| 1. |
- Araç, Demet, et al.
(författare)
-
Dissecting signaling and functions of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0077-8923 .- 1749-6632. ; 1276:1, s. 1-25
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise an expanded superfamily of receptors in the human genome. Adhesion class G protein-coupled receptors (adhesion-GPCRs) form the second largest class of GPCRs. Despite the abundance, size, molecular structure, and functions in facilitating cell and matrix contacts in a variety of organ systems, adhesion-GPCRs are by far the most poorly understood GPCR class. Adhesion-GPCRs possess a unique molecular structure, with extended N-termini containing various adhesion domains. In addition, many adhesion-GPCRs are autoproteolytically cleaved into an N-terminal fragment (NTF, NT, α-subunit) and C-terminal fragment (CTF, CT, β-subunit) at a conserved GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain that contains a GPCR proteolysis site (GPS). These two features distinguish adhesion-GPCRs from other GPCR classes. Though active research on adhesion-GPCRs in diverse areas, such as immunity, neuroscience, and development and tumor biology has been intensified in the recent years, the general biological and pharmacological properties of adhesion-GPCRs are not well known, and they have not yet been used for biomedical purposes. The "6th International Adhesion-GPCR Workshop," held at the Institute of Physiology of the University of Würzburg on September 6-8, 2012, assembled a majority of the investigators currently actively pursuing research on adhesion-GPCRs, including scientists from laboratories in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The meeting featured the nascent mechanistic understanding of the molecular events driving the signal transduction of adhesion-GPCRs, novel models to evaluate their functions, and evidence for their involvement in human disease.
|
|
| 2. |
- Brooks, Samantha J., et al.
(författare)
-
Self-Reported Psychosomatic Complaints and Conduct Problems in Swedish Adolescents
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Children. - : MDPI AG. - 2227-9067. ; 9:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Physical conditions in children and adolescents are often under reported during mainstream school years and may underlie mental health disorders. Additionally, comparisons between younger and older schoolchildren may shed light on developmental differences regarding the way in which physical conditions translate into conduct problems. The aim of the current study was to examine the incidence of psychosomatic complaints (PSC) in young and older adolescent boys and girls who also report conduct problems. A total of 3132 Swedish adolescents (age range 15-18 years, 47% boys) completed the Uppsala Life and Health Cross-Sectional Survey (LHS) at school. The LHS question scores were categorised by two researchers who independently identified questions that aligned with DSM-5 conduct disorder (CD) criteria and PSC. MANOVA assessed the effects of PSC, age, and gender on scores that aligned with the DSM criteria for CD. The main effects of gender, age, and PSC on the conduct problem scores were observed. Adolescents with higher PSC scores had higher conduct problem scores. Boys had higher serious violation of rules scores than girls, particularly older boys with higher PSC scores. Psychosomatic complaints could be a useful objective identifier for children and adolescents at risk of developing conduct disorders. This may be especially relevant when a reliance on a child's self-reporting of their behavior may not help to prevent a long-term disturbance to their quality of life.
|
|
| 3. |
- Hamann, Joerg, et al.
(författare)
-
International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCIV. Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptors
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Pharmacological Reviews. - : American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). - 0031-6997 .- 1521-0081. ; 67:2, s. 338-367
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Adhesion family forms a large branch of the pharmacologically important superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). As Adhesion GPCRs increasingly receive attention from a wide spectrum of biomedical fields, the Adhesion GPCR Consortium, together with the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification, proposes a unified nomenclature for Adhesion GPCRs. The new names have ADGR as common dominator followed by a letter and a number to denote each subfamily and subtype, respectively. The new names, with old and alternative names within parentheses, are: ADGRA1 (GPR123), ADGRA2 (GPR124), ADGRA3 (GPR125), ADGRB1 (BAI1), ADGRB2 (BAI2), ADGRB3 (BAI3), ADGRC1 (CELSR1), ADGRC2 (CELSR2), ADGRC3 (CELSR3), ADGRD1 (GPR133), ADGRD2 (GPR144), ADGRE1 (EMR1, F4/80), ADGRE2 (EMR2), ADGRE3 (EMR3), ADGRE4 (EMR4), ADGRE5 (CD97), ADGRF1 (GPR110), ADGRF2 (GPR111), ADGRF3 (GPR113), ADGRF4 (GPR115), ADGRF5 (GPR116, Ig-Hepta), ADGRG1 (GPR56), ADGRG2 (GPR64, HE6), ADGRG3 (GPR97), ADGRG4 (GPR112), ADGRG5 (GPR114), ADGRG6 (GPR126), ADGRG7 (GPR128), ADGRL1 (latrophilin-1, CIRL-1, CL1), ADGRL2 (latrophilin-2, CIRL-2, CL2), ADGRL3 (latrophilin-3, CIRL-3, CL3), ADGRL4 (ELTD1, ETL), and ADGRV1 (VLGR1, GPR98). This review covers all major biologic aspects of Adhesion GPCRs, including evolutionary origins, interaction partners, signaling, expression, physiologic functions, and therapeutic potential.
|
|
| 4. |
- Kanders, Sofia H., et al.
