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de Ruyter H, Aitokari L, Lahti S, Riekki H, Huhtala H, Lakka T, Laivuori H, Kurppa K. Maternal gestational hypertension, smoking and pre-eclampsia are associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in overweight offspring. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2024; 103:1183-1191. [PMID: 38433535 PMCID: PMC11103127 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Due to a steep increase in obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has also become the most common chronic hepatic condition among children and adolescents. Various maternal and pregnancy-related factors have also been implicated in the development of MAFLD, but human studies remain scarce. MATERIAL AND METHODS Comprehensive data of 460 overweight or obese children aged 2-16 years were collected and combined with data on selected maternal and pregnancy-related factors for a case-control study. MALFD was defined as alanine aminotransferase >2× upper limit of normal. Children with and without MAFLD were compared regarding to the study variables and multivariable regression analysis was utilized. RESULTS Median age of the study children was 11.8 (quartiles 9.1-14.2) years; 44% were girls and 17.8% had MAFLD. Children with MAFLD were older (12.7 vs. 11.6 years, p = 0.002), while the groups did not differ age-standardized body mass index (BMI-SDS) or gender. Factors associated with MAFLD in a multivariable model considering also the offspring's present BMI-SDS, sex, and maternal prepregnancy overweight, were child's older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.28), maternal gestational smoking (OR 2.01, 95% CI: 1.16-3.47), gestational hypertension (OR 3.44, 95% CI: 1.08-11.0) and pre-eclampsia (OR 2.93, 95% CI: 1.15-7.45). There was no significant association between MAFLD and maternal BMI, birth anthropometrics or perinatal complications. CONCLUSIONS Maternal smoking, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia were associated with MAFLD among overweight or obese children. Further prospective studies are needed to verify causal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna de Ruyter
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
| | - Linnea Aitokari
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
- Celiac Disease Research CenterTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Siiri Lahti
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
| | - Hanna Riekki
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
| | - Heini Huhtala
- Faculty of Social SciencesTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Timo Lakka
- Institute of BiomedicineUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear MedicineKuopio University HospitalKuopioFinland
- Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise MedicineKuopioFinland
| | - Hannele Laivuori
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
- Medical and Clinical GeneticsUniversity of Helsinki and Helsinki University HospitalHelsinkiFinland
| | - Kalle Kurppa
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of PirkanmaaTampereFinland
- Celiac Disease Research CenterTampere UniversityTampereFinland
- University Consortium of SeinäjokiSeinäjokiFinland
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Raerinne J. Popperian ecology is a delusion. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11106. [PMID: 38435009 PMCID: PMC10904965 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
During the last 50 years, a group of ecologists has repeatedly used Popper's falsificationism in normative claims concerning how research in ecology should be conducted and/or how ecology should be corrected. Other ecologists seem to be dissatisfied with these criticisms. Nevertheless, they have not provided systematic analyses of how and why the Popperian criticisms of ecology fail. I have two aims in this article First, I show how so-called Popperian ecologists have not only failed to use but have misused - if not abused - Popper in their criticisms of ecology. That is, the Popperian criticisms of ecology lack the justification the critics claim it has. Second, I claim that Popper's falsificationism is an unsuitable philosophy of science for ecology. In other words, ecology should not be criticized nor evaluated from the Popperian perspective in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani Raerinne
- Faculty of Social ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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Kujala I, Pöysä H, Korpimäki E. Interactive effects of agricultural landscape heterogeneity and weather conditions on breeding density and reproductive success of a diurnal raptor. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11155. [PMID: 38476705 PMCID: PMC10932691 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Agricultural intensification and climate change are serious threats toward animal populations worldwide. Agricultural intensification reduces the heterogeneity of agricultural habitats by diminishing crop variation and destroying microhabitats, such as small woody features, whereas the effects of climate change range from the growing frequency of weather extremes to disrupted prey-predator dynamics. We collected long-term ringing data from a population of Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) located amidst agricultural areas in western Finland during 1985-2021, which we combined with density indices of their main prey species (voles), spatial data consisting of land cover classification of kestrel territories, and weather data, to study the effects of different environmental drivers on breeding density and success. We found that the density of inhabited nests rose with vole abundance and springtime