Search results for "Genetiikka"

Mortality associations with DNA methylation-based biological aging and physical functioning measures across a 20-year follow-up period

2023

Background Measures of biological aging range from DNA methylation (DNAm)-based estimates to measures of physical abilities. The purpose of this study was to compare DNAm- and physical functioning-based measures of biological aging in predicting mortality. Methods We studied 63- to 76-year-old women (N = 395) from the Finnish Twin Study on Aging (FITSA). Participants’ biological age (epigenetic clocks DNAm GrimAge and DunedinPACE) was estimated using blood DNAm data. Tests of physical functioning conducted under standardized laboratory conditions included the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and 10-m walk test. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated per every one standard deviation (SD) in…

Does the epigenetic clock GrimAge predict mortality independent of genetic influences : an 18 year follow-up study in older female twin pairs

2021

Background: Epigenetic clocks are based on DNA methylation (DNAm). It has been suggested that these clocks are useable markers of biological aging and premature mortality. Because genetic factors explain variations in both epigenetic aging and mortality, this association could also be explained by shared genetic factors. We investigated the infuence of genetic and lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, chronic diseases, body mass index) and education on the association of accelerated epigenetic aging with mortality using a longitudinal twin design. Utilizing a publicly available online tool, we calculated the epigenetic age using two epigenetic clocks, Horvath D…

The effect of variation in developmental mode on the population dynamics of a spionid polychaete (Pygospio elegans) in a heterogeneous environment

2018

Experimental evolution of evolutionary potential in fluctuating environments

2023

Variation is the raw material for evolution. Evolutionary potential is determined by the amount of genetic variation, but evolution can also alter the visibility of genetic variation to natural selection. Fluctuating environments are suggested to maintain genetic variation but they can also affect environmental variance, and thus, the visibility of genetic variation to natural selection. However, experimental studies testing these ideas are relatively scarce. In order to determine differences in evolutionary potential we quantified variance attributable to population, genotype and environment for populations of the bacterium Serratia marcescens. These populations had been experimentally evo…

Host filtering, not competitive exclusion, may be the main driver of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community assembly under high phosphorus

2023

A major goal in ecology is understanding the factors which determine the diversity and distribution of organisms. The outcome of the symbiotic relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is strongly influenced by soil phosphorus (P) availability. Despite this knowledge, there is still much to uncover about how soil P status can shape the taxonomic and phylogenetic assembly of root-colonising AM fungi. Additionally, there is a paucity of understanding about the implications of these changes for the outcome of the AM symbiosis in terms of plant growth, nutrient status and defence traits. We conducted a factorial pot experiment where sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was grown un…

Variation in developmental mode and its effects on divergence and maintenance of populations

2012

Interspecific interactions influence contrasting spatial genetic structures in two closely related damselfly species

2014

Spatial genetic structure (SGS) is largely determined by colonization history, landscape and ecological characteristics of the species. Therefore, sympatric and ecologically similar species are expected to exhibit similar SGSs, potentially enabling prediction of the SGS of one species from that of another. On the other hand, due to interspecific interactions, ecologically similar species could have different SGSs. We explored the SGSs of the closely related Calopteryx splendens and Calopteryx virgo within Finland and related the genetic patterns to characteristics of the sampling localities. We observed different SGSs for the two species. Genetic differentiation even within short distances …

Biologian aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden asenteet ja valmiudet opettaa genetiikkaa

2013

Genetics is a relevant topic in modern society and its applications are widely used in everyday life as well as in scientific research. As the goal of general education is to give students the abilities needed to be a member of society, genetics is also part of secondary school and upper secondary school biology teaching. Teachers think that teaching genetics in school is important. However genetics is viewed as a difficult subject to learn. Although students’ skills in genetics have been measured in studies, there are no skill rate measurement tests extended to teachers and teacher students. However, teachers’ knowledge of the subject influences students’ learning results, and so, in order…

Red Light Optogenetics in Neuroscience

2022

Optogenetics, a field concentrating on controlling cellular functions by means of light-activated proteins, has shown tremendous potential in neuroscience. It possesses superior spatiotemporal resolution compared to the surgical, electrical, and pharmacological methods traditionally used in studying brain function. A multitude of optogenetic tools for neuroscience have been created that, for example, enable the control of action potential generation via light-activated ion channels. Other optogenetic proteins have been used in the brain, for example, to control long-term potentiation or to ablate specific subtypes of neurons. In in vivo applications, however, the majority of optogenetic too…

Evolution of hermaphroditic mating systems in animals

2004

Miksi jotkin eläinlajit ovat kaksineuvoisia ja toisissa lajeissa koiras- ja naarasominaisuudet ovat eri yksilöissä? Kaksineuvoiset eläimet pystyvät lisääntymään itsesiitoksella ilman kumppania tai ristisiitoksella kumppanin kanssa. Kumpi lisääntymistapa on parempi? Muun muassa näitä kysymyksiä väitöskirjassaan pohtinut Mikael Puurtinen loi tutkimuksessaan teoriaa lisääntymistapojen evoluutiosta, sekä selvitti vedessä elävän isolimakotilon (Lymnaea stagnalis) lisääntymisbiologiaa. Suomen Akatemian nimittämässä evoluutioekologian huippuyksikössä tehty tutkimus toi arvokasta tietoa populaation geneettisen monimuotoisuuden vaikutuksista populaation elinkykyyn sekä kykyyn vastustaa loistauteja. …