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Sample records for single locus variant

  1. Locus Reference Genomic sequences: An improved basis for describing human DNA variants

    KAUST Repository

    Dalgleish, Raymond; Flicek, Paul; Cunningham, Fiona; Astashyn, Alex; Tully, Raymond E; Proctor, Glenn; Chen, Yuan; McLaren, William M; Larsson, Pontus; Vaughan, Brendan W; Bé roud, Christophe; Dobson, Glen; Lehvä slaiho, Heikki; Taschner, Peter EM; den Dunnen, Johan T; Devereau, Andrew; Birney, Ewan; Brookes, Anthony J; Maglott, Donna R

    2010-01-01

    As our knowledge of the complexity of gene architecture grows, and we increase our understanding of the subtleties of gene expression, the process of accurately describing disease-causing gene variants has become increasingly problematic. In part, this is due to current reference DNA sequence formats that do not fully meet present needs. Here we present the Locus Reference Genomic (LRG) sequence format, which has been designed for the specifi c purpose of gene variant reporting. The format builds on the successful National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) RefSeqGene project and provides a single-fi le record containing a uniquely stable reference DNA sequence along with all relevant transcript and protein sequences essential to the description of gene variants. In principle, LRGs can be created for any organism, not just human. In addition, we recognize the need to respect legacy numbering systems for exons and amino acids and the LRG format takes account of these. We hope that widespread adoption of LRGs - which will be created and maintained by the NCBI and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) - along with consistent use of the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS)- approved variant nomenclature will reduce errors in the reporting of variants in the literature and improve communication about variants aff ecting human health. Further information can be found on the LRG web site (http://www.lrg-sequence.org). 2010 Dalgleish et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  2. Locus Reference Genomic sequences: An improved basis for describing human DNA variants

    KAUST Repository

    Dalgleish, Raymond

    2010-04-15

    As our knowledge of the complexity of gene architecture grows, and we increase our understanding of the subtleties of gene expression, the process of accurately describing disease-causing gene variants has become increasingly problematic. In part, this is due to current reference DNA sequence formats that do not fully meet present needs. Here we present the Locus Reference Genomic (LRG) sequence format, which has been designed for the specifi c purpose of gene variant reporting. The format builds on the successful National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) RefSeqGene project and provides a single-fi le record containing a uniquely stable reference DNA sequence along with all relevant transcript and protein sequences essential to the description of gene variants. In principle, LRGs can be created for any organism, not just human. In addition, we recognize the need to respect legacy numbering systems for exons and amino acids and the LRG format takes account of these. We hope that widespread adoption of LRGs - which will be created and maintained by the NCBI and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) - along with consistent use of the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS)- approved variant nomenclature will reduce errors in the reporting of variants in the literature and improve communication about variants aff ecting human health. Further information can be found on the LRG web site (http://www.lrg-sequence.org). 2010 Dalgleish et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  3. Multilocus genetic models of handedness closely resemble single-locus models in explaining family data and are compatible with genome-wide association studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McManus, I C; Davison, Angus; Armour, John A L

    2013-06-01

    Right- and left-handedness run in families, show greater concordance in monozygotic than dizygotic twins, and are well described by single-locus Mendelian models. Here we summarize a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) that finds no significant associations with handedness and is consistent with a meta-analysis of GWASs. The GWAS had 99% power to detect a single locus using the conventional criterion of P < 5 × 10(-8) for the single locus models of McManus and Annett. The strong conclusion is that handedness is not controlled by a single genetic locus. A consideration of the genetic architecture of height, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and intelligence suggests that handedness inheritance can be explained by a multilocus variant of the McManus DC model, classical effects on family and twins being barely distinguishable from the single locus model. Based on the ENGAGE meta-analysis of GWASs, we estimate at least 40 loci are involved in determining handedness. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

  4. Quantitative Single-letter Sequencing: a method for simultaneously monitoring numerous known allelic variants in single DNA samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duborjal Hervé

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pathogens such as fungi, bacteria and especially viruses, are highly variable even within an individual host, intensifying the difficulty of distinguishing and accurately quantifying numerous allelic variants co-existing in a single nucleic acid sample. The majority of currently available techniques are based on real-time PCR or primer extension and often require multiplexing adjustments that impose a practical limitation of the number of alleles that can be monitored simultaneously at a single locus. Results Here, we describe a novel method that allows the simultaneous quantification of numerous allelic variants in a single reaction tube and without multiplexing. Quantitative Single-letter Sequencing (QSS begins with a single PCR amplification step using a pair of primers flanking the polymorphic region of interest. Next, PCR products are submitted to single-letter sequencing with a fluorescently-labelled primer located upstream of the polymorphic region. The resulting monochromatic electropherogram shows numerous specific diagnostic peaks, attributable to specific variants, signifying their presence/absence in the DNA sample. Moreover, peak fluorescence can be quantified and used to estimate the frequency of the corresponding variant in the DNA population. Using engineered allelic markers in the genome of Cauliflower mosaic virus, we reliably monitored six different viral genotypes in DNA extracted from infected plants. Evaluation of the intrinsic variance of this method, as applied to both artificial plasmid DNA mixes and viral genome populations, demonstrates that QSS is a robust and reliable method of detection and quantification for variants with a relative frequency of between 0.05 and 1. Conclusion This simple method is easily transferable to many other biological systems and questions, including those involving high throughput analysis, and can be performed in any laboratory since it does not require specialized

  5. Variants at the 9p21 locus and melanoma risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maccioni, Livia; Rachakonda, Panduranga Sivaramakrishna; Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo; Planelles, Dolores; Requena, Celia; Hemminki, Kari; Nagore, Eduardo; Kumar, Rajiv

    2013-01-01

    The influence of variants at the 9p21 locus on melanoma risk has been reported through investigation of CDKN2A variants through candidate gene approach as well as by genome wide association studies (GWAS). In the present study we genotyped, 25 SNPs that tag 273 variants on chromosome 9p21 in 837 melanoma cases and 1154 controls from Spain. Ten SNPs were selected based on previous associations, reported in GWAS, with either melanocytic nevi or melanoma risk or both. The other 15 SNPs were selected to fine map the CDKN2A gene region. All the 10 variants selected from the GWAS showed statistically significant association with melanoma risk. Statistically significant association with melanoma risk was also observed for the carriers of the variant T-allele of rs3088440 (540 C>T) at the 3’ UTR of CDKN2A gene with an OR 1.52 (95% CI 1.14-2.04). Interaction analysis between risk associated polymorphisms and previously genotyped MC1R variants, in the present study, did not show any statistically significant association. Statistical significant association was observed for the interaction between phototypes and the rs10811629 (located in intron 5 of MTAP). The strongest association was observed between the homozygous carrier of the A–allele and phototype II with an OR of 15.93 (95% CI 5.34-47.54). Our data confirmed the association of different variants at chromosome 9p21 with melanoma risk and we also found an association of a variant with skin phototypes

  6. Locus-Specific Databases and Recommendations to Strengthen Their Contribution to the Classification of Variants in Cancer Susceptibility Genes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Greenblatt, Marc S.; Brody, Lawrence C.; Foulkes, William D.; Genuardi, Maurizio; Hofstra, Robert M. W.; Olivier, Magali; Plon, Sharon E.; Sijmons, Rolf H.; Sinilnikova, Olga; Spurdle, Amanda B.

    2008-01-01

    Locus-specific databases (LSDBs) are curated collections of sequence variants in genes associated with disease. LSDBs of cancer-related genes often serve as a critical resource to researchers, diagnostic laboratories, clinicians, and others in the cancer genetics community. LSDBs are poised to play

  7. Pervasive within-Mitochondrion Single-Nucleotide Variant Heteroplasmy as Revealed by Single-Mitochondrion Sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Morris

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Summary: A number of mitochondrial diseases arise from single-nucleotide variant (SNV accumulation in multiple mitochondria. Here, we present a method for identification of variants present at the single-mitochondrion level in individual mouse and human neuronal cells, allowing for extremely high-resolution study of mitochondrial mutation dynamics. We identified extensive heteroplasmy between individual mitochondrion, along with three high-confidence variants in mouse and one in human that were present in multiple mitochondria across cells. The pattern of variation revealed by single-mitochondrion data shows surprisingly pervasive levels of heteroplasmy in inbred mice. Distribution of SNV loci suggests inheritance of variants across generations, resulting in Poisson jackpot lines with large SNV load. Comparison of human and mouse variants suggests that the two species might employ distinct modes of somatic segregation. Single-mitochondrion resolution revealed mitochondria mutational dynamics that we hypothesize to affect risk probabilities for mutations reaching disease thresholds. : Morris et al. use independent sequencing of multiple individual mitochondria from mouse and human brain cells to show high pervasiveness of mutations. The mutations are heteroplasmic within single mitochondria and within and between cells. These findings suggest mechanisms by which mutations accumulate over time, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and disease. Keywords: single mitochondrion, single cell, human neuron, mouse neuron, single-nucleotide variation

  8. Identification and characterization of two functional variants in the human longevity gene FOXO3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Flachsbart, Friederike; Dose, Janina; Gentschew, Liljana

    2017-01-01

    FOXO3 is consistently annotated as a human longevity gene. However, functional variants and underlying mechanisms for the association remain unknown. Here, we perform resequencing of the FOXO3 locus and single-nucleotide variant (SNV) genotyping in three European populations. We find two FOXO3 SN...

  9. Genome wide association identifies common variants at the SERPINA6/SERPINA1 locus influencing plasma cortisol and corticosteroid binding globulin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer L Bolton

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Variation in plasma levels of cortisol, an essential hormone in the stress response, is associated in population-based studies with cardio-metabolic, inflammatory and neuro-cognitive traits and diseases. Heritability of plasma cortisol is estimated at 30-60% but no common genetic contribution has been identified. The CORtisol NETwork (CORNET consortium undertook genome wide association meta-analysis for plasma cortisol in 12,597 Caucasian participants, replicated in 2,795 participants. The results indicate that <1% of variance in plasma cortisol is accounted for by genetic variation in a single region of chromosome 14. This locus spans SERPINA6, encoding corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG, the major cortisol-binding protein in plasma, and SERPINA1, encoding α1-antitrypsin (which inhibits cleavage of the reactive centre loop that releases cortisol from CBG. Three partially independent signals were identified within the region, represented by common SNPs; detailed biochemical investigation in a nested sub-cohort showed all these SNPs were associated with variation in total cortisol binding activity in plasma, but some variants influenced total CBG concentrations while the top hit (rs12589136 influenced the immunoreactivity of the reactive centre loop of CBG. Exome chip and 1000 Genomes imputation analysis of this locus in the CROATIA-Korcula cohort identified missense mutations in SERPINA6 and SERPINA1 that did not account for the effects of common variants. These findings reveal a novel common genetic source of variation in binding of cortisol by CBG, and reinforce the key role of CBG in determining plasma cortisol levels. In turn this genetic variation may contribute to cortisol-associated degenerative diseases.

  10. A common variant at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus is associated with estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haiman, Christopher A; Chen, Gary K; Vachon, Celine M; Canzian, Federico; Dunning, Alison; Millikan, Robert C; Wang, Xianshu; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Ahmed, Shahana; Ambrosone, Christine B; Baglietto, Laura; Balleine, Rosemary; Bandera, Elisa V; Beckmann, Matthias W; Berg, Christine D; Bernstein, Leslie; Blomqvist, Carl; Blot, William J; Brauch, Hiltrud; Buring, Julie E; Carey, Lisa A; Carpenter, Jane E; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chanock, Stephen J; Chasman, Daniel I; Clarke, Christine L; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Deming, Sandra L; Diasio, Robert B; Dimopoulos, Athanasios M; Driver, W Ryan; Dünnebier, Thomas; Durcan, Lorraine; Eccles, Diana; Edlund, Christopher K; Ekici, Arif B; Fasching, Peter A; Feigelson, Heather S; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Fostira, Florentia; Försti, Asta; Fountzilas, George; Gerty, Susan M; Giles, Graham G; Godwin, Andrew K; Goodfellow, Paul; Graham, Nikki; Greco, Dario; Hamann, Ute; Hankinson, Susan E; Hartmann, Arndt; Hein, Rebecca; Heinz, Judith; Holbrook, Andrea; Hoover, Robert N; Hu, Jennifer J; Hunter, David J; Ingles, Sue A; Irwanto, Astrid; Ivanovich, Jennifer; John, Esther M; Johnson, Nicola; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Kaaks, Rudolf; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Kolonel, Laurence N; Konstantopoulou, Irene; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kulkarni, Swati; Lambrechts, Diether; Lee, Adam M; Le Marchand, Loïc; Lesnick, Timothy; Liu, Jianjun; Lindstrom, Sara; Mannermaa, Arto; Margolin, Sara; Martin, Nicholas G; Miron, Penelope; Montgomery, Grant W; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nickels, Stephan; Nyante, Sarah; Olswold, Curtis; Palmer, Julie; Pathak, Harsh; Pectasides, Dimitrios; Perou, Charles M; Peto, Julian; Pharoah, Paul D P; Pooler, Loreall C; Press, Michael F; Pylkäs, Katri; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Rodriguez-Gil, Jorge L; Rosenberg, Lynn; Ross, Eric; Rüdiger, Thomas; Silva, Isabel dos Santos; Sawyer, Elinor; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schulz-Wendtland, Rüdiger; Schumacher, Fredrick; Severi, Gianluca; Sheng, Xin; Signorello, Lisa B; Sinn, Hans-Peter; Stevens, Kristen N; Southey, Melissa C; Tapper, William J; Tomlinson, Ian; Hogervorst, Frans B L; Wauters, Els; Weaver, JoEllen; Wildiers, Hans; Winqvist, Robert; Van Den Berg, David; Wan, Peggy; Xia, Lucy Y; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Zheng, Wei; Ziegler, Regina G; Siddiq, Afshan; Slager, Susan L; Stram, Daniel O; Easton, Douglas; Kraft, Peter; Henderson, Brian E; Couch, Fergus J

    2012-01-01

    Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer shows a higher incidence in women of African ancestry compared to women of European ancestry. In search of common risk alleles for ER-negative breast cancer, we combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from women of African ancestry (1,004 ER-negative cases and 2,745 controls) and European ancestry (1,718 ER-negative cases and 3,670 controls), with replication testing conducted in an additional 2,292 ER-negative cases and 16,901 controls of European ancestry. We identified a common risk variant for ER-negative breast cancer at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus on chromosome 5p15 (rs10069690: per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.18 per allele, P = 1.0 × 10−10). The variant was also significantly associated with triple-negative (ER-negative, progesterone receptor (PR)-negative and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2)-negative) breast cancer (OR = 1.25, P = 1.1 × 10−9), particularly in younger women (<50 years of age) (OR = 1.48, P = 1.9 × 10−9). Our results identify a genetic locus associated with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer subtypes in multiple populations. PMID:22037553

  11. A common variant at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus is associated with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haiman, Christopher A; Chen, Gary K; Vachon, Celine M; Canzian, Federico; Dunning, Alison; Millikan, Robert C; Wang, Xianshu; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Ahmed, Shahana; Ambrosone, Christine B; Baglietto, Laura; Balleine, Rosemary; Bandera, Elisa V; Beckmann, Matthias W; Berg, Christine D; Bernstein, Leslie; Blomqvist, Carl; Blot, William J; Brauch, Hiltrud; Buring, Julie E; Carey, Lisa A; Carpenter, Jane E; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chanock, Stephen J; Chasman, Daniel I; Clarke, Christine L; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Deming, Sandra L; Diasio, Robert B; Dimopoulos, Athanasios M; Driver, W Ryan; Dünnebier, Thomas; Durcan, Lorraine; Eccles, Diana; Edlund, Christopher K; Ekici, Arif B; Fasching, Peter A; Feigelson, Heather S; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Fostira, Florentia; Försti, Asta; Fountzilas, George; Gerty, Susan M; Giles, Graham G; Godwin, Andrew K; Goodfellow, Paul; Graham, Nikki; Greco, Dario; Hamann, Ute; Hankinson, Susan E; Hartmann, Arndt; Hein, Rebecca; Heinz, Judith; Holbrook, Andrea; Hoover, Robert N; Hu, Jennifer J; Hunter, David J; Ingles, Sue A; Irwanto, Astrid; Ivanovich, Jennifer; John, Esther M; Johnson, Nicola; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Kaaks, Rudolf; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Kolonel, Laurence N; Konstantopoulou, Irene; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kulkarni, Swati; Lambrechts, Diether; Lee, Adam M; Marchand, Loïc Le; Lesnick, Timothy; Liu, Jianjun; Lindstrom, Sara; Mannermaa, Arto; Margolin, Sara; Martin, Nicholas G; Miron, Penelope; Montgomery, Grant W; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nickels, Stephan; Nyante, Sarah; Olswold, Curtis; Palmer, Julie; Pathak, Harsh; Pectasides, Dimitrios; Perou, Charles M; Peto, Julian; Pharoah, Paul D P; Pooler, Loreall C; Press, Michael F; Pylkäs, Katri; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Rodriguez-Gil, Jorge L; Rosenberg, Lynn; Ross, Eric; Rüdiger, Thomas; Silva, Isabel dos Santos; Sawyer, Elinor; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schulz-Wendtland, Rüdiger; Schumacher, Fredrick; Severi, Gianluca; Sheng, Xin; Signorello, Lisa B; Sinn, Hans-Peter; Stevens, Kristen N; Southey, Melissa C; Tapper, William J; Tomlinson, Ian; Hogervorst, Frans B L; Wauters, Els; Weaver, JoEllen; Wildiers, Hans; Winqvist, Robert; Van Den Berg, David; Wan, Peggy; Xia, Lucy Y; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Zheng, Wei; Ziegler, Regina G; Siddiq, Afshan; Slager, Susan L; Stram, Daniel O; Easton, Douglas; Kraft, Peter; Henderson, Brian E; Couch, Fergus J

    2011-10-30

    Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer shows a higher incidence in women of African ancestry compared to women of European ancestry. In search of common risk alleles for ER-negative breast cancer, we combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from women of African ancestry (1,004 ER-negative cases and 2,745 controls) and European ancestry (1,718 ER-negative cases and 3,670 controls), with replication testing conducted in an additional 2,292 ER-negative cases and 16,901 controls of European ancestry. We identified a common risk variant for ER-negative breast cancer at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus on chromosome 5p15 (rs10069690: per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.18 per allele, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)). The variant was also significantly associated with triple-negative (ER-negative, progesterone receptor (PR)-negative and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2)-negative) breast cancer (OR = 1.25, P = 1.1 × 10(-9)), particularly in younger women (<50 years of age) (OR = 1.48, P = 1.9 × 10(-9)). Our results identify a genetic locus associated with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer subtypes in multiple populations.

  12. The IBO germination quantitative trait locus encodes a phosphatase 2C-related variant with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that interferes with abscisic acid signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiguet-Vercher, Amélia; Santuari, Luca; Gonzalez-Guzman, Miguel; Depuydt, Stephen; Rodriguez, Pedro L; Hardtke, Christian S

    2015-02-01

    Natural genetic variation is crucial for adaptability of plants to different environments. Seed dormancy prevents precocious germination in unsuitable conditions and is an adaptation to a major macro-environmental parameter, the seasonal variation in temperature and day length. Here we report the isolation of IBO, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that governs c. 30% of germination rate variance in an Arabidopsis recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the parental accessions Eilenburg-0 (Eil-0) and Loch Ness-0 (Lc-0). IBO encodes an uncharacterized phosphatase 2C-related protein, but neither the Eil-0 nor the Lc-0 variant, which differ in a single amino acid, have any appreciable phosphatase activity in in vitro assays. However, we found that the amino acid change in the Lc-0 variant of the IBO protein confers reduced germination rate. Moreover, unlike the Eil-0 variant of the protein, the Lc-0 variant can interfere with the activity of the phosphatase 2C ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 1 in vitro. This suggests that the Lc-0 variant possibly interferes with abscisic acid signaling, a notion that is supported by physiological assays. Thus, we isolated an example of a QTL allele with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that might mediate local adaptation of seed germination timing. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  13. Lupus risk variants in the PXK locus alter B-cell receptor internalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel E. Vaughn

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Genome wide association studies have identified variants in PXK that confer risk for humoral autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and more recently systemic sclerosis. While PXK is involved in trafficking of epidermal growth factor Receptor (EGFR in COS-7 cells, mechanisms linking PXK to lupus pathophysiology have remained undefined. In an effort to uncover the mechanism at this locus that increases lupus-risk, we undertook a fine-mapping analysis in a large multi-ancestral study of lupus patients and controls. We define a large (257kb common haplotype that confers lupus risk detected only in European ancestral populations and spans the promoter through the 3’ UTR of PXK. The strongest association was found at rs6445972 with P < 4.62 x 10-10, OR 0.81 (0.75 – 0.86. Using stepwise logistic regression analysis, we demonstrate that one signal drives the genetic association in the region. Bayesian analysis confirms our results, identifying a 95% credible set consisting of 172 variants spanning 200kb.Functionally, we found that PXK operates on the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR; we confirmed that PXK influenced the rate of BCR internalization. Furthermore, we demonstrate that individuals carrying the risk haplotype exhibited a decreased rate of BCR internalization, a process known to impact B cell survival and cell fate. Taken together, these data define a new candidate mechanism for the genetic association of variants around PXK with lupus risk and highlight the regulation of intracellular trafficking as a genetically regulated pathway mediating human autoimmunity.

  14. Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bojesen, Stig E; Pooley, Karen A; Johnatty, Sharon E; Beesley, Jonathan; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Edwards, Stacey L; Pickett, Hilda A; Shen, Howard C; Smart, Chanel E; Hillman, Kristine M; Mai, Phuong L; Lawrenson, Kate; Stutz, Michael D; Lu, Yi; Karevan, Rod; Woods, Nicholas; Johnston, Rebecca L; French, Juliet D; Chen, Xiaoqing; Weischer, Maren; Nielsen, Sune F; Maranian, Melanie J; Ghoussaini, Maya; Ahmed, Shahana; Baynes, Caroline; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; McGuffog, Lesley; Barrowdale, Daniel; Lee, Andrew; Healey, Sue; Lush, Michael; Tessier, Daniel C; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Françis; Vergote, Ignace; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Despierre, Evelyn; Risch, Harvey A; González-Neira, Anna; Rossing, Mary Anne; Pita, Guillermo; Doherty, Jennifer A; Álvarez, Nuria; Larson, Melissa C; Fridley, Brooke L; Schoof, Nils; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Cicek, Mine S; Peto, Julian; Kalli, Kimberly R; Broeks, Annegien; Armasu, Sebastian M; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Braaf, Linde M; Winterhoff, Boris; Nevanlinna, Heli; Konecny, Gottfried E; Lambrechts, Diether; Rogmann, Lisa; Guénel, Pascal; Teoman, Attila; Milne, Roger L; Garcia, Joaquin J; Cox, Angela; Shridhar, Vijayalakshmi; Burwinkel, Barbara; Marme, Frederik; Hein, Rebecca; Sawyer, Elinor J; Haiman, Christopher A; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Andrulis, Irene L; Moysich, Kirsten B; Hopper, John L; Odunsi, Kunle; Lindblom, Annika; Giles, Graham G; Brenner, Hermann; Simard, Jacques; Lurie, Galina; Fasching, Peter A; Carney, Michael E; Radice, Paolo; Wilkens, Lynne R; Swerdlow, Anthony; Goodman, Marc T; Brauch, Hiltrud; García-Closas, Montserrat; Hillemanns, Peter; Winqvist, Robert; Dürst, Matthias; Devilee, Peter; Runnebaum, Ingo; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Butzow, Ralf; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Dörk, Thilo; Pelttari, Liisa M; Zheng, Wei; Leminen, Arto; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Bunker, Clareann H; Kristensen, Vessela; Ness, Roberta B; Muir, Kenneth; Edwards, Robert; Meindl, Alfons; Heitz, Florian; Matsuo, Keitaro; du Bois, Andreas; Wu, Anna H; Harter, Philipp; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Schwaab, Ira; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Blot, William; Hosono, Satoyo; Kang, Daehee; Nakanishi, Toru; Hartman, Mikael; Yatabe, Yasushi; Hamann, Ute; Karlan, Beth Y; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger; Gaborieau, Valerie; Jensen, Allan; Eccles, Diana; Høgdall, Estrid; Shen, Chen-Yang; Brown, Judith; Woo, Yin Ling; Shah, Mitul; Azmi, Mat Adenan Noor; Luben, Robert; Omar, Siti Zawiah; Czene, Kamila; Vierkant, Robert A; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Flyger, Henrik; Vachon, Celine; Olson, Janet E; Wang, Xianshu; Levine, Douglas A; Rudolph, Anja; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Iversen, Edwin; Nickels, Stefan; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Silva, Isabel Dos Santos; Cramer, Daniel W; Gibson, Lorna; Terry, Kathryn L; Fletcher, Olivia; Vitonis, Allison F; van der Schoot, C Ellen; Poole, Elizabeth M; Hogervorst, Frans B L; Tworoger, Shelley S; Liu, Jianjun; Bandera, Elisa V; Li, Jingmei; Olson, Sara H; Humphreys, Keith; Orlow, Irene; Blomqvist, Carl; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Lorna; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Salvesen, Helga B; Muranen, Taru A; Wik, Elisabeth; Brouwers, Barbara; Krakstad, Camilla; Wauters, Els; Halle, Mari K; Wildiers, Hans; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Mulot, Claire; Aben, Katja K; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; van Altena, Anne M; Truong, Thérèse; Massuger, Leon F A G; Benitez, Javier; Pejovic, Tanja; Perez, Jose Ignacio Arias; Hoatlin, Maureen; Zamora, M Pilar; Cook, Linda S; Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P; Kelemen, Linda E; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Le, Nhu D; Sohn, Christof; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Tomlinson, Ian; Kerin, Michael J; Miller, Nicola; Cybulski, Cezary; Henderson, Brian E; Menkiszak, Janusz; Schumacher, Fredrick; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Marchand, Loic Le; Yang, Hannah P; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Glendon, Gord; Engelholm, Svend Aage; Knight, Julia A; Høgdall, Claus K; Apicella, Carmel; Gore, Martin; Tsimiklis, Helen; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C; Jager, Agnes; van den Ouweland, Ans M W; Brown, Robert; Martens, John W M; Flanagan, James M; Kriege, Mieke; Paul, James; Margolin, Sara; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Severi, Gianluca; Whittemore, Alice S; Baglietto, Laura; McGuire, Valerie; Stegmaier, Christa; Sieh, Weiva; Müller, Heiko; Arndt, Volker; Labrèche, France; Gao, Yu-Tang; Goldberg, Mark S; Yang, Gong; Dumont, Martine; McLaughlin, John R; Hartmann, Arndt; Ekici, Arif B; Beckmann, Matthias W; Phelan, Catherine M; Lux, Michael P; Permuth-Wey, Jenny; Peissel, Bernard; Sellers, Thomas A; Ficarazzi, Filomena; Barile, Monica; Ziogas, Argyrios; Ashworth, Alan; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Jones, Michael; Ramus, Susan J; Orr, Nick; Menon, Usha; Pearce, Celeste L; Brüning, Thomas; Pike, Malcolm C; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Lissowska, Jolanta; Figueroa, Jonine; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Chanock, Stephen J; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Rzepecka, Iwona K; Pylkäs, Katri; Bidzinski, Mariusz; Kauppila, Saila; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Seynaeve, Caroline; Tollenaar, Rob A E M; Durda, Katarzyna; Jaworska, Katarzyna; Hartikainen, Jaana M; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kataja, Vesa; Antonenkova, Natalia N; Long, Jirong; Shrubsole, Martha; Deming-Halverson, Sandra; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Siriwanarangsan, Pornthep; Stewart-Brown, Sarah; Ditsch, Nina; Lichtner, Peter; Schmutzler, Rita K; Ito, Hidemi; Iwata, Hiroji; Tajima, Kazuo; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; Stram, Daniel O; van den Berg, David; Yip, Cheng Har; Ikram, M Kamran; Teh, Yew-Ching; Cai, Hui; Lu, Wei; Signorello, Lisa B; Cai, Qiuyin; Noh, Dong-Young; Yoo, Keun-Young; Miao, Hui; Iau, Philip Tsau-Choong; Teo, Yik Ying; McKay, James; Shapiro, Charles; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Fountzilas, George; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Hou, Ming-Feng; Healey, Catherine S; Luccarini, Craig; Peock, Susan; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; Peterlongo, Paolo; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Piedmonte, Marion; Singer, Christian F; Friedman, Eitan; Thomassen, Mads; Offit, Kenneth; Hansen, Thomas V O; Neuhausen, Susan L; Szabo, Csilla I; Blanco, Ignacio; Garber, Judy; Narod, Steven A; Weitzel, Jeffrey N; Montagna, Marco; Olah, Edith; Godwin, Andrew K; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Goldgar, David E; Caldes, Trinidad; Imyanitov, Evgeny N; Tihomirova, Laima; Arun, Banu K; Campbell, Ian; Mensenkamp, Arjen R; van Asperen, Christi J; van Roozendaal, Kees E P; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Collée, J Margriet; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Hooning, Maartje J; Rookus, Matti A; van der Luijt, Rob B; van Os, Theo A M; Evans, D Gareth; Frost, Debra; Fineberg, Elena; Barwell, Julian; Walker, Lisa; Kennedy, M John; Platte, Radka; Davidson, Rosemarie; Ellis, Steve D; Cole, Trevor; Paillerets, Brigitte Bressac-de; Buecher, Bruno; Damiola, Francesca; Faivre, Laurence; Frenay, Marc; Sinilnikova, Olga M; Caron, Olivier; Giraud, Sophie; Mazoyer, Sylvie; Bonadona, Valérie; Caux-Moncoutier, Virginie; Toloczko-Grabarek, Aleksandra; Gronwald, Jacek; Byrski, Tomasz; Spurdle, Amanda B; Bonanni, Bernardo; Zaffaroni, Daniela; Giannini, Giuseppe; Bernard, Loris; Dolcetti, Riccardo; Manoukian, Siranoush; Arnold, Norbert; Engel, Christoph; Deissler, Helmut; Rhiem, Kerstin; Niederacher, Dieter; Plendl, Hansjoerg; Sutter, Christian; Wappenschmidt, Barbara; Borg, Åke; Melin, Beatrice; Rantala, Johanna; Soller, Maria; Nathanson, Katherine L; Domchek, Susan M; Rodriguez, Gustavo C; Salani, Ritu; Kaulich, Daphne Gschwantler; Tea, Muy-Kheng; Paluch, Shani Shimon; Laitman, Yael; Skytte, Anne-Bine; Kruse, Torben A; Jensen, Uffe Birk; Robson, Mark; Gerdes, Anne-Marie; Ejlertsen, Bent; Foretova, Lenka; Savage, Sharon A; Lester, Jenny; Soucy, Penny; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B; Olswold, Curtis; Cunningham, Julie M; Slager, Susan; Pankratz, Vernon S; Dicks, Ed; Lakhani, Sunil R; Couch, Fergus J; Hall, Per; Monteiro, Alvaro N A; Gayther, Simon A; Pharoah, Paul D P; Reddel, Roger R; Goode, Ellen L; Greene, Mark H; Easton, Douglas F; Berchuck, Andrew; Antoniou, Antonis C; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M

    2013-01-01

    TERT-locus single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and leucocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the iCOGs chip, we analysed ~480 TERT-locus SNPs in breast (n=103,991), ovarian (n=39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (11,705) cancer cases and controls. 53,724 participants have leucocyte telomere measures. Most associations cluster into three independent peaks. Peak 1 SNP rs2736108 minor allele associates with longer telomeres (P=5.8×10−7), reduced estrogen receptor negative (ER-negative) (P=1.0×10−8) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P=1.1×10−5) breast cancer risks, and altered promoter-assay signal. Peak 2 SNP rs7705526 minor allele associates with longer telomeres (P=2.3×10−14), increased low malignant potential ovarian cancer risk (P=1.3×10−15) and increased promoter activity. Peak 3 SNPs rs10069690 and rs2242652 minor alleles increase ER-negative (P=1.2×10−12) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P=1.6×10−14) breast and invasive ovarian (P=1.3×10−11) cancer risks, but not via altered telomere length. The cancer-risk alleles of rs2242652 and rs10069690 respectively increase silencing and generate a truncated TERT splice-variant. PMID:23535731

  15. Common variants at the CHEK2 gene locus and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lawrenson, K.; Iversen, E.S.; Tyrer, J.; Weber, R.P.; Concannon, P.; Hazelett, D.J.; Li, Q.; Marks, J.R.; Berchuck, A.; Lee, J.M.; Aben, K.K.H.; Anton-Culver, H.; Antonenkova, N.; Bandera, E.V.; Bean, Y.; Beckmann, M.W.; Bisogna, M.; Bjorge, L.; Bogdanova, N.; Brinton, L.A.; Brooks-Wilson, A.; Bruinsma, F.; Butzow, R.; Campbell, I.G.; Carty, K.; Chang-Claude, J.; Chenevix-Trench, G.; Chen, A; Chen, Z.; Cook, L.S.; Cramer, D.W; Cunningham, J.M.; Cybulski, C.; Plisiecka-Halasa, J.; Dennis, J.; Dicks, E.; Doherty, J.A.; Dork, T.; Bois, A. du; Eccles, D.; Easton, D.T.; Edwards, R.P.; Eilber, U.; Ekici, A.B.; Fasching, P.A.; Fridley, B.L.; Gao, Y.T.; Gentry-Maharaj, A.; Giles, G.G.; Glasspool, R.; Goode, E.L.; Goodman, M.T.; Gronwald, J.; Harter, P.; Hasmad, H.N.; Hein, A.; Heitz, F.; Hildebrandt, M.A.T.; Hillemanns, P.; Hogdall, E.; Hogdall, C.; Hosono, S.; Jakubowska, A.; Paul, J.; Jensen, A.; Karlan, B.Y.; Kjaer, S.K.; Kelemen, L.E.; Kellar, M.; Kelley, J.L.; Kiemeney, L.A.; Krakstad, C.; Lambrechts, D.; Lambrechts, S.; Le, N.D.; Lee, A.W.; Cannioto, R.; Leminen, A.; Lester, J.; Levine, D.A.; Liang, D.; Lissowska, J.; Lu, K.; Lubinski, J.; Lundvall, L.; Massuger, L.F.; Matsuo, K.; McGuire, V.; McLaughlin, J.R.; Nevanlinna, H.; McNeish, I.; Menon, U.; Modugno, F.; Moysich, K.B.; Narod, S.A.; Nedergaard, L.; Ness, R.B.; Azmi, M.A. Noor; Odunsi, K.; Olson, S.H.

    2015-01-01

    Genome-wide association studies have identified 20 genomic regions associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), but many additional risk variants may exist. Here, we evaluated associations between common genetic variants [single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels] in DNA repair

  16. Common genetic variants near the Brittle Cornea Syndrome locus ZNF469 influence the blinding disease risk factor central corneal thickness.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Lu

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Central corneal thickness (CCT, one of the most highly heritable human traits (h(2 typically>0.9, is important for the diagnosis of glaucoma and a potential risk factor for glaucoma susceptibility. We conducted genome-wide association studies in five cohorts from Australia and the United Kingdom (total N = 5058. Three cohorts were based on individually genotyped twin collections, with the remaining two cohorts genotyped on pooled samples from singletons with extreme trait values. The pooled sample findings were validated by individual genotyping the pooled samples together with additional samples also within extreme quantiles. We describe methods for efficient combined analysis of the results from these different study designs. We have identified and replicated quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 13 and 16 for association with CCT. The locus on chromosome 13 (nearest gene FOXO1 had an overall meta-analysis p-value for all the individually genotyped samples of 4.6x10(-10. The locus on chromosome 16 was associated with CCT with p = 8.95x10(-11. The nearest gene to the associated chromosome 16 SNPs was ZNF469, a locus recently implicated in Brittle Cornea Syndrome (BCS, a very rare disorder characterized by abnormal thin corneas. Our findings suggest that in addition to rare variants in ZNF469 underlying CCT variation in BCS patients, more common variants near this gene may contribute to CCT variation in the general population.

  17. Single locus complementary sex determination in Hymenoptera : an "unintelligent" design?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wilgenburg, Ellen van; Driessen, Gerard; Beukeboom, Leo W.

    2006-01-01

    The haplodiploid sex determining mechanism in Hymenoptera (males are haploid, females are diploid) has played an important role in the evolution of this insect order. In Hymenoptera sex is usually determined by a single locus, heterozygotes are female and hemizygotes are male. Under inbreeding,

  18. Single locus complementary sex determination in Hymenoptera: an "unintelligent" design?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wilgenburg, E.; Driessen, G.J.J.; Beukeboom, L.W.