snow depth, with the overall trend of population growth being stronger in areas with more heterogeneous landscapes. Clutch size was influenced negatively by the age of male parent and landscape heterogeneity, and positively by vole abundance, with rainfall having a negative influence conditional to other variables. Likewise, the number of produced fledglings was affected by male age, but it was additionally positively associated with landscape heterogeneity and its interaction with rainfall, with greater fledgling output in heterogeneous landscapes during high precipitation. The discrepancy between factors predicting large clutches and high numbers of fledglings suggests that while kestrels do not prefer heterogeneous landscapes when prospecting for territories, heterogeneous habitats provide better circumstances for foraging during the nestling period, which ensures nestling survival, particularly during adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, breeding in areas under intense agricultural use is more suboptimal to kestrels than their territory preferences would indicate. As changing climate may reduce prey availability and heighten the probability of weather extremities, agricultural intensification may lead to weaker reproductive success in densely populated farmland habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Kujala
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Hannu Pöysä
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Section of Ecology, Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
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Tuominen S, Nissi L, Kukkula A, Routila J, Huusko T, Leivo I, Minn H, Irjala H, Löyttyniemi E, Ventelä S, Sundvall M, Grönroos TJ. TSPO is a potential independent prognostic factor associated with cellular respiration and p16 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1298333. [PMID: 38162485 PMCID: PMC10755888 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1298333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment resistance and relapse are common problems in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Except for p16, no clinically accepted prognostic biomarkers are available for HNSCC. New biomarkers predictive of recurrence and survival are crucial for optimal treatment planning and patient outcome. High translocator protein (TSPO) levels have been associated with poor survival in cancer, but the role of TSPO has not been extensively evaluated in HNSCC. Materials and methods TSPO expression was determined in a large population-based tissue microarray cohort including 611 patients with HNSCC and evaluated for survival in several clinicopathological subgroups. A TCGA HNSCC cohort was used to further analyze the role of TSPO in HNSCC. Results TSPO expression was downregulated in more aggressive tumors. Low TSPO expression associated with worse 5-year survival and was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival. Subgroup analyses showed that low TSPO expression associated with worse survival particularly in p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer. In silico analyses supported the prognostic role of TSPO. Cellular respiration had the highest significance in pathway analyses for genes expressed positively with TSPO. Conclusion Decreased TSPO expression associates with poor prognosis in HNSCC. TSPO is a prognostic biomarker in HNSCC to potentially guide treatment stratification especially in p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanni Tuominen
- Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Cancer Research Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FICAN West Cancer Research Laboratory, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Medicity Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linda Nissi
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Antti Kukkula
- Cancer Research Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FICAN West Cancer Research Laboratory, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Johannes Routila
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Teemu Huusko
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ilmo Leivo
- Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Heikki Minn
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Heikki Irjala
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eliisa Löyttyniemi
- Department of Biostatistics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sami Ventelä
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Maria Sundvall
- Cancer Research Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FICAN West Cancer Research Laboratory, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tove J. Grönroos
- Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Medicity Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Hotta J, Saari J, Harno H, Kalso E, Forss N, Hari R. Somatotopic disruption of the functional connectivity of the primary sensorimotor cortex in complex regional pain syndrome type 1. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6258-6274. [PMID: 37837646 PMCID: PMC10619416 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), the representation area of the affected limb in the primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) reacts abnormally during sensory stimulation and motor actions. We recorded 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging resting-state data from 17 upper-limb CRPS type 1 patients and 19 healthy control subjects to identify alterations of patients' SM1 function during spontaneous pain and to find out how the spatial distribution of these alterations were related to peripheral symptoms. Seed-based correlations and independent component analyses indicated that patients' upper-limb SM1 representation areas display (i) reduced interhemispheric connectivity, associated with the combined effect of intensity and spatial extent of limb pain, (ii) increased connectivity with the right anterior insula that positively correlated with the duration of CRPS, (iii) increased connectivity with periaqueductal gray matter, and (iv) disengagement from the other parts of the SM1 network. These findings, now reported for the first time in CRPS, parallel the alterations found in patients suffering from other chronic pain conditions or from limb denervation; they also agree with findings in healthy persons who are exposed to experimental pain or have used their limbs asymmetrically. Our results suggest that CRPS is associated with a sustained and somatotopically specific alteration of SM1 function, that has correspondence to the spatial distribution of the peripheral manifestations and to the duration of the syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko Hotta
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical EngineeringAalto University School of ScienceEspooFinland
- Aalto NeuroImagingAalto UniversityEspooFinland
- Department of NeurologyHelsinki University Hospital and Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Jukka Saari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical EngineeringAalto University School of ScienceEspooFinland
- Aalto NeuroImagingAalto UniversityEspooFinland
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Hanna Harno
- Department of NeurologyHelsinki University Hospital and Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain MedicineUniversity of Helsinki and Helsinki University HospitalHelsinkiFinland
| | - Eija Kalso
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain MedicineUniversity of Helsinki and Helsinki University HospitalHelsinkiFinland
| | - Nina Forss
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical EngineeringAalto University School of ScienceEspooFinland
- Department of NeurologyHelsinki University Hospital and Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Riitta Hari
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical EngineeringAalto University School of ScienceEspooFinland
- Department of Art and MediaAalto University School of Arts, Design and ArchitectureHelsinkiFinland
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Mustonen A, Rodriguez A, Scott JG, Vuori M, Hurtig T, Halt A, Miettunen J, Alakokkare A, Niemelä S. Attention deficit hyperactivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms in adolescence and risk of substance use disorders-A general population-based birth cohort study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2023; 148:277-287. [PMID: 37431766 PMCID: PMC10953420 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Externalizing symptoms are associated with risk of future substance use disorder (SUD). Few longitudinal studies exist using general population-based samples which assess the spectrum of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms. AIMS/OBJECTIVES We aimed to study the associations between adolescent ADHD symptoms and subsequent SUD and additionally examine whether the risk of SUD is influenced by comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms. METHODS The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 was linked to nationwide health care register data for incident SUD diagnoses until age 33 years (n = 6278, 49.5% male). ADHD/ODD-case status at age 16 years was defined using parent-rated ADHD indicated by Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD symptoms and Normal Behaviors (SWAN) questionnaire with 95% percentile cut-off. To assess the impact of ODD comorbidity on SUD risk, participants were categorized into four groups based on their ADHD/ODD case status. Cox-regression analysis with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to study associations between adolescent ADHD/ODD case statuses and subsequent SUD. RESULTS In all, 552 participants (8.8%) presented with ADHD case status at the age of 16 years, and 154/6278 (2.5%) were diagnosed with SUD during the follow-up. ADHD case status was associated with SUD during the follow-up (HR = 3.84, 95% CI 2.69-5.50). After adjustments for sex, family structure, and parental psychiatric disorder and early substance use the association with ADHD case status and SUD remained statistically significant (HR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.70-3.98). The risk of SUD remained elevated in individuals with ADHD case status irrespective of ODD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS ADHD in adolescence was associated with incident SUD in those with and without symptoms of ODD. The association of ADHD and SUD persisted even after adjustment for a wide range of potential confounds. This emphasizes the need to identify preventative strategies for adolescents with ADHD so as to improve health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti Mustonen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
- Department of PsychiatrySeinäjoki Central HospitalSeinäjokiFinland
- Research Unit of Population HealthUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Alina Rodriguez
- Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Public Health, Imperial CollegeLondonUK
- Centre for Psychiatry and Mental HealthQueen Mary UniversityLondonUK
| | - James G. Scott
- Child Health Research CentreThe University of QueenslandSouth BrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
- Child and Youth Mental HealthChildren's Health QueenslandSouth BrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Miika Vuori
- Research Center for Child Psychiatry, INVEST Research FlagshipUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- The Finnish Institute for Health and WelfareHelsinkiFinland
