Wing polyphenism in insects is a type of phenotypic plasticity where environmental factors trigger the development of a set of discrete wing morphologies. In the water strider Gerris buenoi, photoperiods are the main environmental cue that trigger wing morph determination. The genetic mechanisms connecting environmental cues and the determination of wing morph in G. buenoi are not clear. However, recent experimental work suggests that engagement of the Hippo pathway via ecdysone signalling is a promising model for further investigation. In this study, a reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) protocol was developed, aimed at elucidating this potential transduction pathway by quantifying gene expression of Fat, Dachsous, Yorkie, EcR, E75 and E74. This was done using melt curve analysis, gel electrophoresis, sequencing of RT-qPCR products and qPCR standard curves. Additionally, wing morph distribution in extreme and intermediate photoperiods were examined. Wing morph proportions were significantly different between adults emerging in the intermediate photoperiods 15.30:8.30 and 15:9 (hours light : hours dark). An effect of sex was observed, with a higher probability of males becoming long-winged compared to females. This has likely evolved as a result of a dispersal-reproduction trade-off. Taken together, this study provided insight for future investigations of periodically induced wing morph determination and its genetic mechanisms in G. buenoi that will contribute to the understanding of phenotypic plasticity.

The demand for the improvement of currently available tests for qualitative non-invasive diagnostic of COVID-19, i.e., the development of new methods for fast, low-cost and accurate tests for the conformation of SARS-CoV-2, is increasing rapidly. Among many different approaches, electrochemical biosensors, which have the capability of miniaturization and could be available globally in most remote areas, may also help in avoiding the transmission of COVID-19 disease. When properly designed, electrochemical tests might have higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, which is very important for COVID-19 diagnostics. In this work a saliva based electrochemical biosensor developed for COVID-19 detection was tested using real human samples. First, 41 saliva samples from volunteers were collected during January-February 2022, when the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was the highest in Skåne region, Sweden. Second, cyclic voltammograms of SARS-CoV-2 biomodified electrodes were recorded in buffers with and without SARS-CoV-2 positive control, as well as in saliva samples. Third, the samples were analyzed using commercially available COVID-19 salivary tests, viz., rapid antigen test and RT-qPCR (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). It was shown that 8 samples were collected from COVID-19 positive volunteers. Based on the analysis of all experimental results it was concluded that compared to rapid antigen and RT-qPCR tests, the sensitivity and reproducibility of the biosensor is not enough for real practical applications. Thus, some suggestions for further improvement of basic parameters of the developed biodevice were made. / <p>x</p> / x

Retinoic acid (RA) is a well-known neurodevelopmental signaling molecule. It is reported to induce effects on neurite formation in differentiating neurons and to interfere with the actin cytoskeleton. Therefore, this project aimed to investigate the mechanisms behind effects of RA on the actin cytoskeleton of developing neurons using the C17.2 neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in vitro model. The goal was to evaluate the morphological effects the growth cone had upon exposure to RA agonist and antagonist, and to analyze the expression of three genes: Coronin actin-binding protein 1C(Coro1c), Cdc42 effector protein 4 gene (Cdc42), and Fibronectin (Fn1). These genes were selected because of their relation to actin dynamics and/or their regulation by the Wnt pathway, which regulates/affects actin reorganization. Since the Wnt pathway was also shown to be affected by RA, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between RA and actin through the Wnt pathway. Cdc42 and Fn1 are related to both the Wnt pathway and actin dynamics, whereas Coro1cis a known actin-related protein. The expressions showed significant increase with Coro1c, while Cdc42 and Fn1 had a similar overall trend increase with the RA agonist. The RA antagonist showed no significant effect, except a trend decrease in all the genetic expressions. All genetic expression effects subside with the increase of RA agonist and antagonist concentrations. The results suggest the changes in actin filaments are related to a low dose effect of RA. The findings indicate a possibility of a regulation mechanism that controls actin-related gene expression in response to RA. This mechanism is possibly not restricted to the Wnt pathway seeing that a non-Wnt related gene was affected as well.

