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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Bacterial symbiont subpopulations have different roles in a deep-sea symbiosis
    (Cambridge : eLife Sciences Publications, 2021) Hinzke, Tjorven; Kleiner, Manuel; Meister, Mareike; Schlüter, Rabea; Hentschker, Christian; Pané-Farré, Jan; Hildebrandt, Petra; Felbeck, Horst; Sievert, Stefan M; Bonn, Florian; Völker, Uwe; Becher, Dörte; Schweder, Thomas; Markert, Stephanie
    The hydrothermal vent tubeworm Riftia pachyptila hosts a single 16S rRNA phylotype of intracellular sulfur-oxidizing symbionts, which vary considerably in cell morphology and exhibit a remarkable degree of physiological diversity and redundancy, even in the same host. To elucidate whether multiple metabolic routes are employed in the same cells or rather in distinct symbiont subpopulations, we enriched symbionts according to cell size by density gradient centrifugation. Metaproteomic analysis, microscopy, and flow cytometry strongly suggest that Riftia symbiont cells of different sizes represent metabolically dissimilar stages of a physiological differentiation process: While small symbionts actively divide and may establish cellular symbiont-host interaction, large symbionts apparently do not divide, but still replicate DNA, leading to DNA endoreduplication. Moreover, in large symbionts, carbon fixation and biomass production seem to be metabolic priorities. We propose that this division of labor between smaller and larger symbionts benefits the productivity of the symbiosis as a whole.
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    Non-touching plasma–liquid interaction – where is aqueous nitric oxide generated?
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2018) Jablonowski, Helena; Schmidt-Bleker, Ansgar; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; von Woedtke, Thomas; Wende, Kristian
    Mass transport through graphene is receiving increasing attention due to the potential for molecular sieving. Experimental studies are mostly limited to the translocation of protons, ions, and water molecules, and results for larger molecules through graphene are rare. Here, we perform controlled radical polymerization with surface-anchored self-assembled initiator monolayer in a monomer solution with single-layer graphene separating the initiator from the monomer. We demonstrate that neutral monomers are able to pass through the graphene (via native defects) and increase the graphene defects ratio (Raman ID/IG) from ca. 0.09 to 0.22. The translocations of anionic and cationic monomers through graphene are significantly slower due to chemical interactions of monomers with the graphene defects. Interestingly, if micropatterned initiator-monolayers are used, the translocations of anionic monomers apparently cut the graphene sheet into congruent microscopic structures. The varied interactions between monomers and graphene defects are further investigated by quantum molecular dynamics simulations.
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    Investigating the Mutagenicity of a Cold Argon-Plasma Jet in an HET-MN Model
    (San Francisco, California, US : PLOS, 2016) Kluge, Susanne; Bekeschus, Sander; Bender, Claudia; Benkhai, Hicham; Sckell, Axel; Below, Harald; Stope, Matthias B.; Kramer, Axel; Yousfi, Mohammed
    Objective: So-called cold physical plasmas for biomedical applications generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and the latter can trigger DNA damage at high concentrations. Therefore, the mutagenic risks of a certified atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet (kINPen MED) and its predecessor model (kINPen 09) were assessed. Methods: Inner egg membranes of fertilized chicken eggs received a single treatment with either the kINPen 09 (1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 min) or the kINPen MED (3, 4, 5, or 10 min). After three days of incubation, blood smears (panoptic May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain) were performed, and 1000 erythrocytes per egg were evaluated for the presence of polychromatic and normochromic nuclear staining as well as nuclear aberrations and binucleated cells (hen’s egg test for micronuclei induction, HET-MN). At the same time, the embryo mortality was documented. For each experiment, positive controls (cyclophosphamide and methotrexate) and negative controls (NaCl-solution, argon gas) were included. Additionally, the antioxidant potential of the blood plasma was assessed by ascorbic acid oxidation assay after treatment. Results: For both plasma sources, there was no evidence of genotoxicity, although at the longest plasma exposure time of 10 min the mortality of the embryos exceeded 40%. The antioxidant potential in the egg’s blood plasma was not significantly reduced immediately (p = 0.32) or 1 h (p = 0.19) post exposure to cold plasma. Conclusion: The longest plasma treatment time with the kINPen MED was 5–10 fold above the recommended limit for treatment of chronic wounds in clinics. We did not find mutagenic effects for any plasma treatment time using the either kINPen 09 or kINPen MED. The data provided with the current study seem to confirm the lack of a genotoxic potential suggesting that a veterinary or clinical application of these argon plasma jets does not pose mutagenic risks.
