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  • 1. Ahlstrand, Tuuli
    et al.
    Torittu, Annamari
    Elovaara, Heli
    Välimaa, Hannamari
    Pöllänen, Marja T.
    Kasvandik, Sergo
    Högbom, Martin
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Ihalin, Riikka
    Interactions between the Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans secretin HofQ and host cytokines indicate a link between natural competence and interleukin-8 uptake2018In: Virulence, ISSN 2150-5594, E-ISSN 2150-5608, Vol. 9, no 1, p. 1205-1223Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Naturally competent bacteria acquire DNA from their surroundings to survive in nutrient-poor environments and incorporate DNA into their genomes as new genes for improved survival. The secretin HofQ from the oral pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans has been associated with DNA uptake. Cytokine sequestering is a potential virulence mechanism in various bacteria and may modulate both host defense and bacterial physiology. The objective of this study was to elucidate a possible connection between natural competence and cytokine uptake in A. actinomycetemcomitans. The extramembranous domain of HofQ (emHofQ) was shown to interact with various cytokines, of which IL-8 exhibited the strongest interaction. The dissociation constant between emHofQ and IL-8 was 43nM in static settings and 2.4M in dynamic settings. The moderate binding affinity is consistent with the hypothesis that emHofQ recognizes cytokines before transporting them into the cells. The interaction site was identified via crosslinking and mutational analysis. By structural comparison, relateda type I KH domain with a similar interaction site was detected in the Neisseria meningitidis secretin PilQ, which has been shown to participate in IL-8 uptake. Deletion of hofQ from the A. actinomycetemcomitans genome decreased the overall biofilm formation of this organism, abolished the response to cytokines, i.e., decreased eDNA levels in the presence of cytokines, and increased the susceptibility of the biofilm to tested -lactams. Moreover, we showed that recombinant IL-8 interacted with DNA. These results can be used in further studies on the specific role of cytokine uptake in bacterial virulence without interfering with natural-competence-related DNA uptake.

  • 2.
    Ali, Magdi Mahmoud
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Wenner-Gren Institute .
    Montgomery, Scott M.
    Farouk, Salah E.
    Noori, Suzan I. A.
    Shamad, Mahdi M.
    Tayeb, Omer
    ElGhazali, Gehad
    Berzins, Klavs
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Wenner-Gren Institute .
    FcγRIIa (CD32) polymorphism and onchocercal skin disease: implications for the development of severe reactive onchodermatitis (ROD)2007In: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, ISSN 0002-9637, E-ISSN 1476-1645, Vol. 77, no 6, p. 1074-1078Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The pathologic manifestations of Onchocerca volvulus infection depend on the interplay between the host and the parasite. A genetic single nucleotide polymorphism in the FcγRIIa gene, resulting in arginine (R) or histidine (H) at position 131, affects the binding to the different IgG subclasses and may influence the clinical variations seen in onchocerciasis. This study investigated the relationship between this polymorphism and disease outcome. FcγRIIa genotyping was performed on clinically characterized onchocerciasis patients (N = 100) and healthy controls (N = 74). FcγRIIa genotype R/R131 frequencies were significantly higher among patients with severe dermatopathology (P < 0.001). Increased risk of developing this form was mostly associated with one tribe (Masalit) (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1-9.9, P = 0.042). The H131 allele was found to be significantly associated with a reduced risk of having the severe form of the disease (adjusted OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.13-0.46, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that the polymorphism influences the clinical outcome of onchocerciasis.

  • 3.
    Alvarez, Francisco J.
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Ryman, Kicki
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Hooijmaijers, Cornelis
    Bulone, Vincent
    Ljungdahl, Per O.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Diverse Nitrogen Sources in Seminal Fluid Act in Synergy To Induce Filamentous Growth of Candida albicans2015In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, ISSN 0099-2240, E-ISSN 1098-5336, Vol. 81, no 8, p. 2770-2780Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The pathogenic fungus Candida albicans is the leading cause of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). VVC represents a major quality- of-life issue for women during their reproductive years, a stage of life where the vaginal epithelium is subject to periodic hormonally induced changes associated with menstruation and concomitant exposure to serum as well as potential intermittent contact with seminal fluid. Seminal fluid potently triggers Candida albicans to switch from yeastlike to filamentous modes of growth, a developmental response tightly linked to virulence. Conversely, vaginal fluid inhibits filamentation. Here, we used artificial formulations of seminal and vaginal fluids that faithfully mimic genuine fluids to assess the contribution of individual components within these fluids to filamentation. The high levels of albumin, amino acids, and N-acetylglucosamine in seminal fluid act synergistically as potent inducers of filamentous growth, even at atmospheric levels of CO2 and reduced temperatures (30 degrees C). Using a simplified in vitro model that mimics the natural introduction of seminal fluid into the vulvovaginal environment, a pulse of artificial seminal fluid (ASF) was found to exert an enduring potential to overcome the inhibitory efficacy of artificial vaginal fluid (AVF) on filamentation. These findings suggest that a transient but substantial change in the nutrient levels within the vulvovaginal environment during unprotected coitus can induce resident C. albicans cells to engage developmental programs associated with virulent growth.

  • 4. Arama, Charles
    et al.
    Quin, Jaclyn E.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Kouriba, Bourema
    Östlund Farrants, Ann-Kristin
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Troye-Blomberg, Marita
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Doumbo, Ogobara K.
    Epigenetics and Malaria Susceptibility/Protection: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle2018In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 9, article id 1733Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A better understanding of stable changes in regulation of gene expression that result from epigenetic events is of great relevance in the development of strategies to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Histone modification and DNA methylation are key epigenetic mechanisms that can be regarded as marks, which ensure an accurate transmission of the chromatin states and gene expression profiles over generations of cells. There is an increasing list of these modifications, and the complexity of their action is just beginning to be understood. It is clear that the epigenetic landscape plays a fundamental role in most biological processes that involve the manipulation and expression of DNA. Although the molecular mechanism of gene regulation is relatively well understood, the hierarchical order of events and dependencies that lead to protection against infection remain largely unknown. In this review, we propose that host epigenetics is an essential, though relatively under studied, factor in the protection or susceptibility to malaria.

  • 5.
    Arnberg, Filip K.
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Stress Research Institute. Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Lekander, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Stress Research Institute. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
    Morey, Jennifer N.
    Segerström, Suzanne C.
    Self-rated health and interleukin-6: Longitudinal relationships in older adults2016In: Brain, behavior, and immunity, ISSN 0889-1591, E-ISSN 1090-2139, Vol. 54, p. 226-232Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Both self-rated health (SRH) and inflammation are implicated in chronic diseases and premature mortality. Better SRH is associated with lower proinflammatory cytokines, but there is little evidence about whether this relationship is more stable or dynamic.

    Objective: To study the between- and within-person associations between SRH and IL-6.

    Methods: Older adults (N=131; Mage=75years) rated their health and provided blood samples for analysis of IL-6 at separate occasions every 6months over a period up to 5years. Age, sex, BMI, neuroticism, and statin use were examined as covariates in multilevel models.

    Results: In bivariate models, better SRH, lower BMI, younger age, and female sex correlated with lower IL-6. In multilevel models, stable SRH (between-person differences; p<.001) but not dynamic SRH (within-person changes; p=.93) correlated with IL-6. The stable relationship persisted with demographic and health covariates in the model.

    Conclusions: Better stable SRH but not dynamic SRH was robustly associated with lower IL-6 among older adults, lending support to previous cross-sectional findings on the relation between inflammatory markers and SRH. The findings suggest that trait-like mechanisms, rather than changes over a time scale of 6-month waves, govern this association. To further investigate the mechanisms behind the SRH-IL-6 association, studies with different measurement frequencies, higher within-person variability, and experimental approaches are warranted.

  • 6. Bengtsson-Palme, Johan
    et al.
    Angelin, Martin
    Huss, Mikael
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Kjellqvist, Sanela
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Kristiansson, Erik
    Palmgren, Helena
    Larsson, D. G. Joakim
    Johansson, Anders
    The Human Gut Microbiome as a Transporter of Antibiotic Resistance Genes between Continents2015In: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, ISSN 0066-4804, E-ISSN 1098-6596, Vol. 59, no 10, p. 6551-6560Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Previous studies of antibiotic resistance dissemination by travel have, by targeting only a select number of cultivable bacterial species, omitted most of the human microbiome. Here, we used explorative shotgun metagenomic sequencing to address the abundance of >300 antibiotic resistance genes in fecal specimens from 35 Swedish students taken before and after exchange programs on the Indian peninsula or in Central Africa. All specimens were additionally cultured for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing enterobacteria, and the isolates obtained were genome sequenced. The overall taxonomic diversity and composition of the gut microbiome remained stable before and after travel, but there was an increasing abundance of Proteobacteria in 25/35 students. The relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes increased, most prominently for genes encoding resistance to sulfonamide (2.6-fold increase), trimethoprim (7.7-fold), and beta-lactams (2.6-fold). Importantly, the increase observed occurred without any antibiotic intake. Of 18 students visiting the Indian peninsula, 12 acquired ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, while none returning from Africa were positive. Despite deep sequencing efforts, the sensitivity of metagenomics was not sufficient to detect acquisition of the low-abundant genes responsible for the observed ESBL phenotype. In conclusion, metagenomic sequencing of the intestinal microbiome of Swedish students returning from exchange programs in Central Africa or the Indian peninsula showed increased abundance of genes encoding resistance to widely used antibiotics.

  • 7. Bernet, Néstor Vazquez
    et al.
    Corcoran, Martin
    Hardt, Uta
    Kaduk, Mateusz
    Phad, Ganesh E.
    Martin, Marcel
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Hedestam, Gunilla B. Karlsson
    High-Quality Library Preparation for NGS-Based Immunoglobulin Germline Gene Inference and Repertoire Expression Analysis2019In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 10, article id 660Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Next generation sequencing (NGS) of immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoires (Rep-seq) enables examination of the adaptive immune system at an unprecedented level. Applications include studies of expressed repertoires, gene usage, somatic hypermutation levels, Ig lineage tracing and identification of genetic variation within the Ig loci through inference methods. All these applications require starting libraries that allow the generation of sequence data with low error rate and optimal representation of the expressed repertoire. Here, we provide detailed protocols for the production of libraries suitable for human Ig germline gene inference and Ig repertoire studies. Various parameters used in the process were tested in order to demonstrate factors that are critical to obtain high quality libraries. We demonstrate an improved 5'RACE technique that reduces the length constraints of Illumina MiSeq based Rep-seq analysis but allows for the acquisition of sequences upstream of Ig V genes, useful for primer design. We then describe a 5' multiplex method for library preparation, which yields full length V(D)J sequences suitable for genotype identification and novel gene inference. We provide comprehensive sets of primers targeting IGHV, IGKV, and IGLV genes. Using the optimized protocol, we produced IgM, IgG, IgK, and IgL libraries and analyzed them using the germline inference tool IgDiscover to identify expressed germline V alleles. This process additionally uncovered three IGHV, one IGKV, and six IGLV novel alleles in a single individual, which are absent from the IMGT reference database, highlighting the need for further study of Ig genetic variation. The library generation protocols presented here enable a robust means of analyzing expressed Ig repertoires, identifying novel alleles and producing individualized germline gene databases from humans.

