RESUMEN
Saccharomyces cerevisiae constitutes a popular eukaryal model for research on mitochondrial physiology. Being Crabtree-positive, this yeast has evolved the ability to ferment glucose to ethanol and respire ethanol once glucose is consumed. Its transition phase from fermentative to respiratory metabolism, known as the diauxic shift, is reflected by dramatic rearrangements of mitochondrial function and structure. To date, the metabolic adaptations that occur during the diauxic shift have not been fully characterized at the organelle level. In this study, the absolute proteome of mitochondria was quantified alongside precise parametrization of biophysical properties associated with the mitochondrial network using state-of-the-art optical-imaging techniques. This allowed the determination of absolute protein abundances at a subcellular level. By tracking the transformation of mitochondrial mass and volume, alongside changes in the absolute mitochondrial proteome allocation, we could quantify how mitochondria balance their dual role as a biosynthetic hub as well as a center for cellular respiration. Furthermore, our findings suggest that in the transition from a fermentative to a respiratory metabolism, the diauxic shift represents the stage where major structural and functional reorganizations in mitochondrial metabolism occur. This metabolic transition, initiated at the mitochondria level, is then extended to the rest of the yeast cell.
Asunto(s)
Respiración de la Célula/fisiología , Fermentación/fisiología , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Proteínas Mitocondriales/metabolismo , Etanol/metabolismo , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica/genética , Glucosa/metabolismo , Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Proteoma/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes is linked to elevated levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants. The metabolic effects of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9) inhibitors on this dyslipidemia were investigated using stable-isotope-labeled tracers. Approach and Results: Triglyceride transport and the metabolism of apos (apolipoproteins) B48, B100, C-III, and E after a fat-rich meal were investigated before and on evolocumab treatment in 13 subjects with type 2 diabetes. Kinetic parameters were determined for the following: apoB48 in chylomicrons; triglyceride in VLDL1 (very low-density lipoprotein) and VLDL2; and apoB100 in VLDL1, VLDL2, IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein), and LDL (low-density lipoprotein). Evolocumab did not alter the kinetics of apoB48 in chylomicrons or apoB100 or triglyceride in VLDL1. In contrast, the fractional catabolic rates of VLDL2-apoB100 and VLDL2-triglyceride were both increased by about 45%, which led to a 28% fall in the VLDL2 plasma level. LDL-apoB100 was markedly reduced by evolocumab, which was linked to metabolic heterogeneity in this fraction. Evolocumab increased clearance of the more rapidly metabolized LDL by 61% and decreased production of the more slowly cleared LDL by 75%. ApoC-III kinetics were not altered by evolocumab, but the apoE fractional catabolic rates increased by 45% and the apoE plasma level fell by 33%. The apoE fractional catabolic rates was associated with the decrease in VLDL2- and IDL-apoB100 concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Evolocumab had only minor effects on lipoproteins that are involved in triglyceride transport (chylomicrons and VLDL1) but, in contrast, had a profound impact on lipoproteins that carry cholesterol (VLDL2, IDL, LDL). Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02948777.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados/uso terapéutico , Anticolesterolemiantes/uso terapéutico , Apolipoproteína B-100/sangre , Apolipoproteína B-48/sangre , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/tratamiento farmacológico , Grasas de la Dieta/administración & dosificación , Inhibidores de Serina Proteinasa/uso terapéutico , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados/efectos adversos , Anticolesterolemiantes/efectos adversos , Biomarcadores/sangre , Colesterol/sangre , LDL-Colesterol/sangre , VLDL-Colesterol/sangre , Remanentes de Quilomicrones/sangre , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/sangre , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/diagnóstico , Grasas de la Dieta/sangre , Dislipidemias/sangre , Dislipidemias/diagnóstico , Dislipidemias/tratamiento farmacológico , Femenino , Humanos , Cinética , Lipoproteínas/sangre , Lipoproteínas VLDL/sangre , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Inhibidores