| 1. |
- Horger, B A, et al.
(författare)
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Neurturin exerts potent actions on survival and function of midbrain dopaminergic neurons
- 1998
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Ingår i: The Journal of Neuroscience. - 1529-2401. ; 18:13, s. 4929-4937
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) exhibits potent effects on survival and function of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons in a variety of models. Although other growth factors expressed in the vicinity of developing DA neurons have been reported to support survival of DA neurons in vitro, to date none of these factors duplicate the potent and selective actions of GDNF in vivo. We report here that neurturin (NTN), a homolog of GDNF, is expressed in the nigrostriatal system, and that NTN exerts potent effects on survival and function of midbrain DA neurons. Our findings indicate that NTN mRNA is sequentially expressed in the ventral midbrain and striatum during development and that NTN exhibits survival-promoting actions on both developing and mature DA neurons. In vitro, NTN supports survival of embryonic DA neurons, and in vivo, direct injection of NTN into the substantia nigra protects mature DA neurons from cell death induced by 6-OHDA. Furthermore, administration of NTN into the striatum of intact adult animals induces behavioral and biochemical changes associated with functional upregulation of nigral DA neurons. The similarity in potency and efficacy of NTN and GDNF on DA neurons in several paradigms stands in contrast to the differential distribution of the receptor components GDNF Family Receptor alpha1 (GFRalpha1) and GFRalpha2 within the ventral mesencephalon. These results suggest that NTN is an endogenous trophic factor for midbrain DA neurons and point to the possibility that GDNF and NTN may exert redundant trophic influences on nigral DA neurons acting via a receptor complex that includes GFRalpha1.
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| 2. |
- Nunez, J. C. B., et al.
(författare)
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Footprints of natural selection at the mannose-6-phosphate isomerase locus in barnacles
- 2020
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424. ; 117:10, s. 5376-5385
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mannose-6-phosphate isomerase (Mpi) locus in Semibalanus balanoides has been studied as a candidate gene for balancing selection for more than two decades. Previous work has shown that Mpi allozyme genotypes (fast and slow) have different fre-quencies across Atlantic intertidal zones due to selection on post-settlement survival (i.e., allele zonation). We present the complete gene sequence of the Mpi locus and quantify nucleotide polymor-phism in S. balanoides, as well as divergence to its sister taxon Semibalanus cariosus. We show that the slow allozyme contains a derived charge-altering amino acid polymorphism, and both allo-zyme classes correspond to two haplogroups with multiple internal haplotypes. The locus shows several footprints of balancing selec-tion around the fast/slow site: an enrichment of positive Tajima's D for nonsynonymous mutations, an excess of polymorphism, and a spike in the levels of silent polymorphism relative to silent diver-gence, as well as a site frequency spectrum enriched for midfre-quency mutations. We observe other departures from neutrality across the locus in both coding and noncoding regions. These in-clude a nonsynonymous trans-species polymorphism and a recent mutation under selection within the fast haplogroup. The latter suggests ongoing allelic replacement of functionally relevant amino acid variants. Moreover, predicted models of Mpi protein structure provide insight into the functional significance of the putatively selected amino acid polymorphisms. While footprints of selection are widespread across the range of S. balanoides, our data show that intertidal zonation patterns are variable across both spatial and temporal scales. These data provide further evidence for heteroge-neous selection on Mpi.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Nemlander, E., et al.