  • 8. Bradley, Frideborg
    et al.
    Boger, Mathias Franzén
    Kaldhusdal, Vilde
    Åhlberg, Alexandra
    Edfeldt, Gabriella
    Lajoie, Julie
    Bergström, Sofia
    Omollo, Kenneth
    Damdimopoulos, Anastasios
    Czarnewski, Paulo
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Månberg, Anna
    Oyugi, Julius
    Kimani, Joshua
    Nilsson, Peter
    Fowke, Keith
    Tjernlund, Annelie
    Broliden, Kristina
    Multi-omics analysis of the cervical epithelial integrity of women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate2022In: PLoS Pathogens, ISSN 1553-7366, E-ISSN 1553-7374, Vol. 18, no 5, article id e1010494Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an injectable hormonal contraceptive used by millions of women worldwide. However, experimental studies have associated DMPA use with genital epithelial barrier disruption and mucosal influx of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) target cells. We explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of these findings. Ectocervical biopsies and cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) specimens were collected from HIV-seronegative Kenyan sex workers using DMPA (n = 32) or regularly cycling controls (n = 64). Tissue samples were assessed by RNA-sequencing and quantitative imaging analysis, whereas protein levels were measured in CVL samples. The results suggested a DMPA-associated upregulation of genes involved in immune regulation, including genes associated with cytokine-mediated signaling and neutrophil-mediated immunity. A transcription factor analysis further revealed DMPA-associated upregulation of RELA and NFKB1 which are involved in several immune activation pathways. Several genes significantly downregulated in the DMPA versus the control group were involved in epithelial structure and function, including genes encoding keratins, small proline-rich proteins, and cell-cell adhesion proteins. Pathway analyses indicated DMPA use was associated with immune activation and suppression of epithelium development, including keratinization and cornification processes. The cervicovaginal microbiome composition (Lactobacillus dominant and non-Lactobacillus dominant) had no overall interactional impact on the DMPA associated tissue gene expression. Imaging analysis verified that DMPA use was associated with an impaired epithelial layer as illustrated by staining for the selected epithelial junction proteins E-cadherin, desmoglein-1 and claudin-1. Additional staining for CD4+ cells revealed a more superficial location of these cells in the ectocervical epithelium of DMPA users versus controls. Altered protein levels of SERPINB1 and ITIH2 were further observed in the DMPA group. Identification of specific impaired epithelial barrier structures at the gene expression level, which were verified at the functional level by tissue imaging analysis, illustrates mechanisms by which DMPA adversely may affect the integrity of the genital mucosa.

  • 9. Cerrato, Carmine Pasquale
    et al.
    Langel, Ülo
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. University of Tartu, Estonia.
    An update on cell-penetrating peptides with intracellular organelle targeting2022In: Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, ISSN 1742-5247, E-ISSN 1744-7593, Vol. 19, no 2, p. 133-146Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Introduction Cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) technologies represent an important strategy to address drug delivery to specific intracellular compartments by covalent conjugation to targeting sequences, potentially enabling strategies to combat most diseases.

    Areas covered This updated review article provides an overview of current intracellular organelle targeting by CPP. The targeting strategies of CPP and CPP/cargo complexes to specific cells or intracellular organelles are summarized, and the review provides an update on the current data for their pharmacological and therapeutical applications.

    Expert opinion Targeted drug delivery is moving from the level of tissue or specific pathogenic cell to the level of specific organelle that is the target of the drug, an important aspect in drug design and development. Organelle-targeted drug delivery results in improved efficacy, ability to control mode of action, reduction of undesired toxicities and side effects, and the possibility to overcome drug resistance mechanisms.

  • 10.
    Ciftci, Sibel
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Neumann, Felix
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Abdurahman, Samir
    Appelberg, K. Sofia
    Mirazimi, Au
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Madaboosi, Narayanan
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Digital Rolling Circle Amplification-Based Detection of Ebola and Other Tropical Viruses2020In: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, ISSN 1525-1578, E-ISSN 1943-7811, Vol. 22, no 2, p. 272-283Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Emerging tropical viruses have caused serious outbreaks during the recent years, such as Ebola virus (EBOV) in 2014 and the most recent in 2018 to 2019 in Congo. Thus, immediate diagnostic attention is demanded at the point of care in resource-limited settings, because the performance and the operational parameters of conventional EBOV testing are Limited. Especially, their sensitivity, specificity, and coverage of other tropical disease viruses make them unsuitable for diagnostic at the point of care. Here, a padlock probe (PLP)-based rolling circle amplification (RCA) method for the detection of EBOV is presented. For this, a set of PLPs, separately targeting the viral RNA and complementary RNA of all seven EBOV genes, was used in the RCA assay and validated on virus isolates from cell culture. The assay was then translated for testing clinical samples, and simultaneous detection of both EBOV RNA types was demonstrated. For increased sensitivity, the RCA products were enriched on a simple and pump-free microfluidic chip. Because PLPs and RCA are inherently multiplexable, we demonstrate the extension of the probe panel for the simultaneous detection of the tropical viruses Ebola, Zika, and Dengue. The demonstrated high specificity, sensitivity, and multiplexing capability in combination with the digital quantification rendered the assay a promising diagnostic tool toward tropical virus detection at the point of care.

  • 11.
    Cumming, Alister James
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Khananisho, Diana
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Harris, Ramona
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Bayer, Carolyn N.
    Nørholm, Morten H. H.
    Jamshidi, Sara
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry (MMK).
    Ilag, Leopold L.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry (MMK).
    Daley, Daniel O.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. CloneOpt AB, Sweden; Mycropt ApS, Denmark.
    Antibiotic-Efficient Genetic Cassette for the TEM-1 β-Lactamase That Improves Plasmid Performance2022In: ACS Synthetic Biology, E-ISSN 2161-5063, Vol. 11, no 1, p. 241-253Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Antibiotic resistance cassettes are indispensable tools in recombinant DNA technology, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering. The genetic cassette encoding the TEM-1 β-lactamase (denoted Tn3.1) is one of the most commonly used and can be found in more than 120 commercially available bacterial expression plasmids (e.g., the pET, pUC, pGEM, pQE, pGEX, pBAD, and pSEVA series). A widely acknowledged problem with the cassette is that it produces excessively high titers of β-lactamase that rapidly degrade β-lactam antibiotics in the culture media, leading to loss of selective pressure, and eventually a large percentage of cells that do not have a plasmid. To address these shortcomings, we have engineered a next-generation version that expresses minimal levels of β-lactamase (denoted Tn3.1MIN). We have also engineered a version that is compatible with the Standard European Vector Architecture (SEVA) (denoted Ap (pSEVA#1MIN--)). Expression plasmids containing either Tn3.1MIN or Ap (pSEVA#1MIN--) can be selected using a 5-fold lower concentration of β-lactam antibiotics and benefit from the increased half-life of the β-lactam antibiotics in the culture medium (3- to 10-fold). Moreover, more cells in the culture retain the plasmid. In summary, we present two antibiotic-efficient genetic cassettes encoding the TEM-1 β-lactamase that reduce antibiotic consumption (an integral part of antibiotic stewardship), reduce production costs, and improve plasmid performance in bacterial cell factories. 

  • 12.
    Dantoft, Widad
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Lundin, Daniel
    Esfahani, Shiva Seyedoleslami
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Engström, Ylva
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    The POU/Oct Transcription Factor Pdm1/nub Is Necessary for a Beneficial Gut Microbiota and Normal Lifespan of Drosophila2016In: Journal of Innate Immunity, ISSN 1662-811X, E-ISSN 1662-8128, Vol. 8, no 4, p. 412-426Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Maintenance of a stable gut microbial community relies on a delicate balance between immune defense and immune tolerance. We have used Drosophila to study how the microbial gut flora is affected by changes in host genetic factors and immunity. Flies with a constitutively active gut immune system, due to a mutation in the POU transcriptional regulator Pdm1/nubbin (nub) gene, had higher loads of bacteria and a more diverse taxonomic composition than controls. In addition, the microbial composition shifted considerably during the short lifespan of the nub(1) mutants. This shift was characterized by a loss of relatively few OTUs (operational taxonomic units) and a remarkable increase in a large number of Acetobacter spp. and Leuconostoc spp. Treating nub(1) mutant flies with antibiotics prolonged their lifetime survival by more than 100%. Immune gene expression was also persistently high in the presence of antibiotics, indicating that the early death was not a direct consequence of an over-active immune defense but rather an indirect consequence of the microbial load and composition. Thus, changes in host genotype and an inability to regulate the normal growth and composition of the gut microbiota leads to a shift in the microbial community, dysbiosis and early death.

  • 13.
    de Klerk, Nele
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Maudsdotter, Lisa
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Gebremariam, Hanna G
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Saroj, Sunil D.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Eriksson, Beatrice
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Eriksson, Olaspers Sara
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Roos, Stefan
    Linden, Sara
    Sjölinder, Hong
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Jonsson, Ann-Beth
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Lactobacilli Reduce Helicobacter pylori Attachment to Host Gastric Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting Adhesion Gene Expression2016In: Infection and Immunity, ISSN 0019-9567, E-ISSN 1098-5522, Vol. 84, no 5, p. 1526-1535Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The human gastrointestinal tract, including the harsh environment of the stomach, harbors a large variety of bacteria, of which Lactobacillus species are prominent members. The molecular mechanisms by which species of lactobacilli interfere with pathogen colonization are not fully characterized. In this study, we aimed to study the effect of lactobacillus strains upon the initial attachment of Helicobacter pylori to host cells. Here we report a novel mechanism by which lactobacilli inhibit adherence of the gastric pathogen H. pylori. In a screen with Lactobacillus isolates, we found that only a few could reduce adherence of H. pylori to gastric epithelial cells. Decreased attachment was not due to competition for space or to lactobacillus-mediated killing of the pathogen. Instead, we show that lactobacilli act on H. pylori directly by an effector molecule that is released into the medium. This effector molecule acts on H. pylori by inhibiting expression of the adhesin-encoding gene sabA. Finally, we verified that inhibitory lactobacilli reduced H. pylori colonization in an in vivo model. In conclusion, certain Lactobacillus strains affect pathogen adherence by inhibiting sabA expression and thereby reducing H. pylori binding capacity.

