| 1. |
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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 2. |
- Dengler, Juergen, et al.
(författare)
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GrassPlot - a database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands
- 2018
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Ingår i: Phytocoenologia. - : Schweizerbart. - 0340-269X. ; 48:3, s. 331-347
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board.
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| 3. |
- Almlöf, Jonas Carlsson, et al.
(författare)
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Whole-genome sequencing identifies complex contributions to genetic risk by variants in genes causing monogenic systemic lupus erythematosus
- 2019
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Ingår i: Human Genetics. - : SPRINGER. - 0340-6717 .- 1432-1203. ; 138:2, s. 141-150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. The mode of inheritance of the genetic risk beyond familial SLE cases is currently unknown. Additionally, the contribution of heterozygous variants in genes known to cause monogenic SLE is not fully understood. Whole-genome sequencing of DNA samples from 71 Swedish patients with SLE and their healthy biological parents was performed to investigate the general genetic risk of SLE using known SLE GWAS risk loci identified using the ImmunoChip, variants in genes associated to monogenic SLE, and the mode of inheritance of SLE risk alleles in these families. A random forest model for predicting genetic risk for SLE showed that the SLE risk variants were mainly inherited from one of the parents. In the 71 patients, we detected a significant enrichment of ultra-rare (0.1%) missense and nonsense mutations in 22 genes known to cause monogenic forms of SLE. We identified one previously reported homozygous nonsense mutation in the C1QC (Complement C1q C Chain) gene, which explains the immunodeficiency and severe SLE phenotype of that patient. We also identified seven ultra-rare, coding heterozygous variants in five genes (C1S, DNASE1L3, DNASE1, IFIH1, and RNASEH2A) involved in monogenic SLE. Our findings indicate a complex contribution to the overall genetic risk of SLE by rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE. The rare variants were inherited from the other parent than the one who passed on the more common risk variants leading to an increased genetic burden for SLE in the child. Higher frequency SLE risk variants are mostly passed from one of the parents to the offspring affected with SLE. In contrast, the other parent, in seven cases, contributed heterozygous rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE, suggesting a larger impact of rare variants in SLE than hitherto reported.
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Sara K., et al.
(författare)
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Chronic Allopregnanolone Treatment Accelerates Alzheimer's Disease Development in A beta PP(Swe)PSEN1(Delta E9) Mice
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 31:1, s. 71-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The endogenous neurosteroid allopregnanolone alters neuronal excitability via modulation of the GABA(A) receptor and causes decreased neurotransmission. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), neurotransmission seems to alter the levels of toxic intracellular amyloid-beta (A beta) oligomers, which are implicated in AD pathogenesis and cause cognitive decline. Inhibition of synaptic activity has been shown to increase levels of intracellular A beta. Allopregnanolone at endogenous stress levels inhibits synaptic activity and could have similar effects. By using a transgenic A beta PP(Swe)PSEN1(Delta E9) mouse model for AD, we observed that chronic allopregnanolone treatment for three months with stress levels of allopregnanolone impaired learning in the Morris water maze. The learning impairment was seen one month after the end of treatment. Chronic allopregnanolone treatment also led to increased levels of soluble A beta in the brain, which could be a sign of advanced pathogenesis. Since the learning and memory of wild-type mice was not affected by the treatment, we propose that chronic allopregnanolone treatment accelerates the pathogenesis of AD. However, further studies are required in order to determine the underlying mechanism.