(författare)
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A machine learning tool for identifying non-metastatic colorectal cancer in primary care
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 182, s. 100-106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Primary health care (PHC) is often the first point of contact when diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC). Human limitations in processing large amounts of information warrant the use of machine learning as a diagnostic prediction tool for CRC. Aim: To develop a predictive model for identifying non-metastatic CRC (NMCRC) among PHC patients using diagnostic data analysed with machine learning. Design and setting: A case-control study containing data on PHC visits for 542 patients >18 years old diagnosed with NMCRC in the Vastra Gotaland Region, Sweden, during 2011, and 2,139 matched controls. Method: Stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) was used to construct a model for predicting the presence of NMCRC based on diagnostic codes from PHC consultations during the year before the date of cancer diagnosis and the total number of consultations. Variables with a normalised relative influence (NRI) >1% were considered having an important contribution to the model. Risks of having NMCRC were calculated using odds ratios of marginal effects. Results: Of the 361 variables used as predictors in the stochastic gradient boosting model, 184 had non-zero influence, with 16 variables having NRI >1% and a combined NRI of 63.3%. Variables representing anaemia and bleeding had a combined NRI of 27.6%. The model had a sensitivity of 73.3% and a specificity of 83.5%. Change in bowel habit had the highest odds ratios of marginal effects at 28.8. Conclusion: Machine learning is useful for identifying variables of importance for predicting NMCRC in PHC. Malignant diagnoses may be hidden behind benign symptoms such as haemorrhoids. 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 5. |
- Nilsson, O G, et al.
(författare)
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Spatial learning impairments in rats with selective immunolesion of the forebrain cholinergic system
- 1992
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Ingår i: NeuroReport. - 0959-4965. ; 3:11, s. 8-1005
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A monoclonal antibody to the low-affinity NGF receptor, 192 IgG, coupled to a cytotoxin, saporin, was recently introduced as an efficient selective neurotoxin for the NGFr-bearing cholinergic neurones in the rat basal forebrain. In the present study we report that an intracerebroventricular injection of this 192 IgG-saporin conjugate induces a severe, long-lasting spatial learning impairment, as assessed in the Morris water-maze task. This behavioural impairment was associated with 65-90% depletion of choline acetyltransferase activity (ChAT) in the hippocampus and cortex. ChAT activity associated with other cholinergic neurone systems in the brain (striatum, mesencephalon, spinal cord), was left virtually unaffected. This new immunotoxin holds great promise as a tool for selective and efficient lesions of the forebrain cholinergic system in functional and behavioural studies.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Nunez, J. C. B., et al.
(författare)
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From tides to nucleotides: Genomic signatures of adaptation to environmental heterogeneity in barnacles
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 30:23, s. 6417-6433
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The northern acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides) is a robust system to study the genetic basis of adaptations to highly heterogeneous environments. Adult barnacles may be exposed to highly dissimilar levels of thermal stress depending on where they settle in the intertidal (i.e., closer to the upper or lower tidal boundary). For instance, barnacles near the upper tidal limit experience episodic summer temperatures above recorded heat coma levels. This differential stress at the microhabitat level is also dependent on the aspect of sun exposure. In the present study, we used pool-seq approaches to conduct a genome wide screen for loci responding to intertidal zonation across the North Atlantic basin (Maine, Rhode Island, and Norway). Our analysis discovered 382 genomic regions containing SNPs which are consistently zonated (i.e., SNPs whose frequencies vary depending on their position in the rocky intertidal) across all surveyed habitats. Notably, most zonated SNPs are young and private to the North Atlantic. These regions show high levels of genetic differentiation across ecologically extreme microhabitats concomitant with elevated levels of genetic variation and Tajima's D, suggesting the action of non-neutral processes. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that spatially heterogeneous selection is a general and repeatable feature for this species, and that natural selection can maintain functional genetic variation in heterogeneous environments.
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| 8. |
- Rosenblad, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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In vivo protection of nigral dopamine neurons by lentiviral gene transfer of the novel GDNF-family member neublastin/artemin
- 2000
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Ingår i: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 1044-7431. ; 15:2, s. 199-214
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-family of neurotrophic factors consisted until recently of three members, GDNF, neurturin, and persephin. We describe here the cloning of a new GDNF-family member, neublastin (NBN), identical to artemin (ART), recently published (Baloh et al., 1998). Addition of NBN/ART to cultures of fetal mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons increased the number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neurons by approximately 70%, similar to the maximal effect obtained with GDNF. To investigate the neuroprotective effects in vivo, lentiviral vectors carrying the cDNA for NBN/ART or GDNF were injected into the striatum and ventral midbrain. Three weeks after an intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesion only about 20% of the nigral DA neurons were left in the control group, while 80-90% of the DA neurons remained in the NBN/ART and GDNF treatment groups, and the striatal TH-immunoreactive innervation was partly spared. We conclude that NBN/ART, similarly to GDNF, is a potent neuroprotective factor for the nigrostriatal DA neurons in vivo.