  • 14.
    Dou, Dan
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Revol, Rebecca
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Östbye, Henrik
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Wang, Hao
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Daniels, Robert
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Influenza A Virus Cell Entry, Replication, Virion Assembly and Movement2018In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 9, article id 1581Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Influenza viruses replicate within the nucleus of the host cell. This uncommon RNA virus trait provides influenza with the advantage of access to the nuclear machinery during replication. However, it also increases the complexity of the intracellular trafficking that is required for the viral components to establish a productive infection. The segmentation of the influenza genome makes these additional trafficking requirements especially challenging, as each viral RNA (vRNA) gene segment must navigate the network of cellular membrane barriers during the processes of entry and assembly. To accomplish this goal, influenza A viruses (IAVs) utilize a combination of viral and cellular mechanisms to coordinate the transport of their proteins and the eight vRNA gene segments in and out of the cell. The aim of this review is to present the current mechanistic understanding for how IAVs facilitate cell entry, replication, virion assembly, and intercellular movement, in an effort to highlight some of the unanswered questions regarding the coordination of the IAV infection process.

  • 15. Edwards, Robert A.
    et al.
    Vega, Alejandro A.
    Norman, Holly M.
    Ohaeri, Maria
    Levi, Kyle
    Dinsdale, Elizabeth A.
    Cinek, Ondrej
    Aziz, Ramy K.
    McNair, Katelyn
    Barr, Jeremy J.
    Bibby, Kyle
    Brouns, Stan J. J.
    Cazares, Adrian
    de Jonge, Patrick A.
    Desnues, Christelle
    Diaz Munoz, Samuel L.
    Fineran, Peter C.
    Kurilshikov, Alexander
    Lavigne, Rob
    Mazankova, Karla
    McCarthy, David T.
    Nobrega, Franklin L.
    Reyes Munoz, Alejandro
    Tapia, German
    Trefault, Nicole
    Tyakht, Alexander
    Vinuesa, Pablo
    Wagemans, Jeroen
    Zhernakova, Alexandra
    Aarestrup, Frank M.
    Ahmadov, Gunduz
    Alassaf, Abeer
    Anton, Josefa
    Asangba, Abigail
    Billings, Emma K.
    Cantu, Vito Adrian
    Carlton, Jane M.
    Cazares, Daniel
    Cho, Gyu-Sung
    Condeff, Tess
    Cortes, Pilar
    Cranfield, Mike
    Cuevas, Daniel A.
    De la Iglesia, Rodrigo
    Decewicz, Przemyslaw
    Doane, Michael P.
    Dominy, Nathaniel J.
    Dziewit, Lukasz
    Elwasila, Bashir Mukhtar
    Murat Eren, A.
    Franz, Charles
    Fu, Jingyuan
    Garcia-Aljaro, Cristina
    Ghedin, Elodie
    Gulino, Kristen M.
    Haggerty, John M.
    Head, Steven R.
    Hendriksen, Rene S.
    Hill, Colin
    Hyoty, Heikki
    Ilina, Elena N.
    Irwin, Mitchell T.
    Jeffries, Thomas C.
    Jofre, Juan
    Junge, Randall E.
    Kelley, Scott T.
    Mirzaei, Mohammadali Khan
    Kowalewski, Martin
    Kumaresan, Deepak
    Leigh, Steven R.
    Lipson, David
    Lisitsyna, Eugenia S.
    Llagostera, Montserrat
    Maritz, Julia M.
    Marr, Linsey C.
    McCann, Angela
    Molshanski-Mor, Shahar
    Monteiro, Silvia
    Moreira-Grez, Benjamin
    Morris, Megan
    Mugisha, Lawrence
    Muniesa, Maite
    Neve, Horst
    Nam-phuong, Nguyen
    Nigro, Olivia D.
    Nilsson, Anders S.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    O'Connell, Taylor
    Odeh, Rasha
    Oliver, Andrew
    Piuri, Mariana
    Prussin, Aaron J.
    Qimron, Udi
    Quan, Zhe-Xue
    Rainetova, Petra
    Ramirez-Rojas, Adan
    Raya, Raul
    Reasor, Kim
    Rice, Gillian A. O.
    Rossi, Alessandro
    Santos, Ricardo
    Shimashita, John
    Stachler, Elyse N.
    Stene, Lars C.
    Strain, Ronan
    Stumpf, Rebecca
    Torres, Pedro J.
    Twaddle, Alan
    Ibekwe, MaryAnn Ugochi
    Villagra, Nicolas
    Wandro, Stephen
    White, Bryan
    Whiteley, Andy
    Whiteson, Katrine L.
    Wijmenga, Cisca
    Zambrano, Maria M.
    Zschach, Henrike
    Dutilh, Bas E.
    Global phylogeography and ancient evolution of the widespread human gut virus crAssphage2019In: Nature Microbiology, E-ISSN 2058-5276, Vol. 4, no 10, p. 1727-1736Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Microbiomes are vast communities of microorganisms and viruses that populate all natural ecosystems. Viruses have been considered to be the most variable component of microbiomes, as supported by virome surveys and examples of high genomic mosaicism. However, recent evidence suggests that the human gut virome is remarkably stable compared with that of other environments. Here, we investigate the origin, evolution and epidemiology of crAssphage, a widespread human gut virus. Through a global collaboration, we obtained DNA sequences of crAssphage from more than one-third of the world's countries and showed that the phylogeography of crAssphage is locally clustered within countries, cities and individuals. We also found fully colinear crAssphage-like genomes in both Old-World and New-World primates, suggesting that the association of crAssphage with primates may be millions of years old. Finally, by exploiting a large cohort of more than 1,000 individuals, we tested whether crAssphage is associated with bacterial taxonomic groups of the gut microbiome, diverse human health parameters and a wide range of dietary factors. We identified strong correlations with different clades of bacteria that are related to Bacteroidetes and weak associations with several diet categories, but no significant association with health or disease. We conclude that crAssphage is a benign cosmopolitan virus that may have coevolved with the human lineage and is an integral part of the normal human gut virome.

  • 16.
    Emami, S. Noushin
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden.
    Lindberg, Bo G.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Hua, Susanna
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Hill, Sharon R.
    Mozuraitis, Raimondas
    Lehmann, Philipp
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Birgersson, Göran
    Borg-Karlson, Anna-Karin
    Ignell, Rickard
    Faye, Ingrid
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    A key malaria metabolite modulates vector blood seeking, feeding, and susceptibility to infection2017In: Science, ISSN 0036-8075, E-ISSN 1095-9203, Vol. 355, no 6329Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Malaria infection renders humans more attractive to Anopheles gambiae sensu lato mosquitoes than uninfected people. The mechanisms remain unknown. We found that an isoprenoid precursor produced by Plasmodium falciparum, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), affects A. gambiae s. l. blood meal seeking and feeding behaviors as well as susceptibility to infection. HMBPP acts indirectly by triggering human red blood cells to increase the release of CO2, aldehydes, and monoterpenes, which together enhance vector attraction and stimulate vector feeding. When offered in a blood meal, HMBPP modulates neural, antimalarial, and oogenic gene transcription without affecting mosquito survival or fecundity; in a P. falciparum-infected blood meal, sporogony is increased.

  • 17.
    Engman, Jakob
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Negrea, Aurel
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Sigurlásdóttir, Sara
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Geörg, Miriam
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Eriksson, Jens
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Eriksson, Olaspers Sara
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Kuwae, Asaomi
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Sjölinder, Hong
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Jonsson, Ann-Beth
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Neisseria meningitidis Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Affects Aggregation, Adhesion, and Virulence2016In: Infection and Immunity, ISSN 0019-9567, E-ISSN 1098-5522, Vol. 84, no 5, p. 1501-1513Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Neisseria meningitidis autoaggregation is an important step during attachment to human cells. Aggregation is mediated by type IV pili and can be modulated by accessory pilus proteins, such as PilX, and posttranslational modifications of the major pilus subunit PilE. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of aggregation remain poorly characterized. Polynucleotide phosphorylase ( PNPase) is a 3'-5' exonuclease that is involved in RNA turnover and the regulation of small RNAs. In this study, we biochemically confirm that NMC0710 is the N. meningitidis PNPase, and we characterize its role in N. meningitidis pathogenesis. We show that deletion of the gene encoding PNPase leads to hyperaggregation and increased adhesion to epithelial cells. The aggregation induced was found to be dependent on pili and to be mediated by excessive pilus bundling. PNPase expression was induced following bacterial attachment to human cells. Deletion of PNPase led to global transcriptional changes and the differential regulation of 469 genes. We also demonstrate that PNPase is required for full virulence in an in vivo model of N. meningitidis infection. The present study shows that PNPase negatively affects aggregation, adhesion, and virulence in N. meningitidis.

  • 18.
    Eriksson, Kimmo
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Centre for Cultural Evolution. Mälardalen University, Sweden.
    Vartanova, Irina
    Vaccine confidence is higher in more religious countries2022In: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, ISSN 2164-5515, E-ISSN 2164-554X, Vol. 18, no 1, p. 1-3Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Vaccine hesitancy is a threat to global health, but it is not ubiquitous; depending on the country, the proportion that have confidence in vaccines ranges from a small minority to a huge majority. Little is known about what explains this dramatic variation in vaccine confidence. We hypothesize that variation in religiosity may play a role because traditional religious teachings are likely to be incompatible with the specific magical/spiritual health beliefs that often undergird anti-vaccination sentiments. In analyses of publicly available data in 147 countries, we find that a country measure of religiosity is strongly positively correlated with country measures of confidence in the safety, importance, and effectiveness of vaccines, and these associations are robust to controlling for measures of human development (education, economic development, and health). The underlying mechanism needs to be examined in future research.