de PCSK9 , Periodo Posprandial , Proproteína Convertasa 9/metabolismo , Inhibidores de Serina Proteinasa/efectos adversos , Factores de Tiempo , Resultado del Tratamiento , Triglicéridos/sangre , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Mass spectrometry (MS) and proteomics offer comprehensive characterization and identification of microorganisms and discovery of protein biomarkers that are applicable for diagnostics of infectious diseases. The use of biomarkers for diagnostics is widely applied in the clinic and the use of peptide biomarkers is increasingly being investigated for applications in the clinical laboratory. Respiratory-tract infections are a predominant cause for medical treatment, although, clinical assessments and standard clinical laboratory protocols are time-consuming and often inadequate for reliable diagnoses. Novel methods, preferably applied directly to clinical samples, excluding cultivation steps, are needed to improve diagnostics of infectious diseases, provide adequate treatment and reduce the use of antibiotics and associated development of antibiotic resistance. This study applied nano-liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem MS, with a bioinformatics pipeline and an in-house database of curated high-quality reference genome sequences to identify species-unique peptides as potential biomarkers for four bacterial pathogens commonly found in respiratory tract infections (RTIs): Staphylococcus aureus; Moraxella catarrhalis; Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae The species-unique peptides were initially identified in pure cultures of bacterial reference strains, reflecting the genomic variation in the four species and, furthermore, in clinical respiratory tract samples, without prior cultivation, elucidating proteins expressed in clinical conditions of infection. For each of the four bacterial pathogens, the peptide biomarker candidates most predominantly found in clinical samples, are presented. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD014522. As proof-of-principle, the most promising species-unique peptides were applied in targeted tandem MS-analyses of clinical samples and their relevance for identifications of the pathogens, i.e. proteotyping, was validated, thus demonstrating their potential as peptide biomarker candidates for diagnostics of infectious diseases.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Haemophilus influenzae/metabolismo , Moraxella catarrhalis/metabolismo , Péptidos/metabolismo , Staphylococcus aureus/metabolismo , Streptococcus pneumoniae/metabolismo , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Haemophilus influenzae/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Moraxella catarrhalis/aislamiento & purificación , Sistema Respiratorio/microbiología , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/microbiología , Especificidad de la Especie , Staphylococcus aureus/aislamiento & purificación , Streptococcus pneumoniae/aislamiento & purificación , Espectrometría de Masas en TándemRESUMEN
AIM: To elucidate the impact of liraglutide on the kinetics of apolipoprotein (apo)B48- and apoB100-containing triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) after a single fat-rich meal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects with T2D were included in a study to investigate postprandial apoB48 and apoB100 metabolism before and after 16 weeks on l.8 mg/day liraglutide (n = 14) or placebo (n = 4). Stable isotope tracer and compartmental modelling techniques were used to determine the impact of liraglutide on chylomicron and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) production and clearance after a single fat-rich meal. RESULTS: Liraglutide reduced apoB48 synthesis in chylomicrons by 60% (p < .0001) and increased the triglyceride/apoB48 ratio (i.e. the size) of chylomicrons (p < .001). Direct clearance of chylomicrons, a quantitatively significant pathway pretreatment, decreased by 90% on liraglutide (p < .001). Liraglutide also reduced VLDL1 -triglyceride secretion (p = .017) in parallel with reduced liver fat. Chylomicron-apoB48 production and particle size were related to insulin sensitivity (p = .015 and p < .001, respectively), but these associations were perturbed by liraglutide. CONCLUSIONS: In a physiologically relevant setting that mirrored regular feeding in subjects with T2D, liraglutide promoted potentially beneficial changes on postprandial apoB48 metabolism. Using our data in an integrated metabolic model, we describe how the action of liraglutide in T2D on chylomicron and VLDL kinetics could lead to decreased generation of remnant lipoproteins.
