Bio21 - Research Publications

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    Lipidomic Profiling of Adipose Tissue Reveals an Inflammatory Signature in Cancer-Related and Primary Lymphedema
    Sedger, LM ; Tull, DL ; McConville, MJ ; De Souza, DP ; Rupasinghe, TWT ; Williams, SJ ; Dayalan, S ; Lanzer, D ; Mackie, H ; Lam, TC ; Boyages, J ; Maya-Monteiro, CM (PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2016-05-16)
    Cancer-related and primary lymphedema (LE) are associated with the production of adipose tissue (AT). Nothing is known, however, about the lipid-based molecules that comprise LE AT. We therefore analyzed lipid molecules in lipoaspirates and serum obtained from LE patients, and compared them to lipoaspirates from cosmetic surgery patients and healthy control cohort serum. LE patient serum analysis demonstrated that triglycerides, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and lipid transport molecules remained within the normal range, with no alterations in individual fatty acids. The lipidomic analysis also identified 275 lipid-based molecules, including triacylglycerides, diacylglycerides, fatty acids and phospholipids in AT oil and fat. Although the majority of lipid molecules were present in a similar abundance in LE and non-LE samples, there were several small changes: increased C20:5-containing triacylglycerides, reduced C10:0 caprinic and C24:1 nervonic acids. LE AT oil also contained a signature of increased cyclopropane-type fatty acids and inflammatory mediators arachidonic acid and ceramides. Interestingly C20:5 and C22:6 omega-3-type lipids are increased in LE AT, correlating with LE years. Hence, LE AT has a normal lipid profile containing a signature of inflammation and omega-3-lipids. It remains unclear, however, whether these differences reflect a small-scale global metabolic disturbance or effects within localised inflammatory foci.
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    Lipidomic and metabolomic characterization of a genetically modified mouse model of the early stages of human type 1 diabetes pathogenesis
    Overgaard, AJ ; Weir, JM ; De Souza, DP ; Tull, D ; Haase, C ; Meikle, PJ ; Pociot, F (Springer Verlag, 2016-01-01)
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    Reversing diet-induced metabolic dysregulation by diet switching leads to altered hepatic de novo lipogenesis and glycerolipid synthesis
    Kowalski, GM ; Hamley, S ; Selathurai, A ; Kloehn, J ; De Souza, DP ; O'Callaghan, S ; Nijagal, B ; Tull, DL ; McConville, MJ ; Bruce, CR (NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2016-06-07)
    In humans, low-energy diets rapidly reduce hepatic fat and improve/normalise glycemic control. Due to difficulties in obtaining human liver, little is known about changes to the lipid species and pathway fluxes that occur under these conditions. Using a combination of stable isotope, and targeted metabolomic approaches we investigated the acute (7-9 days) hepatic effects of switching high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFD) fed obese mice back to a chow diet. Upon the switch, energy intake was reduced, resulting in reductions of fat mass and hepatic triacyl- and diacylglycerol. However, these parameters were still elevated compared to chow fed mice, thus representing an intermediate phenotype. Nonetheless, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia were completely normalized. The diet reversal resulted in marked reductions in hepatic de novo lipogenesis when compared to the chow and HFD groups. Compared with HFD, glycerolipid synthesis was reduced in the reversal animals, however it remained elevated above that of chow controls, indicating that despite experiencing a net loss in lipid stores, the liver was still actively esterifying available fatty acids at rates higher than that in chow control mice. This effect likely promotes the re-esterification of excess free fatty acids released from the breakdown of adipose depots during the weight loss period.
