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Wu J, Huang J, Yu J, Xu M, Liu J, Pu K. Exosome-Inhibiting Polymeric Sonosensitizer for Tumor-Specific Sonodynamic Immunotherapy. Adv Mater 2024:e2400762. [PMID: 38445783 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202400762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Combination cancer immunotherapy based on electromagnetic energy and immunotherapy shows potent anti-cancer efficacy. However, as a factor that mediates tumor metastasis and immune suppression, the impact of tumor exosomes on therapy under electromagnetic energy stimulation remains unclear. Herein, findings indicate that sonodynamic therapy (SDT) increases serum exosome levels by inducing apoptotic exosomes and loosening the tumor extracellular matrix, promoting lung metastasis. To address this problem, an exosome-inhibiting polymeric sonosensitizer (EIPS) selectively inhibiting tumor exosome generation in response to the tumor biomarker is synthesized. EIPS consists of a semiconducting polymer backbone capable of inducing SDT and a poly(ethylene glycol) layer conjugated with a tumor-specific enzyme-responsive exosome inhibitor prodrug. After being cleaved by tumor Cathepsin B, EIPS releases active exosome inhibitors, preventing tumor exosome-mediated immune suppression and lung metastasis. As a result, EIPS elicits robust antitumor effects through the synergistic effect of SDT and tumor exosome inhibition, completely preventing lung metastasis and establishing a long-term immune memory effect. This is the first example showing that combining SDT with tumor-specific exosome inhibition can elicit a potent immune response without the help of typical immune agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayan Wu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Jingsheng Huang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Jie Yu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Mengke Xu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Jing Liu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Kanyi Pu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
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Ng JY, Chew FT. Comparisons between eyebags, droopy eyelids, and eyebrow positioning identified by photo-numeric scales or identified by written descriptive scales: Insights from the Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics epidemiology study (SMCGES) cohort. Skin Res Technol 2024; 30:e13620. [PMID: 38376131 PMCID: PMC10878178 DOI: 10.1111/srt.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluate skin sagging phenotypes (eyebags, droopy eyelids, low eyebrow positioning) using written descriptive scales and photo-numeric scales. We also study how anti-ageing interventions and digital screen time influence skin sagging. AIM We compare the two phenotype assessment methods with each other. METHOD Skin sagging and personal lifestyle data obtained from 2885 ethnic Chinese young adults from the Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics epidemiology study (SMCGES) cohort were collated and compared. RESULTS Significant correlations (p-value < 0.001) between written descriptive scales and photo-numeric scales were observed for eyebags (0.25) and eyebrow positioning (0.08). Significant correlations (p-value < 0.001) were observed after combining both scales for eyebags (0.38), droopy eyelids (0.30), and eyebrow positioning (0.30). Anti-ageing interventions are associated with delayed progression of eyebags from 18-45 years old, droopy eyelids from 31-45 years old, and eyebrow positioning from 35-40 years old. Significantly lower (p-value < 0.02) eyebrow positioning is associated with both <1 and 1-3 h of screen time stratified by age. CONCLUSION Written descriptive scales provide comparable results to photo-numeric scales. However, validating and adapting photo-numeric scales for different populations identifies phenotypes better. Anti-ageing interventions are beneficial at different age ranges. Screen time is associated with skin sagging in young (18-30 years old) participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yan Ng
- Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of ScienceNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of ScienceNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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Wong QYA, Lim JJ, Ng JY, Lim YYE, Sio YY, Chew FT. Sleep and allergic diseases among young Chinese adults from the Singapore/Malaysia Cross-Sectional Genetic Epidemiology Study (SMCGES) cohort. J Physiol Anthropol 2024; 43:6. [PMID: 38291494 PMCID: PMC10826209 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-024-00356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Sleep disruption has been shown to affect immune function and thus influence allergic disease manifestation. The specific effects of sleep on allergic diseases, however, are less well-established; hence, in a unique population of young Chinese adults, we investigated the association between sleep and allergic disease. METHODS Young Chinese adults recruited from Singapore in the Singapore/Malaysia Cross-Sectional Genetic Epidemiology Study (SMCGES) were analyzed. We used the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol and a skin prick test to determine atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), and asthma status. Information regarding total sleep time (TST) and sleep quality (SQ) was also obtained. RESULTS Of 1558 participants with a mean age of 25.0 years (SD = 7.6), 61.4% were female, and the mean total sleep time (TST) was 6.8 h (SD = 1.1). The proportions of AD, AR, and asthma were 24.5% (393/1542), 36.4% (987/1551), and 14.7% (227/1547), respectively. 