Anna Birgitta Ohlsson

Research interests

My research, as Associate Professor (Docent) in Biochemistry, in collaboration with Associate Professor Torkel Berglund, both at Industrial Biotechnology, has been focused to investigation of how to utilize and stimulate the natural protection mechanisms in plants, to find ways to decrease the use of toxic pesticides in forestry and agriculture. By pre-treatment of seeds and young seedlings in the greenhouse, the plants' defensive capacity against different kinds of biotic and abiotic stress can be strengthened, when planted in the field. Although aiming at application, basic research regarding defense signaling and gene activation, particularly in connection to epigenetic mechanisms, are important topics in this research. Oxidative stress in defense activation plays an important role in this context.

In cooperation with other research groups, the defense strategies have been tested in plants of different species. Examples of projects are protection of pine and spruce seedlings and strawberry plants against insect attacks.

Together with Forest and Wood Technology, Dalarna University, and Organic/Ecological Chemistry, KTH, an article describing effects of UV-B exposure on indoor-grown spruce seedlings was published (Ohlsson et al. 2013, doi:10.1515/znc-2013-3-410). This investigation showed that a short UV-B exposure caused an increased release of certain volatile terpenoid compounds known to have repellent or antifeedant effects on pine weevils, as well as epigenetic changes. A field study (Berglund et al. 2016, doi:10.1093/forestry/cpv040) showed positive effects on defense against pine weevil attack on spruce seedlings after different treatments, for example a short seed treatment with nicotinamide (Vitamin B3).

Within a collaboration with The Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, we showed increased tolerance of willow (Salix viminalis) to Cd, Cu and Zn after treatment with nicotinamide or nicotinic acid (Ohlsson et al. 2008, doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2008.04.004).

In 2017 we published an article (Berglund et al. 2017, doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2017.07.023) showing that nicotinamide and nicotinic acid can protect plant cells from oxidative stress and DNA strand breakage. Furthermore, nicotinamide caused DNA hypomethylation, an epigenetic effect which can be important for the increased expression of defense related genes, shown in our previous research (seePublications).

A line through the research has been a hypothetical role of nicotinamide and nicotinic acid as signaling/regulatory molecules in plant defense. This is supported by a study of the transcriptome in spruce seedlings grown from seeds treated with nicotinamide (Laurell et al. 2021, doi:10.1007/s11676-021-01410-z).

As a complement to experiments in intact plants, plant cell cultures has been used to get rapid answers to specific questions. Plant cell and tissue cultures is a controlled and convenient experimental system for basic research. In part, the research has been performed in plant cell cultures of a number of species and various degree of differentiation, for example, periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), garden pea (Pisum sativum), carrot (Daucus carota), hybrid aspen(Populus tremula ✕tremuloides) and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), all of these cultures initiated and established in our research group. Another example is a study regarding effects of the naphthoquinone juglone on oxidative stress and DNA methylation in BY-2 tobacco cell culture (Poborilova et al. 2015,  doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2015.01.005).

A hypothesis paper, suggesting nicotinamide and nicotinic acid as important plant defense signaling compounds, was published in FEBS Letters in 2025 (Berglund and Ohlsson, doi:10.1002/1873-3468.70146). This publication can be seen as a summary of our research regarding nicotinamide and nicotinic acid in relation to stress and defense in plants. Here the hypothesis presented by Berglund in FEBS Letters in 1994 (Berglund, doi:10.1016/0014-5793(94)00850-7) is updated, including own and others' results supporting the hypothesis.

Research group and cooperations

Assoc. Prof. Torkel Berglund (School of Biotechnology, KTH)

Some research cooperations through the years:

- Prof. Anders Lindström (School of Technology and Business Studies/Forest and Wood Technology, Dalarna University)

- Prof. Anna-Karin Borg-Karlson (Organic chemistry, Ecological Chemistry Group, Dep of Chemistry, KTH)

- Associate Prof. Maria Greger (Depatment of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences/Plant Metal Group, Stockholm University)

- Assoc. Prof. Raimondas Mozuraitis (Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University)

- Assoc. Prof. Gunaratna Kuttuwa Rajarao (Industrial Biotechnology, KTH)

A number of students (Bachelor of science projects, Master projects, Exchange students, Post Docs)