11. In vitro and in vivo correlation of skin and cellular responses to nucleic acid deliveryMaša Omerzel, Katarina Žnidar, A. Sales Conniff, Tanja Jesenko, Boštjan Markelc, Jared Tur, Nina Semenova, Kristopher Kohena, Simona Kranjc Brezar, Loree C. Heller, Maja Čemažar, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Skin, the largest organ in the body, provides a passive physical barrier against infection and contains elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Skin consists of various cells, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells. This diversity of cell types could be important to gene therapies because DNA transfection could elicit different responses in different cell types. Previously, we observed the upregulation and activation of cytosolic DNA sensing pathways in several non-tumor and tumor cell types as well in tumors after the electroporation (electrotransfer) of plasmid DNA (pDNA). Based on this research and the innate immuno- genicity of skin, we correlated the effects of pDNA electrotransfer to fibroblasts and keratinocytes to mouse skin using reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and several types of protein quantification. After pDNA electrotransfer, the mRNAs of the putative DNA sensors DEAD (AspGlu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 60 (Ddx60), absent in melanoma 2 (Aim2), Z-DNA binding protein 1 (Zbp1), interferon activated gene 202 (Ifi202), and interferon-inducible protein 204 (Ifi204) were upregulated in keratinocytes, while Ddx60, Zbp1 and Ifi204 were upregulated in fibroblasts. Increased levels of the mRNAs and proteins of several cytokines and chemokines were detected and varied based on cell type. Mouse skin experiments in vivo confirmed our in vitro results with increased expression of putative DNA sensor mRNAs and of the mRNAs and proteins of several cytokines and chemokines.
Keywords: DNA sensors, cytokines, electrotransfer, skin
Published in DiRROS: 06.09.2022; Views: 607; Downloads: 310
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12. Genska terapija v onkologiji, prvi razvojni koraki v SlovenijiMaja Čemažar, Tanja Jesenko, Maša Omerzel, Boštjan Markelc, Urška Kamenšek, Simona Kranjc Brezar, Špela Kos, Urša Lampreht Tratar, Katarina Žnidar, Andrej Renčelj, Urška Matkovič, Teja Valant, Kristina Levpušček, Živa Modic, Tilen Komel, Tim Božič, Urša Kešar, Barbara Starešinič, Katja Uršič Valentinuzzi, Monika Savarin, Primož Strojan, Gorana Gašljević, Maja Ota, Aleš Grošelj, Črt Jamšek, Rosana Hudej, Matjaž Peterka, Franc Smrekar, Barbara Hubad, Marjan Hosta, Jaka Kužnik, Alojz Hosta, Damijan Miklavčič, Matej Reberšek, Aleksandra Cvetkoska, Anja Zajc, Janja Dermol-Černe, Nataša Tozon, Nina Milevoj, Alenka Nemec Svete, Gregor Serša, 2022, professional article Abstract: Genska terapija postaja čedalje bolj zanimiva tudi v onkologiji. Med aplikacijami je morda najzanimivejša imunostimulacija. Pripravimo lahko plazmidno DNA, ki nosi zapis za različne imunostimulatorne molekule, ki jih vnesemo v celice tumorjev ali normalnih tkiv. Ta tkiva postanejo proizvajalci teh molekul, ki lahko delujejo lokalno ali pa se izločajo tudi sistemsko v krvni obtok. Ker plazmidna DNA ne prehaja celične membrane, so potrebni dostavni sistemi, virusni ali nevirusni. V naših študijah uporabljamo predvsem nevirusni dostavni sistem – elektroporacijo. Interlevkin 12 (IL-12) je eden od zanimivih citokinov, za katerega je znano protitumorsko delovanje s spodbujanjem imunskega odziva in antiangiogenim delovanjem. Namen projekta SmartGene.si je bil pripraviti plazmid z zapisom za interlevkin 12 (plazmid phIL12) in pripraviti vse potrebno za njegovo klinično testiranje za zdravljenje kožnih tumorjev. V konzorciju smo združili moči s partnerji z akademskega in industrijskega področja. Treba je bilo pripraviti plazmid za uporabo v humani onkologiji po zahtevah Evropske agencije za zdravila (EMA). Za prijavo klinične študije na Javno agencijo za zdravila in medicinske pripomočke (JAZMP) smo morali izvesti tudi vse neklinične raziskave o varnosti in učinkovitosti zdravila. Nato je bilo treba razviti postopek priprave zdravila, zagotoviti primerne prostore za pripravo in izvedbo postopka priprave zdravila. V treh letih smo dosegli vse te zastavljene cilje in dobili dovoljenje za izvajanje klinične študije na kožnih tumorjih, ki ga je izdala JAZMP na osnovi pozitivnega mnenja Komisije Republike Slovenije za medicinsko etiko. Zdaj poteka klinična študija faze I preizkušanja plazmida phIL12 na kožnih tumorjih glave in vratu z namenom preveriti varnost in sprejemljivost genskega elektroprenosa plazmida v tumorje. Cilj študije je prav tako določiti primeren odmerek zdravila, ki bi ga v nadaljnji klinični študiji uporabili kot adjuvantno zdravljenje k ablativnim terapijam, kot sta radioterapija ali elektrokemoterapija.