59.8% (235/393) of AD cases suffered from AD-related sleep disturbances, 37.1% (209/564) of AR cases suffered from AR-related sleep disturbances, and 25.1% (57/227) of asthma cases suffered from asthma-related sleep disturbances. Only asthma cases showed a significantly lower mean TST than those without asthma (p = 0.015). Longer TST was significantly associated with lower odds of AR (OR = 0.905, 95% CI = 0.820-0.999) and asthma (OR = 0.852, 95% CI = 0.746-0.972). Linear regression analyses showed that lower TST was significantly associated with asthma (β = - 0.18, SE = 0.076, p-value = 0.017), and AR when adjusted for AR-related sleep disturbances (β = - 0.157, SE = 0.065, p-value = 0.016). Only sleep disturbances due to AR were significantly associated with a poorer SQ (OR = 1.962, 95% CI = 1.245-3.089). CONCLUSIONS We found that sleep quality, but not sleep duration was significantly poorer among AD cases, although the exact direction of influence could not be determined. In consideration of the literature coupled with our findings, we posit that TST influences allergic rhinitis rather than vice versa. Finally, the association between TST and asthma is likely mediated by asthma-related sleep disturbances, since mean TST was significantly lower among those with nighttime asthma symptoms. Future studies could consider using objective sleep measurements coupled with differential expression analysis to investigate the pathophysiology of sleep and allergic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yi Ambrose Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jun Jie Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jun Yan Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yi Ying Eliza Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yang Yie Sio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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Wang M, Qu J, Yang J, Zhang T, Tan WR, Liao S, Chen X, Liu Y, Long X, Li X, Xia Y, Tan NS, Li L, Fang M. A missing jigsaw within the hygiene hypothesis: Low-dose bisphenol A exposure attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced asthma protection. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgad312. [PMID: 37954159 PMCID: PMC10635653 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The rising occurrence of allergic asthma in early life across industrialized countries suggests that environmental factors play a crucial role in determining asthma susceptibility and severity. While prior exposure to microbial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) has been found to offer protection against allergic asthma, infants residing in urban environments are increasingly exposed to environmental pollutants. Utilizing limulus lysate test screens and virtual screening models, we identified pollutants that can modulate LPS bioactivity. This investigation revealed that bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly used in numerous household items and previously implicated in obesity and cancer, effectively neutralizes LPS. In-depth mechanistic analyses showed that BPA specifically binds to the lipid A component of LPS, leading to inactivation. This interaction eliminates the immunostimulatory activity of LPS, making mice more susceptible to house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic asthma. BPA reactivates lung epithelial cells, consequently amplifying type 2 responses to HDMs in dendritic cells. This chemical interplay provides new insights into the pathophysiology of asthma in relation to human exposure. Understanding the intricate relationships between environmental chemicals and microbial antigens, as well as their impacts on innate immunity, is critical for the development of intervention strategies to address immune disorders resulting from urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjing Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Jing Qu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Junjie Yang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Tian Zhang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Wei Ren Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Shumin Liao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Institute of Mass Spectrometer and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yingzi Liu
- Intervention and Cell Therapy Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Xiang Long
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Critical Care, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Xue Li
- Institute of Mass Spectrometer and Atmospheric Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yun Xia