    2006-01-01

    The haplodiploid sex determining mechanism in Hymenoptera (males are haploid, females are diploid) has played an important role in the evolution of this insect order. In Hymenoptera sex is usually determined by a single locus, heterozygotes are female and hemizygotes are male. Under inbreeding,

  19. eMelanoBase: an online locus-specific variant database for familial melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, David C Y; Holland, Elizabeth A; Becker, Therese M; Hayward, Nicholas K; Bressac-de Paillerets, Brigitte; Mann, Graham J

    2003-01-01

    A proportion of melanoma-prone individuals in both familial and non-familial contexts has been shown to carry inactivating mutations in either CDKN2A or, rarely, CDK4. CDKN2A is a complex locus that encodes two unrelated proteins from alternately spliced transcripts that are read in different frames. The alpha transcript (exons 1alpha, 2, and 3) produces the p16INK4A cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, while the beta transcript (exons 1beta and 2) is translated as p14ARF, a stabilizing factor of p53 levels through binding to MDM2. Mutations in exon 2 can impair both polypeptides and insertions and deletions in exons 1alpha, 1beta, and 2, which can theoretically generate p16INK4A-p14ARF fusion proteins. No online database currently takes into account all the consequences of these genotypes, a situation compounded by some problematic previous annotations of CDKN2A-related sequences and descriptions of their mutations. As an initiative of the international Melanoma Genetics Consortium, we have therefore established a database of germline variants observed in all loci implicated in familial melanoma susceptibility. Such a comprehensive, publicly accessible database is an essential foundation for research on melanoma susceptibility and its clinical application. Our database serves two types of data as defined by HUGO. The core dataset includes the nucleotide variants on the genomic and transcript levels, amino acid variants, and citation. The ancillary dataset includes keyword description of events at the transcription and translation levels and epidemiological data. The application that handles users' queries was designed in the model-view-controller architecture and was implemented in Java. The object-relational database schema was deduced using functional dependency analysis. We hereby present our first functional prototype of eMelanoBase. The service is accessible via the URL www.wmi.usyd.edu.au:8080/melanoma.html. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  20. Genetic and functional identification of the likely causative variant for cholesterol gallstone disease at the ABCG5/8 lithogenic locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    von Kampen, Oliver; Buch, Stephan; Nothnagel, Michael

    2013-01-01

    The sterolin locus (ABCG5/ABCG8) confers susceptibility for cholesterol gallstone disease in humans. Both the responsible variant and the molecular mechanism causing an increased incidence of gallstones in these patients have as yet not been identified. Genetic mapping utilized patient samples from...... Germany (2,808 cases, 2,089 controls), Chile (680 cases, 442 controls), Denmark (366 cases, 766 controls), India (247 cases, 224 controls), and China (280 cases, 244 controls). Analysis of allelic imbalance in complementary DNA (cDNA) samples from human liver (n = 22) was performed using pyrosequencing....... Transiently transfected HEK293 cells were used for [(3) H]-cholesterol export assays, analysis of protein expression, and localization of allelic constructs. Through fine mapping in German and Chilean samples, an ∼250 kB disease-associated interval could be defined for this locus. Lack of allelic imbalance...

  1. Microstructure evolution to reach the single variant in an ordered Fe–55at.%Pd alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farjami, Sahar; Fukuda, Takashi; Kakeshita, Tomoyuki

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We confirmed formation of the single variant in Fe–55at.%Pd by XRD measurement and TEM observation. ► The size of each ordered domain is about 2 nm at the early stage of ordering. ► High density of antiphase boundaries has been observed after formation of the single variant. -- Abstract: Recently, we reported single variant formation in an Fe–55at.%Pd is certainly realized from a disordered fcc-phase to an ordered L1 0 -phase by heat-treatment under magnetic field. In the present study, we have investigated microstructure evolution during the process of the single variant formation by an X-ray diffraction and an electron microscopy observation. As a result, followings are obtained: size of the ordered particles at the early stage of ordering is about 2 nm and the nucleation ratio of preferable variant, whose easy axis lies in the field direction, is higher than that of other variants. Each of the ordered preferable variant grows by consuming the order variants and finally come together to become a single variant. Based on the observation, a model is proposed for the single variant formation of the ordered L1 0 -phase under magnetic field

  2. Single locus complementary sex determination in Hymenoptera: an "unintelligent" design?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Driessen Gerard

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The haplodiploid sex determining mechanism in Hymenoptera (males are haploid, females are diploid has played an important role in the evolution of this insect order. In Hymenoptera sex is usually determined by a single locus, heterozygotes are female and hemizygotes are male. Under inbreeding, homozygous diploid and sterile males occur which form a genetic burden for a population. We review life history and genetical traits that may overcome the disadvantages of single locus complementary sex determination (sl-CSD. Behavioural adaptations to avoid matings between relatives include active dispersal from natal patches and mating preferences for non-relatives. In non-social species, temporal and spatial segregation of male and female offspring reduces the burden of sl-CSD. In social species, diploid males are produced at the expense of workers and female reproductives. In some social species, diploid males and diploid male producing queens are killed by workers. Diploid male production may have played a role in the evolution or maintenance of polygyny (multiple queens and polyandry (multiple mating. Some forms of thelytoky (parthenogenetic female production increase homozygosity and are therefore incompatible with sl-CSD. We discuss a number of hypothetical adaptations to sl-CSD which should be considered in future studies of this insect order.

  3. DNA Methylation Variants at HIF3A Locus, B-Vitamin Intake, and Long-term Weight Change: Gene-Diet Interactions in Two U.S. Cohorts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Tao; Zheng, Yan; Qi, Qibin; Xu, Min; Ley, Sylvia H; Li, Yanping; Kang, Jae H; Wiggs, Janey; Pasquale, Louis R; Chan, Andrew T; Rimm, Eric B; Hunter, David J; Manson, JoAnn E; Willett, Walter C; Hu, Frank B; Qi, Lu

    2015-09-01

    The first epigenome-wide association study of BMI identified DNA methylation at an HIF3A locus associated with BMI. We tested the hypothesis that DNA methylation variants are associated with BMI according to intake of B vitamins. In two large cohorts, we found significant interactions between the DNA methylation-associated HIF3A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3826795 and intake of B vitamins on 10-year changes in BMI. The association between rs3826795 and BMI changes consistently increased across the tertiles of total vitamin B2 and B12 intake (all P for interaction vitamin B2 intake and -0.10 (SE 0.06), -0.01 (SE 0.06), and 0.10 (SE 0.07) within subgroups defined by increasing tertiles of total vitamin B12 intake. In two independent cohorts, a DNA methylation variant in HIF3A was associated with BMI changes through interactions with total or supplemental vitamin B2, vitamin B12, and folate. These findings suggest a potential causal relation between DNA methylation and adiposity. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

  4. HIV control through a single nucleotide on the HLA-B locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kløverpris, Henrik N; Harndahl, Mikkel; Leslie, Alasdair J

    2012-01-01

    Genetic variation within the HLA-B locus has the strongest impact on HIV disease progression of any polymorphisms within the human genome. However, identifying the exact mechanism involved is complicated by several factors. HLA-Bw4 alleles provide ligands for NK cells and for CD8 T cells, and str......Genetic variation within the HLA-B locus has the strongest impact on HIV disease progression of any polymorphisms within the human genome. However, identifying the exact mechanism involved is complicated by several factors. HLA-Bw4 alleles provide ligands for NK cells and for CD8 T cells......:02, which differ by only a single amino acid. Crucially, they occur primarily on identical HLA class I haplotypes and, as Bw6 alleles, do not act as NK cell ligands and are therefore largely unconfounded by other genetic factors. We show that in an outbred cohort (n = 2,093) of HIV C......-clade-infected individuals, a single amino acid change at position 9 of the HLA-B molecule critically affects peptide binding and significantly alters the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes targeted, measured directly ex vivo by gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay (P = 2 × 10...

  5. Single-locus complementary sex determination in the inbreeding wasp Euodynerus foraminatus Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stahlhut, J K; Cowan, D P

    2004-03-01

    The Hymenoptera have arrhenotokous haplodiploidy in which males normally develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid, while females develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid. Multiple sex determination systems are known to underlie haplodiploidy, and the best understood is single-locus complementary sex determination (sl-CSD) in which sex is determined at a single polymorphic locus. Individuals heterozygous at the sex locus develop as females; individuals that are hemizygous (haploid) or homozygous (diploid) at the sex locus develop as males. sl-CSD can be detected with inbreeding experiments that produce diploid males in predictable proportions as well as sex ratio shifts due to diploid male production. This sex determination system is considered incompatible with inbreeding because the ensuing increase in homozygosity increases the production of diploid males that are inviable or infertile, imposing a high cost on matings between close relatives. However, in the solitary hunting wasp Euodynerus foraminatus, a species suspected of having sl-CSD, inbreeding may be common due to a high incidence of sibling matings at natal nests. In laboratory crosses with E. foraminatus, we find that sex ratios and diploid male production (detected as microsatellite heterozygosity) are consistent with sl-CSD, but not with other sex determination systems. This is the first documented example of sl-CSD in a hymenopteran with an apparent natural history of inbreeding, and thus presents a paradox for our understanding of hymenopteran genetics.

  6. Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Bojesen, Stig E; Pooley, Karen A; Johnatty, Sharon E; Beesley, Jonathan; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Edwards, Stacey L; Pickett, Hilda A; Shen, Howard C; Smart, Chanel E; Hillman, Kristine M; Mai, Phuong L; Lawrenson, Kate; Stutz, Michael D; Lu, Yi

    2013-01-01

    TERT-locus single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and leucocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the iCOGs chip, we analysed ~480 TERT-locus SNPs in breast (n=103,991), ovarian (n=39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (11,705) cancer cases and controls. 53,724 participants have leucocyte telomere measures. Most associations cluster into three independent peaks. Peak 1 SNP rs2736108 minor allele associates with longer telomeres (P=5.8×10−7), reduce...

  7. An unusual occurrence of repeated single allele variation on Y-STR locus DYS458

    OpenAIRE

    Shrivastava, Pankaj; Trivedi, Veena Ben; Jain, Toshi; Ali, Mehmood

    2016-01-01

    Six brothers were accused of gagging and raping a woman. A single male Y-STR profile was obtained from vaginal smear swab and clothes of the victim, which did not match with the DNA profile of the accused brothers. As a reference point, the blood sample of their father (aged 87 years) was also analyzed with the same kit. The Y-STR haplotype of all six brothers was found to be the same as that of their father except at locus DYS458. At this locus, while the eldest, second and fourth siblings s...

  8. Mapping of the disease locus and identification of ADAMTS10 as a candidate gene in a canine model of primary open angle glaucoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Kuchtey

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, with elevated intraocular pressure as an important risk factor. Increased resistance to outflow of aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork causes elevated intraocular pressure, but the specific mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we used genome-wide SNP arrays to map the disease gene in a colony of Beagle dogs with inherited POAG to within a single 4 Mb locus on canine chromosome 20. The Beagle POAG locus is syntenic to a previously mapped human quantitative trait locus for intraocular pressure on human chromosome 19. Sequence capture and next-generation sequencing of the entire canine POAG locus revealed a total of 2,692 SNPs segregating with disease. Of the disease-segregating SNPs, 54 were within exons, 8 of which result in amino acid substitutions. The strongest candidate variant causes a glycine to arginine substitution in a highly conserved region of the metalloproteinase ADAMTS10. Western blotting revealed ADAMTS10 protein is preferentially expressed in the trabecular meshwork, supporting an effect of the variant specific to aqueous humor outflow. The Gly661Arg variant in ADAMTS10 found in the POAG Beagles suggests that altered processing of extracellular matrix and/or defects in microfibril structure or function may be involved in raising intraocular pressure, offering specific biochemical targets for future research and treatment strategies.

  9. Underestimated effect sizes in GWAS: fundamental limitations of single SNP analysis for dichotomous phenotypes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Stringer

    Full Text Available Complex diseases are often highly heritable. However, for many complex traits only a small proportion of the heritability can be explained by observed genetic variants in traditional genome-wide association (GWA studies. Moreover, for some of those traits few significant SNPs have been identified. Single SNP association methods test for association at a single SNP, ignoring the effect of other SNPs. We show using a simple multi-locus odds model of complex disease that moderate to large effect sizes of causal variants may be estimated as relatively small effect sizes in single SNP association testing. This underestimation effect is most severe for diseases influenced by numerous risk variants. We relate the underestimation effect to the concept of non-collapsibility found in the statistics literature. As described, continuous phenotypes generated with linear genetic models are not affected by this underestimation effect. Since many GWA studies apply single SNP analysis to dichotomous phenotypes, previously reported results potentially underestimate true effect sizes, thereby impeding identification of true effect SNPs. Therefore, when a multi-locus model of disease risk is assumed, a multi SNP analysis may be more appropriate.

  10. Genome Editing a Mouse Locus Encoding a Variant Histone, H3.3B, to Report on its Expression in Live Animals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Duancheng; Noh, Kyung-Min; Goldberg, Aaron D.; Allis, C. David; Rosenwaks, Zev; Rafii, Shahin; Banaszynski, Laura A.

    2018-01-01

    Summary Chromatin remodeling via incorporation of histone variants plays a key role in the regulation of embryonic development. The histone variant H3.3 has been associated with a number of early events including formation of the paternal pronucleus upon fertilization. The small number of amino acid differences between H3.3 and its canonical counterparts (H3.1 and H3.2) has limited studies of the developmental significance of H3.3 deposition into chromatin due to difficulties in distinguishing the H3 isoforms. To this end, we used zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) mediated gene editing to introduce a small C-terminal hemagglutinin (HA) tag to the endogenous H3.3B locus in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), along with an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and a separately translated fluorescent reporter of expression. This system will allow detection of expression driven by the reporter in cells, animals, and embryos, and will facilitate investigation of differential roles of paternal and maternal H3.3 protein during embryogenesis that would not be possible using variant-specific antibodies. Further, the ability to monitor endogenous H3.3 protein in various cell lineages will enhance our understanding of the dynamics of this histone variant over the course of development. genesis PMID:25262655

  11. Prioritizing single-nucleotide polymorphisms and variants associated with clinical mastitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suravajhala P

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Prashanth Suravajhala,1 Alfredo Benso2 1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy Abstract: Next-generation sequencing technology has provided resources to easily explore and identify candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and variants. However, there remains a challenge in identifying and inferring the causal SNPs from sequence data. A problem with different methods that predict the effect of mutations is that they produce false positives. In this hypothesis, we provide an overview of methods known for identifying causal variants and discuss the challenges, fallacies, and prospects in discerning candidate SNPs. We then propose a three-point classification strategy, which could be an additional annotation method in identifying causalities. Keywords: clinical mastitis, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, variants, associations, diseases, linkage disequilibrium, GWAS

  12. Analysis of positional candidate genes in the AAA1 susceptibility locus for abdominal aortic aneurysms on chromosome 19

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferrell Robert E

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA is a complex disorder with multiple genetic risk factors. Using affected relative pair linkage analysis, we previously identified an AAA susceptibility locus on chromosome 19q13. This locus has been designated as the AAA1 susceptibility locus in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM database. Methods Nine candidate genes were selected from the AAA1 locus based on their function, as well as mRNA expression levels in the aorta. A sample of 394 cases and 419 controls was genotyped for 41 SNPs located in or around the selected nine candidate genes using the Illumina GoldenGate platform. Single marker and haplotype analyses were performed. Three genes (CEBPG, PEPD and CD22 were selected for DNA sequencing based on the association study results, and exonic regions were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining of aortic tissue sections from AAA and control individuals was carried out for the CD22 and PEPD proteins with specific antibodies. Results Several SNPs were nominally associated with AAA (p CEBPG, peptidase D (PEPD, and CD22. Haplotype analysis found a nominally associated 5-SNP haplotype in the CEBPG/PEPD locus, as well as a nominally associated 2-SNP haplotype in the CD22 locus. DNA sequencing of the coding regions revealed no variation in CEBPG. Seven sequence variants were identified in PEPD, including three not present in the NCBI SNP (dbSNP database. Sequencing of all 14 exons of CD22 identified 20 sequence variants, five of which were in the coding region and six were in the 3'-untranslated region. Five variants were not present in dbSNP. Immunohistochemical staining for CD22 revealed protein expression in lymphocytes present in the aneurysmal aortic wall only and no detectable expression in control aorta. PEPD protein was expressed in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the media-adventitia border in both aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal tissue samples. Conclusions Association testing

  13. Common variants at the CHEK2 gene locus and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrenson, Kate; Iversen, Edwin S; Tyrer, Jonathan; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Concannon, Patrick; Hazelett, Dennis J; Li, Qiyuan; Marks, Jeffrey R; Berchuck, Andrew; Lee, Janet M; Aben, Katja K H; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia; Bandera, Elisa V; Bean, Yukie; Beckmann, Matthias W; Bisogna, Maria; Bjorge, Line; Bogdanova, Natalia; Brinton, Louise A; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Bruinsma, Fiona; Butzow, Ralf; Campbell, Ian G; Carty, Karen; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Chen, Ann; Chen, Zhihua; Cook, Linda S; Cramer, Daniel W; Cunningham, Julie M; Cybulski, Cezary; Plisiecka-Halasa, Joanna; Dennis, Joe; Dicks, Ed; Doherty, Jennifer A; Dörk, Thilo; du Bois, Andreas; Eccles, Diana; Easton, Douglas T; Edwards, Robert P; Eilber, Ursula; Ekici, Arif B; Fasching, Peter A; Fridley, Brooke L; Gao, Yu-Tang; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Giles, Graham G; Glasspool, Rosalind; Goode, Ellen L; Goodman, Marc T; Gronwald, Jacek; Harter, Philipp; Hasmad, Hanis Nazihah; Hein, Alexander; Heitz, Florian; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Hillemanns, Peter; Hogdall, Estrid; Hogdall, Claus; Hosono, Satoyo; Jakubowska, Anna; Paul, James; Jensen, Allan; Karlan, Beth Y; Kjaer, Susanne Kruger; Kelemen, Linda E; Kellar, Melissa; Kelley, Joseph L; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Krakstad, Camilla; Lambrechts, Diether; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Le, Nhu D; Lee, Alice W; Cannioto, Rikki; Leminen, Arto; Lester, Jenny; Levine, Douglas A; Liang, Dong; Lissowska, Jolanta; Lu, Karen; Lubinski, Jan; Lundvall, Lene; Massuger, Leon F A G; Matsuo, Keitaro; McGuire, Valerie; McLaughlin, John R; Nevanlinna, Heli; McNeish, Iain; Menon, Usha; Modugno, Francesmary; Moysich, Kirsten B; Narod, Steven A; Nedergaard, Lotte; Ness, Roberta B; Noor Azmi, Mat Adenan; Odunsi, Kunle; Olson, Sara H; Orlow, Irene; Orsulic, Sandra; Pearce, Celeste L; Pejovic, Tanja; Pelttari, Liisa M; Permuth-Wey, Jennifer; Phelan, Catherine M; Pike, Malcolm C; Poole, Elizabeth M; Ramus, Susan J; Risch, Harvey A; Rosen, Barry; Rossing, Mary Anne; Rothstein, Joseph H; Rudolph, Anja; Runnebaum, Ingo B; Rzepecka, Iwona K; Salvesen, Helga B; Budzilowska, Agnieszka; Sellers, Thomas A; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Shvetsov, Yurii B; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Sieh, Weiva; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C; Sucheston, Lara; Tangen, Ingvild L; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Terry, Kathryn L; Thompson, Pamela J; Timorek, Agnieszka; Tworoger, Shelley S; Van Nieuwenhuysen, Els; Vergote, Ignace; Vierkant, Robert A; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Walsh, Christine; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Whittemore, Alice S; Wicklund, Kristine G; Wilkens, Lynne R; Woo, Yin-Ling; Wu, Xifeng; Wu, Anna H; Yang, Hannah; Zheng, Wei; Ziogas, Argyrios; Coetzee, Gerhard A; Freedman, Matthew L; Monteiro, Alvaro N A; Moes-Sosnowska, Joanna; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Pharoah, Paul D; Gayther, Simon A; Schildkraut, Joellen M

    2015-11-01

    Genome-wide association studies have identified 20 genomic regions associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), but many additional risk variants may exist. Here, we evaluated associations between common genetic variants [single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels] in DNA repair genes and EOC risk. We genotyped 2896 common variants at 143 gene loci in DNA samples from 15 397 patients with invasive EOC and controls. We found evidence of associations with EOC risk for variants at FANCA, EXO1, E2F4, E2F2, CREB5 and CHEK2 genes (P ≤ 0.001). The strongest risk association was for CHEK2 SNP rs17507066 with serous EOC (P = 4.74 x 10(-7)). Additional genotyping and imputation of genotypes from the 1000 genomes project identified a slightly more significant association for CHEK2 SNP rs6005807 (r (2) with rs17507066 = 0.84, odds ratio (OR) 1.17, 95% CI 1.11-1.24, P = 1.1×10(-7)). We identified 293 variants in the region with likelihood ratios of less than 1:100 for representing the causal variant. Functional annotation identified 25 candidate SNPs that alter transcription factor binding sites within regulatory elements active in EOC precursor tissues. In The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, CHEK2 gene expression was significantly higher in primary EOCs compared to normal fallopian tube tissues (P = 3.72×10(-8)). We also identified an association between genotypes of the candidate causal SNP rs12166475 (r (2) = 0.99 with rs6005807) and CHEK2 expression (P = 2.70×10(-8)). These data suggest that common variants at 22q12.1 are associated with risk of serous EOC and CHEK2 as a plausible target susceptibility gene. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. An unusual occurrence of repeated single allele variation on Y-STR locus DYS458

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pankaj Shrivastava

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Six brothers were accused of gagging and raping a woman. A single male Y-STR profile was obtained from vaginal smear swab and clothes of the victim, which did not match with the DNA profile of the accused brothers. As a reference point, the blood sample of their father (aged 87 years was also analyzed with the same kit. The Y-STR haplotype of all six brothers was found to be the same as that of their father except at locus DYS458. At this locus, while the eldest, second and fourth siblings share allele 18 with their father, a loss of one repeat (allele 17 instead of 18 is observed in the third son while fifth and sixth siblings have allele 19 representing a gain of one repeat. Thus, two changes viz. a gain (twice and loss of one repeat at this locus in one generation is both interesting and unusual.

  15. Somatic cell genotoxicity at the glycophorin A locus in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen, R.H.; Grant, S.G.; Langlois, R.G.; Bigbee, W.L.

    1990-01-01

    We have developed an assay for detecting variant erythrocytes that occur as a result of in vivo allele loss at the glycophorin A (GPA) locus on chromosome 4 in humans. This gene codes for an erythroid- specific cell surface glycoprotein, and with our assay we are able to detect rare variant erythrocytes that have lost expression of one of the two GPA alleles. Two distinctly different variant cell types are detected with this assay. One variant cell type (called N OE) is hemizygous. Our assay also detects homozygous variant erythrocytes that have lost expression of the GPA(M) allele and express the GPA(N) allele at twice the heterozygous level. The results of this assay are an enumeration of the frequency of N OE and NN variant cell types for each individual analyzed. These variant cell frequencies provide a measure of the amount of somatic cell genotoxicity that has occurred at the GPA locus. Such genotoxicity could be the result of (1) reactions of toxic chemicals to which the individual has been exposed, or (2) high energy radiation effects on erythroid precursor cells, or (3) errors in DNA replication or repair in these cells of the bone marrow. Thus, the GPA-based variant cell frequency can serve as a biodosimeter that indicates the amount of genotoxic exposure each individual has received. Because two very different kinds of variant cells are enumerated, different kinds of genotoxicity should be distinguishable. Results of the GPA somatic genotoxicity assay may also provide valuable information for cancer-risk estimation on each individual. 16 refs

  16. Variants of PLCXD3 are not associated with variant or sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a large international study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balendra, Rubika; Uphill, James; Collinson, Claire; Druyeh, Ronald; Adamson, Gary; Hummerich, Holger; Zerr, Inga; Gambetti, Pierluigi; Collinge, John; Mead, Simon

    2016-04-07

    Human prion diseases are relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorders which include sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) and variant CJD (vCJD). Aside from variants of the prion protein gene (PRNP) replicated association at genome-wide levels of significance has proven elusive. A recent association study identified variants in or near to the PLCXD3 gene locus as strong disease risk factors in multiple human prion diseases. This study claimed the first non-PRNP locus to be highly significantly associated with prion disease in genomic studies. A sub-study of a genome-wide association study with imputation aiming to replicate the finding at PLCXD3 including 129 vCJD and 2500 sCJD samples. Whole exome sequencing to identify rare coding variants of PLCXD3. Imputation of relevant polymorphisms was accurate based on wet genotyping of a sample. We found no supportive evidence that PLCXD3 variants are associated with disease. The marked discordance in vCJD genotype frequencies between studies, despite extensive overlap in vCJD cases, and the finding of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium in the original study, suggests possible reasons for the discrepancies between studies.

  17. Germline contamination and leakage in whole genome somatic single nucleotide variant detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sendorek, Dorota H; Caloian, Cristian; Ellrott, Kyle; Bare, J Christopher; Yamaguchi, Takafumi N; Ewing, Adam D; Houlahan, Kathleen E; Norman, Thea C; Margolin, Adam A; Stuart, Joshua M; Boutros, Paul C

    2018-01-31

    The clinical sequencing of cancer genomes to personalize therapy is becoming routine across the world. However, concerns over patient re-identification from these data lead to questions about how tightly access should be controlled. It is not thought to be possible to re-identify patients from somatic variant data. However, somatic variant detection pipelines can mistakenly identify germline variants as somatic ones, a process called "germline leakage". The rate of germline leakage across different somatic variant detection pipelines is not well-understood, and it is uncertain whether or not somatic variant calls should be considered re-identifiable. To fill this gap, we quantified germline leakage across 259 sets of whole-genome somatic single nucleotide variant (SNVs) predictions made by 21 teams as part of the ICGC-TCGA DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling Challenge. The median somatic SNV prediction set contained 4325 somatic SNVs and leaked one germline polymorphism. The level of germline leakage was inversely correlated with somatic SNV prediction accuracy and positively correlated with the amount of infiltrating normal cells. The specific germline variants leaked differed by tumour and algorithm. To aid in quantitation and correction of leakage, we created a tool, called GermlineFilter, for use in public-facing somatic SNV databases. The potential for patient re-identification from leaked germline variants in somatic SNV predictions has led to divergent open data access policies, based on different assessments of the risks. Indeed, a single, well-publicized re-identification event could reshape public perceptions of the values of genomic data sharing. We find that modern somatic SNV prediction pipelines have low germline-leakage rates, which can be further reduced, especially for cloud-sharing, using pre-filtering software.

  18. Investigation of the role of TCF4 rare sequence variants in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basmanav, F Buket; Forstner, Andreas J; Fier, Heide; Herms, Stefan; Meier, Sandra; Degenhardt, Franziska; Hoffmann, Per; Barth, Sandra; Fricker, Nadine; Strohmaier, Jana; Witt, Stephanie H; Ludwig, Michael; Schmael, Christine; Moebus, Susanne; Maier, Wolfgang; Mössner, Rainald; Rujescu, Dan; Rietschel, Marcella; Lange, Christoph; Nöthen, Markus M; Cichon, Sven

    2015-07-01

    Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) is one of the most robust of all reported schizophrenia risk loci and is supported by several genetic and functional lines of evidence. While numerous studies have implicated common genetic variation at TCF4 in schizophrenia risk, the role of rare, small-sized variants at this locus-such as single nucleotide variants and short indels which are below the resolution of chip-based arrays requires further exploration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between rare TCF4 sequence variants and schizophrenia. Exon-targeted resequencing was performed in 190 German schizophrenia patients. Six rare variants at the coding exons and flanking sequences of the TCF4 gene were identified, including two missense variants and one splice site variant. These six variants were then pooled with nine additional rare variants identified in 379 European participants of the 1000 Genomes Project, and all 15 variants were genotyped in an independent German sample (n = 1,808 patients; n = 2,261 controls). These data were then analyzed using six statistical methods developed for the association analysis of rare variants. No significant association (P power analyses suggest that further research into the possible involvement of rare TCF4 sequence variants in schizophrenia risk is warranted by the assessment of larger cohorts with higher statistical power to identify rare variant associations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. RareVar: A Framework for Detecting Low-Frequency Single-Nucleotide Variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Yangyang; Xuei, Xiaoling; Li, Lang; Nakshatri, Harikrishna; Edenberg, Howard J; Liu, Yunlong

    2017-07-01

    Accurate identification of low-frequency somatic point mutations in tumor samples has important clinical utilities. Although high-throughput sequencing technology enables capturing such variants while sequencing primary tumor samples, our ability for accurate detection is compromised when the variant frequency is close to the sequencer error rate. Most current experimental and bioinformatic strategies target mutations with ≥5% allele frequency, which limits our ability to understand the cancer etiology and tumor evolution. We present an experimental and computational modeling framework, RareVar, to reliably identify low-frequency single-nucleotide variants from high-throughput sequencing data under standard experimental protocols. RareVar protocol includes a benchmark design by pooling DNAs from already sequenced individuals at various concentrations to target variants at desired frequencies, 0.5%-3% in our case. By applying a generalized, linear model-based, position-specific error model, followed by machine-learning-based variant calibration, our approach outperforms existing methods. Our method can be applied on most capture and sequencing platforms without modifying the experimental protocol.

  20. Analysis of the ABCA4 genomic locus in Stargardt disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zernant, Jana; Xie, Yajing Angela; Ayuso, Carmen

    2014-01-01

    excluded since they were not conserved in non-human primates, were frequent in African populations and, therefore, represented ancestral, and not disease-associated, variants. The sequence variability in the ABCA4 locus is extensive and the non-coding sequences do not harbor frequent mutations in STGD...... patients of European-American descent. Defining disease-associated alleles in the ABCA4 locus requires exceptionally well characterized large cohorts and extensive analyses by a combination of various approaches....

  1. Functional Analysis of the Coronary Heart Disease Risk Locus on Chromosome 21q22

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine E. Beaney

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The coronary heart disease (CHD risk locus on 21q22 (lead SNP rs9982601 lies within a “gene desert.” The aim of this study was to assess if this locus is associated with CHD risk factors and to identify the functional variant(s and gene(s involved. Methods. A phenome scan was performed with UCLEB Consortium data. Allele-specific protein binding was studied using electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Dual-reporter luciferase assays were used to assess the impact of genetic variation on expression. Expression quantitative trait analysis was performed with Advanced Study of Aortic Pathology (ASAP and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx consortium data. Results. A suggestive association between QT interval and the locus was observed (rs9982601  p=0.04. One variant at the locus, rs28451064, showed allele-specific protein binding and its minor allele showed 12% higher luciferase expression (p = 4.82 × 10−3 compared to the common allele. The minor allele of rs9982601 was associated with higher expression of the closest upstream genes (SLC5A3 1.30-fold increase p = 3.98 × 10−5; MRPS6 1.15-fold increase p = 9.60 × 10−4 in aortic intima media in ASAP. Both rs9982601 and rs28451064 showed a suggestive association with MRPS6 expression in relevant tissues in the GTEx data. Conclusions. A candidate functional variant, rs28451064, was identified. Future work should focus on identifying the pathway(s involved.

  2. Single locus affects embryonic segment polarity and multiple aspects of an adult evolutionary novelty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saenko Suzanne V

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The characterization of the molecular changes that underlie the origin and diversification of morphological novelties is a key challenge in evolutionary developmental biology. The evolution of such traits is thought to rely largely on co-option of a toolkit of conserved developmental genes that typically perform multiple functions. Mutations that affect both a universal developmental process and the formation of a novelty might shed light onto the genetics of traits not represented in model systems. Here we describe three pleiotropic mutations with large effects on a novel trait, butterfly eyespots, and on a conserved stage of embryogenesis, segment polarity. Results We show that three mutations affecting eyespot size and/or colour composition in Bicyclus anynana butterflies occurred in the same locus, and that two of them are embryonic recessive lethal. Using surgical manipulations and analysis of gene expression patterns in developing wings, we demonstrate that the effects on eyespot morphology are due to changes in the epidermal response component of eyespot induction. Our analysis of morphology and of gene expression in mutant embryos shows that they have a typical segment polarity phenotype, consistent with the mutant locus encoding a negative regulator of Wingless signalling. Conclusions This study characterizes the segregation and developmental effects of alleles at a single locus that controls the morphology of a lineage-specific trait (butterfly eyespots and a conserved process (embryonic segment polarity and, specifically, the regulation of Wingless signalling. Because no gene with such function was found in the orthologous, highly syntenic genomic regions of two other lepidopterans, we hypothesize that our locus is a yet undescribed, possibly lineage-specific, negative regulator of the conserved Wnt/Wg pathway. Moreover, the fact that this locus interferes with multiple aspects of eyespot morphology and maps to a

  3. Sex-specific effects of naturally occurring variants in the dopamine receptor D2 locus on insulin secretion and Type 2 diabetes susceptibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guigas, B; de Leeuw van Weenen, J E; van Leeuwen, N

    2014-01-01

    AIMS: Modulation of dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) activity affects insulin secretion in both rodents and isolated pancreatic β-cells. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the DRD2/ANKK1 locus may affect susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes in humans. METHODS: Four potentially....... In addition, 340 Dutch subjects underwent a 2-h hyperglycaemic clamp to investigate insulin secretion. Since sexual dimorphic associations related to DRD2 polymorphisms have been previously reported, we also performed a gender-stratified analysis. RESULTS: rs1800497 at the DRD2/ANKK1 locus was associated...