(författare)
-
A pharmacogenetic risk score for the evaluation of major depression severity under treatment with antidepressants
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Drug development research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0272-4391 .- 1098-2299. ; 81:1, s. 102-113
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The severity of symptoms as well as efficacy of antidepressants in major depressive disorder (MDD) is modified by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in different genes, which may contribute in an additive or synergistic fashion. We aimed to investigate depression severity in participants with MDD under treatment with antidepressants in relation to the combinatory effect of selected genetic variants combined using a genetic risk score (GRS). The sample included 150 MDD patients on regular AD therapy from the population‐based Swiss PsyCoLaus cohort. We investigated 44 SNPs previously associated with antidepressant response by ranking them with regard to their association to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES‐D) score using random forest. The three top scoring SNPs (rs12248560, rs878567, rs17710780) were subsequently combined into an unweighted GRS, which was included in linear and logistic regression models using the CES‐D score, occurrence of a major depressive episode (MDE) during follow‐up and regular antidepressant treatment during the 6 months preceding follow‐up assessment as outcomes. The GRS was associated with MDE occurrence (p = .02) and ln CES‐D score (p = .001). The HTR1A rs878567 variant was associated with ln CES‐D after adjustment for demographic and clinical variables [p = .02, lower scores for minor allele (G) carriers]. Additionally, rs12248560 (CYP2C19 ) CC homozygotes showed a six‐fold higher likelihood of regular AD therapy at follow‐up compared to minor allele homozygotes [TT; ultrarapid metabolizers (p = .03)]. Our study suggests that the cumulative consideration of pharmacogenetic risk variants more reliably reflects the impact of the genetic background on depression severity than individual SNPs.
|
|
| 5. |
- Liebscher, Ines, et al.
(författare)
-
New functions and signaling mechanisms for the class of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0077-8923 .- 1749-6632. ; 1333, s. 43-64
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The class of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs), with 33 human homologs, is the second largest family of GPCRs. In addition to a seven-transmembrane α-helix-a structural feature of all GPCRs-the class of aGPCRs is characterized by the presence of a large N-terminal extracellular region. In addition, all aGPCRs but one (GPR123) contain a GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain that mediates autoproteolytic cleavage at the GPCR autoproteolysis site motif to generate N- and a C-terminal fragments (NTF and CTF, respectively) during protein maturation. Subsequently, the NTF and CTF are associated noncovalently as a heterodimer at the plasma membrane. While the biological function of the GAIN domain-mediated autocleavage is not fully understood, mounting evidence suggests that the NTF and CTF possess distinct biological activities in addition to their function as a receptor unit. We discuss recent advances in understanding the biological functions, signaling mechanisms, and disease associations of the aGPCRs.
|
|
| 6. |
- Maslov, Ivan O., et al.
(författare)
-
Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neogliptin, a Novel 2-Azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-Based Inhibitor of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4)
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Pharmaceuticals. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8247. ; 15:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Compounds that contain (R)-3-amino-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid substituted with bicyclic amino moiety (2-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane) were designed using molecular modelling methods, synthesised, and found to be potent DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors. Compound 12a (IC50 = 16.8 +/- 2.2 nM), named neogliptin, is a more potent DPP-4 inhibitor than vildagliptin and sitagliptin. Neogliptin interacts with key DPP-4 residues in the active site and has pharmacophore parameters similar to vildagliptin and sitagliptin. It was found to have a low cardiotoxic effect compared to sitagliptin, and it is superior to vildagliptin in terms of ADME properties. Moreover, compound 12a is stable in aqueous solutions due to its low intramolecular cyclisation potential. These findings suggest that compound 12a has unique properties and can act as a template for further type 2 diabetes mellitus drug development.
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Mårtensson, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
-
Diffusion tensor imaging and tractography of the white matter in normal aging : The rate-of-change differs between segments within tracts
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0730-725X .- 1873-5894. ; 45, s. 113-119
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge concerning the normal aging of cerebral white matter will improve our understanding of abnormal changes in neurodegenerative diseases. The microstructural basis of white matter maturation and aging can be investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Generally, diffusion anisotropy increases during childhood and adolescence followed by a decline in middle age. However, this process is subject to spatial variations between tracts. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent age-related variations also occur within tracts. DTI parameters were compared between segments of two white matter tracts, the cingulate bundle (CB) and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), in 257 healthy individuals between 13 and 84years of age. Segments of the CB and the IFO were extracted and parameters for each segment were averaged across the hemispheres. The data was analysed as a function of age. Results show that age-related changes differ both between and within individual tracts. Different age trajectories were observed in all segments of the analysed tracts for all DTI parameters. In conclusion, aging does not affect white matter tracts uniformly but is regionally specific; both between and within white matter tracts.
|
|
| 9. |
- Rasmusson, Annica J., et al.
