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Hansen, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Hansen, J..

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Bacterial assembly in the switchgrass rhizosphere is shaped by phylogeny, host genotype, and growing site.

O_LISince microbial traits are conserved at different taxonomic levels, plant hosts may influence microbiome composition differently at different levels to broadly promote or resist microbiota with traits that impact host fitness. We tested this hypothesis by assessing signals of host genetic influence on bacterial composition in the switchgrass rhizosphere using 128 genotypes in dissimilar growing sites. C_LIO_LIWe employed three common gardens, combined with host genetic mapping, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, hierarchical modeling, tests of phylogenetic conservation of host influence, and genome-wide association analyses to determine the contributions of host genetics in shaping rhizosphere bacterial composition at different taxonomic levels. C_LIO_LIModeling bacterial assembly showed that growing site was a strong factor shaping bacterial composition in the rhizosphere, though host genetic influence played a significant role. The heritability of bacterial abundance was strongest at the genus level. Phylogenetic signal for heritability was detected within the bacterial phylogeny but conserved clades differed between common gardens. We identified shared host genetic variants associated with bacterial abundance and host traits related to plant metabolism. C_LIO_LIOur results suggest further investigation is required regarding the genotype-by-environment-by-microbiome relationship to elucidate the factors shaping rhizosphere microbiome composition and the agroecological dynamics shaping plant phenotype. C_LI

plant biology↗

ZBTB48 is a pioneer factor regulating B-cell-specific CIITA expression

CIITA is the master regulator of MHC II gene expression and hence the adaptive immune response. CIITA expression itself is tightly regulated by three cell type-specific promoters, pI, pIII, and by pIV, and can also be induced by IFN{gamma} in non-immune cells. While key regulatory elements have been identified within these promoters, knowledge of transcription factors regulating CIITA is incomplete. Here, we demonstrate that the telomere-binding protein and transcriptional activator ZBTB48 directly binds to both the critical activating elements within CIITA pIII and is essential for its gene expression. ZBTB48 establishes open chromatin at CIITA pIII upstream of activating H3K4me3 modifications both priming CIITA transcription for IFN{gamma}-induction and ensuring constitutive expression in primary murine B cells. Hence, ZBTB48 acts as a molecular on-off-switch for B-cell-specific CIITA expression.

immunology↗

Spinal Cord Injury regulates circular RNA expression in axons

IntroductionNeurons transport mRNA and translational machinery to axons for local translation. After spinal cord injury (SCI), de novo translation is assumed to enable neurorepair. Knowledge of the identity of axonal mRNAs that participate in neurorepair after SCI is limited. We sought to identify and understand how axonal RNAs play a role in axonal regeneration. MethodsWe obtained preparations enriched in axonal mRNAs from control and SCI rats by digesting spinal cord tissue with cold-active protease (CAP). The digested samples were then centrifuged to obtain a supernatant that were then sequenced. We used bioinformatics analyses to identify DEGS and map them to various biological processes. We validated the DEGs by RT-qPCR and RNA-scope. ResultsThe supernatant fraction was highly enriched for axonal mRNA. Using Gene Ontology, the second most significant pathway for all differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was axonogenesis. Among the DEGs was Rims2, which is predominately a circular RNA (circRNA) in the CNS. We show that Rims2 RNA within spinal cord axons is circular. We found an additional 200 putative circRNAs in the axonal-enriched fraction. Knockdown in primary rat cortical neurons of the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1, which inhibits formation of circRNAs, significantly increased axonal outgrowth. Focusing on Rims2 we used Circular RNA Interactome to predict that several of the miRNAs that bind to circRims2 also bind to the 3UTR of GAP-43, PTEN or CREB1, all known regulators of axonal outgrowth. Axonally-translated GAP-43 supports axonal elongation and we detect GAP-43 mRNA in the rat axons by RNAscope. DiscussionBy using our method for enrichment of axonal RNA, we detect SCI induced DEGs, including circRNA such as Rims2. Ablation of ADAR1, the enzyme that regulates circRNA formation, promotes axonal outgrowth of cortical neurons. We developed a pathway model using Circular RNA Interactome that indicates that Rims2 through miRNAs can regulate the axonal translation GAP-43 a known regulator of axonal regeneration indicating that axonal mRNA contribute to regeneration.

