Biology subjects

Maes, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Maes, R..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Flavins in Focus: Vitamin B2 as a Metabolic Keystone for Neuronal Repair in Regenerating Planarians

Regeneration imposes substantial metabolic demands to support the reconstruction of functional tissues. Essential vitamins are indispensable metabolic cofactors, yet whether their availability is spatially organized to support local metabolic demands within regenerative tissues remains largely unknown. Here, we identify previously undescribed flavin-rich cells, referred to as 'flavinocytes', that form an extensive network that spatially organizes vitamin B2 metabolism in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Using endogenous flavin autofluorescence as a label-free in vivo metabolic readout, we show that this network consists of elongated cells that form longitudinal varicosity-containing strands closely associated with the central nervous system. RNAi-mediated disruption of riboflavin uptake and metabolism reduced flavin-associated autofluorescence and its spatial distribution within the animal, while affecting blastema formation, eye regeneration, and nervous system reconstruction. These findings demonstrate that riboflavin metabolism is required for successful regeneration. Single-cell transcriptomics, protein localization, and functional perturbations further suggest a reciprocal relationship between flavinocytes and the regenerating nervous system, pointing to coordinated neuro-metabolic interactions during tissue repair. Together, our findings demonstrate the importance of riboflavin metabolism for nervous system regeneration and provide new insight into the spatial organization of metabolism during tissue regeneration.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Epidemiology and phylodynamic analysis of canine distemper virus circulating in Michigan, USA

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious generalist pathogen that can cause significant mortality in domestic dogs and wild mammals. Due to the fast-evolving nature of CDV and its global spread, epizootic events and the emergence of new strains have been frequently reported. In Michigan, CDV surveillance from 2008 to 2018 was previously reported. Here, we combine and extend these data through 2023 to bring together 16 years of CDV surveillance in wild mammals in Michigan. We also sequenced CDV strains originating from both wildlife and domestic dogs to examine viral evolution across host populations. To facilitate interpretation of these data in both local and global contexts, we developed a Nextstrain workflow for CDV, enabling interactive visualization of viral evolution over time and geographic space. Our data show persistence of CDV in Michigan mammals during the study period and point to temporal, geographic, and host factors associated with CDV occurrence. Phylogenetic analysis using the newly built Nextstrain workflow showed that three CDV lineages--America-3, America-5, and Canada-1--are currently circulating in both wild and domestic animals in Michigan. The Nextstrain workflow enables reproducible, scalable integration of genomic sequencing into local surveillance and provides an updateable platform for ongoing and future surveillance efforts. This study demonstrates the value of coupling wildlife surveillance and diagnostic testing with genomic sequencing to identify lineage turnover and anticipate changes in viral behavior.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Integrating multiple omics levels using the human protein complexome as a framework, a multi-omics study of inborn errors of metabolism

Proteins organize into functional assemblies that drive diverse biological activities. Leveraging a comprehensive dataset of manually curated annotations for the human protein complexome, we investigated biological perturbations at the protein complex level. Using proteomics and transcriptomics data from fibroblasts of patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) and control samples, we globally mapped information onto complex subunits to discern affected processes. Across the patient cohort (consisting of organic acidaemias, fatty acid oxidation defects and mitochondrial respiratory chain defect IEMs), mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation emerged as the most perturbed pathway, identified through proteomics datasets. Simultaneously, metabolomics highlighted significant regulation of phospholipids in patients with Fatty Acid and Mitochondrial IEM. Moreover, proteomics analysis also revealed the dysregulation of protein complexes involved in histone (de)acetylation, a finding validated through Western Blot analysis measuring histone acetylation levels. This introduces a novel epigenetic dimension to IEM and metabolic research, suggesting avenues for further exploration. Our study demonstrates a multiomics data integration concept that maps proteomics and transcriptomics data onto model organism complexomes. This integrative approach can be extended to metabolomics and lipidomics, associating information with complexes having metabolic functions, such as enzymatic complexes. This global strategy for identifying disease-relevant perturbations offers a systems-wide perspective on molecular-level physiological and pathological changes. Such insights are crucial for devising clinical intervention strategies and prioritizing druggable pathways and complexes. The presented methodology provides a foundation for future investigations, emphasizing the importance of integrating multiomics data to comprehensively understand cellular machinery alterations and facilitate targeted therapeutic approaches.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2023

Pathology of natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b in wild terrestrial mammals in the United States in 2022

This article describes the first detections of disease due to natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) H5N1 of the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b in wild terrestrial mammals throughout the United States during 2021-2022. Affected mammalian species include 50 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 6 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), 4 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 2 bobcats (Lynx rufus), 2 Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), 1 coyote (Canis latrans), 1 fisher (Pekania pennanti), and 1 gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Infected mammals primarily exhibited neurological signs. Necrotizing meningoencephalitis, interstitial pneumonia, and myocardial necrosis were the most common lesions; however, species variations in lesion distribution were observed. Genotype analysis of sequences from 48 animals indicates that these cases represent spillover infections from wild birds.

pathology↗