  • 19. García-Sanchez, Marta
    et al.
    Jiménez-Pelayo, Laura
    Horcajo, Pilar
    Regidor-Cerrillo, Javier
    Ólafsson, Einar B.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Bhandage, Amol K.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Barragan, Antonio
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Werling, Dirk
    Miguel Ortega-Mora, Luis
    Collantes-Fernández, Esther
    Differential Responses of Bovine Monocyte-Derived Macrophages to Infection by Neospora caninum Isolates of High and Low Virulence2019In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 10, article id 915Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Neospora caninum, a protozoan parasite closely related to Toxoplasma gondii, represents one of the main causes of abortion in cattle. Macrophages (Mempty sets) are mediators of the innate immune response against infection and likely one of the first cells encountered by the parasite during the host infection process. In this study, we investigated in vitro how high or low virulent isolates of N. caninum (Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, respectively) interact with bovine monocyte-derived Mempty sets and the influence of the isolate virulence on the subsequent cellular response. Both isolates actively invaded, survived and replicated in the Mempty sets. However, Nc-Spain7 showed a higher invasion rate and a replication significantly faster, following an exponential growth model, whereas Nc-Spain1H presented a delayed replication and a lower growth rate without an exponential pattern. N. caninum infection induced a hypermigratory phenotype in bovine Mempty sets that was characterized by enhanced motility and transmigration in vitro and was accompanied by morphological changes and abrogated extracellular matrix degradation. A significantly higher hypermotility was observed with the highly virulent isolate Nc-Spain7. Nc-Spain1H-infected Mempty sets showed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and IL12p40 expression, which also resulted in increased IFN-gamma release by lymphocytes, compared to cells infected with Nc-Spain7. Furthermore, IL-10 was upregulated in Mempty sets infected with both isolates. Infected Mempty sets exhibited lower expression of MHC Class II, CD86, and CD1b molecules than uninfected Mempty sets, with non-significant differences between isolates. This work characterizes for the first time N. caninum replication in bovine monocyte-derived Mempty sets and details isolate-dependent differences in host cell responses to the parasite.

  • 20. Gbedande, Komi
    et al.
    Cottrell, Gilles
    Vianou, Bertin
    Ibitokou, Samad
    Fernando, Aurax
    Troye-Blomberg, Marita
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Salanti, Ali
    Moutairou, Kabirou
    Massougbodji, Achille
    Ndam, Nicaise Tuikue
    Deloron, Philippe
    Luty, Adrian J. F.
    Fievet, Nadine
    Infections with Plasmodium falciparum during pregnancy affect VAR2CSA DBL-5 domain-specific T cell cytokine responses2016In: Malaria Journal, ISSN 1475-2875, E-ISSN 1475-2875, Vol. 15, article id 485Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Current knowledge of human immunological responses to pregnancy-associated malaria-specific Plasmodium falciparum protein VAR2CSA concerns almost exclusively B cell-driven antibody-mediated activity. Knowledge of VAR2CSA-specific T cell-mediated activity is minimal by comparison, with only a single published report of a study investigating VAR2CSA-derived peptide-specific T cell responses. The study described here represents an attempt to redress this balance. Methods: Within the framework of a cohort study of 1037 pregnant Beninese, sub-groups were selected on the basis of the documented presence/absence of infection with P. falciparum and conducted detailed immunological assessments both at inclusion into the study and at delivery. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, stimulated in vitro, and VAR2CSA DBL-5 domain-specific, IFN-gamma-secreting T-cell frequencies and cytokine responses were quantified using flow cytometric techniques. Multivariate analyses were used to determine primarily whether the T cell-mediated DBL5-specific activity measured was associated with infection by P. falciparum adjusted for gravidity, anaemia and other cofactors. Results: Infections with P. falciparum detected at inclusion were associated with enhanced non-specific TNF responses, whilst diminished non-specific and DBL-5-specific IL-10 responses were associated with infections detected at delivery. Infections during pregnancy led to enhanced non-specific and DBL-5-specific IFN-gamma responses detectable at delivery but to concomitantly lower DBL-5-specific CD8+ IFN-gamma responses. Prospective assessments indicated that non-specific pro-inflammatory responses detectable at inclusion in the study were associated with the occurrence of infections subsequently during pregnancy. Conclusions: The findings represent a first step in elucidating the quantity and quality of cellular immunological responses to VAR2CSA, which will help in the development of the primary vaccine candidate for prevention of pregnancy-associated malaria.

  • 21.
    Gebremariam, Hanna G.
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Qazi, Khaleda Rahman
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Somiah, Tanvi
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Pathak, Sushil Kumar
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Khallikote University, India.
    Sjölinder, Hong
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Sverremark Ekström, Eva
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Jonsson, Ann-Beth
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Lactobacillus gasseri Suppresses the Production of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Macrophages by Inhibiting the Expression of ADAM172019In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 10, article id 2326Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The ability of Helicobacter pylori to evade the host immune system allows the bacterium to colonize the host for a lifetime. Long-term infection with H. pylori causes chronic inflammation, which is the major risk factor for the development of gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. Lactobacilli are part of the human microbiota and have been studied as an adjunct treatment in H. pylori eradication therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which lactobacilli act against H. pylori infection have not been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Lactobacillus strains upon coincubation of host macrophages with H. pylori. We found that Lactobacillus gasseri Kx110A1 (L. gas), a strain isolated from a human stomach, but not other tested Lactobacillus species, blocked the production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 in H. pylori-infected macrophages. Interestingly, L. gas also inhibited the release of these cytokines in LPS or LTA stimulated macrophages, demonstrating a general anti-inflammatory property. The inhibition of these cytokines did not occur through the polarization of macrophages from the M1 (proinflammatory) to M2 (anti-inflammatory) phenotype or through the altered viability of H. pylori or host cells. Instead, we show that L. gas suppressed the release of TNF and IL-6 by reducing the expression of ADAM17 (also known as TNF-alpha-converting enzyme, TACE) on host cells. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which L. gas prevents the production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 in host macrophages.

  • 22.
    Giusti, Pablo
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Wenner-Gren Institute .
    Characterization of antigen-presenting cell function in vitro and ex vivo2011Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Long-term protective immunity depends on proper initiation of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Autoimmune disorders and certain infections can cause disease through modulation of APCs and thereby affecting the outcome of these diseases. This work aimed to investigate the behaviour of different APC subsets during conditions known to cause improper immune responses.

    In Paper I, the effects of an anti-inflammatory compound called Rabeximod, intended for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were investigated on different subsets of APCs. The results showed that Rabeximod affected the differentiation and behaviour of inflammatory subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages while no effects were observed on anti-inflammatory subsets. Our findings suggest that Rabeximod acts by inhibiting the functionality of inflammatory subsets of APCs.

    In Paper II, the effects of different malaria derived stimuli such as hemozoin (Hz) and infected red-blood cells (iRBCs) on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) were investigated. Both stimuli triggered activation and migration of MoDCs. MoDCs exposed to iRBCs induced allogeneic T-cell proliferation while those exposed to Hz did not. These results indicate that different malaria derived stimuli may differently affect DCs and that this could lead to improper and inefficient T-cell activation.

    In Paper III, innate aspects of malarial immunity were compared in children from two sympatric ethnic groups. We observed decreased activation of APCs and severely supressed TLR responses in Dogon children as compared to Fulani. This may indicate an important role for TLR and APC activation in the Fulani, known to be better protected against malaria than the Dogon.

    In summary, detailed knowledge of APC activation will be helpful in the understanding of specific effector immune responses. This could in turn, improve treatment of inflammatory disorders as well as the generation of efficient vaccines against infectious diseases.

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  • 23.
    Haghdoost, Siamak
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology.
    Sjölander, Lena
    Czene, Stefan
    Harms-Ringdahl, Mats
    The nucleotide pool is a significant target for oxidative stress2006In: Free Radical Biology & Medicine, ISSN 0891-5849, E-ISSN 1873-4596, Vol. 41, no 4, p. 620-626Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Oxidative stress is considered to be one of the most important phenomena involved in the process of aging and age-related diseases. 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) has been frequently used as a marker for oxidative stress. However, the origin of extracellular 8-oxo-dG is not well understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the nucleotide pool and the role of the human mutT homologue protein (hMTH1) in the appearance of extracellular 8-oxo-dG in a cellular model system. For this purpose we used primary human fibroblast cells, which were transfected by siRNAs homologous to hMTH1. Extracellular 8-oxo-dG in cell culture media after exposure of the cells to ionizing radiation was measured as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reactivity. Our results demonstrate the profound effect of both hMTH1 expression and nucleotide pool size on the cellular excretion of 8-oxo-dG, suggesting that the nucleotide pool is a significant target for the formation of extracellular 8-oxo-dG.

  • 24. Hasselrot, Tyra
    et al.
    Franzén Boger, Mathias
    Kaldhusdal, Vilde
    Åhlberg, Alexandra
    Omollo, Kenneth
    Lajoie, Julie
    Kimani, Joshua
    Tjernlund, Annelie
    Fowke, Keith R.
    Czarnewski, Paulo
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Broliden, Kristina
    Vaginal candida infection is associated with host molecular signatures of neutrophil activation in the adjacent ectocervical mucosa in Kenyan sex workers2024In: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, ISSN 1046-7408, E-ISSN 1600-0897, Vol. 91, no 2, article id e13814Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Problem: Overgrowth of candida species in the human vaginal mucosa causes inflammation, which could render the mucosal barrier more susceptible to HIV infection. Here, we investigated whether this condition also affects the ectocervical mucosa, a potential site of HIV entry, in women at high risk of HIV infection.

    Method of study: Retrospective medical data and ectocervical tissue samples were obtained from a cohort of Kenyan sex workers. Among 108 women, seven had signs of vaginal candida infection by wet smear microscopy and/or the presence of characteristic discharge. Women lacking these two criteria served as controls. Host transcriptomic profiling and quantitative in situ image analysis of epithelial barrier markers and CD4+ cell distribution were performed.

    Results: The candida group had 162 differentially expressed genes out of 15 435 genes as compared with the control group. Among these 162 genes, 147 were upregulated and 15 were downregulated. Gene expression pathway analysis indicated associations with an upregulated inflammatory response, defined primarily by markers of neutrophil activation. Transcription factor analysis revealed upregulation of pathways related to RELA/REL/NFKB1JUN and STAT1 in the candida group. In situ image analysis of ectocervical tissue samples showed no differences between groups in terms of epithelial height, expression of epithelial junction proteins (E-cadherin, claudin-1, zonula occludens 1, and desmoglein-1), or epithelial CD4+ cell distribution.

    Conclusions: Vaginal candida infection was associated with inflammation and neutrophil infiltration, but not with severe epithelial disruption or CD4+ cell infiltration, in the ectocervical mucosa.