neuroscience↗

Boldine modulates glial transcription and functional recovery in a murine model of contusion spinal cord injury

Membrane channels such as connexins (Cx), pannexins (Panx) and P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) are permeable to calcium ions and other small molecules such as ATP and glutamate. Release of ATP and glutamate through these channels is a key mechanism driving tissue response to traumas such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Boldine, an alkaloid isolated from the Chilean boldo tree, blocks both Cx hemichannels (HC) and Panx. To test if boldine could improve function after SCI, boldine or vehicle was administered to treat mice with a moderate severity contusion-induced SCI. Boldine led to greater spared white matter and increased locomotor function as determined by the Basso Mouse Scale and horizontal ladder rung walk tests. Boldine treatment reduced immunostaining for markers of activated microglia (Iba1) and astrocytic (GFAP) markers while increasing that for axon growth and neuroplasticity (GAP-43). Cell culture studies demonstrated that boldine blocked glial HC, specifically Cx26 and Cx30, in cultured astrocytes and blocked calcium entry through activated P2X7R. RT-qPCR studies showed that boldine treatment reduced expression of the chemokine Ccl2, cytokine IL-6 and microglial gene CD68, while increasing expression of the neurotransmission genes Snap25 and Grin2b, and Gap-43. Bulk RNA sequencing (of the spinal cord revealed that boldine modulated a large number of genes involved in neurotransmission in in spinal cord tissue just below the lesion epicenter at 14 days after SCI. Numbers of genes regulated by boldine was much lower at 28 days after injury. These results indicate that boldine treatment ameliorates injury and spares tissue to increase locomotor function.

neuroscience↗

Conserved whole-brain spatiomolecular gradients shape adult brain functional organization

Cortical arealization arises during neurodevelopment from the confluence of molecular gradients representing patterned expression of morphogens and transcription factors. However, how these gradients relate to adult brain function, and whether they are maintained in the adult brain, remains unknown. Here we uncover three axes of topographic variation in gene expression in the adult human brain that specifically capture previously identified rostral-caudal, dorsal-ventral and medial-lateral axes of early developmental patterning. The interaction of these spatiomolecular gradients i) accurately predicts the location of unseen brain tissue samples, ii) delineates known functional territories, and iii) explains the topographical variation of diverse cortical features. The spatiomolecular gradients are distinct from canonical cortical functional hierarchies differentiating primary sensory cortex from association cortex, but radiate in parallel with the axes traversed by local field potentials along the cortex. We replicate all three molecular gradients in three independent human datasets as well as two non-human primate datasets, and find that each gradient shows a distinct developmental trajectory across the lifespan. The gradients are composed of several well known morphogens (e.g., PAX6 and SIX3), and a small set of genes shared across gradients are strongly enriched for multiple diseases. Together, these results provide insight into the developmental sculpting of functionally distinct brain regions, governed by three robust transcriptomic axes embedded within brain parenchyma.

neuroscience↗

Fibronectin-integrin α5 signaling promotes thoracic aortic aneurysm in a mouse model of Marfan syndrome