  4. Natural selection maintains a single-locus leaf shape cline in Ivyleaf morning glory, Ipomoea hederacea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campitelli, Brandon E; Stinchcombe, John R

    2013-02-01

    Clines in phenotypic traits with an underlying genetic basis potentially implicate natural selection. However, neutral evolutionary processes such as random colonization, spatially restricted gene flow, and genetic drift could also result in similar spatial patterns, especially for single-locus traits because of their susceptibility to stochastic events. One way to distinguish between adaptive and neutral mechanisms is to compare the focal trait to neutral genetic loci to determine whether neutral loci demonstrate clinal variation (consistent with a neutral cline), or not. Ivyleaf morning glory, Ipomoea hederacea, exhibits a latitudinal cline for a Mendelian leaf shape polymorphism in eastern North America, such that lobed genotypes dominate northern populations and heart-shaped genotypes are restricted to southern populations. Here, we evaluate potential evolutionary mechanisms for this cline by first determining the allele frequencies at the leaf shape locus for 77 populations distributed throughout I. hederacea's range and then comparing the geographical pattern at this locus to neutral amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. We detected both significant clinal variation and high genetic differentiation at the leaf shape locus across all populations. In contrast, 99% of the putatively neutral loci do not display clinal variation, and I. hederacea populations show very little overall genetic differentiation, suggesting that there is a moderate level of gene flow. In addition, the leaf shape locus was identified as a major F(ST) outlier experiencing divergent selection, relative to all the AFLP loci. Together, these data strongly suggest that the cline in leaf shape is being maintained by spatially varying natural selection. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. A low frequency variant within the GWAS locus of MTNR1B affects fasting glucose concentrations: genetic risk is modulated by obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Been, L F; Hatfield, J L; Shankar, A; Aston, C E; Ralhan, S; Wander, G S; Mehra, N K; Singh, J R; Mulvihill, J J; Sanghera, D K

    2012-11-01

    Two common variants (rs1387153, rs10830963) in MTNR1B have been reported to have independent effects on fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels with increased risk to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In this investigation, we report the association of these two variants, and an additional variant (rs1374645) within the GWAS locus of MTNR1B with FBG, 2h glucose, insulin resistance (HOMA IR), β-cell function (HOMA B), and T2D in our sample of Asian Sikhs from India. Our cohort comprised 2222 subjects [1201 T2D, 1021 controls]. None of these SNPs was associated with T2D in this cohort. Our data also could not confirm association of rs1387153 and rs10830963 with FBG phenotype. However, upon stratifying data according to body mass index (BMI) (low ≤ 25 kg/m(2) and high > 25 kg/m(2)) in normoglycemic subjects (n = 1021), the rs1374645 revealed a strong association with low FBG levels in low BMI group (β = -0.073, p = 0.002, Bonferroni p = 0.01) compared to the high BMI group (β = 0.015, p = 0.50). We also detected a strong evidence of interaction between rs1374645 and BMI with respect to FBG levels (p = 0.002). Our data provide new information about the significant impact of another MTNR1B variant on FBG levels that appears to be modulated by BMI. Future confirmation on independent datasets and functional studies will be required to define the role of this variant in fasting glucose variation. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bojesen, Stig E; Pooley, Karen A; Johnatty, Sharon E; Beesley, Jonathan; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Edwards, Stacey L; Pickett, Hilda A; Shen, Howard C; Smart, Chanel E; Hillman, Kristine M; Mai, Phuong L; Lawrenson, Kate; Stutz, Michael D; Lu, Yi; Karevan, Rod; Woods, Nicholas; Johnston, Rebecca L; French, Juliet D; Chen, Xiaoqing; Weischer, Maren; Nielsen, Sune F; Maranian, Melanie J; Ghoussaini, Maya; Ahmed, Shahana; Baynes, Caroline; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; McGuffog, Lesley; Barrowdale, Daniel; Lee, Andrew; Healey, Sue; Lush, Michael; Tessier, Daniel C; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Françis; Vergote, Ignace; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Despierre, Evelyn; Risch, Harvey A; González-Neira, Anna; Rossing, Mary Anne; Pita, Guillermo; Doherty, Jennifer A; Alvarez, Nuria; Larson, Melissa C; Fridley, Brooke L; Schoof, Nils; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Cicek, Mine S; Peto, Julian; Kalli, Kimberly R; Broeks, Annegien; Armasu, Sebastian M; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Braaf, Linde M; Winterhoff, Boris; Nevanlinna, Heli; Konecny, Gottfried E; Lambrechts, Diether; Rogmann, Lisa; Guénel, Pascal; Teoman, Attila; Milne, Roger L; Garcia, Joaquin J; Cox, Angela; Shridhar, Vijayalakshmi; Burwinkel, Barbara; Marme, Frederik; Hein, Rebecca; Sawyer, Elinor J; Haiman, Christopher A; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Andrulis, Irene L; Moysich, Kirsten B; Hopper, John L; Odunsi, Kunle; Lindblom, Annika; Giles, Graham G; Brenner, Hermann; Simard, Jacques; Lurie, Galina; Fasching, Peter A; Carney, Michael E; Radice, Paolo; Wilkens, Lynne R; Swerdlow, Anthony; Goodman, Marc T; Brauch, Hiltrud; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Hillemanns, Peter; Winqvist, Robert; Dürst, Matthias; Devilee, Peter; Runnebaum, Ingo; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Butzow, Ralf; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Dörk, Thilo; Pelttari, Liisa M; Zheng, Wei; Leminen, Arto; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Bunker, Clareann H; Kristensen, Vessela; Ness, Roberta B; Muir, Kenneth; Edwards, Robert; Meindl, Alfons; Heitz, Florian; Matsuo, Keitaro; du Bois, Andreas; Wu, Anna H; Harter, Philipp; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Schwaab, Ira; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Blot, William; Hosono, Satoyo; Kang, Daehee; Nakanishi, Toru; Hartman, Mikael; Yatabe, Yasushi; Hamann, Ute; Karlan, Beth Y; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger; Gaborieau, Valerie; Jensen, Allan; Eccles, Diana; Høgdall, Estrid; Shen, Chen-Yang; Brown, Judith; Woo, Yin Ling; Shah, Mitul; Azmi, Mat Adenan Noor; Luben, Robert; Omar, Siti Zawiah; Czene, Kamila; Vierkant, Robert A; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Flyger, Henrik; Vachon, Celine; Olson, Janet E; Wang, Xianshu; Levine, Douglas A; Rudolph, Anja; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Iversen, Edwin; Nickels, Stefan; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Silva, Isabel Dos Santos; Cramer, Daniel W; Gibson, Lorna; Terry, Kathryn L; Fletcher, Olivia; Vitonis, Allison F; van der Schoot, C Ellen; Poole, Elizabeth M; Hogervorst, Frans B L; Tworoger, Shelley S; Liu, Jianjun; Bandera, Elisa V; Li, Jingmei; Olson, Sara H; Humphreys, Keith; Orlow, Irene; Blomqvist, Carl; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Lorna; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Salvesen, Helga B; Muranen, Taru A; Wik, Elisabeth; Brouwers, Barbara; Krakstad, Camilla; Wauters, Els; Halle, Mari K; Wildiers, Hans; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Mulot, Claire; Aben, Katja K; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; Altena, Anne Mvan; Truong, Thérèse; Massuger, Leon F A G; Benitez, Javier; Pejovic, Tanja; Perez, Jose Ignacio Arias; Hoatlin, Maureen; Zamora, M Pilar; Cook, Linda S; Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P; Kelemen, Linda E; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Le, Nhu D; Sohn, Christof; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Tomlinson, Ian; Kerin, Michael J; Miller, Nicola; Cybulski, Cezary; Henderson, Brian E; Menkiszak, Janusz; Schumacher, Fredrick; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Le Marchand, Loic; Yang, Hannah P; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Glendon, Gord; Engelholm, Svend Aage; Knight, Julia A; Høgdall, Claus K; Apicella, Carmel; Gore, Martin; Tsimiklis, Helen; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C; Jager, Agnes; den Ouweland, Ans M Wvan; Brown, Robert; Martens, John W M; Flanagan, James M; Kriege, Mieke; Paul, James; Margolin, Sara; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Severi, Gianluca; Whittemore, Alice S; Baglietto, Laura; McGuire, Valerie; Stegmaier, Christa; Sieh, Weiva; Müller, Heiko; Arndt, Volker; Labrèche, France; Gao, Yu-Tang; Goldberg, Mark S; Yang, Gong; Dumont, Martine; McLaughlin, John R; Hartmann, Arndt; Ekici, Arif B; Beckmann, Matthias W; Phelan, Catherine M; Lux, Michael P; Permuth-Wey, Jenny; Peissel, Bernard; Sellers, Thomas A; Ficarazzi, Filomena; Barile, Monica; Ziogas, Argyrios; Ashworth, Alan; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Jones, Michael; Ramus, Susan J; Orr, Nick; Menon, Usha; Pearce, Celeste L; Brüning, Thomas; Pike, Malcolm C; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Lissowska, Jolanta; Figueroa, Jonine; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Chanock, Stephen J; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Rzepecka, Iwona K; Pylkäs, Katri; Bidzinski, Mariusz; Kauppila, Saila; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Seynaeve, Caroline; Tollenaar, Rob A E M; Durda, Katarzyna; Jaworska, Katarzyna; Hartikainen, Jaana M; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kataja, Vesa; Antonenkova, Natalia N; Long, Jirong; Shrubsole, Martha; Deming-Halverson, Sandra; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Siriwanarangsan, Pornthep; Stewart-Brown, Sarah; Ditsch, Nina; Lichtner, Peter; Schmutzler, Rita K; Ito, Hidemi; Iwata, Hiroji; Tajima, Kazuo; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; Stram, Daniel O; van den Berg, David; Yip, Cheng Har; Ikram, M Kamran; Teh, Yew-Ching; Cai, Hui; Lu, Wei; Signorello, Lisa B; Cai, Qiuyin; Noh, Dong-Young; Yoo, Keun-Young; Miao, Hui; Iau, Philip Tsau-Choong; Teo, Yik Ying; McKay, James; Shapiro, Charles; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Fountzilas, George; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Hou, Ming-Feng; Healey, Catherine S; Luccarini, Craig; Peock, Susan; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; Peterlongo, Paolo; Rebbeck, Timothy R; Piedmonte, Marion; Singer, Christian F; Friedman, Eitan; Thomassen, Mads; Offit, Kenneth; Hansen, Thomas V O; Neuhausen, Susan L; Szabo, Csilla I; Blanco, Ignacio; Garber, Judy; Narod, Steven A; Weitzel, Jeffrey N; Montagna, Marco; Olah, Edith; Godwin, Andrew K; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Goldgar, David E; Caldes, Trinidad; Imyanitov, Evgeny N; Tihomirova, Laima; Arun, Banu K; Campbell, Ian; Mensenkamp, Arjen R; van Asperen, Christi J; van Roozendaal, Kees E P; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Collée, J Margriet; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Hooning, Maartje J; Rookus, Matti A; van der Luijt, Rob B; Os, Theo A Mvan; Evans, D Gareth; Frost, Debra; Fineberg, Elena; Barwell, Julian; Walker, Lisa; Kennedy, M John; Platte, Radka; Davidson, Rosemarie; Ellis, Steve D; Cole, Trevor; Bressac-de Paillerets, Brigitte; Buecher, Bruno; Damiola, Francesca; Faivre, Laurence; Frenay, Marc; Sinilnikova, Olga M; Caron, Olivier; Giraud, Sophie; Mazoyer, Sylvie; Bonadona, Valérie; Caux-Moncoutier, Virginie; Toloczko-Grabarek, Aleksandra; Gronwald, Jacek; Byrski, Tomasz; Spurdle, Amanda B; Bonanni, Bernardo; Zaffaroni, Daniela; Giannini, Giuseppe; Bernard, Loris; Dolcetti, Riccardo; Manoukian, Siranoush; Arnold, Norbert; Engel, Christoph; Deissler, Helmut; Rhiem, Kerstin; Niederacher, Dieter; Plendl, Hansjoerg; Sutter, Christian; Wappenschmidt, Barbara; Borg, Ake; Melin, Beatrice; Rantala, Johanna; Soller, Maria; Nathanson, Katherine L; Domchek, Susan M; Rodriguez, Gustavo C; Salani, Ritu; Kaulich, Daphne Gschwantler; Tea, Muy-Kheng; Paluch, Shani Shimon; Laitman, Yael; Skytte, Anne-Bine; Kruse, Torben A; Jensen, Uffe Birk; Robson, Mark; Gerdes, Anne-Marie; Ejlertsen, Bent; Foretova, Lenka; Savage, Sharon A; Lester, Jenny; Soucy, Penny; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B; Olswold, Curtis; Cunningham, Julie M; Slager, Susan; Pankratz, Vernon S; Dicks, Ed; Lakhani, Sunil R; Couch, Fergus J; Hall, Per; Monteiro, Alvaro N A; Gayther, Simon A; Pharoah, Paul D P; Reddel, Roger R; Goode, Ellen L; Greene, Mark H; Easton, Douglas F; Berchuck, Andrew; Antoniou, Antonis C; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M

    2013-04-01

    TERT-locus SNPs and leukocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the Illumina custom genotyping array iCOGs, we analyzed ∼480 SNPs at the TERT locus in breast (n = 103,991), ovarian (n = 39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (n = 11,705) cancer cases and controls. Leukocyte telomere measurements were also available for 53,724 participants. Most associations cluster into three independent peaks. The minor allele at the peak 1 SNP rs2736108 associates with longer telomeres (P = 5.8 × 10(-7)), lower risks for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (P = 1.0 × 10(-8)) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)) breast cancers and altered promoter assay signal. The minor allele at the peak 2 SNP rs7705526 associates with longer telomeres (P = 2.3 × 10(-14)), higher risk of low-malignant-potential ovarian cancer (P = 1.3 × 10(-15)) and greater promoter activity. The minor alleles at the peak 3 SNPs rs10069690 and rs2242652 increase ER-negative (P = 1.2 × 10(-12)) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P = 1.6 × 10(-14)) breast and invasive ovarian (P = 1.3 × 10(-11)) cancer risks but not via altered telomere length. The cancer risk alleles of rs2242652 and rs10069690, respectively, increase silencing and generate a truncated TERT splice variant.

  7. Integrating functional data to prioritize causal variants in statistical fine-mapping studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gleb Kichaev

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Standard statistical approaches for prioritization of variants for functional testing in fine-mapping studies either use marginal association statistics or estimate posterior probabilities for variants to be causal under simplifying assumptions. Here, we present a probabilistic framework that integrates association strength with functional genomic annotation data to improve accuracy in selecting plausible causal variants for functional validation. A key feature of our approach is that it empirically estimates the contribution of each functional annotation to the trait of interest directly from summary association statistics while allowing for multiple causal variants at any risk locus. We devise efficient algorithms that estimate the parameters of our model across all risk loci to further increase performance. Using simulations starting from the 1000 Genomes data, we find that our framework consistently outperforms the current state-of-the-art fine-mapping methods, reducing the number of variants that need to be selected to capture 90% of the causal variants from an average of 13.3 to 10.4 SNPs per locus (as compared to the next-best performing strategy. Furthermore, we introduce a cost-to-benefit optimization framework for determining the number of variants to be followed up in functional assays and assess its performance using real and simulation data. We validate our findings using a large scale meta-analysis of four blood lipids traits and find that the relative probability for causality is increased for variants in exons and transcription start sites and decreased in repressed genomic regions at the risk loci of these traits. Using these highly predictive, trait-specific functional annotations, we estimate causality probabilities across all traits and variants, reducing the size of the 90% confidence set from an average of 17.5 to 13.5 variants per locus in this data.

  8. Immunochip analyses identify a novel risk locus for primary biliary cirrhosis at 13q14, multiple independent associations at four established risk loci and epistasis between 1p31 and 7q32 risk variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juran, Brian D.; Hirschfield, Gideon M.; Invernizzi, Pietro; Atkinson, Elizabeth J.; Li, Yafang; Xie, Gang; Kosoy, Roman; Ransom, Michael; Sun, Ye; Bianchi, Ilaria; Schlicht, Erik M.; Lleo, Ana; Coltescu, Catalina; Bernuzzi, Francesca; Podda, Mauro; Lammert, Craig; Shigeta, Russell; Chan, Landon L.; Balschun, Tobias; Marconi, Maurizio; Cusi, Daniele; Heathcote, E. Jenny; Mason, Andrew L.; Myers, Robert P.; Milkiewicz, Piotr; Odin, Joseph A.; Luketic, Velimir A.; Bacon, Bruce R.; Bodenheimer, Henry C.; Liakina, Valentina; Vincent, Catherine; Levy, Cynthia; Franke, Andre; Gregersen, Peter K.; Bossa, Fabrizio; Gershwin, M. Eric; deAndrade, Mariza; Amos, Christopher I.; Lazaridis, Konstantinos N.; Seldin, Michael F.; Siminovitch, Katherine A.

    2012-01-01

    To further characterize the genetic basis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), we genotyped 2426 PBC patients and 5731 unaffected controls from three independent cohorts using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (Immunochip) enriched for autoimmune disease risk loci. Meta-analysis of the genotype data sets identified a novel disease-associated locus near the TNFSF11 gene at 13q14, provided evidence for association at six additional immune-related loci not previously implicated in PBC and confirmed associations at 19 of 22 established risk loci. Results of conditional analyses also provided evidence for multiple independent association signals at four risk loci, with haplotype analyses suggesting independent SNP effects at the 2q32 and 16p13 loci, but complex haplotype driven effects at the 3q25 and 6p21 loci. By imputing classical HLA alleles from this data set, four class II alleles independently contributing to the association signal from this region were identified. Imputation of genotypes at the non-HLA loci also provided additional associations, but none with stronger effects than the genotyped variants. An epistatic interaction between the IL12RB2 risk locus at 1p31and the IRF5 risk locus at 7q32 was also identified and suggests a complementary effect of these loci in predisposing to disease. These data expand the repertoire of genes with potential roles in PBC pathogenesis that need to be explored by follow-up biological studies. PMID:22936693

  9. Inferring Demographic History Using Two-Locus Statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragsdale, Aaron P; Gutenkunst, Ryan N

    2017-06-01

    Population demographic history may be learned from contemporary genetic variation data. Methods based on aggregating the statistics of many single loci into an allele frequency spectrum (AFS) have proven powerful, but such methods ignore potentially informative patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between neighboring loci. To leverage such patterns, we developed a composite-likelihood framework for inferring demographic history from aggregated statistics of pairs of loci. Using this framework, we show that two-locus statistics are more sensitive to demographic history than single-locus statistics such as the AFS. In particular, two-locus statistics escape the notorious confounding of depth and duration of a bottleneck, and they provide a means to estimate effective population size based on the recombination rather than mutation rate. We applied our approach to a Zambian population of Drosophila melanogaster Notably, using both single- and two-locus statistics, we inferred a substantially lower ancestral effective population size than previous works and did not infer a bottleneck history. Together, our results demonstrate the broad potential for two-locus statistics to enable powerful population genetic inference. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  10. Development of a Single Locus Sequence Typing (SLST) Scheme for Typing Bacterial Species Directly from Complex Communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholz, Christian F P; Jensen, Anders

    2017-01-01

    The protocol describes a computational method to develop a Single Locus Sequence Typing (SLST) scheme for typing bacterial species. The resulting scheme can be used to type bacterial isolates as well as bacterial species directly from complex communities using next-generation sequencing technologies.

  11. [The phonological variant of primary progressive aphasia, a single case study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diesfeldt, H F A

    2011-04-01

    Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by an insidious onset and gradual progression of deficits that can involve any aspect of language, including word finding, object naming, fluency, syntax, phonology and word comprehension. The initial symptoms occur in the absence of major deficits in other cognitive domains, including episodic memory, visuospatial abilities and visuoconstruction. According to recent diagnostic guidelines, PPA is typically divided into three variants: nonfluent variant PPA (also termed progressive nonfluent aphasia), semantic variant PPA (also termed semantic dementia) and logopenic/phonological variant PPA (also termed logopenic progressive aphasia). The paper describes a 79-yr old man, who presented with normal motor speech and production rate, impaired single word retrieval and phonemic errors in spontaneous speech and confrontational naming. Confrontation naming was strongly affected by lexical frequency. He was impaired on repetition of sentences and phrases. Reading was intact for regularly spelled words but not for irregular words (surface dyslexia). Comprehension was spared at the single word level, but impaired for complex sentences. He performed within the normal range on the Dutch equivalent of the Pyramids and Palm Trees (PPT) Pictures Test, indicating that semantic processing was preserved. There was, however, a slight deficiency on the PPT Words Test, which appeals to semantic knowledge of verbal associations. His core deficit was interpreted as an inability to retrieve stored lexical-phonological information for spoken word production in spontaneous speech, confrontation naming, repetition and reading aloud.

  12. 40 CFR 798.5195 - Mouse biochemical specific locus test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...-induced variants are bred to determine the genetic nature of the change. (f) Data and reports—(1... SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (CONTINUED) HEALTH EFFECTS TESTING GUIDELINES Genetic Toxicity § 798.5195 Mouse...) A biochemical specific locus mutation is a genetic change resulting from a DNA lesion causing...

  13. Genotype-Phenotype Associations of the CD-Associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphism within the Gene Locus Encoding Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-Receptor Type 22 in Patients of the Swiss IBD Cohort.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marianne R Spalinger

    Full Text Available Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22 plays an important role in immune cell function and intestinal homeostasis. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs2476601 within the PTPN22 gene locus results in aberrant function of PTPN22 protein and protects from Crohn's disease (CD. Here, we investigated associations of PTPN22 SNP rs2476601 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD patients in the Swiss IBD Cohort Study (SIBDCS.2'028 SIBDCS patients (1173 CD and 855 ulcerative colitis (UC patients were included. The clinical characteristics were analysed for an association with the presence of the PTPN22 SNP rs2476601 genotypes 'homozygous variant' (AA, 'heterozygous' (GA and 'homozygous wild-type' (GG.13 patients (0.6% were homozygous variant (AA for the PTPN22 polymorphism, 269 (13.3% heterozygous variant (GA and 1'746 (86.1% homozygous wild-type (GG. In CD, AA and GA genotypes were associated with less use of steroids and antibiotics, and reduced prevalence of vitamin D and calcium deficiency. In UC the AA and GA genotype was associated with increased use of azathioprine and anti-TNF antibodies, but significantly less patients with the PTPN22 variant featured malabsorption syndrome (p = 0.026.Our study for the first time addressed how presence of SNP rs2476601 within the PTPN22 gene affects clinical characteristics in IBD-patients. Several factors that correlate with more severe disease were found to be less common in CD patients carrying the A-allele, pointing towards a protective role for this variant in affected CD patients. In UC patients however, we found the opposite trend, suggesting a disease-promoting effect of the A-allele.

  14. FTO variants are associated with obesity in the Chinese and Malay populations in Singapore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Jonathan T; Dorajoo, Rajkumar; Seielstad, Mark; Sim, Xue Ling; Ong, Rick Twee-Hee; Chia, Kee Seng; Wong, Tien Yin; Saw, Seang Mei; Chew, Suok Kai; Aung, Tin; Tai, E-Shyong

    2008-10-01

    Association between genetic variants at the FTO locus and obesity has been consistently observed in populations of European ancestry and inconsistently in non-Europeans. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of FTO variants on obesity and type 2 diabetes in Southeast Asian populations. We examined associations between nine previously reported FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related traits in 4,298 participants (2,919 Chinese, 785 Malays, and 594 Asian Indians) from the 1998 Singapore National Health Survey (NHS98) and 2,996 Malays from the Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES). All nine SNPs exhibited strong linkage disequilibrium (r(2) = 0.6-0.99), and minor alleles were associated with obesity in the same direction as previous studies with effect sizes ranging from 0.42 to 0.68 kg/m(2) (P Chinese, 0.65 to 0.91 kg/m(2) (P Malays, and 0.52 to 0.64 kg/m(2) (P Malays after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise. The variants were also associated with type 2 diabetes, though not after adjustment for BMI (with the exception of the SiMES Malays: odds ratio 1.17-1.22; P Chinese and Malays in Singapore. Our data do not support the hypothesis that differences in allele frequency or genetic architecture underlie the lack of association observed in some populations of Asian ancestry. Examination of gene-environment interactions involving variants at this locus may provide further insights into the role of FTO in the pathogenesis of human obesity and diabetes.

  15. Sex-specific effects of naturally occurring variants in the dopamine receptor D2 locus on insulin secretion and Type 2 diabetes susceptibility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guigas, B.; Leeuw van Weenen, J.E. de; van Leeuwen, N.; Simonis-Bik, A.M.; Haeften, T.W. van; Nijpels, G.; Houwing-Duistermaat, J.J.; Beekman, M.; Deelen, J.; Havekes, L.M.; Penninx, B.W.J.H.; Vogelzangs, N.; Riet, E. van 't; Dehghan, A.; Hofman, A.; Witteman, J.C.; Uitterlinden, A.G.; Grarup, N.; Jørgensen, T.; Witte, D.R.; Lauritzen, T.; Hansen, T.; Pedersen, O.; Hottenga, J.; Romijn, J.A.; Diamant, M.; Kramer, M.H.H.; Heine, R.J.; Willemsen, G.; Dekker, J.M.; Eekhoff, E.M.; Pijl, H.; Geus, E.J. de; Slagboom, P.E.; Hart, L.M. 't

    2014-01-01

    Aims: Modulation of dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) activity affects insulin secretion in both rodents and isolated pancreatic β-cells. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the DRD2/ANKK1 locus may affect susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes in humans. Methods: Four potentially

  16. Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Laramie; Yilmaz, Zeynep; Gaspar, Helena; Walters, Raymond; Goldstein, Jackie; Anttila, Verneri; Bulik-Sullivan, Brendan; Ripke, Stephan; Thornton, Laura; Hinney, Anke; Daly, Mark; Sullivan, Patrick F; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Breen, Gerome; Bulik, Cynthia M

    2017-09-01

    The authors conducted a genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa and calculated genetic correlations with a series of psychiatric, educational, and metabolic phenotypes. Following uniform quality control and imputation procedures using the 1000 Genomes Project (phase 3) in 12 case-control cohorts comprising 3,495 anorexia nervosa cases and 10,982 controls, the authors performed standard association analysis followed by a meta-analysis across cohorts. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to calculate genome-wide common variant heritability (single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP]-based heritability [h 2 SNP ]), partitioned heritability, and genetic correlations (r g ) between anorexia nervosa and 159 other phenotypes. Results were obtained for 10,641,224 SNPs and insertion-deletion variants with minor allele frequencies >1% and imputation quality scores >0.6. The h 2 SNP of anorexia nervosa was 0.20 (SE=0.02), suggesting that a substantial fraction of the twin-based heritability arises from common genetic variation. The authors identified one genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 12 (rs4622308) in a region harboring a previously reported type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorder locus. Significant positive genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia, neuroticism, educational attainment, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and significant negative genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and body mass index, insulin, glucose, and lipid phenotypes. Anorexia nervosa is a complex heritable phenotype for which this study has uncovered the first genome-wide significant locus. Anorexia nervosa also has large and significant genetic correlations with both psychiatric phenotypes and metabolic traits. The study results encourage a reconceptualization of this frequently lethal disorder as one with both psychiatric and metabolic etiology.

  17. Illustrating, Quantifying, and Correcting for Bias in Post-hoc Analysis of Gene-Based Rare Variant Tests of Association

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grinde, Kelsey E.; Arbet, Jaron; Green, Alden; O'Connell, Michael; Valcarcel, Alessandra; Westra, Jason; Tintle, Nathan

    2017-01-01

    To date, gene-based rare variant testing approaches have focused on aggregating information across sets of variants to maximize statistical power in identifying genes showing significant association with diseases. Beyond identifying genes that are associated with diseases, the identification of causal variant(s) in those genes and estimation of their effect is crucial for planning replication studies and characterizing the genetic architecture of the locus. However, we illustrate that straightforward single-marker association statistics can suffer from substantial bias introduced by conditioning on gene-based test significance, due to the phenomenon often referred to as “winner's curse.” We illustrate the ramifications of this bias on variant effect size estimation and variant prioritization/ranking approaches, outline parameters of genetic architecture that affect this bias, and propose a bootstrap resampling method to correct for this bias. We find that our correction method significantly reduces the bias due to winner's curse (average two-fold decrease in bias, p bias and improve inference in post-hoc analysis of gene-based tests under a wide variety of genetic architectures. PMID:28959274

  18. Protein variants in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: tales of two cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neel, J V; Satoh, C; Smouse, P; Asakawa, J; Takahashi, N; Goriki, K; Fujita, M; Kageoka, T; Hazama, R

    1988-12-01

    The results of 1,465,423 allele product determinations based on blood samples from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, involving 30 different proteins representing 32 different gene products, are analyzed in a variety of ways, with the following conclusions: (1) Sibships and their parents are included in the sample. Our analysis reveals that statistical procedures designed to reduce the sample to equivalent independent genomes do not in population comparisons compensate for the familial cluster effect of rare variants. Accordingly, the data set was reduced to one representative of each sibship (937,427 allele products). (2) Both chi 2-type contrasts and a genetic distance measure (delta) reveal that rare variants (P less than .01) are collectively as effective as polymorphisms in establishing genetic differences between the two cities. (3) We suggest that rare variants that individually exhibit significant intercity differences are probably the legacy of tribal private polymorphisms that occurred during prehistoric times. (4) Despite the great differences in the known histories of the two cities, both the overall frequency of rare variants and the number of different rare variants are essentially identical in the two cities. (5) The well-known differences in locus variability are confirmed, now after adjustment for sample size differences for the various locus products; in this large series we failed to detect variants at only three of 29 loci for which sample size exceeded 23,000. (6) The number of alleles identified per locus correlates positively with subunit molecular weight. (7) Loci supporting genetic polymorphisms are characterized by more rare variants than are loci at which polymorphisms were not encountered. (8) Loci whose products do not appear to be essential for health support more variants than do loci the absence of whose product is detrimental to health. (9) There is a striking excess of rare variants over the expectation under the neutral mutation

  19. The MHC locus and genetic susceptibility to autoimmune and infectious diseases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Matzaraki, Vasiliki; Kumar, Vinod; Wijmenga, Cisca; Zhernakova, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    In the past 50 years, variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus, also known as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), have been reported as major risk factors for complex diseases. Recent advances, including large genetic screens, imputation, and analyses of non-additive and epistatic

  20. Single-Locus versus Multilocus Patterns of Local Adaptation to Climate in Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus, Pinaceae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Om P Rajora

    Full Text Available Natural plant populations are often adapted to their local climate and environmental conditions, and populations of forest trees offer some of the best examples of this pattern. However, little empirical work has focused on the relative contribution of single-locus versus multilocus effects to the genetic architecture of local adaptation in plants/forest trees. Here, we employ eastern white pine (Pinus strobus to test the hypothesis that it is the inter-genic effects that primarily drive climate-induced local adaptation. The genetic structure of 29 range-wide natural populations of eastern white pine was determined in relation to local climatic factors using both a reference set of SSR markers, and SNPs located in candidate genes putatively involved in adaptive response to climate. Comparisons were made between marker sets using standard single-locus outlier analysis, single-locus and multilocus environment association analyses and a novel implementation of Population Graphs. Magnitudes of population structure were similar between the two marker sets. Outlier loci consistent with diversifying selection were rare for both SNPs and SSRs. However, genetic distances based on the multilocus among population covariances (cGD were significantly more correlated to climate, even after correcting for spatial effects, for SNPs as compared to SSRs. Coalescent simulations confirmed that the differences in mutation rates between SSRs and SNPs did not affect the topologies of the Population Graphs, and hence values of cGD and their correlations with associated climate variables. We conclude that the multilocus covariances among populations primarily reflect adaptation to local climate and environment in eastern white pine. This result highlights the complexity of the genetic architecture of adaptive traits, as well as the need to consider multilocus effects in studies of local adaptation.

  1. Factor 11 single-nucleotide variants in women with heavy menstrual bleeding

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiewel-Verschueren, Sophie; Mulder, Andre B.; Meijer, Karina; Mulder, Rene

    2017-01-01

    In a previous study it was shown that lower factor XI (FXI) levels in women with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Our aim was to determine the single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the F11 gene in women with HMB. In addition, an extensive literature search was performed to determine the clinical

  2. Genome-wide association study identifies novel locus for neuroticism and shows polygenic association with Major Depressive Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Moor, Marleen H.M.; van den Berg, Stéphanie M.; Verweij, Karin J.H.; Krueger, Robert F.; Luciano, Michelle; Vasquez, Alejandro Arias; Matteson, Lindsay K.; Derringer, Jaime; Esko, Tõnu; Amin, Najaf; Gordon, Scott D.; Hansell, Narelle K.; Hart, Amy B.; Seppälä, Ilkka; Huffman, Jennifer E.; Konte, Bettina; Lahti, Jari; Lee, Minyoung; Miller, Mike; Nutile, Teresa; Tanaka, Toshiko; Teumer, Alexander; Viktorin, Alexander; Wedenoja, Juho; Abecasis, Goncalo R.; Adkins, Daniel E.; Agrawal, Arpana; Allik, Jüri; Appel, Katja; Bigdeli, Timothy B.; Busonero, Fabio; Campbell, Harry; Costa, Paul T.; Smith, George Davey; Davies, Gail; de Wit, Harriet; Ding, Jun; Engelhardt, Barbara E.; Eriksson, Johan G.; Fedko, Iryna O.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Franke, Barbara; Giegling, Ina; Grucza, Richard; Hartmann, Annette M.; Heath, Andrew C.; Heinonen, Kati; Henders, Anjali K.; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Janzing, Joost; Jokela, Markus; Karlsson, Robert; Kemp, John P.; Kirkpatrick, Matthew G.; Latvala, Antti; Lehtimäki, Terho; Liewald, David C.; Madden, Pamela A.F.; Magri, Chiara; Magnusson, Patrik K.E.; Marten, Jonathan; Maschio, Andrea; Medland, Sarah E.; Mihailov, Evelin; Milaneschi, Yuri; Montgomery, Grant W.; Nauck, Matthias; Ouwens, Klaasjan G.; Palotie, Aarno; Pettersson, Erik; Polasek, Ozren; Qian, Yong; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Raitakari, Olli T.; Realo, Anu; Rose, Richard J.; Ruggiero, Daniela; Schmidt, Carsten O.; Slutske, Wendy S.; Sorice, Rossella; Starr, John M.; Pourcain, Beate St; Sutin, Angelina R.; Timpson, Nicholas J.; Trochet, Holly; Vermeulen, Sita; Vuoksimaa, Eero; Widen, Elisabeth; Wouda, Jasper; Wright, Margaret J.; Zgaga, Lina; Scotland, Generation; Porteous, David; Minelli, Alessandra; Palmer, Abraham A.; Rujescu, Dan; Ciullo, Marina; Hayward, Caroline; Rudan, Igor; Metspalu, Andres; Kaprio, Jaakko; Deary, Ian J.; Räikkönen, Katri; Wilson, James F.; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Bierut, Laura J.; Hettema, John M.; Grabe, Hans J.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Evans, David M.; Schlessinger, David; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Terracciano, Antonio; McGue, Matt; Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Boomsma, Dorret I.

    2015-01-01

    Importance Neuroticism is a personality trait that is briefly defined by emotional instability. It is a robust genetic risk factor for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Hence, neuroticism is an important phenotype for psychiatric genetics. The Genetics of Personality Consortium (GPC) has created a resource for genome-wide association analyses of personality traits in over 63,000 participants (including MDD cases). Objective To identify genetic variants associated with neuroticism by performing a meta-analysis of genome-wide association (GWA) results based on 1000Genomes imputation, to evaluate if common genetic variants as assessed by Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) explain variation in neuroticism by estimating SNP-based heritability, and to examine whether SNPs that predict neuroticism also predict MDD. Setting 30 cohorts with genome-wide genotype, personality and MDD data from the GPC. Participants The study included 63,661 participants from 29 discovery cohorts and 9,786 participants from a replication cohort. Participants came from Europe, the United States or Australia. Main outcome measure(s) Neuroticism scores harmonized across all cohorts by Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis, and clinically assessed MDD case-control status. Results A genome-wide significant SNP was found in the MAGI1 gene (rs35855737; P=9.26 × 10−9 in the discovery meta-analysis, and P=2.38 × 10−8 in the meta-analysis of all 30 cohorts). Common genetic variants explain 15% of the variance in neuroticism. Polygenic scores based on the meta-analysis of neuroticism in 27 of the discovery cohorts significantly predicted neuroticism in 2 independent cohorts. Importantly, polygenic scores also predicted MDD in these cohorts. Conclusions and relevance This study identifies a novel locus for neuroticism. The variant is located in a known gene that has been associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in previous studies. In addition, the study

  3. Identification and Functional Characterization of G6PC2 Coding Variants Influencing Glycemic Traits Define an Effector Transcript at the G6PC2-ABCB11 Locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahajan, Anubha; Sim, Xueling; Ng, Hui Jin

    2015-01-01

    . To test this, we analyzed exome-array data from up to 33,231 non-diabetic individuals of European ancestry. We found exome-wide significant (P... and functional effects was only possible when haplotype phase was considered. In contrast to earlier reports suggesting that, paradoxically, glucose-raising alleles at this locus are protective against type 2 diabetes (T2D), the p.Val219Leu G6PC2 variant displayed a modest but directionally consistent...

  4. A colorectal cancer susceptibility new variant at 4q26 in the Spanish population identified by genome-wide association analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis M Real

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Non-hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC is a complex disorder resulting from the combination of genetic and non-genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS are useful for identifying such genetic susceptibility factors. However, the single loci so far associated with CRC only represent a fraction of the genetic risk for CRC development in the general population. Therefore, many other genetic risk variants alone and in combination must still remain to be discovered. The aim of this work was to search for genetic risk factors for CRC, by performing single-locus and two-locus GWAS in the Spanish population. RESULTS: A total of 801 controls and 500 CRC cases were included in the discovery GWAS dataset. 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs from single-locus and 243 SNPs from two-locus association analyses were selected for replication in 423 additional CRC cases and 1382 controls. In the meta-analysis, one SNP, rs3987 at 4q26, reached GWAS significant p-value (p = 4.02×10(-8, and one SNP pair, rs1100508 CG and rs8111948 AA, showed a trend for two-locus association (p = 4.35×10(-11. Additionally, our GWAS confirmed the previously reported association with CRC of five SNPs located at 3q36.2 (rs10936599, 8q24 (rs10505477, 8q24.21(rs6983267, 11q13.4 (rs3824999 and 14q22.2 (rs4444235. CONCLUSIONS: Our GWAS for CRC patients from Spain confirmed some previously reported associations for CRC and yielded a novel candidate risk SNP, located at 4q26. Epistasis analyses also yielded several novel candidate susceptibility pairs that need to be validated in independent analyses.

  5. Single-variant and multi-variant trend tests for genetic association with next-generation sequencing that are robust to sequencing error.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Wonkuk; Londono, Douglas; Zhou, Lisheng; Xing, Jinchuan; Nato, Alejandro Q; Musolf, Anthony; Matise, Tara C; Finch, Stephen J; Gordon, Derek

    2012-01-01

    lower power than the corresponding single-variant simulation results, most probably due to our specification of multi-variant SNP correlation values. In conclusion, our LTTae,NGS addresses two key challenges with NGS disease studies; first, it allows for differential misclassification when computing the statistic; and second, it addresses the multiple-testing issue in that there is a multi-variant form of the statistic that has only one degree of freedom, and provides a single p value, no matter how many loci. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Whole-exome sequencing of individuals from an isolated population implicates rare risk variants in bipolar disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lescai, F; Als, T D; Li, Q

    2017-01-01

    Bipolar disorder affects about 1% of the world's population, and its estimated heritability is about 75%. Only few whole genome or whole-exome sequencing studies in bipolar disorder have been reported, and no rare coding variants have yet been robustly identified. The use of isolated populations...... PITPNM2 missense variant, which is located in a highly significant schizophrenia GWAS locus. Likewise, PIK3C2A identified in the gene-based analysis is located in a combined bipolar and schizophrenia GWAS locus. Our results show support both for existing findings in the literature, as well as for new...... risk genes, and identify rare variants that might provide additional information on the underlying biology of bipolar disorder....

  7. Regulatory mechanisms underlying atopic dermatitis: Functional characterization of the C11orf30/LRRC32 locus and analysis of genome-wide expression profiles in patients

    OpenAIRE

    Manz, Judith

    2018-01-01

    Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder with a strong genetic component. Genome-wide association studies have been successful in the identification of common single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with AD, but their functional relevance has not been investigated yet. This work presents a comprehensive functional characterization of common and infrequent variants at the AD-associated C11orf30/LRRC32 locus. Analyses of cutaneous gene expression profiles in AD patients ...

