Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit sollte der Übergang von amorphen AlCuLi-Schichten in die quasikristalline Phase untersucht werden. Dafür wurden die atomaren Struktur und der elektrische Widerstand an in-situ hergestellten amorphen (Al[5,5]Cu[1])[100-x] Li[x]- Schichten im Temperaturbereich 2 K < T < 500 K gemessen. Zur Herstellung der hoch reaktiven dünnen Schichten wurde unter Ar-Reinstgasatmosphäre und Ultrahochvakuum präpariert. Die Messergebnisse entstanden ebenfalls unter UHV-Bedingungen. In amorphem (Al[5,5]Cu[1])[100-x] Li[X] positionieren sich die Atome in die Friedelminima des Paarpotentials. Bis ca. 26 at% Li geschieht dies überwiegend über einen Hybridisierungseffekt der Elektronen aus dem Valenzband in die unbesetzten Cu-d-Zustände. Ab 26 at% Li wird das zunehmend durch eine Erhöhung der Atomzahldichte erreicht. Um die Verkleinerung des Atomvolumens zu erreichen, gibt das Li sein äußeres Elektron ab und verringert damit seinen Radius. Das Maximum in der Interferenzfunktion I(K) bei größeren K-Werten verschiebt parallel zum Durchmesser der Fermikugel 2kF und ist dadurch als elektronisch induziert zu erkennen. Es zeigen sich elektronische Transporteigenschaften, die auch schon bei anderen Systemen beobachtet werden konnten (NaSn, AlCuFe). Im Bereich mit mehr als 50at% Li verschwindet die Dichteanomalie wieder und die Atome befinden sich auch ohne Änderung des Volumens nahe den Friedelminima. Allerdings verliert die Legierung dabei an Stabilität. Das System verhält sich hier ähnlich wie vergleichbare Edelmetall-Polyvalentelement-Legierungen.

Durch die Kombination von SKY-, Array-CGH-, und Expressionsnanalysen wurden ausgewählte MM-Zelllinien auf Aberrationen hin untersucht und diese genauer analysiert. 32 Myelom-Patienten wurden mittels Array-CGH-Analyse untersucht und aufgrund ihrer Aberrationen und der klinischen Daten durch eine anschließende Clusteranalyse in 4 Subgruppen unterteilt.

Aufgrund ihrer Selbstorganisationseigenschaften besitzt DNA ein großes Potential für den Einsatz in Bottom-up-Techniken der Nanotechnologie. So erlaubt DNA eine genau definierte Anordnung von Bauelementen im Abstand von nur wenigen Nanometern. Zum Beispiel kann ein regelmäßig mit Metallclustern oder Proteinen bestücktes DNA-Netz als Katalysator oder in Sensoren eingesetzt werden. DNA wird außerdem als Templat für Nanodrähte benutzt und kann deshalb eine wichtige Rolle in einer zukünftigen Nanoelektronik spielen. DNA-Strukturen entstehen meist durch Selbsassemblierung von Einzelstrangmolekülen während einer Hybridisierung. Die Assemblierung wird dabei durch die Basensequenzen der beteiligten Einzelstränge gesteuert. Das bedeutet: Die Basensequenzen der Einzelstränge definieren die Gestalt der entstehenden Struktur. Diese Dissertation stellt Regeln für Sequenzkonfigurationen vor, welche DNA-Einzelstränge erfüllen müssen, damit die erfolgreiche Selbstassemblierung einer gewünschten Zielstruktur erfolgreich sein kann. Das Grundprinzip dieser Regeln ist eine Minimierung der Länge von Basenfehlpaarungen. Es wird ein Algorithmus entwickelt, welcher diese Regeln umsetzt und für beliebige Zielstrukturen passende Sequenzkonfigurationen erzeugt. Der Algorithmus arbeitet vollautomatisch und ist für die meisten Strukturgrößen sehr schnell. Eine Java-Implementierung des Algorithmus mit Namen Seed ist unter http://nano.tu-dresden.de/~jseiffert/Seed/ frei erhältlich. Abschließend präsentiert diese Arbeit ein Experiment, in welchem eine Reihe von Double-Crossover-(DX)-Molekülen zu einer langen Kette verbunden werden. Die Sequenzkonfiguration für dieses Experiment wurde mit Seed erstellt und zeigt die Anwendungsfähigkeit des vorgestellten Algorithmus. / Due to its self-recognition abilities, DNA has a great potential to disclose new bottom-up routes towards nanofabrication. DNA allows well-defined arrangements of building blocks with only a few nanometer distance. For example, a DNA network with regulary attached metal beeds or proteins can be placed on a surface to act as a catalyst or a sensor. DNA can also be used as template for nanowires and, therefore, might play a major role in future nanoelectronics. DNA structures mostly assemble themselves by hybridization of single stranded DNA molecules. The self-assemby process is controlled by the base sequences of the single strands: The sequence configuration defines the shape of the resulting structure. This thesis introduces rules for sequence configuration that DNA strands