(författare)
-
Toll-like receptor 4 methylation grade is linked to depressive symptom severity
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Translational Psychiatry. - : Springer Nature. - 2158-3188. ; 11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores potential associations between the methylation of promoter-associated CpG sites of the toll-like receptor (TLR)-family, plasma levels of pro-inflammatory proteins and depressive symptoms in young female psychiatric patients. Ratings of depressive symptoms and blood samples were obtained from 92 young women seeking psychiatric care. Methylation of 32 promoter-associated CpG sites in TLR1 to TLR10 was analysed using the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip. Expression levels of 91 inflammatory proteins were determined by proximity extension assay. Statistical correlations between depressive state, TLR1-10 methylation and inflammatory proteins were investigated. Four additional cohorts were studied to evaluate the generalizability of the findings. In the discovery cohort, methylation grade of cg05429895 (TLR4) in blood was inversely correlated with depressive symptoms score in young adults. After correction for multiple testing, plasma levels of macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta (MIP-1 beta/CCL4) were associated with both TLR4 methylation and depressive symptom severity. A similar inverse association between TLR4 methylation in blood and affective symptoms score was also found in a cohort of 148 both males and females (<40 years of age) from the Danish Twin Registry. These findings were not, however, replicated in three other external cohorts; which differed from the first two cohorts by a higher age and mixed ethnicities, thus limiting the generalizability of our findings. However, TLR4 methylation inversely correlated with TLR4 mRNA expression in the Danish Twin Study indicating a functional significance of methylation at this particular CpG. Higher depression scores in young Scandinavian adults was associated with decreased methylation of TLR4 in blood.
|
|
| 10. |
- Wiemerslage, Lyle, et al.
(författare)
-
An obesity-associated risk allele within the FTO gene affects human brain activity for areas important for emotion, impulse control and reward in response to food images
- 2016
-
Ingår i: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 0953-816X .- 1460-9568. ; 43:9, s. 1173-1180
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding how genetics influences obesity, brain activity and eating behaviour will add important insight for developing strategies for weight-loss treatment, as obesity may stem from different causes and as individual feeding behaviour may depend on genetic differences. To this end, we examined how an obesity risk allele for the FTO gene affects brain activity in response to food images of different caloric content via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thirty participants homozygous for the rs9939609 single nucleotide polymorphism were shown images of low-or high-calorie food while brain activity was measured via fMRI. In a whole-brain analysis, we found that people with the FTO risk allele genotype (AA) had increased activity compared with the non-risk (TT) genotype in the posterior cingulate, cuneus, precuneus and putamen. Moreover, higher body mass index in the AA genotype was associated with reduced activity to food images in areas important for emotion (cingulate cortex), but also in areas important for impulse control (frontal gyri and lentiform nucleus). Lastly, we corroborate our findings with behavioural scales for the behavioural inhibition and activation systems. Our results suggest that the two genotypes are associated with differential neural processing of food images, which may influence weight status through diminished impulse control and reward processing.
|
|
| 11. |
- Abu Hamdeh, Sami, et al.
(författare)
-
Differential DNA methylation of the genes for amyloid precursor protein, tau, and neurofilaments in human traumatic brain injury
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Neurotrauma. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 0897-7151 .- 1557-9042. ; 38:12, s. 1662-1669
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an established risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders and dementias. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may alter the expression of genes without altering the DNA sequence in response to environmental factors. We hypothesized that DNA methylation changes may occur in the injured human brain and be implicated in the neurodegenerative aftermath of TBI. The DNA methylation status of genes related to neurodegeneration; for example, amyloid beta precursor protein (APP), microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT), neurofilament heavy (NEFH), neurofilament medium (NEFM), and neurofilament light (NEFL), was analyzed in fresh, surgically resected human brain tissue from 17 severe TBI patients and compared with brain biopsy samples from 19 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). We also performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) comparing TBI patients with iNPH controls. Thirty-eight CpG sites in the APP, MAPT, NEFH, and NEFL genes were differentially methylated by TBI. Among the top 20 differentially methylated CpG sites, 11 were in the APP gene. In addition, the EWAS evaluating 828,888 CpG sites revealed 308 differentially methylated CpG sites in genes related to cellular/anatomical structure development, cell differentiation, and anatomical morphogenesis. These preliminary findings provide the first evidence of an altered DNA methylome in the injured human brain, and may have implications for the neurodegenerative disorders associated with TBI.
|
|
| 12. |
- Affatato, Oreste, et al.
