visualizations like these can indicate the onset of second waves and may influence social policy. AU - Merrin, Jack ID - 8597 IS - 6 JF - Physical Biology TI - Differences in power law growth over time and indicators of COVID-19 pandemic progression worldwide VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Understanding the conformational sampling of translation-arrested ribosome nascent chain complexes is key to understand co-translational folding. Up to now, coupling of cysteine oxidation, disulfide bond formation and structure formation in nascent chains has remained elusive. Here, we investigate the eye-lens protein γB-crystallin in the ribosomal exit tunnel. Using mass spectrometry, theoretical simulations, dynamic nuclear polarization-enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy, we show that thiol groups of cysteine residues undergo S-glutathionylation and S-nitrosylation and form non-native disulfide bonds. Thus, covalent modification chemistry occurs already prior to nascent chain release as the ribosome exit tunnel provides sufficient space even for disulfide bond formation which can guide protein folding. AU - Schulte, Linda AU - Mao, Jiafei AU - Reitz, Julian AU - Sreeramulu, Sridhar AU - Kudlinzki, Denis AU - Hodirnau, Victor-Valentin AU - Meier-Credo, Jakob AU - Saxena, Krishna AU - Buhr, Florian AU - Langer, Julian D. AU - Blackledge, Martin AU - Frangakis, Achilleas S. AU - Glaubitz, Clemens AU - Schwalbe, Harald ID - 8744 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology KW - General Physics and Astronomy KW - General Chemistry SN - 2041-1723 TI - Cysteine oxidation and disulfide formation in the ribosomal exit tunnel VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Breakdown of vascular barriers is a major complication of inflammatory diseases. Anucleate platelets form blood-clots during thrombosis, but also play a crucial role in inflammation. While spatio-temporal dynamics of clot formation are well characterized, the cell-biological mechanisms of platelet recruitment to inflammatory micro-environments remain incompletely understood. Here we identify Arp2/3-dependent lamellipodia formation as a prominent morphological feature of immune-responsive platelets. Platelets use lamellipodia to scan for fibrin(ogen) deposited on the inflamed vasculature and to directionally spread, to polarize and to govern haptotactic migration along gradients of the adhesive ligand. Platelet-specific abrogation of Arp2/3 interferes with haptotactic repositioning of platelets to microlesions, thus impairing vascular sealing and provoking inflammatory microbleeding. During infection, haptotaxis promotes capture of bacteria and prevents hematogenic dissemination, rendering platelets gate-keepers of the inflamed microvasculature. Consequently, these findings identify haptotaxis as a key effector function of immune-responsive platelets. AU - Nicolai, Leo AU - Schiefelbein, Karin AU - Lipsky, Silvia AU - Leunig, Alexander AU - Hoffknecht, Marie AU - Pekayvaz, Kami AU - Raude, Ben AU - Marx, Charlotte AU - Ehrlich, Andreas AU - Pircher, Joachim AU - Zhang, Zhe AU - Saleh, Inas AU - Marel, Anna-Kristina AU - Löf, Achim AU - Petzold, Tobias AU - Lorenz, Michael AU - Stark, Konstantin AU - Pick, Robert AU - Rosenberger, Gerhild AU - Weckbach, Ludwig AU - Uhl, Bernd AU - Xia, Sheng AU - Reichel, Christoph Andreas AU - Walzog, Barbara AU - Schulz, Christian AU - Zheden, Vanessa AU - Bender, Markus AU - Li, Rong AU - Massberg, Steffen AU - Gärtner, Florian R ID - 8787 JF - Nature Communications TI - Vascular surveillance by haptotactic blood platelets in inflammation and infection VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The actin-related protein (Arp)2/3 complex nucleates branched actin filament networks pivotal for cell migration, endocytosis and pathogen infection. Its activation is tightly regulated and involves complex structural rearrangements and actin filament binding, which are yet to be understood. Here, we report a 9.0 Å resolution structure of the actin filament Arp2/3 complex branch junction in cells using cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging. This allows us to generate an accurate model of the active Arp2/3 complex in the branch junction and its interaction with actin filaments. Notably, our model reveals a previously undescribed set of interactions of the Arp2/3 complex with the mother filament, significantly different to the previous branch junction model. Our structure also indicates a central role for