  8. Fine-scale mapping of the 4q24 locus identifies & pr two Independent loci associated with breast cancer risk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    X. Guo (Xingyi); J. Long (Jirong); C. Zeng (Chenjie); K. Michailidou (Kyriaki); M. Ghoussaini (Maya); M.K. Bolla (Manjeet); Q. Wang (Qing); R.L. Milne (Roger L.); X.-O. Shu (Xiao-Ou); Q. Cai (Qiuyin); J. Beesley (Jonathan); S. Kar (Siddhartha); I.L. Andrulis (Irene); H. Anton-Culver (Hoda); V. Arndt (Volker); M.W. Beckmann (Matthias); A. Beeghly-Fadiel (Alicia); J. Benítez (Javier); W.J. Blot (William); N.V. Bogdanova (Natalia); S.E. Bojesen (Stig); H. Brauch (Hiltrud); H. Brenner (Hermann); L.A. Brinton (Louise); A. Broekss (Annegien); T. Brüning (Thomas); B. Burwinkel (Barbara); H. Cai (Hui); S. Canisius (Sander); J. Chang-Claude (Jenny); J.-Y. Choi (J.); F.J. Couch (Fergus); A. Cox (Angela); S.S. Cross (Simon); K. Czene (Kamila); H. Darabi (Hatef); P. Devilee (Peter); A. Droit (Arnaud); T. Dörk (Thilo); P.A. Fasching (Peter); O. Fletcher (Olivia); H. Flyger (Henrik); F. Fostira (Florentia); V. Gaborieau (Valerie); M. García-Closas (Montserrat); G.G. Giles (Graham G.); M. Grip (Mervi); P. Guénel (Pascal); C.A. Haiman (Christopher A.); U. Hamann (Ute); J.M. Hartman (Joost); A. Hollestelle (Antoinette); J.L. Hopper (John L.); C.-N. Hsiung (Chia-Ni); H. Ito (Hidemi); A. Jakubowska (Anna); N. Johnson (Nichola); M. Kabisch (Maria); D. Kang (Daehee); S. Khan (Sofia); J.A. Knight (Julia); V-M. Kosma (Veli-Matti); D. Lambrechts (Diether); L. Le Marchand (Loic); J. Li (Jingmei); A. Lindblom (Annika); A. Lophatananon (Artitaya); J. Lubinski (Jan); A. Mannermaa (Arto); S. Manoukian (Siranoush); S. Margolin (Sara); F. Marme (Federick); K. Matsuo (Keitaro); C.A. McLean (Catriona Ann); A. Meindl (Alfons); K. Muir (Kenneth); S.L. Neuhausen (Susan); H. Nevanlinna (Heli); S. Nord (Silje); J.E. Olson (Janet); N. Orr (Nick); P. Peterlongo (Paolo); T.C. Putti (Thomas Choudary); A. Rudolph (Anja); S. Sangrajrang (Suleeporn); E.J. Sawyer (Elinor); M.K. Schmidt (Marjanka); R.K. Schmutzler (Rita); C-Y. Shen (Chen-Yang); J. Shi (Jiajun); M. Shrubsole (Martha); M.C. Southey (Melissa); A.J. Swerdlow (Anthony ); S.H. Teo (Soo Hwang); B. Thienpont (Bernard); A.E. Toland (Amanda); R.A.E.M. Tollenaar (Rob); I. Tomlinson (Ian); T. Truong (Thérèse); C.-C. Tseng (Chiu-chen); A.M.W. van den Ouweland (Ans); W. Wen (Wanqing); R. Winqvist (Robert); A. Wu (Anna); C.H. Yip (Cheng Har); M.P. Zamora (Pilar); Y. Zheng (Ying); P. Hall (Per); P.D.P. Pharoah (Paul); J. Simard (Jacques); G. Chenevix-Trench (Georgia); A.M. Dunning (Alison); D.F. Easton (Douglas F.); W. Zheng (Wei); R. Eeles (Rosalind); A.A. Al Olama (Ali Amin); Z. Kote-Jarai; S. Benlloch (Sara); A.C. Antoniou (Antonis C.); L. McGuffog (Lesley); K. Offit (Kenneth); A. Lee (Andrew); E. Dicks (Ed); C. Luccarini (Craig); D.C. Tessier (Daniel C.); F. Bacot (Francois); D. Vincent (Daniel); S. La Boissière (Sylvie); F. Robidoux (Frederic); S.F. Nielsen (Sune); J.M. Cunningham (Julie); S.A. Windebank (Sharon A.); C.A. Hilker (Christopher A.); J. Meyer (Jeffrey); M. Angelakos (Maggie); J. Maskiell (Judi); E.J. Rutgers (Emiel J.); S. Verhoef; F.B.L. Hogervorst (Frans); P. Boonyawongviroj (Prat); P. Siriwanarungsan (Pornthep); A. Schrauder (André); M. Rübner (Matthias); S. Oeser (Sonja); S. Landrith (Silke); E. Williams (Eileen); E. Ryder-Mills (Elaine); K. Sargus (Kara); N. McInerney (Niall); G. Colleran (Gabrielle); A. Rowan (Andrew); A. Jones (Angela); C. Sohn (Christof); A. Schneeweiß (Andeas); P. Bugert (Peter); N. Álvarez (Nuria); L. Bernstein (Leslie); J. Lacey (James); S. Wang (Sophia); H. Ma (Huiyan); Y. Lu (Yani); J. Clague De Hart (Jessica); D. Deapen (Dennis); R. Pinder (Rich); E. Lee (Eunjung); F.R. Schumacher (Fredrick); P. Horn-Ross (Pam); P. Reynolds (Peggy); D. Nelson (David); H. Park (Hannah); H. Ziegler (Hartwig); S. Wolf (Sonja); V. Hermann (Volker); W.-Y. Lo (Wing-Yee); C. Justenhoven (Christina); Y.-D. Ko (Yon-Dschun); C. Baisch (Christian); H.-P. Fischer (Hans-Peter); B. Pesch (Beate); S. Rabstein (Sylvia); A. Lotz (Anne); V. Harth (Volker); T. Heikkinen (Tuomas); I. Erkkilä (Irja); K. Aaltonen (Kirsimari); K. von Smitten (Karl); N.N. Antonenkova (Natalia); P. Hillemanns (Peter); H. Christiansen (Hans); E. Myöhänen (Eija); H. Kemiläinen (Helena); H. Thorne (Heather); E. Niedermayr (Eveline); D. Bowtell; G. Chenevix-Trench (Georgia); A. De Fazio (Anna); D. Gertig; A. Green; P. Webb (Penny); A. Green; P. Parsons; N. Hayward; P.M. Webb (P.); D. Whiteman; A. Fung (Annie); J. Yashiki (June); G. Peuteman (Gilian); D. Smeets (Dominiek); T. Van Brussel (Thomas); K. Corthouts (Kathleen); N. Obi (Nadia); J. Heinz (Judith); T.W. Behrens (Timothy); U. Eilber (Ursula); M. Celik (Muhabbet); T. Olchers (Til); B. Peissel (Bernard); G. Scuvera (Giulietta); D. Zaffaroni (Daniela); B. Bonnani (Bernardo); I. Feroce (Irene); A. Maniscalco (Angela); A. Rossi (Alessandra); L. Bernard (Loris); M. Tranchant (Martine); M.-F. Valois (Marie-France); A. Turgeon (Annie); L. Heguy (Lea); P.S. Yee (Phuah Sze); P. Kang (Peter); K.I. Nee (Kang In); S. Mariapun (Shivaani); Y. Sook-Yee (Yoon); D.S.C. Lee (Daphne S.C.); T.Y. Ching (Teh Yew); N.A.M. Taib (Nur Aishah Mohd); M. Otsukka (Meeri); K. Mononen (Kari); T. Selander (Teresa); N. Weerasooriya (Nayana); E.M.M. Krol-Warmerdam (Elly); J. Molenaar; J. Blom; N. Szeszenia-Dabrowska (Neonilia); B. Peplonska (Beata); W. Zatonski (Witold); P. Chao (Pei); M. Stagner (Michael); P. Bos (Petra); J. Blom (Jannet); E. Crepin (Ellen); A. Nieuwlaat (Anja); A. Heemskerk (Annette); S. Higham (Sue); H.E. Cramp (Helen); D. Connley (Daniel); S. Balasubramanian (Sabapathy); I.W. Brock (Ian); M. Kerin (Michael); N. Miller (Nicola); P. Kerbrat (Pierre); P. Arveux (Patrick); R. Le Scodan (Romuald); Y. Raoul (Yves); P. Laurent-Puig (Pierre); C. Mulot (Claire); C. Stegmaier (Christa); K. Butterbach (Katja); J.H. Karstens (Johann); D. Flesch-Janys (Dieter); P. Seibold (Petra); A. Vrieling (Alina); S. Nickels (Stefan); P. Radice (Paolo); K. Pykäs (Katri); A. Jukkola-Vuorinen (Arja); S. Kauppila (Saila); D. Conroy (Don); C. Baynes (Caroline); K. Chua (Kimberley); R. Pilarski (Robert)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractBackground: A recent association study identified a common variant (rs9790517) at 4q24 to be associated with breast cancer risk. Independent association signals and potential functional variants in this locus have not been explored. Methods: We conducted a fine-mapping analysis in 55,540

  9. Identification of Candidate Gene Variants in Korean MODY Families by Whole-Exome Sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Ye Jee; Kim, Jung Eun; Hwang, Su-Kyeong; Choi, Bong Seok; Choi, Byung Ho; Cho, Eun-Mi; Jang, Kyoung Mi; Ko, Cheol Woo

    2015-01-01

    To date, 13 genes causing maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) have been identified. However, there is a big discrepancy in the genetic locus between Asian and Caucasian patients with MODY. Thus, we conducted whole-exome sequencing in Korean MODY families to identify causative gene variants. Six MODY probands and their family members were included. Variants in the dbSNP135 and TIARA databases for Koreans and the variants with minor allele frequencies >0.5% of the 1000 Genomes database were excluded. We selected only the functional variants (gain of stop codon, frameshifts and nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants) and conducted a case-control comparison in the family members. The selected variants were scanned for the previously introduced gene set implicated in glucose metabolism. Three variants c.620C>T:p.Thr207Ile in PTPRD, c.559C>G:p.Gln187Glu in SYT9, and c.1526T>G:p.Val509Gly in WFS1 were respectively identified in 3 families. We could not find any disease-causative alleles of known MODY 1-13 genes. Based on the predictive program, Thr207Ile in PTPRD was considered pathogenic. Whole-exome sequencing is a valuable method for the genetic diagnosis of MODY. Further evaluation is necessary about the role of PTPRD, SYT9 and WFS1 in normal insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Hb F Levels in Indian Sickle Cell Patients and Association with the HBB Locus Variant rs10128556 (C>T), and the HBG XmnI (Arab-Indian) Variant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhanushali, Aparna A; Himani, Kumari; Patra, Pradeep K; Das, Bibhu R

    The prevalence of sickle cell disease in India is very high. Hb F is one of the most powerful modulators of disease severity in sickle cell disease patients. It was traditionally thought that the disease is milder in Indian sickle cell disease patients predominantly due to the Arab-Indian haplotype characterized by the HBG XmnI [rs7482144 (G>A)] variant, which is associated with increased Hb F levels. In the current study, we investigated the Hb F levels in individuals with the rs10128556 (C>T) variant and also determined its linkage with the HBG XmnI variant. The present study was conducted on a cohort of 275 individuals, which consisted of 221 patients with sickle cell disease and 54 patients with sickle cell trait. Analysis of hemoglobin (Hb) fractions and variants was done on the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. Genotyping for rs10128556 was done by direct sequencing of the products. Mean Hb F levels in the sickle cell disease patients was 19.36 ± 6.79. The genotypic frequencies for rs10128556 were 82.0% (TT), 16.7% (CT) and 1.3% (CC) for sickle cell disease patients. The minor C allele resulted in 52.0% decrease in Hb F levels when homozygous and 7.0% decrease when heterozygous. The rs10128556 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was in strong but not complete linkage with the HBG XmnI variant. In conclusion, the study determined for the first time the frequency and association of rs10128556 in Indian sickle cell disease patients with Hb F. It also established that it was not in complete linkage with the HBG XmnI variant in this high risk population.

  11. Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Young-Onset Stroke Identifies a Locus on Chromosome 10q25 Near HABP2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yu-Ching; Stanne, Tara M; Giese, Anne-Katrin; Ho, Weang Kee; Traylor, Matthew; Amouyel, Philippe; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Malik, Rainer; Xu, Huichun; Kittner, Steven J; Cole, John W; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Danesh, John; Rasheed, Asif; Zhao, Wei; Engelter, Stefan; Grond-Ginsbach, Caspar; Kamatani, Yoichiro; Lathrop, Mark; Leys, Didier; Thijs, Vincent; Metso, Tiina M; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Pezzini, Alessandro; Parati, Eugenio A; Norrving, Bo; Bevan, Steve; Rothwell, Peter M; Sudlow, Cathie; Slowik, Agnieszka; Lindgren, Arne; Walters, Matthew R; Jannes, Jim; Shen, Jess; Crosslin, David; Doheny, Kimberly; Laurie, Cathy C; Kanse, Sandip M; Bis, Joshua C; Fornage, Myriam; Mosley, Thomas H; Hopewell, Jemma C; Strauch, Konstantin; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Gieger, Christian; Waldenberger, Melanie; Peters, Annette; Meisinger, Christine; Ikram, M Arfan; Longstreth, W T; Meschia, James F; Seshadri, Sudha; Sharma, Pankaj; Worrall, Bradford; Jern, Christina; Levi, Christopher; Dichgans, Martin; Boncoraglio, Giorgio B; Markus, Hugh S; Debette, Stephanie; Rolfs, Arndt; Saleheen, Danish; Mitchell, Braxton D

    2016-02-01

    Although a genetic contribution to ischemic stroke is well recognized, only a handful of stroke loci have been identified by large-scale genetic association studies to date. Hypothesizing that genetic effects might be stronger for early- versus late-onset stroke, we conducted a 2-stage meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies, focusing on stroke cases with an age of onset genetic variants at loci with association Pstroke susceptibility locus at 10q25 reached genome-wide significance in the combined analysis of all samples from the discovery and follow-up stages (rs11196288; odds ratio =1.41; P=9.5×10(-9)). The associated locus is in an intergenic region between TCF7L2 and HABP2. In a further analysis in an independent sample, we found that 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms in high linkage disequilibrium with rs11196288 were significantly associated with total plasma factor VII-activating protease levels, a product of HABP2. HABP2, which encodes an extracellular serine protease involved in coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory pathways, may be a genetic susceptibility locus for early-onset stroke. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  12. Precise detection of de novo single nucleotide variants in human genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Romero, Laura; Palacios-Flores, Kim; Reyes, José; García, Delfino; Boege, Margareta; Dávila, Guillermo; Flores, Margarita; Schatz, Michael C; Palacios, Rafael

    2018-05-07

    The precise determination of de novo genetic variants has enormous implications across different fields of biology and medicine, particularly personalized medicine. Currently, de novo variations are identified by mapping sample reads from a parent-offspring trio to a reference genome, allowing for a certain degree of differences. While widely used, this approach often introduces false-positive (FP) results due to misaligned reads and mischaracterized sequencing errors. In a previous study, we developed an alternative approach to accurately identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs) using only perfect matches. However, this approach could be applied only to haploid regions of the genome and was computationally intensive. In this study, we present a unique approach, coverage-based single nucleotide variant identification (COBASI), which allows the exploration of the entire genome using second-generation short sequence reads without extensive computing requirements. COBASI identifies SNVs using changes in coverage of exactly matching unique substrings, and is particularly suited for pinpointing de novo SNVs. Unlike other approaches that require population frequencies across hundreds of samples to filter out any methodological biases, COBASI can be applied to detect de novo SNVs within isolated families. We demonstrate this capability through extensive simulation studies and by studying a parent-offspring trio we sequenced using short reads. Experimental validation of all 58 candidate de novo SNVs and a selection of non-de novo SNVs found in the trio confirmed zero FP calls. COBASI is available as open source at https://github.com/Laura-Gomez/COBASI for any researcher to use. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  13. A modifier of Huntington's disease onset at the MLH1 locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jong-Min; Chao, Michael J; Harold, Denise; Abu Elneel, Kawther; Gillis, Tammy; Holmans, Peter; Jones, Lesley; Orth, Michael; Myers, Richard H; Kwak, Seung; Wheeler, Vanessa C; MacDonald, Marcy E; Gusella, James F

    2017-10-01

    Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in HTT. Many clinical characteristics of HD such as age at motor onset are determined largely by the size of HTT CAG repeat. However, emerging evidence strongly supports a role for other genetic factors in modifying the disease pathogenesis driven by mutant huntingtin. A recent genome-wide association analysis to discover genetic modifiers of HD onset age provided initial evidence for modifier loci on chromosomes 8 and 15 and suggestive evidence for a locus on chromosome 3. Here, genotyping of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms in a cohort of 3,314 additional HD subjects yields independent confirmation of the former two loci and moves the third to genome-wide significance at MLH1, a locus whose mouse orthologue modifies CAG length-dependent phenotypes in a Htt-knock-in mouse model of HD. Both quantitative and dichotomous association analyses implicate a functional variant on ∼32% of chromosomes with the beneficial modifier effect that delays HD motor onset by 0.7 years/allele. Genomic DNA capture and sequencing of a modifier haplotype localize the functional variation to a 78 kb region spanning the 3'end of MLH1 and the 5'end of the neighboring LRRFIP2, and marked by an isoleucine-valine missense variant in MLH1. Analysis of expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs) provides modest support for altered regulation of MLH1 and LRRFIP2, raising the possibility that the modifier affects regulation of both genes. Finally, polygenic modification score and heritability analyses suggest the existence of additional genetic modifiers, supporting expanded, comprehensive genetic analysis of larger HD datasets. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. rDNA Copy Number Variants Are Frequent Passenger Mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Deletion Collections and de Novo Transformants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth X. Kwan

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomal DNA (rDNA locus is known to exhibit greater instability relative to the rest of the genome. However, wild-type cells preferentially maintain a stable number of rDNA copies, suggesting underlying genetic control of the size of this locus. We performed a screen of a subset of the Yeast Knock-Out (YKO single gene deletion collection to identify genetic regulators of this locus and to determine if rDNA copy number correlates with yeast replicative lifespan. While we found no correlation between replicative lifespan and rDNA size, we identified 64 candidate strains with significant rDNA copy number differences. However, in the process of validating candidate rDNA variants, we observed that independent isolates of our de novo gene deletion strains had unsolicited but significant changes in rDNA copy number. Moreover, we were not able to recapitulate rDNA phenotypes from the YKO yeast deletion collection. Instead, we found that the standard lithium acetate transformation protocol is a significant source of rDNA copy number variation, with lithium acetate exposure being the treatment causing variable rDNA copy number events after transformation. As the effects of variable rDNA copy number are being increasingly reported, our finding that rDNA is affected by lithium acetate exposure suggested that rDNA copy number variants may be influential passenger mutations in standard strain construction in S. cerevisiae.

  15. rDNA Copy Number Variants Are Frequent Passenger Mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Deletion Collections and de Novo Transformants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Elizabeth X; Wang, Xiaobin S; Amemiya, Haley M; Brewer, Bonita J; Raghuraman, M K

    2016-09-08

    The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus is known to exhibit greater instability relative to the rest of the genome. However, wild-type cells preferentially maintain a stable number of rDNA copies, suggesting underlying genetic control of the size of this locus. We performed a screen of a subset of the Yeast Knock-Out (YKO) single gene deletion collection to identify genetic regulators of this locus and to determine if rDNA copy number correlates with yeast replicative lifespan. While we found no correlation between replicative lifespan and rDNA size, we identified 64 candidate strains with significant rDNA copy number differences. However, in the process of validating candidate rDNA variants, we observed that independent isolates of our de novo gene deletion strains had unsolicited but significant changes in rDNA copy number. Moreover, we were not able to recapitulate rDNA phenotypes from the YKO yeast deletion collection. Instead, we found that the standard lithium acetate transformation protocol is a significant source of rDNA copy number variation, with lithium acetate exposure being the treatment causing variable rDNA copy number events after transformation. As the effects of variable rDNA copy number are being increasingly reported, our finding that rDNA is affected by lithium acetate exposure suggested that rDNA copy number variants may be influential passenger mutations in standard strain construction in S. cerevisiae. Copyright © 2016 Kwan et al.

  16. Locus-specific view of flax domestication history

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Yong-Bi; Diederichsen, Axel; Allaby, Robin G

    2012-01-01

    Crop domestication has been inferred genetically from neutral markers and increasingly from specific domestication-associated loci. However, some crops are utilized for multiple purposes that may or may not be reflected in a single domestication-associated locus. One such example is cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), the earliest oil and fiber crop, for which domestication history remains poorly understood. Oil composition of cultivated flax and pale flax (L. bienne Mill.) indicates that the sad2 locus is a candidate domestication locus associated with increased unsaturated fatty acid production in cultivated flax. A phylogenetic analysis of the sad2 locus in 43 pale and 70 cultivated flax accessions established a complex domestication history for flax that has not been observed previously. The analysis supports an early, independent domestication of a primitive flax lineage, in which the loss of seed dispersal through capsular indehiscence was not established, but increased oil content was likely occurred. A subsequent flax domestication process occurred that probably involved multiple domestications and includes lineages that contain oil, fiber, and winter varieties. In agreement with previous studies, oil rather than fiber varieties occupy basal phylogenetic positions. The data support multiple paths of flax domestication for oil-associated traits before selection of the other domestication-associated traits of seed dispersal loss and fiber production. The sad2 locus is less revealing about the origin of winter tolerance. In this case, a single domestication-associated locus is informative about the history of domesticated forms with the associated trait while partially informative on forms less associated with the trait. PMID:22408732

  17. Association of breast cancer risk with genetic variants showing differential allelic expression: Identification of a novel breast cancer susceptibility locus at 4q21

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adoue, Véronique; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Canisius, Sander; Lemaçon, Audrey; Droit, Arnaud; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Baynes, Caroline; Blomqvist, Carl; Bogdanova, Natalia V.; Bojesen, Stig E.; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Bonanni, Bernardo; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Brand, Judith S.; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Broeks, Annegien; Burwinkel, Barbara; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Couch, Fergus J.; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S.; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Dennis, Joe; Devilee, Peter; Dörk, Thilo; Dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Eriksson, Mikael; Fasching, Peter A.; Figueroa, Jonine; Flyger, Henrik; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G.; Goldberg, Mark S.; González-Neira, Anna; Grenaker-Alnæs, Grethe; Guénel, Pascal; Haeberle, Lothar; Haiman, Christopher A.; Hamann, Ute; Hallberg, Emily; Hooning, Maartje J.; Hopper, John L.; Jakubowska, Anna; Jones, Michael; Kabisch, Maria; Kataja, Vesa; Lambrechts, Diether; Marchand, Loic Le; Lindblom, Annika; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Maranian, Mel; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Milne, Roger L.; Neuhausen, Susan L.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Neven, Patrick; Olswold, Curtis; Peto, Julian; Plaseska-Karanfilska, Dijana; Pylkäs, Katri; Radice, Paolo; Rudolph, Anja; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Southey, Melissa C.; Swerdlow, Anthony; Tollenaar, Rob A.E.M.; Tomlinson, Ian; Torres, Diana; Truong, Thérèse; Vachon, Celine; Van Den Ouweland, Ans M. W.; Wang, Qin; Winqvist, Robert; Investigators, kConFab/AOCS; Zheng, Wei; Benitez, Javier; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M.; Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Kristensen, Vessela; Hall, Per; Easton, Douglas F.; Pastinen, Tomi; Nord, Silje; Simard, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    There are significant inter-individual differences in the levels of gene expression. Through modulation of gene expression, cis-acting variants represent an important source of phenotypic variation. Consequently, cis-regulatory SNPs associated with differential allelic expression are functional candidates for further investigation as disease-causing variants. To investigate whether common variants associated with differential allelic expression were involved in breast cancer susceptibility, a list of genes was established on the basis of their involvement in cancer related pathways and/or mechanisms. Thereafter, using data from a genome-wide map of allelic expression associated SNPs, 313 genetic variants were selected and their association with breast cancer risk was then evaluated in 46,451 breast cancer cases and 42,599 controls of European ancestry ascertained from 41 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. The associations were evaluated with overall breast cancer risk and with estrogen receptor negative and positive disease. One novel breast cancer susceptibility locus on 4q21 (rs11099601) was identified (OR = 1.05, P = 5.6x10-6). rs11099601 lies in a 135 kb linkage disequilibrium block containing several genes, including, HELQ, encoding the protein HEL308 a DNA dependant ATPase and DNA Helicase involved in DNA repair, MRPS18C encoding the Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein S18C and FAM175A (ABRAXAS), encoding a BRCA1 BRCT domain-interacting protein involved in DNA damage response and double-strand break (DSB) repair. Expression QTL analysis in breast cancer tissue showed rs11099601 to be associated with HELQ (P = 8.28x10-14), MRPS18C (P = 1.94x10-27) and FAM175A (P = 3.83x10-3), explaining about 20%, 14% and 1%, respectively of the variance inexpression of these genes in breast carcinomas. PMID:27792995

  18. Association of breast cancer risk with genetic variants showing differential allelic expression: Identification of a novel breast cancer susceptibility locus at 4q21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamdi, Yosr; Soucy, Penny; Adoue, Véronique; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Canisius, Sander; Lemaçon, Audrey; Droit, Arnaud; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Baynes, Caroline; Blomqvist, Carl; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Bojesen, Stig E; Bolla, Manjeet K; Bonanni, Bernardo; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Brand, Judith S; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Broeks, Annegien; Burwinkel, Barbara; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Dennis, Joe; Devilee, Peter; Dörk, Thilo; Dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Eriksson, Mikael; Fasching, Peter A; Figueroa, Jonine; Flyger, Henrik; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G; Goldberg, Mark S; González-Neira, Anna; Grenaker-Alnæs, Grethe; Guénel, Pascal; Haeberle, Lothar; Haiman, Christopher A; Hamann, Ute; Hallberg, Emily; Hooning, Maartje J; Hopper, John L; Jakubowska, Anna; Jones, Michael; Kabisch, Maria; Kataja, Vesa; Lambrechts, Diether; Le Marchand, Loic; Lindblom, Annika; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Maranian, Mel; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Milne, Roger L; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Neven, Patrick; Olswold, Curtis; Peto, Julian; Plaseska-Karanfilska, Dijana; Pylkäs, Katri; Radice, Paolo; Rudolph, Anja; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Southey, Melissa C; Swerdlow, Anthony; Tollenaar, Rob A E M; Tomlinson, Ian; Torres, Diana; Truong, Thérèse; Vachon, Celine; Van Den Ouweland, Ans M W; Wang, Qin; Winqvist, Robert; Zheng, Wei; Benitez, Javier; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M; Pharoah, Paul D P; Kristensen, Vessela; Hall, Per; Easton, Douglas F; Pastinen, Tomi; Nord, Silje; Simard, Jacques

    2016-12-06

    There are significant inter-individual differences in the levels of gene expression. Through modulation of gene expression, cis-acting variants represent an important source of phenotypic variation. Consequently, cis-regulatory SNPs associated with differential allelic expression are functional candidates for further investigation as disease-causing variants. To investigate whether common variants associated with differential allelic expression were involved in breast cancer susceptibility, a list of genes was established on the basis of their involvement in cancer related pathways and/or mechanisms. Thereafter, using data from a genome-wide map of allelic expression associated SNPs, 313 genetic variants were selected and their association with breast cancer risk was then evaluated in 46,451 breast cancer cases and 42,599 controls of European ancestry ascertained from 41 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. The associations were evaluated with overall breast cancer risk and with estrogen receptor negative and positive disease. One novel breast cancer susceptibility locus on 4q21 (rs11099601) was identified (OR = 1.05, P = 5.6x10-6). rs11099601 lies in a 135 kb linkage disequilibrium block containing several genes, including, HELQ, encoding the protein HEL308 a DNA dependant ATPase and DNA Helicase involved in DNA repair, MRPS18C encoding the Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein S18C and FAM175A (ABRAXAS), encoding a BRCA1 BRCT domain-interacting protein involved in DNA damage response and double-strand break (DSB) repair. Expression QTL analysis in breast cancer tissue showed rs11099601 to be associated with HELQ (P = 8.28x10-14), MRPS18C (P = 1.94x10-27) and FAM175A (P = 3.83x10-3), explaining about 20%, 14% and 1%, respectively of the variance inexpression of these genes in breast carcinomas.

  19. Fixation probability in a two-locus intersexual selection model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Guillermo; Lessard, Sabin

    2016-06-01

    We study a two-locus model of intersexual selection in a finite haploid population reproducing according to a discrete-time Moran model with a trait locus expressed in males and a preference locus expressed in females. We show that the probability of ultimate fixation of a single mutant allele for a male ornament introduced at random at the trait locus given any initial frequency state at the preference locus is increased by weak intersexual selection and recombination, weak or strong. Moreover, this probability exceeds the initial frequency of the mutant allele even in the case of a costly male ornament if intersexual selection is not too weak. On the other hand, the probability of ultimate fixation of a single mutant allele for a female preference towards a male ornament introduced at random at the preference locus is increased by weak intersexual selection and weak recombination if the female preference is not costly, and is strong enough in the case of a costly male ornament. The analysis relies on an extension of the ancestral recombination-selection graph for samples of haplotypes to take into account events of intersexual selection, while the symbolic calculation of the fixation probabilities is made possible in a reasonable time by an optimizing algorithm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. FTO genetic variants, dietary intake and body mass index

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qi, Qibin; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Downer, Mary K

    2014-01-01

    FTO is the strongest known genetic susceptibility locus for obesity. Experimental studies in animals suggest the potential roles of FTO in regulating food intake. The interactive relation among FTO variants, dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) is complex and results from previous often small...

  1. Multiple-locus variant-repeat assay (MLVA) is a useful tool for molecular epidemiologic analysis of Streptococcus agalactiae strains causing bovine mastitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtke, Andreas; Bruheim, Torkjel; Afset, Jan Egil; Bergh, Kåre

    2012-06-15

    Group B streptococci (GBS) were considered a major cause of mastitis in cattle until preventive measures succeeded in controlling the disease in the 1970s and 1980s. During the last 5-6 years an increasing number of cases have been observed in some Scandinavian countries. A total of 187 GBS isolates from mastitis cases were collected from 119 animals in 34 Norwegian farms in the period from April 2007 to November 2010. 133 (71%) of the isolates were from farms with automated milking systems. The strains underwent typing of capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and surface proteins, and were analyzed by multi-locus variable repeat assay (MLVA) to investigate the epidemiological relationship of strains within and between farms. The GBS strains were differentiated into 12 types by CPS and surface protein analysis, with CPS types V (54%) and IV (34%) predominating. MLVA was superior to CPS and protein typing for strain differentiation, resolving the 187 strains into 37 types. In 29 of 34 farms all GBS strains had identical MLVA profiles specific for each farm. However, in one farm represented with 48 isolates, four MLVA variants with differences in one repeat locus were observed during the almost 3-year long collection period. Similar variations were observed at four other farms. This might reflect the stability of repeat loci under in vivo conditions. Farms with automated milking systems were overrepresented in this material. In conclusion, the five-loci MLVA allowed rapid high-resolution genotyping of the bovine GBS strains within and between farms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Transmission of single and multiple viral variants in primary HIV-1 subtype C infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Novitsky

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available To address whether sequences of viral gag and env quasispecies collected during the early post-acute period can be utilized to determine multiplicity of transmitted HIV's, recently developed approaches for analysis of viral evolution in acute HIV-1 infection [1,2] were applied. Specifically, phylogenetic reconstruction, inter- and intra-patient distribution of maximum and mean genetic distances, analysis of Poisson fitness, shape of highlighter plots, recombination analysis, and estimation of time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA were utilized for resolving multiplicity of HIV-1 transmission in a set of viral quasispecies collected within 50 days post-seroconversion (p/s in 25 HIV-infected individuals with estimated time of seroconversion. The decision on multiplicity of HIV infection was made based on the model's fit with, or failure to explain, the observed extent of viral sequence heterogeneity. The initial analysis was based on phylogeny, inter-patient distribution of maximum and mean distances, and Poisson fitness, and was able to resolve multiplicity of HIV transmission in 20 of 25 (80% cases. Additional analysis involved distribution of individual viral distances, highlighter plots, recombination analysis, and estimation of tMRCA, and resolved 4 of the 5 remaining cases. Overall, transmission of a single viral variant was identified in 16 of 25 (64% cases, and transmission of multiple variants was evident in 8 of 25 (32% cases. In one case multiplicity of HIV-1 transmission could not be determined. In primary HIV-1 subtype C infection, samples collected within 50 days p/s and analyzed by a single-genome amplification/sequencing technique can provide reliable identification of transmission multiplicity in 24 of 25 (96% cases. Observed transmission frequency of a single viral variant and multiple viral variants were within the ranges of 64% to 68%, and 32% to 36%, respectively.

  3. Genetic variants associated with the root system architecture of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) under contrasting phosphate supply.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaohua; Chen, Yanling; Thomas, Catherine L; Ding, Guangda; Xu, Ping; Shi, Dexu; Grandke, Fabian; Jin, Kemo; Cai, Hongmei; Xu, Fangsen; Yi, Bin; Broadley, Martin R; Shi, Lei

    2017-08-01

    Breeding crops with ideal root system architecture for efficient absorption of phosphorus is an important strategy to reduce the use of phosphate fertilizers. To investigate genetic variants leading to changes in root system architecture, 405 oilseed rape cultivars were genotyped with a 60K Brassica Infinium SNP array in low and high P environments. A total of 285 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with root system architecture traits at varying phosphorus levels. Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms corroborate a previous linkage analysis of root system architecture quantitative trait loci in the BnaTNDH population. One peak single-nucleotide polymorphism region on A3 was associated with all root system architecture traits and co-localized with a quantitative trait locus for primary root length at low phosphorus. Two more single-nucleotide polymorphism peaks on A5 for root dry weight at low phosphorus were detected in both growth systems and co-localized with a quantitative trait locus for the same trait. The candidate genes identified on A3 form a haplotype 'BnA3Hap', that will be important for understanding the phosphorus/root system interaction and for the incorporation into Brassica napus breeding programs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

  4. Prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis Four rag Locus Genotypes in Patients of Orthodontic Gingivitis and Periodontitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi; Zhang, Yujie; Wang, Lili; Guo, Yang; Xiao, Shuiqing

    2013-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered as a major etiological agent in periodontal diseases and implied to result in gingival inflammation under orthodontic appliance. rag locus is a pathogenicity island found in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Four rag locus variants are different in pathogenicity of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Moreover, there are different racial and geographic differences in distribution of rag locus genotypes. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and rag locus genotypes in 102 gingival crevicular fluid samples from 57 cases of gingivitis patients with orthodontic appliances, 25 cases of periodontitis patients and 20 cases of periodontally healthy people through a 16S rRNA-based PCR and a multiplex PCR. The correlations between Porphyromona.gingivalis/rag locus and clinical indices were analyzed. The prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and rag locus genes in periodontitis group was the highest among three groups and higher in orthodontic gingivitis than healthy people (porthodontic gingivitis and mild-to-moderate periodontitis in Shandong. Porphyromonas.gingivalis carrying rag-1 has the strong virulence and could be associated with severe periodontitis. PMID:23593379

  5. Sex-specific effects of weight-affecting gene variants in a life course perspective--The HUNT Study, Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kvaløy, K; Kulle, B; Romundstad, P; Holmen, T L

    2013-09-01

    The impact of previously identified genetic variants directly or indirectly associated with obesity, were investigated at birth, adolescence and adulthood to provide knowledge concerning timing and mechanisms of obesity susceptibility with focus on sex differences. Twenty four previously identified obesity- and eating disorder susceptibility loci were tested for association with adiposity traits at birth (ponderal index (PI)), adolescence and young adulthood (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)) in 1782 individuals from the HUNT study. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were evaluated individually and by haplotype sliding-window approach for windows50 kb (near-MC4R, FTO and near-BDNF). The analyses were performed on the total and sex stratified samples. The most substantial effect on BMI was observed for the near-MC4R variants at adolescence and adulthood (adjusted P-values in adolescence: 0.002 and 0.003 for rs17782313 and rs571312, respectively). The same variants showed inverse association with PI in males (adjusted P-values: 0.019-0.036). Furthermore, significant effects were observed at adolescence with BMI for the near-KCTD15 variant (rs11084753) (adjusted P=0.038) in the combined sample. The near-INSIG2 (rs7566605) was significantly associated to WHR in males and near-BDNF (rs925946) in the combined sample (adjusted P=0.027 and P=0.033, respectively). The OPRD1 locus was associated to BMI and WC in males both at adolescence and adulthood with highest effect in adults (adjusted P=0.058). Interaction with sex was identified for near-MC4R, OPRD1, COMT, near-BDNF and DRD2. Most obesity susceptibility variants show stronger effect at adolescence than at birth and adulthood with a clear sex-specific effect at some loci. The near-MC4R locus exhibit inverse effect on weight at birth in boys compared with findings at adolescence and adulthood. Some variants less known for obesity-susceptibility such as OPRD1 were found to

  6. Investigation of the 5q33.3 longevity locus and age-related phenotypes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nygaard, Marianne; Thinggaard, Mikael; Christensen, Kaare

    2017-01-01

    A large meta-analysis recently found the 5q33.3 locus to be associated with survival to ≥ 90 years and lower all-cause mortality, thus suggesting it as a third human longevity locus alongside APOE and FOXO3A. The 5q33.3 locus has previously been associated with blood pressure regulation and cardi......A large meta-analysis recently found the 5q33.3 locus to be associated with survival to ≥ 90 years and lower all-cause mortality, thus suggesting it as a third human longevity locus alongside APOE and FOXO3A. The 5q33.3 locus has previously been associated with blood pressure regulation...... and cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged individuals. However, part of the influence on mortality appears to be independent of cardiovascular phenotypes, and the role of the 5q33.3 locus in longevity and survival is therefore still partly unknown. We investigated the association between the longevity......-associated variant rs2149954 on chromosome 5q33.3 and age-related phenotypes in two cohorts of 1,588 and 1,271 long-lived individuals (mean ages 93.1 and 95.9 years, respectively) as well as in 700 middle-aged and 677 elderly individuals (mean ages 52.5 and 78.7 years). Altogether, nominally significant associations...