must fullfill to produce a desired target structure in a hybridazation process. The basic principle of these rules is a mismatch minimization. An algorithm is presented, which generates suitable sequence configurations according to the introduced rules. The algorithm can handle any DNA structures, works full-automatically, and for most structure dimensions, is very fast. A Java-implementation of the algorithm called Seed is freely available at http://nano.tu-dresden.de/~jseiffert/Seed/. Finally, this work describes a structure building experiment, where a number of double crossover (DX) molecules were concatenated into a long chain. The sequence configuration for this experiment was generated by the developed program Seed showing the use of the presented algorithm.

In dieser Arbeit identifizierte und quantifizierte ich zunächst mehrere Isolationsbarrieren zwischen den nah verwandten Feldheuschreckenarten Chorthippus biguttulus und C. mollis (Kapitel 2). Meine Ergebnisse deuten auf eine wichtige Rolle von chemischen Signalen bei der reproduktiven Isolation zwischen diesen Arten hin. Durch die Kombination von verschiedenen Ansätzen untersuchte ich die ultimaten und proximaten Ursachen von chemischen Signalen auf das Fortpflanzungsverhalten. Im dritten Kapitel zeigte ich, dass die kutikulären Kohlenwasserstoff Profile (CHC) von C. biguttulus und C. mollis art- und geschlechtsspezifisch sind. Mit Hilfe eines RNA-seq Ansatzes untersuchte ich transkriptionelle Unterschiede in Kandidatengenen, die für die Divergenz in den CHC Profilen zwischen den Arten und den Geschlechtern verantwortlich sein könnten. Ein solches Gen zeigte artspezifische Expression und trägt möglicherweise zur reproduktiven Isolation zwischen den Arten bei. Darüber hinaus fand ich Expressionsunterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern in vier Kandidatengenen. Zwei von diesen Genen zeigten eine erhöhte Expression in Männchen, was eventuell in Verbindung mit dem höheren Anteil von dimethyl-verzweigten Kohlenwasserstoffen in Männchen steht. Ich fand keine Hinweise für positive Selektion in den Kandidatengenen, was vermuten lässt, dass die Unterschiede in CHC Profilen durch transkriptionelle Unterschiede entstehen. In Kapitel 4 erforschte ich mit Hilfe eines Bioassays, wie sich verschiedene CHC Signale auf das Balzverhalten von Männchen auswirkten. Zusammenfassend zeigt diese Arbeit, dass der Genfluss zwischen C. biguttulus und C. mollis durch verschiedene Barrieren unterbrochen ist und dass diese Feldheuschrecken multimodale Kanäle im Paarungsverhalten verwenden. Zusätzlich lassen meine Ergebnisse eine zentrale Rolle von kutikulären Kohlenwasserstoffen in der reproduktiven Isolation beider Arten und in der Artbildung vermuten. / In this thesis, I first conducted several experiments to identify and quantify reproductive isolation at multiple stages in the life history of the closely related species Chorthippus biguttulus and C. mollis (chapter 2). My results indicated a crucial role of chemical cues in the maintenance of species isolation. I combined multiple approaches to examine the ultimate and proximate causes of chemical cues on reproductive behavior in these species. In chapter 3, I demonstrated that the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of C. biguttulus and C. mollis provide species- and sex-specific cues. I used a RNA-seq approach to examine transcriptional differences of candidate genes, which might cause the divergence in CHC profiles between species and sex. One candidate gene showed species-specific transcriptional differences and may contribute to reproductive isolation. In addition, four candidate genes were differentially expressed between the sexes. Two of them exhibited a strong male-biased expression, which may be linked to higher proportions of dimethyl-branched CHCs in males. I found no evidence for positive selection acting on these genes, suggesting that differences in CHC profiles are presumably mediated at transcriptional level. In chapter 4, I developed a bioassay to determine if female CHCs act as chemical cues that induce courtship behavior in males. In summary, this thesis demonstrated that various reproductive isolating mechanisms reduce the gene flow between C. biguttulus and C. mollis and that in these species the courtship display consists of multimodal signals. In addition, my results suggest a key role of chemical cues in reproductive isolation and speciation.

