| 1. |
- Anderberg, Sara B., et al.
(författare)
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Physiological aspects of Toll-like receptor 4 activation in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury
- 2017
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Ingår i: Acta Physiologica. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1748-1708 .- 1748-1716. ; 219:3, s. 575-590
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (SI-AKI) is common and associated with high mortality. Survivors are at increased risk of chronic kidney disease. The precise mechanism underlying SI-AKI is unknown, and no curative treatment exists. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activates the innate immune system in response to exogenous microbial products. The result is an inflammatory reaction aimed at clearing a potential infection. However, the consequence may also be organ dysfunction as the immune response can cause collateral damage to host tissue. The purpose of this review is to describe the basis for how ligand binding to TLR4 has the potential to cause renal dysfunction and the mechanisms by which this may take place in gram-negative sepsis. In addition, we highlight areas for future research that can further our knowledge of the pathogenesis of SI-AKI in relation to TLR4 activation. TLR4 is expressed in the kidney. Activation of TLR4 causes cytokine and chemokine release as well as renal leucocyte infiltration. It also results in endothelial and tubular dysfunction in addition to altered renal metabolism and circulation. From a physiological standpoint, inhibiting TLR4 in large animal experimental SI-AKI significantly improves renal function. Thus, current evidence indicates that TLR4 has the ability to mediate SI-AKI by a number of mechanisms. The strong experimental evidence supporting a role of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of SI-AKI in combination with the availability of pharmacological tools to target TLR4 warrants future human studies.
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| 2. |
- Freire, Susana E., et al.
(författare)
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The Lucilia group (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae): phylogenetic and taxonomic considerations based on molecular and morphological evidence.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plant Systematics and Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0378-2697 .- 1615-6110 .- 2199-6881. ; 301, s. 1227-1248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Lucilia group sensu Anderberg and Freire comprises nine South American genera: Belloa, Berroa, Chevreulia, Cuatrecasasiella, Facelis, Gamochaetopsis, Jalcophila, Lucilia and Luciliocline. The aims of this contribution were, using DNA sequences from plastid (rpl32-trnL, trnL-F) and nuclear (ITS and ETS) markers, together with morphological characters, to test the monophyly of the Lucilia group and provide new insight into generic circumscriptions. Our studies, including a broad taxon sampling of Gnaphalieae species, suggest that the Lucilia group is paraphyletic, since Antennaria, Chionolaena, Gamochaeta, Loricaria, Micropsis, Mniodes and Stuckertiella are all nested within the Lucilia group. Morphology and molecular analyses combined showed that the traditional generic circumscription of most of the genera (e.g., Berroa, Chevreulia, Chionolaena, Cuatrecasasiella, Facelis, Jalcophila and Micropsis) correlates with the inferred phylogenetic relationships. Conversely, Lucilia and Luciliocline are non-monophyletic. Lucilia is nested in a clade with Berroa, Facelis and Micropsis. Luciliocline is strongly embedded within the clade Belloa pp + Mniodes. Our results are consistent with Dillon’s study that considered Belloa as a montotypic genus (B. chilensis). Luciliocline and the remaining species of Belloa are accommodated in the genus Mniodes, and the necessary combinations are proposed for the expanded Mniodes. All the analyses showed that the monotypic genera Stuckertiella and Gamochaetopsis are in a well-supported clade nested within Gamochaeta, which implies that taxonomic changes are required also for these genera. Internal relationships in the group and the key morphological characters used in the taxonomy of the group, as well as incongruences found between morphological and molecular analyses, are discussed.
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| 3. |
- Kümpers, B. M. C., et al.
(författare)
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The significance of meristic changes in the flower of Sapotaceae
- 2016
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Ingår i: Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. - 0024-4074 .- 1095-8339. ; 180, s. 161-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sapotaceae belongs to the heterogeneous order Ericales and exhibits extensive diversity in floral morphology. Although pentamery is widespread and probably the ancestral condition, some clades are extremely variable in merism, with fluctuations between tetramery to hexamery and octomery, affecting different floral organs to different degrees. We assessed the different states of merism in Sapotaceae to determine the evolution of this character among different clades. The floral morphology and development of nine species from eight genera were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, floral characters related to merism were mapped onto a phylogenetic tree to analyse the distribution and evolutionary significance of merism in the family. Developmental evidence shows that changes in merism are linked to a concerted multiplication of organs among whorls and an increase in whorls through the displacement of organs. Although pentamery is reconstructed as the ancestral condition, a reduction to tetramery or an increase to a higher merism (mainly hexamery or octomery) has evolved at least five times in the family. Fluctuations in merism between different whorls are not random but occur in a coordinated pattern, presenting strong synapomorphies for selected clades. Octomery has evolved at least twice, in Isonandreae from tetramery and in Sapoteae-Mimusopinae from pentamery. Hexamery has evolved at least three times, independently in Northia, the Palaquium clade of Isonandreae and derived from octomery in Sapoteae-Mimusopinae. Three possibilities of merism increase have been identified in Sapotaceae: (1) a concerted increase affecting all organs more or less equally (Palaquium clade of Isonandreae, Sapoteae); (2) a coordinated increase in petals, stamens and mostly carpels without effect on sepals (Labourdonnaisia, Payena–Madhuca clade of Isonandreae); (3) an increase in carpels independently of other organs (Burckella, Letestua, Labramia, etc.). A major shift affecting all Sapotaceae, except Isonandreae, is the sterilization or loss of the antesepalous stamen whorl. The presence of two fertile stamen whorls in Isonandreae indicates a possible reversal or a retained plesiomorphy. In a number of genera, stamens are secondarily increased independently of changes in merism. Descriptions of flowers listing only organ numbers are thus misleading in the inference of evolutionary relationships, as they do not differentiate between changes in merism affecting the number of perianth whorls and other changes affecting the androecium, such as sterilization, loss or occasional doubling of antepetalous stamens.
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