Article
Microbiology
Teng Liu, Yijie Liao, Yanjie Du, Qinting Dong, Wenchao Zhang, Chengpeng Qiao, Ying Chen, Kang Ouyang, Zuzhang Wei, Yifeng Qin, Weijian Huang
Summary: By conducting insertion-mediated mutagenesis experiments on the open reading frame 1b (ORF1b) of the porcine astrovirus genome, researchers identified ten sites capable of tolerating random 15 nt insertions. These sites allowed the expression of proteins with a Flag tag, which could be recognized by specific monoclonal antibodies. Additionally, the insertion of an improved iLOV gene at seven of these sites resulted in the production of a recombinant virus that expressed green fluorescence in living cells.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Yanjie Du, Teng Liu, Yifeng Qin, Qinting Dong, Ying Chen, Kang Ouyang, Zuzhang Wei, Weijian Huang
Summary: Transposon-mediated insertion mutagenesis was used to insert a 15-nucleotide sequence into the genome of porcine astrovirus, allowing for the addition of commonly used epitope tags. The recombinant reporter virus carrying a fluorescent tag maintained stability and showed green fluorescence, providing a promising tool for antiviral drug screening.
Article
Immunology
Michael W. Curtis, Christa H. Fierros, Beth L. Hahn, Matthew C. Surdel, Julie Kessler, Phillip N. Anderson, Marine Vandewalle-Capo, Mari Bonde, Jieqing Zhu, Sven Bergstrom, Jenifer Coburn
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of conserved domains of P66 in the infection and dissemination of Borrelia burgdorferi, and suggests a crucial role of P66 porin function in murine infection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Nuclear
Qing Zhao, Masaaki Kimura, Bo Zhou, Seung-heon Shin
Summary: The alpha clustering in 10Be and 12Be has been studied using the real-time evolution method (REM), with improvements made to obtain more accurate clustering results.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Benedetta Righino, Manuela Bozzi, Davide Pirolli, Francesca Sciandra, Maria Giulia Bigotti, Andrea Brancaccio, Maria Cristina De Rosa
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING
(2020)
Article
Physiology
Cihang Kong, Stefanie Bobe, Christian Pilger, Mario Lachetta, Cristina Ionica Oie, Nils Kirschnick, Viola Moenkemoeller, Wolfgang Huebner, Christine Foerster, Mark Schuettpelz, Friedemann Kiefer, Thomas Huser, Jan Schulte Am Esch
Summary: The liver, as the largest organ in the human body, presents challenges for optical imaging due to its complex architecture and strong absorption and scattering of visible light. This study demonstrates the use of specific fluorescent labels and label-free methods to cover the entire size range, from the millimeter scale to the nanoscale, in excised human liver tissue. Advanced microscopy techniques allow visualization of liver structures in 3D down to the cellular level, providing new insights into liver biopsy analysis.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alice Sandmeyer, Mario Lachetta, Hauke Sandmeyer, Wolfgang Huebner, Thomas Huser, Marcel Mueller
Summary: This paper presents a compact, cost-effective high-speed structured illumination microscope that allows for video-rate super-resolved image reconstructions. The instrument, based on a digital micromirror device and a global-shutter camera, optimizes SIM pattern contrast and enables real-time reconstruction and visualization of living cells with high sensitivity.
Article
Optics
Mario Lachetta, Gerd Wiebusch, Wolfgang Huebner, Jan Schulte Am Esch, Thomas Huser, Marcel Mueller
Summary: SIM is a fast and gentle super-resolution fluorescence imaging technique that uses spatial modulation of fluorescence excitation light, often achieved by interfering coherent laser beams in the sample plane. DMDs, a form of SLMs, have advantages such as high speed, low cost, and wide availability, but face challenges due to the blazed grating effect caused by the tilted mirrors. Recent works focus on studying this effect and exploring implementations of multi-color SIM imaging based on DMDs.
