Publications by category
Journal articles
Yang YHC, Briant LJB, Raab C, Mullapudi ST, Maischein H-M, Kawakami K, Stainier DYR (In Press). Innervation modulates the functional connectivity between pancreatic endocrine cells.
Abstract:
Innervation modulates the functional connectivity between pancreatic endocrine cells
AbstractDirect modulation of pancreatic endocrine cell activity by autonomic innervation has been debated. To resolve this question, we established an in vivo imaging model which also allows chronic and acute neuromodulation. Starting at a stage when zebrafish islet architecture is reminiscent of that in adult rodents, we imaged calcium dynamics simultaneously in multiple islet cell types. We first find that activity coupling between beta cells increases upon glucose exposure. Surprisingly, glucose exposure also increases alpha-alpha, alpha-beta and beta-delta coordination. We further show that both chronic and acute loss of nerve activity diminish activity coupling, as observed upon gap junction depletion. Notably, chronic loss of innervation severely disrupts delta cell activity, suggesting that delta cells receive innervation which coordinates its output. Overall, these data show that innervation plays a vital role in the establishment and maintenance of homotypic and heterotypic cellular connectivity in pancreatic islets, a process critical for islet function.
Abstract.
White SA, Zhang LS, Pasula DJ, Yang YHC, Luciani DS (2020). Bax and Bak jointly control survival and dampen the early unfolded protein response in pancreatic β-cells under glucolipotoxic stress.
Sci Rep,
10(1).
Abstract:
Bax and Bak jointly control survival and dampen the early unfolded protein response in pancreatic β-cells under glucolipotoxic stress.
ER stress and apoptosis contribute to the loss of pancreatic β-cells under pro-diabetic conditions of glucolipotoxicity. Although activation of canonical intrinsic apoptosis is known to require pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax and Bak, their individual and combined involvement in glucolipotoxic β-cell death are not known. It has also remained an open question if Bax and Bak in β-cells have non-apoptotic roles in mitochondrial function and ER stress signaling, as suggested in other cell types. Using mice with individual or combined β-cell deletion of Bax and Bak, we demonstrated that glucolipotoxic β-cell death in vitro occurs by both non-apoptotic and apoptotic mechanisms, and the apoptosis could be triggered by either Bax or Bak alone. In contrast, they had non-redundant roles in mediating staurosporine-induced apoptosis. We further established that Bax and Bak do not affect normal glucose-stimulated β-cell Ca2+ responses, insulin secretion, or in vivo glucose tolerance. Finally, our experiments revealed that combined deletion of Bax and Bak amplified the unfolded protein response in islets during the early stages of chemical- or glucolipotoxicity-induced ER stress. These findings shed new light on roles of the core apoptosis machinery in β-cell survival and stress signals of importance for the pathobiology of diabetes.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Mullapudi ST, Boezio GLM, Rossi A, Marass M, Matsuoka RL, Matsuda H, Helker CSM, Yang YHC, Stainier DYR (2019). Disruption of the pancreatic vasculature in zebrafish affects islet architecture and function.
Development,
146(21).
Abstract:
Disruption of the pancreatic vasculature in zebrafish affects islet architecture and function.
A dense local vascular network is crucial for pancreatic endocrine cells to sense metabolites and secrete hormones, and understanding the interactions between the vasculature and the islets may allow for therapeutic modulation in disease conditions. Using live imaging in two models of vascular disruption in zebrafish, we identified two distinct roles for the pancreatic vasculature. At larval stages, expression of a dominant negative version of Vegfaa (dnVegfaa) in β-cells led to vascular and endocrine cell disruption with a minor impairment in β-cell function. In contrast, expression of a soluble isoform of Vegf receptor 1 (sFlt1) in β-cells blocked the formation of the pancreatic vasculature and drastically stunted glucose response, although islet architecture was not affected. Notably, these effects of dnVegfaa or sFlt1 were not observed in animals lacking vegfaa, vegfab, kdrl, kdr or flt1 function, indicating that they interfere with multiple ligands and/or receptors. In adults, disrupted islet architecture persisted in dnVegfaa-expressing animals, whereas sFlt1-expressing animals displayed large sheets of β-cells along their pancreatic ducts, accompanied by impaired glucose tolerance in both models. Thus, our study reveals novel roles for the vasculature in patterning and function of the islet.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Yang YHC, Kawakami K, Stainier DYR (2018). A new mode of pancreatic islet innervation revealed by live imaging in zebrafish.