the ArpC3 subunit in stabilizing the active conformation. AU - Fäßler, Florian AU - Dimchev, Georgi A AU - Hodirnau, Victor-Valentin AU - Wan, William AU - Schur, Florian KM ID - 8971 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology KW - General Physics and Astronomy KW - General Chemistry SN - 2041-1723 TI - Cryo-electron tomography structure of Arp2/3 complex in cells reveals new insights into the branch junction VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Recent discoveries have shown that, when two layers of van der Waals (vdW) materials are superimposed with a relative twist angle between them, the electronic properties of the coupled system can be dramatically altered. Here, we demonstrate that a similar concept can be extended to the optics realm, particularly to propagating phonon polaritons–hybrid light-matter interactions. To do this, we fabricate stacks composed of two twisted slabs of a vdW crystal (α-MoO3) supporting anisotropic phonon polaritons (PhPs), and image the propagation of the latter when launched by localized sources. Our images reveal that, under a critical angle, the PhPs isofrequency curve undergoes a topological transition, in which the propagation of PhPs is strongly guided (canalization regime) along predetermined directions without geometric spreading. These results demonstrate a new degree of freedom (twist angle) for controlling the propagation of polaritons at the nanoscale with potential for nanoimaging, (bio)-sensing, or heat management. AU - Duan, Jiahua AU - Capote-Robayna, Nathaniel AU - Taboada-Gutiérrez, Javier AU - Álvarez-Pérez, Gonzalo AU - Prieto Gonzalez, Ivan AU - Martín-Sánchez, Javier AU - Nikitin, Alexey Y. AU - Alonso-González, Pablo ID - 10866 IS - 7 JF - Nano Letters KW - Mechanical Engineering KW - Condensed Matter Physics KW - General Materials Science KW - General Chemistry KW - Bioengineering SN - 1530-6984 TI - Twisted nano-optics: Manipulating light at the nanoscale with twisted phonon polaritonic slabs VL - 20 ER - TY - JOUR AB - A working group, which was established within the Network of Repository Managers (RepManNet), has dealt with common certifications for repositories. In addition, current requirements of the research funding agencies FWF and EU were also taken into account. The Core Trust Seal was examined in more detail. For this purpose, a questionnaire was sent to those organizations that are already certified with CTS in Austria. The answers were summarized and evaluated anonymously. It is recommended to go for a repository certification. Moreover, the development of a DINI certificate in Austria is strongly suggested. AU - Ernst, Doris AU - Novotny, Gertraud AU - Schönher, Eva Maria ID - 7687 IS - 1 JF - Mitteilungen der Vereinigung Österreichischer Bibliothekarinnen und Bibliothekare SN - 1022-2588 TI - (Core Trust) Seal your repository! VL - 73 ER - TY - GEN AB - De novo loss of function mutations in the ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene Cullin3 (CUL3) lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we used Cul3 mouse models to evaluate the consequences of Cul3 mutations in vivo. Our results show that Cul3 haploinsufficient mice exhibit deficits in motor coordination as well as ASD-relevant social and cognitive impairments. Cul3 mutant brain displays cortical lamination abnormalities due to defective neuronal migration and reduced numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In line with the observed abnormal columnar organization, Cul3 haploinsufficiency is associated with decreased spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory activity in the cortex. At the molecular level, employing a quantitative proteomic approach, we show that Cul3 regulates cytoskeletal and adhesion protein abundance in mouse embryos. Abnormal regulation of cytoskeletal proteins in Cul3 mutant neuronal cells results in atypical organization of the actin mesh at the cell leading edge, likely causing the observed migration deficits. In contrast to these important functions early in development, Cul3 deficiency appears less relevant at adult stages. In fact, induction of Cul3 haploinsufficiency in adult mice does not result in the behavioral defects observed in constitutive Cul3 haploinsufficient animals. Taken together, our data indicate that Cul3 has a critical role in the regulation of cytoskeletal proteins and neuronal migration and that ASD-associated defects and behavioral abnormalities are primarily due to Cul3 functions at early developmental