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| 9. |
- Abramova, Anna, 1990, et al.
(författare)
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Sensory receptor repertoire in cyprid antennules of the barnacle Balanus improvisus
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 14:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- - Barnacle settlement involves sensing of a variety of exogenous cues. A pair of antennules is the main sensory organ that the cyprid larva uses to explore the surface. Antennules are equipped with a number of setae that have both chemo- and mechanosensing function. The current study explores the repertoire of sensory receptors in Balanus improvisus cyprid antennules with the goal to better understand sensory systems involved in the settling behavior of this species. We carried out transcriptome sequencing of dissected B. improvisus cyprid antennules. The generated transcriptome assembly was used to search for sensory receptors using HMM models. Among potential chemosensory genes, we identified the ionotropic receptors IR25a, IR8a and IR93a, and several divergent IR candidates to be expressed in the cyprid antennules. We found one gustatory-like receptor but no odorant receptors, chemosensory or odorant-binding proteins. Apart from chemosensory receptors, we also identified 13 potential mechanosensory genes represented by several transient receptor potential channels (TRP) subfamilies. Furthermore, we analyzed changes in expression profiles of IRs and TRPs during the B. improvisus settling process. Several of the sensory genes were differentially expressed during the course of larval settlement. This study gives expanded knowledge about the sensory systems present in barnacles, a taxonomic group for which only limited information about receptors is currently available. It furthermore serves as a starting point for more in depth studies of how sensory signaling affects settling behavior in barnacles with implications for preventing biofouling. © 2019 Abramova et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Alm Rosenblad, Magnus, 1957, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for further non-coding RNA genes in the fungal rDNA region
- 2022
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Ingår i: MycoKeys. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 1314-4057 .- 1314-4049. ; :90, s. 203-213
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes play important, but incompletely understood, roles in various cellular processes, notably translation and gene regulation. A recent report on the detection of the ncRNA Signal Recognition Particle gene in the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region of several species of three genera of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes prompted a more thorough bioinformatics search for additional ncRNA genes in the full fungal ribosomal operon. This study reports on the detection of three ncRNA genes hitherto not known from the fungal ribosomal region: nuclear RNase P RNA, RNase MRP RNA, and a possible snoRNA U14 in a total of five species ofAuricularia and Inocybe. We verified their presence through resequencing of independent specimens. Two completedAuricularia genomes were found to lack these ncRNAs elsewhere than in the ribosomal operon, suggesting that these are functional genes. It seems clear that ncRNA genes play a larger role in fungal ribosomal genetics than hitherto thought.
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| 12. |
- Dumesic, Phillip A, et al.
(författare)
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Noncanoncial signal recognition particle RNAs in a major eukaryotic phylum revealed by purification of SRP from the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nucleic acids research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1362-4962 .- 0305-1048. ; 43:18, s. 9017-9027
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite conservation of the signal recognition particle (SRP) from bacteria to man, computational approaches have failed to identify SRP components from genomes of many lower eukaryotes, raising the possibility that they have been lost or altered in those lineages. We report purification and analysis of SRP in the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, providing the first description of SRP in basidiomycetous yeast. The C. neoformans SRP RNA displays a predicted structure in which the universally conserved helix 8 contains an unprecedented stem-loop insertion. Guided by this sequence, we computationally identified 152 SRP RNAs throughout the phylum Basidiomycota. This analysis revealed additional helix 8 alterations including single and double stem-loop insertions as well as loop diminutions affecting RNA structural elements that are otherwise conserved from bacteria to man. Strikingly, these SRP RNA features in Basidiomycota are accompanied by phylum-specific alterations in the RNA-binding domain of Srp54, the SRP protein subunit that directly interacts with helix 8. Our findings reveal unexpected fungal SRP diversity and suggest coevolution of the two most conserved SRP features-SRP RNA helix 8 and Srp54-in basidiomycetes. Because members of this phylum include important human and plant pathogens, these noncanonical features provide new targets for antifungal compound development.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Fricker-Gates, R A, et al.