Keywords: genska terapija, interlevkin-12, plazmidna DNA, elektroprenos genov, rak kože
Published in DiRROS: 01.07.2022; Views: 1236; Downloads: 244
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13. Genome size of life forms of Araceae :
ǂa ǂnew piece in the C-value puzzleDomen Kocjan, Jasna Dolenc Koce, Florian Etl, Marina Dermastia, 2022, original scientific article Keywords: aquatic plant, aroid, epiphyte, image cytometry, nuclear DNA amount, terrestrial plant, isotopic signature
Published in DiRROS: 10.06.2022; Views: 554; Downloads: 184
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14. Pan-European phylogeography of the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)Kamila Plis, Magdalena Niedziałkowska, Tomasz Borowik, Johannes Lang, Mike Heddergott, Juha Tiainen, Aleksey Bunevich, Nikica Šprem, Ladislav Paule, Aleksey A. Danilkin, Marina Kholodova, Elena Zvychaynaya, Nadezhda Kashinina, Boštjan Pokorny, Katarina Flajšman, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: To provide the most comprehensive picture of species phylogeny and phylogeography of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), we analyzed mtDNA control region (610 bp) of 1469 samples of roe deer from Central and Eastern Europe and included into the analyses additional 1541 mtDNA sequences from GenBank from other regions of the continent. We detected two mtDNA lineages of the species: European and Siberian (an introgression of C. pygargus mtDNA into C. capreolus). The Siberian lineage was most frequent in the eastern part of the continent and declined toward Central Europe. The European lineage contained three clades (Central, Eastern, and Western) composed of several haplogroups, many of which were separated in space. The Western clade appeared to have a discontinuous range from Portugal to Russia. Most of the haplogroups in the Central and the Eastern clades were under expansion during the Weichselian glacial period before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), while the expansion time of the Western clade overlapped with the Eemian interglacial. The high genetic diversity of extant roe deer is the result of their survival during the LGM probably in a large, contiguous range spanning from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caucasus Mts and in two northern refugia.
Keywords: Capreolus capreolus, expansion, mitochondrial DNA, the Last Glacial Maximum refugia, the Quaternary history, Phylogenetics
Published in DiRROS: 26.05.2022; Views: 646; Downloads: 435
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15. Phylogenetic relations and range history of jerboas of the Allactaginae subfamily (Dipodidae, Rodentia)Vladimir S. Lebedev, Georgy I. Shenbrot, Boris Kryštufek, Ahmad Mahmoudi, Marina N. Melnikova, Evgeniya N. Solovyeva, Alexandra A. Lisenkova, Enkhbat Undrakhbayar, Konstantin A. Rogovin, Alexey V. Surov, Ana A. Bannikova, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Five-toed jerboas of the subfamily Allactaginae comprise several complex taxa occurring over a wide distribution range covering a large part of the Eurasian arid belt. In this study, we employed current methods of molecular phylogenetics based on 15 nuclear genes and the mitochondrial gene cytb to revise relations and systematics within Allactaginae. We also applied species distribution modelling projected on paleo-environmental data to reconstruct the geographic patterns of speciation in Allactaginae. We elucidated the intergeneric relationships within this subfamily and clarifed interspecies relations within the genus Scarturus. Moreover, our results demonstrate the species status of S. caprimulga; outline the currently understudied diversity within Orientallactaga, Allactaga, and Pygeretmus; and improve the divergence estimates of these taxa. Based on our results from modelling of geographic range fragmentation in allactagines, we suggest the dating and location of speciation events and present hypotheses regarding general habitat niche conservatism in small mammals.
Keywords: molecular phylogeny, mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, habitat modelling, phylogenetic history
Published in DiRROS: 28.01.2022; Views: 757; Downloads: 624
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16. Vpliv glivnih in rastlinskih sekundarnih metabolitov na verižno reakcijo s polimerazo (PCR)Nejc Thaler, Marko Bajc, 2013, review article Abstract: Sekundarni metaboliti so organske spojine, ki jih najdemo pri glivah in rastlinah, kjer imajo vlogo obrambnih in signalnih molekul ali zagotavljajo druge selekcijske prednosti, niso pa neposredno vpleteni v rast, razvoj in razmnoževanje organizma. Pri delu s tehnikami DNA so pogosto ravno sekundarni metaboliti tisti, ki posredno ali neposredno vplivajo na uspešnost verižne reakcije s polimerazo (PCR) ali reverezno transkriptazo, in sicer tako, da otežujejo celično lizo, povzročajo razpad nukleinskih kislin ali neposredno ovirajo delovanje encima polimeraze pri pomnoževanju tarčne DNK. Glavna ovira pri aplikaciji tehnike PCR v rutinski diagnostiki je priprava visoko kvalitetne DNA brez inhibitorjev. Še posebej to velja pri izolaciji DNA iz lesnatih rastlin (Minafra in sod., 1992) in vzorcev tal (Tsai in Olson, 1991). Večina standardnih postopkov izolacije nukleinskih kislin ne odstrani rastlinskih polisaharidov in polifenolnih komponent, ki imajo lahko neposreden vpliv na pomnoževanje s PCR (Demeke in Adams, 1992). Poskusi za premostitev tovrstnih ovir vključujejo bolj dovršene metode za izolacijo nukleinskih kislin in PCR, ki vključujejo uporabo pospeševalcev PCR za odstranitev ali zmanjšanje vpliva inhibitorjev PCR. Ta pregled je osredotočen na pristope za odstranitev ali zmanjšanje vplivov rastlinskih in glivnih sekundarnih metabolitov iz vzorcev tal, različnih rastlinskih tkiv in razkrojenega lesa zaradi pomena tovrstnih raziskav za gozdarstvo in lesarstvo.
Keywords: sekundarni metaboliti, izolacija DNA, pomnoževanje DNA, verižna reakcija, polimeraza, PCR
Published in DiRROS: 12.07.2017; Views: 5018; Downloads: 2290
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