Asunto(s)
Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Liraglutida , Apolipoproteína B-48 , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/tratamiento farmacológico , Humanos , Lipoproteínas , Lipoproteínas VLDL , Liraglutida/uso terapéutico , Periodo Posprandial , TriglicéridosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Treating osteoarthritis in elderly patients with THA is very successful. However, surgeons hesitate to recommend THA in younger patients. The spectrum of etiologies for end stage hip disease in the younger population is diverse and therefore different courses may be assumed. Our objective was to evaluate THA revision rate within a minimum follow-up period of 10 years in young patients and to analyze the difference between different primary diagnoses. METHODS: We included 144 consecutive hips in 127 patients younger than 40 years, who received a primary THA from 01/1996 to 12/2007. Operative reports, clinical and radiographic documentation were reviewed to determine primary diagnosis, prior hip surgery, component specifications and revision surgery. 111 hips in 97 patients were available for outcome analysis with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. RESULTS: The mean age was 33 years (range 15-40 years) at the time of the index THA, 68 patients were female and 59 were male. Ten years revision rate on the prosthetic components was 13%. The most common primary diagnosis was DDH. DDH was associated with a risk of 17% for requiring a reoperation on the prosthetic components because of mechanical fatigue and therefore, significantly higher than for any other primary diagnosis (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: THA in young patients is associated with a high revision rate of 13% in 10 years. 17% of patients with DDH required revision surgery for mechanical fatigue within 10 years, which was significantly higher than for any other primary diagnosis (1.2%, OR 16.8).
Asunto(s)
Artroplastia de Reemplazo de Cadera , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Artroplastia de Reemplazo de Cadera/efectos adversos , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Masculino , Reoperación , Estudios Retrospectivos , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Germination, the process whereby a dry, quiescent seed springs to life, has been a focus of plant biologist for many years, yet the early events following water uptake, during which metabolism of the embryo is restarted, remain enigmatic. Here, the nature of the cues required for this restarting in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) seed has been investigated. A holistic in vivo approach was designed to display the link between the entry and allocation of water, metabolic events and structural changes occurring during germination. For this, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with Fourier transform infrared microscopy, fluorescence-based respiration mapping, computer-aided seed modeling and biochemical tools. We uncovered an endospermal lipid gap, which channels water to the radicle tip, from whence it is distributed via embryonic vasculature toward cotyledon tissues. The resumption of respiration is initiated first in the endosperm, only later spreading to the embryo. Sugar metabolism and lipid utilization are linked to the spatiotemporal sequence of tissue rehydration. Together, this imaging study provides insights into the spatial aspects of key events in oilseed rape seeds leading to germination. It demonstrates how seed architecture predetermines the pattern of water intake, which sets the stage for the orchestrated restart of life.
Asunto(s)
Brassica napus/fisiología , Germinación , Semillas/fisiología , Carbono/metabolismo , Endospermo/fisiología , Metabolismo de los Lípidos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Consumo de Oxígeno , Agua/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Constrained to develop within the seed, the plant embryo must adapt its shape and size to fit the space available. Here, we demonstrate how this adjustment shapes metabolism of photosynthetic embryo. Noninvasive NMR-based imaging of the developing oilseed rape (Brassica napus) seed illustrates that, following embryo bending, gradients in lipid concentration became established. These were correlated with the local photosynthetic electron transport rate and the accumulation of storage products. Experimentally induced changes in embryo morphology and/or light supply altered these gradients and were accompanied by alterations in both proteome and metabolome. Tissue-specific metabolic models predicted that the outer cotyledon and hypocotyl/radicle generate the bulk of plastidic reductant/ATP via photosynthesis, while the inner cotyledon, being enclosed by the outer cotyledon, is forced to grow essentially heterotrophically. Under field-relevant high-light conditions, major contribution of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase-bypass to seed storage metabolism is predicted for the outer cotyledon and the hypocotyl/radicle only. Differences between in vitro- versus in planta-grown embryos suggest that metabolic heterogeneity of embryo is not observable by in vitro approaches. We conclude that in vivo metabolic fluxes are locally regulated and connected to seed architecture, driving the embryo toward an efficient use of available light and space.
