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| 2. |
- Derba-Maceluch, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of xylan on field productivity and wood saccharification properties in aspen
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Xylan that comprises roughly 25% of hardwood biomass is undesirable in biorefinery applications involving saccharification and fermentation. Efforts to reduce xylan levels have therefore been made in many species, usually resulting in improved saccharification. However, such modified plants have not yet been tested under field conditions. Here we evaluate the field performance of transgenic hybrid aspen lines with reduced xylan levels and assess their usefulness as short-rotation feedstocks for biorefineries. Three types of transgenic lines were tested in four-year field tests with RNAi constructs targeting either Populus GT43 clades B and C (GT43BC) corresponding to Arabidopsis clades IRX9 and IRX14, respectively, involved in xylan backbone biosynthesis, GATL1.1 corresponding to AtGALT1 involved in xylan reducing end sequence biosynthesis, or ASPR1 encoding an atypical aspartate protease. Their productivity, wood quality traits, and saccharification efficiency were analyzed. The only lines differing significantly from the wild type with respect to growth and biotic stress resistance were the ASPR1 lines, whose stems were roughly 10% shorter and narrower and leaves showed increased arthropod damage. GT43BC lines exhibited no growth advantage in the field despite their superior growth in greenhouse experiments. Wood from the ASPR1 and GT43BC lines had slightly reduced density due to thinner cell walls and, in the case of ASPR1, larger cell diameters. The xylan was less extractable by alkali but more hydrolysable by acid, had increased glucuronosylation, and its content was reduced in all three types of transgenic lines. The hemicellulose size distribution in the GALT1.1 and ASPR1 lines was skewed towards higher molecular mass compared to the wild type. These results provide experimental evidence that GATL1.1 functions in xylan biosynthesis and suggest that ASPR1 may regulate this process. In saccharification without pretreatment, lines of all three constructs provided 8-11% higher average glucose yields than wild-type plants. In saccharification with acid pretreatment, the GT43BC construct provided a 10% yield increase on average. The best transgenic lines of each construct are thus predicted to modestly outperform the wild type in terms of glucose yields per hectare. The field evaluation of transgenic xylan-reduced aspen represents an important step towards more productive feedstocks for biorefineries. Copyright © 2023 Derba-Maceluch, Sivan, Donev, Gandla, Yassin, Vaasan, Heinonen, Andersson, Amini, Scheepers, Johansson, Vilaplana, Albrectsen, Hertzberg, Jönsson and Mellerowicz.
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| 3. |
- Löfgren, Magnus, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Chronic subordination stress augments combined progesterone and estradiol withdrawal behavior
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Exposure to stress is a risk factor for developing pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and stress enhances the anxiogenic effect of female sex steroids in animals. This study examines the interaction between chronic subordination stress and withdrawal from progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) (PEWD) in producing behaviors analogous to anxiety and irritability in rats. At the start of the experiment, male Wistar rats were housed in triads consisting of one younger rat (~35 days) and two older rats (~50 days). The housing condition was aimed at producing chronic subordination stress in the younger animals. Chronic subordination stress was assessed by the elevated plus maze (EPM) and by corticosterone (CORT) analysis. A triad of three 35-day-old rats was used as age control. Social rank within the triads was determined using a food competition test (FCT) and the tube test (TT). The younger rats (subordinate) and the dominant rats were assigned to 10 days of treatment with 5 mg/kg progesterone combined with 10 µg/kg 17β estradiol. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, the subordinate and dominant animals were tested in the open-field test (OFT) and in the intruder test (IT). The IT consists of a 10-minute exposure to 3 unfamiliar rats. Chronic subordination stress reduced EPM open-arm time and altered the CORT response. It also made the subordinate animals more vulnerable to PEWD. The effects were increased locomotion in the OFT, increased defensive burying, and increased social anxiety in the intruder test (IT). Dominant animals did not react to PEWD. Thus, chronic subordination stress augments PEWD.
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| 4. |
- Rytkönen, Paulina, et al.