(författare)
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EGF infusion stimulates the proliferation and migration of embryonic progenitor cells transplanted in the adult rat striatum
- 2000
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Ingår i: Experimental Neurology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0014-4886. ; 165:2, s. 237-247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immature progenitor cells (generated by in vitro propagation) may provide a useful alternative to primary cells (from dissected embryonic tissue) for transplantation if their migratory and proliferative and differentiation properties can be controlled and directed in vivo. In this study E15 murine EGF-responsive progenitor cells were transplanted to the striatum of adult rats. Simultaneously, these animals received continuous infusion of either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or vehicle, to the lateral ventricle, for 8 days. In animals that received EGF, the transplanted progenitors migrated toward the lateral ventricle and proliferated, as evidenced by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Progenitor cells transplanted to rats that received vehicle infusions showed neither of these responses. In all animals, transplanted progenitors expressed an immature astrocyte or oligodendrocyte phenotype, the majority of cells being astrocytes. We conclude that EGF stimulates the migration and proliferation of murine progenitor cells in vivo, either directly or indirectly, but does not influence their phenotypic differentiation.
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| 15. |
- Grandahl, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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A population based survey of school nurses' attitudes to the implemented HPV vaccination programme in Sweden
- 2015
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Ingår i: Eurogin 2015. ; , s. 168-168
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate school nurses’ attitudes to, and experiences of the school-based HPV vaccination programme,one year after its implementation in Sweden.Methods: Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire in spring 2013, and 83.1% (851/1024) of the nursesanswered the questionnaire.Results: The majority (88.9%, n=756) agreed that HPV vaccinations should be the school nurses’ responsibility, and mostalso agreed (81.5%, n=693) that boys also should be offered the vaccine. Two thirds, 66.9% (n=570), stated that they hadexperienced difficulties with the vaccination and of these 59.1% (n=337) considered the task time-consuming. Three outof four nurses, 76.1% (n=648), had been contacted by parents who raised questions regarding the vaccine. The most commonquestions were related to side effects. There were strong associations between the nurses’ received education aboutthe HPV vaccine and perceived knowledge about the HPV vaccine and a favourable attitude towards vaccination (both p<0.001). A school nurse with a high level of received education was 9.8 times more likely to have a positive attitude to HPVvaccination compared to a nurse with a low level of received education (p<0.001). Nurses with high perceived knowledgewere 2.5 times more likely to have a positive attitude compared to those with a low level of perceived knowledge(p=0.006).Conclusions: HPV vaccination is a complex and time-consuming task and the school nurses need adequate knowledge,education, skills and time in order to address questions and concerns from parents, as well as informing about HPV.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Johansen, J, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of Tet-on system to avoid transgene downregulation in ex vivo gene transfer to the CNS
- 2002
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Ingår i: Gene Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0969-7128 .- 1476-5462. ; 9:19, s. 1291-1301
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ex vivo gene transfer to the CNS has so far been hampered by instability of transgene expression. To avoid the phenomenon of transgene down-regulation, we have employed strong, constitutive promoters and compared this expression system with the inducible Tet expression system incorporated in a single plasmid vector or in lentiviral vectors. Plasmid-based transgene expression directed by the constitutive, human ubiquitin promoter, UbC, was stable in transfected HiB5 cells in vitro and comparable in strength to the CMV promoter. However, after transplantation of UbC and CMV HiB5 clones to the rat striatum, silencing of the transgene occurred in most cells soon after implantation of transfected cells. The Tet-on elements were incorporated in a single plasmid vector and inducible HiB5 clones were generated. Inducible clones displayed varying basal expression activity, which could not be ascribed to an effect of cis-elements in the vector, but rather was due, at least in part, to intrinsic activity of the minimal promoter. Basal expression activity could be blocked in a majority of cells by stable expressing the transrepressor tTS. Fully induced expression levels were comparable to CMV and UbC promoters. Similar to the constitutive promoters transgene expression was down-regulated soon after grafting of Inducible HiB5 clones to the rat striatum. Lentiviral vectors can direct long-term stable in vivo transgene expression. To take advantage of this quality of the lentiviral vector, the Tet-on elements were incorporated in two lentiviral transfer vectors followed by transduction of Hib5 cells. Interestingly, all HiB5 clones established by lentiviral transduction showed very similar expression patterns and tight regulatability that apparently was independent of transgene copy number and integration site. Nevertheless, transgene expression in all lentiviral HiB5 clones was down-regulated shortly after transplantation to the rat striatum. These results confirm the general phenomenon of transgene down-regulation. Moreover, the results suggest that the considerable advantages offered by lentiviral vectors for direct gene delivery cannot necessarily be transferred directly to ex vivo gene delivery. This emphasizes the need for alternative vector strategies for ex vivo gene transfer.