  7. MTHFR gene C677T and A1298C variants are associated with FMF risk in a Turkish cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nursal, Ayse Feyda; Kaya, Süheyla; Sezer, Ozlem; Karakus, Nevin; Yigit, Serbulent

    2018-02-01

    Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a crucial enzyme in homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism. We aimed to evaluate a possible relationship between MTHFR gene C677T (rs 1801133), A1298C (rs 1801131) variants and susceptibility to FMF in a Turkish cohort. This case-control study included 198 Turkish FMF patients and 100 healthy subjects as controls. MTHFR C677T and A1298C were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods. The genotype distribution and allele frequency of the MTHFR C677T were statistically different between the patients and the control group (P=.006, P=.001, respectively). The frequency of the TT genotype and T allele of MTHFR C677T was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. The genotype distribution of MTHFR A1298C variant did not show any statistically significant difference between the patients and the controls (P›.05). The patients had statistically different frequencies in allele C of MTHFR A1298C variant compared with the control (P=.032). We also examined the risk associated with inheriting the combined genotypes for the two MTHFR variants. According to these results, individuals who were CC homozygous at C677T locus and AA homozygous at A1298C locus have a lower risk of developing FMF (P=.002). Individuals who were TT homozygous at C677T locus and AC heterozygous at A1298C locus have higher risk of developing FMF (P=.033). Our findings clearly showed there was an association the MTHFR C677T/A1298C variants and susceptibility to FMF in the Turkish sample. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. A Missense LRRK2 Variant Is a Risk Factor for Excessive Inflammatory Responses in Leprosy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinicius M Fava

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Depending on the epidemiological setting, a variable proportion of leprosy patients will suffer from excessive pro-inflammatory responses, termed type-1 reactions (T1R. The LRRK2 gene encodes a multi-functional protein that has been shown to modulate pro-inflammatory responses. Variants near the LRRK2 gene have been associated with leprosy in some but not in other studies. We hypothesized that LRRK2 was a T1R susceptibility gene and that inconsistent association results might reflect different proportions of patients with T1R in the different sample settings. Hence, we evaluated the association of LRRK2 variants with T1R susceptibility.An association scan of the LRRK2 locus was performed using 156 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. Evidence of association was evaluated in two family-based samples: A set of T1R-affected and a second set of T1R-free families. Only SNPs significant for T1R-affected families with significant evidence of heterogeneity relative to T1R-free families were considered T1R-specific. An expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL analysis was applied to evaluate the impact of T1R-specific SNPs on LRRK2 gene transcriptional levels.A total of 18 T1R-specific variants organized in four bins were detected. The core SNP capturing the T1R association was the LRRK2 missense variant M2397T (rs3761863 that affects LRRK2 protein turnover. Additionally, a bin of nine SNPs associated with T1R were eQTLs for LRRK2 in unstimulated whole blood cells but not after exposure to Mycobacterium leprae antigen.The results support a preferential association of LRRK2 variants with T1R. LRRK2 involvement in T1R is likely due to a pathological pro-inflammatory loop modulated by LRRK2 availability. Interestingly, the M2397T variant was reported in association with Crohn's disease with the same risk allele as in T1R suggesting common inflammatory mechanism in these two distinct diseases.

  9. An in-depth characterization of the major psoriasis susceptibility locus identifies candidate susceptibility alleles within an HLA-C enhancer element.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex Clop

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disorder that is inherited as a complex genetic trait. Although genome-wide association scans (GWAS have identified 36 disease susceptibility regions, more than 50% of the genetic variance can be attributed to a single Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC locus, known as PSORS1. Genetic studies indicate that HLA-C is the strongest PSORS1 candidate gene, since markers tagging HLA-Cw*0602 consistently generate the most significant association signals in GWAS. However, it is unclear whether HLA-Cw*0602 is itself the causal PSORS1 allele, especially as the role of SNPs that may affect its expression has not been investigated. Here, we have undertaken an in-depth molecular characterization of the PSORS1 interval, with a view to identifying regulatory variants that may contribute to disease susceptibility. By analysing high-density SNP data, we refined PSORS1 to a 179 kb region encompassing HLA-C and the neighbouring HCG27 pseudogene. We compared multiple MHC sequences spanning this refined locus and identified 144 candidate susceptibility variants, which are unique to chromosomes bearing HLA-Cw*0602. In parallel, we investigated the epigenetic profile of the critical PSORS1 interval and uncovered three enhancer elements likely to be active in T lymphocytes. Finally we showed that nine candidate susceptibility SNPs map within a HLA-C enhancer and that three of these variants co-localise with binding sites for immune-related transcription factors. These data indicate that SNPs affecting HLA-Cw*0602 expression are likely to contribute to psoriasis susceptibility and highlight the importance of integrating multiple experimental approaches in the investigation of complex genomic regions such as the MHC.

  10. Two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tienari, P.J. (National Public Health Institute, Helsinki (Finland) Univ. of Helsinki (Finland)); Terwilliger, J.D.; Ott, J. (Columbia Univ., New York (United States)); Palo, J. (Univ. of Helsinki (Finland)); Peltonen, L. (National Public Health Institute, Helsinki (Finland))

    1994-01-15

    One of the major challenges in genetic linkage analyses is the study of complex diseases. The authors demonstrate here the use of two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS), a multifactorial disease with a complex mode of inheritance. In a set of Finnish multiplex families, they have previously found evidence for linkage between MS susceptibility and two independent loci, the myelin basic protein gene (MBP) on chromosome 18 and the HLA complex on chromosome 6. This set of families provides a unique opportunity to perform linkage analysis conditional on two loci contributing to the disease. In the two-trait-locus/two-marker-locus analysis, the presence of another disease locus is parametrized and the analysis more appropriately treats information from the unaffected family member than single-disease-locus analysis. As exemplified here in MS, the two-locus analysis can be a powerful method for investigating susceptibility loci in complex traits, best suited for analysis of specific candidate genes, or for situations in which preliminary evidence for linkage already exists or is suggested. 41 refs., 6 tabs.

  11. BDNF Variants May Modulate Long-Term Visual Memory Performance in a Healthy Cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avgan, Nesli; Sutherland, Heidi G; Spriggens, Lauren K; Yu, Chieh; Ibrahim, Omar; Bellis, Claire; Haupt, Larisa M; Shum, David H K; Griffiths, Lyn R

    2017-03-17

    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in numerous cognitive functions including learning and memory. BDNF plays an important role in synaptic plasticity in humans and rats with BDNF shown to be essential for the formation of long-term memories. We previously identified a significant association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) and long-term visual memory ( p -value = 0.003) in a small cohort ( n = 181) comprised of healthy individuals who had been phenotyped for various aspects of memory function. In this study, we have extended the cohort to 597 individuals and examined multiple genetic variants across both the BDNF and BDNF-AS genes for association with visual memory performance as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition subtests Visual Reproduction I and II (VR I and II). VR I assesses immediate visual memory, whereas VR II assesses long-term visual memory. Genetic association analyses were performed for 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped on Illumina OmniExpress BeadChip arrays with the immediate and long-term visual memory phenotypes. While none of the BDNF and BDNF-AS variants were shown to be significant for immediate visual memory, we found 10 variants (including the Val66Met polymorphism ( p -value = 0.006)) that were nominally associated, and three variants (two variants in BDNF and one variant in the BDNF-AS locus) that were significantly associated with long-term visual memory. Our data therefore suggests a potential role for BDNF , and its anti-sense transcript BDNF-AS , in long-term visual memory performance.

  12. BDNF Variants May Modulate Long-Term Visual Memory Performance in a Healthy Cohort

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nesli Avgan

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF is involved in numerous cognitive functions including learning and memory. BDNF plays an important role in synaptic plasticity in humans and rats with BDNF shown to be essential for the formation of long-term memories. We previously identified a significant association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265 and long-term visual memory (p-value = 0.003 in a small cohort (n = 181 comprised of healthy individuals who had been phenotyped for various aspects of memory function. In this study, we have extended the cohort to 597 individuals and examined multiple genetic variants across both the BDNF and BDNF-AS genes for association with visual memory performance as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale—Fourth Edition subtests Visual Reproduction I and II (VR I and II. VR I assesses immediate visual memory, whereas VR II assesses long-term visual memory. Genetic association analyses were performed for 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped on Illumina OmniExpress BeadChip arrays with the immediate and long-term visual memory phenotypes. While none of the BDNF and BDNF-AS variants were shown to be significant for immediate visual memory, we found 10 variants (including the Val66Met polymorphism (p-value = 0.006 that were nominally associated, and three variants (two variants in BDNF and one variant in the BDNF-AS locus that were significantly associated with long-term visual memory. Our data therefore suggests a potential role for BDNF, and its anti-sense transcript BDNF-AS, in long-term visual memory performance.

  13. Human obesity associated with an intronic SNP in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor locus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in energy balance. In population studies, SNPs of the BDNF locus have been linked to obesity, but the mechanism by which these variants cause weight gain is unknown. Here, we examined human hypothalamic BDNF expression in association with 44 ...

  14. Clustered coding variants in the glutamate receptor complexes of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René A W Frank

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Current models of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder implicate multiple genes, however their biological relationships remain elusive. To test the genetic role of glutamate receptors and their interacting scaffold proteins, the exons of ten glutamatergic 'hub' genes in 1304 individuals were re-sequenced in case and control samples. No significant difference in the overall number of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs was observed between cases and controls. However, cluster analysis of nsSNPs identified two exons encoding the cysteine-rich domain and first transmembrane helix of GRM1 as a risk locus with five mutations highly enriched within these domains. A new splice variant lacking the transmembrane GPCR domain of GRM1 was discovered in the human brain and the GRM1 mutation cluster could perturb the regulation of this variant. The predicted effect on individuals harbouring multiple mutations distributed in their ten hub genes was also examined. Diseased individuals possessed an increased load of deleteriousness from multiple concurrent rare and common coding variants. Together, these data suggest a disease model in which the interplay of compound genetic coding variants, distributed among glutamate receptors and their interacting proteins, contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

  15. Causal and synthetic associations of variants in the SERPINA gene cluster with alpha1-antitrypsin serum levels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gian Andri Thun

    Full Text Available Several infrequent genetic polymorphisms in the SERPINA1 gene are known to substantially reduce concentration of alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT in the blood. Since low AAT serum levels fail to protect pulmonary tissue from enzymatic degradation, these polymorphisms also increase the risk for early onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. The role of more common SERPINA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in respiratory health remains poorly understood. We present here an agnostic investigation of genetic determinants of circulating AAT levels in a general population sample by performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS in 1392 individuals of the SAPALDIA cohort. Five common SNPs, defined by showing minor allele frequencies (MAFs >5%, reached genome-wide significance, all located in the SERPINA gene cluster at 14q32.13. The top-ranking genotyped SNP rs4905179 was associated with an estimated effect of β = -0.068 g/L per minor allele (P = 1.20*10(-12. But denser SERPINA1 locus genotyping in 5569 participants with subsequent stepwise conditional analysis, as well as exon-sequencing in a subsample (N = 410, suggested that AAT serum level is causally determined at this locus by rare (MAF<1% and low-frequent (MAF 1-5% variants only, in particular by the well-documented protein inhibitor S and Z (PI S, PI Z variants. Replication of the association of rs4905179 with AAT serum levels in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (N = 8273 was successful (P<0.0001, as was the replication of its synthetic nature (the effect disappeared after adjusting for PI S and Z, P = 0.57. Extending the analysis to lung function revealed a more complex situation. Only in individuals with severely compromised pulmonary health (N = 397, associations of common SNPs at this locus with lung function were driven by rarer PI S or Z variants. Overall, our meta-analysis of lung function in ever-smokers does not support a functional role of common SNPs in the SERPINA gene

  16. Identification of a novel percent mammographic density locus at 12q24.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Kristen N; Lindstrom, Sara; Scott, Christopher G; Thompson, Deborah; Sellers, Thomas A; Wang, Xianshu; Wang, Alice; Atkinson, Elizabeth; Rider, David N; Eckel-Passow, Jeanette E; Varghese, Jajini S; Audley, Tina; Brown, Judith; Leyland, Jean; Luben, Robert N; Warren, Ruth M L; Loos, Ruth J F; Wareham, Nicholas J; Li, Jingmei; Hall, Per; Liu, Jianjun; Eriksson, Louise; Czene, Kamila; Olson, Janet E; Pankratz, V Shane; Fredericksen, Zachary; Diasio, Robert B; Lee, Adam M; Heit, John A; DeAndrade, Mariza; Goode, Ellen L; Vierkant, Robert A; Cunningham, Julie M; Armasu, Sebastian M; Weinshilboum, Richard; Fridley, Brooke L; Batzler, Anthony; Ingle, James N; Boyd, Norman F; Paterson, Andrew D; Rommens, Johanna; Martin, Lisa J; Hopper, John L; Southey, Melissa C; Stone, Jennifer; Apicella, Carmel; Kraft, Peter; Hankinson, Susan E; Hazra, Aditi; Hunter, David J; Easton, Douglas F; Couch, Fergus J; Tamimi, Rulla M; Vachon, Celine M

    2012-07-15

    Percent mammographic density adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer and has a heritable component that remains largely unidentified. We performed a three-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) of percent mammographic density to identify novel genetic loci associated with this trait. In stage 1, we combined three GWASs of percent density comprised of 1241 women from studies at the Mayo Clinic and identified the top 48 loci (99 single nucleotide polymorphisms). We attempted replication of these loci in 7018 women from seven additional studies (stage 2). The meta-analysis of stage 1 and 2 data identified a novel locus, rs1265507 on 12q24, associated with percent density, adjusting for age and BMI (P = 4.43 × 10(-8)). We refined the 12q24 locus with 459 additional variants (stage 3) in a combined analysis of all three stages (n = 10 377) and confirmed that rs1265507 has the strongest association in the 12q24 region (P = 1.03 × 10(-8)). Rs1265507 is located between the genes TBX5 and TBX3, which are members of the phylogenetically conserved T-box gene family and encode transcription factors involved in developmental regulation. Understanding the mechanism underlying this association will provide insight into the genetics of breast tissue composition.

  17. Linking genotypes database with locus-specific database and genotype-phenotype correlation in phenylketonuria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wettstein, Sarah; Underhaug, Jarl; Perez, Belen; Marsden, Brian D; Yue, Wyatt W; Martinez, Aurora; Blau, Nenad

    2015-03-01

    The wide range of metabolic phenotypes in phenylketonuria is due to a large number of variants causing variable impairment in phenylalanine hydroxylase function. A total of 834 phenylalanine hydroxylase gene variants from the locus-specific database PAHvdb and genotypes of 4181 phenylketonuria patients from the BIOPKU database were characterized using FoldX, SIFT Blink, Polyphen-2 and SNPs3D algorithms. Obtained data was correlated with residual enzyme activity, patients' phenotype and tetrahydrobiopterin responsiveness. A descriptive analysis of both databases was compiled and an interactive viewer in PAHvdb database was implemented for structure visualization of missense variants. We found a quantitative relationship between phenylalanine hydroxylase protein stability and enzyme activity (r(s) = 0.479), between protein stability and allelic phenotype (r(s) = -0.458), as well as between enzyme activity and allelic phenotype (r(s) = 0.799). Enzyme stability algorithms (FoldX and SNPs3D), allelic phenotype and enzyme activity were most powerful to predict patients' phenotype and tetrahydrobiopterin response. Phenotype prediction was most accurate in deleterious genotypes (≈ 100%), followed by homozygous (92.9%), hemizygous (94.8%), and compound heterozygous genotypes (77.9%), while tetrahydrobiopterin response was correctly predicted in 71.0% of all cases. To our knowledge this is the largest study using algorithms for the prediction of patients' phenotype and tetrahydrobiopterin responsiveness in phenylketonuria patients, using data from the locus-specific and genotypes database.

  18. Multiple lupus-associated ITGAM variants alter Mac-1 functions on neutrophils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yebin; Wu, Jianming; Kucik, Dennis F; White, Nathan B; Redden, David T; Szalai, Alexander J; Bullard, Daniel C; Edberg, Jeffrey C

    2013-11-01

    Multiple studies have demonstrated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ITGAM locus (including the nonsynonymous SNPs rs1143679, rs1143678, and rs1143683) are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ITGAM encodes the protein CD11b, a subunit of the β2 integrin Mac-1. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ITGAM genetic variation on the biologic functions of neutrophil Mac-1. Neutrophils from ITGAM-genotyped and -sequenced healthy donors were isolated for functional studies. The phagocytic capacity of neutrophil ITGAM variants was probed with complement-coated erythrocytes, serum-treated zymosan, heat-treated zymosan, and IgG-coated erythrocytes. The adhesion capacity of ITGAM variants, in adhering to either purified intercellular adhesion molecule 1 or tumor necrosis factor α-stimulated endothelial cells, was assessed in a flow chamber. Expression levels of total CD11b and activation of CD11b were assessed by flow cytometry. Mac-1-mediated neutrophil phagocytosis, determined in cultures with 2 different complement-coated particles, was significantly reduced in individuals with nonsynonymous variant alleles of ITGAM. This reduction in phagocytosis was related to variation at either rs1143679 (in the β-propeller region) or rs1143678/rs1143683 (highly linked SNPs in the cytoplasmic/calf-1 regions). Phagocytosis mediated by Fcγ receptors was also significantly reduced in donors with variant ITGAM alleles. Similarly, firm adhesion of neutrophils was significantly reduced in individuals with variant ITGAM alleles. These functional alterations were not attributable to differences in total receptor expression or activation. The nonsynonymous ITGAM variants rs1143679 and rs1143678/rs113683 contribute to altered Mac-1 function on neutrophils. These results underscore the need to consider multiple nonsynonymous SNPs when assessing the functional consequences of ITGAM variation on immune cell processes and the risk of SLE

  19. Illustrating, Quantifying, and Correcting for Bias in Post-hoc Analysis of Gene-Based Rare Variant Tests of Association

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelsey E. Grinde

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available To date, gene-based rare variant testing approaches have focused on aggregating information across sets of variants to maximize statistical power in identifying genes showing significant association with diseases. Beyond identifying genes that are associated with diseases, the identification of causal variant(s in those genes and estimation of their effect is crucial for planning replication studies and characterizing the genetic architecture of the locus. However, we illustrate that straightforward single-marker association statistics can suffer from substantial bias introduced by conditioning on gene-based test significance, due to the phenomenon often referred to as “winner's curse.” We illustrate the ramifications of this bias on variant effect size estimation and variant prioritization/ranking approaches, outline parameters of genetic architecture that affect this bias, and propose a bootstrap resampling method to correct for this bias. We find that our correction method significantly reduces the bias due to winner's curse (average two-fold decrease in bias, p < 2.2 × 10−6 and, consequently, substantially improves mean squared error and variant prioritization/ranking. The method is particularly helpful in adjustment for winner's curse effects when the initial gene-based test has low power and for relatively more common, non-causal variants. Adjustment for winner's curse is recommended for all post-hoc estimation and ranking of variants after a gene-based test. Further work is necessary to continue seeking ways to reduce bias and improve inference in post-hoc analysis of gene-based tests under a wide variety of genetic architectures.

  20. The UNG2 Arg88Cys variant abrogates RPA-mediated recruitment of UNG2 to single-stranded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torseth, Kathrin; Doseth, Berit; Hagen, Lars; Olaisen, Camilla; Liabakk, Nina-Beate; Græsmann, Heidi; Durandy, Anne; Otterlei, Marit; Krokan, Hans E; Kavli, Bodil; Slupphaug, Geir

    2012-06-01

    In human cell nuclei, UNG2 is the major uracil-DNA glycosylase initiating DNA base excision repair of uracil. In activated B cells it has an additional role in facilitating mutagenic processing of AID-induced uracil at Ig loci and UNG-deficient patients develop hyper-IgM syndrome characterized by impaired class-switch recombination and disturbed somatic hypermutation. How UNG2 is recruited to either error-free or mutagenic uracil processing remains obscure, but likely involves regulated interactions with other proteins. The UNG2 N-terminal domain contains binding motifs for both proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and replication protein A (RPA), but the relative contribution of these interactions to genomic uracil processing is not understood. Interestingly, a heterozygous germline single-nucleotide variant leading to Arg88Cys (R88C) substitution in the RPA-interaction motif of UNG2 has been observed in humans, but with unknown functional relevance. Here we demonstrate that UNG2-R88C protein is expressed from the variant allele in a lymphoblastoid cell line derived from a heterozygous germ line carrier. Enzyme activity as well as localization in replication foci of UNG2-R88C was similar to that of WT. However, binding to RPA was essentially abolished by the R88C substitution, whereas binding to PCNA was unaffected. Moreover, we show that disruption of the PCNA-binding motif impaired recruitment of UNG2 to S-phase replication foci, demonstrating that PCNA is a major factor for recruitment of UNG2 to unperturbed replication forks. Conversely, in cells treated with hydroxyurea, RPA mediated recruitment of UNG2 to stalled replication forks independently of functional PCNA binding. Modulation of PCNA- versus RPA-binding may thus constitute a functional switch for UNG2 in cells subsequent to genotoxic stress and potentially also during the processing of uracil at the immunoglobulin locus in antigen-stimulated B cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  1. Defective replication initiation results in locus specific chromosome breakage and a ribosomal RNA deficiency in yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph C Sanchez

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available A form of dwarfism known as Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS is caused by recessive mutations in one of six different genes (ORC1, ORC4, ORC6, CDC6, CDT1, and MCM5. These genes encode components of the pre-replication complex, which assembles at origins of replication prior to S phase. Also, variants in two additional replication initiation genes have joined the list of causative mutations for MGS (Geminin and CDC45. The identity of the causative MGS genetic variants strongly suggests that some aspect of replication is amiss in MGS patients; however, little evidence has been obtained regarding what aspect of chromosome replication is faulty. Since the site of one of the missense mutations in the human ORC4 alleles is conserved between humans and yeast, we sought to determine in what way this single amino acid change affects the process of chromosome replication, by introducing the comparable mutation into yeast (orc4Y232C. We find that yeast cells with the orc4Y232C allele have a prolonged S-phase, due to compromised replication initiation at the ribosomal DNA (rDNA locus located on chromosome XII. The inability to initiate replication at the rDNA locus results in chromosome breakage and a severely reduced rDNA copy number in the survivors, presumably helping to ensure complete replication of chromosome XII. Although reducing rDNA copy number may help ensure complete chromosome replication, orc4Y232C cells struggle to meet the high demand for ribosomal RNA synthesis. This finding provides additional evidence linking two essential cellular pathways-DNA replication and ribosome biogenesis.

  2. Defective replication initiation results in locus specific chromosome breakage and a ribosomal RNA deficiency in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Joseph C; Kwan, Elizabeth X; Pohl, Thomas J; Amemiya, Haley M; Raghuraman, M K; Brewer, Bonita J

    2017-10-01

    A form of dwarfism known as Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS) is caused by recessive mutations in one of six different genes (ORC1, ORC4, ORC6, CDC6, CDT1, and MCM5). These genes encode components of the pre-replication complex, which assembles at origins of replication prior to S phase. Also, variants in two additional replication initiation genes have joined the list of causative mutations for MGS (Geminin and CDC45). The identity of the causative MGS genetic variants strongly suggests that some aspect of replication is amiss in MGS patients; however, little evidence has been obtained regarding what aspect of chromosome replication is faulty. Since the site of one of the missense mutations in the human ORC4 alleles is conserved between humans and yeast, we sought to determine in what way this single amino acid change affects the process of chromosome replication, by introducing the comparable mutation into yeast (orc4Y232C). We find that yeast cells with the orc4Y232C allele have a prolonged S-phase, due to compromised replication initiation at the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus located on chromosome XII. The inability to initiate replication at the rDNA locus results in chromosome breakage and a severely reduced rDNA copy number in the survivors, presumably helping to ensure complete replication of chromosome XII. Although reducing rDNA copy number may help ensure complete chromosome replication, orc4Y232C cells struggle to meet the high demand for ribosomal RNA synthesis. This finding provides additional evidence linking two essential cellular pathways-DNA replication and ribosome biogenesis.

  3. Breast cancer risk variants at 6q25 display different phenotype associations and regulate ESR1, RMND1 and CCDC170

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.M. Dunning (Alison); K. Michailidou (Kyriaki); K.B. Kuchenbaecker (Karoline); D. Thompson (Deborah); J.D. French (Juliet); J. Beesley (Jonathan); S. Healey (Sue); S. Kar (Siddhartha); K.A. Pooley (Karen); E. Lopez-Knowles (Elena); E. Dicks (Ed); D. Barrowdale (Daniel); N.A. Sinnott-Armstrong (Nicholas A); R.C. Sallari (Richard C); K.M. Hillman (Kristine); S. Kaufmann (Susanne); H. Sivakumaran (Haran); M.M. Marjaneh (Mahdi Moradi); J.S. Lee (Jason); M. Hills (Margaret); M. Jarosz (Monika); S. Drury (Suzie); S. Canisius (Sander); M. KBolla (Manjeet); J. Dennis (Joe); Q. Wang (Qin); J. LHopper (John); M.C. Southey (Mellissa C.); A. Broeks (Annegien); M.K. Schmidt (Marjanka); A. Lophatananon (Artitaya); K.R. Muir (K.); M.W. Beckmann (Matthias); P.A. Fasching (Peter); I. dos Santos Silva (Isabel); J. Peto (Julian); E.J. Sawyer (Elinor); I. Tomlinson (Ian); B. Burwinkel (Barbara); F. Marme (Federick); P. Guénel (Pascal); T. Truong (Thérèse); S.E. Bojesen (Stig); H. Flyger (Henrik); A. Gonzlez-Neira (Anna); J.I.A. Perez (Jose I.A.); H. Anton-Culver (Hoda); L. Eunjung (Lee); V. Arndt (Volker); H. Brenner (Hermann); A. Meindl (Alfons); R.K. Schmutzler (Rita); H. Brauch (Hiltrud); U. Hamann (Ute); K. Aittomki (Kristiina); C. Blomqvist (Carl); H. Ito (Hidemi); K. Matsuo (Keitaro); N.V. Bogdanova (Natalia); T. Dörk (Thilo); A. Lindblom (Annika); S. Margolin (Sara); V-M. Kosma (Veli-Matti); A. Mannermaa (Arto); C.-C. Tseng (Chiu-Chen); A.H. Wu (Anna); D. Lambrechts (Diether); H. Wildiers (Hans); J. Chang-Claude (Jenny); A. Rudolph (Anja); P. Peterlongo (Paolo); P. Radice (Paolo); J. EOlson (Janet); G. GGiles (Graham); R.L. Milne (Roger L); C.A. Haiman (Christopher A.); B.E. Henderson (Brian); M.S. Goldberg (Mark); S.H. Teo (Soo Hwang); C.H. Yip (Cheng Har); S. Nord (Silje); A.-L. Borresen-Dale (Anne-Lise); V. Kristensen (Vessela); J. Long (Jirong); W. Zheng (Wei); K. Pylks (Katri); R. Winqvist (Robert); I.L. Andrulis (Irene); J.A. Knight (Julia A.); P. Devilee (Peter); C.M. Seynaeve (Caroline); J.D. Figueroa (Jonine); M.E. Sherman (Mark); K. Czene (Kamila); H. Darabi (Hatef); A. Hollestelle (Antoinette); A.M.W. van den Ouweland (Ans); K. Humphreys (Keith); Y.-T. Gao (Yu-Tang); X.-O. Shu (Xiao-Ou); A. Cox (Angela); S.S. Cross (Simon); W.J. Blot (William); Q. Cai (Qiuyin); M. Ghoussaini (Maya); B. Perkins (Barbara); M. Shah (Mitul); J.-Y. Choi (Ji-Yeob); D. Kang (Daehee); S.C. Lee (Soo Chin); J.M. Hartman (Joost); M. Kabisch (Maria); D. Torres (Diana); A. Jakubowska (Anna); J. Lubinski (Jan); P. Brennan (Paul); S. Sangrajrang (Suleeporn); C.B. Ambrosone (Christine); A.E. Toland (Amanda); C-Y. Shen (Chen-Yang); P.-E. Wu (Pei-Ei); N. Orr (Nick); A.J. Swerdlow (Anthony ); L. McGuffog (Lesley); S. Healey (Sue); A. Lee (Andrew); M.K. Kapuscinski (Miroslav K.); E.M. John (Esther); M.B. Terry (Mary Beth); M.B. Daly (Mary B.); D. Goldgar (David); S.S. Buys (Saundra); R. Janavicius (Ramunas); L. Tihomirova (Laima); N. Tung (Nadine); C.M. Dorfling (Cecilia); E.J. van Rensburg (Elizabeth); S.L. Neuhausen (Susan); B. Ejlertsen (Bent); T.V. OHansen (Thomas V); A. Osorio (Ana); J. Benítez (Javier); R. Rando (Rachel); J.N. Weitzel (Jeffrey); B. Bonnani (Bernardo); B. Peissel (Bernard); S. Manoukian (Siranoush); L. Papi (Laura); L. Ottini (Laura); I. Konstantopoulou (I.); P. Apostolou (Paraskevi); J. Garber (Judy); M.U. Rashid (Muhammad Usman); D. Frost (Debra); L. Izatt (Louise); S.D. Ellis (Steve); A.K. Godwin (Andrew K.); N. Arnold (Norbert); D. Niederacher (Dieter); K. Rhiem (Kerstin); N. Bogdanova-Markov (Nadja); C. Sagne (Charlotte); D. Stoppa-Lyonnet (Dominique); F. Damiola (Francesca); O. Sinilnikova (Olga); S. Mazoyer (Sylvie); C. Isaacs (Claudine); K.B. MClaes (Kathleen B); K. De Leeneer (Kim); M. de La Hoya (Miguel); T. Caldes (Trinidad); H. Nevanlinna (Heli); S. Khan (Sofia); A.R. Mensenkamp (Arjen); M.J. Hooning (Maartje); M.A. Rookus (Matti); A. Kwong (Ava); E. Olah (Edith); O. Díez (Orland); J. Brunet (Joan); M.A. Pujana (Miguel); J. Gronwald (Jacek); T. Huzarski (Tomasz); R.B. Barkardottir (Rosa); R. Laframboise (Rachel); P. Soucy (Penny); M. Montagna (Marco); S. Agata (Simona); P.J. Teixeira; S. Kyung Park (Sue); N.M. Lindor (Noralane); F.J. Couch (Fergus J); M. Tischkowitz (Marc); L. Foretova (Lenka); J. Vijai (Joseph); K. Offit (Kenneth); C.F. Singer (Christian); C. Rappaport (Christine); C. MPhelan (Catherine); M.H. Greene (Mark H.); P.L. Mai (Phuong); G. Rennert (Gad); E.N. Imyanitov (Evgeny); P.J. Hulick (Peter); K.-A. Phillips (Kelly-Anne); M. Piedmonte (Marion); A.-M. Mulligan (Anna-Marie); G. Glendon (Gord); A. Bojesen (Anders); M. Thomassen (Mads); M.A. Caligo (Maria); S.-Y. Yoon (Sook-Yee); E. Friedman (Eitan); Y. Laitman (Yael); Å. Borg (Åke); A. von Wachenfeldt (Anna); H. Ehrencrona (Hans); J. Rantala (Johanna); O.I. Olopade (Olufunmilayo I.); P.A. Ganz (Patricia A.); R. Nussbaum (Robert); S.A. Gayther (Simon); K. LNathanson (Katherine); S.M. Domchek (Susan); B.K. Arun (Banu); G. Mitchell (Gillian); B.Y. Karlan (Beth Y.); K.J. Lester (Kathryn); G. Maskarinec (Gertraud); C. Woolcott (Christy); C.G. Scott (Christopher G.); J. Stone (Jennifer); C. Apicella (Carmel); R. Tamimi (Rulla); R.N. Luben (Robert); K.-T. Khaw (Kay-Tee); S. Helland (Slaug); V. Haakensen (Vilde); M. Dowsett (Mitch); P.D.P. Pharoah (Paul); J. Simard (Jacques); P. Hall (Per); M. Garca-Closas (Montserrat); C. Vachon (Celine); G. Chenevix-Trench (Georgia); A.C. Antoniou (Antonis C.); D.F. Easton (Douglas F.); S.L. Edwards (Stacey)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractWe analyzed 3,872 common genetic variants across the ESR1 locus (encoding estrogen receptor α) in 118,816 subjects from three international consortia. We found evidence for at least five independent causal variants, each associated with different phenotype sets, including estrogen

  4. Characterisation of monotreme caseins reveals lineage-specific expansion of an ancestral casein locus in mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lefèvre, Christophe M; Sharp, Julie A; Nicholas, Kevin R

    2009-01-01

    Using a milk-cell cDNA sequencing approach we characterised milk-protein sequences from two monotreme species, platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and found a full set of caseins and casein variants. The genomic organisation of the platypus casein locus is compared with other mammalian genomes, including the marsupial opossum and several eutherians. Physical linkage of casein genes has been seen in the casein loci of all mammalian genomes examined and we confirm that this is also observed in platypus. However, we show that a recent duplication of beta-casein occurred in the monotreme lineage, as opposed to more ancient duplications of alpha-casein in the eutherian lineage, while marsupials possess only single copies of alpha- and beta-caseins. Despite this variability, the close proximity of the main alpha- and beta-casein genes in an inverted tail-tail orientation and the relative orientation of the more distant kappa-casein genes are similar in all mammalian genome sequences so far available. Overall, the conservation of the genomic organisation of the caseins indicates the early, pre-monotreme development of the fundamental role of caseins during lactation. In contrast, the lineage-specific gene duplications that have occurred within the casein locus of monotremes and eutherians but not marsupials, which may have lost part of the ancestral casein locus, emphasises the independent selection on milk provision strategies to the young, most likely linked to different developmental strategies. The monotremes therefore provide insight into the ancestral drivers for lactation and how these have adapted in different lineages.

  5. The 4q27 locus and prostate cancer risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tindall, Elizabeth A; Hoang, Hoa N; Southey, Melissa C; English, Dallas R; Hopper, John L; Giles, Graham G; Severi, Gianluca; Hayes, Vanessa M

    2010-01-01

    Chronic inflammation is considered to be implicated in the development of prostate cancer. In this study we are the first to investigate a potential association between variants in an autoimmune related region on chromosome 4q27 and prostate cancer risk. This region harbors two cytokine genes IL-2 and the recently described IL-21. We genotyped six variants previously associated with autoimmune disease (namely rs13151961, rs13119723, rs17388568, rs3136534, rs6822844 and rs6840978) and one functional IL-2 promoter variant (rs2069762) for possible association with prostate cancer risk using the Australian Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer case-control Study. Overall, our results do not support an association between the seven variants at position 4q27 and prostate cancer risk. Per allele odds ratios (ORs) were not significantly different from 1 (all P-values = 0.06). However, we found suggestive evidence for a significant association between the presence of the rs13119723 variant (located in a protein of unknown function) and men with a family history of prostate cancer in first-degree relatives (P-value for interaction 0.02). The per allele OR associated with this variant was significantly higher than 1 (2.37; 95% C.I. = 1.01-5.57). We suggest that genetic variation within the chromosome 4q27 locus might be associated with prostate cancer susceptibility in men with a family history of the disease. Furthermore, our study alludes to a potential role of unknown protein KIAA1109 in conferring this risk

  6. Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bojesen, Stig Egil; Pooley, Karen A; Johnatty, Sharon E

    2013-01-01

    TERT-locus SNPs and leukocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the Illumina custom genotyping array iCOGs, we analyzed ∼480 SNPs at the TERT locus in breast (n = 103,991), ovarian (n = 39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (n = 11,705) cancer cases...