stages. AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Schwarz, Lena A AU - Basilico, Bernadette AU - Tasciyan, Saren AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Kreuzinger, Caroline AU - Knaus, Lisa AU - Dobler, Zoe AU - Cacci, Emanuele AU - Danzl, Johann G AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 7800 T2 - bioRxiv TI - Cul3 regulates cytoskeleton protein homeostasis and cell migration during a critical window of brain development ER - TY - GEN AB - Tension of the actomyosin cell cortex plays a key role in determining cell-cell contact growth and size. The level of cortical tension outside of the cell-cell contact, when pulling at the contact edge, scales with the total size to which a cell-cell contact can grow1,2. Here we show in zebrafish primary germ layer progenitor cells that this monotonic relationship only applies to a narrow range of cortical tension increase, and that above a critical threshold, contact size inversely scales with cortical tension. This switch from cortical tension increasing to decreasing progenitor cell-cell contact size is caused by cortical tension promoting E-cadherin anchoring to the actomyosin cytoskeleton, thereby increasing clustering and stability of E-cadherin at the contact. Once tension-mediated E-cadherin stabilization at the contact exceeds a critical threshold level, the rate by which the contact expands in response to pulling forces from the cortex sharply drops, leading to smaller contacts at physiologically relevant timescales of contact formation. Thus, the activity of cortical tension in expanding cell-cell contact size is limited by tension stabilizing E-cadherin-actin complexes at the contact. AU - Slovakova, Jana AU - Sikora, Mateusz K AU - Caballero Mancebo, Silvia AU - Krens, Gabriel AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Huljev, Karla AU - Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J ID - 9750 T2 - bioRxiv TI - Tension-dependent stabilization of E-cadherin limits cell-cell contact expansion ER - TY - JOUR AB - Eukaryotic cells migrate by coupling the intracellular force of the actin cytoskeleton to the environment. While force coupling is usually mediated by transmembrane adhesion receptors, especially those of the integrin family, amoeboid cells such as leukocytes can migrate extremely fast despite very low adhesive forces1. Here we show that leukocytes cannot only migrate under low adhesion but can also transmit forces in the complete absence of transmembrane force coupling. When confined within three-dimensional environments, they use the topographical features of the substrate to propel themselves. Here the retrograde flow of the actin cytoskeleton follows the texture of the substrate, creating retrograde shear forces that are sufficient to drive the cell body forwards. Notably, adhesion-dependent and adhesion-independent migration are not mutually exclusive, but rather are variants of the same principle of coupling retrograde actin flow to the environment and thus can potentially operate interchangeably and simultaneously. As adhesion-free migration is independent of the chemical composition of the environment, it renders cells completely autonomous in their locomotive behaviour. AU - Reversat, Anne AU - Gärtner, Florian R AU - Merrin, Jack AU - Stopp, Julian A AU - Tasciyan, Saren AU - Aguilera Servin, Juan L AU - De Vries, Ingrid AU - Hauschild, Robert AU - Hons, Miroslav AU - Piel, Matthieu AU - Callan-Jones, Andrew AU - Voituriez, Raphael AU - Sixt, Michael K ID - 7885 JF - Nature SN - 00280836 TI - Cellular locomotion using environmental topography VL - 582 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a crucial cellular process implicated in many aspects of plant growth, development, intra- and inter-cellular signaling, nutrient uptake and pathogen defense. Despite these significant roles, little is known about the precise molecular details of how it functions in planta. In order to facilitate the direct quantitative study of plant CME, here we review current routinely used methods and present refined, standardized quantitative imaging protocols which allow the detailed characterization of CME at multiple scales in plant tissues. These include: (i) an efficient electron microscopy protocol for the imaging of Arabidopsis CME vesicles in situ, thus providing a method for the detailed characterization of the ultra-structure of clathrin-coated vesicles; (ii) a detailed protocol and analysis for quantitative live-cell fluorescence microscopy to precisely