Project description:Selenoprotein P is a hepatokine which is essential for maintaining systemic selenium homeostasis and is used as serum biomarker for the selenium status in humans. In addition to selenium, also copper homeostasis is mainly regulated by the liver coordinating systemic distribution of copper bound to ceruloplasmin or excreting surplus copper into the bile. Circulating selenium and copper concentrations are most often negatively correlating, e.g. during aging copper levels are increasing while selenium levels are decreasing. Based on these results, we addressed the question of how both trace elements interfere with each other using the liver-derived cell line HepG2. We observed that copper treatment resulted in a substantial increase of intracellular selenium concentrations. In parallel, extracellular SELENOP concentrations were drastically reduced while SELENOP accumulated within the cells. The same observation was made when using primary murine hepatocytes. Indeed, SELENOP was one of the proteins most strongly downregulated by copper in an untargeted secretome approach. Accumulation of hepatic copper is a characteristic of Wilson’s disease. Accordingly, SELENOP levels were decreasing in the serum of LPP rats, a model of Wilson’s disease starting at disease onset. Also, Wilson’s disease patients showed reduced serum SELENOP concentrations when circulating copper concentrations were low. This positive correlation between copper and ceruloplasmin and SELENOP was also observed in a GWAS analysis of EPIC-Potsdam samples identifying SNP rs11708215 as a modulating factor. Our data indicate that under conditions of a suboptimal selenium supply combined with a high copper intake a functional selenium deficit can become even worse because peripheral tissues such as the brain depend on SELENOP for their selenium supply.
Project description:Next-generation proteomics of Gammarus pulex males for characterizing the potential proteome divergence induced in one site by natural bioavailable mono-metallic contamination (cadmium) compared to a non-contaminated site.
Project description:Next-generation proteomics of Gammarus pulex females for characterizing the potential proteome divergence induced in one site by natural bioavailable mono-metallic contamination (cadmium) compared to a non-contaminated site.
Project description:This study investigated the role of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) derived from Chlorella sorokiniana SZ2-1 in alleviating cadmium (Cd) toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Quan Youde Zhan) under hydroponic conditions.The research focused on evaluating the effects of SeNPs on Cd uptake, translocation, subcellular distribution, selenium speciation, and stress-responsive transcriptional regulation. Rice seedlings were exposed to Cd alone or in combination with different concentrations of SeNPs. Physiological, biochemical, ionomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were conducted to elucidate the detoxification mechanisms induced by SeNPs.
Project description:This study investigated the role of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) derived from Chlorella sorokiniana SZ2-1 in alleviating cadmium (Cd) toxicity in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv.‘Red oak-leaf’) under hydroponic conditions.The research focused on evaluating the effects of SeNPs on Cd uptake, translocation, subcellular distribution, selenium speciation, and stress-responsive transcriptional regulation. Lettuce seedlings were exposed to Cd alone or in combination with different concentrations of SeNPs. Physiological, biochemical, ionomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were conducted to elucidate the detoxification mechanisms induced by SeNPs.
Project description:Earthworms enhance plant growth but the precise mechanism by which this occurs is not known. An understanding of the mechanism could potentially support changes in agricultural management reducing fertiliser usage and therefore costs and the carbon footprint of agriculture. We conducted a factorial experiment in which 5 strains of wheat were grown in the presence and absence of earthworms under regular watering and droughted conditions. The different wheat strains all responded in a similar fashion. Plant biomass was greater in the presence of earthworms and under regular watering. The presence of earthworms reduced the impact of drought on plant biomass and also slowed down the rate of drying of the droughted soils. Plant nutrient content (N, P, Si) showed no consistent pattern with treatments but total N, P and Si mirrored plant biomass and decreased in the order earthworm-present watered > earthworm-present droughted > earthworm-absent watered > earthworm-absent droughted. Nutrient availability in the soil, as assessed by chemical extractions showed no consistent pattern with treatments. Differential gene expression of plants was greater between watering treatments than between earthworm treatments. Genes that were differentially expressed between the earthworm treatments predominantly related to plant defences, abiotic stress and control of plant growth though a couple were linked to both nitrogen cycling and stress responses. The soil microbiome of the earthworm-present treatments was more associated with nutrient-rich environments, the promotion of plant growth and the suppression of plant pathogens. Our data suggest that enhanced plant growth was due to changes in the microbiome due to earthworm processing of the soil rather than changes in nutrient availability due to the presence of earthworms.