  • 25. Humphrey, Madeleine
    et al.
    Larrouy-Maumus, Gerald J.
    Furniss, R. Christopher D.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Mavridou, Despoina A. I.
    Sabnis, Akshay
    Edwards, Andrew M.
    Colistin resistance in Escherichia coli confers protection of the cytoplasmic but not outer membrane from the polymyxin antibiotic2021In: Microbiology, ISSN 1350-0872, E-ISSN 1465-2080, Vol. 167, no 11, article id 001104Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Colistin is a polymyxin antibiotic of last resort for the treatment of infections caused by multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. By targeting lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the antibiotic disrupts both the outer and cytoplasmic membranes, leading to bacterial death and lysis. Colistin resistance in Escherichia coli occurs via mutations in the chromosome or the acquisition of mobilized colistin-resistance (mcr) genes. Both these colistin-resistance mechanisms result in chemical modifications to the LPS, with positively charged moieties added at the cytoplasmic membrane before the LPS is transported to the outer membrane. We have previously shown that MCR-1-mediated LPS modification protects the cytoplasmic but not the outer membrane from damage caused by colistin, enabling bacterial survival. However, it remains unclear whether this observation extends to colistin resistance conferred by other mcr genes, or resistance due to chromosomal mutations. Using a panel of clinical E. coli that had acquired mcr −1, –1.5, −2, –3, −3.2 or −5, or had acquired polymyxin resistance independently of mcr genes, we found that almost all isolates were susceptible to colistin-mediated permeabilization of the outer, but not cytoplasmic, membrane. Furthermore, we showed that permeabilization of the outer membrane of colistin-resistant isolates by the polymyxin is in turn sufficient to sensitize bacteria to the antibiotic rifampicin, which normally cannot cross the LPS monolayer. These findings demonstrate that colistin resistance in these E. coli isolates is due to protection of the cytoplasmic but not outer membrane from colistin-mediated damage, regardless of the mechanism of resistance.

  • 26. Jernberg, Cecilia
    et al.
    Löfmark, Sonja
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology.
    Edlund, Charlotta
    Jansson, Janet K.
    Long-term impacts of antibiotic exposure on the human intestinal microbiota2010In: Microbiology, ISSN 1350-0872, E-ISSN 1465-2080, Vol. 156, p. 3216-3223Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Although it is known that antibiotics have short-term impacts on the human microbiome, recent evidence demonstrates that the impacts of some antibiotics remain for extended periods of time. In addition, antibiotic-resistant strains can persist in the human host environment in the absence of selective pressure. Both molecular- and cultivation-based approaches have revealed ecological disturbances in the microbiota after antibiotic administration, in particular for specific members of the bacterial community that are susceptible or alternatively resistant to the antibiotic in question. A disturbing consequence of antibiotic treatment has been the long-term persistence of antibiotic resistance genes, for example in the human gut. These data warrant use of prudence in the administration of antibiotics that could aggravate the growing battle with emerging antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains.

  • 27.
    Kaczanowska, Magdalena
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology.
    Rydén Aulin, Monica
    The YrdC protein - a putative ribosome maturation factor2005In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Gene Structure and Expression, ISSN 0167-4781, E-ISSN 1879-2634, Vol. 1727, no 2, p. 87-96Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Release factor one (RF1) terminates protein synthesis in response to stop codons UAG and UAA. A mutant allele of RF1 causes temperature sensitive growth at 42 °C. We have earlier described the isolation of a suppressor of the temperature sensitive phenotype. The suppressor mutation is a small deletion in the open reading frame yrdC, and we have shown that the ΔyrdC mutation leads to immature 30S subunits and, as a consequence, to fewer translating ribosomes. YrdC is a small conserved protein with a dsRNA-binding surface. Here, we have characterized the YrdC protein. We show that the deletion leads to no production of functional protein, and we have indications that the YrdC protein might be essential in a wild type background. The protein is needed for the maturation of 16S rRNA, even though it does not interact tightly with either of the ribosomal subunits, or the 70S particles. The less effective maturation of rRNA affects the ribosomal feedback control, leading to an increase in expression from P1rrnB. We suggest that the function of the YrdC protein is to keep an rRNA structure needed for proper processing of 16S rRNA, especially at lower temperatures. This activity may require other factor(s). We suggest the gene be renamed rimN, and the mutant allele rimN141.

  • 28.
    Kanatani, Sachie
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
    Uhlén, Per
    Barragan, Antonio
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
    Infection by Toxoplasma gondii Induces Amoeboid-Like Migration of Dendritic Cells in a Three-Dimensional Collagen Matrix2015In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 10, no 9, article id e0139104Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite of humans and other warm-blooded vertebrates, invades a variety of cell types in the organism, including immune cells. Notably, dendritic cells (DCs) infected by T. gondii acquire a hypermigratory phenotype that potentiates parasite dissemination by a 'Trojan horse' type of mechanism in mice. Previous studies have demonstrated that, shortly after parasite invasion, infected DCs exhibit hypermotility in 2-dimensional confinements in vitro and enhanced transmigration in transwell systems. However, interstitial migration in vivo involves interactions with the extracellular matrix in a 3-dimensional (3D) space. We have developed a collagen matrix-based assay in a 96-well plate format that allows quantitative locomotion analyses of infected DCs in a 3D confinement over time. We report that active invasion of DCs by T. gondii tachyzoites induces enhanced migration of infected DCs in the collagen matrix. Parasites of genotype II induced superior DC migratory distances than type I parasites. Moreover, Toxoplasma-induced hypermigration of DCs was further potentiated in the presence of the CCR7 chemotactic cue CCL19. Blocking antibodies to integrins (CD11a, CD11b, CD18, CD29, CD49b) insignificantly affected migration of infected DCs in the 3D matrix, contrasting with their inhibitory effects on adhesion in 2D assays. Morphological analyses of infected DCs in the matrix were consistent with the acquisition of an amoeboid-like migratory phenotype. Altogether, the present data show that the Toxoplasma-induced hypermigratory phenotype in a 3D matrix is consistent with integrin-independent amoeboid DC migration with maintained responsiveness to chemotactic and chemokinetic cues. The data support the hypothesis that induction of amoeboid hypermigration and chemotaxis/chemokinesis in infected DCs potentiates the dissemination of T. gondii.

  • 29.
    Kang, Daiwu
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology.
    Identification of immune genes in the insects Trichoplusia ni and Anopheles gambiae1997Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
  • 30.
    Keehnen, Naomi L. P.
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Kučerová, Lucie
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Czech Academy of Sciences, Czechia.
    Nylin, Sören
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Theopold, Ulrich
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Wheat, Christopher W.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Physiological Tradeoffs of Immune Response Differs by Infection Type in Pieris napi2021In: Frontiers in Physiology, E-ISSN 1664-042X, Vol. 11, article id 576797Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Understanding the tradeoffs that result from successful infection responses is central to understanding how life histories evolve. Gaining such insights, however, can be challenging, as they may be pathogen specific and confounded with experimental design. Here, we investigated whether infection from gram positive or negative bacteria results in different physiological tradeoffs, and whether these infections impact life history later in life (post-diapause development), in the butterfly Pieris napi. During the first 24 h after infection (3, 6, 12, and 24 h), after removing effects due to injection, larvae infected with Micrococcus luteus showed a strong suppression of all non-immunity related processes while several types of immune responses were upregulated. In contrast, this tradeoff between homeostasis and immune response was much less pronounced in Escherichia coli infections. These differences were also visible long after infection, via weight loss and slower development, as well as an increased mortality at higher infection levels during later stages of development. Individuals infected with M. luteus, compared to E. coli, had a higher mortality rate, and a lower pupal weight, developmental rate and adult weight. Further, males exhibited a more negative impact of infection than females. Thus, immune responses come at a cost even when the initial infection has been overcome, and these costs are likely to affect later life history parameters with fitness consequences.

  • 31.
    Keipert, Susanne
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany.
    Lutter, Dominik
    Schroeder, Bjoern O.
    Brandt, Daniel
    Ståhlman, Marcus
    Schwarzmayr, Thomas
    Graf, Elisabeth
    Fuchs, Helmut
    de Angelis, Martin Hrabe
    Tschöp, Matthias H.
    Rozman, Jan
    Jastroch, Martin
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany.
    Endogenous FGF21-signaling controls paradoxical obesity resistance of UCP1-deficient mice2020In: Nature Communications, E-ISSN 2041-1723, Vol. 11, no 1, article id 624Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Brown adipose thermogenesis increases energy expenditure and relies on uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), however, UCP1 knock-out mice show resistance to diet-induced obesity at room temperature. Here, the authors show that this resistance relies on FGF21-signaling, inducing the browning of white adipose tissue. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) executes thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, which is a major focus of human obesity research. Although the UCP1-knockout (UCP1 KO) mouse represents the most frequently applied animal model to judge the anti-obesity effects of UCP1, the assessment is confounded by unknown anti-obesity factors causing paradoxical obesity resistance below thermoneutral temperatures. Here we identify the enigmatic factor as endogenous FGF21, which is primarily mediating obesity resistance. The generation of UCP1/FGF21 double-knockout mice (dKO) fully reverses obesity resistance. Within mild differences in energy metabolism, urine metabolomics uncover increased secretion of acyl-carnitines in UCP1 KOs, suggesting metabolic reprogramming. Strikingly, transcriptomics of metabolically important organs reveal enhanced lipid and oxidative metabolism in specifically white adipose tissue that is fully reversed in dKO mice. Collectively, this study characterizes the effects of endogenous FGF21 that acts as master regulator to protect from diet-induced obesity in the absence of UCP1.

  • 32.
    Khalifa, Shaden A. M.
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Yosri, Nermeen
    El-Mallah, Mohamed F.
    Ghonaim, Reem
    Guo, Zhiming
    Musharraf, Syed Ghulam
    Du, Ming
    Khatib, Alfi
    Xiao, Jianbo
    Saeed, Aamer
    El-Seedi, Haged H. R.
    Zhao, Chao
    Efferth, Thomas
    El-Seedi, Hesham
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Menoufia University, Egypt; University of Karachi, Pakistan; Jiangsu University, China.
    Screening for natural and derived bio-active compounds in preclinical and clinical studies: One of the frontlines of fighting the coronaviruses pandemic2021In: Phytomedicine, ISSN 0944-7113, E-ISSN 1618-095X, Vol. 85, article id 153311Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Starting December 2019, mankind faced an unprecedented enemy, the COVID-19 virus. The world convened in international efforts, experiences and technologies in order to fight the emerging pandemic. Isolation, hygiene measure, diagnosis, and treatment are the most efficient ways of prevention and intervention nowadays. The health organizations and global care systems screened the available resources and offered recommendations of approved and proposed medications. However, the search for a specific selective therapy or vaccine against COVID-19 remains a challenge.

    Methods: A literature search was performed for the screening of natural and derived bio-active compounds which showed potent antiviral activity against coronaviruses using published articles, patents, clinical trials website (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) and web databases (PubMed, SCI Finder, Science Direct, and Google Scholar).

