1. |
- del Pino, Isabel, et al.
(author)
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The trafficking proteins Vacuolar Protein Sorting 35 and Neurobeachin interact with the glycine receptor beta-subunit
- 2011
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In: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-291X .- 1090-2104. ; 412:3, s. 435-440
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) are densely packed in the postsynaptic membrane due to a high-affinity interaction of their beta-subunits with the scaffolding protein gephyrin. Here, we used an affinity-based proteomic approach to identify the trafficking proteins Vacuolar Protein Sorting 35 (Vps35) and Neurobeachin (Nbea) as novel GlyR beta-subunit (GlyR beta) interacting proteins in rat brain. Recombinant Vps35 and a central fragment of Nbea bound to the large intracellular loop of GlyR beta in glutathione-S-transferase pull-downs; in addition, Vps35 displayed binding to gephyrin. Immunocytochemical staining of spinal cord sections revealed Nbea immunoreactivity apposed to and colocalizing with marker proteins of inhibitory synapses. Our data are consistent with roles of Vps35 and Nbea in the retrieval and post-Golgi trafficking of synaptic GlyRs and possibly other neurotransmitter receptors.
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2. |
- Saurer, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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Spatial variability and temporal trends in water-use efficiency of European forests
- 2014
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 20:12, s. 3700-3712
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere in combination with climatic changes throughout the last century are likely to have had a profound effect on the physiology of trees: altering the carbon and water fluxes passing through the stomatal pores. However, the magnitude and spatial patterns of such changes in natural forests remain highly uncertain. Here, stable carbon isotope ratios from a network of 35 tree-ring sites located across Europe are investigated to determine the intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), the ratio of photosynthesis to stomatal conductance from 1901 to 2000. The results were compared with simulations of a dynamic vegetation model (LPX-Bern 1.0) that integrates numerous ecosystem and land-atmosphere exchange processes in a theoretical framework. The spatial pattern of tree-ring derived iWUE of the investigated coniferous and deciduous species and the model results agreed significantly with a clear south-to-north gradient, as well as a general increase in iWUE over the 20th century. The magnitude of the iWUE increase was not spatially uniform, with the strongest increase observed and modelled for temperate forests in Central Europe, a region where summer soil-water availability decreased over the last century. We were able to demonstrate that the combined effects of increasing CO2 and climate change leading to soil drying have resulted in an accelerated increase in iWUE. These findings will help to reduce uncertainties in the land surface schemes of global climate models, where vegetation-climate feedbacks are currently still poorly constrained by observational data.
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3. |
- Schollaen, Karina, et al.
(author)
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Multiple tree-ring chronologies (ring width, delta C-13 and delta O-18) reveal dry and rainy season signals of rainfall in Indonesia
- 2013
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In: Quaternary Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-3791 .- 1873-457X. ; 73, s. 170-181
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climatic hazards, such as severe droughts and floods, affect extensive areas across monsoon Asia and can have profound impacts on the populations of that region. The area surrounding Indonesia, including large portions of the eastern Indian Ocean and Java Sea, plays a key role in the global climate system because of the enormous heat and moisture exchange that occurs between the ocean and atmosphere there. Here, we evaluate the influence of rainfall variability on multiple tree-ring parameters of teak (Tectona grandis) trees growing in a lowland rain forest in Central Java (Indonesia). We assess the potential of, annually resolved, tree-ring width, stable carbon (delta C-13) and oxygen (delta O-18) isotope records to improve our understanding of the Asian monsoon variability. Climate response analysis with regional, monthly rainfall data reveals that all three tree-ring parameters are significantly correlated to rainfall, albeit during different monsoon seasons. Precipitation in the beginning of the rainy season (Sep-Nov) is important for tree-ring width, confirming previous studies. Compared to ring width, the stable isotope records possess a higher degree of common signal, especially during portions of the peak rainy season (delta C-13: Dec-May; delta O-18: Nov-Feb) and are negatively correlated to rainfall. In addition, tree-ring delta O-18 also responds positively to peak dry season rainfall, although the delta O-13 rainy season signal is stronger and more time-stable. The correlations of opposite sign reflect the distinct seasonal contrast of the delta O-18 signatures in rainfall (O-18(Pre)) during the dry (O-18-enriched rain) and rainy (O-18-depleted rain) seasons. This difference in O-18(Pre) signal reflects the combination of two signals in the annual tree-ring delta O-18 record. Highly resolved intra-annual 8180 isotope analyses suggest that the signals of dry and rainy season can be distinguished clearly. Thereby reconstructions can improve our understanding of variations and trends of the hydrological cycle over the Indonesian archipelago.
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4. |
- Tang, Wenbo, et al.
(author)
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Large-Scale Genome-Wide Association Studies and Meta-Analyses of Longitudinal Change in Adult Lung Function
- 2014
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:7, s. e100776-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci influencing cross-sectional lung function, but less is known about genes influencing longitudinal change in lung function. Methods: We performed GWAS of the rate of change in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in 14 longitudinal, population-based cohort studies comprising 27,249 adults of European ancestry using linear mixed effects model and combined cohort-specific results using fixed effect meta-analysis to identify novel genetic loci associated with longitudinal change in lung function. Gene expression analyses were subsequently performed for identified genetic loci. As a secondary aim, we estimated the mean rate of decline in FEV1 by smoking pattern, irrespective of genotypes, across these 14 studies using meta-analysis. Results: The overall meta-analysis produced suggestive evidence for association at the novel IL16/STARD5/TMC3 locus on chromosome 15 (P = 5.71 x 10(-7)). In addition, meta-analysis using the five cohorts with >= 3 FEV1 measurements per participant identified the novel ME3 locus on chromosome 11 (P = 2.18 x 10(-8)) at genome-wide significance. Neither locus was associated with FEV1 decline in two additional cohort studies. We confirmed gene expression of IL16, STARD5, and ME3 in multiple lung tissues. Publicly available microarray data confirmed differential expression of all three genes in lung samples from COPD patients compared with controls. Irrespective of genotypes, the combined estimate for FEV1 decline was 26.9, 29.2 and 35.7 mL/year in never, former, and persistent smokers, respectively. Conclusions: In this large-scale GWAS, we identified two novel genetic loci in association with the rate of change in FEV1 that harbor candidate genes with biologically plausible functional links to lung function.
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