BackgroundMarfan syndrome, caused by mutations in the gene for the extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein fibrillin-1, leads to thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs). Phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and ECM remodeling are characteristics of both non-syndromic and Marfan aneurysms. The ECM protein fibronectin (FN) is elevated in the tunica media of TAAs and amplifies inflammatory signaling in endothelial and SMCs through its main receptor, integrin 5{beta}1. We investigated the role of integrin 5-specific signals in Marfan mice in which the cytoplasmic domain of integrin 5 was replaced with that of integrin 2 (denoted 5/2 chimera). MethodsWe used 5/2 chimera mouse crossed with Fbn1mgR/mgR genetic background (mgR, a mouse model of Marfan syndrome) to compare the survival rate and pathogenesis of TAAs among wild type, 5/2, mgR and 5/2; mgR mice. Further biochemical and microscopic analysis of porcine and mouse aortic SMCs allowed us to identify the molecular mechanisms by which FN affects SMCs and subsequent development of TAAs. ResultsFN was elevated in the thoracic aortas from Marfan patients, in non-syndromic aneurysms and in the mgR mouse model of Marfan syndrome. The 5/2 mutation greatly prolonged survival of Marfan mice, with improved elastic fiber integrity, mechanical properties, SMC density, and SMC contractile gene expression. Furthermore, in vitro, plating of wild-type, but not 5/2, SMCs on FN decreased contractile gene expression and activated inflammatory pathways. These effects correlated with increased NF-kB activation and immune cell infiltration in the mgR aortas, which was rescued in the 5/2 mgR aortas. ConclusionsFN-integrin 5 signaling is a significant driver of TAA in the mgR mouse model. This pathway warrants further investigation as a therapeutic target.

pathology↗

VALPROIC ACID AFFECTS NEURONAL SPECIFICATION AND DIFFERENTIATION DURING EARLY OPTIC TECTUM DEVELOPMENT OF ZEBRAFISH

The mammalian superior colliculus and its non-mammalian homolog, the optic tectum (OT), are midbrain structures that integrate multimodal sensory inputs and guide non-voluntary movements in response to prevalent stimuli. Recent studies have implicated this structure as a possible site affected in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Interestingly, fetal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been associated with an increased risk of ASD in humans and animal models. Therefore, we took the approach of determining the effects of VPA treatment on zebrafish OT development as a first step in identifying the mechanisms that allow its formation. We describe the normal OT development during the first 5 days of development and show that in VPA treated embryos, while proliferation of the OT neuroepithelium continued, neuronal specification stalled. This was followed by impairment of neurite extension and complexity, suggesting that in addition to neurogenesis, VPA treatment affects axonogenesis and dendritogenesis. VPA treatment was most detrimental during the first three days of development and did not appear to be linked to oxidative stress. In conclusion, our work provides a foundation for research into mechanisms driving OT development, as well as the relationship between the OT, VPA, and ASD.

developmental biology↗

Lipobiotin-capture magnetic bead assay for isolation, enrichment and detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from saliva

BackgroundPulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) is diagnosed through sputum samples. As sputum sampling is challenging in children and cachexic patients, the development of diagnostic tests using saliva appears promising but has been discouraged due to low bacterial load and the poor sensitivity. We present a novel and rapid method to enrich Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from saliva, which may serve as a basis for a diagnostic saliva test. MethodsLipobiotin-functionalized magnetic beads (LMBs) were incubated with Mtb-spiked PBS and saliva from healthy donors as well as with saliva from TB patients. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the capacity of the beads to bind Mtb, while real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was utilized to detect Mtb and estimate the amount of mycobacterial DNA in different sample types. ResultsWe found that LMBs bind Mtb efficiently when compared to non-functionalized beads. The development of an qPCR assay based on the use of LMBs (LMB assay) allowed us to enrich mycobacterial DNA in spiked sample types, including PBS and saliva from healthy donors (enrichment of up to 8.7 fold). In Mtb-spiked saliva samples, we found that the LMB assay improved the detection rate of 102 bacteria in a volume of 5 ml from 0 out of 15 (0%) to 6 out of 15 (40%). Consistent with that, the LMB assay increased the rate of correctly identified saliva samples from TB patients in two independent cohorts. ConclusionsImplementation of the principle of the LMB-based assay may improve the sensitivity of existing diagnostic techniques, e.g. by functionalizing materials that facilitate Mtb sampling from the oral cavity.

microbiology↗

Drug specific transcriptomic signatures in healthy human subject iPSC derived cardiomyocytes