    Results: Through the screening for natural products with antiviral activities against different types of the human coronavirus, extracts of Lycoris radiata (L'Her.), Gentiana scabra Bunge, Dioscorea batatas Decne., Cassia tora L., Taxillus chinensis (DC.), Cibotium barometz L. and Echinacea purpurea L. showed a promising effect against SARSCoV. Out of the listed compound Lycorine, emetine dihydrochloride hydrate, pristimerin, harmine, conessine, berbamine, 4'-hydroxychalcone, papaverine, mycophenolic acid, mycophenolate mofetil, monensin sodium, cycloheximide, oligomycin and valinomycin show potent activity against human coronaviruses. Additionally, it is worth noting that some compounds have already moved into clinical trials for their activity against COVID-19 including fingolimod, methylprednisolone, chloroquine, tetrandrine and tocilizumab.

    Conclusion: Natural compounds and their derivatives could be used for developing potent therapeutics with significant activity against SARS-COV-2, providing a promising frontline in the fighting against COVID-19.

  • 33.
    Khan Mirzaei, Mohammadali
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Eriksson, Harald
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Kasuga, Kie
    Haggård-Ljungquist, Elisabeth
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Nilsson, Anders S.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Genomic, Proteomic, Morphological, and Phylogenetic Analyses of vB_EcoP_SU10, a Podoviridae Phage with C3 Morphology2014In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 9, no 12, article id e116294Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A recently isolated phage, vB_EcoP_SU10 (SU10), with the unusual elongated C3 morphotype, can infect a wide range of Escherichia coli strains. We have sequenced the genome of this phage and characterized it further by mass spectrometry based proteomics, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultra-thin section electron microscopy. The genome size is 77,327 base pairs and its genes, and genome architecture, show high similarity to the phiEco32 phage genes and genome. The TEM images reveal that SU10 have a quite long tail for being a Podoviridae phage, and that the tail also changes conformation upon infection. The ultra-thin section electron microscopy images of phages at the stage of replication within the host cell show that the phages form a honeycomb-like structure under packaging of genomes and assembly of mature capsids. This implies a tight link between the replication and cutting of the concatemeric genome, genome packaging, and capsid assembly. We have also performed a phylogenetic analysis of the structural genes common between Podoviridae phages of the C1 and C3 morphotypes. The result shows that the structural genes have coevolved, and that they form two distinct groups linked to their morphotypes. The structural genes of C1 and C3 phages appear to have diverged around 280 million years ago applying a molecular clock calibrated according to the presumed split between the Escherichia - Salmonella genera.

  • 34.
    Khan Mirzaei, Mohammadali
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Nilsson, Anders S.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Isolation of Phages for Phage Therapy: A Comparison of Spot Tests and Efficiency of Plating Analyses for Determination of Host Range and Efficacy2015In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 10, no 3, article id e0118557Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Phage therapy, treating bacterial infections with bacteriophages, could be a future alternative to antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections. There are, however, several problems to be solved, mainly associated to the biology of phages, the interaction between phages and their bacterial hosts, but also to the vast variation of pathogenic bacteria which implies that large numbers of different phages are going to be needed. All of these phages must under present regulation of medical products undergo extensive clinical testing before they can be applied. It will consequently be of great economic importance that effective and versatile phages are selected and collected into phage libraries, i.e., the selection must be carried out in a way that it results in highly virulent phages with broad host ranges. We have isolated phages using the Escherichia coli reference (ECOR) collection and compared two methods, spot testing and efficiency of plating (EOP), which are frequently used to identify phages suitable for phage therapy. The analyses of the differences between the two methods show that spot tests often overestimate both the overall virulence and the host range and that the results are not correlated to the results of EOP assays. The conclusion is that single dilution spot tests cannot be used for identification and selection of phages to a phage library and should be replaced by EOP assays. The difference between the two methods can be caused by many factors. We have analysed if the differences and lack of correlation could be caused by lysis from without, bacteriocins in the phage lysate, or by the presence of pro-phages harbouring genes coding for phage resistance systems in the genomes of the bacteria in the ECOR collection.

  • 35. Kjellin, Jonas
    et al.
    Pränting, Maria
    Bach, Frauke
    Vaid, Roshan
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Edelbroek, Bart
    Li, Zhiru
    Hoeppner, Marc P.
    Grabherr, Manfred
    Isberg, Ralph R.
    Hagedorn, Monica
    Söderbom, Fredrik
    Investigation of the host transcriptional response to intracellular bacterial infection using Dictyostelium discoideum as a host model2019In: BMC Genomics, E-ISSN 1471-2164, Vol. 20, no 1, article id 961Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: During infection by intracellular pathogens, a highly complex interplay occurs between the infected cell trying to degrade the invader and the pathogen which actively manipulates the host cell to enable survival and proliferation. Many intracellular pathogens pose important threats to human health and major efforts have been undertaken to better understand the host-pathogen interactions that eventually determine the outcome of the infection. Over the last decades, the unicellular eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum has become an established infection model, serving as a surrogate macrophage that can be infected with a wide range of intracellular pathogens. In this study, we use high-throughput RNA-sequencing to analyze the transcriptional response of D. discoideum when infected with Mycobacterium marinum and Legionella pneumophila. The results were compared to available data from human macrophages.

    Results: The majority of the transcriptional regulation triggered by the two pathogens was found to be unique for each bacterial challenge. Hallmark transcriptional signatures were identified for each infection, e.g. induction of endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) and autophagy genes in response to M. marinum and inhibition of genes associated with the translation machinery and energy metabolism in response to L. pneumophila. However, a common response to the pathogenic bacteria was also identified, which was not induced by non-pathogenic food bacteria. Finally, comparison with available data sets of regulation in human monocyte derived macrophages shows that the elicited response in D. discoideum is in many aspects similar to what has been observed in human immune cells in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and L. pneumophila.

    Conclusions: Our study presents high-throughput characterization of D. discoideum transcriptional response to intracellular pathogens using RNA-seq. We demonstrate that the transcriptional response is in essence distinct to each pathogen and that in many cases, the corresponding regulation is recapitulated in human macrophages after infection by mycobacteria and L. pneumophila. This indicates that host-pathogen interactions are evolutionary conserved, derived from the early interactions between free-living phagocytic cells and bacteria. Taken together, our results strengthen the use of D. discoideum as a general infection model.

  • 36. Krampen, Lea
    et al.
    Malmsheimer, Silke
    Grin, Iwan
    Trunk, Thomas
    Lührmann, Anja
    de Gier, Jan-Willem
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Wagner, Samuel
    Revealing the mechanisms of membrane protein export by virulence-associated bacterial secretion systems2018In: Nature Communications, E-ISSN 2041-1723, Vol. 9, article id 3467Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Many bacteria export effector proteins fulfilling their function in membranes of a eukaryotic host. These effector membrane proteins appear to contain signals for two incompatible bacterial secretion pathways in the same protein: a specific export signal, as well as transmembrane segments that one would expect to mediate targeting to the bacterial inner membrane. Here, we show that the transmembrane segments of effector proteins of type III and type IV secretion systems indeed integrate in the membrane as required in the eukaryotic host, but that their hydrophobicity in most instances is just below the threshold required for mediating targeting to the bacterial inner membrane. Furthermore, we show that binding of type III secretion chaperones to both the effector's chaperone-binding domain and adjacent hydrophobic transmembrane segments also prevents erroneous targeting. These results highlight the evolution of a fine discrimination between targeting pathways that is critical for the virulence of many bacterial pathogens.

  • 37.
    Kılınç, Gülşah Merve
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies. Hacettepe University, Turkey.
    Kashuba, Natalija
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies. Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Koptekin, Dilek
    Bergfeldt, Nora
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Dönertaş, Handan Melike
    Rodríguez-Varela, Ricardo
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies.
    Shergin, Dmitrij
    Ivanov, Grigorij
    Kichigin, Dmitrii
    Pestereva, Kjunnej
    Volkov, Denis
    Mandryka, Pavel
    Kharinskii, Artur
    Tishkin, Alexey
    Ineshin, Evgenij
    Kovychev, Evgeniy
    Stepanov, Aleksandr
    Dalén, Love
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology.
    Günther, Torsten
    Kirdok, Kırdök
    Jakobsson, Mattias
    Somel, Mehmet
    Krzewińska, Maja
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies.
    Storå, Jan
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies.
    Götherström, Anders
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies.
    Human population dynamics and Yersinia pestis in ancient northeast Asia2021In: Science Advances, E-ISSN 2375-2548, Vol. 7, no 2, article id eabc4587Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We present genome-wide data from 40 individuals dating to c.16,900 to 550 years ago in northeast Asia. We describe hitherto unknown gene flow and admixture events in the region, revealing a complex population history. While populations east of Lake Baikal remained relatively stable from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age, those from Yakutia and west of Lake Baikal witnessed major population transformations, from the Late Upper Paleolithic to the Neolithic, and during the Bronze Age, respectively. We further locate the Asian ancestors of Paleo-Inuits, using direct genetic evidence. Last, we report the most northeastern ancient occurrence of the plague-related bacterium, Yersinia pestis. Our findings indicate the highly connected and dynamic nature of northeast Asia populations throughout the Holocene.

  • 38. Li, Fengyang
    et al.
    Cao, Lianying
    Bähre, Heike
    Kim, Soo-Kyoung
    Schroeder, Kristen
    Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Jonas, Kristina
    Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Koonce, Kira
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Mekonnen, Solomon A.
    Mohanty, Soumitra
    Bai, Fengwu
    Brauner, Annelie
    Lee, Vincent T.
    Rohde, Manfred
    Römling, Ute
    Patatin-like phospholipase CapV in Escherichia coli-morphological and physiological effects of one amino acid substitution2022In: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, E-ISSN 2055-5008, Vol. 8, no 1, article id 39Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In rod-shaped bacteria, morphological plasticity occurs in response to stress, which blocks cell division to promote filamentation. We demonstrate here that overexpression of the patatin-like phospholipase variant CapV(Q329R), but not CapV, causes pronounced sulA-independent pyridoxine-inhibited cell filamentation in the Escherichia coli K-12-derivative MG1655 associated with restriction of flagella production and swimming motility. Conserved amino acids in canonical patatin-like phospholipase A motifs, but not the nucleophilic serine, are required to mediate CapV(Q329R) phenotypes. Furthermore, CapV(Q329R) production substantially alters the lipidome and colony morphotype including rdar biofilm formation with modulation of the production of the biofilm activator CsgD, and affects additional bacterial traits such as the efficiency of phage infection and antimicrobial susceptibility. Moreover, genetically diverse commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains and Salmonella typhimurium responded with cell filamentation and modulation in colony morphotype formation to CapV(Q329R) expression. In conclusion, this work identifies the CapV variant CapV(Q329R) as a pleiotropic regulator, emphasizes a scaffold function for patatin-like phospholipases, and highlights the impact of the substitution of a single conserved amino acid for protein functionality and alteration of host physiology.