eLife,
7Abstract:
A new mode of pancreatic islet innervation revealed by live imaging in zebrafish
Pancreatic islets are innervated by autonomic and sensory nerves that influence their function. Analyzing the innervation process should provide insight into the nerve-endocrine interactions and their roles in development and disease. Here, using in vivo time-lapse imaging and genetic analyses in zebrafish, we determined the events leading to islet innervation. Comparable neural density in the absence of vasculature indicates that it is dispensable for early pancreatic innervation. Neural crest cells are in close contact with endocrine cells early in development. We find these cells give rise to neurons that extend axons toward the islet as they surprisingly migrate away. Specific ablation of these neurons partly prevents other neurons from migrating away from the islet resulting in diminished innervation. Thus, our studies establish the zebrafish as a model to interrogate mechanisms of organ innervation, and reveal a novel mode of innervation whereby neurons establish connections with their targets before migrating away.
Abstract.
Mullapudi ST, Helker CS, Boezio GL, Maischein H-M, Sokol AM, Guenther S, Matsuda H, Kubicek S, Graumann J, Yang YHC, et al (2018). Screening for insulin-independent pathways that modulate glucose homeostasis identifies androgen receptor antagonists.
Elife,
7Abstract:
Screening for insulin-independent pathways that modulate glucose homeostasis identifies androgen receptor antagonists.
Pathways modulating glucose homeostasis independently of insulin would open new avenues to combat insulin resistance and diabetes. Here, we report the establishment, characterization, and use of a vertebrate 'insulin-free' model to identify insulin-independent modulators of glucose metabolism. insulin knockout zebrafish recapitulate core characteristics of diabetes and survive only up to larval stages. Utilizing a highly efficient endoderm transplant technique, we generated viable chimeric adults that provide the large numbers of insulin mutant larvae required for our screening platform. Using glucose as a disease-relevant readout, we screened 2233 molecules and identified three that consistently reduced glucose levels in insulin mutants. Most significantly, we uncovered an insulin-independent beneficial role for androgen receptor antagonism in hyperglycemia, mostly by reducing fasting glucose levels. Our study proposes therapeutic roles for androgen signaling in diabetes and, more broadly, offers a novel in vivo model for rapid screening and decoupling of insulin-dependent and -independent mechanisms.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Matsuda H, Mullapudi ST, Yang YHC, Masaki H, Hesselson D, Stainier DYR (2018). Whole-Organism Chemical Screening Identifies Modulators of Pancreatic β-Cell Function. Diabetes, 67(11), 2268-2279.
Yang YHC, Wills QF, Johnson JD (2015). A live-cell, high-content imaging survey of 206 endogenous factors across five stress conditions reveals context-dependent survival effects in mouse primary beta cells. Diabetologia, 58(6), 1239-1249.
Szabat M, Modi H, Ramracheya R, Girbinger V, Chan F, Lee JTC, Piske M, Kamal S, Carol Yang YH, Welling A, et al (2015). High-content screening identifies a role for Na. +. channels in insulin production.
Royal Society Open Science,
2(12), 150306-150306.
Abstract:
High-content screening identifies a role for Na. +. channels in insulin production
. Insulin production is the central feature of functionally mature and differentiated pancreatic
. β
. -cells. Reduced insulin transcription and dedifferentiation have been implicated in type 2 diabetes, making drugs that could reverse these processes potentially useful. We have previously established ratiometric live-cell imaging tools to identify factors that increase insulin promoter activity and promote
. β
. -cell differentiation. Here, we present a single vector imaging tool with eGFP and mRFP, driven by the
. Pdx1
. and
. Ins1
. promoters, respectively, targeted to the nucleus to enhance identification of individual cells in a high-throughput manner. Using this new approach, we screened 1120 off-patent drugs for factors that regulate
. Ins1
. and
. Pdx1
. promoter activity in MIN6
. β
. -cells. We identified a number of compounds that positively modulate
. Ins1
. promoter activity, including several drugs known to modulate ion channels. Carbamazepine was selected for extended follow-up, as our previous screen also identified this use-dependent sodium channel inhibitor as a positive modulator of
. β
. -cell survival. Indeed, carbamazepine increased
. Ins1
. and
. Ins2
. mRNA in primary mouse islets at lower doses than were required to protect
. β
. -cells. We validated the role of sodium channels in insulin production by examining Nav1.7 (
. Scn9a
. ) knockout mice and remarkably islets from these animals had dramatically elevated insulin content relative to wild-type controls. Collectively, our experiments provide a starting point for additional studies aimed to identify drugs and molecular pathways that control insulin production and
. β
. -cell differentiation status. In particular, our unbiased screen identified a novel role for a
. β
. -cell sodium channel gene in insulin production.