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| 5. |
- Bengtsson, Sara K. S., 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Extra-synaptic GABAA receptor potentiation and neurosteroid-induced learning deficits are inhibited by GR3027, a GABAA modulating steroid antagonist
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biomolecules. - : MDPI. - 2218-273X. ; 13:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives In Vitro: To study the effects of GR3027 (golexanolone) on neurosteroid-induced GABA-mediated current responses under physiological GABAergic conditions with recombinant human α5β3γ2L and α1β2γ2L GABAA receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney cells, using the response patch clamp technique combined with the Dynaflow™ application system. With α5β3γ2L receptors, 0.01–3 μM GR3027, in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced the current response induced by 200 nM THDOC + 0.3 µM GABA, as well as the THDOC-induced direct gated effect. GR3027 (1 μM) alone had no effect on the GABA-mediated current response or current in the absence of GABA. With α1β2γ2L receptors, GR3027 alone had no effect on the GABA-mediated current response or did not affect the receptor by itself. Meanwhile, 1–3 µM GR3027 reduced the current response induced by 200 nM THDOC + 30 µM GABA and 3 µM GR3027 that induced by 200 nM THDOC when GABA was not present. Objectives In Vivo: GR3027 reduces allopregnanolone (AP)-induced decreased learning and anesthesia in male Wistar rats. Rats treated i.v. with AP (2.2 mg/kg) or vehicle were given GR3027 in ratios of 1:0.5 to 1:5 dissolved in 10% 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. A dose ratio of AP:GR3027 of at least 1:2.5 antagonized the AP-induced decreased learning in the Morris Water Mase (MWM) and 1:7.5 antagonized the loss of righting reflex (LoR). GR3027 treatment did not change other functions in the rat compared to the vehicle group. Conclusions: GR3027 functions in vitro as an inhibitor of GABAA receptors holding α5β3γ2L and α1β2γ2L, in vivo, in the rat, as a dose-dependent inhibitor toward AP’s negative effects on LoR and learning in the MWM.
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| 6. |
- Bengtsson, Sara K. S., et al.
(författare)
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Isoallopregnanolone antagonize allopregnanolone-induced effects on saccadic eye velocity and self-reported sedation in humans
- 2015
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Ingår i: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4530 .- 1873-3360. ; 52, s. 22-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allopregnanolone (AP) is an endogenous neurosteroid. It modulates the effect of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) on the GABA type A (GABA(A)) receptor, which leads to increased receptor activity. Since the GABA-system is mainly inhibitory, increased AP activity leads to modulation of neuronal activity. In vitro studies of GABA(A) receptor activity and in vivo animal studies of sedation have shown that AP-induced effects can be inhibited by another endogenous steroid, namely isoallopregnanolone (ISO). In this study we investigated if ISO can antagonize AP-induced effects in healthy female volunteers, via measurements of saccadic eye velocity (SEV) and self-rated sedation. With a single-blind cross-over design, 12 women were studied on three separate occasions; given AP alone or AP in combination with one of two ISO doses. Congruent with previous reports, AP administration decreased SEV and induced sedation and these effects were diminished by simultaneous ISO administration. Also, the ISO effect modulation was seemingly stronger for SEV than for sedation. These effects were observed already at an ISO dose exposure that was approximately half of that of AP. In conclusion, ISO antagonized AP-induced decrease in SEV and self-reported sedation, probably in a non-competitive manner.
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| 7. |
- Bengtsson, Sara K S, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term continuous allopregnanolone elevation causes memory decline and hippocampus shrinkage, in female wild-type B6 mice
- 2016
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Ingår i: Hormones and Behavior. - : Elsevier BV. - 0018-506X .- 1095-6867. ; 78, s. 160-167
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic stress in various forms increases the risk for cognitive dysfunction, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While the pathogenesis behind these findings is unknown, growing evidence suggests that chronic increase in neurosteroid levels, such as allopregnanolone, is part of the mechanism. We treated wild-type C57BL/6J mice with allopregnanolone for 5months, using osmotic pumps. This treatment led to moderately increased levels of allopregnanolone, equivalent to that of mild chronic stress. After an interval of no treatment for 1month, female mice showed impaired learning and memory function in the Morris water maze (MWM) in combination with diminished hippocampus weight and increased cerebellum weight, both correlating to MWM performance. Male mice showed a minor reduction in memory function and no differences in brain structure. We conclude that chronic allopregnanolone elevation can lead to cognitive dysfunction and negative brain alterations. We suggest that allopregnanolone could play a key role in the pathogenesis of stress-induced cognitive disturbances and perhaps dementia.
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| 8. |
- Browning, Kathryn L., et al.