Asunto(s)
Brassica napus/metabolismo , Cotiledón/metabolismo , Fotosíntesis , Semillas/metabolismo , Brassica napus/anatomía & histología , Brassica napus/crecimiento & desarrollo , Cotiledón/anatomía & histología , Cotiledón/crecimiento & desarrollo , Transporte de Electrón , Electroforesis en Gel Bidimensional , Metabolismo de los Lípidos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Espectrometría de Masas , Metaboloma , Metabolómica/métodos , Modelos Anatómicos , Modelos Biológicos , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Proteoma/metabolismo , Proteómica/métodos , Ribulosafosfatos/metabolismo , Semillas/anatomía & histología , Semillas/crecimiento & desarrolloRESUMEN
The large numbers of samples processed in breeding and biodiversity programmes require the development of efficient methods for the nondestructive evaluation of basic seed properties. Near-infrared spectroscopy is the state-of-the-art solution for this analytical demand, but it also has some limitations. Here, we present a novel, rapid, accurate procedure based on time domain-nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR), designed to simultaneously quantify a number of basic seed traits without any seed destruction. Using a low-field, benchtop (1) H-NMR instrument, the procedure gives a high-accuracy measurement of oil content (R(2) = 0.98), carbohydrate content (R(2) = 0.99), water content (R(2) = 0.98) and both fresh and dry weight of seeds/grains (R(2) = 0.99). The method requires a minimum of ~20 mg biomass per sample and thus enables to screen individual, intact seeds. When combined with an automated sample delivery system, a throughput of ~1400 samples per day is achievable. The procedure has been trialled as a proof of concept on cereal grains (collection of ~3000 accessions of Avena spp. curated at the IPK genebank). A mathematical multitrait selection approach has been designed to simplify the selection of outlying (most contrasting) accessions. To provide deeper insights into storage oil topology, some oat accessions were further analysed by three-dimensional seed modelling and lipid imaging. We conclude that the novel TD-NMR-based screening tool opens perspectives for breeding and plant biology in general.
Asunto(s)
Avena/genética , Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento/métodos , Carácter Cuantitativo Heredable , Semillas/genética , Avena/crecimiento & desarrollo , Calibración , Espectroscopía de Resonancia Magnética , Tamaño de los Órganos , Aceites de Plantas/metabolismo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Advances in mass spectrometry (MS) have made comprehensive lipidomics analysis of complex tissues relatively commonplace. These compositional analyses, although able to resolve hundreds of molecular species of lipids in single extracts, lose the original cellular context from which these lipids are derived. Recently, high-resolution MS of individual lipid droplets from seed tissues indicated organelle-to-organelle variation in lipid composition, suggesting that heterogeneity of lipid distributions at the cellular level may be prevalent. Here, we employed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-MS imaging (MALDI-MSI) approaches to visualize lipid species directly in seed tissues of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). MS imaging of cryosections of mature cotton embryos revealed a distinct, heterogeneous distribution of molecular species of triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholines, the major storage and membrane lipid classes in cotton embryos. Other lipids were imaged, including phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidic acids, sterols, and gossypol, indicating the broad range of metabolites and applications for this chemical visualization approach. We conclude that comprehensive lipidomics images generated by MALDI-MSI report accurate, relative amounts of lipid species in plant tissues and reveal previously unseen differences in spatial distributions providing for a new level of understanding in cellular biochemistry.
Asunto(s)
Gossypium/embriología , Lípidos/análisis , Espectrometría de Masa por Láser de Matriz Asistida de Ionización Desorción/métodos , Gossypium/química , Semillas/química , Semillas/embriologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Developing and evaluating an improved sampling pattern to track the dynamics of labeled substances in plants using indirect (13)C chemical shift imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An algorithm to split an acquisition weighted sampling pattern into several undersampled sub-images is presented. The sampling patterns are used in CSI moving phantom experiments as well as in in vivo POCE-CSI experiments on barley stem and grain. Reconstruction is performed traditionally or by compressed sensing. RESULTS: The moving phantom experiments show that the sampling pattern can reduce motion artifacts at the cost of an increased overall noise. The in vivo experiments demonstrate the feasibility of extracting a time series from a single imaging experiment. CONCLUSION: The sampling pattern is suitable for tracking the uptake of label substances into plant material. The use of compressed sensing allows an increased spatial and temporal resolution.