  7. Fine-scale mapping of 8q24 locus identifies multiple independent risk variants for breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jiajun; Zhang, Yanfeng; Zheng, Wei; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Lush, Michael; Milne, Roger L; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Beesley, Jonathan; Kar, Siddhartha; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W; Zhao, Zhiguo; Guo, Xingyi; Benitez, Javier; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Blot, William; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Bojesen, Stig E; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Brinton, Louise; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Hui; Canisius, Sander; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Devilee, Peter; Droit, Arnaud; Dork, Thilo; Fasching, Peter A; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gaborieau, Valerie; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G; Guenel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A; Hamann, Ute; Hartman, Mikael; Miao, Hui; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hopper, John L; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnson, Nichola; Torres, Diana; Kabisch, Maria; Kang, Daehee; Khan, Sofia; Knight, Julia A; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Lambrechts, Diether; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Le Marchand, Loic; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Matsuo, Keitaro; McLean, Catriona; Meindl, Alfons; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nord, Silje; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Olson, Janet E; Orr, Nick; van den Ouweland, Ans M W; Peterlongo, Paolo; Putti, Thomas Choudary; Rudolph, Anja; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schmutzler, Rita K; Shen, Chen-Yang; Hou, Ming-Feng; Shrubsole, Matha J; Southey, Melissa C; Swerdlow, Anthony; Teo, Soo Hwang; Thienpont, Bernard; Toland, Amanda E; Tollenaar, Robert A E M; Tomlinson, Ian; Truong, Therese; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; Wen, Wanqing; Winqvist, Robert; Wu, Anna H; Yip, Cheng Har; Zamora, Pilar M; Zheng, Ying; Floris, Giuseppe; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Hooning, Maartje J; Martens, John W M; Seynaeve, Caroline; Kristensen, Vessela N; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D P; Simard, Jacques; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M; Antoniou, Antonis C; Easton, Douglas F; Cai, Qiuyin; Long, Jirong

    2016-09-15

    Previous genome-wide association studies among women of European ancestry identified two independent breast cancer susceptibility loci represented by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs13281615 and rs11780156 at 8q24. A fine-mapping study across 2.06 Mb (chr8:127,561,724-129,624,067, hg19) in 55,540 breast cancer cases and 51,168 controls within the Breast Cancer Association Consortium was conducted. Three additional independent association signals in women of European ancestry, represented by rs35961416 (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.93-0.97, conditional p = 5.8 × 10(-6) ), rs7815245 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91-0.96, conditional p = 1.1 × 10(-6) ) and rs2033101 (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02-1.07, conditional p = 1.1 × 10(-4) ) were found. Integrative analysis using functional genomic data from the Roadmap Epigenomics, the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements project, the Cancer Genome Atlas and other public resources implied that SNPs rs7815245 in Signal 3, and rs1121948 in Signal 5 (in linkage disequilibrium with rs11780156, r(2)  = 0.77), were putatively functional variants for two of the five independent association signals. The results highlighted multiple 8q24 variants associated with breast cancer susceptibility in women of European ancestry. © 2016 UICC.

  8. Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bojesen, Stig E.; Pooley, Karen A.; Johnatty, Sharon E.; Beesley, Jonathan; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Tyrer, Jonathan P.; Edwards, Stacey L.; Pickett, Hilda A.; Shen, Howard C.; Smart, Chanel E.; Hillman, Kristine M.; Mai, Phuong L.; Lawrenson, Kate; Stutz, Michael D.; Lu, Yi; Karevan, Rod; Woods, Nicholas; Johnston, Rebecca L.; French, Juliet D.; Chen, Xiaoqing; Weischer, Maren; Nielsen, Sune F.; Maranian, Melanie J.; Ghoussaini, Maya; Ahmed, Shahana; Baynes, Caroline; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; McGuffog, Lesley; Barrowdale, Daniel; Lee, Andrew; Healey, Sue; Lush, Michael; Tessier, Daniel C.; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Françis; Vergote, Ignace; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Despierre, Evelyn; Risch, Harvey A.; González-Neira, Anna; Rossing, Mary Anne; Pita, Guillermo; Doherty, Jennifer A.; Alvarez, Nuria; Larson, Melissa C.; Fridley, Brooke L.; Schoof, Nils; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Cicek, Mine S.; Peto, Julian; Kalli, Kimberly R.; Broeks, Annegien; Armasu, Sebastian M.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Braaf, Linde M.; Winterhoff, Boris; Nevanlinna, Heli; Konecny, Gottfried E.; Lambrechts, Diether; Rogmann, Lisa; Guénel, Pascal; Teoman, Attila; Milne, Roger L.; Garcia, Joaquin J.; Cox, Angela; Shridhar, Vijayalakshmi; Burwinkel, Barbara; Marme, Frederik; Hein, Rebecca; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Haiman, Christopher A.; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Andrulis, Irene L.; Moysich, Kirsten B.; Hopper, John L.; Odunsi, Kunle; Lindblom, Annika; Giles, Graham G.; Brenner, Hermann; Simard, Jacques; Lurie, Galina; Fasching, Peter A.; Carney, Michael E.; Radice, Paolo; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Swerdlow, Anthony; Goodman, Marc T.; Brauch, Hiltrud; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Hillemanns, Peter; Winqvist, Robert; Dürst, Matthias; Devilee, Peter; Runnebaum, Ingo; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Butzow, Ralf; Bogdanova, Natalia V.; Dörk, Thilo; Pelttari, Liisa M.; Zheng, Wei; Leminen, Arto; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Bunker, Clareann H.; Kristensen, Vessela; Ness, Roberta B.; Muir, Kenneth; Edwards, Robert; Meindl, Alfons; Heitz, Florian; Matsuo, Keitaro; du Bois, Andreas; Wu, Anna H.; Harter, Philipp; teo, Soo-Hwang; Schwaab, Ira; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Blot, William; Hosono, Satoyo; Kang, Daehee; Nakanishi, Toru; Hartman, Mikael; Yatabe, Yasushi; Hamann, Ute; Karlan, Beth Y.; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger; Gaborieau, Valerie; Jensen, Allan; Eccles, Diana; Høgdall, Estrid; Shen, Chen-Yang; Brown, Judith; Woo, Yin Ling; Shah, Mitul; Azmi, Mat Adenan Noor; Luben, Robert; Omar, Siti Zawiah; Czene, Kamila; Vierkant, Robert A.; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Flyger, Henrik; Vachon, Celine; Olson, Janet E.; Wang, Xianshu; Levine, Douglas A.; Rudolph, Anja; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Iversen, Edwin; Nickels, Stefan; Schildkraut, Joellen M.; Silva, Isabel Dos Santos; Cramer, Daniel W.; Gibson, Lorna; Terry, Kathryn L.; Fletcher, Olivia; Vitonis, Allison F.; van der Schoot, C. Ellen; Poole, Elizabeth M.; Hogervorst, Frans B. L.; Tworoger, Shelley S.; Liu, Jianjun; Bandera, Elisa V.; Li, Jingmei; Olson, Sara H.; Humphreys, Keith; Orlow, Irene; Blomqvist, Carl; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Lorna; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Salvesen, Helga B.; Muranen, Taru A.; Wik, Elisabeth; Brouwers, Barbara; Krakstad, Camilla; Wauters, Els; Halle, Mari K.; Wildiers, Hans; Kiemeney, Lambertus A.; Mulot, Claire; Aben, Katja K.; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; Altena, Anne Mvan; Truong, Thérèse; Massuger, Leon F. A. G.; Benitez, Javier; Pejovic, Tanja; Perez, Jose Ignacio Arias; Hoatlin, Maureen; Zamora, M. Pilar; Cook, Linda S.; Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P.; Kelemen, Linda E.; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Le, Nhu D.; Sohn, Christof; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Tomlinson, Ian; Kerin, Michael J.; Miller, Nicola; Cybulski, Cezary; Henderson, Brian E.; Menkiszak, Janusz; Schumacher, Fredrick; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Le Marchand, Loic; Yang, Hannah P.; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Glendon, Gord; Engelholm, Svend Aage; Knight, Julia A.; Høgdall, Claus K.; Apicella, Carmel; Gore, Martin; Tsimiklis, Helen; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C.; Jager, Agnes; den Ouweland, Ans M. Wvan; Brown, Robert; Martens, John W. M.; Flanagan, James M.; Kriege, Mieke; Paul, James; Margolin, Sara; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Severi, Gianluca; Whittemore, Alice S.; Baglietto, Laura; McGuire, Valerie; Stegmaier, Christa; Sieh, Weiva; Müller, Heiko; Arndt, Volker; Labrèche, France; Gao, Yu-Tang; Goldberg, Mark S.; Yang, Gong; Dumont, Martine; McLaughlin, John R.; Hartmann, Arndt; Ekici, Arif B.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Phelan, Catherine M.; Lux, Michael P.; Permuth-Wey, Jenny; Peissel, Bernard; Sellers, Thomas A.; Ficarazzi, Filomena; Barile, Monica; Ziogas, Argyrios; Ashworth, Alan; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Jones, Michael; Ramus, Susan J.; Orr, Nick; Menon, Usha; Pearce, Celeste L.; Brüning, Thomas; Pike, Malcolm C.; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Lissowska, Jolanta; Figueroa, Jonine; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Chanock, Stephen J.; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Rzepecka, Iwona K.; Pylkäs, Katri; Bidzinski, Mariusz; Kauppila, Saila; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Seynaeve, Caroline; Tollenaar, Rob A. E. M.; Durda, Katarzyna; Jaworska, Katarzyna; Hartikainen, Jaana M.; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kataja, Vesa; Antonenkova, Natalia N.; Long, Jirong; Shrubsole, Martha; Deming-Halverson, Sandra; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Siriwanarangsan, Pornthep; Stewart-Brown, Sarah; Ditsch, Nina; Lichtner, Peter; Schmutzler, Rita K.; Ito, Hidemi; Iwata, Hiroji; Tajima, Kazuo; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; Stram, Daniel O.; van den Berg, David; Yip, Cheng Har; Ikram, M. Kamran; teh, Yew-Ching; Cai, Hui; Lu, Wei; Signorello, Lisa B.; Cai, Qiuyin; Noh, Dong-Young; Yoo, Keun-Young; Miao, Hui; Iau, Philip Tsau-Choong; teo, Yik Ying; McKay, James; Shapiro, Charles; Ademuyiwa, Foluso; Fountzilas, George; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Hou, Ming-Feng; Healey, Catherine S.; Luccarini, Craig; Peock, Susan; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; Peterlongo, Paolo; Rebbeck, Timothy R.; Piedmonte, Marion; Singer, Christian F.; Friedman, Eitan; Thomassen, Mads; Offit, Kenneth; Hansen, Thomas V. O.; Neuhausen, Susan L.; Szabo, Csilla I.; Blanco, Ignacio; Garber, Judy; Narod, Steven A.; Weitzel, Jeffrey N.; Montagna, Marco; Olah, Edith; Godwin, Andrew K.; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Goldgar, David E.; Caldes, Trinidad; Imyanitov, Evgeny N.; Tihomirova, Laima; Arun, Banu K.; Campbell, Ian; Mensenkamp, Arjen R.; van Asperen, Christi J.; van Roozendaal, Kees E. P.; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Collée, J. Margriet; Oosterwijk, Jan C.; Hooning, Maartje J.; Rookus, Matti A.; van der Luijt, Rob B.; Os, Theo A. Mvan; Evans, D. Gareth; Frost, Debra; Fineberg, Elena; Barwell, Julian; Walker, Lisa; Kennedy, M. John; Platte, Radka; Davidson, Rosemarie; Ellis, Steve D.; Cole, Trevor; Bressac-de Paillerets, Brigitte; Buecher, Bruno; Damiola, Francesca; Faivre, Laurence; Frenay, Marc; Sinilnikova, Olga M.; Caron, Olivier; Giraud, Sophie; Mazoyer, Sylvie; Bonadona, Valérie; Caux-Moncoutier, Virginie; Toloczko-Grabarek, Aleksandra; Gronwald, Jacek; Byrski, Tomasz; Spurdle, Amanda B.; Bonanni, Bernardo; Zaffaroni, Daniela; Giannini, Giuseppe; Bernard, Loris; Dolcetti, Riccardo; Manoukian, Siranoush; Arnold, Norbert; Engel, Christoph; Deissler, Helmut; Rhiem, Kerstin; Niederacher, Dieter; Plendl, Hansjoerg; Sutter, Christian; Wappenschmidt, Barbara; Borg, Ake; Melin, Beatrice; Rantala, Johanna; Soller, Maria; Nathanson, Katherine L.; Domchek, Susan M.; Rodriguez, Gustavo C.; Salani, Ritu; Kaulich, Daphne Gschwantler; tea, Muy-Kheng; Paluch, Shani Shimon; Laitman, Yael; Skytte, Anne-Bine; Kruse, Torben A.; Jensen, Uffe Birk; Robson, Mark; Gerdes, Anne-Marie; Ejlertsen, Bent; Foretova, Lenka; Savage, Sharon A.; Lester, Jenny; Soucy, Penny; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B.; Olswold, Curtis; Cunningham, Julie M.; Slager, Susan; Pankratz, Vernon S.; Dicks, Ed; Lakhani, Sunil R.; Couch, Fergus J.; Hall, Per; Monteiro, Alvaro N. A.; Gayther, Simon A.; Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Reddel, Roger R.; Goode, Ellen L.; Greene, Mark H.; Easton, Douglas F.; Berchuck, Andrew; Antoniou, Antonis C.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M.

    2013-01-01

    TERT-locus SNPs and leukocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the Illumina custom genotyping array iCOGs, we analyzed ∼480 SNPs at the TERT locus in breast (n = 103,991), ovarian (n = 39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (n = 11,705) cancer cases and

  9. Common variants at the CHEK2 gene locus and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lawrenson, Kate; Iversen, Edwin S; Tyrer, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    genes and EOC risk. We genotyped 2896 common variants at 143 gene loci in DNA samples from 15 397 patients with invasive EOC and controls. We found evidence of associations with EOC risk for variants at FANCA, EXO1, E2F4, E2F2, CREB5 and CHEK2 genes (P ≤ 0.001). The strongest risk association......, CHEK2 gene expression was significantly higher in primary EOCs compared to normal fallopian tube tissues (P = 3.72×10(-8)). We also identified an association between genotypes of the candidate causal SNP rs12166475 (r (2) = 0.99 with rs6005807) and CHEK2 expression (P = 2.70×10(-8)). These data suggest...... that common variants at 22q12.1 are associated with risk of serous EOC and CHEK2 as a plausible target susceptibility gene....

  10. A Single IGF1 Allele Is a Major Determinant of Small Size in Dogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, Nathan B.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Chase, Kevin; Gray, Melissa M.; Zhao, Keyan; Zhu, Lan; Padhukasahasram, Badri; Karlins, Eric; Davis, Sean; Jones, Paul G.; Quignon, Pascale; Johnson, Gary S.; Parker, Heidi G.; Fretwell, Neale; Mosher, Dana S.; Lawler, Dennis F.; Satyaraj, Ebenezer; Nordborg, Magnus; Lark, K. Gordon; Wayne, Robert K.; Ostrander, Elaine A.

    2009-01-01

    The domestic dog exhibits greater diversity in body size than any other terrestrial vertebrate. We used a strategy that exploits the breed structure of dogs to investigate the genetic basis of size. First, through a genome-wide scan, we identified a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 15 influencing size variation within a single breed. Second, we examined genetic variation in the 15-megabase interval surrounding the QTL in small and giant breeds and found marked evidence for a selective sweep spanning a single gene (IGF1), encoding insulin-like growth factor 1. A single IGF1 single-nucleotide polymorphism haplotype is common to all small breeds and nearly absent from giant breeds, suggesting that the same causal sequence variant is a major contributor to body size in all small dogs. PMID:17412960

  11. Bipolar disorder: Evidence for a major locus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spence, M.A.; Flodman, P.L. [Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States); Sadovnick, A.D.; Ameli, H. [Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)] [and others

    1995-10-09

    Complex segregation analyses were conducted on families of bipolar I and bipolar II probands to delineate the mode of inheritance. The probands were ascertained from consecutive referrals to the Mood Disorder Service, University Hospital, University of British Columbia and diagnosed by DSM-III-R and Research Diagnostic Criteria. Data were available on over 1,500 first-degree relatives of the 186 Caucasian probands. The purpose of the analyses was to determine if, after correcting for age and birth cohort, there was evidence for a single major locus. Five models were fit to the data using the statistical package SAGE: (1) dominant, (2) recessive, (3) arbitrary mendelian inheritance, (4) environmental, and (5) no major effects. A single dominant, mendelian major locus was the best fitting of these models for the sample of bipolar I and II probands when only bipolar relatives were defined as affected (polygenic inheritance could not be tested). Adding recurrent major depression to the diagnosis {open_quotes}affected{close_quotes} for relatives reduced the evidence for a major locus effect. Our findings support the undertaking of linkage studies and are consistent with the analyses of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) Collaborative Study data by Rice et al. and Blangero and Elston. 39 refs., 4 tabs.

  12. Chromosome 11q13.5 variant associated with childhood eczema: an effect supplementary to filaggrin mutations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Regan, Grainne M

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Atopic eczema is a common inflammatory skin disease with multifactorial etiology. The genetic basis is incompletely understood; however, loss of function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) are the most significant and widely replicated genetic risk factor reported to date. The first genome-wide association study in atopic eczema recently identified 2 novel genetic variants in association with eczema susceptibility: a single nucleotide polymorphism on chromosome 11q13.5 (rs7927894) and a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs877776) within the gene encoding hornerin on chromosome 1q21. OBJECTIVE: To test the association of these 2 novel variants with pediatric eczema and to investigate their interaction with FLG null mutations. METHODS: Case-control study to investigate the association of rs7927894, rs877776 and the 4 most prevalent FLG null mutations with moderate-severe eczema in 511 Irish pediatric cases and 1000 Irish controls. Comprehensive testing for interaction between each of the loci was also performed. RESULTS: The association between rs7927894 and atopic eczema was replicated in this population (P = .0025, chi(2) test; odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09-1.49). The 4 most common FLG null variants were strongly associated with atopic eczema (P = 1.26 x 10(-50); combined odds ratio, 5.81; 95% CI, 4.51-7.49). Interestingly, the rs7927894 association was independent of the well-established FLG risk alleles and may be multiplicative in its effect. There was no significant association between rs877776 and pediatric eczema in this study. CONCLUSION: Single nucleotide polymorphism rs7927894 appears to mark a genuine eczema susceptibility locus that will require further elucidation through fine mapping and functional analysis.

  13. Updates of the HbVar database of human hemoglobin variants and thalassemia mutations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    B. Giardine (Belinda); J. Borg (Joseph); E. Viennas (Emmanouil); C. Pavlidis (Cristiana); K. Moradkhani (Kamran); P. Joly (Philippe); M. Bartsakoulia (Marina); C. Riemer (Cathy); W. Miller (Webb); G. Tzimas (Giannis); H. Wajcman (Henri); R.C. Hardison (Ross); G.P. Patrinos (George)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractHbVar (http://globin.bx.psu.edu/hbvar) is one of the oldest and most appreciated locus-specific databases launched in 2001 by a multi-center academic effort to provide timely information on the genomic alterations leading to hemoglobin variants and all types of thalassemia and

  14. Identification of independent association signals and putative functional variants for breast cancer risk through fine-scale mapping of the 12p11 locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zeng, Chenjie; Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Multiple recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs10771399, at 12p11 that is associated with breast cancer risk. METHOD: We performed a fine-scale mapping study of a 700 kb region including 441 genotyped and more than 1300...... Asians, but none of the associations were statistically significant in African descendants. Multiple candidate functional variants are located in putative enhancer sequences. Chromatin interaction data suggested that PTHLH was the likely target gene of these enhancers. Of the six variants...... with the strongest evidence of potential functionality, rs11049453 was statistically significantly associated with the expression of PTHLH and its nearby gene CCDC91 at P 

  15. Evaluation of potential regulatory function of breast cancer risk locus at 6q25.1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yaqiong; Ye, Chuanzhong; Guo, Xingyi; Wen, Wanqing; Long, Jirong; Gao, Yu-Tang; Shu, Xiao Ou; Zheng, Wei; Cai, Qiuyin

    2016-02-01

    In a genome-wide association study conducted among Chinese women, we identified the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2046210 at 6q25.1 for breast cancer risk. To explore a potential regulatory role for this risk locus, we measured expression levels of nine genes at the locus in breast cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples obtained from 67 patients recruited in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. We found that rs2046210 had a statistically significant association with the expression levels of the AKAP12 and ESR1 genes in adjacent normal breast tissues. Women who carry the AA/AG risk genotypes had higher expressions of these two genes compared to those who carry G/G genotypes (P = 0.02 and 0.04 for the AKAP12 and ESR1, respectively). However, no significant differences of SNP rs2046210 with gene expression levels were found in tumor tissues. In The Cancer Genome Atlas samples, the AA/AG risk genotypes of SNP rs2046210 were associated with a significantly higher expression level of the AKAP12 gene and a lower level of the ESR1 gene in tumor tissue. Functional analysis using ENCODE data revealed that SNP rs7763637, which is in strong linkage disequilibrium with SNP rs2046210, is likely a potential functional variant, regulating the AKAP12 gene. Taken together, these results from our study suggest that the association between the 6q25.1 locus and breast cancer risk may be mediated through SNPs that regulate expressions of the AKAP12 gene. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Identification of a shared genetic susceptibility locus for coronary heart disease and periodontitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arne S Schaefer

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies indicate a mutual epidemiological relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD and periodontitis. Both diseases are associated with similar risk factors and are characterized by a chronic inflammatory process. In a candidate-gene association study, we identify an association of a genetic susceptibility locus shared by both diseases. We confirm the known association of two neighboring linkage disequilibrium regions on human chromosome 9p21.3 with CHD and show the additional strong association of these loci with the risk of aggressive periodontitis. For the lead SNP of the main associated linkage disequilibrium region, rs1333048, the odds ratio of the autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance is 1.99 (95% confidence interval 1.33-2.94; P = 6.9 x 10(-4 for generalized aggressive periodontitis, and 1.72 (1.06-2.76; P = 2.6 x 10(-2 for localized aggressive periodontitis. The two associated linkage disequilibrium regions map to the sequence of the large antisense noncoding RNA ANRIL, which partly overlaps regulatory and coding sequences of CDKN2A/CDKN2B. A closely located diabetes-associated variant was independent of the CHD and periodontitis risk haplotypes. Our study demonstrates that CHD and periodontitis are genetically related by at least one susceptibility locus, which is possibly involved in ANRIL activity and independent of diabetes associated risk variants within this region. Elucidation of the interplay of ANRIL transcript variants and their involvement in increased susceptibility to the interactive diseases CHD and periodontitis promises new insight into the underlying shared pathogenic mechanisms of these complex common diseases.

  17. Identification of a regulatory variant that binds FOXA1 and FOXA2 at the CDC123/CAMK1D type 2 diabetes GWAS locus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie P Fogarty

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Many of the type 2 diabetes loci identified through genome-wide association studies localize to non-protein-coding intronic and intergenic regions and likely contain variants that regulate gene transcription. The CDC123/CAMK1D type 2 diabetes association signal on chromosome 10 spans an intergenic region between CDC123 and CAMK1D and also overlaps the CDC123 3'UTR. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the association signal, we used open chromatin, histone modifications and transcription factor ChIP-seq data sets from type 2 diabetes-relevant cell types to identify SNPs overlapping predicted regulatory regions. Two regions containing type 2 diabetes-associated variants were tested for enhancer activity using luciferase reporter assays. One SNP, rs11257655, displayed allelic differences in transcriptional enhancer activity in 832/13 and MIN6 insulinoma cells as well as in human HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The rs11257655 risk allele T showed greater transcriptional activity than the non-risk allele C in all cell types tested. Using electromobility shift and supershift assays we demonstrated that the rs11257655 risk allele showed allele-specific binding to FOXA1 and FOXA2. We validated FOXA1 and FOXA2 enrichment at the rs11257655 risk allele using allele-specific ChIP in human islets. These results suggest that rs11257655 affects transcriptional activity through altered binding of a protein complex that includes FOXA1 and FOXA2, providing a potential molecular mechanism at this GWAS locus.

  18. Quantitative characterization of all single amino acid variants of a viral capsid-based drug delivery vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartman, Emily C; Jakobson, Christopher M; Favor, Andrew H; Lobba, Marco J; Álvarez-Benedicto, Ester; Francis, Matthew B; Tullman-Ercek, Danielle

    2018-04-11

    Self-assembling proteins are critical to biological systems and industrial technologies, but predicting how mutations affect self-assembly remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a technique, termed SyMAPS (Systematic Mutation and Assembled Particle Selection), that can be used to characterize the assembly competency of all single amino acid variants of a self-assembling viral structural protein. SyMAPS studies on the MS2 bacteriophage coat protein revealed a high-resolution fitness landscape that challenges some conventional assumptions of protein engineering. An additional round of selection identified a previously unknown variant (CP[T71H]) that is stable at neutral pH but less tolerant to acidic conditions than the wild-type coat protein. The capsids formed by this variant could be more amenable to disassembly in late endosomes or early lysosomes-a feature that is advantageous for delivery applications. In addition to providing a mutability blueprint for virus-like particles, SyMAPS can be readily applied to other self-assembling proteins.

  19. A silent allele in the locus D5S818 contained within the PowerPlex®21 PCR Amplification Kit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ling; Tai, Yunchun; Qiu, Pingming; Du, Weian; Liu, Chao

    2015-11-01

    Three paternity tests cases were found with a single locus mismatch at the locus D5S818 with PowerPlex®21 PCR Amplification Kit (Promega). Forward and reverse primers were redesigned to type the samples again and to evaluate if there were alleles dropped out. The results showed the existence of a silent allele 12 in all the three families, due to a point mutation that changed cytosine to adenine at 90 nucleotides upstream from the 5' end of the AGAT repeat sequences in all the six individuals. A single locus mismatch due to a silent allele may occur in any locus using any kit. Therefore, we recommend using multiple kits to confirm the results in paternity testing cases with mismatches, especially when there is a single locus mismatch with homozygote involved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Leveraging long read sequencing from a single individual to provide a comprehensive resource for benchmarking variant calling methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, John C; Tootoonchi Afshar, Pegah; Mohiyuddin, Marghoob; Chen, Xi; Li, Jian; Bani Asadi, Narges; Gerstein, Mark B; Wong, Wing H; Lam, Hugo Y K

    2015-09-28

    A high-confidence, comprehensive human variant set is critical in assessing accuracy of sequencing algorithms, which are crucial in precision medicine based on high-throughput sequencing. Although recent works have attempted to provide such a resource, they still do not encompass all major types of variants including structural variants (SVs). Thus, we leveraged the massive high-quality Sanger sequences from the HuRef genome to construct by far the most comprehensive gold set of a single individual, which was cross validated with deep Illumina sequencing, population datasets, and well-established algorithms. It was a necessary effort to completely reanalyze the HuRef genome as its previously published variants were mostly reported five years ago, suffering from compatibility, organization, and accuracy issues that prevent their direct use in benchmarking. Our extensive analysis and validation resulted in a gold set with high specificity and sensitivity. In contrast to the current gold sets of the NA12878 or HS1011 genomes, our gold set is the first that includes small variants, deletion SVs and insertion SVs up to a hundred thousand base-pairs. We demonstrate the utility of our HuRef gold set to benchmark several published SV detection tools.

  1. A Common Variant at the 14q32 Endometrial Cancer Risk Locus Activates AKT1 through YY1 Binding

    OpenAIRE

    Painter, Jodie N.; Kaufmann, Susanne; O’Mara, Tracy A.; Hillman, Kristine M.; Sivakumaran, Haran; Darabi, Hatef; Cheng, Timothy H.T.; Pearson, John; Kazakoff, Stephen; Waddell, Nicola; Hoivik, Erling A.; Goode, Ellen L.; Scott, Rodney J.; Tomlinson, Ian; Dunning, Alison M.

    2016-01-01

    A recent meta-analysis of multiple genome-wide association and follow-up endometrial cancer case-control datasets identified a novel genetic risk locus for this disease at chromosome 14q32.33. To prioritize the functional SNP(s) and target gene(s) at this locus we employed an in silico fine-mapping approach using genotyped and imputed SNP data for 6,608 endometrial cancer cases and 37,925 controls of European ancestry. Association and functional analyses provide evidence that the best candida...

  2. Fine-scale mapping of 8q24 locus identifies multiple independent risk variants for breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shi, Jiajun; Zhang, Yanfeng; Zheng, Wei

    2016-01-01

    public resources implied that SNPs rs7815245 in Signal 3, and rs1121948 in Signal 5 (in linkage disequilibrium with rs11780156, r(2)  = 0.77), were putatively functional variants for two of the five independent association signals. The results highlighted multiple 8q24 variants associated with breast...

  3. Detection of de novo single nucleotide variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors close to the hypocenter by whole-genome sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horai, Makiko; Mishima, Hiroyuki; Hayashida, Chisa; Kinoshita, Akira; Nakane, Yoshibumi; Matsuo, Tatsuki; Tsuruda, Kazuto; Yanagihara, Katsunori; Sato, Shinya; Imanishi, Daisuke; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Hata, Tomoko; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Yoshiura, Koh-Ichiro

    2018-03-01

    Ionizing radiation released by the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 caused many long-term illnesses, including increased risks of malignancies such as leukemia and solid tumours. Radiation has demonstrated genetic effects in animal models, leading to concerns over the potential hereditary effects of atomic bomb-related radiation. However, no direct analyses of whole DNA have yet been reported. We therefore investigated de novo variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We collected peripheral blood from three trios, each comprising a father (atomic-bomb survivor with acute radiation symptoms), a non-exposed mother, and their child, none of whom had any past history of haematological disorders. One trio of non-exposed individuals was included as a control. DNA was extracted and the numbers of de novo single nucleotide variants in the children were counted by WGS with sequencing confirmation. Gross structural variants were also analysed. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the study. There were 62, 81, and 42 de novo single nucleotide variants in the children of atomic-bomb survivors, compared with 48 in the control trio. There were no gross structural variants in any trio. These findings are in accord with previously published results that also showed no significant genetic effects of atomic-bomb radiation on second-generation survivors.

  4. Risk and protective genetic variants in suicidal behaviour: association with SLC1A2, SLC1A3, 5-HTR1B &NTRK2 polymorphisms.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Murphy, Therese M

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviour is known to aggregate in families. Patients with psychiatric disorders are at higher risk for suicide attempts (SA), however protective and risk genetic variants for suicide appear to be independent of underlying psychiatric disorders. Here we investigate genetic variants in genes important for neurobiological pathways linked to suicidal behaviour and\\/or associated endophenotypes, for association with SA among patients with co-existing psychiatric illness. Selected gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were also tested. METHODS: DNA was obtained from bloods of 159 patients (76 suicide attempters and 83 non-attempters), who were profiled for DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 candidate genes (COMT, 5-HT2A, 5-HT1A, 5-HTR1B, TPH1, MAO-A, TPH2, DBH, CNR1, BDNF, ABCG1, GABRA5, GABRG2, GABRB2, SLC1A2, SLC1A3, NTRK2, CRHR1) were genotyped. Genotyping was performed by KBioscience. Tests of association between genetic variants and SA were conducted using Chi squared and Armitage Trend tests. Binary logistical regression analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of individual genetic variants to the prediction of SA, and to examine SNPs for potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. RESULTS: Our analysis identified 4 SNPs (rs4755404, rs2269272, rs6296 and rs1659400), which showed evidence of association with SA compared to a non-attempter control group. We provide evidence of a 3-locus gene-gene interaction, and a putative gene-environment interaction, whereby genetic variation at the NTRK2 locus may moderate the risk associated with history of childhood abuse. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings suggest that allelic variability in SLC1A2\\/3, 5-HTR1B and NTRK2 may be relevant to the underlying diathesis for suicidal acts.

  5. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibar, Derrek P.; Stein, Jason L.; Renteria, Miguel E.; Arias-Vasquez, Alejandro; Desrivières, Sylvane; Jahanshad, Neda; Toro, Roberto; Wittfeld, Katharina; Abramovic, Lucija; Andersson, Micael; Aribisala, Benjamin S.; Armstrong, Nicola J.; Bernard, Manon; Bohlken, Marc M.; Boks, Marco P.; Bralten, Janita; Brown, Andrew A.; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Chen, Qiang; Ching, Christopher R. K.; Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; den Braber, Anouk; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Goldman, Aaron L.; Grimm, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Hass, Johanna; Woldehawariat, Girma; Holmes, Avram J.; Hoogman, Martine; Janowitz, Deborah; Jia, Tianye; Kim, Sungeun; Klein, Marieke; Kraemer, Bernd; Lee, Phil H.; Olde Loohuis, Loes M.; Luciano, Michelle; Macare, Christine; Mather, Karen A.; Mattheisen, Manuel; Milaneschi, Yuri; Nho, Kwangsik; Papmeyer, Martina; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Risacher, Shannon L.; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Rose, Emma J.; Salami, Alireza; Sämann, Philipp G.; Schmaal, Lianne; Schork, Andrew J.; Shin, Jean; Strike, Lachlan T.; Teumer, Alexander; van Donkelaar, Marjolein M. J.; van Eijk, Kristel R.; Walters, Raymond K.; Westlye, Lars T.; Whelan, Christopher D.; Winkler, Anderson M.; Zwiers, Marcel P.; Alhusaini, Saud; Athanasiu, Lavinia; Ehrlich, Stefan; Hakobjan, Marina M. H.; Hartberg, Cecilie B.; Haukvik, Unn K.; Heister, Angelien J. G. A. M.; Hoehn, David; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Liewald, David C. M.; Lopez, Lorna M.; Makkinje, Remco R. R.; Matarin, Mar; Naber, Marlies A. M.; McKay, D. Reese; Needham, Margaret; Nugent, Allison C.; Pütz, Benno; Royle, Natalie A.; Shen, Li; Sprooten, Emma; Trabzuni, Daniah; van der Marel, Saskia S. L.; van Hulzen, Kimm J. E.; Walton, Esther; Wolf, Christiane; Almasy, Laura; Ames, David; Arepalli, Sampath; Assareh, Amelia A.; Bastin, Mark E.; Brodaty, Henry; Bulayeva, Kazima B.; Carless, Melanie A.; Cichon, Sven; Corvin, Aiden; Curran, Joanne E.; Czisch, Michael; de Zubicaray, Greig I.; Dillman, Allissa; Duggirala, Ravi; Dyer, Thomas D.; Erk, Susanne; Fedko, Iryna O.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Fox, Peter T.; Fukunaga, Masaki; Gibbs, J. Raphael; Göring, Harald H. H.; Green, Robert C.; Guelfi, Sebastian; Hansell, Narelle K.; Hartman, Catharina A.; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hernandez, Dena G.; Heslenfeld, Dirk J.; Hoekstra, Pieter J.; Holsboer, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Ikeda, Masashi; Jack, Clifford R.; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnson, Robert; Kanai, Ryota; Keil, Maria; Kent, Jack W.; Kochunov, Peter; Kwok, John B.; Lawrie, Stephen M.; Liu, Xinmin; Longo, Dan L.; McMahon, Katie L.; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W.; Mostert, Jeanette C.; Mühleisen, Thomas W.; Nalls, Michael A.; Nichols, Thomas E.; Nilsson, Lars G.; Nöthen, Markus M.; Ohi, Kazutaka; Olvera, Rene L.; Perez-Iglesias, Rocio; Pike, G. Bruce; Potkin, Steven G.; Reinvang, Ivar; Reppermund, Simone; Rietschel, Marcella; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rosen, Glenn D.; Rujescu, Dan; Schnell, Knut; Schofield, Peter R.; Smith, Colin; Steen, Vidar M.; Sussmann, Jessika E.; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Toga, Arthur W.; Traynor, Bryan J.; Troncoso, Juan; Turner, Jessica A.; Valdés Hernández, Maria C.; van ’t Ent, Dennis; van der Brug, Marcel; van der Wee, Nic J. A.; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Veltman, Dick J.; Wassink, Thomas H.; Westman, Eric; Zielke, Ronald H.; Zonderman, Alan B.; Ashbrook, David G.; Hager, Reinmar; Lu, Lu; McMahon, Francis J.; Morris, Derek W.; Williams, Robert W.; Brunner, Han G.; Buckner, Randy L.; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Cahn, Wiepke; Calhoun, Vince D.; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L.; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Dale, Anders M.; Davies, Gareth E.; Delanty, Norman; Depondt, Chantal; Djurovic, Srdjan; Drevets, Wayne C.; Espeseth, Thomas; Gollub, Randy L.; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Hosten, Norbert; Kahn, René S.; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Nauck, Matthias; Nyberg, Lars; Pandolfo, Massimo; Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.; Roffman, Joshua L.; Sisodiya, Sanjay M.; Smoller, Jordan W.; van Bokhoven, Hans; van Haren, Neeltje E. M.; Völzke, Henry; Walter, Henrik; Weiner, Michael W.; Wen, Wei; White, Tonya; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A.; Blangero, John; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Brouwer, Rachel M.; Cannon, Dara M.; Cookson, Mark R.; de Geus, Eco J. C.; Deary, Ian J.; Donohoe, Gary; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E.; Francks, Clyde; Glahn, David C.; Grabe, Hans J.; Gruber, Oliver; Hardy, John; Hashimoto, Ryota; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E.; Jönsson, Erik G.; Kloszewska, Iwona; Lovestone, Simon; Mattay, Venkata S.; Mecocci, Patrizia; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M.; Ophoff, Roel A.; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Simmons, Andy; Singleton, Andrew; Soininen, Hilkka; Wardlaw, Joanna M.; Weale, Michael E.; Weinberger, Daniel R.; Adams, Hieab H. H.; Launer, Lenore J.; Seiler, Stephan; Schmidt, Reinhold; Chauhan, Ganesh; Satizabal, Claudia L.; Becker, James T.; Yanek, Lisa; van der Lee, Sven J.; Ebling, Maritza; Fischl, Bruce; Longstreth, W. T.; Greve, Douglas; Schmidt, Helena; Nyquist, Paul; Vinke, Louis N.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Xue, Luting; Mazoyer, Bernard; Bis, Joshua C.; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Seshadri, Sudha; Ikram, M. Arfan; Martin, Nicholas G.; Wright, Margaret J.; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Thompson, Paul M.; Medland, Sarah E.