Drug-induced gene expression profiles can identify potential mechanisms of toxicity. We focused on obtaining signatures for cardiotoxicity of FDA-approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Using bulk transcriptomics profiles, we applied singular value decomposition to identify drug-selective patterns in cell lines obtained from multiple healthy human subjects. Cellular pathways affected by highly cardiotoxic TKIs include energy metabolism, contractile, and extracellular matrix dynamics. Projecting these pathways to single cell expression profiles indicates that TKI responses can be evoked in both cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. Whole genome sequences of the cell lines, using outlier responses enabled us to correctly reidentify a genomic variant associated with anthracycline cardiotoxicity and predict genomic variants potentially associated with TKI cardiotoxicity. We conclude that mRNA expression profiles when integrated with publicly available genomic, pathway, and single cell transcriptomic datasets, provide multiscale predictive understanding of cardiotoxicity for drug development and patient stratification. One sentence summaryGenes, pathways, and cell types of the human heart associated with antineoplastic drug cardiotoxicity.

systems biology↗

Universal amyloidogenicity of patient-derivedimmunoglobulin light chains

The deposition of immunoglobulin light chains (IgLCs) in the form of amorphous aggregates or amyloid fibrils in different tissues of patients can lead to severe and potentially fatal organ damage, requiring transplantation in some cases. There has been great interest in recent years to elucidate the origin of the very different in vivo solubilities of IgLCs, as well as the molecular determinants that drive either the formation of ordered amyloid fibrils or disordered amorphous aggregates. It is commonly thought that the reason of this differential aggregation behaviour is to be found in the amino acid sequences of the respective IgLCs, i.e. that some sequences display higher intrinsic tendencies to form amyloid fibrils. Here we perform in depth Thermodynamic and Aggregation Fingerprinting (ThAgg-Fip) of 9 multiple myeloma patient-derived IgLCs, the amino acid sequences of all of which we have solved by de novo protein sequencing with mass spectrometry. The latter technique was also used for one IgLc from a patient with AL amyloidosis. We find that all samples also contain proteases that fragment the proteins under physiologically relevant mildly acidic pH conditions, leading to amyloid fibril formation in all cases. Our results suggest that while every pathogenic IgLC has a unique ThAgg fingerprint, all sequences have comparable amyloidogenic potential. Therefore, extrinsic factors, in particular presence of, and susceptibility to, proteolytic cleavage is likely to be a strong determinant of in vivo aggregation behaviour. The important conclusion, which is corroborated by systematic analysis of our sequences, as well as many sequences of IgLCs from amyloidosis patients reported in the literature, challenges the current paradigm of the link between sequence and amyloid fibril formation of pathogenic light chains.

biophysics↗

The human ApoE4 variant reduces functional recovery and neuronal sprouting after incomplete spinal cord injury in male mice

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating form of neurotrauma. Patients who carry one or two ApoE4 alleles show worse functional outcomes and longer hospital stays after SCI but the cellular and molecular underpinnings for this genetic link remain poorly understood. Thus, there is a great need to generate animal models to accurately replicate the genetic determinants of outcomes after SCI to spur development of treatments that improve physical function. Here, we examined outcomes after a moderate contusion SCI of transgenic mice expressing human ApoE3 or ApoE4. ApoE4 mice have worse locomotor function and coordination after SCI. Histological examination revealed greater glial staining in ApoE4 mice after SCI associated with reduced levels of neuronal sprouting markers. Bulk RNA sequencing revealed that subcellular processes (SCPs), such as extracellular matrix organization and inflammatory responses, were highly-ranked among upregulated genes at 7 days after SCI in ApoE4 variants. Conversely, SCPs related to neuronal action potential and neuron projection development were increased in ApoE3 mice at 21 days. In summary, our results reveal a clinically relevant SCI mouse model that recapitulates the influence of ApoE genotypes on post-SCI function in individuals who carry these alleles and suggest that the mechanisms underlying worse recovery for ApoE4 animals involve glial activation and loss of sprouting and synaptic activity.

neuroscience↗

A Library Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Clinically Well-Characterized, Diverse Healthy Human Individuals