Marine coastal habitats are facing substantial desalination due to anthropogenic climate change. One way to predict putative consequences of this desalination on marine ecosystems and biodiversity is to investigate how marine organisms adapted to naturally occurring low saline environments in the past. As Baltic Mytilus mussels were able to colonise and dominate the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea with much lower salinity than any other Mytilus population globally, they are a valuable study organism for predictions of desalination. Surprisingly, Baltic Mytilus spp. are hybrids of M. edulis x M. trossulus genotypes with the former dominating hybrid genotypes in the Western (high salinity) and the latter in the Eastern Baltic Sea (low salinity). This population structure is contrasting to any other Mytilus population globally, which allows to investigate whether hybridisation can facilitate adaptations to low saline environments. Additionally, comparative studies between Baltic M.edulis x M.trossulus hybrids and M.edulis and M. trossulus parental species enable to explore which mechanisms lead to the rise and fall of reproductive barriers between diverged species. The Thesis presented here utilised Baltic Mytilus populations to i) prepare lab protocols for future investigations of reproductive barriers, ii) to explore their adaptive potential to different salinities, and iii) to examine which parts of their transcriptome are affected by hybridisation. In North American M.edulis x M.trossulus hybrid zones, both parental species live at similar marine conditions. As a result of preceding studies in these M. edulis x M. trossulus hybrid zones, there are established lab fertilisation protocols to estimate the strengths of interspecific reproductive barriers. However, Western Baltic M.edulis and Eastern Baltic M.trossulus inhabit different salinity conditions and need to be acclimated to the same salinity prior to fertilisations. Therefore, established lab protocols for marine North American hybrid zones were optimised for Baltic Mytilus spp. Western Baltic M. edulis and Eastern Baltic M. trossulus were successfully acclimated to the same salinity using two strategies. First, Eastern Baltic M. trossulus were acclimated to the habitat salinity of Western Baltic M. edulis and second, mussels from both populations were acclimated to a salinity inter- mediate to both populations. It was shown that acclimated mussels can spawn and produce viable offspring. Additionally, it was shown that mussels from the transition zone between Western Baltic M. edulis and Eastern Baltic M.trossulus can be utilised to investigate reproductive barriers be- tween both Baltic Mytilus spp. Within a joint scientific consortium, larvae from the transition zone between Western Baltic M.edulis and Eastern Baltic M.trossulus were confronted with different salinity and temperature treatments from their embryonal to their settlement developmental stage. After increased larval mortality was observed in low salinity treatments, this Thesis investigated whether ob- served mortality was within the limits of neutral genetic drift or the result of natural selection. The genetic analyses of larval survivors detected an allele frequency shift towards M.trossulus genotypes that significantly differed from neutral expectations, demonstrating observed mortality in larval experiments was not random but selective. Utilising transcriptomic data of allopatric M.edulis and M.trossulus reference populations, the extent of gene flow between Western Baltic M. edulis and Eastern Baltic M. trossulus was estimated for the first time on an transcriptome wide scale. Applying a newly developed method, the species affiliation of over , loci functionally representative for the whole transcriptome were identified in mussels from both Baltic Mytilus populations. Analyses supported the previously found population structure with M. edulis alleles predominating in Western Baltic mussels and M. trossulus alleles pre- dominating in Eastern Baltic mussels. Furthermore, the large number of covered loci allowed to estimate the extent of hybridisation on a transcriptome wide scale for the first time. It was found that hybridisation affected each analysed specimen and tissue type. Additionally, by describing gene (product) functions electronically via GO terms and with experimentally validated candidate genes, it was shown that hybridisation affected genes associated to a broad range of biological functions.