Interstitial Fluid is a complex sample, highly abundant in the human body that can give information regardingtissue secretion, intracellular signaling and tissue health status. The composition of the interstitial fluid can giveinformation regarding the processes occurring in muscles and alterations due to pathological changes occurringduring disease progression. Currently this sample has not yet been characterized within rare diseases like musculardystrophies. Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dytrophy is an inherited progressive myopathy, characterized by thedegeneration and progressive muscular fiber necrosis of muscles from the face, upper arms and lower limbs. It canbe diagnosed; but in an advanced stage where weakness in the muscles have already occur. Meanwhile there is nocurrent understanding of the mechanisms happening in the muscle. In this project an immunoassay protocol wasdeveloped using suspension bead array technology to create an optimal method to analyze the protein content ofthese samples. The technological platform allows antibody-based capturing and detection of protein targets frombiotinylated biological samples. By modifying an existing protocol for analysis of serum and plasma samplesabundance of 63 protein targets was measured in muscle interstitial fluid from healthy individuals and patientsaffected by facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD), The optimized steps were the sample pre-treatment, the assaybuffer dilution ratio and the incubation time for capturing the protein targets. The findings of this project indicatethat using 1 μl of muscle interstitial fluid sample with minimized dilution factor and 60-fold molar excess biotinrelative to sample protein concentration enables detection of Interstitial fluid protein components. The proteinsdetected are ret finger protein-like 4B (RFPL4B) and albumin in from affected muscle and histone cluster(HIST1H3A) and albumin in non affected muscle.

No description available.

Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder affecting multiple organs in the body, including the lungs, remains a significant threat to patients due to inadequate treatment options. Treatment includes aerosolized deoxyribonuclease I which bolsters pulmonary function and improves affected patient condition. However, taking the liquid formulations requires prolonged inhalation times and nebulization equipment. Conversely, dry powder inhalers are handheld devices, delivering fine particles deep into the lung on a single inhalation. Dry formulations may be enhanced through the use of mesoporous silica particles which have an optimal size for inhalation, are light in weight and have a large surface area. Loading deoxyribonuclease I into mesoporous silica particles could potentially improve drug delivery to cystic fibrosis patients with reduced administration frequency when taken with dry powder inhalers. The incorporation of buffers into this system is crucial for ensuring efficient drug loading and stability at the biointerface during dry powder preparation. Thus, the objective of this project was to ascertain the most suitable buffer composition for loading deoxyribonuclease I into mesoporous silica particles. Protein size and activity were evaluated in different buffers prior to adsorption. Subsequently, dry formulations were prepared by freeze drying, and studied by thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic vapour sorption. Cumulative release analysis in simulated lung fluid was performed, followed by released protein enzymatic activity evaluation. Findings indicated the necessity of incorporating Ca2+ into buffers to increase protein loading efficiency and stability in dry formulations. Highest level of adsorption, and adequate remaining deoxyribonuclease I activity was observed in formulations prepared with calcium doped mesoporous silica particles in pH 5.0 50 mM sodium acetate buffer with added 5 mM CaCl2.

One of the lesser explored research areas is the influence factors such as personal care products, cosmetics, and everyday routines have on skin microbiota. This study investigated the effects of propylene glycol, a widely used ingredient in cosmetics and self-care products, on a staphylococcal system ubiquitously distributed on human skin. The system, comprised of Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus, comes from a healthy donor, devoid of any skin afflictions. Because Staphylococcus aureus is part of this microbial community, it was of great interest to contribute to the understanding of the manner in which its growth is kept in check. To fulfill this task, a new methodology was developed. Purposely intended to be facile and easily scalable in laboratories around the world, it can be used for the study of microbial systems of variable dimensions alone or with the complementary use of other methods. Results indicate that the effects of propylene glycol are complex, as it acts on the skin, the resident microbiota, and at the microbiota-skin interface. Commensals such as Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus epidermidis seem to have synergy of action with propylene glycol, increasing each other’s power in reducing the number of viable colonies of Staphylococcus aureus. Lastly, results seem to also reveal the incompletely understood role of Staphylococcus hominis on human skin. While Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus ravenously compete with each other, it is the contribution of Staphylococcus hominis that seems to limit the latter’s overgrowing. This speaks volumes of the extent, complexities, and unknowns of microbial interactions.

