Biology subjects

Prabhakar, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Prabhakar, P..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Monitoring regional astrocyte diversity by cell-type specific proteomic labeling in vivo

Astrocytes exhibit regional heterogeneity in morphology, function and molecular composition to support and modulate neuronal function and signaling in a region-specific manner. To characterize regional heterogeneity of astrocytic proteomes of different brain regions we established an Aldh1l1- MetRSL274G mouse line that allows cell-type specific labeling of newly synthesized proteins in vivo and analyzed astrocytic proteins from four different brain regions by mass spectrometry. Identified proteins are specific for astrocytes and show a high overlap with proteins compiled in AstroProt, a newly established database for astrocytic proteins. Gene enrichment analysis reveals high overlap among brain regions, and only subtle changes in abundances of key astrocytic proteins for hippocampus, cortex and striatum. However, the cerebellar proteome stands out with proteins being associated with calcium signaling or bipolar disorder. Subregional differences of translation dynamics in single hippocampal astrocytes indicates distinct subregional heterogeneity and highlights the applicability of our toolbox to study dynamic astrocytic proteomes in vivo.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Microbial dark matter driven degradation of carbon fiber polymer composites

Polymer composites have become attractive for structural applications in the built environment due to their lightweight and high strength properties but can suffer from degradation due to environmental factors. While impacts of abiotic factors like temperature and moisture are well studied, little is known about the influence of naturally occurring microbial communities on their structural integrity. Here we apply complementary time-series multi-omics of biofilms growing on polymer composites and materials characterization to elucidate, for the first time, the processes driving their degradation. We measured a reduction in mechanical properties due to molecular chain breakage and reconstructed 121 microbial genomes to describe microbial diversity and pathways associated with their degradation. The composite microbiome is dominated by four bacterial groups including the Candidate Phyla Radiation that possess pathways for breakdown of acrylate, esters, and bisphenol, abundant in composites. Overall, we provide a foundation for understanding interactions of next-generation structural materials with their natural environment that can predict their durability and drive future designs.

microbiology↗