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Every scientist dreams of a report in Science. For us, this dream has just come true. The research project of one of our customers has been published by the iconic journal Science.

The research project in 60 seconds
Cell membranes contain a vast range of distinct lipid species. Their chemical differences influence the physical characteristics of membranes, such as viscosity. Thus, the lipid composition affects biological functions.

To identify the lipids involved, the research group used genetic engineering to modulate the lipid composition of bacteria. They correlated bacterial growth rates with lipid composition. From that they concluded that the level of unsaturated lipids influences cellular respiration, the conversion of nutrients into energy (e.g. ATP).

Further biological research and physical modeling confirmed the results. In the end, they could replicate their findings in yeast mitochondria, the organelle responsible for cellular respiration in animals and plants. Thus, further highlighting the importance of lipidomics in fundamental research.

All science is just as good as the research which precedes it
This publication has been added to the Lipidomics Resource Center, an online tool to empower your lipid research. It features scientific publications, white papers and industry insights. The integrated live full-text search and in-depth tag filter system will help you identify information of your interest.

Lipids are essential to life. Make them essential to your research too!

Resources

Viscous control of cellular respiration by membrane lipid composition – Science, 2018
Itay Budin, Tristan de Rond, Yan Chen, Leanne J G Chan, Christopher J Petzold, Jay D Keasling

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What happened

Do fruit flies suffer from Parkinson’s? Not exactly. But patients who suffer from this neurological disease experience disturbed sleep patterns long before motor dysfunctions. This can be modelled in fruit flies. Researchers from the Netherlands and Germany showed that excessive contacts between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in Parkinson’s flies lead to abnormal lipid trafficking. This prevents the release of “sleep” neuropeptides, which affects sleep patterns.

Lipotype performed lipid analysis on fruit fly heads and various organelles. The results clearly supported the researchers’ hypothesis: in Parkinson’s fruit flies the lipid PtdSer is transferred from the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria, and converted to PtdEtn at a higher rate, when compared with healthy flies. This was proven through Lipotype Shotgun Lipidomics technology.

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ER Lipid Defects in Neuropeptidergic Neurons Impair Sleep Patterns in Parkinson’s Disease – Neuron, 2018
Jorge S Valadas, Giovanni Esposito, Dirk Vandekerkhove, Katarzyna Miskiewicz, Liesbeth Deaulmerie, Susanna Raitano, Philip Seibler, Christine Klein, Patrik Verstreken

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What happened

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multi-drug resistant bacteria, and can cause serious illnesses such as pneumonia or sepsis syndromes. The publication from TU Braunschweig shows that, when grown under unaerobic biofilm conditions, the bacterium produces less of a protein, which binds specifically to the central hub of phospholipid metabolism.

With Lipotype shotgun lipidomics, a diverse response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the lipid head group and fatty acid level was demonstrated. This increased the susceptibility to a wide range of antibiotics which is important for the future development of new antimicrobial strategies.

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A phosphatidic acid-binding protein is important for lipid homeostasis and adaptation to anaerobic biofilm conditions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa – Biochemical Journal, 2018
Maike K Gronewald, Marco Massmig, Stefanie Hebecker, Linna Danne, Zofia Magnowska, Manfred Nimtz, Franz Narberhaus, Dieter Jahn, Dirk W Heinz, Lothar Jänsch, Jürgen Moser

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Lipotype lipidomics was part of a wider study of samples from Munich MIDY Pig Biobank – an animal model to study poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Lipidomic data clearly separated MIDY and WT samples. The detailed characterization of these samples will help to establish an unique resource for systematic studies of organ crosstalk in diabetes in a multi-organ, multi-omics dimension.

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The Munich MIDY Pig Biobank – A unique resourse for studying organ crosstalk in diabetes – Molecular Metabolism, 2017
Andreas Blutke et. al.

Lipotype Shotgun Lipidomics applied to mitochondria helps to link the lipid metabolism with the electron transport via action of phosphatase and tensin homologue–induced kinase (PINK1), a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Cardiolipin promotes electron transport between ubiquinone and complex I to rescue PINK1 deficiency – The Journal of Cell Biology, 2017
Melissa Vos, Ann Geens, Claudia Böhm, Liesbeth Deaulmerie, Jef Swerts, Matteo Rossi, Katleen Craessaerts, Elvira P. Leites, Philip Seibler, Aleksandar Rakovic, Thora Lohnau, Bart De Strooper, Sarah-Maria Fendt, Vanessa A. Morais, Christine Klein, Patrik Verstreken

Read more about research at VIB: http://www.vib.be

Zhou et al. show that K-Ras C-terminal membrane anchor encodes an previously unsuspected anionic lipid binding specificity, which is realized by defined conformational structures of the anchor. Subtle changes to anchor sequence or prenylation profoundly alter its lipid specificity and is a key determinant of K-Ras signal output.

Lipotype is proud of its contribution to this exciting study.

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Lipid-Sorting Specificity Encoded in K-Ras Membrane Anchor Regulates Signal Output – Cell, 2017
Yong Zhou, Priyanka Prakash, Hong Liang, Kwang-Jin Cho, Alemayehu A. Gorfe, John F. Hancock