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Biomedical subjects

P Rösch

Publications and source records attributed to P Rösch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Classification of lactic acid bacteria with UV-resonance Raman spectroscopy.

UV-resonance Raman spectroscopy is applied as a method for the identification of lactic acid bacteria from yogurt. Eight different strains of bacteria from Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus were investigated. At an excitation wavelength of 244 nm signals from nucleic acids and proteins are selectively enhanced. Classification was accomplished using different chemometric methods. In a first attempt, the unsupervised methods hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to investigate natural grouping in the data. In a second step the spectra were analyzed using several supervised methods: K-nearest neighbor classifier, nearest mean classifier, linear discriminant analysis, and support vector machines.

Cluster Analysis↗

Identification of single eukaryotic cells with micro-Raman spectroscopy.

For a fast identification of eukaryotic cells such as yeast species without a cultivation step it should be possible to perform the investigation on only one single cell. Since yeasts as eukaryotes are heterogeneous and their Raman spectra are therefore dependent on the measuring position, one Raman spectra is not representative of the whole cell. In this contribution we demonstrate the application of average Raman spectra of a line scan over single yeast cells. These average spectra are used for classification with the help of a support vector machine.

Candida↗

UV-resonance Raman spectroscopic study of human plasma of healthy donors and patients with thrombotic microangiopathy.

Various diseases shift the composition of human plasma; hence, the relative quantification of plasma constituents offers the opportunity to use the dynamic and complex composition of plasma to gain information on novel diagnostic and prognostic factors. Since plasma contains, besides water, mostly proteins, UV-resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRR) seems to be a suitable method for investigating plasma. With this method the signals of aromatic amino acids and proteins are selectively enhanced. In this study an UV-resonance Raman approach was used for the investigation of human plasma of healthy volunteers and patients with thrombotic microangiopathy. For comparison, selected plasma components were analyzed for a more detailed characterization of cryoprecipitates from human plasma.

Humans↗

Micro-Raman spectroscopic identification of bacterial cells of the genus Staphylococcus and dependence on their cultivation conditions.

Microbial contamination is not only a medical problem, but also plays a large role in pharmaceutical clean room production and food processing technology. Therefore many techniques were developed to achieve differentiation and identification of microorganisms. Among these methods vibrational spectroscopic techniques (IR, Raman and SERS) are useful tools because of their rapidity and sensitivity. Recently we have shown that micro-Raman spectroscopy in combination with a support vector machine is an extremely capable approach for a fast and reliable, non-destructive online identification of single bacteria belonging to different genera. In order to simulate different environmental conditions we analyzed in this contribution different Staphylococcus strains with varying cultivation conditions in order to evaluate our method with a reliable dataset. First, micro-Raman spectra of the bulk material and single bacterial cells that were grown under the same conditions were recorded and used separately for a distinct chemotaxonomic classification of the strains. Furthermore Raman spectra were recorded from single bacterial cells that were cultured under various conditions to study the influence of cultivation on the discrimination ability. This dataset was analyzed both with a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and a support vector machine (SVM).

Bacteriological Techniques↗

Quality control of Harpagophytum procumbens and its related phytopharmaceutical products by means of NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy.

NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy was used for identification and quantification of harpagoside in secondary roots of Harpagophytum procumbens as well as in related phytopharmaceutical products, e.g., ethanolic extracts and tablets. Applied Raman mappings reveal the spatial distribution of this valuable iridoid glycoside within the different samples. The same technique can be used for quality control purposes beginning from the plant to its final products. Based on the obtained spectral data and reference HPLC values of harpagoside, a reliable multivariate calibration model was developed.

Calibration↗

On the way to a quality control of the essential oil of fennel by means of Raman spectroscopy.

Essential oils are one of the most valuable natural products. The price of special essential oils that can be purchased on the market strongly depends on the quality of the product. The quality, which depends on the quantitative and qualitative variation of different monoterpenes, varies with respect of the origin and the harvesting period. This contribution reports on a Raman spectroscopic study on the essential oil occurring in fennel. Cross-sections of fennel seed were investigated by use of Raman spectroscopy and Raman mapping to localize the essential oil and to analyze its chemical composition directly in the plant. Furthermore the practicability of a home-built mobile transportable Raman spectrometer to perform on-site measurements was successfully tested.

Foeniculum↗

The application of a SERS fiber probe for the investigation of sensitive biological samples.