A library of well-characterized human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines from clinically healthy human subjects could serve as a useful resource of normal controls for in vitro human development, disease modeling, genotype-phenotype association studies, and drug response evaluation. We report generation and extensive characterization of a gender-balanced, racially/ethnically diverse library of hiPSC lines from 40 clinically healthy human individuals who range in age from 22-61. The hiPSCs match the karyotype and short tandem repeat identity of their parental fibroblasts, and have a transcription profile characteristic of pluripotent stem cells. We provide whole genome sequencing data for one hiPSC clone from each individual, genomic ancestry determination, and analysis of Mendelian disease genes and risks. We document similar transcriptomic profiles, single-cell RNA-seq derived cell clusters and physiology of cardiomyocytes differentiated from multiple independent hiPSC lines. This extensive characterization makes this hiPSC library a valuable resource for many studies on human biology.

cell biology↗

Towards Building a Smart Kidney Atlas: Network-based integration of multimodal transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and imaging data in the Kidney Precision Medicine Project

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWKidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP) is building a spatially-specified human tissue atlas at the single-cell resolution with molecular details of the kidney in health and disease. Here, we describe the construction of an integrated reference tissue map of cells, pathways and genes using unaffected regions of nephrectomy tissues and undiseased human biopsies from 55 subjects. We use single-cell and -nucleus transcriptomics, subsegmental laser microdissection bulk transcriptomics and proteomics, near-single-cell proteomics, 3-D nondestructive and CODEX imaging, and spatial metabolomics data to hierarchically identify genes, pathways and cells. Integrated data from these different technologies coherently describe cell types/subtypes within different nephron segments and interstitium. These spatial profiles identify cell-level functional organization of the kidney tissue as indicative of their physiological functions and map different cell subtypes to genes, proteins, metabolites and pathways. Comparison of transcellular sodium reabsorption along the nephron to levels of mRNAs encoding the different sodium transporter genes indicate that mRNA levels are largely congruent with physiological activity.This reference atlas provides an initial framework for molecular classification of kidney disease when multiple molecular mechanisms underlie convergent clinical phenotypes.

bioinformatics↗

Protein structure-based gene expression signatures

Gene expression signatures (GES) connect phenotypes to mRNA expression patterns, providing a powerful approach to define cellular identity, function, and the effects of perturbations. However, the use of GES has suffered from vague assessment criteria and limited reproducibility. The structure of proteins defines the functional capability of genes, and hence, we hypothesized that enrichment of structural features could be a generalizable representation of gene sets. We derive structural gene expression signatures (sGES) using features from various levels of protein structure (e.g. domain, fold) encoded by the transcribed genes in GES, to describe cellular phenotypes. Comprehensive analyses of data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project (GTEx), ARCHS4, and mRNA expression of drug effects on cardiomyocytes show that structural GES (sGES) are useful for identifying robust signatures of biological phenomena. sGES also enables the characterization of signatures across experimental platforms, facilitates the interoperability of expression datasets, and can describe drug action on cells.

bioinformatics↗

The rise of the three-spined stickleback: eco-evolutionary consequences of a mesopredator release

Declines of large predatory fish due to overexploitation are restructuring food webs across the globe. It is now becoming evident that restoring these altered food webs requires addressing not only ecological processes, but evolutionary ones as well, because human-induced rapid evolution may in turn affect ecological dynamics. In the central Baltic Sea, abundances of the mesopredatory fish, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), have increased dramatically during the past decades. Time-series data covering 22 years show that this increase coincides with a decline in the number of juvenile perch (Perca fluviatilis), the most abundant predator of stickleback along the coast. We studied the interaction between evolutionary and ecological effects of this mesopredator take-over, by surveying the armour plate morphology of stickleback and the structure of the associated food web. First, we investigated the distribution of different stickleback phenotypes depending on predator abundances and benthic production; and described the stomach content of the stickleback phenotypes using metabarcoding. Second, we explored differences in the relation between different trophic levels and benthic production, between bays where the relative abundance of fish was dominated by stickleback or not; and compared this to previous cage-experiments to support causality of detected correlations. We found two distinct lateral armour plate phenotypes of stickleback, incompletely and completely plated. The proportion of incompletely plated individuals increased with increasing benthic production and decreasing abundances of adult perch. Stomach content analyses showed that the completely plated individuals had a stronger preference for invertebrate herbivores (amphipods) than the incompletely plated ones. In addition, predator dominance interacted with ecosystem production to determine food web structure and the propagation of a trophic cascade: with increasing production, biomass accumulated on the first (macroalgae) and third (stickleback) trophic levels in stickleback-dominated bays, but on the second trophic level (invertebrate herbivores) in perch-dominated bays. Since armour plates are defence structures favoured by natural selection in the presence of fish predators, the phenotype distribution suggest that a novel low-predation regime favours sticklebacks with less armour. Our results indicate that an interaction between evolutionary and ecological effects of the stickleback take-over has the potential to affect food web dynamics.