Asunto(s)
Espectroscopía de Resonancia Magnética con Carbono-13/métodos , Hordeum/metabolismo , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Imagen Molecular/métodos , Plantas/metabolismo , Sacarosa/farmacocinética , Hordeum/anatomía & histología , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Distribución TisularRESUMEN
Engineering compositional changes in oilseeds is typically accomplished by introducing new enzymatic step(s) and/or by blocking or enhancing an existing enzymatic step(s) in a seed-specific manner. However, in practice, the amounts of lipid species that accumulate in seeds are often different from what one would predict from enzyme expression levels, and these incongruences may be rooted in an incomplete understanding of the regulation of seed lipid metabolism at the cellular/tissue level. Here we show by mass spectrometry imaging approaches that triacylglycerols and their phospholipid precursors are distributed differently within cotyledons and the hypocotyl/radicle axis in embryos of the oilseed crop Camelina sativa, indicating tissue-specific heterogeneity in triacylglycerol metabolism. Phosphatidylcholines and triacylglycerols enriched in linoleic acid (C18:2) were preferentially localized to the axis tissues, whereas lipid classes enriched in gadoleic acid (C20:1) were preferentially localized to the cotyledons. Manipulation of seed lipid compositions by heterologous over-expression of an acyl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase, or by suppression of fatty acid desaturases and elongases, resulted in new overall seed storage lipid compositions with altered patterns of distribution of phospholipid and triacylglycerol in transgenic embryos. Our results reveal previously unknown differences in acyl lipid distribution in Camelina embryos, and suggest that this spatial heterogeneity may or may not be able to be changed effectively in transgenic seeds depending upon the targeted enzyme(s)/pathway(s). Further, these studies point to the importance of resolving the location of metabolites in addition to their quantities within plant tissues.
Asunto(s)
Camellia/metabolismo , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/metabolismo , Ácidos Grasos/metabolismo , Camellia/genética , Camellia/ultraestructura , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/análisis , Ácidos Grasos/análisis , Metabolismo de los Lípidos , Lípidos/análisis , Fosfatidilcolinas , Fosfolípidos , Plantas Modificadas Genéticamente , Semillas , Espectrometría de Masa por Láser de Matriz Asistida de Ionización Desorción , Tioléster Hidrolasas/genética , TriglicéridosRESUMEN
While often thought of as a smoking drug, tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) is now considered as a plant of choice for molecular farming and biofuel production. Here, we describe a noninvasive means of deriving both the distribution of lipid and the microtopology of the submillimeter tobacco seed, founded on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Our platform enables counting of seeds inside the intact tobacco capsule to measure seed sizes, to model the seed interior in three dimensions, to quantify the lipid content, and to visualize lipid gradients. Hundreds of seeds can be simultaneously imaged at an isotropic resolution of 25 µm, sufficient to assess each individual seed. The relative contributions of the embryo and the endosperm to both seed size and total lipid content could be assessed. The extension of the platform to a range of wild and cultivated Nicotiana species demonstrated certain evolutionary trends in both seed topology and pattern of lipid storage. The NMR analysis of transgenic tobacco plants with seed-specific ectopic expression of the plastidial phosphoenolpyruvate/phosphate translocator, displayed a trade off between seed size and oil concentration. The NMR-based assay of seed lipid content and topology has a number of potential applications, in particular providing a means to test and optimize transgenic strategies aimed at the manipulation of seed size, seed number, and lipid content in tobacco and other species with submillimeter seeds.
Asunto(s)
Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Espectroscopía de Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Nicotiana/química , Aceites/análisis , Semillas/química , Brassica/genética , Imagenología Tridimensional/métodos , Metabolismo de los Lípidos , Lípidos/análisis , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Plantas Modificadas Genéticamente , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Semillas/genética , Nicotiana/genéticaRESUMEN
The starchy endosperm of cereals is a priori taken as a metabolically uniform tissue. By applying a noninvasive assay based on (13)C/(1)H-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to barley (Hordeum vulgare) grains, we uncovered metabolic compartmentation in the endosperm. (13)C-Suc feeding during grain filling showed that the primary site of Ala synthesis was the central region of the endosperm, the part of the caryopsis experiencing the highest level of hypoxia. Region-specific metabolism in the endosperm was characterized by flux balance analysis (FBA) and metabolite profiling. FBA predicts that in the central region of the endosperm, the tricarboxylic acid cycle shifts to a noncyclic mode, accompanied by elevated glycolytic flux and the accumulation of Ala. The metabolic compartmentation within the endosperm is advantageous for the grain's carbon and energy economy, with a prominent role being played by Ala aminotransferase. An investigation of caryopses with a genetically perturbed tissue pattern demonstrated that Ala accumulation is a consequence of oxygen status, rather than being either tissue specific or dependent on the supply of Suc. Hence the (13)C-Ala gradient can be used as an in vivo marker for hypoxia. The combination of MRI and metabolic modeling offers opportunities for the noninvasive analysis of metabolic compartmentation in plants.