.
Abstract.
Chan MT, Lim GE, Skovsø S, Yang YHC, Albrecht T, Alejandro EU, Hoesli CA, Piret JM, Warnock GL, Johnson JD, et al (2014). Effects of insulin on human pancreatic cancer progression modeled in vitro. BMC Cancer, 14(1).
Yang YHC, Vilin YY, Roberge M, Kurata HT, Johnson JD (2014). Multiparameter Screening Reveals a Role for Na+ Channels in Cytokine-Induced β-Cell Death. Molecular Endocrinology, 28(3), 406-417.
Rezania A, Bruin JE, Arora P, Rubin A, Batushansky I, Asadi A, O'Dwyer S, Quiskamp N, Mojibian M, Albrecht T, et al (2014). Reversal of diabetes with insulin-producing cells derived in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells. Nature Biotechnology, 32(11), 1121-1133.
Yang YHC, Manning Fox JE, Zhang KL, MacDonald PE, Johnson JD (2013). Intraislet SLIT-ROBO signaling is required for beta-cell survival and potentiates insulin secretion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(41), 16480-16485.
Yang YHC, Johnson JD (2013). Multi-parameter single-cell kinetic analysis reveals multiple modes of cell death in primary pancreatic -cells. Journal of Cell Science, 126(18), 4286-4295.
Son E, Kim J-J, Lim YW, Au-Yeung TT, Yang CYH, Breuil C (2011). Diversity and decay ability of basidiomycetes isolated from lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle.
Canadian Journal of Microbiology,
57(1), 33-41.
Abstract:
Diversity and decay ability of basidiomycetes isolated from lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle
When lodgepole pines ( Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) that are killed by the mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) and its fungal associates are not harvested, fungal decay can affect wood and fibre properties. Ophiostomatoids stain sapwood but do not affect the structural properties of wood. In contrast, white or brown decay basidiomycetes degrade wood. We isolated both staining and decay fungi from 300 lodgepole pine trees killed by mountain pine beetle at green, red, and grey stages at 10 sites across British Columbia. We retained 224 basidiomycete isolates that we classified into 34 species using morphological and physiological characteristics and rDNA large subunit sequences. The number of basidiomycete species varied from 4 to 14 species per site. We assessed the ability of these fungi to degrade both pine sapwood and heartwood using the soil jar decay test. The highest wood mass losses for both sapwood and heartwood were measured for the brown rot species Fomitopsis pinicola and the white rot Metulodontia and Ganoderma species. The sap rot species Trichaptum abietinum was more damaging for sapwood than for heartwood. A number of species caused more than 50% wood mass losses after 12 weeks at room temperature, suggesting that beetle-killed trees can rapidly lose market value due to degradation of wood structural components.
Abstract.
Szabat M, Kalynyak TB, Lim GE, Chu KY, Yang YH, Asadi A, Gage BK, Ao Z, Warnock GL, Piret JM, et al (2011). Musashi expression in β-cells coordinates insulin expression, apoptosis and proliferation in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress in diabetes. Cell Death & Disease, 2(11), e232-e232.
Yang YHC, Szabat M, Bragagnini C, Kott K, Helgason CD, Hoffman BG, Johnson JD (2011). Paracrine signalling loops in adult human and mouse pancreatic islets: netrins modulate beta cell apoptosis signalling via dependence receptors. Diabetologia, 54(4), 828-842.
Hill JA, Szabat M, Hoesli CA, Gage BK, Yang YHC, Williams DE, Riedel MJ, Luciani DS, Kalynyak TB, Tsai K, et al (2010). A Multi-Parameter, High-Content, High-Throughput Screening Platform to Identify Natural Compounds that Modulate Insulin and Pdx1 Expression. PLoS ONE, 5(9), e12958-e12958.
Chapters
Johnson JD, Yang YHC, Luciani DS (2014). Mechanisms of Pancreatic β-Cell Apoptosis in Diabetes and its Therapies. In (Ed) Islets of Langerhans, 2. ed, Springer Netherlands, 1-20.