(författare)
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Goat cheese production in Sweden : a pioneering experience in the re-emergence of local food
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica - Section B. - Oslo, Norway : Taylor & Francis. - 0906-4710 .- 1651-1913. ; 63:Suppl. 1, s. 38-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The re-emergence and modernization of traditional goat-cheese production in Jämtland led to the articulation of a localized agri-food system that represents the frontline of the return and reinforcement of local food in Sweden. Already in the 1970s, some initiatives were undertaken to formalize the productive activities of this branch and to improve the product quality. The most important project was the articulation of a cooperative that, unlike all other Swedish cooperatives, engaged its members in the development of a joint trademark, development of a standardized assortment, common marketing efforts and finding creative solutions for infrastructure problems. Despite the overall success, we also found some downsides. Producing goat cheese requires that at least two people are involved, because the workload often leads to body injuries and illness for people working alone. By studying the institutional frameworks, rules and regulations, the economic function and entrepreneurial dynamics, and the dynamics of knowledge and competences, the article highlights how and why farm dairies in Jamtland became reinforced and modernized. This grasps both the actions of individual economic agents and their interaction with their environment. A special emphasis was put on the role of regional authorities in this process. Even though many obstacles have been removed and the trade has found successful ways to solve strategic issues concerning product development and marketing, there are still important structural shortcomings that might decrease the profitability and endanger the future development of the trade. There is a lack of experience and infrastructure to solve more complex problems like animal healthand the potential risks related to the consumption of unpasteurized cheese and the increasing incidence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE).
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| 5. |
- Amorim, Jorge H., et al.
(författare)
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Regulating and Cultural Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Infrastructure in the Nordic Countries : A Systematic Review
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:3
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), the Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) has been traditionally targeted at reducing flood risk. However, other Ecosystem Services (ES) became increasingly relevant in response to the challenges of urbanization and climate change. In total, 90 scientific articles addressing ES considered crucial contributions to the quality of life in cities are reviewed. These are classified as (1) regulating ES that minimize hazards such as heat, floods, air pollution and noise, and (2) cultural ES that promote well-being and health. We conclude that the planning and design of UGI should balance both the provision of ES and their side effects and disservices, aspects that seem to have been only marginally investigated. Climate-sensitive planning practices are critical to guarantee that seasonal climate variability is accounted for at high-latitude regions. Nevertheless, diverging and seemingly inconsistent findings, together with gaps in the understanding of long-term effects, create obstacles for practitioners. Additionally, the limited involvement of end users points to a need of better engagement and communication, which in overall call for more collaborative research. Close relationships and interactions among different ES provided by urban greenery were found, yet few studies attempted an integrated evaluation. We argue that promoting interdisciplinary studies is fundamental to attain a holistic understanding of how plant traits affect the resulting ES; of the synergies between biophysical, physiological and psychological processes; and of the potential disservices of UGI, specifically in Nordic cities.
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| 7. |
- Andersson-Sköld, Yvonne, et al.
(författare)
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Landslide risk management : A brief overview and example from Sweden of current situation and climate change
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. - : Elsevier. - 2212-4209. ; 3:March, s. 44-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Landslide risk is a function of the probability of the event and its consequences. Previous research has shown that preventive measures to reduce the risk are preferred over reactive measures but, especially in developing countries, rarely undertaken. A contributing factor is the lack of evidence that preventive measures pay. This study includes a brief overview of landslide risk management in general and an investigation of the present risk management situation in Sweden based on interviews in 11 municipalities complemented with interviews in Norway. The result shows that climate change has become part of the general awareness and started to be taken into account in the municipal spatial planning. Landslide susceptibility maps and databases are useful tools in the complex spatial planning. The results indicate that the application of landslide susceptibility and risk maps as previously applied for preventive measures and spatial planning in the landslide prone area Gota alv river valley have been cost effective. Improved documentation and more active communication among different stakeholders would, however, contribute to more effective landslide management.