    2015-01-01

    The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences1. Subcortical brain regions form circuits with cortical areas to coordinate movement2, learning, memory3 and motivation4, and altered circuits can lead to abnormal behaviour and disease2. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, here we conduct genome-wide association studies of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and the intracranial volume derived from magnetic resonance images of 30,717 individuals from 50 cohorts. We identify five novel genetic variants influencing the volumes of the putamen and caudate nucleus. We also find stronger evidence for three loci with previously established influences on hippocampal volume5 and intracranial volume6. These variants show specific volumetric effects on brain structures rather than global effects across structures. The strongest effects were found for the putamen, where a novel intergenic locus with replicable influence on volume (rs945270; P = 1.08 × 10−33; 0.52% variance explained) showed evidence of altering the expression of the KTN1 gene in both brain and blood tissue. Variants influencing putamen volume clustered near developmental genes that regulate apoptosis, axon guidance and vesicle transport. Identification of these genetic variants provides insight into the causes of variability inhuman brain development, and may help to determine mechanisms of neuropsychiatric dysfunction. PMID:25607358

  6. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibar, Derrek P; Stein, Jason L; Renteria, Miguel E; Arias-Vasquez, Alejandro; Desrivières, Sylvane; Jahanshad, Neda; Toro, Roberto; Wittfeld, Katharina; Abramovic, Lucija; Andersson, Micael; Aribisala, Benjamin S; Armstrong, Nicola J; Bernard, Manon; Bohlken, Marc M; Boks, Marco P; Bralten, Janita; Brown, Andrew A; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Chen, Qiang; Ching, Christopher R K; Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; den Braber, Anouk; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Goldman, Aaron L; Grimm, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Hass, Johanna; Woldehawariat, Girma; Holmes, Avram J; Hoogman, Martine; Janowitz, Deborah; Jia, Tianye; Kim, Sungeun; Klein, Marieke; Kraemer, Bernd; Lee, Phil H; Olde Loohuis, Loes M; Luciano, Michelle; Macare, Christine; Mather, Karen A; Mattheisen, Manuel; Milaneschi, Yuri; Nho, Kwangsik; Papmeyer, Martina; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Risacher, Shannon L; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Rose, Emma J; Salami, Alireza; Sämann, Philipp G; Schmaal, Lianne; Schork, Andrew J; Shin, Jean; Strike, Lachlan T; Teumer, Alexander; van Donkelaar, Marjolein M J; van Eijk, Kristel R; Walters, Raymond K; Westlye, Lars T; Whelan, Christopher D; Winkler, Anderson M; Zwiers, Marcel P; Alhusaini, Saud; Athanasiu, Lavinia; Ehrlich, Stefan; Hakobjan, Marina M H; Hartberg, Cecilie B; Haukvik, Unn K; Heister, Angelien J G A M; Hoehn, David; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Liewald, David C M; Lopez, Lorna M; Makkinje, Remco R R; Matarin, Mar; Naber, Marlies A M; McKay, D Reese; Needham, Margaret; Nugent, Allison C; Pütz, Benno; Royle, Natalie A; Shen, Li; Sprooten, Emma; Trabzuni, Daniah; van der Marel, Saskia S L; van Hulzen, Kimm J E; Walton, Esther; Wolf, Christiane; Almasy, Laura; Ames, David; Arepalli, Sampath; Assareh, Amelia A; Bastin, Mark E; Brodaty, Henry; Bulayeva, Kazima B; Carless, Melanie A; Cichon, Sven; Corvin, Aiden; Curran, Joanne E; Czisch, Michael; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Dillman, Allissa; Duggirala, Ravi; Dyer, Thomas D; Erk, Susanne; Fedko, Iryna O; Ferrucci, Luigi; Foroud, Tatiana M; Fox, Peter T; Fukunaga, Masaki; Gibbs, J Raphael; Göring, Harald H H; Green, Robert C; Guelfi, Sebastian; Hansell, Narelle K; Hartman, Catharina A; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hernandez, Dena G; Heslenfeld, Dirk J; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Holsboer, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Ikeda, Masashi; Jack, Clifford R; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnson, Robert; Kanai, Ryota; Keil, Maria; Kent, Jack W; Kochunov, Peter; Kwok, John B; Lawrie, Stephen M; Liu, Xinmin; Longo, Dan L; McMahon, Katie L; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W; Mostert, Jeanette C; Mühleisen, Thomas W; Nalls, Michael A; Nichols, Thomas E; Nilsson, Lars G; Nöthen, Markus M; Ohi, Kazutaka; Olvera, Rene L; Perez-Iglesias, Rocio; Pike, G Bruce; Potkin, Steven G; Reinvang, Ivar; Reppermund, Simone; Rietschel, Marcella; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rosen, Glenn D; Rujescu, Dan; Schnell, Knut; Schofield, Peter R; Smith, Colin; Steen, Vidar M; Sussmann, Jessika E; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Toga, Arthur W; Traynor, Bryan J; Troncoso, Juan; Turner, Jessica A; Valdés Hernández, Maria C; van 't Ent, Dennis; van der Brug, Marcel; van der Wee, Nic J A; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Veltman, Dick J; Wassink, Thomas H; Westman, Eric; Zielke, Ronald H; Zonderman, Alan B; Ashbrook, David G; Hager, Reinmar; Lu, Lu; McMahon, Francis J; Morris, Derek W; Williams, Robert W; Brunner, Han G; Buckner, Randy L; Buitelaar, Jan K; Cahn, Wiepke; Calhoun, Vince D; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Dale, Anders M; Davies, Gareth E; Delanty, Norman; Depondt, Chantal; Djurovic, Srdjan; Drevets, Wayne C; Espeseth, Thomas; Gollub, Randy L; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Hosten, Norbert; Kahn, René S; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Nauck, Matthias; Nyberg, Lars; Pandolfo, Massimo; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Roffman, Joshua L; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Smoller, Jordan W; van Bokhoven, Hans; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Völzke, Henry; Walter, Henrik; Weiner, Michael W; Wen, Wei; White, Tonya; Agartz, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A; Blangero, John; Boomsma, Dorret I; Brouwer, Rachel M; Cannon, Dara M; Cookson, Mark R; de Geus, Eco J C; Deary, Ian J; Donohoe, Gary; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E; Francks, Clyde; Glahn, David C; Grabe, Hans J; Gruber, Oliver; Hardy, John; Hashimoto, Ryota; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Jönsson, Erik G; Kloszewska, Iwona; Lovestone, Simon; Mattay, Venkata S; Mecocci, Patrizia; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M; Ophoff, Roel A; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S; Saykin, Andrew J; Simmons, Andy; Singleton, Andrew; Soininen, Hilkka; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Weale, Michael E; Weinberger, Daniel R; Adams, Hieab H H; Launer, Lenore J; Seiler, Stephan; Schmidt, Reinhold; Chauhan, Ganesh; Satizabal, Claudia L; Becker, James T; Yanek, Lisa; van der Lee, Sven J; Ebling, Maritza; Fischl, Bruce; Longstreth, W T; Greve, Douglas; Schmidt, Helena; Nyquist, Paul; Vinke, Louis N; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Xue, Luting; Mazoyer, Bernard; Bis, Joshua C; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Seshadri, Sudha; Ikram, M Arfan; Martin, Nicholas G; Wright, Margaret J; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Thompson, Paul M; Medland, Sarah E

    2015-04-09

    The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences. Subcortical brain regions form circuits with cortical areas to coordinate movement, learning, memory and motivation, and altered circuits can lead to abnormal behaviour and disease. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, here we conduct genome-wide association studies of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and the intracranial volume derived from magnetic resonance images of 30,717 individuals from 50 cohorts. We identify five novel genetic variants influencing the volumes of the putamen and caudate nucleus. We also find stronger evidence for three loci with previously established influences on hippocampal volume and intracranial volume. These variants show specific volumetric effects on brain structures rather than global effects across structures. The strongest effects were found for the putamen, where a novel intergenic locus with replicable influence on volume (rs945270; P = 1.08 × 10(-33); 0.52% variance explained) showed evidence of altering the expression of the KTN1 gene in both brain and blood tissue. Variants influencing putamen volume clustered near developmental genes that regulate apoptosis, axon guidance and vesicle transport. Identification of these genetic variants provides insight into the causes of variability in human brain development, and may help to determine mechanisms of neuropsychiatric dysfunction.

  7. Breast cancer risk variants at 6q25 display different phenotype associations and regulate ESR1, RMND1 and CCDC170

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dunning, Alison M; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B

    2016-01-01

    We analyzed 3,872 common genetic variants across the ESR1 locus (encoding estrogen receptor α) in 118,816 subjects from three international consortia. We found evidence for at least five independent causal variants, each associated with different phenotype sets, including estrogen receptor (ER(+)...

  8. Genetic variants alter T-bet binding and gene expression in mucosal inflammatory disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrina Soderquest

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The polarization of CD4+ T cells into distinct T helper cell lineages is essential for protective immunity against infection, but aberrant T cell polarization can cause autoimmunity. The transcription factor T-bet (TBX21 specifies the Th1 lineage and represses alternative T cell fates. Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs that may be causative for autoimmune diseases. The majority of these polymorphisms are located within non-coding distal regulatory elements. It is considered that these genetic variants contribute to disease by altering the binding of regulatory proteins and thus gene expression, but whether these variants alter the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors has not been determined. Here, we show that SNPs associated with the mucosal inflammatory diseases Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis (UC and celiac disease, but not rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, are enriched at T-bet binding sites. Furthermore, we identify disease-associated variants that alter T-bet binding in vitro and in vivo. ChIP-seq for T-bet in individuals heterozygous for the celiac disease-associated SNPs rs1465321 and rs2058622 and the IBD-associated SNPs rs1551398 and rs1551399, reveals decreased binding to the minor disease-associated alleles. Furthermore, we show that rs1465321 is an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL for the neighboring gene IL18RAP, with decreased T-bet binding associated with decreased expression of this gene. These results suggest that genetic polymorphisms may predispose individuals to mucosal autoimmune disease through alterations in T-bet binding. Other disease-associated variants may similarly act by modulating the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors in a tissue-selective and disease-specific manner.

  9. [Intra- and interspecific polymorphism of (AAT)n in microsatellite locus du47D in parthenogenetic species of the genus Darevskia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korchagin, V I; Vergun, A A; Godakova, S A; Tokarskaia, O N

    2013-03-01

    The molecular structure of the allelic variants of (AAT)n of the Du47D microsatellite locus was determined in parthenogenetic lizards Darevskia dahli, D. armeniaca, and D. rostombekovi. Comparative analysis of these alleles showed that they were characterized by perfect structure of microsatellite cluster, and were different in the number of (AAT) monomeric units, as well as in the combinations of species-specific substitutions and deletions in the microsatellite flanking regions. Molecular structure of microsatellite cluster, species-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and different representation of alleles Du47 in the samples of parthenogenetic species examined point to the origin of the alleles from different bisexual species, which is consistent with the hybrid nature of unisexual species of the genus Darevskia. In addition, these data reflect different combination patterns of interspecific hybridization events with the participation of the same bisexual species upon the formation of hybrid genomes of parthenogenetic species. Possible application of the allelic variants of microsatellite loci of parthenogenetic lizards as the genetic markers for the analysis of the genomes of parthenogenetic species in the light of evolution, ecology, and parthenogenetic type of reproduction in vertebrates is discussed.

  10. Distribution of Bartonella henselae Variants in Patients, Reservoir Hosts and Vectors in Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil, Horacio; Escudero, Raquel; Pons, Inmaculada; Rodríguez-Vargas, Manuela; García-Esteban, Coral; Rodríguez-Moreno, Isabel; García-Amil, Cristina; Lobo, Bruno; Valcárcel, Félix; Pérez, Azucena; Jiménez, Santos; Jado, Isabel; Juste, Ramón; Segura, Ferrán; Anda, Pedro

    2013-01-01

    We have studied the diversity of B. henselae circulating in patients, reservoir hosts and vectors in Spain. In total, we have fully characterized 53 clinical samples from 46 patients, as well as 78 B. henselae isolates obtained from 35 cats from La Rioja and Catalonia (northeastern Spain), four positive cat blood samples from which no isolates were obtained, and three positive fleas by Multiple Locus Sequence Typing and Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeats Analysis. This study represents the largest series of human cases characterized with these methods, with 10 different sequence types and 41 MLVA profiles. Two of the sequence types and 35 of the profiles were not described previously. Most of the B. henselae variants belonged to ST5. Also, we have identified a common profile (72) which is well distributed in Spain and was found to persist over time. Indeed, this profile seems to be the origin from which most of the variants identified in this study have been generated. In addition, ST5, ST6 and ST9 were found associated with felines, whereas ST1, ST5 and ST8 were the most frequent sequence types found infecting humans. Interestingly, some of the feline associated variants never found on patients were located in a separate clade, which could represent a group of strains less pathogenic for humans. PMID:23874563

  11. Calling genotypes from public RNA-sequencing data enables identification of genetic variants that affect gene-expression levels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deelen, Patrick; Zhernakova, Daria V.; de Haan, Mark; van der Sijde, Marijke; Bonder, Marc Jan; Karjalainen, Juha; van der Velde, K. Joeri; Abbott, Kristin M.; Fu, Jingyuan; Wijmenga, Cisca; Sinke, Richard J.; Swertz, Morris A.; Franke, Lude

    2015-01-01

    Background: RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is a powerful technique for the identification of genetic variants that affect gene-expression levels, either through expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping or through allele-specific expression (ASE) analysis. Given increasing numbers of RNA-seq

  12. The LOCUS interface to the MFE database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miner, W.H. Jr.

    1991-01-01

    The MFE database now consists of over 900 shots from TFTR, PDX, PLT, T-10, JT-60, TEXT, JET and ASDEX. A variety of discharge conditions is represented, ranging from single time slice Ohmic discharges to multiple time-slice auxiliary heated discharges. Included with most datasets is a reference that describes the experiment being performed when the data was taken. The MFE database is currently implemented under INGRES on a VAX that is on Internet. LOCUS, a database utility, developed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is now available as an interface to the database. The LOCUS front end provides a graphic interface to the database from any generic graphics terminal that supports Tektronix 4010 emulation. It provides a variety of procedures for extracting, manipulating and graphing data from the MFE database. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the LOCUS interface, the authors examine, in detail, one of the recently added JET, H-mode discharges. In this example, they address some new concepts such as monitor functions, which have been introduced in order to help users more fully understand the multiple time-slice datasets. They also describe some of the more advanced techniques available in LOCUS for data access and manipulation. Specific areas of interest that are discussed are searching for and retrieving datasets, graphics, data fitting, and linear regression analysis

  13. Lack of Association between SLC30A8 Variants and Type 2 Diabetes in Mexican American Families

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hemant Kulkarni

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available SLC30A8 encodes zinc transporter 8 which is involved in packaging and release of insulin. Evidence for the association of SLC30A8 variants with type 2 diabetes (T2D is inconclusive. We interrogated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs around SLC30A8 for association with T2D in high-risk, pedigreed individuals from extended Mexican American families. This study of 118 SNPs within 50 kb of the SLC30A8 locus tested the association with eight T2D-related traits at four levels: (i each SNP using measured genotype approach (MGA; (ii interaction of SNPs with age and sex; (iii combinations of SNPs using Bayesian Quantitative Trait Nucleotide (BQTN analyses; and (iv entire gene locus using the gene burden test. Only one SNP (rs7817754 was significantly associated with incident T2D but a summary statistic based on all T2D-related traits identified 11 novel SNPs. Three SNPs and one SNP were weakly but interactively associated with age and sex, respectively. BQTN analyses could not demonstrate any informative combination of SNPs over MGA. Lastly, gene burden test results showed that at best the SLC30A8 locus could account for only 1-2% of the variability in T2D-related traits. Our results indicate a lack of association of the SLC30A8 SNPs with T2D in Mexican American families.

  14. Screening for single nucleotide variants, small indels and exon deletions with a next-generation sequencing based gene panel approach for Usher syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krawitz, Peter M; Schiska, Daniela; Krüger, Ulrike; Appelt, Sandra; Heinrich, Verena; Parkhomchuk, Dmitri; Timmermann, Bernd; Millan, Jose M; Robinson, Peter N; Mundlos, Stefan; Hecht, Jochen; Gross, Manfred

    2014-09-01

    Usher syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized both by deafness and blindness. For the three clinical subtypes of Usher syndrome causal mutations in altogether 12 genes and a modifier gene have been identified. Due to the genetic heterogeneity of Usher syndrome, the molecular analysis is predestined for a comprehensive and parallelized analysis of all known genes by next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. We describe here the targeted enrichment and deep sequencing for exons of Usher genes and compare the costs and workload of this approach compared to Sanger sequencing. We also present a bioinformatics analysis pipeline that allows us to detect single-nucleotide variants, short insertions and deletions, as well as copy number variations of one or more exons on the same sequence data. Additionally, we present a flexible in silico gene panel for the analysis of sequence variants, in which newly identified genes can easily be included. We applied this approach to a cohort of 44 Usher patients and detected biallelic pathogenic mutations in 35 individuals and monoallelic mutations in eight individuals of our cohort. Thirty-nine of the sequence variants, including two heterozygous deletions comprising several exons of USH2A, have not been reported so far. Our NGS-based approach allowed us to assess single-nucleotide variants, small indels, and whole exon deletions in a single test. The described diagnostic approach is fast and cost-effective with a high molecular diagnostic yield.

  15. A Novel Heme Pocket Hemoglobin Variant Associated with Normal Hematology: Hb Zara or α91(FG3)Leu→Ile (α2) (HBA2: c.274C > A).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trova, Sandro; Mereu, Paolo; Decandia, Luca; Cocco, Elena; Masala, Bruno; Manca, Laura; Pirastru, Monica

    2015-08-13

    We report a new hemoglobin (Hb) variant on the HBA2 gene, Hb Zara [α91(FG3)Leu→Ile (α2); HBA2: c.274C > A], which was found in a Caucasian man from Croatia. It was observed by routine cation exchange chromatography as an abnormal 21.8% fraction overlapping Hb A 2 , and associated with normal hematology. It was slightly unstable by the standard isopropanol precipitation test. DNA analysis revealed the CTT > ATT mutation at codon 91 on an α2 gene of a normal α-globin gene arrangement. This new variant represents the sixth described mutation at codon α91 and fourth on the α2 locus. As a result of the slight instability due to the significant role of the α91 residue in the α1β2 contact, the level of the Hb Zara variant was lower than levels observed for several stable variants codified by the α2 locus.

  16. Nonrandom Distribution of miRNAs Genes and Single Nucleotide Variants in Keratoconus Loci.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorota M Nowak

    Full Text Available Despite numerous studies, the causes of both development and progression of keratoconus remain elusive. Previous studies of this disorder focused mainly on one or two genetic factors only. However, in the analysis of such complex diseases all potential factors should be taken into consideration. The purpose of this study was a comprehensive analysis of known keratoconus loci to uncover genetic factors involved in this disease causation in the general population, which could be omitted in the original studies. In this investigation genomic data available in various databases and experimental own data were assessed. The lists of single nucleotide variants and miRNA genes localized in reported keratoconus loci were obtained from Ensembl and miRBase, respectively. The potential impact of nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions on protein structure and function was assessed with PolyPhen-2 and SIFT. For selected protein genes the ranking was made to choose those most promising for keratoconus development. Ranking results were based on topological features in the protein-protein interaction network. High specificity for the populations in which the causative sequence variants have been identified was found. In addition, the possibility of links between previously analyzed keratoconus loci was confirmed including miRNA-gene interactions. Identified number of genes associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory agents corroborated the hypothesis of their effect on the disease etiology. Distribution of the numerous sequences variants within both exons and mature miRNA which forces you to search for a broader look at the determinants of keratoconus. Our findings highlight the complexity of the keratoconus genetics.

  17. Novel identification of the IRF7 region as an anticentromere autoantibody propensity locus in systemic sclerosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmona, F David; Gutala, Ramana; Simeón, Carmen P; Carreira, Patricia; Ortego-Centeno, Norberto; Vicente-Rabaneda, Esther; García-Hernández, Francisco J; de la Peña, Paloma García; Fernández-Castro, Mónica; Martínez-Estupiñán, Lina; Egurbide, María Victoria; Tsao, Betty P; Gourh, Pravitt; Agarwal, Sandeep K; Assassi, Shervin; Mayes, Maureen D; Arnett, Frank C; Tan, Filemon K; Martín, Javier

    2012-01-01

    Objective Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are related chronic autoimmune diseases of complex aetiology in which the interferon (IFN) pathway plays a key role. Recent studies have reported an association between IRF7 and SLE which confers a risk to autoantibody production. A study was undertaken to investigate whether the IRF7 genomic region is also involved in susceptibility to SSc and the main clinical features. Methods Two case-control sets of Caucasian origin from the USA and Spain, comprising a total of 2316 cases of SSc and 2347 healthy controls, were included in the study. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PHRF1-IRF7-CDHR5 locus were genotyped using TaqMan allelic discrimination technology. A meta-analysis was performed to test the overall effect of these genetic variants on SSc. Results Four out of five analysed SNPs were Significantly associated with the presence of anticentromere autoantibodies (ACA) in the patients with SSc in the combined analysis (rs1131665: pFDR=6.14 × 10−4, OR=0.78; rs4963128: pFDR=6.14 × 10−4, OR=0.79; rs702966: pFDR=3.83 × 10−3, OR=0.82; and rs2246614: pFDR=3.83 × 10−3, OR=0.83). Significant p values were also obtained when the disease was tested globally; however, the statistical significance was lost when the ACA-positive patients were excluded from the study, suggesting that these associations rely on ACA positivity. Conditional logistic regression and allelic combination analyses suggested that the functional IRF7 SNP rs1131665 is the most likely causal variant. Conclusions The results show that variation in the IRF7 genomic region is associated with the presence of ACA in patients with SSc, supporting other evidence that this locus represents a common risk factor for autoantibody production in autoimmune diseases. PMID:21926187

  18. Identification of rs671, a common variant of ALDH2, as a gout susceptibility locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakiyama, Masayuki; Matsuo, Hirotaka; Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Yamamoto, Ken; Nakayama, Akiyoshi; Nakamura, Takahiro; Kawai, Sayo; Okada, Rieko; Ooyama, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Toru; Shinomiya, Nariyoshi

    2016-05-16

    Gout is a common disease resulting from hyperuricemia. Recently, a genome-wide association study identified an association between gout and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2188380, located on an intergenic region between MYL2 and CUX2 on chromosome 12. However, other genes around rs2188380 could possibly be gout susceptibility genes. Therefore, we performed a fine-mapping study of the MYL2-CUX2 region. From 8,595 SNPs in the MYL2-CUX2 region, 9 tag SNPs were selected, and genotyping of 1,048 male gout patients and 1,334 male controls was performed by TaqMan method. Eight SNPs showed significant associations with gout after Bonferroni correction. rs671 (Glu504Lys) of ALDH2 had the most significant association with gout (P = 1.7 × 10(-18), odds ratio = 0.53). After adjustment for rs671, the other 8 SNPs no longer showed a significant association with gout, while the significant association of rs671 remained. rs671 has been reportedly associated with alcohol drinking behavior, and it is well-known that alcohol drinking elevates serum uric acid levels. These data suggest that rs671, a common functional SNP of ALDH2, is a genuine gout-associated SNP in the MYL2-CUX2 locus and that "A" allele (Lys) of rs671 plays a protective role in the development of gout.

  19. Fine-scale mapping of the 4q24 locus identifies two independent loci associated with breast cancer risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong; Zeng, Chenjie; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Milne, Roger L; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Cai, Qiuyin; Beesley, Jonathan; Kar, Siddhartha P; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Blot, William; Bogdanova, Natalia; Bojesen, Stig E; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Brinton, Louise; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Hui; Canisius, Sander; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Darabi, Hatef; Devilee, Peter; Droit, Arnaud; Dörk, Thilo; Fasching, Peter A; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gaborieau, Valerie; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G; Grip, Mervi; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A; Hamann, Ute; Hartman, Mikael; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hopper, John L; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnson, Nichola; Kabisch, Maria; Kang, Daehee; Khan, Sofia; Knight, Julia A; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Lambrechts, Diether; Le Marchand, Loic; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Matsuo, Keitaro; McLean, Catriona A; Meindl, Alfons; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Nord, Silje; Olson, Janet E; Orr, Nick; Peterlongo, Paolo; Putti, Thomas Choudary; Rudolph, Anja; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schmutzler, Rita K; Shen, Chen-Yang; Shi, Jiajun; Shrubsole, Martha J; Southey, Melissa C; Swerdlow, Anthony; Teo, Soo Hwang; Thienpont, Bernard; Toland, Amanda Ewart; Tollenaar, Robert A E M; Tomlinson, Ian P M; Truong, Thérèse; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; van den Ouweland, Ans; Wen, Wanqing; Winqvist, Robert; Wu, Anna; Yip, Cheng Har; Zamora, M Pilar; Zheng, Ying; Hall, Per; Pharoah, Paul D P; Simard, Jacques; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M; Easton, Douglas F; Zheng, Wei

    2015-11-01

    A recent association study identified a common variant (rs9790517) at 4q24 to be associated with breast cancer risk. Independent association signals and potential functional variants in this locus have not been explored. We conducted a fine-mapping analysis in 55,540 breast cancer cases and 51,168 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Conditional analyses identified two independent association signals among women of European ancestry, represented by rs9790517 [conditional P = 2.51 × 10(-4); OR, 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.07] and rs77928427 (P = 1.86 × 10(-4); OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07). Functional annotation using data from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project revealed two putative functional variants, rs62331150 and rs73838678 in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs9790517 (r(2) ≥ 0.90) residing in the active promoter or enhancer, respectively, of the nearest gene, TET2. Both variants are located in DNase I hypersensitivity and transcription factor-binding sites. Using data from both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC), we showed that rs62331150 was associated with level of expression of TET2 in breast normal and tumor tissue. Our study identified two independent association signals at 4q24 in relation to breast cancer risk and suggested that observed association in this locus may be mediated through the regulation of TET2. Fine-mapping study with large sample size warranted for identification of independent loci for breast cancer risk. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  20. Association studies of novel obesity-related gene variants with quantitative metabolic phenotypes in a population-based sample of 6,039 Danish individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burgdorf, K S; Gjesing, A P; Grarup, N

    2012-01-01

    .0011) using the HOMA-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and a 2.2% reduction (p = 0.0014) with the Matsuda index. Of the variants associated with WHR, LYPLAL1/SLC30A10 rs4846567 G allele carriers showed a 5.2% lower HOMA-IR (p = 0.00086) in women, indicating improved insulin sensitivity. Female carriers...... of the VEGFA rs6905288 A allele were insulin resistant, with a 3.7% increase in HOMA-IR (p = 0.00036) and 4.0% decrease in Matsuda index (p = 2 x 10(-4)). Our correlative findings from analysing single-locus data suggest that some variation in validated BMI and WHR loci are associated with either increased...

  1. Genome-wide association study for type 2 diabetes in Indians identifies a new susceptibility locus at 2q21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabassum, Rubina; Chauhan, Ganesh; Dwivedi, Om Prakash; Mahajan, Anubha; Jaiswal, Alok; Kaur, Ismeet; Bandesh, Khushdeep; Singh, Tejbir; Mathai, Benan John; Pandey, Yogesh; Chidambaram, Manickam; Sharma, Amitabh; Chavali, Sreenivas; Sengupta, Shantanu; Ramakrishnan, Lakshmi; Venkatesh, Pradeep; Aggarwal, Sanjay K; Ghosh, Saurabh; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Srinath, Reddy K; Saxena, Madhukar; Banerjee, Monisha; Mathur, Sandeep; Bhansali, Anil; Shah, Viral N; Madhu, Sri Venkata; Marwaha, Raman K; Basu, Analabha; Scaria, Vinod; McCarthy, Mark I; Venkatesan, Radha; Mohan, Viswanathan; Tandon, Nikhil; Bharadwaj, Dwaipayan

    2013-03-01

    Indians undergoing socioeconomic and lifestyle transitions will be maximally affected by epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of T2D in 12,535 Indians, a less explored but high-risk group. We identified a new type 2 diabetes-associated locus at 2q21, with the lead signal being rs6723108 (odds ratio 1.31; P = 3.32 × 10⁻⁹). Imputation analysis refined the signal to rs998451 (odds ratio 1.56; P = 6.3 × 10⁻¹²) within TMEM163 that encodes a probable vesicular transporter in nerve terminals. TMEM163 variants also showed association with decreased fasting plasma insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, indicating a plausible effect through impaired insulin secretion. The 2q21 region also harbors RAB3GAP1 and ACMSD; those are involved in neurologic disorders. Forty-nine of 56 previously reported signals showed consistency in direction with similar effect sizes in Indians and previous studies, and 25 of them were also associated (P < 0.05). Known loci and the newly identified 2q21 locus altogether explained 7.65% variance in the risk of T2D in Indians. Our study suggests that common susceptibility variants for T2D are largely the same across populations, but also reveals a population-specific locus and provides further insights into genetic architecture and etiology of T2D.

  2. Genetic analysis of the claret locus of Drosophila melanogaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sequeira, W.; Nelson, C.R.; Szauter, P.

    1989-01-01

    The claret (ca) locus of Drosophila melanogaster comprises two separately mutable domains, one responsible for eye color and one responsible for proper disjunction of chromosomes in meiosis and early cleavage divisions. Previously isolated alleles are of three types: (1) alleles of the claret (ca) type that affect eye color only, (2) alleles of the claret-nondisjunctional (ca nd ) type that affect eye color and chromosome behavior, and (3) a meiotic mutation, non-claret disjunctional (ncd), that affects chromosome behavior only. In order to investigate the genetic structure of the claret locus, the authors have isolated 19 radiation-induced alleles of claret on the basis of the eye color phenotype. Two of these 19 new alleles are of the ca nd type, while 17 are of the ca type, demonstrating that the two domains do not often act as a single target for mutagenesis. This suggests that the two separately mutable functions are likely to be encoded by separate or overlapping genes rather than by a single gene. One of the new alleles of the ca nd type is a chromosome rearrangement with a breakpoint at the position of the claret locus. If this breakpoint is the cause of the mutant phenotype and there are no other mutations associated with the rearrangement, the two functions must be encoded by overlapping genes

  3. Fine mapping of the NRG1 Hirschsprung's disease locus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clara Sze-Man Tang

    Full Text Available The primary pathology of Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR, colon aganglionosis is the absence of ganglia in variable lengths of the hindgut, resulting in functional obstruction. HSCR is attributed to a failure of migration of the enteric ganglion precursors along the developing gut. RET is a key regulator of the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS and the major HSCR-causing gene. Yet the reduced penetrance of RET DNA HSCR-associated variants together with the phenotypic variability suggest the involvement of additional genes in the disease. Through a genome-wide association study, we uncovered a ∼350 kb HSCR-associated region encompassing part of the neuregulin-1 gene (NRG1. To identify the causal NRG1 variants contributing to HSCR, we genotyped 243 SNPs variants on 343 ethnic Chinese HSCR patients and 359 controls. Genotype analysis coupled with imputation narrowed down the HSCR-associated region to 21 kb, with four of the most associated SNPs (rs10088313, rs10094655, rs4624987, and rs3884552 mapping to the NRG1 promoter. We investigated whether there was correlation between the genotype at the rs10088313 locus and the amount of NRG1 expressed in human gut tissues (40 patients and 21 controls and found differences in expression as a function of genotype. We also found significant differences in NRG1 expression levels between diseased and control individuals bearing the same rs10088313 risk genotype. This indicates that the effects of NRG1 common variants are likely to depend on other alleles or epigenetic factors present in the patients and would account for the variability in the genetic predisposition to HSCR.

  4. Identification and replication of the interplay of four genetic high-risk variants for urinary bladder cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selinski, Silvia; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Ickstadt, Katja; Gerullis, Holger; Otto, Thomas; Roth, Emanuel; Volkert, Frank; Ovsiannikov, Daniel; Moormann, Oliver; Banfi, Gergely; Nyirady, Peter; Vermeulen, Sita H; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Figueroa, Jonine D; Johnson, Alison; Karagas, Margaret R; Kogevinas, Manolis; Malats, Nuria; Schwenn, Molly; Silverman, Debra T; Koutros, Stella; Rothman, Nathaniel; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Hengstler, Jan G; Golka, Klaus

    2017-12-07

    Little is known whether genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies interact to increase bladder cancer risk. Recently, we identified two- and three-variant combinations associated with a particular increase of bladder cancer risk in a urinary bladder cancer case-control series (Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), 1501 cases, 1565 controls). In an independent case-control series (Nijmegen Bladder Cancer Study, NBCS, 1468 cases, 1720 controls) we confirmed these two- and three-variant combinations. Pooled analysis of the two studies as discovery group (IfADo-NBCS) resulted in sufficient statistical power to test up to four-variant combinations by a logistic regression approach. The New England and Spanish Bladder Cancer Studies (2080 cases and 2167 controls) were used as a replication series. Twelve previously identified risk variants were considered. The strongest four-variant combination was obtained in never smokers. The combination of rs1014971[AA] near apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3A (APOBEC3A) and chromobox homolog 6 (CBX6), solute carrier family 1s4 (urea transporter), member 1 (Kidd blood group) (SLC14A1) exon single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1058396[AG, GG], UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 family, polypeptide A complex locus (UGT1A) intron SNP rs11892031[AA] and rs8102137[CC, CT] near cyclin E1 (CCNE1) resulted in an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.59 (95% CI = 1.93-3.47; P = 1.87 × 10-10), while the individual variant ORs ranged only between 1.11 and 1.30. The combination replicated in the New England and Spanish Bladder Cancer Studies (ORunadjusted = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.10-2.33; P = 0.013). The four-variant combination is relatively frequent, with 25% in never smoking cases and 11% in never smoking controls (total study group: 19% cases, 14% controls). In conclusion, we show that four high-risk variants can statistically interact to confer

  5. An Engineered Kinetic Amplification Mechanism for Single Nucleotide Variant Discrimination by DNA Hybridization Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sherry Xi; Seelig, Georg

    2016-04-20

    Even a single-nucleotide difference between the sequences of two otherwise identical biological nucleic acids can have dramatic functional consequences. Here, we use model-guided reaction pathway engineering to quantitatively improve the performance of selective hybridization probes in recognizing single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Specifically, we build a detection system that combines discrimination by competition with DNA strand displacement-based catalytic amplification. We show, both mathematically and experimentally, that the single nucleotide selectivity of such a system in binding to single-stranded DNA and RNA is quadratically better than discrimination due to competitive hybridization alone. As an additional benefit the integrated circuit inherits the property of amplification and provides at least 10-fold better sensitivity than standard hybridization probes. Moreover, we demonstrate how the detection mechanism can be tuned such that the detection reaction is agnostic to the position of the SNV within the target sequence. in contrast, prior strand displacement-based probes designed for kinetic discrimination are highly sensitive to position effects. We apply our system to reliably discriminate between different members of the let-7 microRNA family that differ in only a single base position. Our results demonstrate the power of systematic reaction network design to quantitatively improve biotechnology.

  6. IDOL N342S Variant, Atherosclerosis Progression and Cardiovascular Disorders in the Italian General Population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashish Dhyani

    Full Text Available Inducible degrader of the low density lipoprotein receptor (IDOL, is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that negatively modulates low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R expression. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS indicated that genetic variants in IDOL gene contributes to variation in LDL-C plasma levels and the detailed analysis of a specific locus resulted in the identification of the functional common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs9370867 (c.G1025A, p.N342S associates with increased LDL-R degradation and increased LDL-C levels. These findings, however, were not confirmed in two other independent cohorts and no data about the impact of this variant on atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular risk are available. Aim of this study was to investigate the association between a functional variant in IDOL and atherosclerosis progression in an Italian general population. 1384 subjects enrolled in the PLIC study (Progression of Lesions in the Intima of Carotid were genotyped by Q-PCR allelic discrimination and the association with anthropometric parameters, plasma lipids and the carotid intima media thickness (cIMT and the impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD incidence were investigated. The N342S variant was not associated with changes of the plasma lipid profile among GG, AG or AA carriers, including total cholesterol (249±21, 249±19 and 248±21 mg/dl respectively, LDL-C (158±25, 161±22 and 160±23 mg/dL, cIMT (0.74±0.14, 0.75±0.17 and 0.77±0.15 mm and CVD incidence. In agreement, the expression of LDLR and the uptake of LDL was similar in macrophages derived from GG and AA carriers. Taken together our findings indicate that the N342S variant does not impact plasma lipid profile and is not associated with atherosclerosis progression and CVD in the general population, suggesting that other variants in the IDOL gene might be functionally linked with cholesterol metabolism.