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Nguan Soon Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities for Vascular Homeostasis and Diseases, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mingliang Fang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Lim JJ, Reginald K, Say YH, Liu MH, Chew FT. A dietary pattern of frequent plant-based foods intake reduced the associated risks for atopic dermatitis exacerbation: Insights from the Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics epidemiology cohort. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1818. [PMID: 37726698 PMCID: PMC10508008 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16736-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been increasing in recent years, especially in Asia. There is growing evidence to suggest the importance of dietary patterns in the development and management of AD. Here, we seek to understand how certain dietary patterns in a Singapore/Malaysia population are associated with various risks of AD development and exacerbation. METHODS A standardized questionnaire following the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) guidelines was investigator-administered to a clinically and epidemiology well-defined allergic cohort of 13,561 young Chinese adults aged 19-22. Information on their sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary habits, and personal and family medical atopic histories were obtained. Allergic sensitization was assessed by a skin prick test to mite allergens. Spearman's rank-order correlation was used to assess the correlation between the intake frequencies of 16 food types. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Four corresponding dietary scores were derived to examine the association of identified dietary patterns with allergic sensitization and AD exacerbations through a multivariable logistic regression that controlled for age, gender, parental eczema, BMI, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS The correlation is the strongest between the intake of butter and margarine (R = 0.65). We identified four dietary patterns, "high-calorie foods", "plant-based foods", "meat and rice", and "probiotics, milk and eggs", and these accounted for 47.4% of the variance in the dietary habits among the subjects. Among these patterns, moderate-to-high intake of "plant-based foods" conferred a negative association for chronic (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.706; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.589-0.847; p < 0.001) and moderate-to-severe AD (AOR: 0.756; 95% CI: 0.638-0.897; p < 0.01). "Meat and rice" and "probiotics, milk and eggs" were not significantly associated with AD exacerbation. While frequent adherence to "high-calorie foods" increased the associated risks for ever AD and moderate-to-severe AD, having a higher adherence to "plant-based foods" diminished the overall associated risks. CONCLUSIONS Frequent adherence to "plant-based foods" was associated with reduced risks for AD exacerbation in young Chinese adults from Singapore/Malaysia. This provides the initial evidence to support the association between dietary factors and AD. Further research is needed to better understand the pathomechanisms underlying diet and AD exacerbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jie Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Kavita Reginald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543 Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Sunway University, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yee-How Say
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543 Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Sunway University, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Mei Hui Liu
- Department of Food Science & Technology, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543 Singapore
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Liu X, Feng H, Lü Z, Xia K. Persistent Tor-algebra for protein-protein interaction analysis. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:7039648. [PMID: 36790858 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in almost all biological processes from cell-signaling and membrane transport to metabolism and immune systems. Efficient characterization of PPIs at the molecular level is key to the fundamental understanding of PPI mechanisms. Even with the gigantic amount of PPI models from graphs, networks, geometry and topology, it remains as a great challenge to design functional models that efficiently characterize the complicated multiphysical information within PPIs. Here we propose persistent Tor-algebra (PTA) model for a unified algebraic representation of the multiphysical interactions. Mathematically, our PTA is inherently algebraic data analysis. In our PTA model, protein structures and interactions are described as a series of face rings and Tor modules, from which PTA model is developed. The multiphysical information within/between biomolecules are implicitly characterized by PTA and further represented as PTA barcodes. To test our PTA models, we consider PTA-based ensemble learning for PPI binding affinity prediction. The two most commonly used datasets, i.e. SKEMPI and AB-Bind, are employed. It has been found that our model outperforms all the existing models as far as we know. Mathematically, our PTA model provides a highly efficient way for the characterization of molecular structures and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Liu