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| 18. |
- Lind, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of aquaporins from the euryhaline barnacle Balanus improvisus reveals differential expression in response to changes in salinity
- 2017
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 12:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Barnacles are sessile macro-invertebrates, found along rocky shores in coastal areas worldwide. The euryhaline bay barnacle Balanus improvisus (Darwin, 1854) (= Amphibalanus improvisus) can tolerate a wide range of salinities, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the osmoregulatory capacity of this truly brackish species are not well understood. Aquaporins are pore-forming integral membrane proteins that facilitate transport of water, small solutes and ions through cellular membranes, and that have been shown to be important for osmoregulation in many organisms. The knowledge of the function of aquaporins in crustaceans is, however, limited and nothing is known about them in barnacles. We here present the repertoire of aquaporins from a thecostracan crustacean, the barnacle B. improvisus, based on genome and transcriptome sequencing. Our analyses reveal that B. improvisus contains eight genes for aquaporins. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they represented members of the classical water aquaporins (Aqp1, Aqp2), the aquaglyceroporins (Glp1, Glp2), the unorthodox aquaporin (Aqp12) and the arthropod-specific big brain aquaporin (Bib). Interestingly, we also found two big brain-like proteins (BibL1 and BibL2) constituting a new group of aquaporins not yet described in arthropods. In addition, we found that the two water-specific aquaporins were expressed as C-terminal splice variants. Heterologous expression of some of the aquaporins followed by functional characterization showed that Aqp1 transported water and Glp2 water and glycerol, agreeing with the predictions of substrate specificity based on 3D modeling and phylogeny. To investigate a possible role for the B. improvisus aquaporins in osmoregulation, mRNA expression changes in adult barnacles were analysed after long-term acclimation to different salinities. The most pronounced expression difference was seen for AQP1 with a substantial (>100-fold) decrease in the mantle tissue in low salinity (3 PSU) compared to high salinity (33 PSU). Our study provides a base for future mechanistic studies on the role of aquaporins in osmoregulation. © 2017 Lind et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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| 19. |
- Lundin, J, et al.
(författare)
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Phase 2 study of alemtuzumab (anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody) in patients with advanced mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome
- 2003
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Ingår i: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 101:11, s. 4267-4272
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This phase 2 study evaluated the safety and efficacy of alemtuzumab in 22 patients with advanced mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome (MF/SS). Most patients had stage III or IV disease, reduced performance status, and severe itching. The overall response (OR) rate was 55%, with 32% of patients in complete remission (CR) and M in, partial remission (PR). Sezary cells were cleared from the blood in 6 of 7 (86%) patients, and CR in lymph nodes was observed in 6 of 11 (55%) patients. The effect was better on erythro-derma (OR, 69%) than on plaque or skin tumors (OR, 40%) and in patients who had received 1 to 2 previous regimens (OR, 80%) thin in those who had received 3 or more prior regimens (OR, 33%). Itching, self-assessed on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale, was reduced from a median of 8 before treatment to 2 at end. of therapy. Median time to treatment failure was 12 months (range, 5-32+ months). Cytomegalovirus (CMV), reactivation (causing fever without pneumonitis and responding to ganciclovir) occurred in 4 (18%) patients. Six additional patients had suspect or manifest infection (fever of unknown origin, 3, generalized herpes simplex, 1, fatal aspergillosis, 1). One patient had fatal Mycobacterium pneumonia at 10+ months. All serious infectious adverse events (except CMV) occurred in patients who had received 3 or more prior regimens. Progression of squamous cell skin carcinoma was noted in 1 patient. Alemtuzumab shows promising clinical activity and an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced MF/SS, particularly in patients with erythroderma and severe itching and those who were not heavily pretreated. (C) 2003 by The American Society of Hematology.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Nilsson, O G, et al.