ecology↗

Condensed chromatin behaves like a solid on the mesoscale in vitro and in living cells

The association of nuclear DNA with histones to form chromatin is essential to the temporal and spatial control of eukaryotic genomes. In this study, we examined the physical state of chromatin in vitro and in vivo. Our in vitro studies demonstrate that MgCl2-dependent self-association of native chromatin fragments or reconstituted nucleosomal arrays produced supramolecular condensates whose constituents are physically constrained and solid-like. Liquid chromatin condensates could be generated in vitro, but only using non-physiological conditions. By measuring DNA mobility within heterochromatin and euchromatin in living cells, we show that chromatin also exhibits solid-like behavior in vivo. Representative heterochromatin proteins, however, displayed liquid-like behavior and coalesced around a solid chromatin scaffold. Remarkably, both euchromatin and heterochromatin showed solid-like behavior even when transmission electron microscopy revealed limited interactions between chromatin fibers. Our results therefore argue that chromatin is not liquid but exists in a solid-like material state whose properties are tuned by fiber-fiber interactions.

biochemistry↗

A tissue- and organ-based cell biological atlas of obesity-related human genes and cellular pathways

Over the last decades, several features of obesity have been identified at behavioral, physiological, endocrine and genomic levels, and they have revealed the complexity of the disease; obesity results from a combination of genetic predisposition, endocrine disorders, and dysregulation of both food intake and energy expenditure. This complexity makes the development of new therapeutic regimens challenging and bariatric surgery is still the treatment of choice for many obese patients. Given the need for noninvasive therapeutic intervention strategies, we sought to systematically study the biological manifestations of obesity in peripheral organs. We analyzed publicly available datasets of genes, genomic determinants, and levels of obesity-related hormones in the blood, using a combination of methodologies, including graph theory and dynamical modeling, that allow for the integration of different types of datasets. The analysis revealed tissue- and organ-specific metabolic impairments and potential new drug targets. All the data are organized into a tissue/organ-based subcellular-function atlas for human obesity. The data show that the complexity of the obesity arises due to the multiplicity of subcellular processes in different peripheral organs.

systems biology↗

Proteomic cellular signatures of kinase inhibitor-induced cardiotoxicity: Mount Sinai DToxS LINCS Center Dataset

The Drug Toxicity Signature Generation Center (DToxS) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is one of the centers of the NIH Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) program. A key aim of DToxS is to generate both proteomic and transcriptomic signatures that can predict adverse effects, especially cardiotoxicity, of kinase inhibitors approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Towards this goal, high throughput shot-gun proteomics experiments (317 cell line/drug combinations + 64 control lysates) have been conducted at the Center for Advanced Proteomics Research at Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School. Using computational network analyses, these proteomic data can be integrated with transcriptomic signatures generated in tandem to identify cellular signatures of cardiotoxicity that may predict kinase inhibitor-induced toxicity and possible mitigation. Both raw and processed proteomics data have been carefully screened for quality and made publicly available via the PRIDE database. As such, this broad protein kinase inhibitor-stimulated cardiomyocyte proteomic data and signature set is valuable for the prediction of drug toxicities. Links to: Metadata Tables O_TBL View this table: org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1cda9f8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1520e05org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16a35borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3ee6e7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a98664_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_TBL C_TBL

pharmacology and toxicology↗