- Chern Institute of Mathematics and LPMC, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, 300071
- Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371
| | - Huitao Feng
- Chern Institute of Mathematics and LPMC, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, 300071
- Mathematical Science Research Center, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, China, 400054
| | - Zhi Lü
- Institute of Mathematics, School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 200433
| | - Kelin Xia
- Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371
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Ng JY, Chew FT. A systematic review of skin ageing genes: gene pleiotropy and genes on the chromosomal band 16q24.3 may drive skin ageing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13099. [PMID: 35907981 PMCID: PMC9338925 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17443-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Skin ageing is the result of intrinsic genetic and extrinsic lifestyle factors. However, there is no consensus on skin ageing phenotypes and ways to quantify them. In this systematic review, we first carefully identified 56 skin ageing phenotypes from multiple literature sources and sought the best photo-numeric grading scales to evaluate them. Next, we conducted a systematic review on all 44 Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) on skin ageing published to date and identified genetic risk factors (2349 SNPs and 366 genes) associated with skin ageing. We identified 19 promising SNPs found to be significantly (p-Value < 1E-05) associated with skin ageing phenotypes in two or more independent studies. Here we show, using enrichment analyses strategies and gene expression data, that (1) pleiotropy is a recurring theme among skin ageing genes, (2) SNPs associated with skin ageing phenotypes are mostly located in a small handful of 44 pleiotropic and hub genes (mostly on the chromosome band 16q24.3) and 32 skin colour genes. Since numerous genes on the chromosome band 16q24.3 and skin colour genes show pleiotropy, we propose that (1) genes traditionally identified to contribute to skin colour have more than just skin pigmentation roles, and (2) further progress towards understand the development of skin pigmentation requires understanding the contributions of genes on the chromosomal band 16q24.3. We anticipate our systematic review to serve as a hub to locate primary literature sources pertaining to the genetics of skin ageing and to be a starting point for more sophisticated work examining pleiotropic genes, hub genes, and skin ageing phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yan Ng
- Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Allergy and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Lee Hiok Kwee Functional Genomics Laboratories, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S2, Level 5, 14 Science Drive 4, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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Yang YA, Nguyen E, Sankara Narayana GHN, Heuzé M, Fu C, Yu H, Mège RM, Ladoux B, Sheetz MP. Local contractions regulate E-cadherin rigidity sensing. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabk0387. [PMID: 35089785 PMCID: PMC8797795 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk0387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
E-cadherin is a major cell-cell adhesion molecule involved in mechanotransduction at cell-cell contacts in tissues. Because epithelial cells respond to rigidity and tension in tissue through E-cadherin, there must be active processes that test and respond to the mechanical properties of these adhesive contacts. Using submicrometer, E-cadherin-coated polydimethylsiloxane pillars, we find that cells generate local contractions between E-cadherin adhesions and pull to a constant distance for a constant duration, irrespective of pillar rigidity. These cadherin contractions require nonmuscle myosin IIB, tropomyosin 2.1, α-catenin, and binding of vinculin to α-catenin. Cells spread to different areas on soft and rigid surfaces with contractions, but spread equally on soft and rigid without. We further observe that cadherin contractions enable cells to test myosin IIA-mediated tension of neighboring cells and sort out myosin IIA-depleted cells. Thus, we suggest that epithelial cells test and respond to the mechanical characteristics of neighboring cells through cadherin contractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-An Yang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Emmanuelle Nguyen
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | | | - Melina Heuzé
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Chaoyu Fu
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Hanry Yu
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore 117593, Singapore
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging, A*STAR, Singapore 138669, Singapore
- CAMP, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - René-Marc Mège
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Benoit Ladoux
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France
- Corresponding author. (M.P.S.); (B.L.)
| | - Michael P. Sheetz
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Corresponding author. (M.P.S.); (B.L.)