(författare)
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Basal forebrain grafts in the hippocampus and neocortex : regulation of acetylcholine release
- 1993
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Ingår i: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0077-8923. ; 695:1, s. 267-273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The regulation of acetylcholine (ACh) release from cholinergic neurons transplanted to the hippocampus or neocortex was studied by microdialysis in awake rats. Fetal basal forebrain tissue was implanted as a cell suspension or solid graft into the fimbria-fornix-lesioned hippocampus, or as a cell suspension into the frontal cortex after excitotoxic lesion of the nucleus basalis. Several months after transplantation, microdialysis probes were implanted in areas of the hippocampus or frontal cortex reinnervated by the grafts. The grafts restored lesion-induced deficits in steady-state ACh release up to normal or above normal levels in both hippocampus and frontal cortex. The responses to KCl and tetrodotoxin suggested that the ACh release exhibited normal firing-dependent properties. By applying various behaviorally arousing stimuli that normally activate the basal forebrain projection systems, we wished to investigate the functional integration of the grafts in the host brain. In the hippocampus, sensory stimulation, immobilization stress and motor activity all resulted in increased release of graft-derived ACh amounting to 25-65% of the normal response. Variations in ACh levels during the day-night cycle was, however, not observed in the grafted rats. In the frontal cortex, immobilization enhanced the graft-derived ACh release (60% of normal response), whereas the response to sensory stimulation did not reach significance. Since the activity of the normal basal forebrain projection systems is under influence of monoaminergic brainstem afferents, we investigated the effects of systemic administration of amphetamine or apomorphine on ACh release in the hippocampus. Both drugs produced increases in graft-derived ACh release although the response was variable and less pronounced than normal. In conclusion, the graft-derived ACh release was affected by behavioral manipulations and catecholaminergic drugs that normally modify cholinergic septo-hippocampal and basalo-cortical activity. This strongly suggests a high degree of functional integration of the graft in the host brain allowing for a regulated release of transmitter that can be adjusted during ongoing behavior.
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| 23. |
- Nunez, Joaquin C B, et al.
(författare)
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Ecological load and balancing selection in circumboreal barnacles.
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1537-1719. ; 38:2, s. 676-685
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Acorn barnacle adults experience environmental heterogeneity at various spatial scales of their circumboreal habitat, raising the question of how adaptation to high environmental variability is maintained in the face of strong juvenile dispersal and mortality. Here we show that 4% of genes in the barnacle genome experience balancing selection across the entire range of the species. Many of these genes harbor mutations maintained across 2 million years of evolution between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. These genes are involved in ion regulation, pain reception, and heat tolerance, functions which are essential in highly variable ecosystems. The data also reveal complex population structure within and between basins, driven by the trans-Arctic interchange and the last glaciation. Divergence between Atlantic and Pacific populations is high, foreshadowing the onset of allopatric speciation, and suggesting that balancing selection is strong enough to maintain functional variation for millions of years in the face of complex demography.
