Publications by authors named "Stefan Czemmel"

Transplantation of donor islets of Langerhans is a potential therapeutic approach for patients with diabetes mellitus; however, its success is limited by islet death and dysfunction during the initial hypoxic conditions at the transplantation site. This highlights the need to support the donor islets in the days post-transplantation until the site is vascularized. It was previously demonstrated that the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins nidogen-1 (NID1) and decorin (DCN) improve the functionality and survival of the β-cell line, EndoC-βH3, and the viability of human islets post-isolation.

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  • ALS is a severe neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons, characterized by genetic complexity that complicates therapy development and emphasizes the need to understand disease mechanisms better.! -
  • Recent research shows that synaptic dysfunction plays a critical role in ALS progression, with shared pathological features across different genetic forms, particularly focusing on disturbances in the molecular processes responsible for vesicle release.! -
  • Treatment with docosahexaenoic acid has shown neuroprotective effects on ALS-affected motoneurons, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy targeting synaptic health to combat degeneration in diverse ALS cases.!
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  • The study investigates how oral bacteria respond at the molecular level to a sublethal dose of the antiseptic chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), as resistance to such compounds has recently become a concern in dental care.
  • Researchers treated planktonic cultures with CHX and analyzed gene expression using RNA sequencing, finding that 404 genes were upregulated and 271 downregulated.
  • The analysis revealed significant changes in genes related to purine nucleotide synthesis, biofilm formation, transport systems, and stress responses, suggesting mechanisms that could lead to bacterial resistance to antiseptics.
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  • The study examines flower bud induction in apple trees, focusing on the biennial-bearing 'Fuji' and regular-bearing 'Gala' cultivars, comparing buds from trees with high (ON) and low (OFF) crop loads.
  • It utilizes a multi-omics approach, including RNA sequencing and proteomics, to explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms of bud development before flower initiation.
  • Key findings reveal significant differences in metabolic profiles and gene expressions related to flower bud induction, highlighting variations in important compounds like thiamine and chlorogenic acid between the cultivars and crop load statuses.
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Background: The overexpression of (basic)helix-loop-helix ((b)HLH) transcription factors (TFs) is frequent in malignant glioma. We investigated molecular effects upon disruption of the (b)HLH network by a dominant-negative variant of the E47 protein (dnE47). Our goal was to identify novel molecular subgroup-specific therapeutic strategies.

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  • Programmed death 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibition shows good results in liver cancer but understanding other molecules that contribute to T-cell dysfunction is still limited.
  • * A study analyzed CD8 T cells in a mouse liver cancer model, highlighting a distinct signature for exhausted T cells and the key role of the inhibitor receptor TIGIT in T-cell exhaustion.
  • * Combining PD-1 inhibition with TIGIT-targeting antibodies enhanced the inhibition of liver cancer growth, suggesting TIGIT could be a valuable target for new cancer therapies.
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  • African indigenous taurine cattle, like Namchi, face population decline due to low productivity, traditional practices, and disease, making them vulnerable to extinction.
  • Researchers sequenced the genomes of five cattle breeds from Cameroon, generating about 167 Gigabases of data to understand their genetic traits better, especially focusing on the unique resilience of the Namchi breed against certain infections.
  • The analysis revealed around 100 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which could aid in improving breeding strategies for these native cattle breeds.
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The use of radiation treatment has increased for both sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated vestibular schwannoma (VS). However, there are a subset of radioresistant tumors and systemic treatments that are seldom used in these patients. We investigated molecular alterations after radiation in three NF2-associated and five sporadically operated recurrent VS after primary irradiation.

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Strain ATCC 31962 was formerly taxonomically classified as and reported to be the producer of the lipopeptide antibiotic empedopeptin. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of ATCC 31962, which encodes regions that suggest a distinct biosynthetic capacity and suggests its taxonomic reclassification.

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Background: European grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera spp.) are highly susceptible to the downy mildew pathogen Plasmopara viticola. Breeding of resistant V.

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Background: Although mutated HLA ligands are considered ideal cancer-specific immunotherapy targets, evidence for their presentation is lacking in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Employing a unique multi-omics approach comprising a neoepitope identification pipeline, we assessed exome-derived mutations naturally presented as HLA class I ligands in HCCs.

Methods: In-depth multi-omics analyses included whole exome and transcriptome sequencing to define individual patient-specific search spaces of neoepitope candidates.

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Background And Aims: Besides well-defined genetic alterations, the dedifferentiation of mature acinar cells is an important prerequisite for pancreatic carcinogenesis. Acinar-specific genes controlling cell homeostasis are extensively downregulated during cancer development; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Now, we devised a novel in vitro strategy to determine genome-wide dynamics in the epigenetic landscape in pancreatic carcinogenesis.