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    Talaromyces marneffei simA Encodes a Fungal Cytochrome P450 Essential for Survival in Macrophages
    Boyce, KJ ; De Souza, DP ; Dayalan, S ; Pasricha, S ; Tull, D ; McConville, MJ ; Andrianopoulos, A ; Mitchell, AP (AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY, 2018)
    Fungi are adept at occupying specific environmental niches and often exploit numerous secondary metabolites generated by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) monoxygenases. This report describes the characterization of a yeast-specific CYP encoded by simA ("survival in macrophages"). Deletion of simA does not affect yeast growth at 37°C in vitro but is essential for yeast cell production during macrophage infection. The ΔsimA strain exhibits reduced conidial germination and intracellular growth of yeast in macrophages, suggesting that the enzymatic product of SimA is required for normal fungal growth in vivo. Intracellular ΔsimA yeast cells exhibit cell wall defects, and metabolomic and chemical sensitivity data suggest that SimA may promote chitin synthesis or deposition in vitro. In vivo, ΔsimA yeast cells subsequently lyse and are degraded, suggesting that SimA may increase resistance to and/or suppress host cell biocidal effectors. The results suggest that simA synthesizes a secondary metabolite that allows T. marneffei to occupy the specific intracellular environmental niche within the macrophage. IMPORTANCE This study in a dimorphic fungal pathogen uncovered a role for a yeast-specific cytochrome P450 (CYP)-encoding gene in the ability of T. marneffei to grow as yeast cells within the host macrophages. This report will inspire further research into the role of CYPs and secondary metabolite synthesis during fungal pathogenic growth.
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    Cord Blood CD8+ T Cells Have a Natural Propensity to Express IL-4 in a Fatty Acid Metabolism and Caspase Activation-Dependent Manner
    Zhang, Y ; Maksimovic, J ; Huang, B ; De Souza, DP ; Naselli, G ; Chen, H ; Zhang, L ; Weng, K ; Liang, H ; Xu, Y ; Wentworth, JM ; Huntington, ND ; Oshlack, A ; Gong, S ; Kallies, A ; Vuillermin, P ; Yang, M ; Harrison, LC (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2018-04-25)
    How T cells differentiate in the neonate may critically determine the ability of the infant to cope with infections, respond to vaccines and avert allergies. Previously, we found that naïve cord blood CD4+ T cells differentiated toward an IL-4-expressing phenotype when activated in the presence of TGF-β and monocyte-derived inflammatory cytokines, the latter are more highly secreted by infants who developed food allergy. Here, we show that in the absence of IL-2 or IL-12, naïve cord blood CD8+ T cells have a natural propensity to differentiate into IL-4-producing non-classic TC2 cells when they are activated alone, or in the presence of TGF-β and/or inflammatory cytokines. Mechanistically, non-classic TC2 development is associated with decreased expression of IL-2 receptor alpha (CD25) and glycolysis, and increased fatty acid metabolism and caspase-dependent cell death. Consequently, the short chain fatty acid, sodium propionate (NaPo), enhanced IL-4 expression, but exogenous IL-2 or pan-caspase inhibition prevented IL-4 expression. In children with endoscopically and histologically confirmed non-inflammatory bowel disease and non-infectious pediatric idiopathic colitis, the presence of TGF-β, NaPo, and IL-1β or TNF-α promoted TC2 differentiation in vitro. In vivo, colonic mucosa of children with colitis had significantly increased expression of IL-4 in CD8+ T cells compared with controls. In addition, activated caspase-3 and IL-4 were co-expressed in CD8+ T cells in the colonic mucosa of children with colitis. Thus, in the context of colonic inflammation and limited IL-2 signaling, CD8+ T cells differentiate into non-classic TC2 that may contribute to the pathology of inflammatory/allergic diseases in children.