Publications by year
In Press
Yang YHC, Briant LJB, Raab C, Mullapudi ST, Maischein H-M, Kawakami K, Stainier DYR (In Press). Innervation modulates the functional connectivity between pancreatic endocrine cells.
Abstract:
Innervation modulates the functional connectivity between pancreatic endocrine cells
AbstractDirect modulation of pancreatic endocrine cell activity by autonomic innervation has been debated. To resolve this question, we established an in vivo imaging model which also allows chronic and acute neuromodulation. Starting at a stage when zebrafish islet architecture is reminiscent of that in adult rodents, we imaged calcium dynamics simultaneously in multiple islet cell types. We first find that activity coupling between beta cells increases upon glucose exposure. Surprisingly, glucose exposure also increases alpha-alpha, alpha-beta and beta-delta coordination. We further show that both chronic and acute loss of nerve activity diminish activity coupling, as observed upon gap junction depletion. Notably, chronic loss of innervation severely disrupts delta cell activity, suggesting that delta cells receive innervation which coordinates its output. Overall, these data show that innervation plays a vital role in the establishment and maintenance of homotypic and heterotypic cellular connectivity in pancreatic islets, a process critical for islet function.
Abstract.
2020
White SA, Zhang LS, Pasula DJ, Yang YHC, Luciani DS (2020). Bax and Bak jointly control survival and dampen the early unfolded protein response in pancreatic β-cells under glucolipotoxic stress.
Sci Rep,
10(1).
Abstract:
Bax and Bak jointly control survival and dampen the early unfolded protein response in pancreatic β-cells under glucolipotoxic stress.
ER stress and apoptosis contribute to the loss of pancreatic β-cells under pro-diabetic conditions of glucolipotoxicity. Although activation of canonical intrinsic apoptosis is known to require pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax and Bak, their individual and combined involvement in glucolipotoxic β-cell death are not known. It has also remained an open question if Bax and Bak in β-cells have non-apoptotic roles in mitochondrial function and ER stress signaling, as suggested in other cell types. Using mice with individual or combined β-cell deletion of Bax and Bak, we demonstrated that glucolipotoxic β-cell death in vitro occurs by both non-apoptotic and apoptotic mechanisms, and the apoptosis could be triggered by either Bax or Bak alone. In contrast, they had non-redundant roles in mediating staurosporine-induced apoptosis. We further established that Bax and Bak do not affect normal glucose-stimulated β-cell Ca2+ responses, insulin secretion, or in vivo glucose tolerance. Finally, our experiments revealed that combined deletion of Bax and Bak amplified the unfolded protein response in islets during the early stages of chemical- or glucolipotoxicity-induced ER stress. These findings shed new light on roles of the core apoptosis machinery in β-cell survival and stress signals of importance for the pathobiology of diabetes.
Abstract.
Author URL.
2019
Mullapudi ST, Boezio GLM, Rossi A, Marass M, Matsuoka RL, Matsuda H, Helker CSM, Yang YHC, Stainier DYR (2019). Disruption of the pancreatic vasculature in zebrafish affects islet architecture and function.
Development,
146(21).
Abstract:
Disruption of the pancreatic vasculature in zebrafish affects islet architecture and function.
A dense local vascular network is crucial for pancreatic endocrine cells to sense metabolites and secrete hormones, and understanding the interactions between the vasculature and the islets may allow for therapeutic modulation in disease conditions. Using live imaging in two models of vascular disruption in zebrafish, we identified two distinct roles for the pancreatic vasculature. At larval stages, expression of a dominant negative version of Vegfaa (dnVegfaa) in β-cells led to vascular and endocrine cell disruption with a minor impairment in β-cell function. In contrast, expression of a soluble isoform of Vegf receptor 1 (sFlt1) in β-cells blocked the formation of the pancreatic vasculature and drastically stunted glucose response, although islet architecture was not affected. Notably, these effects of dnVegfaa or sFlt1 were not observed in animals lacking vegfaa, vegfab, kdrl, kdr or flt1 function, indicating that they interfere with multiple ligands and/or receptors. In adults, disrupted islet architecture persisted in dnVegfaa-expressing animals, whereas sFlt1-expressing animals displayed large sheets of β-cells along their pancreatic ducts, accompanied by impaired glucose tolerance in both models. Thus, our study reveals novel roles for the vasculature in patterning and function of the islet.
Abstract.
Author URL.