The elucidation of the composition and organization of genomes of higher plants is a fundamental problem of modern molecular biology. The genus Beta containing 14 species assigned to the sections Beta, Corollinae, Nanae and Procumbentes provides a suitable system for the comparative study of the nuclear genomes. Sugar beet Beta vulgaris has a genome size of 758 Mbp DNA with estimated 63 % repetitive sequences and the number of chromosomes n=9. The wild beet Beta procumbens is an important natural pool of resistance against pests and tolerance to unfavorable growth conditions. The subject of this research was the isolation and description of new repetitive DNA families from genomes of this Beta species. This work presents the molecular investigation and cytogenetic characterization by high-resolution multicolor fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of the satellite and dispersed repetitive sequences in wild and cultivated beet species and in their hybrids. New repetitive sequences were isolated from the B. procumbens genome. The AluI restriction satellite repeats pAp11 are 229-246 bp long and form subfamilies. The satellite is amplified in the section Procumbentes, but also found in distantly related section Beta. Thus, pAp11 is probably an ancient component of Beta genomes. It could be the ancestor of the satellite subfamily pEV4 in B. vulgaris based on sequence analysis, Southern hybridization and comparative FISH. pAp11 was found at centromeric and a few intercalary sites in B. procumbens and formed intercalary blocks on B. vulgaris chromosomes where it co-localized with pEV4. These remarkable differences in the chromosomal position of pAp11 between Procumbentes and Beta species indicate that both satellites were likely involved in the expansion or rearrangement of the intercalary heterochromatin of B. vulgaris. Other two sequence families characterized on molecular, genomic and chromosomal levels are the non-homologous repeats pAp4 and pAp22, 1354 and 582 bp long. They have a dispersed organization in the genome and are widely scattered along B. procumbens chromosomes. pAp4 and pAp22 are specific for the section Procumbentes and can be used as DNA probes to discriminate parental genomes in interspecific hybrids. High-resolution FISH on meiotic chromosomes showed that the both sequences mostly co-localize. The PCR analysis of their flanking regions revealed that pAp22 is a part of a Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) of an Athila-like env-class retrotransposon. This is the first indication that the retrovirus-like DNA elements exist in Beta. An ancient family of subtelomeric satellite DNA pAv34 was isolated from all four sections of the genus Beta and from spinach, a related Chenopodiaceae. Five clones were analyzed from each of the five species. The genomic organization and species distribution of the satellites were studied by sequencing and Southern hybridization. The repeating units in all families are 344-362 bp long and share 46.2-98.8 % similarity. Each monomer consists of two subunits SU1 and SU2 of 165-184 bp. The maximum likelihood and neighbor joining analyses of the 25 subtelomeric satellite monomers and their subunits indicated, that the duplication leading to the emergence of the 360 bp satellite should have occurred early in the phylogeny. The two directions of diversification are the clustering of satellites in two groups of subunits SU1 and SU2 and the arrangement of satellite repeats in section-specific groups. The comparative chromosomal localization of the telomeric repeat, pAv34 and rDNA was investigated by multicolor FISH. B. vulgaris chromosome termini showed unique physical organization of telomeric repeat and the subtelomeric satellite, as studied by high-resolution FISH on extended DNA fibers. The estimated length of the telomeric array was 0.55 - 62.65 kb, the length of pAv34 was 5.0-125.25 kb, the spacer between these sequences spanned 1.0-16.60 kb. Eight various classes of repeats were used to characterize the minichromosomes of the sugar beet fragment addition lines PRO1 and PAT2 by comparative multi-color FISH. The study allowed to propose a schematic pattern of repetitive DNA organization on the PRO1 and PAT2 minichromosomes. PRO1 has an acrocentric minichromosome, while PAT2 possesses a metacentric or submetacentric chromosome fragment. The functional integrity of the fragment addition line centromeres was confirmed by an immunostaining localization of the proteins specific to the active kinetochore. The serine 10-phosphorylated histone H3 was detected in pericentromeric regions of the PRO1 chromosomes. The microtubuli attachment sites were visualized as parts of kinetochore complexes.