examine the temporal interplay of endocytosis components during single CME events; (iii) a semi-automated analysis to allow the quantitative characterization of global internalization of cargos in whole plant tissues; and (iv) an overview and validation of useful genetic and pharmacological tools to interrogate the molecular mechanisms and function of CME in intact plant samples. AU - Johnson, Alexander J AU - Gnyliukh, Nataliia AU - Kaufmann, Walter AU - Narasimhan, Madhumitha AU - Vert, G AU - Bednarek, SY AU - Friml, Jiří ID - 8139 IS - 15 JF - Journal of Cell Science SN - 0021-9533 TI - Experimental toolbox for quantitative evaluation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in the plant model Arabidopsis VL - 133 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) and its commercial herbicide formulations have been shown to exert toxicity via various mechanisms. It has been asserted that glyphosate substitutes for glycine in polypeptide chains leading to protein misfolding and toxicity. However, as no direct evidence exists for glycine to glyphosate substitution in proteins, including in mammalian organisms, we tested this claim by conducting a proteomics analysis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells grown in the presence of 100 mg/L glyphosate for 6 days. Protein extracts from three treated and three untreated cell cultures were analysed as one TMT-6plex labelled sample, to highlight a specific pattern (+/+/+/−/−/−) of reporter intensities for peptides bearing true glyphosate treatment induced-post translational modifications as well as allowing an investigation of the total proteome. AU - Antoniou, Michael N. AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Mesnage, Robin AU - Biserni, Martina AU - Rao, Francesco V. AU - Martin, Cristina Vazquez ID - 6819 JF - BMC Research Notes TI - Glyphosate does not substitute for glycine in proteins of actively dividing mammalian cells VL - 12 ER - TY - GEN AB - Additional file 1: Table S1. Kinetics of MDA-MB-231 cell growth in either the presence or absence of 100Â mg/L glyphosate. Cell counts are given at day-1 of seeding flasks and following 6-days of continuous culture. Note: no differences in cell numbers were observed between negative control and glyphosate treated cultures. AU - Antoniou, Michael N. AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Mesnage, Robin AU - Biserni, Martina AU - Rao, Francesco V. AU - Martin, Cristina Vazquez ID - 9784 TI - MOESM1 of Glyphosate does not substitute for glycine in proteins of actively dividing mammalian cells ER - TY - GEN AU - Schlögl, Alois AU - Kiss, Janos AU - Elefante, Stefano ID - 12901 T2 - AHPC19 - Austrian HPC Meeting 2019 TI - Is Debian suitable for running an HPC Cluster? ER - TY - JOUR AB - Expansion microscopy is a relatively new approach to super-resolution imaging that uses expandable hydrogels to isotropically increase the physical distance between fluorophores in biological samples such as cell cultures or tissue slices. The classic gel recipe results in an expansion factor of ~4×, with a resolution of 60–80 nm. We have recently developed X10 microscopy, which uses a gel that achieves an expansion factor of ~10×, with a resolution of ~25 nm. Here, we provide a step-by-step protocol for X10 expansion microscopy. A typical experiment consists of seven sequential stages: (i) immunostaining, (ii) anchoring, (iii) polymerization, (iv) homogenization, (v) expansion, (vi) imaging, and (vii) validation. The protocol presented here includes recommendations for optimization, pitfalls and their solutions, and detailed guidelines that should increase reproducibility. Although our protocol focuses on X10 expansion microscopy, we detail which of these suggestions are also applicable to classic fourfold expansion microscopy. We exemplify our protocol using primary hippocampal neurons from rats, but our approach can be used with other primary cells or cultured cell lines of interest. This protocol will enable any researcher with basic experience in immunostainings and access to an epifluorescence microscope to perform super-resolution microscopy with X10. The procedure takes 3 d and requires ~5 h of actively handling the sample for labeling and expansion, and another ~3 h for imaging and analysis. AU - Truckenbrodt, Sven M AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Rizzoli, Silvio O AU - Danzl, Johann G ID - 6052 IS - 3 JF - Nature Protocols TI - A practical guide to optimization in X10 expansion microscopy VL - 14 ER -