There is a lack of low toxicity, specific anticancer therapies and in many cancer types there are limited effective treatments. Enhancer RNAs are noncoding RNA transcripts transcribed from enhancer regions. Increasing evidence of the function of eRNA in gene regulation suggests the possibility of eRNA involvement in cancer development. This report examines literature on enhancer RNA as a potent component in transcription control specifically in cancer development. Therefore, I conducted a systematic literature review to further clarify the involvement of eRNAs in cancer. There is strong evidence of eRNA upregulating oncogenes. For instance, the eRNA (CCAT1) upregulates the oncogene MYC in colorectal cancer. Other eRNAs were also found to be required for p53-dependent cell-cycle arrest and tumour inhibition. A study showed the interplay of a long noncoding RNA with eRNAs in p53-regulated enhancers, while another showed p53-bound enhancer regions transcribing an eRNA which mediates G1 arrest, DNA repair, and tumorigenesis through its interaction with the (BRCA2) gene. Finally, a study across numerous cancer patient samples revealed a cancer/lineage specificity of eRNAs and explored the clinical feasibility of eRNA-targeted therapy. These studies demonstrate how eRNAs can be a link in cancer signalling pathways both as a regulator of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes, as well as suggest a promising future of eRNA-targeted cancer therapy.

Various molecular pathways in the brain shape our understanding of good and bad, as well as our motivation to seek and avoid such stimuli. This work evolves around how systemic inflammation causes aversion; and why general unpleasant states such as sickness, stress, pain and nausea are encoded by our brain as undesirable; and contrary to these questions, how drugs of abuse can subjugate the motivational neurocircuitry of the brain. A common feature of these various disease states is involvement of the motivational neurocircuitry - from mesolimbic to striatonigral pathways. Having an intact motivational system is what helps us evade negative outcomes and approach natural positive reinforcers, which is essential for our survival. During disease-states the motivational neurocircuitry may be overthrown by the molecular mechanisms that originally were meant to aid us. In study I, to investigate how inflammation is perceived as aversive, we used a behavioral test based on Pavlovian place conditioning with the aversive inflammatory stimulus E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using a combination of cell-type specific gene deletions, pharmacology, and chemogenetics, we uncovered that systemic inflammation triggered aversion by MyD88-dependent activation of the brain endothelium followed by COX1-mediated cerebral prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis. Moreover, we showed that inflammation-induced PGE2 targeted EP1 receptors on striatal dopamine D1 receptor–expressing neurons and that this signaling sequence induced aversion through GABA-mediated inhibition of dopaminergic cells. Finally, inflammation-induced aversion was not an indirect consequence of fever or anorexia but constituted an independent inflammatory symptom triggered by a unique molecular mechanism. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that PGE2-mediated modulation of the dopaminergic circuitry is a key mechanism underlying inflammation-induced aversion. In study II, we investigate the role of peripheral IFN-γ in LPS induced conditioned place aversion by employing a strategy based on global and cell-type specific gene deletions, combined with measures of gene-expression. LPS induced IFN-ɣ expression in the blood, and deletion of IFN-ɣ or its receptor prevented conditioned place aversion (CPA) to LPS. LPS increased the expression of chemokine Cxcl10 in the striatum of normal mice. This induction was absent in mice lacking IFN-ɣ receptors or Myd88 in blood brain barrier endothelial cells. Furthermore, inflammation-induced aversion was blocked in mice lacking Cxcl10 or its receptor Cxcr3. Finally, mice with a selective deletion of the IFN-ɣ receptor in brain endothelial cells did not develop inflammation-induced aversion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that circulating IFN-ɣ binding to receptors on brain endothelial cells which induces Cxcl10, is a central link in the signaling chain eliciting inflammation-induced aversion. In study III, we explored the role of melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs) in aversive processing using genetically modified mice in CPA to various stimuli. In normal mice, robust aversions were induced by systemic inflammation, nausea, pain and kappa opioid receptor-induced dysphoria. In sharp contrast, mice lacking MC4Rs displayed preference towards most of the aversive stimuli, but were indifferent to pain. The unusual flip from aversion to reward in mice lacking MC4Rs was dopamine-dependent and associated with a change from decreased to increased activity of the dopamine system. The responses to aversive stimuli were normalized when MC4Rs were re-expressed on dopamine D1 receptor-expressing cells or in the striatum of mice otherwise lacking MC4Rs. Furthermore, activation of arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin neurons projecting to the ventral striatum increased the activity of striatal neurons in a MC4R-dependent manner and elicited aversion. Our findings demonstrate that melanocortin signaling through striatal MC4Rs is critical for assigning negative motivational valence to harmful stimuli. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine has been implied in reward learning and drug addiction. However, the role of cholinergic receptor subtypes in such processes remains elusive. In study IV we investigated the function of muscarinic M4Rs on dopamine D1R expressing neurons and acetylcholinergic neurons, using transgenic mice in various reward-enforced behaviors and in a “waiting”-impulsivity test. Mice lacking M4-receptors from D1-receptor expressing neurons exhibited an escalated reward seeking phenotype towards cocaine and natural reward, in Pavlovian conditioning and an operant self-administration task, respectively. In addition, the M4-D1RCre mice showed impaired waiting impulsivity in the 5-choice-serial-reaction-time-task. On the contrary, mice without M4Rs in acetylcholinergic neurons were unable to learn positive reinforcement to natural reward and cocaine, in an operant runway paradigm and in Pavlovian conditioning.  Immediate early gene expression mirrored the behavioral findings arising from M4R-D1R knockout, as cocaine induced cFos and FosB was significantly increased in the forebrain of M4-D1RCre mice, whereas it remained normal in the M4R-ChatCre mice. Our study illustrates that muscarinic M4Rs on specific neural populations, either cholinergic or D1R-expressing, are pivotal for learning processes related to both natural reward and drugs of abuse, with opposing functionality.