2018
Yang YHC, Kawakami K, Stainier DYR (2018). A new mode of pancreatic islet innervation revealed by live imaging in zebrafish.
eLife,
7Abstract:
A new mode of pancreatic islet innervation revealed by live imaging in zebrafish
Pancreatic islets are innervated by autonomic and sensory nerves that influence their function. Analyzing the innervation process should provide insight into the nerve-endocrine interactions and their roles in development and disease. Here, using in vivo time-lapse imaging and genetic analyses in zebrafish, we determined the events leading to islet innervation. Comparable neural density in the absence of vasculature indicates that it is dispensable for early pancreatic innervation. Neural crest cells are in close contact with endocrine cells early in development. We find these cells give rise to neurons that extend axons toward the islet as they surprisingly migrate away. Specific ablation of these neurons partly prevents other neurons from migrating away from the islet resulting in diminished innervation. Thus, our studies establish the zebrafish as a model to interrogate mechanisms of organ innervation, and reveal a novel mode of innervation whereby neurons establish connections with their targets before migrating away.
Abstract.
Mullapudi ST, Helker CS, Boezio GL, Maischein H-M, Sokol AM, Guenther S, Matsuda H, Kubicek S, Graumann J, Yang YHC, et al (2018). Screening for insulin-independent pathways that modulate glucose homeostasis identifies androgen receptor antagonists.
Elife,
7Abstract:
Screening for insulin-independent pathways that modulate glucose homeostasis identifies androgen receptor antagonists.
Pathways modulating glucose homeostasis independently of insulin would open new avenues to combat insulin resistance and diabetes. Here, we report the establishment, characterization, and use of a vertebrate 'insulin-free' model to identify insulin-independent modulators of glucose metabolism. insulin knockout zebrafish recapitulate core characteristics of diabetes and survive only up to larval stages. Utilizing a highly efficient endoderm transplant technique, we generated viable chimeric adults that provide the large numbers of insulin mutant larvae required for our screening platform. Using glucose as a disease-relevant readout, we screened 2233 molecules and identified three that consistently reduced glucose levels in insulin mutants. Most significantly, we uncovered an insulin-independent beneficial role for androgen receptor antagonism in hyperglycemia, mostly by reducing fasting glucose levels. Our study proposes therapeutic roles for androgen signaling in diabetes and, more broadly, offers a novel in vivo model for rapid screening and decoupling of insulin-dependent and -independent mechanisms.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Matsuda H, Mullapudi ST, Yang YHC, Masaki H, Hesselson D, Stainier DYR (2018). Whole-Organism Chemical Screening Identifies Modulators of Pancreatic β-Cell Function. Diabetes, 67(11), 2268-2279.
2015
Yang YHC, Wills QF, Johnson JD (2015). A live-cell, high-content imaging survey of 206 endogenous factors across five stress conditions reveals context-dependent survival effects in mouse primary beta cells. Diabetologia, 58(6), 1239-1249.
Szabat M, Modi H, Ramracheya R, Girbinger V, Chan F, Lee JTC, Piske M, Kamal S, Carol Yang YH, Welling A, et al (2015). High-content screening identifies a role for Na. +. channels in insulin production.
Royal Society Open Science,
2(12), 150306-150306.
Abstract:
High-content screening identifies a role for Na. +. channels in insulin production
. Insulin production is the central feature of functionally mature and differentiated pancreatic
. β
. -cells. Reduced insulin transcription and dedifferentiation have been implicated in type 2 diabetes, making drugs that could reverse these processes potentially useful. We have previously established ratiometric live-cell imaging tools to identify factors that increase insulin promoter activity and promote
. β
. -cell differentiation. Here, we present a single vector imaging tool with eGFP and mRFP, driven by the
. Pdx1
. and
. Ins1
. promoters, respectively, targeted to the nucleus to enhance identification of individual cells in a high-throughput manner. Using this new approach, we screened 1120 off-patent drugs for factors that regulate
. Ins1
. and
. Pdx1
. promoter activity in MIN6
. β
. -cells. We identified a number of compounds that positively modulate
. Ins1
. promoter activity, including several drugs known to modulate ion channels. Carbamazepine was selected for extended follow-up, as our previous screen also identified this use-dependent sodium channel inhibitor as a positive modulator of
. β
. -cell survival. Indeed, carbamazepine increased
. Ins1
. and
. Ins2
. mRNA in primary mouse islets at lower doses than were required to protect
. β
. -cells. We validated the role of sodium channels in insulin production by examining Nav1.7 (
. Scn9a
. ) knockout mice and remarkably islets from these animals had dramatically elevated insulin content relative to wild-type controls. Collectively, our experiments provide a starting point for additional studies aimed to identify drugs and molecular pathways that control insulin production and
. β
. -cell differentiation status. In particular, our unbiased screen identified a novel role for a
. β
. -cell sodium channel gene in insulin production.