| | - Tuula Hurtig
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Clinic of Child PsychiatryOulu University HospitalOuluFinland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Anu‐Helmi Halt
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of OuluOuluFinland
- Department of PsychiatryOulu University HospitalOuluFinland
| | - Jouko Miettunen
- Research Unit of Population HealthUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of OuluOuluFinland
| | | | - Solja Niemelä
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Addiction Psychiatry Unit, Department of PsychiatryTurku University HospitalTurkuFinland
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Baltrukevich H, Bartos P. RNA-protein complexes and force field polarizability. Front Chem 2023; 11:1217506. [PMID: 37426330 PMCID: PMC10323139 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1217506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations offer a way to study biomolecular interactions and their dynamics at the atomistic level. There are only a few studies of RNA-protein complexes in MD simulations, and here we wanted to study how force fields differ when simulating RNA-protein complexes: 1) argonaute 2 with bound guide RNA and a target RNA, 2) CasPhi-2 bound to CRISPR RNA and 3) Retinoic acid-inducible gene I C268F variant in complex with double-stranded RNA. We tested three non-polarizable force fields: Amber protein force fields ff14SB and ff19SB with RNA force field OL3, and the all-atom OPLS4 force field. Due to the highly charged and polar nature of RNA, we also tested the polarizable AMOEBA force field and the ff19SB and OL3 force fields with a polarizable water model O3P. Our results show that the non-polarizable force fields lead to compact and stable complexes. The polarizability in the force field or in the water model allows significantly more movement from the complex, but in some cases, this results in the disintegration of the complex structure, especially if the protein contains longer loop regions. Thus, one should be cautious when running long-scale simulations with polarizability. As a conclusion, all the tested force fields can be used to simulate RNA-protein complexes and the choice of the optimal force field depends on the studied system and research question.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piia Bartos
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Sievänen T, Korhonen T, Jokela T, Ahtiainen M, Lahtinen L, Kuopio T, Lepistö A, Sillanpää E, Mecklin J, Seppälä TT, Laakkonen EK. Systemic circulating microRNA landscape in Lynch syndrome. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:932-944. [PMID: 36282188 PMCID: PMC10092425 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Circulating microRNAs (c-miRs) are small noncoding RNA molecules that migrate throughout the body and regulate gene expression. Global c-miR expression patterns (c-miRnomes) change with sporadic carcinogenesis and have predictive potential in early detection of cancers. However, there are no studies that have assessed whether c-miRnomes display similar potential in carriers of inherited pathogenic mismatch-repair gene variants (path_MMR), known as Lynch syndrome (LS), who are predisposed to highly increased cancer risk. Using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic approaches, we conducted an exploratory analysis to characterize systemic c-miRnomes of path_MMR carriers, sporadic rectal cancer patients and non-LS controls. We showed for the first time that cancer-free path_MMR carriers have a systemic c-miRnome of 40 differentially expressed c-miRs that can distinguish them from non-LS controls. The systemic c-miRnome of cancer-free path_MMR carriers also resembles the systemic c-miRnomes of cancer patients with or without path_MMR. Our pathway analysis linked the found differentially expressed c-miRs to carcinogenesis. A total of 508 putative target genes were identified for 32 out of 40 differentially expressed c-miRs, and 238 of them were enriched in cancer-related pathways. The most enriched c-miR-target genes include well-known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes such as BCL2, AKT3, PIK3CA, KRAS, NRAS, CDKN1A and PIK3R1. Taken together, our findings suggest that LS and sporadic carcinogenesis share common biological pathways and alterations in these pathways can produce a c-miR signature which can track potential oncogenic stress in cancer-free path_MMR carriers. Therefore, c-miRs hold potential in monitoring the LS risk stratification patterns during clinical surveillance or cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tero Sievänen
- Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Tia‐Marje Korhonen
- Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Tiina Jokela
- Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Maarit Ahtiainen
- Department of Education and ResearchCentral Finland Health Care DistrictJyväskyläFinland
| | - Laura Lahtinen
- Department of PathologyCentral Finland Health Care DistrictJyväskyläFinland
| | - Teijo Kuopio
- Department of PathologyCentral Finland Health Care DistrictJyväskyläFinland
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Lepistö
- Department of Surgery, Abdominal CenterHelsinki University HospitalHelsinkiFinland
| | - Elina Sillanpää
- Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Jukka‐Pekka Mecklin
- Department of SurgeryCentral Finland Health Care DistrictJyväskyläFinland
- Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Toni T. Seppälä
- Department of Surgery, Abdominal CenterHelsinki University HospitalHelsinkiFinland
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research ProgramUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Eija K. Laakkonen
- Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Sport and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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Konu M, Kulmuni J, Viljakainen L. Genetic modification of the ant Lasius niger using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Insect Mol Biol 2023; 32:11-25. [PMID: 36030521 PMCID: PMC10087202 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 has become one of the most prominent gene editing tools available and it has been utilized in various organisms from bacteria to fungi, plants, and animals. In this study, we developed a CRISPR-Cas9 protocol for the black garden ant Lasius niger, a common and easily available study species for lab and field experiments. To create indel mutations using CRISPR-Cas9 in L. niger, we targeted three different locations in a well-studied eye pigmentation gene cinnabar, generating several mutations that disrupt the ommochrome biosynthesis pathway and result in the lack of the pigment and therefore, abnormal eye coloration in adult workers. We also developed a protocol to collect L. niger eggs, inject them with CRISPR-Cas9 construct, and rear the eggs into mature adult workers with the assistance of nursing workers. We demonstrated for the first time in L. niger that CRISPR-Cas9 is an excellent tool to create targeted mutations for this species. Our protocol can be referred to when developing similar studies for other species of ants and eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauno Konu
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Jonna Kulmuni
- Organismal and Evolutionary Research ProgrammeUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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Mattila H, Tyystjärvi E. Light-induced damage to photosystem II at a very low temperature (195 K) depends on singlet oxygen. Physiol Plant 2022; 174:e13824. [PMID: 36377045 PMCID: PMC10099935 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms, like evergreen plants, may encounter strong light at low temperatures. Light, despite being the energy source of photosynthesis, irreversibly damages photosystem II (PSII). We illuminated plant thylakoid membranes and intact cyanobacterial cells at -78.5°C and assayed PSII activity with oxygen evolution or chlorophyll fluorescence, after thawing the sample. Both UV radiation and visible light damaged PSII of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) thylakoids at -78.5°C, but visible-light-induced photoinhibition at -78.5°C, unlike at +20°C, proceeded only in the presence of oxygen. A strong magnetic field that would decrease triplet chlorophyll formation by recombination of the primary radical pair slowed down photoinhibition at -78.5°C, suggesting that singlet oxygen produced via recombination of the primary pair is a major contributor to photoinhibition at -78.5°C. However, a magnetic field did not affect singlet oxygen production at +25°C. Thylakoids of winter leaves of an evergreen plant, Bergenia, were less susceptible to photoinhibition both at -78.5°C and +20°C, contained high amounts of carotenoids and produced little singlet oxygen (measured at +20°C), compared to thylakoids of summer leaves. In contrast, high carotenoid amount and low singlet oxygen yield did not protect a Synechocystis mutant from photoinhibition at -78.5°C. Thylakoids isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana grown under high light, which reduces PSII antenna size, were more resistant than control plants against photoinhibition at -78.5°C but not at +20°C, although carotenoid amounts were similar. The results indicate that visible-light-induced photoinhibition at -78.5°C depends on singlet oxygen, whereas photoinhibition at +20°C is largely independent of oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heta Mattila
- Department of Life Technologies/Molecular Plant BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Esa Tyystjärvi
- Department of Life Technologies/Molecular Plant BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
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11
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Wang Z, Chan CLC, Haataja JS, Schertel L, Li R, van de Kerkhof GT, Scherman OA, Parker RM, Vignolini S. Deconvoluting the Optical Response of Biocompatible Photonic Pigments. Angew Chem Weinheim Bergstr Ger 2022; 134:e202206562. [PMID: 38504795 PMCID: PMC10946993 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202206562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To unlock the widespread use of block copolymers as photonic pigments, there is an urgent need to consider their environmental impact (cf. microplastic pollution). Here we show how an inverse photonic glass architecture can enable the use of biocompatible bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs), which otherwise lack the refractive index contrast needed for a strong photonic response. A library of photonic pigments is produced from poly(norbornene-graft-polycaprolactone)-block-poly(norbornene-graft-polyethylene glycol), with the color tuned via either the BBCP molecular weight or the processing temperature upon microparticle fabrication. The structure-optic relationship between the 3D porous morphology of the microparticles and their complex optical response is revealed by both an analytical scattering model and 3D finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. Combined, this allows for strategies to enhance the color purity to be proposed and realized with our biocompatible BBCP system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Chun Lam Clement Chan
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Johannes S. Haataja
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Lukas Schertel
