| 1. |
- Ponsot, Elodie, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Telomere length of anterior crucial ligament after rupture : similar telomere length in injured and noninjured ACL portions
- 2011
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In: Journal of Orthopaedic Research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0736-0266 .- 1554-527X. ; 29:1, s. 79-83
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The regeneration of ligaments following injury is a slow process compared to the healing of many other tissues and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the proliferative potential of ligaments by assessing telomere length within three distinct parts of human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) obtained during ACL reconstruction: the macroscopically injured proximal part and macroscopically noninjured mid- and distal portions in eight subjects (age 28 +/- 8 years). The mean telomere length in ACL was within normal range of values usually reported for other tissues indicating that the endogenous machinery responsible for the proliferative potential of ligament is not implicated in its poor healing capacity. The three ACL parts showed similar mean TRF lengths (distal part: 11.5 +/- 0.8 kbp, mid-portion: 11.8 +/- 1.2 kbp, proximal part: 11.9 +/- 1.6 kbp) and there was no relationship between mean telomere length in ACL and the healing duration after rupture. This implies that despite the occurrence of ligament repair including a phase of intense cell proliferation the proliferative potential of ruptured ACL is not impaired. This knowledge is important for scientists and clinicians aiming to understand the mechanisms behind the low healing capacity of ligament.
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| 2. |
- Apró, William
(author)
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Regulation of protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle : separate and combined effects of exercise and amino acids
- 2014
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue which has the ability to adapt to various forms of external stimuli such as diverse modes of contractile activity. Thus, performance of endurance exercise over several of weeks results in increased oxidative capacity. In contrast, prolonged performance of resistance exercise ultimately results in increased muscle mass. These adaptations are brought about by transient alterations in gene expression and mRNA translation which result in altered protein turnover, i.e. the balance between protein synthesis and protein breakdown. Protein synthesis is the major determinant of muscle growth, which at the molecular level, is regulated by the mTORC1 pathway. This pathway is potently activated by resistance exercise and amino acids, but the stimulatory role of individual amino acids in human skeletal muscle is unclear. Muscle adaptations in response to endurance exercise are largely dependent on the PGC-1 α pathway, which regulates mitochondrial biogenesis. Given the different training adaptations after resistance and endurance exercise, it has been suggested that these exercise modalities may be incompatible when combined. Such potential interference could be exerted at the molecular level between the pathways responsible for each adaptive response. AMPK, an enzyme usually activated by endurance exercise and, when pharmacologically activated in cell culture and rodent models, has been shown to inhibit mTORC1 and protein synthesis. However, it is not known if activation of AMPK by endurance exercise inhibits resistance exercise induced signaling through the mTORC1 pathway in human skeletal muscle.Thus, the main objective of this thesis was to examine the molecular mechanisms regulating protein synthesis in response to amino acids and various modes of exercise in human skeletal muscle.In study I, the role of BCAAs in stimulating the mTORC1 pathway was examined in both resting and exercising muscle. BCAA increased mTORC1 activity, as assessed by S6K1 phosphorylation, in both resting and exercising muscle, but more so when exercise and BCAA were combined. In study II, the effect of leucine was compared to that of essential amino acids with or without leucine. It was found that when leucine was combined with the remaining essential amino acids, S6K1 phosphorylation was more pronounced than when leucine was provided alone. Furthermore, when leucine was removed from the essential amino acids, the effect was equal to that of placebo. In study III, the impact of endurance exercise on resistance exercise induced mTORC1 signaling was examined. When performed after resistance exercise, endurance exercise did not inhibit S6K1 phosphorylation compared to when single mode resistance exercise was performed. In study IV, performance of high intensity endurance exercise prior to resistance exercise did not inhibit S6K1 phosphorylation compared to single mode resistance exercise, despite prior activation of AMPK.In conclusion, amino acids and resistance exercise activate mTORC1 signaling, as assessed by S6K1 phosphorylation, in a synergistic manner. Leucine is crucial in mediating the amino acid response, however, additional amino acids appear to be required to induce a maximal response downstream of mTORC1. Activation of the mTORC1 pathway in response to heavy resistance exercise is robust and this activation does not appear to be inhibited by prior or by subsequent endurance exercise. As such, these results do not lend support to the existence of molecular interference when resistance and endurance exercise are combined acutely.