.
Abstract.
2014
Chan MT, Lim GE, Skovsø S, Yang YHC, Albrecht T, Alejandro EU, Hoesli CA, Piret JM, Warnock GL, Johnson JD, et al (2014). Effects of insulin on human pancreatic cancer progression modeled in vitro. BMC Cancer, 14(1).
Johnson JD, Yang YHC, Luciani DS (2014). Mechanisms of Pancreatic β-Cell Apoptosis in Diabetes and its Therapies. In (Ed) Islets of Langerhans, 2. ed, Springer Netherlands, 1-20.
Yang YHC, Vilin YY, Roberge M, Kurata HT, Johnson JD (2014). Multiparameter Screening Reveals a Role for Na+ Channels in Cytokine-Induced β-Cell Death. Molecular Endocrinology, 28(3), 406-417.
Rezania A, Bruin JE, Arora P, Rubin A, Batushansky I, Asadi A, O'Dwyer S, Quiskamp N, Mojibian M, Albrecht T, et al (2014). Reversal of diabetes with insulin-producing cells derived in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells. Nature Biotechnology, 32(11), 1121-1133.
2013
Yang YHC, Manning Fox JE, Zhang KL, MacDonald PE, Johnson JD (2013). Intraislet SLIT-ROBO signaling is required for beta-cell survival and potentiates insulin secretion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(41), 16480-16485.
Yang YHC, Johnson JD (2013). Multi-parameter single-cell kinetic analysis reveals multiple modes of cell death in primary pancreatic -cells. Journal of Cell Science, 126(18), 4286-4295.
2011
Son E, Kim J-J, Lim YW, Au-Yeung TT, Yang CYH, Breuil C (2011). Diversity and decay ability of basidiomycetes isolated from lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle.
Canadian Journal of Microbiology,
57(1), 33-41.
Abstract:
Diversity and decay ability of basidiomycetes isolated from lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle
When lodgepole pines ( Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) that are killed by the mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) and its fungal associates are not harvested, fungal decay can affect wood and fibre properties. Ophiostomatoids stain sapwood but do not affect the structural properties of wood. In contrast, white or brown decay basidiomycetes degrade wood. We isolated both staining and decay fungi from 300 lodgepole pine trees killed by mountain pine beetle at green, red, and grey stages at 10 sites across British Columbia. We retained 224 basidiomycete isolates that we classified into 34 species using morphological and physiological characteristics and rDNA large subunit sequences. The number of basidiomycete species varied from 4 to 14 species per site. We assessed the ability of these fungi to degrade both pine sapwood and heartwood using the soil jar decay test. The highest wood mass losses for both sapwood and heartwood were measured for the brown rot species Fomitopsis pinicola and the white rot Metulodontia and Ganoderma species. The sap rot species Trichaptum abietinum was more damaging for sapwood than for heartwood. A number of species caused more than 50% wood mass losses after 12 weeks at room temperature, suggesting that beetle-killed trees can rapidly lose market value due to degradation of wood structural components.
Abstract.
Szabat M, Kalynyak TB, Lim GE, Chu KY, Yang YH, Asadi A, Gage BK, Ao Z, Warnock GL, Piret JM, et al (2011). Musashi expression in β-cells coordinates insulin expression, apoptosis and proliferation in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress in diabetes. Cell Death & Disease, 2(11), e232-e232.
Yang YHC, Szabat M, Bragagnini C, Kott K, Helgason CD, Hoffman BG, Johnson JD (2011). Paracrine signalling loops in adult human and mouse pancreatic islets: netrins modulate beta cell apoptosis signalling via dependence receptors. Diabetologia, 54(4), 828-842.
2010
Hill JA, Szabat M, Hoesli CA, Gage BK, Yang YHC, Williams DE, Riedel MJ, Luciani DS, Kalynyak TB, Tsai K, et al (2010). A Multi-Parameter, High-Content, High-Throughput Screening Platform to Identify Natural Compounds that Modulate Insulin and Pdx1 Expression. PLoS ONE, 5(9), e12958-e12958.