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    Evaluation of osseointegration of titanium alloyed implants modified by plasma polymerization
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Gabler, C.; Zietz, C.; Göhler, R.; Fritsche, A.; Lindner, T.; Haenle, M.; Finke, B.; Meichsner, J.; Lenz, S.; Frerich, B.; Lüthen, F.; Nebe, J.B.; Bader, R.
    By means of plasma polymerization, positively charged, nanometre-thin coatings can be applied to implant surfaces. The aim of the present study was to quantify the adhesion of human bone cells in vitro and to evaluate the bone ongrowth in vivo, on titanium surfaces modified by plasma polymer coatings. Different implant surface configurations were examined: titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) coated with plasma-polymerized allylamine (PPAAm) and plasma-polymerized ethylenediamine (PPEDA) versus uncoated. Shear stress on human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells was investigated in vitro using a spinning disc device. Furthermore, bone-to-implant contact (BIC) was evaluated in vivo. Custom-made conical titanium implants were inserted at the medial tibia of female Sprague-Dawley rats. After a follow-up of six weeks, the BIC was determined by means of histomorphometry. The quantification of cell adhesion showed a significantly higher shear stress for MG-63 cells on PPAAm and PPEDA compared to uncoated Ti6Al4V. Uncoated titanium alloyed implants showed the lowest BIC (40.4%). Implants with PPAAm coating revealed a clear but not significant increase of the BIC (58.5%) and implants with PPEDA a significantly increased BIC (63.7%). In conclusion, plasma polymer coatings demonstrate enhanced cell adhesion and bone ongrowth compared to uncoated titanium surfaces.
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    Persistent effectivity of gas plasma-treated, long time-stored liquid on epithelial cell adhesion capacity and membrane morphology
    (San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science, 2014) Hoentsch, M.; Bussiahn, R.; Rebl, H.; Bergemann, C.; Eggert, M.; Frank, M.; Von Woedtke, T.; Nebe, B.
    Research in plasma medicine includes a major interest in understanding gas plasma-cell interactions. The immediate application of gas plasma in vitro inhibits cell attachment, vitality and cell-cell contacts via the liquid. Interestingly, in our novel experiments described here we found that the liquid-mediated plasma effect is long-lasting after storage up to seven days; i. e. the liquid preserves the characteristics once induced by the argon plasma. Therefore, the complete Dulbecco's Modified Eagle cell culture medium was argon plasma-treated (atmospheric pressure, kINPen09) for 60 s, stored for several days (1, 4 and 7 d) at 37°C and added to a confluent mouse hepatocyte epithelial cell (mHepR1) monolayer. Impaired tight junction architecture as well as shortened microvilli on the cell membrane could be observed, which was accompanied by the loss of cell adhesion capacity. Online-monitoring of vital cells revealed a reduced cell respiration. Our first timedependent analysis of plasma-treated medium revealed that temperature, hydrogen peroxide production, pH and oxygen content can be excluded as initiators of cell physiological and morphological changes. The here observed persisting biological effects in plasma-treated liquids could open new medical applications in dentistry and orthopaedics.
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    Cytochrome C oxidase Inhibition and Cold Plasma-derived Oxidants Synergize in Melanoma Cell Death Induction
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2018-8-24) Gandhirajan, Rajesh Kumar; Rödder, Katrin; Bodnar, Yana; Pasqual-Melo, Gabriella; Emmert, Steffen; Griguer, Corinne E.; Weltmann, Klaus-Dieter; Bekeschus, Sander
    Despite striking advances in the treatment of metastasized melanoma, the disease is often still fatal. Attention is therefore paid towards combinational regimens. Oxidants endogenously produced in mitochondria are currently targeted in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Cytotoxic synergism of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) inhibition in conjunction with addition of exogenous oxidants in 2D and 3D melanoma cell culture models were examined. Murine (B16) and human SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells exposed to low-dose CcO inhibitors (potassium cyanide or sodium azide) or exogenous oxidants alone were non-toxic. However, we identified a potent cytotoxic synergism upon CcO inhibition and plasma-derived oxidants that led to rapid onset of caspase-independent melanoma cell death. This was mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction induced by superoxide elevation and ATP depletion. This observation was validated by siRNA-mediated knockdown of COX4I1 in SK-MEL-28 cells with cytotoxicity in the presence of exogenous oxidants. Similar effects were obtained with ADDA 5, a recently identified specific inhibitor of CcO activity showing low toxicity in vivo. Human keratinocytes were not affected by this combinational treatment, suggesting selective effects on melanoma cells. Hence, targeting mitochondrial CcO activity in conjunction with exogenous pro oxidant therapies may constitute a new and effective melanoma treatment modality.