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Ha N, Ding N, Hong R, Liu R, Roca X, Luo Y, Duan X, Wang X, Ni P, Wu H, Zhang LF, Chen L. The lupus autoantigen La/Ssb is an Xist-binding protein involved in Xist folding and cloud formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:11596-11613. [PMID: 34723322 PMCID: PMC8599922 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the programmable RNA-sequence binding domain of the Pumilio protein, we FLAG-tagged Xist (inactivated X chromosome specific transcript) in live mouse cells. Affinity pulldown coupled to mass spectrometry was employed to identify a list of 138 candidate Xist-binding proteins, from which, Ssb (also known as the lupus autoantigen La) was validated as a protein functionally critical for X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Extensive XCI defects were detected in Ssb knockdown cells, including chromatin compaction, death of female mouse embryonic stem cells during in vitro differentiation and chromosome-wide monoallelic gene expression pattern. Live-cell imaging of Xist RNA reveals the defining XCI defect: Xist cloud formation. Ssb is a ubiquitous and versatile RNA-binding protein with RNA chaperone and RNA helicase activities. Functional dissection of Ssb shows that the RNA chaperone domain plays critical roles in XCI. In Ssb knockdown cells, Xist transcripts are unstable and misfolded. These results show that Ssb is critically involved in XCI, possibly as a protein regulating the in-cell structure of Xist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Ha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Nan Ding
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ru Hong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Rubing Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Xavier Roca
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Yingyuan Luo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiaowei Duan
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Peiling Ni
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Haiyang Wu
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd., Guangdong, China
| | - Li-Feng Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd., Guangdong, China
| | - Lingyi Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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Karimi L, Vijverberg SJ, Engelkes M, Hernandez-Pacheco N, Farzan N, Soares P, Pino-Yanes M, Jorgensen AL, Eng C, Mukhopadhyay S, Schieck M, Kabesch M, Burchard EG, Chew FT, Sio YY, Potočnik U, Gorenjak M, Hawcutt DB, Palmer CN, Turner S, Janssens HM, Maitland-van der Zee AH, Verhamme KM. ADRB2 haplotypes and asthma exacerbations in children and young adults: An individual participant data meta-analysis. Clin Exp Allergy 2021; 51:1157-1171. [PMID: 34128573 PMCID: PMC8503671 DOI: 10.1111/cea.13965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The polymorphism Arg16 in β2 -adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations in asthmatic children treated with long-acting β2 -agonists (LABA). However, it remains unclear whether this increased risk is mainly attributed to this single variant or the combined effect of the haplotypes of polymorphisms at codons 16 and 27. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether the haplotype analysis could explain the association between the polymorphisms at codons 16 (Arg16Gly) and 27 (Gln27Glu) in ADRB2 and risk of asthma exacerbations in patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus LABA. METHODS The study was undertaken using data from 10 independent studies (n = 5903) participating in the multi-ethnic Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma (PiCA) consortium. Asthma exacerbations were defined as asthma-related use of oral corticosteroids or hospitalizations/emergency department visits in the past 6 or 12 months prior to the study visit/enrolment. The association between the haplotypes and the risk of asthma exacerbations was performed per study using haplo.stats package adjusted for age and sex. Results were meta-analysed using the inverse variance weighting method assuming random-effects. RESULTS In subjects treated with ICS and LABA (n = 832, age: 3-21 years), Arg16/Gln27 versus Gly16/Glu27 (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.05-1.87, I2 = 0.0%) and Arg16/Gln27 versus Gly16/Gln27 (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.05-1.94, I2 = 0.0%), but not Gly16/Gln27 versus Gly16/Glu27 (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.71-1.39, I2 = 0.0%), were significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma exacerbations. The sensitivity analyses indicated no significant association between the ADRB2 haplotypes and asthma exacerbations in the other treatment categories, namely as-required short-acting β2 -agonists (n = 973), ICS monotherapy (n = 2623), ICS plus leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA; n = 338), or ICS plus LABA plus LTRA (n = 686). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The ADRB2 Arg16 haplotype, presumably mainly driven by the Arg16, increased the risk of asthma exacerbations in patients treated with ICS plus LABA. This finding could be beneficial in ADRB2 genotype-guided treatment which might improve clinical outcomes in asthmatic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Karimi
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne J. Vijverberg
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Engelkes
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalia Hernandez-Pacheco
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario N.S. de Candelaria, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Niloufar Farzan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Patricia Soares
- Academic department of Pediatrics, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Pino-Yanes
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Andrea L. Jorgensen
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Celeste Eng
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Somnath Mukhopadhyay
- Academic department of Pediatrics, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Maximilian Schieck
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, University Children’s Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Kabesch
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, University Children’s Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Regensburg, Germany
| | - Esteban G. Burchard
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yang Yie Sio
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Uroš Potočnik