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| 24. |
- Rosenblad, Andreas, Fil. dr, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Surgical waiting times and all-cause mortality in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Urology. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 2168-1805 .- 2168-1813. ; 56:5-6, s. 383-390
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To examine the association between surgical waiting times (SWTs) and all-cause mortality (ACM) in non-metastatic patients with RCC, in relation to tumour stage. Patients and methods This nation-wide population-based cohort study included 9,918 M0 RCC patients registered in the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register, between 2009 and 2021, followed-up for ACM until 9 December 2021, and having measured SWTs. The associations between primarily SWTs from date of radiological diagnosis to date of surgery (WRS) and secondarily SWTs from date of radiological diagnosis to date of treatment decision (WRT) and date of treatment decision to date of surgery (WTS), in relation to ACM, were analysed using Cox regression analysis, adjusted for clinical and demographic characteristics, stratified and unstratified according to T-stage. Results During a mean follow-up time of 5 years (49,873 person-years), 23% (n = 2291) of the patients died. The adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) for WRS (months) for all patients was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.04; p < 0.001). When subdividing WRS on T-stage, the AHRs were 1.03 (95% CI = 1.01-1.04; p < 0.001) and 1.05 (95% CI = 1.02-1.08; p = 0.003) for stages T1 and T3, respectively, while non-significant for T2 (p = 0.079) and T4 (p = 0.807). Similar results were obtained for WRT and WTS. Conclusions Prolonged SWTs significantly increased the risk of early overall death among patients with RCC. The increased risk of early death from any cause show the importance of shortening SWTs in clinical work of patients with this malignant disease.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Svenningsson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Eltoprazine counteracts l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease: a dose-finding study.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Brain. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2156 .- 0006-8950. ; 138:Feb 10, s. 963-973
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, serotonergic terminals take up l-DOPA and convert it to dopamine. Abnormally released dopamine may participate in the development of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias. Simultaneous activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors effectively blocks l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in animal models of dopamine depletion, justifying a clinical study with eltoprazine, a 5-HT1A/B receptor agonist, against l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in patients with Parkinson's disease. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled and dose-finding phase I/IIa study was conducted. Single oral treatment with placebo or eltoprazine, at 2.5, 5 and 7.5 mg, was tested in combination with a suprathreshold dose of l-DOPA (Sinemet®) in 22 patients with Parkinson's disease (16 male/six female; 66.6 ± 8.8 years old) with l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias. A Wilcoxon Signed Ranked Test was used to compare each eltoprazine dose level to paired randomized placebo on the prespecified primary efficacy variables; area under the curve scores on Clinical Dyskinesia Rating Scale for 3 h post-dose and maximum change of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III for 3 h post-dose. Secondary objectives included effects on maximum Clinical Dyskinesia Rating Scale score, area under the curve of Rush Dyskinesia Rating Scale score for 3 h post-dose, mood parameters measured by Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale along with the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability profile of eltoprazine. A mixed model repeated measures was used for post hoc analyses of the area under the curve and peak Clinical Dyskinesia Rating Scale scores. It was found that serum concentrations of eltoprazine increased in a dose-proportional manner. Following levodopa challenge, 5 mg eltoprazine caused a significant reduction of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias on area under the curves of Clinical Dyskinesia Rating Scale [-1.02(1.49); P = 0.004] and Rush Dyskinesia Rating Scale [-0.15(0.23); P = 0.003]; and maximum Clinical Dyskinesia Rating Scale score [-1.14(1.59); P = 0.005]. The post hoc analysis confirmed these results and also showed an antidyskinetic effect of 7.5 mg eltoprazine. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III scores did not differ between the placebo and eltoprazine treatments. The most frequent adverse effects after eltoprazine were nausea and dizziness. It can be concluded that a single dose, oral treatment with eltoprazine has beneficial antidyskinetic effects without altering normal motor responses to l-DOPA. All doses of eltoprazine were well tolerated, with no major adverse effects. Eltoprazine has a favourable risk-benefit and pharmacokinetic profile in patients with Parkinson's disease. The data support further clinical studies with chronic oral eltoprazine to treat l-DOPA-induced-dyskinesias.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Westram, A. M., et al.
(författare)
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Do the same genes underlie parallel phenotypic divergence in different Littorina saxatilis populations?