Lab-on-a-Chip-Systeme sind mikrofluidische, portable Systeme mit denen bioanalytische Reaktionen und Auswertungen an kleinen Probenvolumina vor Ort durchführbar sind. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine Entwurfsstrategie für das integrierte, resistive Heizen in einem solchen System auf Basis einer polymerbasierten, modularen Technologieplattform entwickelt. Dabei wird eine Modellierung als Feldmodell, die Ableitung eines reduzierten Makromodells sowie die experimentelle Untersuchung und Verifikation beschrieben. Verschiedene Ansätze für die Abbildung temperaturunabhängiger und -abhängiger elektrisch-thermischer Wandler sind berücksichtigt. Der Einflüsse von Aufbau, Widerstandsverhalten, Randbedingungen, sowie der elektrischen Ansteuerung auf die Temperatur der Biosensorfläche, in der die bioanalytische Reaktion erfolgt, werden dargelegt. / Lab on a chip systems are portable microfluidic systems which enable bioanalytical reactions and the appropriate analysis at the point of need using small sample volumes. In this publication a design strategy for integrated resistive heating in such a polymer based system is developed. The modelling comprises a field model, a derived reduced macro model and the experimental characterisation. Approaches to describe temperature dependent as well as independent electric-thermal converters are taken into account. The effects of the assembly, resistive behaviour, boundary conditions as well as the drive electronics on the temperature of the biosensor are presented.

The elucidation of the composition and organization of genomes of higher plants is a fundamental problem of modern molecular biology. The genus Beta containing 14 species assigned to the sections Beta, Corollinae, Nanae and Procumbentes provides a suitable system for the comparative study of the nuclear genomes. Sugar beet Beta vulgaris has a genome size of 758 Mbp DNA with estimated 63 % repetitive sequences and the number of chromosomes n=9. The wild beet Beta procumbens is an important natural pool of resistance against pests and tolerance to unfavorable growth conditions. The subject of this research was the isolation and description of new repetitive DNA families from genomes of this Beta species. This work presents the molecular investigation and cytogenetic characterization by high-resolution multicolor fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of the satellite and dispersed repetitive sequences in wild and cultivated beet species and in their hybrids. New repetitive sequences were isolated from the B. procumbens genome. The AluI restriction satellite repeats pAp11 are 229-246 bp long and form subfamilies. The satellite is amplified in the section Procumbentes, but also found in distantly related section Beta. Thus, pAp11 is probably an ancient component of Beta genomes. It could be the ancestor of the satellite subfamily pEV4 in B. vulgaris based on sequence analysis, Southern hybridization and comparative FISH. pAp11 was found at centromeric and a few intercalary sites in B. procumbens and formed intercalary blocks on B. vulgaris chromosomes where it co-localized with pEV4. These remarkable differences in the chromosomal position of pAp11 between Procumbentes and Beta species indicate that both satellites were likely involved in the expansion or rearrangement of the intercalary heterochromatin of B. vulgaris. Other two sequence families characterized on molecular, genomic and chromosomal levels are the non-homologous repeats pAp4 and pAp22, 1354 and 582 bp long. They have a dispersed organization in the genome and are widely scattered along B. procumbens chromosomes. pAp4 and pAp22 are specific for the section Procumbentes and can be used as DNA probes to discriminate parental genomes in interspecific hybrids. High-resolution FISH on meiotic chromosomes showed that the both sequences mostly co-localize. The PCR analysis of their flanking regions revealed that pAp22 is a part of a Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) of