The applicability of an etched and silver or gold coated SERS fiber probe in combination with a commercially available laboratory micro-Raman setup or a home built mobile micro-Raman setup to perform on-site field measurements was evaluated and successfully tested on different biological samples. The SERS fiber probe allows one to perform measurements with high spatial resolution. Simultaneously, the laser power used for Raman spectroscopy on biological samples as compared with conventional Raman experiments can be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude. This experimental arrangement was tested to investigate sensitive biological samples like mint plants (Bergamot mint, spear mint) and citrus fruits (kumquat). Furthermore, traces of fungicides on wine leaves were detected by means of such a SERS fiber probe setup.

Animals↗

Identification of biotic and abiotic particles by using a combination of optical tweezers and in situ Raman spectroscopy.

A highly versatile setup, which introduces an optical gradient trap into a Raman spectrometer, is presented. The particular configuration, which consists of two lasers, makes trapping independent from the Raman excitation laser and allows a separate adjustment of the trapping and excitation wavelengths. Thus, the excitation wavelength can be chosen according to the needs of the application. We describe the successful application of an optical gradient trap on transparent as well as on reflective, metal-coated microparticles. Raman spectra were recorded from optically trapped polystyrene beads and from single biological cells (e.g., erythrocytes, yeast cells). Also, metal-coated microparticles were trapped and used as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates for tests on yeast cells. Furthermore, the optical gradient trap was combined with a SERS fiber probe. Raman spectra were recorded from trapped red blood cells using the SERS fiber probe for excitation.

Erythrocytes↗

Raman spectroscopy investigation of biological materials by use of etched and silver coated glass fiber tips.

The results for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies on biological samples are reported. Etched and silver coated glass fiber tips were used as a SERS substrate. This method enabled the recording of spectra of biological samples, such as plant tissue or microbiological cells, with a high spatial resolution. Because of the low laser power used with the fiber tips, it was even possible to investigate tissues that are very sensitive toward laser power as it is used in a common micro-Raman setup.

Glass↗

Chemotaxonomy of mints of genus Mentha by applying Raman spectroscopy.

The characterization of mints is often problematic because Mentha is a taxonomically complex genus. In order to provide a fast and easy characterization method, we use a combination of micro-Raman spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis. A classification trial of different mint taxa is possible for one collection time. For spectra measured at different points during the growing season, a more sophisticated pretreatment of the data is necessary to receive good discrimination between the species, as well as between the subspecies and varieties of the mints.

Algorithms↗

The structure of the coliphage HK022 Nun protein-lambda-phage boxB RNA complex. Implications for the mechanism of transcription termination.

Nun protein from coliphage HK022 binds to phage boxB RNA and functions, in contrast to phage lambda N protein, as a transcriptional terminator. The basic Nun-(10-44) peptide contains the boxB RNA binding arginine rich motif, ARM. The peptide binds boxB RNA and competes with the phage lambda ARM peptide N-(1-36) as indicated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy titrations. In two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy experiments boxB RNA in complex with Nun-(20-44) exhibits the same pattern of resonances as it does in complex with N peptides containing the ARM, and we could show that Nun-(20-44) forms a bent alpha-helix upon binding to the boxB RNA. The structure of the boxB RNA-bound Nun-(20-44) was determined on the basis of 191 intra- and 30 intermolecular distance restraints. Ser-24 is anchored to the lower RNA stem, and stacking of Tyr-39 and A7 is clearly experimentally indicated. Arg-28 shows numerous contacts to the RNA stem. Leu-22, Ile-30, Trp-33, Ile-37, and Leu-41 form a hydrophobic surface, which could be a recognition site for additional host factors such as NusG. Such a hydrophobic surface area is not present in N-(1-36) bound to boxB RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Allergic cross-reactivity made visible: solution structure of the major cherry allergen Pru av 1.

Birch pollinosis is often accompanied by hypersensitivity to fruit as a consequence of the cross-reaction of pollen allergen-specific IgE antibodies with homologous food proteins. To provide a basis for examining the cross-reactivity on a structural level, we used heteronuclear multidimensional NMR spectroscopy to determine the high-resolution three-dimensional structure of the major cherry allergen, Pru av 1, in solution. Based on a detailed comparison of the virtually identical structures of Pru av 1 and Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, we propose an explanation for a significant aspect of the observed cross-reactivity pattern among the family of allergens under consideration. The large hydrophobic cavity expected to be important for the still unknown physiological function of Bet v 1 is conserved in Pru av 1. Structural homology to a domain of human MLN64 associated with cholesterol transport suggests phytosteroids as putative ligands for Pru av 1. NMR spectroscopy provides experimental evidence that Pru av 1 interacts with phytosteroids, and molecular modeling shows that the hydrophobic cavity is large enough to accommodate two such molecules.