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genomics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Mario Gorenjak
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Daniel B. Hawcutt
- University of Liverpool and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, members of Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Alder Hey Clinical Research Facility, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Colin N. Palmer
- Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Turner
- Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Hettie M. Janssens
- Department of Pediatrics/division Respiratory Medicine and Allergology Erasmus MC/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anke H. Maitland-van der Zee
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Katia M.C. Verhamme
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Bioanalysis, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Abstract
MOTIVATION Metagenomics studies have provided key insights into the composition and structure of microbial communities found in different environments. Among the techniques used to analyse metagenomic data, binning is considered a crucial step to characterize the different species of micro-organisms present. The use of short-read data in most binning tools poses several limitations, such as insufficient species-specific signal, and the emergence of long-read sequencing technologies offers us opportunities to surmount them. However, most current metagenomic binning tools have been developed for short reads. The few tools that can process long reads either do not scale with increasing input size or require a database with reference genomes that are often unknown. In this article, we present MetaBCC-LR, a scalable reference-free binning method which clusters long reads directly based on their k-mer coverage histograms and oligonucleotide composition. RESULTS We evaluate MetaBCC-LR on multiple simulated and real metagenomic long-read datasets with varying coverages and error rates. Our experiments demonstrate that MetaBCC-LR substantially outperforms state-of-the-art reference-free binning tools, achieving ∼13% improvement in F1-score and ∼30% improvement in ARI compared to the best previous tools. Moreover, we show that using MetaBCC-LR before long-read assembly helps to enhance the assembly quality while significantly reducing the assembly cost in terms of time and memory usage. The efficiency and accuracy of MetaBCC-LR pave the way for more effective long-read-based metagenomics analyses to support a wide range of applications. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code is freely available at: https://github.com/anuradhawick/MetaBCC-LR. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Wickramarachchi
- Research School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Vijini Mallawaarachchi
- Research School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Vaibhav Rajan
- Department of Information Systems and Analytics, School of Computing, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117417, Singapore
| | - Yu Lin
- Research School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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Cao J, Cogdell RJ, Coker DF, Duan HG, Hauer J, Kleinekathöfer U, Jansen TLC, Mančal T, Miller RJD, Ogilvie JP, Prokhorenko VI, Renger T, Tan HS, Tempelaar R, Thorwart M, Thyrhaug E, Westenhoff S, Zigmantas D. Quantum biology revisited. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaaz4888. [PMID: 32284982 PMCID: PMC7124948 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz4888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a highly optimized process from which valuable lessons can be learned about the operating principles in nature. Its primary steps involve energy transport operating near theoretical quantum limits in efficiency. Recently, extensive research was motivated by the hypothesis that nature used quantum coherences to direct energy transfer. This body of work, a cornerstone for the field of quantum biology, rests on the interpretation of small-amplitude oscillations in two-dimensional electronic spectra of photosynthetic complexes. This Review discusses recent work reexamining these claims and demonstrates that interexciton coherences are too short lived to have any functional significance in photosynthetic energy transfer. Instead, the observed long-lived coherences originate from impulsively excited vibrations, generally observed in femtosecond spectroscopy. These efforts, collectively, lead to a more detailed understanding of the quantum aspects of dissipation. Nature, rather than trying to avoid dissipation, exploits it via engineering of exciton-bath interaction to create efficient energy flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianshu Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Richard J. Cogdell
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - David F. Coker
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hong-Guang Duan
- Atomically Resolved Dynamics Department, Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- I. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 9, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hauer
- Technische Universität München, Dynamische Spektroskopien, Fakultät für Chemie, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching, Germany, and Photonics Institute, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Kleinekathöfer
- Department of Physics and Earth Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Thomas L. C. Jansen
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Tomáš Mančal
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, CZ-12116 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - R. J. Dwayne Miller
- Atomically Resolved Dynamics Department, Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | | | - Valentyn I. Prokhorenko
- Atomically Resolved Dynamics Department, Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Renger
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Str. 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Howe-Siang Tan
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Roel Tempelaar
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Michael Thorwart
- I. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 9, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Erling Thyrhaug
- Technische Universität München, Dynamische Spektroskopien, Fakultät für Chemie, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching, Germany, and Photonics Institute, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
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