an Athila-like env-class retrotransposon. This is the first indication that the retrovirus-like DNA elements exist in Beta. An ancient family of subtelomeric satellite DNA pAv34 was isolated from all four sections of the genus Beta and from spinach, a related Chenopodiaceae. Five clones were analyzed from each of the five species. The genomic organization and species distribution of the satellites were studied by sequencing and Southern hybridization. The repeating units in all families are 344-362 bp long and share 46.2-98.8 % similarity. Each monomer consists of two subunits SU1 and SU2 of 165-184 bp. The maximum likelihood and neighbor joining analyses of the 25 subtelomeric satellite monomers and their subunits indicated, that the duplication leading to the emergence of the 360 bp satellite should have occurred early in the phylogeny. The two directions of diversification are the clustering of satellites in two groups of subunits SU1 and SU2 and the arrangement of satellite repeats in section-specific groups. The comparative chromosomal localization of the telomeric repeat, pAv34 and rDNA was investigated by multicolor FISH. B. vulgaris chromosome termini showed unique physical organization of telomeric repeat and the subtelomeric satellite, as studied by high-resolution FISH on extended DNA fibers. The estimated length of the telomeric array was 0.55 - 62.65 kb, the length of pAv34 was 5.0-125.25 kb, the spacer between these sequences spanned 1.0-16.60 kb. Eight various classes of repeats were used to characterize the minichromosomes of the sugar beet fragment addition lines PRO1 and PAT2 by comparative multi-color FISH. The study allowed to propose a schematic pattern of repetitive DNA organization on the PRO1 and PAT2 minichromosomes. PRO1 has an acrocentric minichromosome, while PAT2 possesses a metacentric or submetacentric chromosome fragment. The functional integrity of the fragment addition line centromeres was confirmed by an immunostaining localization of the proteins specific to the active kinetochore. The serine 10-phosphorylated histone H3 was detected in pericentromeric regions of the PRO1 chromosomes. The microtubuli attachment sites were visualized as parts of kinetochore complexes.

Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurden Strategien zur Analyse von Transkripten erarbeitet. Die ersten Versuche zielten darauf ab, in mit Glaskapillaren genommenen Einzelzellproben verschiedener Gewebeschichten RT-PCR durchzuführen, um spezifische Transkripte nachweisen zu können. Dies gelang für eine Reihe von Genen aus verschiedenen Pflanzenspezies. Dabei konnten sowohl Transkripte stark wie auch schwach exprimierter Gene nachgewiesen werden. <br /> Für die Erstellung von Gewebe-spezifischen Expressionsprofilen war es notwendig, die in vereinigten Zellproben enthaltene mRNA zunächst zu amplifizieren, um eine ausreichende Menge für Arrayhybridisierungen zu erhalten. Vor der Vermehrung wurde die mRNA revers transkribiert. Es wurden daran anschließend verschiedene Amplifikationsstrategien getestet: Die neben Tailing, Adapterligation und anderen PCR-basierenden Protokollen getestete Arbitrary-PCR hat sich in dieser Arbeit als einfache und einzige Methode herausgestellt, die mit so geringen cDNA-Mengen reproduzierbar arbeitet. Durch Gewebe-spezifische Array-hybridisierungen mit der so amplifizierten RNA konnten schon bekannte Expressionsmuster verschiedener Gene, vornehmlich solcher, die an der Photosynthese beteiligt sind, beobachtet werden. Es wurden aber auch eine ganze Reihe neuer offensichtlich Gewebe-spezifisch exprimierter Gene gefunden. Exemplarisch für die differentiell exprimierten Gene konnte das durch Arrayhybridisierungen gefundene Expressionsmuster der kleinen Untereinheit von Rubisco verifiziert werden. Hierzu wurden Methoden zum Gewebe-spezifischen Northernblot sowie semiquantitativer und Echtzeit-Einzelzell-RT-PCR entwickelt.