  • 39. Liu, Yan
    et al.
    Zhang, Ding
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Engström, Åke
    Merényi, Gábor
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Hagner, Matthias
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Yang, Hairu
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Kuwae, Asaomi
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Wan, Yi
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Sjölinder, Mikael
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Sjölinder, Hong
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Dynamic niche-specific adaptations in Neisseria meningitidis during infection2016In: Microbes and infection, ISSN 1286-4579, E-ISSN 1769-714X, Vol. 18, no 2, p. 109-117Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Neisseria meningitidis is an opportunistic human pathogen that usually colonizes the nasopharyngeal mucosa asymptomatically. Upon invasion into the blood and central nervous system, this bacterium triggers a fulminant inflammatory reaction with the manifestations of septicemia and meningitis, causing high morbidity and mortality. To reveal the bacterial adaptations to specific and dynamic host environments, we performed a comprehensive proteomic survey of N. meningitidis isolated from the nasal mucosa, CSF and blood of a mouse disease model. We could identify 51 proteins whose expression pattern has been changed during infection, many of which have not yet been characterized. The abundance of proteins was markedly lower in the bacteria isolated from the nasal mucosa compared to the bacteria from the blood and CSF, indicating that initiating adhesion is the harshest challenge for meningococci. The high abundance of the glutamate dehydrogenase (GdhA) and Opa1800 proteins in all bacterial isolates suggests their essential role in bacterial survival in vivo. To evaluate the biological relevance of our proteomic findings, four candidate proteins from representative functional groups, such as the bacterial chaperone GroEL, IMP dehydrogenase GuaB, and membrane proteins PilQ and NMC0101, were selected and their impact on bacterial fitness was investigated by mutagenesis assays. This study provides an integrated picture of bacterial niche-specific adaptations during consecutive infection processes.

  • 40. Lundin, Karin E.
    et al.
    Hamasy, Abdulrahman
    Backe, Paul Hoff
    Moens, Lotte N.
    Falk-Sörqvist, Elin
    Elgstøen, Katja B.
    Mørkrid, Lars
    Bjørås, Magnar
    Granert, Carl
    Norlin, Anna-Carin
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Christensson, Birger
    Stenmark, Stephan
    Smith, C. I. Edvard
    Susceptibility to infections, without concomitant hyper-IgE, reported in 1976, is caused by hypomorphic mutation in the phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) gene2015In: Clinical Immunology, ISSN 1521-6616, E-ISSN 1521-7035, Vol. 161, no 2, p. 366-372Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) is an enzyme converting N-acetyl-glucosamine-6-phosphate to N-acetylglucosamine-l-phosphate, a precursor important for glycosylation. Mutations in the PGM3 gene have recently been identified as the cause of novel primary immunodeficiency with a hyper-IgE like syndrome. Here we report the occurrence of a homozygous mutation in the PGM3 gene in a family with immunodeficient children, described already in 1976. DNA from two of the immunodeficient siblings was sequenced and shown to encode the same homozygous missense mutation, causing a destabilized protein with reduced enzymatic capacity. Affected individuals were highly prone to infections, but lack the developmental defects in the nervous and skeletal systems, reported in other families. Moreover, normal IgE levels were found. Thus, belonging to the expanding group of congenital glycosylation defects, PGM3 deficiency is characterized by immunodeficiency, with or without increased IgE levels, and with variable forms of developmental defects affecting other organ systems.

  • 41. Lundmark, Anna
    et al.
    Hu, Yue O. O.
    Huss, Mikael
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Johannsen, Gunnar
    Andersson, Anders F.
    Yucel-Lindberg, Tülay
    Identification of Salivary Microbiota and Its Association With Host Inflammatory Mediators in Periodontitis2019In: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, E-ISSN 2235-2988, Vol. 9, article id 216Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Periodontitis is a microbial-induced chronic inflammatory disease, which may not only result in tooth loss, but can also contribute to the development of various systemic diseases. The transition from healthy to diseased periodontium depends on microbial dysbiosis and impaired host immune response. Although periodontitis is a common disease as well as associated with various systemic inflammatory conditions, the taxonomic profiling of the salivary microbiota in periodontitis and its association with host immune and inflammatory mediators has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify key pathogens and their potential interaction with the host's inflammatory mediators in saliva samples for periodontitis risk assessment. The microbial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the levels of inflammatory mediators were performed in saliva samples from patients with chronic periodontitis and periodontally healthy control subjects. The salivary microbial community composition differed significantly between patients with chronic periodontitis and healthy controls. Our analyses identified a number of microbes, including bacteria assigned to Eubacterium saphenum, Tannerella forsythia, Filifactor alocis, Streptococcus mitis/parasanguinis, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella sp., Phocaeicola sp., and Fretibacterium sp. as more abundant in periodontitis, compared to healthy controls. In samples from healthy individuals, we identified Campylobacter concisus, and Veillonella sp. as more abundant. Integrative analysis of the microbiota and inflammatory mediators/cytokines revealed associations that included positive correlations between the pathogens Treponema sp. and Selenomas sp. and the cytokines chitinase 3-like 1, sIL-6R alpha, sTNF-R1, and gp 130/sIL-6R beta. In addition, a negative correlation was identified between IL-10 and Filifactor alocis. Our results reveal distinct and disease-specific patterns of salivary microbial composition between patients with periodontitis and healthy controls, as well as significant correlations between microbiota and host-mediated inflammatory cytokines. The positive correlations between the pathogens Treponema sp. and Selenomas sp. and the cytokines chitinase 3-like 1, sIL-6R alpha, sTNF-R1, and gp 130/sIL-6R beta might have the future potential to serve as a combined bacteria-host salivary biomarker panel for diagnosis of the chronic infectious disease periodontitis. However, further studies are required to determine the capacity of these microbes and inflammatory mediators as a salivary biomarker panel for periodontitis.

  • 42.
    Magoulopoulou, Anastasia
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Qian, Xiaoyan
    Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Setiabudiawan, Todia Pediatama
    Marco Salas, Sergio
    Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Yokota, Chika
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Rottenberg, Martin E.
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Carow, Berit
    Spatial Resolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacteria and Their Surrounding Immune Environments Based on Selected Key Transcripts in Mouse Lungs2022In: Frontiers in Immunology, E-ISSN 1664-3224, Vol. 13, article id 876321Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacilli are the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a major killer of mankind. Although it is widely accepted that local interactions between Mtb and the immune system in the tuberculous granuloma determine whether the outcome of infection is controlled or disseminated, these have been poorly studied due to methodological constraints. We have recently used a spatial transcriptomic technique, in situ sequencing (ISS), to define the spatial distribution of immune transcripts in TB mouse lungs. To further contribute to the understanding of the immune microenvironments of Mtb and their local diversity, we here present two complementary automated bacteria-guided analysis pipelines. These position 33 ISS-identified immune transcripts in relation to single bacteria and bacteria clusters. The analysis was applied on new ISS data from lung sections of Mtb-infected C57BL/6 and C3HeB/FeJ mice. In lungs from C57BL/6 mice early and late post infection, transcripts that define inflammatory macrophages were enriched at subcellular distances to bacteria, indicating the activation of infected macrophages. In contrast, expression patterns associated to antigen presentation were enriched in non-infected cells at 12 weeks post infection. T-cell transcripts were evenly distributed in the tissue. In Mtb-infected C3HeB/FeJ mice, transcripts characterizing activated macrophages localized in apposition to small bacteria clusters, but not in organized granulomas. Despite differences in the susceptibility to Mtb, the transcript patterns found around small bacteria clusters of C3HeB/FeJ and C57BL/6 mice were similar. Altogether, the presented tools allow us to characterize in depth the immune cell populations and their activation that interact with Mtb in the infected lung.

  • 43. Mansouri, Larry
    et al.
    Sutton, Lesley-Ann
    Ljungström, Viktor
    Bondza, Sina
    Arngården, Linda
    Bhoi, Sujata
    Larsson, Jimmy
    Cortese, Diego
    Kalushkova, Antonia
    Plevova, Karla
    Young, Emma
    Gunnarsson, Rebeqa
    Falk-Sörqvist, Elin
    Lönn, Peter
    Muggen, Alice F.
    Yan, Xiao-Jie
    Sander, Birgitta
    Enblad, Gunilla
    Smedby, Karin E.
    Juliusson, Gunnar
    Belessi, Chrysoula
    Rung, Johan
    Chiorazzi, Nicholas
    Strefford, Jonathan C.
    Langerak, Anton W.
    Pospisilova, Sarka
    Davi, Frederic
    Hellström, Mats
    Jernberg-Wiklund, Helena
    Ghia, Paolo
    Söderberg, Ola
    Stamatopoulos, Kostas
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab). Uppsala University, Sweden.
    Rosenquist, Richard
    Functional loss of I kappa B epsilon leads to NF-kappa B deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia2015In: Journal of Experimental Medicine, ISSN 0022-1007, E-ISSN 1540-9538, Vol. 212, no 6, p. 833-843Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    NF-kappa B is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-kappa B pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes I kappa B epsilon, a negative regulator of NF-kappa B in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced I kappa B epsilon protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that I kappa B epsilon loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-kappa B deregulation during lymphomagenesis.

  • 44. Moens, Lotte N. J.
    et al.
    Falk-Sörqvist, Elin
    Ljungström, Viktor
    Mattsson, Johanna
    Sundström, Magnus
    La Fleur, Linnéa
    Mathot, Lucy
    Micke, Patrick
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Botling, Johan
    HaloPlex Targeted Resequencing for Mutation Detection in Clinical Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Samples2015In: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, ISSN 1525-1578, E-ISSN 1943-7811, Vol. 17, no 6, p. 729-739Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In recent years, the advent of massively parallel next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled substantial advances in the study of human diseases. Combined with targeted DNA enrichment methods, high sequence coverage can be obtained for different genes simultaneously at a reduced cost per sample, creating unique opportunities for clinical cancer diagnostics. However, the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) process of tissue samples, routinely used in pathology departments, results in DNA fragmentation and nucleotide modifications that introduce a number of technical challenges for downstream biomotecular analyses. We evaluated the HaloPlex target enrichment system for somatic mutation detection in 80 tissue fractions derived from 20 clinical cancer cases with paired tumor and normal tissue available in both FFPE and fresh-frozen format. Several modifications to the standard method were introduced, including a reduced target fragment Length and two strand capturing. We found that FFPE material can be used for HaloPlex-based target enrichment and next-generation sequencing, even when starting from small amounts of DNA. By specifically capturing both strands for each target fragment, we were able to reduce the number of false-positive errors caused by FFPE-induced artifacts and Lower the detection limit for somatic mutations. We believe that the HaloPlex method presented here will be broadly applicable as a tool for somatic mutation detection in clinical cancer settings.