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083. ; 23:18, s. 4603-4616
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Parallel patterns of adaptive divergence and speciation are cited as powerful evidence for the role of selection driving these processes. However, it is often not clear whether parallel phenotypic divergence is underlain by parallel genetic changes. Here, we asked about the genetic basis of parallel divergence in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis, which has repeatedly evolved coexisting ecotypes adapted to either crab predation or wave action. We sequenced the transcriptome of snails of both ecotypes from three distant geographical locations (Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom) and mapped the reads to the L. saxatilis reference genome. We identified genomic regions potentially under divergent selection between ecotypes within each country, using an outlier approach based on FST values calculated per locus. In line with previous studies indicating that gene reuse is generally common, we expected to find extensive sharing of outlier loci due to recent shared ancestry and gene flow between at least two of the locations in our study system. Contrary to our expectations, we found that most outliers were country specific, suggesting that much of the genetic basis of divergence is not shared among locations. However, we did find that more outliers were shared than expected by chance and that differentiation of shared outliers is often generated by the same SNPs. We discuss two mechanisms potentially explaining the limited amount of sharing we observed. First, a polygenic basis of divergent traits might allow for multiple distinct molecular mechanisms generating the same phenotypic patterns. Second, additional, location-specific axes of selection that we did not focus on in this study may produce distinct patterns of genetic divergence within each site.
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| 29. |
- Wrange, Anna-Lisa, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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The Story of a Hitchhiker: Population Genetic Patterns in the Invasive Barnacle Balanus (Amphibalanus) improvisus Darwin 1854
- 2016
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the ecological and evolutionary forces that determine the genetic structure and spread of invasive species is a key component of invasion biology. The bay barnacle, Balanus improvisus (= Amphibalanus improvisus), is one of the most successful aquatic invaders worldwide, and is characterised by broad environmental tolerance. Although the species can spread through natural larval dispersal, human-mediated transport through (primarily) shipping has almost certainly contributed to the current global distribution of this species. Despite its worldwide distribution, little is known about the phylogeography of this species. Here, we characterize the population genetic structure and model dispersal dynamics of the barnacle B. improvisus, and describe how human-mediated spreading via shipping as well as natural larval dispersal may have contributed to observed genetic variation. We used both mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I: COI) and nuclear microsatellites to characterize the genetic structure in 14 populations of B. improvisus on a global and regional scale (Baltic Sea). Genetic diversity was high in most populations, and many haplotypes were shared among populations on a global scale, indicating that longdistance dispersal (presumably through shipping and other anthropogenic activities) has played an important role in shaping the population genetic structure of this cosmopolitan species. We could not clearly confirm prior claims that B. improvisus originates from the western margins of the Atlantic coasts; although there were indications that Argentina could be part of a native region. In addition to dispersal via shipping, we show that natural larval dispersal may play an important role for further colonisation following initial introduction.
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| 30. |
- Zhang, H., et al.
(författare)
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Signal Recognition Particle RNA in Dinoflagellates and the Perkinsid Perkinsus marinus
- 2013
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Ingår i: Protist. - : Elsevier BV. - 1434-4610. ; 164:5, s. 748-761
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In dinoflagellates and perkinsids, the molecular structure of the protein translocating machinery is unclear. Here, we identified several types of full-length signal recognition particle (SRP) RNA genes from Karenia brevis (dinoflagellate) and Perkinsus marinus (perkinsid). We also identified the four SRP S-domain proteins, but not the two Alu domain proteins, from P. marinus and several dinoflagellates. We mapped both ends of SRP RNA transcripts from K. brevis and P. marinus, and obtained the 3' end from four other dinoflagellates. The lengths of SRP RNA are predicted to be similar to 260-300 nt in dinoflagellates and 280-285 nt in P. marinus. Although these SRP RNA sequences are substantially variable, the predicted structures are similar. The genomic organization of the SRP RNA gene differs among species. In K. brevis, this gene is located downstream of the spliced leader (SL) RNA, either as SL RNA-SRP RNA-tRNA gene tandem repeats, or within a SL RNA-SRP RNA-tRNA-U6-5S rRNA gene cluster. In other dinoflagellates, SRP RNA does not cluster with SL RNA or 5S rRNA genes. The majority of P. marinus SRP RNA genes array as tandem repeats without the above-mentioned small RNA genes. Our results capture a snapshot of a potentially complex evolutionary history of SRP RNA in alveolates. (c) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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