(författare)
-
Assessing volumetric brain differences in migraine and depression patients : a UK Biobank study
- 2023
-
Ingår i: BMC Neurology. - : BMC. - 1471-2377. ; 23:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Migraine and depression are two of the most common and debilitating conditions. From a clinical perspective, they are mostly prevalent in women and manifest a partial overlapping symptomatology. Despite the high level of comorbidity, previous studies hardly investigated possible common patterns in brain volumetric differences compared to healthy subjects. Therefore, the current study investigates and compares the volumetric difference patterns in sub-cortical regions between participants with migraine or depression in comparison to healthy controls.Methods: The study included data from 43 930 participants of the large UK Biobank cohort. Using official ICD10 diagnosis, we selected 712 participants with migraine, 1 853 with depression and 23 942 healthy controls. We estimated mean volumetric difference between the groups for the different sub-cortical brain regions using generalized linear regression models, conditioning the model within the levels of BMI, age, sex, ethnical background, diastolic blood pressure, current tobacco smoking, alcohol intake frequency, Assessment Centre, Indices of Multiple Deprivation, comorbidities and total brain volume.Results: We detected larger overall volume of the caudate (mean difference: 66, 95% CI [-3, 135]) and of the thalamus (mean difference: 103 mm(3), 95% CI [-2, 208]) in migraineurs than healthy controls. We also observed that individuals with depression appear to have also larger overall (mean difference: 47 mm(3), 95% CI [-7, 100]) and gray matter (mean difference: 49 mm(3), 95% CI [2, 95]) putamen volumes than healthy controls, as well as larger amygdala volume (mean difference: 17 mm(3), 95% CI [-7, 40]).Conclusion: Migraineurs manifested larger overall volumes at the level of the nucleus caudate and of the thalamus, which might imply abnormal pain modulation and increased migraine susceptibility. Larger amygdala and putamen volumes in participants with depression than controls might be due to increased neuronal activity in these regions.
|
|
| 13. |
- Affatato, Oreste, et al.
(författare)
-
High efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA treatment in patients with comorbid migraine and depression : a meta-analysis
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Translational Medicine. - : Springer Nature. - 1479-5876. ; 19:1
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Migraine and depression are highly prevalent and partly overlapping disorders that cause strong limitations in daily life. Patients tend to respond poorly to the therapies available for these diseases. OnabotulinumtoxinA has been proven to be an effective treatment for both migraine and depression. While many studies have addressed the effect of onabotulinumtoxinA in migraine or depression separately, a growing body of evidence suggests beneficial effects also for patients comorbid with migraine and depression. The current meta-analysis systematically investigates to what extent onabotulinumtoxinA is efficient in migraineurs with depression.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed based on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from the earliest date till October 30th, 2020. Mean, standard deviation (SD) and sample size have been used to evaluate improvement in depressive symptoms and migraine using random- effects empirical Bayes model.Results: Our search retrieved 259 studies, eight of which met the inclusion criteria. OnabotulinumtoxinA injections administered to patients with both chronic migraine and major depressive disorder led to mean reduction of - 8.94 points (CI [ - 10.04,- 7.84], p < 0.01) in the BDI scale, of - 5.90 points (CI [ - 9.92,- 1.88], p < 0.01) in the BDI-II scale and of - 6.19 points (CI [ - 9.52,- 2.86], p < 0.01) in the PHQ-9 scale, when evaluating depressive symptoms. In the case of the migraine-related symptoms, we found mean reductions of - 4.10 (CI [ - 7.31,- 0.89], p = 0.01) points in the HIT6 scale, - 32.05 (CI [ - 55.96,- 8.14], p = 0.01) in the MIDAS scale, - 1.7 (CI [ - 3.27,- 0.13], p = 0.03) points in the VAS scale and of - 6.27 (CI [ - 8.48,- 4.07], p < 0.01) migraine episodes per month. Comorbid patients showed slightly better improvements in BDI, HIT6 scores and migraine frequency compared to monomorbid patients. The latter group manifested better results in MIDAS and VAS scores.Conclusion: Treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA leads to a significant reduction of disease severity of both chronic migraine and major depressive disorder in patients comorbid with both diseases. Comparative analyses suggest an equivalent strong effect in monomorbid and comorbid patients, with beneficial effects specifically seen for certain migraine features.
|
|
| 14. |
- Affatato, Oreste, et al.
