Arne Klungland group

Laboratory for Genome repair and regulation

Institute of Medical Microbiology, Section for Molecular Biology, is localised at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet,  Gaustad, Oslo. Four different research groups are colocalised, concentrating on DNA-repair and epigenetic studies, brain development, microbiology and biocomputing. 

We have a very close collaboration with the Bjørås group which is also a part of the Stem Cell Centre, as well as  biocomputing collaborations with the Rognes group. For characterization of knockout mice we collaborate with the Falnes (University of Oslo) and Krokan (University in Trondheim) groups. We also collaborate with excellent research groups in Germany, France, China, Holland, UK and USA. 

Our aim is to elucidate new mechanisms of demethylation and hydroxylation required for for repair and regulation of the mammalian (epi)genome and to address (epi)genome instabilities associated with diseases such as cancer. Our current models also include genes affecting post translational modifications in RNA and proteins. 

Currently we have MSc ("hovedfag"), PhD students and post docs from The Agricultural University, University of Oslo, University of Trondheim ("Siv. Ing."), Austria, Sweden, The Phillipines, Germany and USA. 

Selected publications (2006-2012):

Robertson AR, Dahl JA, Ougland R and Klungland A (2012) 5-hydroxymethylcytosine DNA pull down using JBP1-coated magnetic beads. Nature protocols, 7:340-50

Robertson A, Dahl JA, Vågbø C, Tripathi P, Krokan H and Klungland A (2011) A novel method for the efficient and selective identification of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in genomic DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 39:e55*

     *The method described is patented and released by ZYMO research, USA.

van den Born E*¹, Vågbø CB*¹, Songe-Møller L*¹, Leihne V, Lien GF, Krokan HE, Kirpekar F, Klungland A*² and Falnes PØ*² (2011) ALKBH8 mediated hydroxylation of a novel diastereomeric pair of wobble nucleosides in tRNA. Nature Commun 2, 172 *¹Contributed equally *² Corresponding

Haj-Yasein NN, Vindedal GF, Eilert-Olsen M, Gundersen GA, Skare Ø, Laake P, Klungland A, Thorén AE, Burkhardt JM, Ottersen OP and Nagelhus EA (2011) Glial-conditional deletion of aquaporin-4 (Aqp4) reduces blood-brain water uptake and confers barrier function on perivascular astrocyte endfeet. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:17815-20

Thrane AS*, Rappold PM*, Fujita T, Torres A, Bekar LK, Takano T, Peng W, Wang F, Thrane VR, Enger R, Haj-Yasein NN, Skare Ø, Holen T, Klungland A, Ottersen OP, Nedergaard M and Nagelhus EA (2011) Critical role of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in astrocytic Ca²⁺ signaling events elicited by cerebral edema. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:846-51 *Contributed equally

Strømme S, Dobrenis K, Sillitoe R, Gullinello M, Ali N, Davidson C, Micsenyi MC, Stephney G, Ellevog L, Klungland A and Walkley SU (2011) Sodium/Hydrogen exchanger related mental retardation syndrome: evidence for endosomal-lysosomal dysfunction in Slc9a6 targeted mice. Brain

Møllersen L*, Rowe AD*, Larsen E, Rognes T and Klungland A (2010) Two modes of somatic CAG repeat expansions in Huntington disease transgenic mice. PLoS Genet 9;6 *Corresponding

Songe-Møller L*¹, van den Born E*¹, Leihne V*¹, Vågbø CB*¹, Kristoffersen T, Krokan HE, Kirpekar F, Falnes PØ*^1,2 and Klungland A*^1,2  (2010) Mammalian ALKBH8 possesses tRNA methyltransferase activity required for the biogenesis of multiple wobble uridine modifications implicated in translational decoding. Mol Cell Biol 30:1814-27 *¹Contributed equally *²Corresponding

Lauritzen KH, Moldestad O, Eide L, Carlsen H, Nesse G, Storm JF, Mansuy IM, Bergersen LH* and Klungland A* (2010) Mitochondrial DNA toxicity in forebrain neurons causes apoptosis, neurodegeneration, and impaired behavior. Mol Cell Biol 30:1357-67 *Corresponding

Saxowsky T, Meadows K, Klungland A and Doetsch P (2008) 8-Oxoguanine-mediated transcriptional mutagenesis causes Ras activation in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:18877-82

Larsen E*, Kleppa L*, Meza TJ, Meza-Zepeda LA, Rada C, Castellanos CG, Lien GF, Nesse GJ, Neuberger MS, Lærdahl JG, Doughty RW and Klungland A (2008) Early onset lymphoma and extensive embryonic apoptosis in two domain-specific Fen1 mice mutants. Cancer Res 68:4571-9 *Contributed equally

Ringvoll J, Nabong MP, Nordstrand LM, Meira L, Pang B, Dedon P, Bjelland S, Samson LD, Falnes PØ and Klungland A (2008) AlkB homolog 2 (ABH2) is the principal mammalian dioxygenase for repair of ethenoadenine lesions in DNA. Cancer Res 68:4142-9

Kovtun IV, Liu Y, Bjørås M, Klungland A, Wilson SH and McMurray CT (2007) OGG1 initiates age-dependent CAG trinucleotide expansion in somatic cells. Nature 447:447-52

Leiros I*, Nabong MP*, Grosvik K, Ringvoll J, Haugland GT, Uldal L, Reite K, Olsbu IK, Knaevelsrud I, Moe E, Andersen OA, Birkeland NK, Ruoff P, Klungland A and Bjelland S (2007) Structural basis for enzymatic excision of N1-methyladenine and N3-methylcytosine from DNA. EMBO J 26:2206-17 *Contributed equally 

Ringvoll J, Nordstrand LM, Vågbø CB, Talstad V, Reite K, Aas PA, Lauritzen KH, Liabakk NB, Bjørk A, Doughty RW, Falnes PØ, Krokan HE, Klungland A (2006) Repair deficient mice reveal mABH2 as the primary oxidative demethylase for repairing 1meA and 3meC lesions in DNA. EMBO J 25:2189-98