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    Mus musculus deficient for secretory antibodies show delayed growth with an altered urinary metabolome
    Simpfendorfer, KR ; Wang, N ; Tull, DL ; De Souza, DP ; Nahid, A ; Mu, A ; Hocking, DM ; Pedersen, JS ; Wijburg, OLC ; McConville, MJ ; Strugnell, RA (SPRINGER, 2019-04-03)
    BACKGROUND: The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) maintains the integrity of epithelial barriers by transporting polymeric antibodies and antigens through the epithelial mucosa into the lumen. In this study, we examined the role of pIgR in maintaining gut barrier integrity, which is important for the normal development in mice. METHODS: Cohorts of pIgR-/- mice and their wildtype controls were housed under Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) conditions and monitored for weight gain as an indicator of development over time. The general physiology of the gastrointestinal tract was analysed using immunohistochemistry in young (8-12 weeks of age) and aged mice (up to 18 months of age), and the observed immunopathology in pIgR-/- mice was further characterised using flow cytometry. Urinary metabolites were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which revealed changes in metabolites that correlated with age-related increase in gut permeability in pIgR-/- mice. RESULTS: We observed that pIgR-/- mice exhibited delayed growth, and this phenomenon is associated with low-grade gut inflammation that increased with ageing. The gross intraepithelial lymphocytic (IEL) infiltration characteristic of pIgR-/- mice was redefined as CD8α+αβ+ T cells, the majority of which expressed high levels of CD103 and CD69 consistent with tissue resident memory T cells (TRM). Comparison of the urinary metabolome between pIgR-/- and wild-type mice revealed key changes in urinary biomarkers fucose, glycine and Vitamin B5, suggestive of altered mucosal permeability. A significant increase in gut permeability was confirmed by analysing the site-specific uptake of sugar probes in different parts of the intestine. CONCLUSION: Our data show that loss of the secretory antibody system in mice results in enhanced accumulation of inflammatory IELs in the gut, which likely reflects ongoing inflammation in reaction to gut microbiota or food antigens, leading to delayed growth in pIgR-/- mice. We demonstrate that this leads to the presence of a unique urinary metabolome profile, which may provide a biomarker for altered gut permeability.
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    NLRP1 restricts butyrate producing commensals to exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease
    Tye, H ; Yu, C-H ; Simms, LA ; de Zoete, MR ; Kim, ML ; Zakrzewski, M ; Penington, JS ; Harapas, CR ; Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, F ; Wockner, LF ; Preaudet, A ; Mielke, LA ; Wilcox, SA ; Ogura, Y ; Corr, SC ; Kanojia, K ; Kouremenos, KA ; De Souza, DP ; McConville, MJ ; Flavell, RA ; Gerlic, M ; Kile, BT ; Papenfuss, AT ; Putoczki, TL ; Radford-Smith, GL ; Masters, SL (NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2018-09-13)
    Anti-microbial signaling pathways are normally triggered by innate immune receptors when detecting pathogenic microbes to provide protective immunity. Here we show that the inflammasome sensor Nlrp1 aggravates DSS-induced experimental mouse colitis by limiting beneficial, butyrate-producing Clostridiales in the gut. The colitis-protective effects of Nlrp1 deficiency are thus reversed by vancomycin treatment, but recapitulated with butyrate supplementation in wild-type mice. Moreover, an activating mutation in Nlrp1a increases IL-18 and IFNγ production, and decreases colonic butyrate to exacerbate colitis. We also show that, in patients with ulcerative colitis, increased NLRP1 in inflamed regions of the colon is associated with increased IFN-γ. In this context, NLRP1, IL-18 or IFN-γ expression negatively correlates with the abundance of Clostridiales in human rectal mucosal biopsies. Our data identify the NLRP1 inflammasome to be a key negative regulator of protective, butyrate-producing commensals, which therefore promotes inflammatory bowel disease.