(författare)
-
Major sex differences in migraine prevalence among occupational categories : a cross-sectional study using UK Biobank
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Headache and Pain. - : Springer Nature. - 1129-2369 .- 1129-2377. ; 22:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Migraine represents one of the most prevalent neurological conditions worldwide. It is a disabling condition with high impact on the working situation of migraineurs. Interestingly, gender-related differences regarding an association of migraine with important occupational characteristics has been hardly studied. Methods The current study scrutinizes gender-specific differences in the prevalence of migraine across a broad spectrum of occupational categories, shedding also light on associations with important job-related features such as shift work, job satisfaction, and physical activity. The study included data from 415 712 participants from the UK Biobank cohort, using the official ICD10 diagnosis of migraine and other health conditions as selection criteria. Prevalence ratios of migraineurs compared to healthy controls among different occupational categories and job-related variables were estimated using log-binomial regression analyses. Statistical models were adjusted for important sociodemographic features such as age, BMI, ethnicity, education and neuroticism. To better highlight specific differences between men and women we stratified by sex. Results We detected a differential prevalence pattern of migraine in relation to different job categories between men and women. Especially in men, migraine appears to be more prevalent in highly physically demanding occupations (PR 1.38, 95% CI [0.93, 2.04]). Furthermore, migraine is also more prevalent in jobs that frequently involve shift or night shift work compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, this prevalence is especially high in women (shift work PR 1.45, 95% CI [1.14, 1.83], night shift work PR 1.46, 95% CI [0.93, 2.31]). Conclusion Our results show that migraine is genderdependently associated with physically demanding jobs and shift working.
|
|
| 15. |
- Affatato, Oreste, et al.
(författare)
-
Volumetric Differences in Cerebellum and Brainstem in Patients with Migraine : A UK Biobank Study
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Biomedicines. - : MDPI. - 2227-9059. ; 11:9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The cerebellum and the brainstem are two brain structures involved in pain processing and modulation that have also been associated with migraine pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between the morphology of the cerebellum and brainstem and migraine, focusing on gray matter differences in these brain areas.Methods: The analyses were based on data from 712 individuals with migraine and 45,681 healthy controls from the UK Biobank study. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the mean gray matter volumetric differences in the brainstem and the cerebellum. The models were adjusted for important biological covariates such as BMI, age, sex, total brain volume, diastolic blood pressure, alcohol intake frequency, current tobacco smoking, assessment center, material deprivation, ethnic background, and a wide variety of health conditions. Secondary analyses investigated volumetric correlation between cerebellar sub-regions.Results: We found larger gray matter volumes in the cerebellar sub-regions V (mean difference: 72 mm3, 95% CI [13, 132]), crus I (mean difference: 259 mm3, 95% CI [9, 510]), VIIIa (mean difference: 120 mm3, 95% CI [0.9, 238]), and X (mean difference: 14 mm3, 95% CI [1, 27]).Conclusions: Individuals with migraine show larger gray matter volumes in several cerebellar sub-regions than controls. These findings support the hypothesis that the cerebellum plays a role in the pathophysiology of migraine.
|
|
| 16. |
- Agosti, Francina, et al.
(författare)
-
Melanocortin 4 receptor activation inhibits presynaptic N-type calcium channels in amygdaloid complex neurons
- 2014
-
Ingår i: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 0953-816X .- 1460-9568. ; 40:5, s. 2755-2765
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in food intake and energy expenditure regulation. MC4R activation modifies neuronal activity but the molecular mechanisms by which this regulation occurs remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MC4R activation regulates the activity of voltage-gated calcium channels and, as a consequence, synaptic activity. We also tested whether the proposed effect occurs in the amygdala, a brain area known to mediate the anorexigenic actions of MC4R signaling. Using the patch-clamp technique, we found that the activation of MC4R with its agonist melanotan II specifically inhibited 34.5 +/- 1.5% of N-type calcium currents in transiently transfected HEK293 cells. This inhibition was concentration-dependent, voltage-independent and occluded by the G(s) pathway inhibitor cholera toxin. Moreover, we found that melanotan II specifically inhibited 25.9 +/- 2.0% of native N-type calcium currents and 55.4 +/- 14.4% of evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents in mouse cultured amygdala neurons. Invivo, we found that the MC4R agonist RO27-3225 increased the marker of cellular activity c-Fos in several components of the amygdala, whereas the N-type channel blocker conotoxin GVIA increased c-Fos expression exclusively in the central subdivision of the amygdala. Thus, MC4R specifically inhibited the presynaptic N-type channel subtype, and this inhibition may be important for the effects of melanocortin in the central subdivision of the amygdala.
|
|
| 17. |
- Agosti, F., et al.
