1. |
- Bondestam, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
Engagement of activin and bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway Smad proteins in the induction of inhibin B production in ovarian granulosa cells
- 2002
-
In: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. - 0303-7207 .- 1872-8057. ; 195:1-2, s. 79-88
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the mammalian ovary cell growth and differentiation is regulated by several members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) superfamily including activins, inhibins, growth differentiation factors and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). The effects of TGF beta family members are mediated to the target cells via heteromeric complexes of type I and II serine/threonine kinase receptors which activate Smad signaling protein pathways in various cell types. We have previously shown that inhibin B, a hormonally important product from human granulosa cells, is up regulated by activin and BMPs. Here, we report the use of adenoviral gene transfer methodology to manipulate the TGF beta growth factor signaling system in primary cultures of human granulosa cells. These cells are exceedingly difficult to transfect by conventional transfection methods, but were virtually 100% infected with recombinant adenoviruses expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Adenoviruses expressing constitutively active forms of the seven known mammalian type I activin receptor-like kinase receptors (Ad-caALK1 through Ad-caALK7) cause activation of endogenous and adenovirally transferred Smad signaling proteins so that Ad-caALK1/2/3/6 and Ad-caALK4/5/7 induced phosphorylation of the Smad1 and Smad2 pathways, respectively. Activin A and BMP-2 activated the Smad1 and Smad2 pathways as well as inhibin B production as did all the Ad-caALKs. Furthermore, overexpression of adenoviral Smad1 and Smad2 proteins without exogenously added ligands induced inhibin B production. The inhibitory Smad7 protein suppressed BMP-2 and activin induced inhibin B production. Collectively, the present data demonstrate that adenoviral gene transfer provides an effective approach for dissecting the TGF beta signaling pathways in primary ovarian cells in vitro and more specifically indicate that the Smad1 and Smad2 pathways are involved in the regulation of inhibin B production by TGF beta family ligands in the ovary.
|
|
2. |
- Kyttälä, Aija, et al.
(author)
-
Genetic Variability Overrides the Impact of Parental Cell Type and Determines iPSC Differentiation Potential.
- 2016
-
In: Stem Cell Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-6711. ; 6:2, s. 200-212
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reports on the retention of somatic cell memory in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have complicated the selection of the optimal cell type for the generation of iPSC biobanks. To address this issue we compared transcriptomic, epigenetic, and differentiation propensities of genetically matched human iPSCs derived from fibroblasts and blood, two tissues of the most practical relevance for biobanking. Our results show that iPSC lines derived from the same donor are highly similar to each other. However, genetic variation imparts a donor-specific expression and methylation profile in reprogrammed cells that leads to variable functional capacities of iPSC lines. Our results suggest that integration-free, bona fide iPSC lines from fibroblasts and blood can be combined in repositories to form biobanks. Due to the impact of genetic variation on iPSC differentiation, biobanks should contain cells from large numbers of donors.
|
|
3. |
- Njølstad, Pål Rasmus, et al.
(author)
-
Roadmap for a precision-medicine initiative in the Nordic region
- 2019
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Nordic region, comprising primarily Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, has many of the necessary characteristics for being at the forefront of genome-based precision medicine. These include egalitarian and universal healthcare, expertly curated patient and population registries, biobanks, large population-based prospective cohorts linked to registries and biobanks, and a widely embraced sense of social responsibility that motivates public engagement in biomedical research. However, genome-based precision medicine can be achieved only through coordinated action involving all actors in the healthcare sector. Now is an opportune time to organize scientists in the Nordic region, together with other stakeholders including patient representatives, governments, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and funding agencies, to initiate a Nordic Precision Medicine Initiative. We present a roadmap for how this organization can be created. The Initiative should facilitate research, clinical trials and knowledge transfer to meet regional and global health challenges.
|
|