Allergens↗

Accurate disulfide formation in Escherichia coli: overexpression and characterization of the first domain (HF6478) of the multiple Kazal-type inhibitor LEKTI.

The human hemofiltrate peptide HF6478, a putative serine proteinase inhibitor, which is part of the precursor protein LEKTI, was cloned, overexpressed, and purified. HF6478 contains two disulfide bridges with 1-4, 2-3 connectivity, sharing partial homology to Kazal-type domains and other serine proteinase inhibitors. It was expressed as thioredoxin (Trx) fusion protein, and disulfide formation occurred in the oxidative cytoplasm of Escherichia coli Origami (DE3) strain which carries a trxB(-)/gor522(-) double mutation. The soluble fusion protein was purified using metal-chelating affinity chromatography. Cleavage of the Trx fusion protein with factor Xa and subsequent purification yielded the final product in amounts sufficient for structural studies. Characterization of recombinant HF6478 was done by amino acid sequencing, mass spectrometry, capillary zone electrophoresis, and CD spectroscopy. Taking the blood filtrate peptide HF6478 as example, we present a strategy which should facilitate the expression of different extracellular proteins in the E. coli cytoplasm.

Carrier Proteins↗

Structure determination of human and murine beta-defensins reveals structural conservation in the absence of significant sequence similarity.

Defensins are cationic and cysteine-rich peptides that play a crucial role in the host defense against microorganisms of many organisms by their capability to permeabilize bacterial membranes. The low sequence similarity among the members of the large mammalian beta-defensin family suggests that their antimicrobial activity is largely independent of their primary structure. To investigate to what extent these defensins share a similar fold, the structures of the two human beta-defensins, hBD-1 and hBD-2, as well as those of two novel murine defensins, termed mBD-7 and mBD-8, were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All four defensins investigated share a striking similarity on the level of secondary and tertiary structure including the lack of a distinct hydrophobic core, suggesting that the fold is mainly stabilized by the presence of three disulfide bonds. In addition to the overall shape of the molecules, the ratio of solvent-exposed polar and hydrophobic side chains is also very similar among the four defensins investigated. It is significant that beta-defensins do not exhibit a common pattern of charged and hydrophobic residues on the protein surface and that the beta-defensin-specific fold appears to accommodate a wide range of different amino acids at most sequence positions. In addition to the implications for the mode of biological defensin actions, these findings are of particular interest because beta-defensins have been suggested as lead compounds for the development of novel peptide antibiotics for the therapy of infectious diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structural rearrangements of HIV-1 Tat-responsive RNA upon binding of neomycin B.

Binding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transactivator (Tat) protein to Tat-responsive RNA (TAR) is essential for viral replication and is considered a promising starting point for the design of anti-HIV drugs. NMR spectroscopy indicated that the aminoglycosides neomycin B and ribostamycin bind to TAR and that neomycin is able to inhibit Tat binding to TAR. The solution structure of the neomycin-bound TAR has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shift mapping and intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects define the binding region of the aminoglycosides on TAR and give strong evidence for minor groove binding. Based on 15 nuclear Overhauser effect-derived intermolecular distance restraints, a model structure of the TAR-neomycin complex was calculated. Neomycin is bound in a binding pocket formed by the minor groove of the lower stem and the uridine-rich bulge of TAR, which adopts a conformation different from those known. The neamine core of the aminoglycoside (rings I and II) is covered with the bulge, explaining the inhibition of Tat by an allosteric mechanism. Neomycin reduces the volume of the major groove in which Tat is bound and thus impedes essential protein-RNA contacts.

ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activitie↗

Structure of the cytoplasmic domain of p23 in solution: implications for the formation of COPI vesicles.

Coatomer, the coat protein complex of coat protein (COPI) vesicles, is involved in the budding of these vesicles. Its interaction with the cytoplasmic domains of some p24-family members, type I transmembrane proteins of the Golgi, has been shown to induce a conformational change of coatomer that initiates polymerization of the complex. From stoichiometrical data it is likely that interaction of coatomer with the small tail domains involves an oligomeric form of the p24 proteins. Here we present the structure of peptide analogs of the cytoplasmic domain of p23, a member of the p24 family, as determined by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the presence of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. An improved strategy for structure calculation revealed that the tail domain peptides form alpha-helices and adopt a tetrameric state. Based on these results we propose an initial model for the binding of coatomer by p23 and the induced conformational change of coatomer that results in its polymerization, curvature of the Golgi membrane to form a bud, and finally a COPI-coated vesicle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