(författare)
-
Melanocortin 4 Receptor Constitutive Activity Inhibits L-Type Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels In Neurons
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0306-4522 .- 1873-7544. ; 346, s. 102-112
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed in several brain nuclei playing a crucial role in the regulation of energy balance controlling the homeostasis of the organism. It displays both agonist-evoked and constitutive activity, and moreover, it can couple to different G proteins. Most of the research on MC4R has been focused on agonist-induced activity, while the molecular and cellular basis of MC4R constitutive activity remains scarcely studied. We have previously shown that neuronal N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (Ca(V)2.2) are inhibited by MC4R agonist-dependent activation, while the Ca-V subtypes that carry L- and P/Q-type current are not. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MC4R constitutive activity can affect Ca-V, with focus on the channel subtypes that can control transcriptional activity coupled to depolarization (L-type, Ca(V)1.2/1.3) and neurotransmitter release (N- and P/Q-type, Ca(V)2.2 and Ca(V)2.1). We found that MC4R constitutive activity inhibits specifically Ca(V)1.2/1.3 and Ca(V)2.1 subtypes of Ca-V. We also explored the signaling pathways mediating this inhibition, and thus propose that agonist-dependent and basal MC4R activation modes signal differentially through G(s) and G(i/o) pathways to impact on different Ca-V subtypes. In addition, we found that chronic incubation with MC4R endogenous inverse agonist, agouti and agouti-related peptide (AgRP), occludes Ca-V inhibition in a cell line and in amygdaloid complex cultured neurons as well. Thus, we define new mechanisms of control of the main mediators of depolarization-induced calcium entry into neurons by a GPCR that displays constitutive activity.
|
|
| 18. |
- Al-Sabri, Mohamed H., et al.
(författare)
-
Fluvastatin-induced myofibrillar damage is associated with elevated ROS, and impaired fatty acid oxidation, and is preceded by mitochondrial morphological changes
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 14:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previously, we showed that fluvastatin treatment induces myofibrillar damage and mitochondrial phenotypes in the skeletal muscles of Drosophila. However, the sequential occurrence of mitochondrial phenotypes and myofibril damage remains elusive. To address this, we treated flies with fluvastatin for two and five days and examined their thorax flight muscles using confocal microscopy. In the two-day fluvastatin group, compared to the control, thorax flight muscles exhibited mitochondrial morphological changes, including fragmentation, rounding up and reduced content, while myofibrils remained organized in parallel. In the five-day fluvastatin treatment, not only did mitochondrial morphological changes become more pronounced, but myofibrils became severely disorganized with significantly increased thickness and spacing, along with myofilament abnormalities, suggesting myofibril damage. These findings suggest that fluvastatin-induced mitochondrial changes precede myofibril damage. Moreover, in the five-day fluvastatin group, the mitochondria demonstrated elevated H2O2 and impaired fatty acid oxidation compared to the control group, indicating potential mitochondrial dysfunction. Surprisingly, knocking down Hmgcr (Drosophila homolog of HMGCR) showed normal mitochondrial respiration in all parameters compared to controls or five-day fluvastatin treatment, which suggests that fluvastatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction might be independent of Hmgcr inhibition. These results provide insights into the sequential occurrence of mitochondria and myofibril damage in statin-induced myopathy for future studies.
|
|
| 19. |
- Al-Sabri, Mohamed H., et al.
(författare)
-
Statins Induce Locomotion and Muscular Phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster That Are Reminiscent of Human Myopathy : Evidence for the Role of the Chloride Channel Inhibition in the Muscular Phenotypes
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI. - 2073-4409. ; 11:22
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The underlying mechanisms for statin-induced myopathy (SIM) are still equivocal. In this study, we employ Drosophila melanogaster to dissect possible underlying mechanisms for SIM. We observe that chronic fluvastatin treatment causes reduced general locomotion activity and climbing ability. In addition, transmission microscopy of dissected skeletal muscles of fluvastatin-treated flies reveals strong myofibrillar damage, including increased sarcomere lengths and Z-line streaming, which are reminiscent of myopathy, along with fragmented mitochondria of larger sizes, most of which are round-like shapes. Furthermore, chronic fluvastatin treatment is associated with impaired lipid metabolism and insulin signalling. Mechanistically, knockdown of the statin-target Hmgcr in the skeletal muscles recapitulates fluvastatin-induced mitochondrial phenotypes and lowered general locomotion activity; however, it was not sufficient to alter sarcomere length or elicit myofibrillar damage compared to controls or fluvastatin treatment. Moreover, we found that fluvastatin treatment was associated with reduced expression of the skeletal muscle chloride channel, C1C-a (Drosophila homolog of CLCN1), while selective knockdown of skeletal muscle C1C-a also recapitulated fluvastatin-induced myofibril damage and increased sarcomere lengths. Surprisingly, exercising fluvastatin-treated flies restored C1C-a expression and normalized sarcomere lengths, suggesting that fluvastatin-induced myofibrillar phenotypes could be linked to lowered C1C-a expression. Taken together, these results may indicate the potential role of C1C-a inhibition in statinassociated muscular phenotypes. This study underlines the importance of Drosophila melanogaster as a powerful model system for elucidating the locomotion and muscular phenotypes, promoting a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying SIM.
|
|
| 20. |
- Al-Sabri, Mohamed H., et al.