  • 45. Moyo, Sikhulile
    et al.
    Ramogola-Masire, Doreen
    Moraka, Natasha O.
    Tawe, Leabaneng
    Noubary, Farzad
    Motsumi, Kesego
    Manowe, Godiraone
    Zuze, Boitumelo
    Radibe, Botshelo
    Hungwe, Faith Tariro Tanaka
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
    Mohammed, Terence
    Maphorisa, Comfort
    Shapiro, Roger
    Gaseitsiwe, Simani
    Luckett, Rebecca
    Comparison of the AmpFire® Multiplex HPV Assay to the Xpert® HPV Assay for detection of human papillomavirus and cervical disease in women with human immunodeficiency virus: a pragmatic performance evaluation2023In: Infectious Agents and Cancer, E-ISSN 1750-9378, Vol. 18, no 1, article id 29Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for nearly 85% of the global cervical cancer burden, yet have the least access to high-performance screening. International guidelines recommend human papillomavirus testing (HPV) as primary screening, yet implementation is inhibited by the cost of HPV testing. Atila AmpFire® HPV Assay (AmpFire) is both affordable and easy to use, and offers individual genotyping. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the AmpFire HPV assay to the Xpert® HPV assay in detection of both HPV and clinically significant cervical disease.

    Methods We utilized stored cervical specimens from a prospective cohort study of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Botswana conducted from May to July 2018. Positive and negative percent agreement was calculated for the AmpFire and Xpert assays, as was detection of high-grade cervical dysplasia.

    Results 63 stored cervical specimens had detectable DNA after thawing and were included in the analysis. The positive percent agreement was 91.2% (95%CI 76.3–98.1) and negative percent agreement was 79.3% (95% CI 60.3–92.0). Six cases positive by AmpFire but negative by Xpert were HPV genotypes 35, 52 (n = 2), 58, 68, and co-infection with HPV 45 and 68. Both Xpert and AmpFire assays detected HPV in all 10 samples of women who had high-grade cervical dysplasia.

    Conclusions The AmpFire HPV assay demonstrated excellent analytic performance in both detection of HPV and clinically significant cervical disease. AmpFire HPV is a promising option to increase access to affordable, type-specific HPV screening for cervical cancer in LMICs.

  • 46. Neogi, Ujjwal
    et al.
    Elaldi, Nazif
    Appelberg, Sofia
    Ambikan, Anoop
    Kennedy, Emma
    Dowall, Stuart
    Bagci, Binnur K.
    Gupta, Soham
    Rodriguez, Jimmy E.
    Svensson-Akusjärvi, Sara
    Monteil, Vanessa
    Vegvari, Akos
    Benfeitas, Rui
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Banerjea, Akhil
    Weber, Friedemann
    Hewson, Roger
    Mirazimi, Ali
    Multi-omics insights into host-viral response and pathogenesis in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses for novel therapeutic target2022In: eLIFE, E-ISSN 2050-084X, Vol. 11, article id e76071Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The pathogenesis and host-viral interactions of the Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus (CCHFV) are convoluted and not well evaluated. Application of the multi-omics system biology approaches, including biological network analysis in elucidating the complex host-viral response, interrogates the viral pathogenesis. The present study aimed to fingerprint the system-level alterations during acute CCHFV-infection and the cellular immune responses during productive CCHFV-replication in vitro. We used system-wide network-based system biology analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a longitudinal cohort of CCHF patients during the acute phase of infection and after one year of recovery (convalescent phase) followed by untargeted quantitative proteomics analysis of the most permissive CCHFV-infected Huh7 and SW13 cells. In the RNAseq analysis of the PBMCs, comparing the acute and convalescent-phase, we observed system-level host’s metabolic reprogramming towards central carbon and energy metabolism (CCEM) with distinct upregulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) during CCHFV-infection. Upon application of network-based system biology methods, negative coordination of the biological signaling systems like FOXO/Notch axis and Akt/mTOR/HIF-1 signaling with metabolic pathways during CCHFV-infection were observed. The temporal quantitative proteomics in Huh7 showed a dynamic change in the CCEM over time and concordant with the cross-sectional proteomics in SW13 cells. By blocking the two key CCEM pathways, glycolysis and glutaminolysis, viral replication was inhibited in vitro. Activation of key interferon stimulating genes during infection suggested the role of type I and II interferon-mediated antiviral mechanisms both at the system level and during progressive replication.

  • 47.
    Neumann, Felix
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
    Advancing isothermal nucleic acid amplification tests: Towards democratization of diagnostics2020Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Modern healthcare is the result of scientific advancement across disciplines and has enabled us to understand the rationale behind many diseases and how to treat or cure them; but still a myriad of unanswered questions remains. Especially infectious diseases play an important role in healthcare as they pose a constant threat for global health and well-being. This was painfully highlighted in this year's ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with more than 40 million people infected and over 1 million deaths. Pandemics like this have not only devastating effects on global health but also economy.

    Therefore, scientific research in the field of infectious diseases is paramount to ensure outbreak control and surveillance of emerging threats. Current healthcare relies heavily on the diagnosis of infectious diseases in centralized healthcare centers thereby overlooking the access of molecular diagnostics for other areas such as airports, home-testing and especially the developing world with its limited resources. Towards this, various isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies have been developed that hold the promise to bring state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics into these areas as they are versatile, sensitive and specific, and cost-effective. One such technique is rolling circle amplification which was used in this thesis.

    This research work provides an overview of the developments in biochemistry, related disciplines and their combination to design methods for diagnostic platforms tackling infectious diseases. The studies conducted in this work can be considered as individual modules for addressing challenges, like typing of pathogens and disease-related antibodies, and inexpensive bulk as well as digital quantification and simplified assay schemes. These approaches and their combinations aim to bring rolling circle amplification-based assay schemes into the molecular diagnostic field and towards decentralized healthcare.

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  • 48.
    Neumann, Felix
    et al.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Hernández-Neuta, Iván
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Grabbe, Malin
    Madaboosi, Narayanan
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Albert, Jan
    Nilsson, Mats
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab).
    Padlock Probe Assay for Detection and Subtyping of Seasonal Influenza2018In: Clinical Chemistry, ISSN 0009-9147, E-ISSN 1530-8561, Vol. 64, no 12, p. 1704-1712Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Influenza remains a constant threat worldwide, and WHO estimates that it affects 5% to 15% of the global population each season, with an associated 3 to 5 million severe cases and up to 500000 deaths. To limit the morbidity and the economic burden of influenza, improved diagnostic assays are needed. METHODS: We developed a multiplexed assay for the detection and subtyping of seasonal influenza based on padlock probes and rolling circle amplification. The assay simultaneously targets all 8 genome segments of the 4 circulating influenza variants-A(H1N1), A(H3N2), B/Yamagata, and B/Victoria-and was combined with a prototype cartridge for inexpensive digital quantification. Characterized virus isolates and patient nasopharyngeal swabs were used for assay design and analytical validation. The diagnostic performance was assessed by blinded testing of 50 clinical samples analyzed in parallel with a commercial influenza assay, Simplexa (TM) Flu A/B & RSV Direct. RESULTS: The assay had a detection limit of 18 viral RNA copies and achieved 100% analytical and clinical specificity for differential detection and subtyping of seasonal circulating influenza variants. The diagnostic sensitivity on the 50 clinical samples was 77.5% for detecting influenza and up to 73% for subtyping seasonal variants. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented a proof-of-concept padlock probe assay combined with an inexpensive digital read-out for the detection and subtyping of seasonal influenza strains A and B. The demonstrated high specificity and multiplexing capability, together with the digital quantification, established the assay as a promising diagnostic tool for seasonal influenza.

  • 49.
    Nilsson, Anders S.
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Cocktail, a Computer Program for Modelling Bacteriophage Infection Kinetics2022In: Viruses, E-ISSN 1999-4915, Vol. 14, no 11, article id 2483Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Cocktail is an easy-to-use computer program for mathematical modelling of bacteriophage (phage) infection kinetics in a chemostat. The infection of bacteria by phages results in complicated dynamic processes as both have the ability to multiply and change during the course of an infection. There is a need for a simple way to visualise these processes, not least due to the increased interest in phage therapy. Cocktail is completely self-contained and runs on a Windows 64-bit operating system. By changing the publicly available source code, the program can be developed in the directions that users see fit. Cocktail’s models consist of coupled differential equations that describe the infection of a bacterium in a vessel by one or two (interfering) phages. In the models, the bacterial population can be controlled by sixteen parameters, for example, through different growth rates, phage resistance, metabolically inactive cells or biofilm formation. The phages can be controlled by eight parameters each, such as different adsorption rates or latency periods. As the models in Cocktail describe the infection kinetics of phages in vitro, the program is primarily intended to generate hypotheses, but the results can however be indicative in the application of phage therapy.

  • 50. Ohm, Milou
    et al.
    van Rooijen, Debbie M.
    Bonačić Marinovic, Axel A.
    van Ravenhorst, Mariëtte B.
    van der Heiden, Marieke
    Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
    Buisman, Anne-Marie
    Sanders, Elisabeth A. M.
    Berbers, Guy A. M.
    Different Long-Term Duration of Seroprotection against Neisseria meningitidis in Adolescents and Middle-Aged Adults after a Single Meningococcal ACWY Conjugate Vaccination in The Netherlands2020In: Vaccines, E-ISSN 2076-393X, Vol. 8, no 4, article id 624Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Neisseria meningitidis is often asymptomatically carried in the nasopharynx but may cause invasive meningococcal disease, leading to morbidity and mortality. Meningococcal conjugate vaccinations induce functional protective antibodies against capsular antigens, but seroprotection wanes over time. We measured functional antibody titers five years after administration of a single dose of the meningococcal ACWY-polysaccharide-specific tetanus toxoid-conjugated (MenACWY-TT) vaccine in adolescents and middle-aged adults in the Netherlands, using the serum bactericidal antibody with baby rabbit complement (rSBA) assay. Protection was defined as rSBA titer >= 8. The meningococcal ACWY-specific serum IgG concentrations were measured with a multiplex immunoassay. Duration of protection was estimated by a bi-exponential decay model. Sufficient protection for MenC, MenW, and MenY was achieved in 94-96% of the adolescents five years postvaccination, but, in middle-aged adults, only in 32% for MenC, 65% for MenW and 71% for MenY. Median duration of protection for MenCWY was 4, 14, and 21 years, respectively, in middle-aged adults, while, in adolescents, it was 32, 98, and 33 years. Our findings suggest that adolescents, primed in early childhood with MenC conjugate vaccination, remain sufficiently protected after a single dose of MenACWY-TT vaccine. Middle-aged adults without priming vaccination show fast waning of antibodies, particularly MenC, for which protection is lost after four years.

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