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    Circadian and wake-dependent changes in human plasma polar metabolites during prolonged wakefulness: A preliminary analysis
    Grant, LK ; Ftouni, S ; Nijagal, B ; De Souza, DP ; Tull, D ; McConville, MJ ; Rajaratnam, SMW ; Lockley, SW ; Anderson, C (NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2019-03-14)
    Establishing circadian and wake-dependent changes in the human metabolome are critical for understanding and treating human diseases due to circadian misalignment or extended wake. Here, we assessed endogenous circadian rhythms and wake-dependent changes in plasma metabolites in 13 participants (4 females) studied during 40-hours of wakefulness. Four-hourly plasma samples were analyzed by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)-LC-MS for 1,740 metabolite signals. Group-averaged (relative to DLMO) and individual participant metabolite profiles were fitted with a combined cosinor and linear regression model. In group-level analyses, 22% of metabolites were rhythmic and 8% were linear, whereas in individual-level analyses, 14% of profiles were rhythmic and 4% were linear. We observed metabolites that were significant at the group-level but not significant in a single individual, and metabolites that were significant in approximately half of individuals but not group-significant. Of the group-rhythmic and group-linear metabolites, only 7% and 12% were also significantly rhythmic or linear, respectively, in ≥50% of participants. Owing to large inter-individual variation in rhythm timing and the magnitude and direction of linear change, acrophase and slope estimates also differed between group- and individual-level analyses. These preliminary findings have important implications for biomarker development and understanding of sleep and circadian regulation of metabolism.
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    Function of hTim8a in complex IV assembly in neuronal cells provides insight into pathomechanism underlying Mohr-Tranebjaerg syndrome
    Kang, Y ; Anderson, AJ ; Jackson, TD ; Palmer, CS ; De Souza, DP ; Fujihara, KM ; Stait, T ; Frazier, AE ; Clemons, NJ ; Tull, D ; Thorburn, DR ; McConville, MJ ; Ryan, MT ; Stroud, DA ; Stojanovski, D (ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2019-11-04)
    Human Tim8a and Tim8b are members of an intermembrane space chaperone network, known as the small TIM family. Mutations in TIMM8A cause a neurodegenerative disease, Mohr-Tranebjærg syndrome (MTS), which is characterised by sensorineural hearing loss, dystonia and blindness. Nothing is known about the function of hTim8a in neuronal cells or how mutation of this protein leads to a neurodegenerative disease. We show that hTim8a is required for the assembly of Complex IV in neurons, which is mediated through a transient interaction with Complex IV assembly factors, in particular the copper chaperone COX17. Complex IV assembly defects resulting from loss of hTim8a leads to oxidative stress and changes to key apoptotic regulators, including cytochrome c, which primes cells for death. Alleviation of oxidative stress with Vitamin E treatment rescues cells from apoptotic vulnerability. We hypothesise that enhanced sensitivity of neuronal cells to apoptosis is the underlying mechanism of MTS.
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    Metabolite Changes in an Estuarine Annelid Following Sublethal Exposure to a Mixture of Zinc and Boscalid
    Sinclair, GM ; O'Brien, AL ; Keough, M ; de Souza, DP ; Dayalan, S ; Kanojia, K ; Kouremenos, K ; Tull, DL ; Coleman, RA ; Jones, OAH ; Long, SM (MDPI, 2019-10)
    Environmental pollutants such as heavy metals and fungicides pose a serious threat to waterways worldwide. Toxicological assessment of such contaminants is usually conducted using single compound exposures, as it is challenging to understand the effect of mixtures on biota using standard ecotoxicological methods; whereas complex chemical mixtures are more probable in ecosystems. This study exposed Simplisetia aequisetis (an estuarine annelid) to sublethal concentrations of a metal (zinc) and a fungicide (boscalid), both singly and as a mixture, for two weeks. Metabolomic analysis via gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the stress response(s) of the organism following exposure. A total of 75 metabolites, including compounds contributing to the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the urea cycle, and a number of other pathways, were identified and quantified. The multiplatform approach identified distinct metabolomic responses to each compound that differed depending on whether the substance was presented singly or as a mixture, indicating a possible antagonistic effect. The study demonstrates that metabolomics is able to elucidate the effects and mode of action of contaminants and can identify possible outcomes faster than standard ecotoxicological endpoints, such as growth and reproduction. Metabolomics therefore has a possible future role in biomonitoring and ecosystem health assessments.