(författare)
-
The regulatory role of AP-2 beta in monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems : insights on its signalling pathway, linked disorders and theragnostic potential
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Cell & Bioscience. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2045-3701. ; 12:1
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems play a central role in neuronal function and behaviour. Dysregulation of these systems gives rise to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders with high prevalence and societal burden, collectively termed monoamine neurotransmitter disorders (MNDs). Despite extensive research, the transcriptional regulation of monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems is not fully explored. Interestingly, certain drugs that act on these systems have been shown to modulate central levels of the transcription factor AP-2 beta (AP-2 beta, gene: TFAP2B). AP-2 beta regulates multiple key genes within these systems and thereby its levels correlate with monoamine neurotransmitters measures; yet, its signalling pathways are not well understood. Moreover, although dysregulation of TFAP2B has been associated with MNDs, the underlying mechanisms for these associations remain elusive. In this context, this review addresses AP-2 beta, considering its basic structural aspects, regulation and signalling pathways in the controlling of monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems, and possible mechanisms underpinning associated MNDS. It also underscores the significance of AP-2 beta as a potential diagnostic biomarker and its potential and limitations as a therapeutic target for specific MNDs as well as possible pharmaceutical interventions for targeting it. In essence, this review emphasizes the role of AP-2 beta as a key regulator of the monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and its importance for understanding the pathogenesis and improving the management of MNDs.
|
|
| 21. |
- Almén, Markus Sällman, et al.
(författare)
-
Genome wide analysis reveals association of a FTO gene variant with epigenetic changes
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Genomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0888-7543 .- 1089-8646. ; 99:3, s. 132-137
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Variants of the FTO gene show strong association with obesity, but the mechanisms behind this association remain unclear. We determined the genome wide DNA methylation profile in blood from 47 female preadolescents. We identified sites associated with the genes KARS, TERF2IP, DEXI, MSI1,STON1 and BCAS3 that had a significant differential methylation level in the carriers of the FTO risk allele (rs9939609). In addition, we identified 20 differentially methylated sites associated with obesity. Our findings suggest that the effect of the FTO obesity risk allele may be mediated through epigenetic changes. Further, these sites might prove to be valuable biomarkers for the understanding of obesity and its comorbidites.
|
|
| 22. |
- Almén, Markus Sällman, et al.
(författare)
-
Genome-wide analysis reveals DNA methylation markers that vary with both age and obesity
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Gene. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1119 .- 1879-0038. ; 548:1, s. 61-67
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The combination of the obesity epidemic and an aging population presents growing challenges for the healthcare system. Obesity and aging are major risk factors for a diverse number of diseases and it is of importance to understand their interaction and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Herein the authors examined the methylation levels of 27578 CpG sites in 46 samples from adult peripheral blood. The effect of obesity and aging was ascertained with general linear models. More than one hundred probes were correlated to aging, nine of which belonged to the KEGG group map04080. Additionally, 10 CpG sites had diverse methylation profiles in obese and lean individuals, one of which was the telomerase catalytic subunit (TERT). In eight of ten cases the methylation change was reverted between obese and lean individuals. One region proved to be differentially methylated with obesity (LINC00304) independent of age. This study provides evidence that obesity influences age driven epigenetic changes, which provides a molecular link between aging and obesity. This link and the identified markers may prove to be valuable biomarkers for the understanding of the molecular basis of aging, obesity and associated diseases.
|
|
| 23. |
- Almén, Markus Sällman, et al.
(författare)
-
Mapping the human membrane proteome : a majority of the human membrane proteins can be classified according to function and evolutionary origin
- 2009
-
Ingår i: BMC Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1741-7007. ; 7, s. 50-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Membrane proteins form key nodes in mediating the cell's interaction with the surroundings, which is one of the main reasons why the majority of drug targets are membrane proteins. RESULTS: Here we mined the human proteome and identified the membrane proteome subset using three prediction tools for alpha-helices: Phobius, TMHMM, and SOSUI. This dataset was reduced to a non-redundant set by aligning it to the human genome and then clustered with our own interactive implementation of the ISODATA algorithm. The genes were classified and each protein group was manually curated, virtually evaluating each sequence of the clusters, applying systematic comparisons with a range of databases and other resources. We identified 6,718 human membrane proteins and classified the majority of them into 234 families of which 151 belong to the three major functional groups: receptors (63 groups, 1,352 members), transporters (89 groups, 817 members) or enzymes (7 groups, 533 members). Also, 74 miscellaneous groups with 697 members were determined. Interestingly, we find that 41% of the membrane proteins are singlets with no apparent affiliation or identity to any human protein family. Our results identify major differences between the human membrane proteome and the ones in unicellular organisms and we also show a strong bias towards certain membrane topologies for different functional classes: 77% of all transporters have more than six helices while 60% of proteins with an enzymatic function and 88% receptors, that are not GPCRs, have only one single membrane spanning alpha-helix. Further, we have identified and characterized new gene families and novel members of existing families. CONCLUSION: Here we present the most detailed roadmap of gene numbers and families to our knowledge, which is an important step towards an overall classification of the entire human proteome. We estimate that 27% of the total human proteome are alpha-helical transmembrane proteins and provide an extended classification together with in-depth investigations of the membrane proteome's functional, structural, and evolutionary features.
|
|
| 24. |
- Almén, Markus Sällman, et al.