Article
Virology
Lili Wang, Alice Sandmeyer, Wolfgang Huebner, Hongru Li, Thomas Huser, Benjamin K. Chen
Summary: HIV-1 infection is enhanced by cell-cell adhesions called virological synapses (VS), in which infected and uninfected T cells interact. This study used a replication-competent HIV-1 clone to track the movement of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) within infected cells. The results showed that Env was dynamically exchanged at the VS, while the viral structural protein, Gag, remained immobile. Further experiments revealed that continuous internalization and targeted secretion were involved in the accumulation of Env at the VS and its incorporation into nascent particles.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Katie L. Skeffington, Ffion P. Jones, M. Saadeh Suleiman, Massimo Caputo, Andrea Brancaccio, Maria Giulia Bigotti
Summary: In this study, it was found that the expression of agrin decreases gradually with age in human right ventricular tissue, showing both similarities and differences compared to findings in mice. These results lay the groundwork for exploring the potential of agrin-based therapies in repairing damaged human hearts.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alice Sandmeyer, Lili Wang, Wolfgang Huebner, Marcel Mueller, Benjamin K. Chen, Thomas Huser
Summary: Cost-effective, highly portable, and easy to use high-resolution live-cell imaging systems can revolutionize research in challenging environments, enabling real-time tracking of virus particles and studying infection mechanisms.
Article
Cell Biology
Froso Sophocleous, Estefania De Garate, Maria Giulia Bigotti, Maryam Anwar, Eva Jover, Aranzazu Chamorro-Jorganes, Cha Rajakaruna, Konstantina Mitrousi, Viola De Francesco, Aileen Wilson, Serban Stoica, Andrew Parry, Umberto Benedetto, Pierpaolo Chivasso, Frances Gill, Mark C. K. Hamilton, Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci, Massimo Caputo, Costanza Emanueli, Giovanni Biglino
Summary: This study identified new miRNAs involved in the BAV aortic wall and revealed the concomitant expressional dysregulation of miRNAs, proteins, and elastic fibers on the anterior/right wall in dilated BAV patients, corresponding to regions of elevated wall shear stress (WSS).
Review
Virology
Susanne K. Golm, Wolfgang Huebner, Kristian M. Mueller
Summary: Research on adeno-associated virus (AAV) and its recombinant vectors, as well as fluorescence microscopy imaging, is rapidly advancing due to clinical applications and new technologies. These topics intersect as high and super-resolution microscopes enable the study of spatial and temporal aspects of cellular virus biology. Methods for labeling and detecting AAV proteins and DNA have also evolved. This review provides an overview of these interdisciplinary developments and their technological and biological implications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Sciandra, Patrizia Bottoni, Marinella De Leo, Alessandra Braca, Andrea Brancaccio, Manuela Bozzi
Summary: This study found that verbascoside can improve mitochondrial function, alleviate H2O2-induced cell death, and reduce ROS levels. These effects were achieved through the activation of Nrf2 and modulation of the transcription levels of HO-1 and PGC-1 alpha. These findings contribute to the understanding of verbascoside's ability to relieve muscular fatigue and could have implications for the development of therapies targeting muscle weakness and mitochondrial dysfunction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Marston Bradshaw, John M. Squire, Edward Morris, Georgia Atkinson, Rebecca Richardson, Jon Lees, Massimo Caputo, Giulia M. Bigotti, Danielle M. Paul
Summary: This study used cryo-EM to investigate the three-dimensional structure of zebrafish cardiac thin and actin filaments, and found that they have the same fundamental organization as human reconstituted thin filaments. Zebrafish, as a model organism for human disease research, have similar genes and disease-causing genes to humans, making them suitable for studying human diseases.
JOURNAL OF MUSCLE RESEARCH AND CELL MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Giulia Bigotti, Andrea Brancaccio
Summary: The DG complex plays a key role in muscle stability in Metazoa, with mutations in enzymes involved in glycosylation of alpha-DG leading to severe neuromuscular disorders. Investigating the evolution of these modifying enzymes reveals the importance of glycosylation in modulating the connection between sarcolemma and basement membranes, ultimately supporting skeletal muscle stability and movement.