<br /> Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wurden Methoden zur Analyse von Metaboliten einschließlich anorganischer Ionen verwendet. Es stellte sich heraus, daß die multiparallele Methode der Gaschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie keine geeignete Methode für die Analyse selbst vieler vereinigter Zellinhalte ist. Daher wurde auf Kapillarelektrophorese zurückgegriffen. Eine Methode, die mit sehr kleinen Probenvolumina auskommt, eine hohe Trennung erzielt und zudem extrem geringe Detektionslimits besitzt. Die Analyse von Kohlenhydraten und Anionen erfordert eine weitere Optimierung. Über UV-Detektion konnte die K+-Konzentration in verschiedenen Geweben von A. thaliana bestimmt werden. Sie lag in Epidermis und Mesophyll mit ca. 25 mM unterhalb der für andere Pflanzenspezies (Solanum tuberosum und Hordeum vulgare) publizierten Konzentration. Weiter konnte gezeigt werden, daß zwölf freie Aminosäuren mittels einer auf Kapillarelektrophorese basierenden Methode in vereinigten Zellproben von Cucurbita maxima identifiziert werden konnten. Die Übertragung der Methode auf A. thaliana-Proben muß jedoch weiter optimiert werden, da die Sensitivität selbst bei Laser induzierter Fluoreszenz-Detektion nicht ausreichte.<br /> Im dritten und letzten Teil der Arbeit wurde eine Methode entwickelt, die die Analyse bekannter wie unbekannter Proteine in Gewebe-spezifischen Proben ermöglicht. Hierzu wurde zur Probennahme mittels mechanischer Mikrodissektion eine alternative Methode zur Laser Capture Microdissection verwendet, um aus eingebetteten Gewebeschnitten distinkte Bereiche herauszuschneiden und somit homogenes Gewebe anzureichern. Aus diesem konnten die Proteine extrahiert und über Polyacrylamidgelelektrophorese separariert werden. Banden konnten ausgeschnitten, tryptisch verdaut und massenspektrometrisch die Primärsequenz der Peptidfragmente bestimmt werden. So konnten als Hauptproteine im Mesophyll die große Untereinheit von Rubisco sowie ein Chlorophyll bindendes Protein gefunden werden.<br /> Die in dieser Arbeit entwickelten und auf die Modellpflanze Arabidopsis thaliana angewandten Einzelzellanalysetechniken erlauben es in Zukunft, physiologische Prozesse besser sowohl räumlich als auch zeitlich aufzulösen. Dies wird zu einem detaillierteren Verständnis mannigfaltiger Vorgänge wie Zell-Zell-Kommunikation, Signalweiterleitung oder Pflanzen-Pathogen-Interaktionen führen. / The subject of this thesis was the analysis of single plant cells in respect to their contents of i) transcripts, ii) inorganic cations and anions, iii) metabolites like amino acids and carbohydrates as well as iv) proteins. One task was the transfer of existing methods to single cell analysis on leaf tissues of the model plant Arabisopsis thaliana L., the second one was the refinement and the development, respectively, of new protocols for the analysis of such picoliter samples. For cell type specific sampling two different complimentary methods were applied: Using micro glass capillaries specific single cell contents could be harvested from intact plants, whereas typical sample volumes were in the picoliter range. Even the sampling of inner cell types such as companion cells could be demonstrated. Using mechanical micro dissection of embedded tissue a larger amount of homogenous tissue could be collected.<br /> Because single cell samples contain only femtogram amounts of mRNA, direct detection of transcripts is impossible. Therefore, two amplification protocols were applied to the cell samples: The first procedure makes use of specifically primed RT-PCR for amplification. Several genes derived from different plants and tissues could be detected after successful RT-PCR, including high as well as low expressed genes. The second method was developed to monitor the activity of many genes in parallel using array hybridisation with filters containing the cDNA of as many as 16.000 ESTs. For this purpose, unspecific RT-PCR as it is applied in the differential display was used to amplify different transcripts in just one reaction. However, in these tissue specific array hybridisations the