Asunto(s)
Alanina/metabolismo , Endospermo/metabolismo , Hordeum/metabolismo , Oxígeno/metabolismo , Almidón/metabolismo , Alanina/análisis , Isótopos de Carbono/análisis , Compartimento Celular/fisiología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Modelos Biológicos , Oxígeno/farmacología , Tallos de la Planta/metabolismo , Sacarosa/análisis , Sacarosa/metabolismoRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to assess bone healing and secondary fracture displacement after corrective osteotomy of the distal radius without any cortical contact using palmar locking plates without bone grafting. Between 2009 and 2021, 11 palmar corrective osteotomies of extra-articular malunited distal radius fractures and palmar plate fixations without the use of bone grafts and without cortical contact, were assessed. All patients showed complete osseous restoration and significant improvement in all radiographic parameters. Except for one patient, there were no secondary dislocations or loss of reduction in the postoperative follow-up. Bone grafts may not be mandatory for bone healing and prevention of secondary fracture displacement after palmar corrective osteotomy without cortical contact and fixation with palmar locking plate.Level of evidence: IV.
Asunto(s)
Fracturas Mal Unidas , Placa Palmar , Fracturas del Radio , Humanos , Radio (Anatomía)/cirugía , Fracturas del Radio/diagnóstico por imagen , Fracturas del Radio/cirugía , Trasplante Óseo , Radiografía , Fijación Interna de Fracturas , Fracturas Mal Unidas/diagnóstico por imagen , Fracturas Mal Unidas/cirugía , Osteotomía , Placas Óseas , Estudios de SeguimientoRESUMEN
Treemaps are a powerful tool for representing hierarchical data in a space-efficient manner and are used in various domains, including network security or software development. However, interpreting the topology encoded by nested rectangles can be challenging, particularly compared to tree-structured representations like node-link diagrams or icicle plots. To address this challenge, we introduce TreEducation, a visual education platform designed to improve the visualization literacy skills required for reading treemaps among non-expert users. TreEducation is an online application that combines visualizations, interactions, and gamification elements to facilitate understanding of eight different treemap layout algorithms and enhance students' learning process. We evaluated TreEducation in a classroom setting and a controlled environment. Our results indicate a significant knowledge gain of students training exclusively with TreEducation and the usefulness of competition as a social gamification element included in our competitive quiz.
RESUMEN
Methanol is a toxic alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages as a natural byproduct of fermentation or added intentionally to counterfeits to increase profit. To ensure consumer safety, many countries and the EU have established strict legislation limits for methanol content. Methanol concentration is mostly detected by laboratory instrumentation since mobile devices for routine on-site testing of beverages in distilleries, at border stations or even at home are not available. Here, we validated a handheld methanol detector for beverage analysis in an ISO 5725 interlaboratory trial: a total of 119 measurements were performed by 17 independent participants (distilleries, universities, authorities, and competence centers) from six countries on samples with relevant methanol concentrations (0.1, 1.5 vol%). The detector was based on a microporous separation filter and a nanostructured gas sensor allowing on-site measurement of methanol down to 0.01 vol% (in the liquid) within only 2 min by laymen. The detector showed excellent repeatability (<5.4%), reproducibility (<9.5%) and small bias (<0.012 vol%). Additional measurements on various methanol-spiked alcoholic beverages (whisky, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, port, sherry, liqueur) indicated that the detector is not interfered by environmental temperature and spirit composition, featuring excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) down to methanol concentrations of 0.01 vol%. This device has been recently commercialized (Alivion Spark M-20) with comparable accuracy to the gold-standard gas chromatography and can be readily applied for final product inspection, intake control of raw materials or to identify toxic counterfeit products.