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| 3. |
- Eliasson, Pernilla
(author)
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Response to mechanical loading in healing tendons
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ruptured tendons heal faster if they are exposed to mechanical loading. Loading creates deformation of the extracellular matrix and cells, which give rise to intracellular signalling, increased gene expression and protein synthesis. The effects of loading have been extensively studied in vitro, and in intact tendons in vivo. However, the response to loading in healing tendons is less known.The general aim of this thesis was to understand more about the response to mechanical loading during tendon healing. The specific aims were to find out how short daily loading episodes could influence tendon healing, and to understand more about genes involved in tendon healing.The studies were performed using rat models. Unloading of healing tendons resulted in a weaker callus tissue. This could be reversed to some extent by short daily loading episodes. Loading induced more matrix production, making the tendons thicker and stronger, but there was no improvement in the material properties of the matrix. Lengthening is one potential adversity with early loading, during tendon healing in patients. This was also seen with continuous loading in the rat models. However, short loading episodes did not result in any lengthening, not even when loading was applied during the inflammatory phase of healing. It also appeared as loading once daily was enough to make healing tendons stronger, while loading twice daily with 8 hours interval did not give any additional effect. The strongest gene expression response to one loading episode was seen after 3 hours. The gene expression changes persisted 12 hours after the loading episode but had disappeared by 24 hours. Loading appeared to regulate genes involved in inflammation, wound healing and coagulation, angiogenesis, and production of reactive oxygen species. Inflammation-associated genes were regulated both by continuous loading and by one short loading episode. Inflammation is an important part of the healing response, but too much can be harmful. Loading might therefore have a role in fine-tuning the inflammatory response during healing.In conclusion, these studies show that short daily loading episodes during early tendon healing could potentially be beneficial for rehabilitation. Loading might have a role in regulating the inflammatory response during healing.
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| 4. |
- Orlando, Ludovic, et al.
(author)
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Recalibrating Equus evolution using the genome sequence of an early Middle Pleistocene horse
- 2013
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 499:7456, s. 74-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rich fossil record of equids has made them a model for evolutionary processes(1). Here we present a 1.12-times coverage draft genome from a horse bone recovered from permafrost dated to approximately 560-780 thousand years before present (kyr BP)(2,3). Our data represent the oldest full genome sequence determined so far by almost an order of magnitude. For comparison, we sequenced the genome of a Late Pleistocene horse (43 kyr BP), and modern genomes of five domestic horse breeds (Equus ferus caballus), a Przewalski's horse (E. f. prze-walskii) and a donkey (E. asinus). Our analyses suggest that the Equus lineage giving rise to all contemporary horses, zebras and donkeys originated 4.0-4.5 million years before present (Myr BP), twice the conventionally accepted time to the most recent common ancestor of the genus Equus(4,5). We also find that horse population size fluctuated multiple times over the past 2 Myr, particularly during periods of severe climatic changes. We estimate that the Przewalski's and domestic horse populations diverged 38-72 kyr BP, and find no evidence of recent admixture between the domestic horse breeds and the Przewalski's horse investigated. This supports the contention that Przewalski's horses represent the last surviving wild horse population(6). We find similar levels of genetic variation among Przewalski's and domestic populations, indicating that the former are genetically viable and worthy of conservation efforts. We also find evidence for continuous selection on the immune system and olfaction throughout horse evolution. Finally, we identify 29 genomic regions among horse breeds that deviate from neutrality and show low levels of genetic variation compared to the Przewalski's horse. Such regions could correspond to loci selected early during domestication.
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| 5. |
- Parducci, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Glacial Survival of Boreal Trees in Northern Scandinavia
- 2012
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 335:6072, s. 1083-1086
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is commonly believed that trees were absent in Scandinavia during the last glaciation and first recolonized the Scandinavian Peninsula with the retreat of its ice sheet some 9000 years ago. Here, we show the presence of a rare mitochondrial DNA haplotype of spruce that appears unique to Scandinavia and with its highest frequency to the west-an area believed to sustain ice-free refugia during most of the last ice age. We further show the survival of DNA from this haplotype in lake sediments and pollen of Trondelag in central Norway dating back similar to 10,300 years and chloroplast DNA of pine and spruce in lake sediments adjacent to the ice-free Andoya refugium in northwestern Norway as early as similar to 22,000 and 17,700 years ago, respectively. Our findings imply that conifer trees survived in ice-free refugia of Scandinavia during the last glaciation, challenging current views on survival and spread of trees as a response to climate changes.
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| 6. |
- Parducci, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Response to Comment on "Glacial Survival of Boreal Trees in Northern Scandinavia"
- 2012
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 338:6108, s. 742-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Birks et al. question our proposition that trees survived the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Northern Scandinavia. We dispute their interpretation of our modern genetic data but agree that more work is required. Our field and laboratory procedures were robust; contamination is an unlikely explanation of our results. Their description of Endletvatn as ice-covered and inundated during the LGM is inconsistent with recent geological literature.
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| 7. |
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