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| 8. |
- Aspeborg, Henrik, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Vegetabile material, plants and a method of producing a plant having altered lignin properties
- 2008
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The present invention is related to a set of genes, which when modified in plants gives altered lignin properties. The invention provides DNA construct such as a vector useful in the method of the invention. Further, the invention relates to a plant cell or plant progeny of the plants and wood produced by the plants according to the invention Lower lignin levels will result in improved saccharification for bio-refining and ethanol production and improved pulp and paper. Increased lignin levels will utilise lignin properties for energy production. The genes and DNA constructs may be used for the identification of plants having altered lignin characteristics as compared to the wild-type. According to the invention genes and DNA constructs may also be used as candidate genes in marker assisted breeding.
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| 9. |
- Donev, Evgeniy N., et al.
(författare)
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Field testing of transgenic aspen from large greenhouse screening identifies unexpected winners
- 2023
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Ingår i: Plant Biotechnology Journal. - : Wiley. - 1467-7644 .- 1467-7652. ; 21:5, s. 1005-1021
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trees constitute promising renewable feedstocks for biorefinery using biochemical conversion, but their recalcitrance restricts their attractiveness for the industry. To obtain trees with reduced recalcitrance, large-scale genetic engineering experiments were performed in hybrid aspen blindly targeting genes expressed during wood formation and 32 lines representing seven constructs were selected for characterization in the field. Here we report phenotypes of five-year old trees considering 49 traits related to growth and wood properties. The best performing construct considering growth and glucose yield in saccharification with acid pretreatment had suppressed expression of the gene encoding an uncharacterized 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2OGD). It showed minor changes in wood chemistry but increased nanoporosity and glucose conversion. Suppressed levels of SUCROSE SYNTHASE, (SuSy), CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE (C4H) and increased levels of GTPase activating protein for ADP-ribosylation factor ZAC led to significant growth reductions and anatomical abnormalities. However, C4H and SuSy constructs greatly improved glucose yields in saccharification without and with pretreatment, respectively. Traits associated with high glucose yields were different for saccharification with and without pretreatment. While carbohydrates, phenolics and tension wood contents positively impacted the yields without pretreatment and growth, lignin content and S/G ratio were negative factors, the yields with pretreatment positively correlated with S lignin and negatively with carbohydrate contents. The genotypes with high glucose yields had increased nanoporosity and mGlcA/Xyl ratio, and some had shorter polymers extractable with subcritical water compared to wild-type. The pilot-scale industrial-like pretreatment of best-performing 2OGD construct confirmed its superior sugar yields, supporting our strategy.
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| 10. |
- Eklund, D. Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Homologues of the Arabidopsis thaliana SHI/STY/LRP1 genes control auxin biosynthesis and affect growth and development in the moss Physcomitrella patens
- 2010
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Ingår i: Development. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0950-1991 .- 1477-9129. ; 137:8, s. 1275-1284
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plant hormone auxin plays fundamental roles in vascular plants. Although exogenous auxin also stimulates developmental transitions and growth in non-vascular plants, the effects of manipulating endogenous auxin levels have thus far not been reported. Here, we have altered the levels and sites of auxin production and accumulation in the moss Physcomitrella patens by changing the expression level of homologues of the Arabidopsis SHI/STY family proteins, which are positive regulators of auxin biosynthesis genes. Constitutive expression of PpSHI1 resulted in elevated auxin levels, increased and ectopic expression of the auxin response reporter GmGH3pro:GUS, and in an increased caulonema/chloronema ratio, an effect also induced by exogenous auxin application. In addition, we observed premature ageing and necrosis in cells ectopically expressing PpSHI1. Knockout of either of the two PpSHI genes resulted in reduced auxin levels and auxin biosynthesis rates in leafy shoots, reduced internode elongation, delayed ageing, a decreased caulonema/chloronema ratio and an increased number of axillary hairs, which constitute potential auxin biosynthesis sites. Some of the identified auxin functions appear to be analogous in vascular and non-vascular plants. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal expression of the PpSHI genes and GmGH3pro:GUS strongly overlap, suggesting that local auxin biosynthesis is important for the regulation of auxin peak formation in non-vascular plants.
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