(författare)
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Human Lipoproteins at Model Cell Membranes : Effect of Lipoprotein Class on Lipid Exchange
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High and low density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL) are thought to play vital roles in the onset and development of atherosclerosis; the biggest killer in the western world. Key issues of initial lipoprotein (LP) interactions at cellular membranes need to be addressed including LP deposition and lipid exchange. Here we present a protocol for monitoring the in situ kinetics of lipoprotein deposition and lipid exchange/removal at model cellular membranes using the non-invasive, surface sensitive methods of neutron reflection and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. For neutron reflection, lipid exchange and lipid removal can be distinguished thanks to the combined use of hydrogenated and tail-deuterated lipids. Both HDL and LDL remove lipids from the bilayer and deposit hydrogenated material into the lipid bilayer, however, the extent of removal and exchange depends on LP type. These results support the notion of HDL acting as the 'good' cholesterol, removing lipid material from lipid-loaded cells, whereas LDL acts as the 'bad' cholesterol, depositing lipid material into the vascular wall.
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| 9. |
- Bäckström, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Isoallopregnanolone inhibits estrus cycle-dependent aggressive behavior
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biomolecules. - : MDPI. - 2218-273X. ; 13:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Among female rats, some individuals show estrus cycle-dependent irritability/aggressive behaviors, and these individual rats may be used as a model for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). We wanted to investigate if these behaviors are related to the estrus cycle phase containing moderately increased levels of positive GABA-A receptor-modulating steroids (steroid-PAM), especially allopregnanolone (ALLO), and if the adverse behavior can be antagonized. The electrophysiology studies in this paper show that isoallopregnanolone (ISO) is a GABA-A-modulating steroid antagonist (GAMSA), meaning that ISO can antagonize the agonistic effects of positive GABA-A receptor-modulating steroids in both α1β2γ2L and α4β3δ GABA-A receptor subtypes. In this study, we also investigated whether ISO could antagonize the estrus cycle-dependent aggressive behaviors in female Wistar rats using a resident–intruder test. Our results confirmed previous reports of estrus cycle-dependent behaviors in that 42% of the tested rats showed higher levels of irritability/aggression at diestrus compared to those at estrus. Furthermore, we found that, during the treatment with ISO, the aggressive behavior at diestrus was alleviated to a level comparable to that of estrus. We noticed an 89% reduction in the increase in aggressive behavior at diestrus compared to that at estrus. Vehicle treatment in the same animals showed a minimal effect on the diestrus-related aggressive behavior. In conclusion, we showed that ISO can antagonize Steroid-PAM both in α1β2γ2L and α4β3δ GABA-A receptor subtypes and inhibit estrus cycle-dependent aggressive behavior.
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| 10. |
- Cancer, Matko, et al.
(författare)
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BET and Aurora Kinase A inhibitors synergize against MYCN-positive human glioblastoma cells
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cell Death and Disease. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2041-4889. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Patients usually undergo surgery followed by aggressive radio- and chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). Still, median survival is only 12-15 months after diagnosis. Many human cancers including GBMs demonstrate addiction to MYC transcription factor signaling and can become susceptible to inhibition of MYC downstream genes. JQ1 is an effective inhibitor of BET Bromodomains, a class of epigenetic readers regulating expression of downstream MYC targets. Here, we show that BET inhibition decreases viability of patient-derived GBM cell lines. We propose a distinct expression signature of MYCN-elevated GBM cells that correlates with significant sensitivity to BET inhibition. In tumors showing JQ1 sensitivity, we found enrichment of pathways regulating cell cycle, DNA damage response and repair. As DNA repair leads to acquired chemoresistance to TMZ, JQ1 treatment in combination with TMZ synergistically inhibited proliferation of MYCN-elevated cells. Bioinformatic analyses further showed that the expression of MYCN correlates with Aurora Kinase A levels and Aurora Kinase inhibitors indeed showed synergistic efficacy in combination with BET inhibition. Collectively, our data suggest that BET inhibitors could potentiate the efficacy of either TMZ or Aurora Kinase inhibitors in GBM treatment.
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