expression patterns of several hundreds genes could be monitored. These included known tissue specific expression patterns (of mainly photosynthesis related genes) as well as a couple of unknown expression patterns. To verify the tissue specificity of gene activity some results were reconsidered using tissue specific northern blot hybridisations and real time RT-PCR, respectively. <br /> Secondly, metabolites (including inorganic ions) were investigated: Because gas chromatography-mass spectrometry does not reveal the sensitivity which in necessary for the analysis of even multiple pooled single cell samples capillary electrophoresis was applied for these studies. This method has a high potential as it needs only small amounts of starting material, has uncomparable low detection limits and exhibits a high number of theoretical plates.<br /> The analysis of inorganic anions and carbohydrates needs further optimisations. Using UV absorption-detection potassium could be detected in different cell types whereas the concentrations in mesophyll and epidermis were found around 25 mM each. These concentrations are lower than in other species as Solanum tuberosum or Hordeum vulgare. For investigations of amino acids the cell samples were derivatized to make the use of laser induced fluorescence-detection capable. In samples derived from pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) mesophyll twelve amino acids could be detected and identified. The transfer of this method to A. thaliana derived samples exhibited no results which may be due to the low concentration of free amino acids in these plants.<br /> Finally, a method was developed with which the existence of known and unknown proteins in tissue specific samples could be monitored. For this, mechanical micro dissection was used to: After embedding and sectioning the tissue of interest was cut out by an vibrating steel chisel to get homogenous samples. The proteins contained in these tissue pieces were extracted and separated by one dimensional SDS polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis. Several protein bands could be detected after staining with either silver or coomassie blue stain. These bands were cut out and sequenced by mass spectrometry. The large subunit of rubisco as well as one chlorophyll binding protein could be identified as the major proteins within the mesophyll.<br /> The single cell analysis methods which were developed and applied to the model plant A. thaliana in this thesis allow a better spatial as well as temporal resolution of analysis. This will lead to a more detailed understanding of physiological processes like cell to cell communication, signalling or plant-pathogen interactions.

Thin amorphous films of binary aluminum-chromium alloys have been produced by flash evaporation and characterized by means of electron diffraction and measurements of transport properties. Beside the known effect of hybridization on the phase stability an additional structure forming mechanism could be identified in the aluminum-chromium alloys and other amorphous binary aluminum-transition-metal alloys as well. A systematical influence of the transition-metal-d-electrons on the plasma resonance energies was found. / Es wurden amorphe Schichten von binären Aluminium-Chrom-Legierungen mit Hilfe abschreckender Kondensation aus der Gasphase hergestellt und einer elektronischen und strukturellen Charakterisierung unterzogen. Neben dem bereits bekannten Einfluss von Hybridisierungsmechanismen auf die Strukturbildung und Stabilität der amorphen Aluminium-Übergangsmetall-Legierungen, konnte ein weiterer Ordnungsmechanismus bei hohen Chrom-Anteilen gefunden werden. Im Vergleich mit anderen, bereits früher untersuchten, binären amorphen Aluminium-Übergangsmetall-Lergierungen, konnte gezeigt werden, dass dieses Verhalten auch dort auftritt. Desweiteren konnte eine Systematik im Einfluss der Übergangsmetall-d-Elektronen auf die Plasmaresonanz der Aluminium-Übergangsmetall-Legierungen gefunden werden.