(författare)
-
The obesity gene, TMEM18, is of ancient origin, found in majority of neuronal cells in all major brain regions and associated with obesity in severely obese children
- 2010
-
Ingår i: BMC Medical Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2350. ; 11, s. 58-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: TMEM18 is a hypothalamic gene that has recently been linked to obesity and BMI in genome wide association studies. However, the functional properties of TMEM18 are obscure. METHODS: The evolutionary history of TMEM18 was inferred using phylogenetic and bioinformatic methods. The gene's expression profile was investigated with real-time PCR in a panel of rat and mouse tissues and with immunohistochemistry in the mouse brain. Also, gene expression changes were analyzed in three feeding-related mouse models: food deprivation, reward and diet-induced increase in body weight. Finally, we genotyped 502 severely obese and 527 healthy Swedish children for two SNPs near TMEM18 (rs6548238 and rs756131). RESULTS: TMEM18 was found to be remarkably conserved and present in species that diverged from the human lineage over 1500 million years ago. The TMEM18 gene was widely expressed and detected in the majority of cells in all major brain regions, but was more abundant in neurons than other cell types. We found no significant changes in the hypothalamic and brainstem expression in the feeding-related mouse models. There was a strong association for two SNPs (rs6548238 and rs756131) of the TMEM18 locus with an increased risk for obesity (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: We conclude that TMEM18 is involved in both adult and childhood obesity. It is one of the most conserved human obesity genes and it is found in the majority of all brain sites, including the hypothalamus and the brain stem, but it is not regulated in these regions in classical energy homeostatic models.
|
|
| 25. |
- Alsehli, Ahmed M., et al.
(författare)
-
Differential associations of statin treatment and polymorphism in genes coding for HMGCR and PCSK9 to risk for insomnia
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2768-6701 .- 2768-6698. ; 26:12, s. 1453-1463
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Importance: Statins have been linked to an increased risk for insomnia, but the literature is controversial. Moreover, it is unknown, if the potential effects are directly related to the inhibition of the statin target HMGCR, the subsequently lowered cholesterol levels, or other off-target effects of statins. Aims: To investigate the association of statin treatment and genetic proxies of cholesterol lowering drugs with the risk for insomnia and chronotype in a large population-based cohort. Methods: A cross-sectional cohort study based on baseline data collected between 2006–2010 in UK biobank cohort was conducted. European participants without any history of psychiatric/neurological disorders or of stroke and with available genetic data as well as information on statin use were included in the present study. Self-reported measures of insomnia and chronotype were analysed (a) in statin users versus control subjects, (b) subjects carrying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HMGCR gene, which are associated with reduced enzymatic function and lower cholesterol levels (rs17238484 and rs12916) and (c) subjects carrying a SNP in the PCSK9 gene (rs1159147), which leads to lower cholesterol levels independent of HMGCR. The main analysis were performed using multivariable regression models. Statin treatment and SNPs in HMGCR and PCSK9 genes were used as exposures and main outcomes were insomnia and chronotype. Results: A total of 206,801participants (mean [SD] age, 57.5 [7.9] years; 56% women; 20% statin users) were included in the present study. Statin users had an increased risk of insomnia compared to controls (odds ratio [95% CI], 1.07 [1.03 to 1.11]; p = 1.42 × 10−4). A similar effect was observed for PCSK9 rs11591147-T allele (1.07 [1.01–1.14]; 0.014), while the two gene variants of HMGCR were associated with a reduced risk for insomnia (rs17238484-G: 0.97 [0.95 to 0.99]; 0.014 and rs12916-T: 0.97 [0.96 to 0.99]; 0.002). In regard to chronotype, there was no effect of either statin treatment or HMGCR SNPs, but the PCSK9 rs11591147-T allele was associated with a higher evening preference (1.17 [1.06 to 1.29]; 0.001). Conclusion: Our data suggests that statin treatment can pose an increased risk for insomnia in in the European population. Interestingly, there was no agreement between the effects of statins and the effects of reduced HMGCR activity based on genetic variants, suggesting that the observed unfavourable effect of statins on sleep is conveyed through other targets. This further explains why the literature on statin effects on sleep is not conclusive. Finally our data encourage further investigations into the molecular processes linking statins, HMGCR and PCSK9 to sleep behaviour.
|
|