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  • Modern biomedical research utilizes high-throughput technologies to analyze large and complex biological datasets, leading to increased demand for efficient data management and analysis tools.
  • qPortal is introduced as a user-friendly platform that integrates various technologies to help researchers manage and analyze their biological data throughout the entire project life cycle.
  • The software offers features such as project design, digital project management, and advanced analysis capabilities, distinguishing itself from other platforms like Galaxy through its data-driven approach.
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  • The study investigates the behavior of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) when stimulated, highlighting its translocation to the nuclear area where it interacts with different mRNAs, particularly related to the HIF-1A/VEGF signaling pathway.
  • Treatment with radiation and cisplatin was found to reduce the availability of these mRNAs in complex with nuclear EGFR, indicating potential regulation of gene expression.
  • The research suggests that an mRNA/miRNA/nEGFR complex influences protein expression and that inhibiting EGFR with erlotinib impacts mRNA stability and tumor cell response to radiation, emphasizing the role of EGFR in cancer biology.
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Flavonols constitute a group of flavonoids with important photoprotective roles in plants. In addition, flavonol content and composition greatly influences fruit quality. We previously demonstrated that the grapevine R2R3-MYB transcription factor (TF) VviMYBF1 promotes flavonol accumulation by inducing the expression of flavonol synthase (), a key step of the initial flavonol pathway.

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  • Acquired resistance to second generation BRAF inhibitors (like vemurafenib) significantly limits the effectiveness of targeted therapy in patients with malignant melanomas that have BRAF V600 mutations.
  • A key mechanism of this resistance involves the stabilization and nuclear translocation of β-catenin in roughly half of the analyzed resistant melanomas, which plays a critical role in mediating resistance.
  • Notably, β-catenin functions independently of the canonical Wnt-signaling pathway and collaborates with Stat3 to help melanoma cells maintain resistance to BRAF inhibitors.
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In grapevine, flavonoids constitute one of the most abundant subgroups of secondary metabolites, influencing the quality, health value, and typicity of wines. Their synthesis in many plant species is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level by modulation of flavonoid pathway genes either by single regulators or by complexes of different regulators. In particular, bZIP and MYB factors interact synergistically in the recognition of light response units present in the promoter of some genes of the pathway, thus mediating light-dependent flavonoid biosynthesis.

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  • Some species in the Botryosphaeriaceae family can enter a latent phase, where they infect woody tissues without causing immediate symptoms in their host plants until conditions become favorable for disease progression.
  • Research on the grapevine pathogen Neofusicoccum parvum indicated that the latent phase occurs from 0 to 1.5 months post-inoculation (MPI) with minimal spread and no significant lesion differences, while the pathogenic phase escalates from 1.5 to 2 MPI, leading to increased spread and lesion sizes.
  • Analysis using RNA-Seq revealed 20 candidate grape genes activated during the latent phase, with four particularly promising candidates identified that remained unaffected by various pathogens and abiotic stressors, suggesting their potential
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  • Plant stilbenes, such as resveratrol found in grapevines, are compounds that help plants respond to stress and have health benefits like reducing heart disease and cancer risk.
  • Research has identified two transcription factors, MYB14 and MYB15, that play a crucial role in regulating the production of these beneficial stilbenes in grapevines.
  • When MYB15 was expressed in grapevine roots, it increased the production of stilbene-related enzymes and compounds, highlighting its key role in the biosynthetic pathway.
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  • * Their presence in fruits and foods like grapes, tea, and chocolate impacts quality attributes such as taste, color, and health benefits.
  • * Recent research focuses on understanding how flavonoid biosynthesis is regulated in grapevines, particularly through MYB transcription factors, which are essential for optimizing flavonoid content in grapes.
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  • - The study focuses on a grapevine transcription factor called VvMYC1, which interacts with other proteins to regulate flavonoid biosynthesis, specifically anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins (PAs).
  • - Research methods like promoter assays and yeast two-hybrid assays confirm that VvMYC1 works alongside MYB factors to activate genes responsible for flavonoid production.
  • - VvMYC1's expression levels correspond with anthocyanin and PA synthesis during berry development, indicating its key role in controlling these important compounds in grapevine.
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Flavonols are important ultraviolet light protectants in many plants and contribute substantially to the quality and health-promoting effects of fruits and derived plant products. To study the regulation of flavonol synthesis in fruit, we isolated and characterized the grapevine (Vitis vinifera 'Shiraz') R2R3-MYB transcription factor VvMYBF1. Transient reporter assays established VvMYBF1 to be a specific activator of flavonol synthase1 (VvFLS1) and several other promoters of grapevine and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genes involved in flavonol synthesis.

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