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of FribourgChemin du Musée 31700FribourgSwitzerland
| | - Ruiting Li
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Gea T. van de Kerkhof
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Oren A. Scherman
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Richard M. Parker
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Melville Laboratory for Polymer SynthesisYusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
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Halmesvaara O, Vornanen M, Kääriäinen H, Perola M, Kristiansson K, Konttinen H. Psychosocial Effects of Receiving Genome-Wide Polygenic Risk Information Concerning Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Genet 2022; 13:881349. [PMID: 35706448 PMCID: PMC9189371 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.881349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Receiving polygenic risk estimates of future disease through health care or direct-to-consumer companies is expected to become more common in the coming decades. However, only a limited number of studies have examined if such estimates might evoke an adverse psychosocial reaction in receivers. The present study utilized data from a sub-section of a personalized medicine project (the P5 study) that combines genomic and traditional health data to evaluate participants’ risk for certain common diseases. We investigated how communication of future disease risk estimates related to type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease influenced respondents’ risk perception, self-efficacy, disease-related worry, and other emotions. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, where the experimental group (n = 714) received risk estimates based on traditional and polygenic risk factors and the control group (n = 649) based solely on traditional risk factors. On average, higher disease risk was associated with higher perceived risk (ps, <0.001, ηp2 = 0.087–0.071), worry (ps <0.001, ηp2 = 0.061–0.028), lower self-efficacy (p <0 .001, ηp2 = 0.012), less positive emotions (ps <0.04, ηp2 = 0.042–0.005), and more negative emotions (ps <0.048, ηp2 = 0.062–0.006). However, we found no evidence that adding the polygenic risk to complement the more traditional risk factors would induce any substantive psychosocial harm to the recipients (ps >0.06).
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Halmesvaara
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- *Correspondence: Otto Halmesvaara,
| | - Marleena Vornanen
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Motion Analysis Laboratory, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Helena Kääriäinen
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Perola
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kati Kristiansson
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Konttinen
- Social Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Heim O, Puisto AIE, Sääksjärvi I, Fukui D, Vesterinen EJ. Dietary analysis reveals differences in the prey use of two sympatric bat species. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18651-18661. [PMID: 35003699 PMCID: PMC8717349 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
One mechanism for morphologically similar and sympatric species to avoid competition and facilitate coexistence is to feed on different prey items within different microhabitats. In the current study, we investigated and compared the diet of the two most common and similar-sized bat species in Japan-Murina ussuriensis (Ognev, 1913) and Myotis ikonnikovi (Ognev, 1912)-to gain more knowledge about the degree of overlap in their diet and their foraging behavior. We found that both bat species consumed prey from the orders of Lepidoptera and Diptera most frequently, while the proportion of Dipterans was higher in the diet of M. ikonnikovi. Furthermore, we found a higher prey diversity in the diet of M. ikonnikovi compared to that of M. ussuriensis that might indicate that the former is a more generalist predator than the latter. In contrast, the diet of M. ussuriensis contained many Lepidopteran families. The higher probability of prey items likely captured via gleaning to occur in the diet of M. ussuriensis in contrast to M. ikonnikovi indicates that M. ussuriensis might switch between aerial-hawking and gleaning modes of foraging behavior. We encourage further studies across various types of habitats and seasons to investigate the flexibility of the diet composition and foraging behavior of these two bat species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Heim
- Faculty of Life and Medical SciencesDoshisha UniversityKyotanabeJapan
| | - Anna I. E. Puisto
- Centre for Population Health ResearchUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | | | - Dai Fukui
- The University of Tokyo Hokkaido ForestThe University of TokyoFuranoJapan
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Hiillos A, Thonig A, Knott KE. Droplet digital PCR as a tool for investigating dynamics of cryptic symbionts. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17381-17396. [PMID: 34938515 PMCID: PMC8668802 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions among symbiotic organisms and their hosts are major drivers of ecological and evolutionary processes. Monitoring the infection patterns among natural populations and identifying factors affecting these interactions are critical for understanding symbiont-host relationships. However, many of these interactions remain understudied since the knowledge about the symbiont species is lacking, which hinders the development of appropriate tools. In this study, we developed a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay based on apicomplexan COX1 gene to detect an undescribed agamococcidian symbiont. We show that the method gives precise and reproducible results and enables detecting cryptic symbionts in low target concentration. We further exemplify the assay's use to survey seasonally sampled natural host (Pygospio elegans) populations for symbiont infection dynamics. We found that symbiont prevalence differs spatially but does not show seasonal changes. Infection load differed between populations and was low in spring and significantly increased towards fall in all populations. We also found that the symbiont prevalence is affected by host length and population density. Larger hosts were more likely to be infected, and high host densities were found to have a lower probability of infection. The observed variations could be due to characteristics of both symbiont and host biology, especially the seasonal variation in encounter rates. Our findings show that the developed ddPCR assay is a robust tool for detecting undescribed symbionts that are otherwise difficult to quantify, enabling further insight into the impact cryptic symbionts have on their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna‐Lotta Hiillos
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anne Thonig
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
- Department of Science and EnvironmentRoskilde UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Karelyn Emily Knott
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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Ahti PA, Uusi‐Heikkilä S, Marjomäki TJ, Kuparinen A. Age is not just a number-Mathematical model suggests senescence affects how fish populations respond to different fishing regimes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13363-13378. [PMID: 34646475 PMCID: PMC8495815 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Senescence is often described as an age-dependent increase in natural mortality (known as actuarial senescence) and an age-dependent decrease in fecundity (known as reproductive senescence), and its role in nature is still poorly understood. Based on empirical estimates of reproductive and actuarial senescence, we used mathematical simulations to explore how senescence affects the population dynamics of Coregonus albula, a small, schooling salmonid fish. Using an empirically based eco-evolutionary model, we investigated how the presence or absence of senescence affects the eco-evolutionary dynamics of a fish population during pristine, intensive harvest, and recovery phases. Our simulation results showed that the presence or absence of senescence affected how the population responded to the selection regime. At an individual level, gillnetting caused a larger decline in asymptotic length when senescence was present, compared to the nonsenescent population, and the opposite occurred when fishing was done by trawling. This change was accompanied by evolution toward younger age at maturity. At the population level, the change in biomass and number of fish in response to different fishery size-selection patterns depended on the presence or absence of senescence. Since most life-history and fisheries models ignore senescence, they may be over-estimating reproductive capacity and under-estimating natural mortality. Our results highlight the need to understand the combined effects of life-history characters such as senescence and fisheries selection regime to ensure the successful management of our natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauliina A. Ahti
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative MedicineCollege of Medical, Veterinary, and Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Silva Uusi‐Heikkilä
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Timo J. Marjomäki
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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Kalaoja M, Corbin LJ, Tan VY, Ahola‐Olli AV, Havulinna AS, Santalahti K, Pitkänen N, Lehtimäki T, Lyytikäinen L, Raitoharju E, Seppälä I, Kähönen M, Ripatti S, Palotie A, Perola M, Viikari JS, Jalkanen S, Maksimow M, Salomaa V, Salmi M, Raitakari OT, Kettunen J, Timpson NJ. The Role of Inflammatory Cytokines as Intermediates in the Pathway from Increased Adiposity to Disease. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021; 29:428-437. [PMID: 33491305 PMCID: PMC8614117 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the role of cytokines as intermediates in the pathway from increased adiposity to disease. METHODS BMI and circulating levels of up to 41 cytokines were measured in individuals from three Finnish cohort studies (n = 8,293). Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess the impact of BMI on circulating cytokines and the impact of BMI-driven cytokines on risk of obesity-related diseases. RESULTS Observationally, BMI was associated with 19 cytokines. For every SD increase in BMI, causal effect estimates were strongest for hepatocyte growth factor, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and were as ratios of geometric means 1.13 (95% CI: 1.08-1.19), 1.08 (95% CI: 1.04-1.14), and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.04-1.21), respectively. TRAIL was associated with a small increase in the odds of coronary artery disease (odds ratio: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00-1.06). There was inconsistent evidence for a protective role of MCP-1 against inflammatory bowel diseases. CONCLUSIONS Observational and MR estimates of the effect of BMI on cytokine levels were generally concordant. There was little evidence for an effect of raised levels of BMI-driven cytokines on disease. These findings illustrate the challenges of MR when applied in the context of molecular mediation.
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