Asunto(s)
Bebidas Alcohólicas , Metanol , Metanol/análisis , Bebidas Alcohólicas/análisis , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Análisis de los Alimentos/instrumentación , Análisis de los Alimentos/métodos , Laboratorios/normasRESUMEN
The developing seed essentially relies on external oxygen to fuel aerobic respiration, but it is currently unknown how oxygen diffuses into and within the seed, which structural pathways are used and what finally limits gas exchange. By applying synchrotron X-ray computed tomography to developing oilseed rape seeds we uncovered void spaces, and analysed their three-dimensional assembly. Both the testa and the hypocotyl are well endowed with void space, but in the cotyledons, spaces were small and poorly inter-connected. In silico modelling revealed a three orders of magnitude range in oxygen diffusivity from tissue to tissue, and identified major barriers to gas exchange. The oxygen pool stored in the voids is consumed about once per minute. The function of the void space was related to the tissue-specific distribution of storage oils, storage protein and starch, as well as oxygen, water, sugars, amino acids and the level of respiratory activity, analysed using a combination of magnetic resonance imaging, specific oxygen sensors, laser micro-dissection, biochemical and histological methods. We conclude that the size and inter-connectivity of void spaces are major determinants of gas exchange potential, and locally affect the respiratory activity of a developing seed.
Asunto(s)
Brassica napus/embriología , Modelos Biológicos , Semillas/embriología , Brassica napus/ultraestructura , Compartimento Celular , Respiración de la Célula , Simulación por Computador , Difusión , Gases/metabolismo , Hipocótilo/ultraestructura , Oxígeno/metabolismo , Aceites de Plantas/metabolismo , Porosidad , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Semillas/ultraestructura , Microtomografía por Rayos XRESUMEN
We report the case of a forest ranger who developed a polymicrobial infection with Mucor circinelloides after traumatic forearm amputation. Based on our case report we discuss epidemiology and management of this rare and potentially fatal infection.
RESUMEN
Resident tissue macrophages are organ-specialized phagocytes responsible for the maintenance and protection of tissue homeostasis. It is well established that tissue diversity is reflected by the heterogeneity of resident tissue macrophage origin and phenotype. However, much less is known about tissue-specific phagocytic and proteolytic macrophage functions. Here, using a quantitative proteomics approach, we identify cathepsins as key determinants of phagosome maturation in primary peritoneum-, lung-, and brain-resident macrophages. The data further uncover cathepsin K (CtsK) as a molecular marker for lung phagosomes required for intracellular protein and collagen degradation. Pharmacological blockade of CtsK activity diminished phagosomal proteolysis and collagenolysis in lung-resident macrophages. Furthermore, profibrotic TGF-ß negatively regulated CtsK-mediated phagosomal collagen degradation independently from classical endocytic-proteolytic pathways. In humans, phagosomal CtsK activity was reduced in COPD lung macrophages and non-COPD lung macrophages exposed to cigarette smoke extract. Taken together, this study provides a comprehensive map of how peritoneal, lung, and brain tissue environment shapes phagosomal composition, revealing CtsK as a key molecular determinant of lung phagosomes contributing to phagocytic collagen clearance in lungs.
Asunto(s)
Catepsina K , Macrófagos , Fagosomas , Humanos , Catepsina K/metabolismo , Colágeno/metabolismo , Pulmón , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Fagosomas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Understanding protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and interactome networks is essential to reveal molecular mechanisms mediating various cellular processes. The most common method to study PPIs in vivo is affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry (AP-MS). Although AP-MS is a powerful method, loss of weak and transient interactions is still a major limitation. Proximity labeling (PL) techniques have been developed as alternatives to overcome these limitations. Proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) is one such widely used PL method. The first-generation BioID enzyme BirA*, a promiscuous bacterial biotin ligase, has been effectively used in cultured mammalian cells; however, relatively slow enzyme kinetics make it less effective for temporal analysis of protein interactions. In addition, BirA* exhibits reduced activity at temperatures below 37°C, further restricting its use in intact organisms cultured at lower optimal growth temperatures ( e.g., Drosophila melanogaster ). TurboID, miniTurbo, and BirA*-G3 are next generation BirA* variants with improved catalytic activity, allowing investigators to use this powerful tool in model systems such as flies. Here, we describe a detailed experimental workflow to efficiently identify the proximal proteome (proximitome) of a protein of interest (POI) in the Drosophila brain using CRISPR/Cas9-induced homology-directed repair (HDR) strategies to endogenously tag the POI with next generation BioID enzymes.