Vid blodgivning donerar blodgivare blod frivilligt. Blodet kan sedan användas inom sjukvården för exempelvis blodtransfusion, vilket kräver blodprodukter kompatibla med patienten. Förekomst av leukocyter i blodprodukter medför en ökad risk för febrila transfusionsreaktioner hos transfunderade patienter. Därför krävs det att vid framställning leukocytreducera blodprodukter och utföra kvalitetskontroll. Med analysen B-leukocytpartikelkoncentration (LPK) kan totalantalet leukocyter i helblod beräknas. Flödescytometri är en metod som kan analysera optiska och fluorescerande egenskaper hos exempelvis celler i en suspension, vilket kan användas för att kvantifiera cellantal. BD Leucocount™-Kit (BD Biosciences) är avsett för flödescytometrisk analys av antalet kvarvarande leukocyter i leukocytreducerade blodprodukter. Vid framställning av blodprodukter ska helblodspåsen vila vid rumstemperatur i minst 3 timmar efter blodgivning. I Falun används antingen ett dagsprogram där produktion sker samma dag som blodgivningen, eller ett övernattningsprogram där produktion sker dagen därpå. Prover från 505 kontrollerade erytrocytenheter, samlade i Falun, har påvisat en skillnad i leukocytkoncentration beroende på vilket program som använts. Anledningen till att erytrocytenheternas leukocytinnehåll skiljer sig är inte känt. Syftet med denna studie är därav att undersöka om vilotiden har någon effekt på leukocytkoncentrationen i helblodspåsar. LPK varierade mellan helblodspåsarna. Ett ökande leukocytantal observerades över tid i majoriteten av helblodspåsar, inklusive medelvärde. Däremot kunde inte hypotesprövning påvisa statistisk signifikans. Hypotesen om att leukocytantalet ökar över tid går emot grundläggande hematologi. Utifrån resultaten i denna studie kan inte hypotesen bevisas. Vidare studier bör genomföras. / During blood donation, blood donors donate blood voluntarily. The blood can then be used in healthcare for, for example, blood transfusions, which requires blood products compatible with the patient. The presence of leukocytes in blood products increases the risk of febrile transfusion reactions in transfused patients. Therefore, leukocyte-reduction in blood products is necessary during production. Each blood center must perform quality control on produced blood products. With the analysis B-leukocyte particle concentration (LPK), the total number of leukocytes in whole blood can be calculated. Flow cytometry is a method that can analyze the optical and fluorescent properties of, for example, cells in a suspension, which can be used to quantify cell numbers. The BD Leucocount™-Kit (BD Biosciences) is intended for flow cytometric analysis of the number of leukocytes remaining in leukocyte-reduced blood products. When producing blood products, the whole blood bag should rest at room temperature for at least three hours after the donation. In Falun, either a day program is used where production takes place on the same day as the blood was donated, or an overnight program where production takes place the next day. Samples from 505 controlled erythrocyte units, collected in Falun, have shown a difference in leukocyte concentration depending on the program used. The reason why the leukocyte content of erythrocyte units differs is not known. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate whether the resting period has any effect on the leukocyte concentration in whole blood bags. The LPK varied between the whole blood bags. An increasing leukocyte count was observed over time in most of the whole blood bags. However, hypothesis testing did not show statistical significance. The hypothesis that leukocyte counts increase goes against basic hematology. Based on the results of this study, the hypothesis cannot be proven. Further studies should be conducted. / <p>Vårdförbundet tilldelade Leo Svahn stipendium 2021 för <em>bästa kandidatuppsats inom biomedicinsk laboratorievetenskap</em>.</p>