  7. PoCos: Population Covering Locus Sets for Risk Assessment in Complex Diseases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzieh Ayati

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Susceptibility loci identified by GWAS generally account for a limited fraction of heritability. Predictive models based on identified loci also have modest success in risk assessment and therefore are of limited practical use. Many methods have been developed to overcome these limitations by incorporating prior biological knowledge. However, most of the information utilized by these methods is at the level of genes, limiting analyses to variants that are in or proximate to coding regions. We propose a new method that integrates protein protein interaction (PPI as well as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL data to identify sets of functionally related loci that are collectively associated with a trait of interest. We call such sets of loci "population covering locus sets" (PoCos. The contributions of the proposed approach are three-fold: 1 We consider all possible genotype models for each locus, thereby enabling identification of combinatorial relationships between multiple loci. 2 We develop a framework for the integration of PPI and eQTL into a heterogenous network model, enabling efficient identification of functionally related variants that are associated with the disease. 3 We develop a novel method to integrate the genotypes of multiple loci in a PoCo into a representative genotype to be used in risk assessment. We test the proposed framework in the context of risk assessment for seven complex diseases, type 1 diabetes (T1D, type 2 diabetes (T2D, psoriasis (PS, bipolar disorder (BD, coronary artery disease (CAD, hypertension (HT, and multiple sclerosis (MS. Our results show that the proposed method significantly outperforms individual variant based risk assessment models as well as the state-of-the-art polygenic score. We also show that incorporation of eQTL data improves the performance of identified POCOs in risk assessment. We also assess the biological relevance of PoCos for three diseases that have similar biological mechanisms

  8. Exclusion of close linkage between the synaptic vesicular monoamine transporter locus and schizophrenia spectrum disorders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persico, A.M.; Uhl, G.R. [Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Wang, Zhe Wu [Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome (Italy)] [and others

    1995-12-18

    The principal brain synaptic vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) is responsible for the reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and histamine from the cytoplasm into synaptic vesicles, thus contributing to determination of the size of releasable neurotransmitter vesicular pools. Potential involvement of VMAT2 gene variants in the etiology of schizophrenia and related disorders was tested using polymorphic VMAT2 gene markers in 156 subjects from 16 multiplex pedigrees with schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective, and schizotypal disorders and mood incongruent psychotic depression. Assuming genetic homogeneity, complete ({theta} = 0.0) linkage to the schizophrenia spectrum was excluded under both dominant and recessive models. Allelic variants at the VMAT2 locus do not appear to provide major genetic contributions to the etiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders in these pedigrees. 16 refs.

  9. Recombination suppression at the dominant Rhg1/Rfs2 locus underlying soybean resistance to the cyst nematode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afzal, Ahmed J; Srour, Ali; Saini, Navinder; Hemmati, Naghmeh; El Shemy, Hany A; Lightfoot, David A

    2012-04-01

    Host resistance to "yellow dwarf" or "moonlight" disease cause by any population (Hg type) of Heterodera glycines I., the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), requires a functional allele at rhg1. The host resistance encoded appears to mimic an apoptotic response in the giant cells formed at the nematode feeding site about 24-48 h after nematode feeding commences. Little is known about how the host response to infection is mediated but a linked set of 3 genes has been identified within the rhg1 locus. This study aimed to identify the role of the genes within the locus that includes a receptor-like kinase (RLK), a laccase and an ion antiporter. Used were near isogeneic lines (NILs) that contrasted at their rhg1 alleles, gene-based markers, and a new Hg type 0 and new recombination events. A syntenic gene cluster on Lg B1 was found. The effectiveness of SNP probes from the RLK for distinguishing homolog sequence variants on LgB1 from alleles at the rhg1 locus on LgG was shown. The resistant allele of the rhg1 locus was shown to be dominant in NILs. None of the recombination events were within the cluster of the three candidate genes. Finally, rhg1 was shown to reduce the plant root development. A model for rhg1 as a dominant multi-gene resistance locus based on the developmental control was inferred.

  10. Identification of independent association signals and putative functional variants for breast cancer risk through fine-scale mapping of the 12p11 locus

    OpenAIRE

    Zeng, Chenjie; Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B.; Droit, Arnaud; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Kar, Siddhartha; Freeman, Adam; Hopper, John L.; Milne, Roger L.; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Agata, Simona

    2016-01-01

    Background: Multiple recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs10771399, at 12p11 that is associated with breast cancer risk. Method: We performed a fine-scale mapping study of a 700 kb region including 441 genotyped and more than 1300 imputed genetic variants in 48,155 cases and 43,612 controls of European descent, 6269 cases and 6624 controls of East Asian descent and 1116 cases and 932 controls of African descent in the Breast C...

  11. Root locus analysis and design of the adaptation process in active noise control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabatabaei Ardekani, Iman; Abdulla, Waleed H

    2012-10-01

    This paper applies root locus theory to develop a graphical tool for the analysis and design of adaptive active noise control systems. It is shown that the poles of the adaptation process performed in these systems move on typical trajectories in the z-plane as the adaptation step-size varies. Based on this finding, the dominant root of the adaptation process and its trajectory can be determined. The first contribution of this paper is formulating parameters of the adaptation process root locus. The next contribution is introducing a mechanism for modifying the trajectory of the dominant root in the root locus. This mechanism creates a single open loop zero in the original root locus. It is shown that appropriate localization of this zero can cause the dominant root of the locus to be pushed toward the origin, and thereby the adaptation process becomes faster. The validity of the theoretical findings is confirmed in an experimental setup which is implemented using real-time multi-threading and multi-core processing techniques.

  12. The renal urate transporter SLC17A1 locus: confirmation of association with gout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollis-Moffatt, Jade E; Phipps-Green, Amanda J; Chapman, Brett; Jones, Gregory T; van Rij, Andre; Gow, Peter J; Harrison, Andrew A; Highton, John; Jones, Peter B; Montgomery, Grant W; Stamp, Lisa K; Dalbeth, Nicola; Merriman, Tony R

    2012-04-27

    Two major gout-causing genes have been identified, the urate transport genes SLC2A9 and ABCG2. Variation within the SLC17A1 locus, which encodes sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 1, a renal transporter of uric acid, has also been associated with serum urate concentration. However, evidence for association with gout is equivocal. We investigated the association of the SLC17A1 locus with gout in New Zealand sample sets. Five variants (rs1165196, rs1183201, rs9358890, rs3799344, rs12664474) were genotyped across a New Zealand sample set totaling 971 cases and 1,742 controls. Cases were ascertained according to American Rheumatism Association criteria. Two population groups were studied: Caucasian and Polynesian. At rs1183201 (SLC17A1), evidence for association with gout was observed in both the Caucasian (odds ratio (OR) = 0.67, P = 3.0 × 10-6) and Polynesian (OR = 0.74, P = 3.0 × 10-3) groups. Meta-analysis confirmed association of rs1183201 with gout at a genome-wide level of significance (OR = 0.70, P = 3.0 × 10-8). Haplotype analysis suggested the presence of a common protective haplotype. We confirm the SLC17A1 locus as the third associated with gout at a genome-wide level of significance.

  13. Screening of whole genome sequences identified high-impact variants for stallion fertility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrimpf, Rahel; Gottschalk, Maren; Metzger, Julia; Martinsson, Gunilla; Sieme, Harald; Distl, Ottmar

    2016-04-14

    Stallion fertility is an economically important trait due to the increase of artificial insemination in horses. The availability of whole genome sequence data facilitates identification of rare high-impact variants contributing to stallion fertility. The aim of our study was to genotype rare high-impact variants retrieved from next-generation sequencing (NGS)-data of 11 horses in order to unravel harmful genetic variants in large samples of stallions. Gene ontology (GO) terms and search results from public databases were used to obtain a comprehensive list of human und mice genes predicted to participate in the regulation of male reproduction. The corresponding equine orthologous genes were searched in whole genome sequence data of seven stallions and four mares and filtered for high-impact genetic variants using SnpEFF, SIFT and Polyphen 2 software. All genetic variants with the missing homozygous mutant genotype were genotyped on 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. Mixed linear model analysis was employed for an association analysis with de-regressed estimated breeding values of the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus (EBV-PAT). We screened next generation sequenced data of whole genomes from 11 horses for equine genetic variants in 1194 human and mice genes involved in male fertility and linked through common gene ontology (GO) with male reproductive processes. Variants were filtered for high-impact on protein structure and validated through SIFT and Polyphen 2. Only those genetic variants were followed up when the homozygote mutant genotype was missing in the detection sample comprising 11 horses. After this filtering process, 17 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were left. These SNPs were genotyped in 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. An association analysis in 216 Hanoverian stallions revealed a significant association of the splice-site disruption variant

  14. Fine-Mapping of Common Genetic Variants Associated with Colorectal Tumor Risk Identified Potential Functional Variants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengmeng Du

    Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have identified many common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with colorectal cancer risk. These SNPs may tag correlated variants with biological importance. Fine-mapping around GWAS loci can facilitate detection of functional candidates and additional independent risk variants. We analyzed 11,900 cases and 14,311 controls in the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and the Colon Cancer Family Registry. To fine-map genomic regions containing all known common risk variants, we imputed high-density genetic data from the 1000 Genomes Project. We tested single-variant associations with colorectal tumor risk for all variants spanning genomic regions 250-kb upstream or downstream of 31 GWAS-identified SNPs (index SNPs. We queried the University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Browser to examine evidence for biological function. Index SNPs did not show the strongest association signals with colorectal tumor risk in their respective genomic regions. Bioinformatics analysis of SNPs showing smaller P-values in each region revealed 21 functional candidates in 12 loci (5q31.1, 8q24, 11q13.4, 11q23, 12p13.32, 12q24.21, 14q22.2, 15q13, 18q21, 19q13.1, 20p12.3, and 20q13.33. We did not observe evidence of additional independent association signals in GWAS-identified regions. Our results support the utility of integrating data from comprehensive fine-mapping with expanding publicly available genomic databases to help clarify GWAS associations and identify functional candidates that warrant more onerous laboratory follow-up. Such efforts may aid the eventual discovery of disease-causing variant(s.

  15. Genetic mapping of the female mimic morph locus in the ruff

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Ruffs (Aves: Philomachus pugnax) possess a genetic polymorphism for male mating behaviour resulting in three permanent alternative male reproductive morphs: (i) territorial ‘Independents’, (ii) non-territorial ‘Satellites’, and (iii) female-mimicking ‘Faeders’. Development into independent or satellite morphs has previously been shown to be due to a single-locus, two-allele autosomal Mendelian mode of inheritance at the Satellite locus. Here, we use linkage analysis to map the chromosomal location of the Faeder locus, which controls development into the Faeder morph, and draw further conclusions about candidate genes, assuming shared synteny with other birds. Results Segregation data on the Faeder locus were obtained from captive-bred pedigrees comprising 64 multi-generation families (N = 381). There was no evidence that the Faeder locus was linked to the Satellite locus, but it was linked with microsatellite marker Ppu020. Comparative mapping of ruff microsatellite markers against the chicken (Gallus gallus) and zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) genomes places the Ppu020 and Faeder loci on a region of chromosome 11 that includes the Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene, which regulates colour polymorphisms in numerous birds and other vertebrates. Melanin-based colouration varies with life-history strategies in ruffs and other species, thus the MC1R gene is a strong candidate to play a role in alternative male morph determination. Conclusion Two unlinked loci appear to control behavioural development in ruffs. The Faeder locus is linked to Ppu020, which, assuming synteny, is located on avian chromosome 11. MC1R is a candidate gene involved in alternative male morph determination in ruffs. PMID:24256185

  16. BISQUE: locus- and variant-specific conversion of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic database identifiers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Michael J; Geske, Philip; Yu, Haiyuan

    2016-05-15

    Biological sequence databases are integral to efforts to characterize and understand biological molecules and share biological data. However, when analyzing these data, scientists are often left holding disparate biological currency-molecular identifiers from different databases. For downstream applications that require converting the identifiers themselves, there are many resources available, but analyzing associated loci and variants can be cumbersome if data is not given in a form amenable to particular analyses. Here we present BISQUE, a web server and customizable command-line tool for converting molecular identifiers and their contained loci and variants between different database conventions. BISQUE uses a graph traversal algorithm to generalize the conversion process for residues in the human genome, genes, transcripts and proteins, allowing for conversion across classes of molecules and in all directions through an intuitive web interface and a URL-based web service. BISQUE is freely available via the web using any major web browser (http://bisque.yulab.org/). Source code is available in a public GitHub repository (https://github.com/hyulab/BISQUE). haiyuan.yu@cornell.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Associations of variants in FTO and near MC4R with obesity traits in South Asian Indians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasan, Senthil K; Fall, Tove; Neville, Matthew J; Antonisamy, Belavendra; Fall, Caroline H; Geethanjali, Finney S; Gu, Harvest F; Raghupathy, Palany; Samuel, Prasanna; Thomas, Nihal; Brismar, Kerstin; Ingelsson, Erik; Karpe, Fredrik

    2012-11-01

    Recent genome-wide association studies show that loci in FTO and melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) associate with obesity-related traits. Outside Western populations the associations between these variants have not always been consistent and in Indians it has been suggested that FTO relates to diabetes without an obvious intermediary obesity phenotype. We investigated the association between genetic variants in FTO (rs9939609) and near MC4R (rs17782313) with obesity- and type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-related traits in a longitudinal birth cohort of 2,151 healthy individuals from the Vellore birth cohort in South India. The FTO locus displayed significant associations with several conventional obesity-related anthropometric traits. The per allele increase is about 1% for BMI, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-hip ratio. Consistent associations were observed for adipose tissue-specific measurements such as skinfold thickness reinforcing the association with obesity-related traits. Obesity associations for the MC4R locus were weak or nonsignificant but a signal for height (P work poorly in the Indian "thin-fat" phenotype.

  18. Genome-wide association study identifies a novel canine glaucoma locus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saija J Ahonen

    Full Text Available Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy and one of the leading causes of blindness. Its hereditary forms are classified into primary closed-angle (PCAG, primary open-angle (POAG and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG. Although many loci have been mapped in human, only a few genes have been identified that are associated with the development of glaucoma and the genetic basis of the disease remains poorly understood. Glaucoma has also been described in many dog breeds, including Dandie Dinmont Terriers (DDT in which it is a late-onset (>7 years disease. We designed clinical and genetic studies to better define the clinical features of glaucoma in the DDT and to identify the genetic cause. Clinical diagnosis was based on ophthalmic examinations of the affected dogs and 18 additionally investigated unaffected DDTs. We collected DNA from over 400 DTTs and a genome wide association study was performed in a cohort of 23 affected and 23 controls, followed by a fine mapping, a replication study and candidate gene sequencing. The clinical study suggested that ocular abnormalities including abnormal iridocorneal angles and pectinate ligament dysplasia are common (50% and 72%, respectively in the breed and the disease resembles human PCAG. The genetic study identified a novel 9.5 Mb locus on canine chromosome 8 including the 1.6 Mb best associated region (p = 1.63 × 10(-10, OR = 32 for homozygosity. Mutation screening in five candidate genes did not reveal any causative variants. This study indicates that although ocular abnormalities are common in DDTs, the genetic risk for glaucoma is conferred by a novel locus on CFA8. The canine locus shares synteny to a region in human chromosome 14q, which harbors several loci associated with POAG and PCG. Our study reveals a new locus for canine glaucoma and ongoing molecular studies will likely help to understand the genetic etiology of the disease.

  19. An LL-diaminopimelate aminotransferase defines a novel variant of the lysine biosynthesis pathway in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, André O; Singh, Bijay K; Leustek, Thomas; Gilvarg, Charles

    2006-01-01

    Although lysine (Lys) biosynthesis in plants is known to occur by way of a pathway that utilizes diaminopimelic acid (DAP) as a central intermediate, the available evidence suggests that none of the known DAP-pathway variants found in nature occur in plants. A new Lys biosynthesis pathway has been identified in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) that utilizes a novel transaminase that specifically catalyzes the interconversion of tetrahydrodipicolinate and LL-diaminopimelate, a reaction requiring three enzymes in the DAP-pathway variant found in Escherichia coli. The LL-DAP aminotransferase encoded by locus At4g33680 was able to complement the dapD and dapE mutants of E. coli. This result, in conjunction with the kinetic properties and substrate specificity of the enzyme, indicated that LL-DAP aminotransferase functions in the Lys biosynthetic direction under in vivo conditions. Orthologs of At4g33680 were identified in all the cyanobacterial species whose genomes have been sequenced. The Synechocystis sp. ortholog encoded by locus sll0480 showed the same functional properties as At4g33680. These results demonstrate that the Lys biosynthesis pathway in plants and cyanobacteria is distinct from the pathways that have so far been defined in microorganisms.

  20. Single-nucleotide variant in multiple copies of a deleted in azoospermia (DAZ) sequence - a human Y chromosome quantitative polymorphism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szmulewicz, Martin N; Ruiz, Luis M; Reategui, Erika P; Hussini, Saeed; Herrera, Rene J

    2002-01-01

    The evolution of the deleted in azoospermia (DAZ) gene family supports prevalent theories on the origin and development of sex chromosomes and sexual dimorphism. The ancestral DAZL gene in human chromosome 3 is known to be involved in germline development of both males and females. The available phylogenetic data suggest that some time after the divergence of the New World and Old World monkey lineages, the DAZL gene, which is found in all mammals, was copied to the Y chromosome of an ancestor to the Old World monkeys, but not New World monkeys. In modern man, the Y-linked DAZ gene complex is located on the distal part of the q arm. It is thought that after being copied to the Y chromosome, and after the divergence of the human and great ape lineages, the DAZ gene in the former underwent internal rearrangements. This included tandem duplications as well as a T > C transition altering an MboI restriction enzyme site in a duplicated sequence. In this study, we report on the ratios of MboI-/MboI+ variant sequences in individuals from seven worldwide human populations (Basque, Benin, Egypt, Formosa, Kungurtug, Oman and Rwanda) in the DAZ complex. The ratio of PCR MboI- and MboI+ amplicons can be used to characterize individuals and populations. Our results show a nonrandom distribution of MboI-/MboI+ sequence ratios in all populations examined, as well as significant differences in ratios between populations when compared pairwise. The multiple ratios imply that there have been more than one recent reorganization events at this locus. Considering the dynamic nature of this locus and its involvement in male fertility, we investigated the extent and distribution of this polymorphism. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  1. Identification of rat Rosa26 locus enables generation of knock-in rat lines ubiquitously expressing tdTomato.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Toshihiro; Kato-Itoh, Megumi; Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki; Tamura, Chihiro; Sanbo, Makoto; Hirabayashi, Masumi; Nakauchi, Hiromitsu

    2012-11-01

    Recent discovery of a method for derivation and culture of germline-competent rat pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) enables generation of transgenic rats or knock-out rats via genetic modification of such PSCs. This opens the way to use rats, as is routine in mice, for analyses of gene functions or physiological features. In mouse or human, one widely used technique to express a gene of interest stably and ubiquitously is to insert that gene into the Rosa26 locus via gene targeting of PSCs. Rosa26 knock-in mice conditionally expressing a reporter or a toxin gene have contributed to tracing or ablation of specific cell lineages. We successfully identified a rat orthologue of the mouse Rosa26 locus. Insertion of tdTomato, a variant of red fluorescent protein, into the Rosa26 locus of PSCs of various rat strains allows ubiquitous expression of tdTomato. Through germline transmission of one Rosa26-tdTomato knock-in embryonic stem cell line, we also obtained tdTomato knock-in rats. These expressed tdTomato ubiquitously throughout their bodies, which indicates that the rat Rosa26 locus conserves functions of its orthologues in mouse and human. The new tools described here (targeting vectors, knock-in PSCs, and rats) should be useful for a variety of research using rats.

  2. Single nucleotide variants and InDels identified from whole-genome re-sequencing of Guzerat, Gyr, Girolando and Holstein cattle breeds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nedenia Bonvino Stafuzza

    Full Text Available Whole-genome re-sequencing, alignment and annotation analyses were undertaken for 12 sires representing four important cattle breeds in Brazil: Guzerat (multi-purpose, Gyr, Girolando and Holstein (dairy production. A total of approximately 4.3 billion reads from an Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencer generated for each animal 10.7 to 16.4-fold genome coverage. A total of 27,441,279 single nucleotide variations (SNVs and 3,828,041 insertions/deletions (InDels were detected in the samples, of which 2,557,670 SNVs and 883,219 InDels were novel. The submission of these genetic variants to the dbSNP database significantly increased the number of known variants, particularly for the indicine genome. The concordance rate between genotypes obtained using the Bovine HD BeadChip array and the same variants identified by sequencing was about 99.05%. The annotation of variants identified numerous non-synonymous SNVs and frameshift InDels which could affect phenotypic variation. Functional enrichment analysis was performed and revealed that variants in the olfactory transduction pathway was over represented in all four cattle breeds, while the ECM-receptor interaction pathway was over represented in Girolando and Guzerat breeds, the ABC transporters pathway was over represented only in Holstein breed, and the metabolic pathways was over represented only in Gyr breed. The genetic variants discovered here provide a rich resource to help identify potential genomic markers and their associated molecular mechanisms that impact economically important traits for Gyr, Girolando, Guzerat and Holstein breeding programs.

  3. Hybrid male sterility in rice is due to epistatic interactions with a pollen killer locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubo, Takahiko; Yoshimura, Atsushi; Kurata, Nori

    2011-11-01

    In intraspecific crosses between cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) subspecies indica and japonica, the hybrid male sterility gene S24 causes the selective abortion of male gametes carrying the japonica allele (S24-j) via an allelic interaction in the heterozygous hybrids. In this study, we first examined whether male sterility is due solely to the single locus S24. An analysis of near-isogenic lines (NIL-F(1)) showed different phenotypes for S24 in different genetic backgrounds. The S24 heterozygote with the japonica genetic background showed male semisterility, but no sterility was found in heterozygotes with the indica background. This result indicates that S24 is regulated epistatically. A QTL analysis of a BC(2)F(1) population revealed a novel sterility locus that interacts with S24 and is found on rice chromosome 2. The locus was named Epistatic Factor for S24 (EFS). Further genetic analyses revealed that S24 causes male sterility when in combination with the homozygous japonica EFS allele (efs-j). The results suggest that efs-j is a recessive sporophytic allele, while the indica allele (EFS-i) can dominantly counteract the pollen sterility caused by S24 heterozygosity. In summary, our results demonstrate that an additional epistatic locus is an essential element in the hybrid sterility caused by allelic interaction at a single locus in rice. This finding provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms underlying hybrid sterility and microsporogenesis.

  4. VNTR internal structure mapping at the {alpha}-globin 3{prime}HVR locus reveals a hierachy of related lineages in oceania

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinson, J.J.; Clegg, J.B.; Boyce, A.J. [Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom)

    1994-09-01

    Analysis of the {alpha}-globin gene complex in Oceania has revealed many different rearrangements which remove one of the adult globin genes. Frequencies of these deletion chromosomes are elevated by malarial resistance conferred by the resulting {alpha}-thalassaemia. One particular deletion chromosome, designated -{alpha}{sup 3.7}III, is found at high levels in Melanesia and Polynesia: RFLP haplotype analysis shows that this deletion is always found on chromosomes bearing the IIIa haplotype and is likely to be the product of one single rearrangement event. A subset of the -{alpha}{sup 3.7}III chromosomes carries a more recent mutation which generates the haemoglobin variant HbJ{sup Tongariki}. We have characterized the allelic variation at the 3{prime}HVR VNTR locus located 6 kb from the globin genes in each of these groups of chromosomes. We have determined the internal structure of these alleles by RFLP mapping of PCR-amplified DNA: within each group, the allelic diversity results from the insertion and/or deletion of small {open_quotes}motifs{close_quotes} of up to 6 adjacent repeats. Mapping of 3{prime}HVR alleles associated with other haplotypes reveals that these are composed of repeat arrays that are substantially different to those derived from IIIa chromosomes, indicating that interchromosomal recombination between heterologous haplotypes does not account for any of the diversity seen to date. We have recently shown that allelic size variation at the two VNTR loci flanking the {alpha}-globin complex is very closely linked to the haplotypes known to be present at this locus. Here we show that, within a haplotype, VNTR alleles are very closely related to each other on the basis of internal structure and demonstrate that intrachromosomal mutation processes involving small numbers of tandem repeats are the main cause of variation at this locus.

  5. Twinning processes in Cu-Al-Ni martensite single crystals investigated by neutron single crystal diffraction method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molnar, P.; Sittner, P.; Novak, V.; Lukas, P.

    2008-01-01

    A neutron single crystal diffraction method for inspecting the quality of martensite single crystals is introduced. True interface-free martensite single crystals are indispensable for, e.g. measurement of elastic constants of phases by ultrasonic techniques. The neutron diffraction method was used to detect and distinguish the presence of individual lattice correspondence variants of the 2H orthorhombic martensite phase in Cu-Al-Ni as well as to follow the activity of twinning processes during the deformation test on the martensite variant single crystals. When preparing the martensite single variant prism-shaped crystals by compression deformation method, typically a small fraction of second unwanted martensitic variant (compound twin) remains in the prism samples. Due to the very low stress (∼1 MPa) for the compound twinning in many shape memory alloys, it is quite difficult not only to deplete the martensite prisms of all internal interfaces but mainly to keep them in the martensite single variant state for a long time needed for further investigations

  6. Identifying genetic variants that affect viability in large cohorts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hakhamanesh Mostafavi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A number of open questions in human evolutionary genetics would become tractable if we were able to directly measure evolutionary fitness. As a step towards this goal, we developed a method to examine whether individual genetic variants, or sets of genetic variants, currently influence viability. The approach consists in testing whether the frequency of an allele varies across ages, accounting for variation in ancestry. We applied it to the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA cohort and to the parents of participants in the UK Biobank. Across the genome, we found only a few common variants with large effects on age-specific mortality: tagging the APOE ε4 allele and near CHRNA3. These results suggest that when large, even late-onset effects are kept at low frequency by purifying selection. Testing viability effects of sets of genetic variants that jointly influence 1 of 42 traits, we detected a number of strong signals. In participants of the UK Biobank of British ancestry, we found that variants that delay puberty timing are associated with a longer parental life span (P~6.2 × 10-6 for fathers and P~2.0 × 10-3 for mothers, consistent with epidemiological studies. Similarly, variants associated with later age at first birth are associated with a longer maternal life span (P~1.4 × 10-3. Signals are also observed for variants influencing cholesterol levels, risk of coronary artery disease (CAD, body mass index, as well as risk of asthma. These signals exhibit consistent effects in the GERA cohort and among participants of the UK Biobank of non-British ancestry. We also found marked differences between males and females, most notably at the CHRNA3 locus, and variants associated with risk of CAD and cholesterol levels. Beyond our findings, the analysis serves as a proof of principle for how upcoming biomedical data sets can be used to learn about selection effects in contemporary humans.

  7. An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment for Upper-Level Forensic Science, Biochemistry, or Molecular Biology Courses: Human DNA Amplification Using STR Single Locus Primers by Real-Time PCR with SYBR Green Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkins, Kelly M.; Kadunc, Raelynn E.

    2012-01-01

    In this laboratory experiment, real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) was conducted using published human TPOX single-locus DNA primers for validation and various student-designed short tandem repeat (STR) primers for Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) loci. SYBR Green was used to detect the amplification of the expected amplicons. The…

  8. Updated listing of haplotypes at the human phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eisensmith, R.C.; Woo, S.L.C. (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States))

    1992-12-01

    Analysis of mutant PAH chromosomes has identified approximately 60 different single-base substitutions and deletions within the PAH locus. Nearly all of these molecular lesions are in strong linkage disequilibrium with specific RFLP haplotypes in different ethnic populations. Thus, haplotype analysis is not only useful for diagnostic purposes but is proving to be a valuable tool in population genetic studies of the origin and spread of phenylketonuria alleles in human populations. PCR-based methods have been developed to detect six of the eight polymorphic restriction sites used for determination of RFLP haplotypes at the PAH locus. A table of the proposed expanded haplotypes is given.

  9. A study on single nucleotide polymorphism of exon 7 T/C (locus 593 of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase gene in healthy Han population in the Shanghai region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian-bao XIA

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective To investigate the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH gene exon 7 T/C (locus 593 in healthy Han population in Shanghai region and the features different from other races. Methods The SNP in PAF-AH gene exon 7 T/C (locus 593 was detected and analyzed by PCR and sequencing in 110 healthy Han people from Shanghai areas. The genotype and allele frequency were then calculated and compared with that in other races in combination with review of relevant literature. Results The amplified product of the SNP in PAF-AH gene exon 7 T/C (locus 593 was 240 bp in 110 healthy Han people, of whom 97 were with TT genotype and 13 with TC genotype, but no CC genotype was found. As to the allele frequency distribution, T type allele took the highest position, and C type followed. The genotype frequency of TT and TC was 88.2% and 11.8%, respectively, and they were markedly different from that in German population (0.95%, while not statistically significant different from that in British population (7.67%. Conclusions There exists SNP in PAF-AH gene exon 7 T/C (position 593 in healthy Han people in Shanghai region, with a higher frequency of T→C mutation. The mutational genotype frequency is found to be located at the locus 593 is 11.81%, and it is markedly different from that in German population, but not significantly different from that in British population.

  10. Discovery of coding genetic variants influencing diabetes-related serum biomarkers and their impact on risk of type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahluwalia, Tarun Veer Singh; Allin, Kristine Højgaard; Sandholt, Camilla Helene

    2015-01-01

    CONTEXT: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence is spiraling globally, and knowledge of its pathophysiological signatures is crucial for a better understanding and treatment of the disease. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to discover underlying coding genetic variants influencing fasting serum levels of nine......-nucleotide polymorphisms and were tested for association with each biomarker. Identified loci were tested for association with T2D through a large-scale meta-analysis involving up to 17 024 T2D cases and up to 64 186 controls. RESULTS: We discovered 11 associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and five distinct......, of which the association with the CELSR2 locus has not been shown previously. CONCLUSION: The identified loci influence processes related to insulin signaling, cell communication, immune function, apoptosis, DNA repair, and oxidative stress, all of which could provide a rationale for novel diabetes...

  11. MTNR1B G24E variant associates With BMI and fasting plasma glucose in the general population in studies of 22,142 Europeans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Ehm A; Holst, Birgitte; Sparsø, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Common variants in the melatonin receptor type 1B (MTNR1B) locus have been shown to increase fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether nonsynonymous variants in MTNR1B associate with monogenic forms of hyperglycemia...... specific, and none of the investigated MTNR1B variants associated with type 2 diabetes. The common 24E variant associated with increased prevalence of obesity (odds ratio 1.20 [1.08-1.34]; P = 8.3 x 10(-4)) and increased BMI (beta = 0.5 kg/m(2); P = 1.2 x 10(-5)) and waist circumference (beta = 1.2 cm; P...

  12. Exome and Transcriptome Sequencing of Aedes aegypti Identifies a Locus That Confers Resistance to Brugia malayi and Alters the Immune Response

    KAUST Repository

    Juneja, Punita; Ariani, Cristina V.; Ho, Yung Shwen; Akorli, Jewelna; Palmer, William J.; Pain, Arnab; Jiggins, Francis M.

    2015-01-01

    to target protein-coding regions of the genome, and used association mapping in a wild Kenyan population to identify a single, dominant, sex-linked locus underlying resistance. This falls in a region of the genome where a resistance locus was previously

  13. The human PINK1 locus is regulated in vivo by a non-coding natural antisense RNA during modulation of mitochondrial function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wahlestedt Claes

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutations in the PTEN induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1 are implicated in early-onset Parkinson's disease. PINK1 is expressed abundantly in mitochondria rich tissues, such as skeletal muscle, where it plays a critical role determining mitochondrial structural integrity in Drosophila. Results Herein we characterize a novel splice variant of PINK1 (svPINK1 that is homologous to the C-terminus regulatory domain of the protein kinase. Naturally occurring non-coding antisense provides sophisticated mechanisms for diversifying genomes and we describe a human specific non-coding antisense expressed at the PINK1 locus (naPINK1. We further demonstrate that PINK1 varies in vivo when human skeletal muscle mitochondrial content is enhanced, supporting the idea that PINK1 has a physiological role in mitochondrion. The observation of concordant regulation of svPINK1 and naPINK1 during in vivo mitochondrial biogenesis was confirmed using RNAi, where selective targeting of naPINK1 results in loss of the PINK1 splice variant in neuronal cell lines. Conclusion Our data presents the first direct observation that a mammalian non-coding antisense molecule can positively influence the abundance of a cis-transcribed mRNA under physiological abundance conditions. While our analysis implies a possible human specific and dsRNA-mediated mechanism for stabilizing the expression of svPINK1, it also points to a broader genomic strategy for regulating a human disease locus and increases the complexity through which alterations in the regulation of the PINK1 locus could occur.

  14. Polymer physics predicts the effects of structural variants on chromatin architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianco, Simona; Lupiáñez, Darío G; Chiariello, Andrea M; Annunziatella, Carlo; Kraft, Katerina; Schöpflin, Robert; Wittler, Lars; Andrey, Guillaume; Vingron, Martin; Pombo, Ana; Mundlos, Stefan; Nicodemi, Mario

    2018-05-01

    Structural variants (SVs) can result in changes in gene expression due to abnormal chromatin folding and cause disease. However, the prediction of such effects remains a challenge. Here we present a polymer-physics-based approach (PRISMR) to model 3D chromatin folding and to predict enhancer-promoter contacts. PRISMR predicts higher-order chromatin structure from genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data. Using the EPHA4 locus as a model, the effects of pathogenic SVs are predicted in silico and compared to Hi-C data generated from mouse limb buds and patient-derived fibroblasts. PRISMR deconvolves the folding complexity of the EPHA4 locus and identifies SV-induced ectopic contacts and alterations of 3D genome organization in homozygous or heterozygous states. We show that SVs can reconfigure topologically associating domains, thereby producing extensive rewiring of regulatory interactions and causing disease by gene misexpression. PRISMR can be used to predict interactions in silico, thereby providing a tool for analyzing the disease-causing potential of SVs.

  15. A Major Locus for Quantitatively Measured Shank Skin Color Traits in Korean Native Chicken

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Jin

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Shank skin color of Korean native chicken (KNC shows large color variations. It varies from white, yellow, green, bluish or grey to black, whilst in the majority of European breeds the shanks are typically yellow-colored. Three shank skin color-related traits (i.e., lightness [L*], redness [a*], and yellowness [b*] were measured by a spectrophotometer in 585 progeny from 68 nuclear families in the KNC resource population. We performed genome scan linkage analysis to identify loci that affect quantitatively measured shank skin color traits in KNC. All these birds were genotyped with 167 DNA markers located throughout the 26 autosomes. The SOLAR program was used to conduct multipoint variance-component quantitative trait locus (QTL analyses. We detected a major QTL that affects b* value (logarithm of odds [LOD] = 47.5, p = 1.60×10−49 on GGA24 (GGA for Gallus gallus. At the same location, we also detected a QTL that influences a* value (LOD = 14.2, p = 6.14×10−16. Additionally, beta-carotene dioxygenase 2 (BCDO2, the obvious positional candidate gene under the linkage peaks on GGA24, was investigated by the two association tests: i.e., measured genotype association (MGA and quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT. Significant associations were detected between BCDO2 g.9367 A>C and a* (PMGA = 1.69×10−28; PQTDT = 2.40×10−25. The strongest associations were between BCDO2 g.9367 A>C and b* (PMGA = 3.56×10−66; PQTDT = 1.68×10−65. However, linkage analyses conditional on the single nucleotide polymorphism indicated that other functional variants should exist. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time the linkage and association between the BCDO2 locus on GGA24 and quantitatively measured shank skin color traits in KNC.

  16. Locus de Controle e escolha do método anticoncepcional Locus de Control y método anticonceptivo elegido Locus of Control and choice of contraceptive method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Salheb Alves

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar a relação entre o Locus de Controle e o tipo de método contraceptivo escolhido. Foi utilizada a Escala Multidimensional de Locus de Controle de Levenson e entrevistadas 191 mulheres. As usuárias de preservativo masculino apresentaram maior Internalidade do que as usuárias de injetável mensal. Quanto ao locus Externalidade Outros Poderosos, as usuárias de implante apresentavam menor externalidade do que as usuárias de preservativo masculino, laqueadura, injetável trimestral e DIU. Considerando-se o locus Externalidade Acaso, as usuárias de implante apresentaram menores escores do que as mulheres que optaram pela laqueadura, injetável trimestral e DIU. Observou-se ainda, menor Externalidade Acaso entre as usuárias de injetável mensal em relação às mulheres que fizeram opção pelo injetável trimestral.El objetivo es validar la relación entre el Locus de Control y el tipo de método anticonceptivo elegido. Fue usada la Escala Multidimensional de Locus de Control de Levenson. Fueron entrevistadas 191 mujeres. Las usuarias de condón masculino presentaron Internalidad más grande que las usuarias de inyectable mensual. Considerado el Locus Externalidad - Otro poderoso, las usuarias de implante presentaron menor externalidad de que las usuarias de condón masculino, laqueadura, inyectable trimestral y DIU. Considerado el Locus Externalidad - Quizá, las usuarias del implante presentaron menores resultados que las mujeres que eligieron por la laqueadura, inyectable trimestral y DIU. Se observo que las mujeres usuarias de inyectable mensual presentaron menor Externalidad - Quizá que las mujeres usuarias de inyectable trimestral.The purpose was to assess the relationship between locus of control and the contraceptive method chosen. It was used the Levenson's Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale and 191 women was interviewed. Users of male condoms presented greater Internality than the monthly contraceptive

  17. CDKN2B expression and subcutaneous adipose tissue expandability: Possible influence of the 9p21 atherosclerosis locus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Svensson, Per-Arne; Wahlstrand, Björn; Olsson, Maja [Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Froguel, Philippe; Falchi, Mario [Department of Genomics of Common Disease, School of Public Health, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Bergman, Richard N. [Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States); McTernan, Philip G. [Division of Metabolic and Vascular Health, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom); Hedner, Thomas; Carlsson, Lena M.S. [Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Jacobson, Peter, E-mail: peter.jacobson@medfak.gu.se [Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg (Sweden)

    2014-04-18

    Highlights: • The tumor suppressor gene CDKN2B is highly expressed in human adipose tissue. • Risk alleles at the 9p21 locus modify CDKN2B expression in a BMI-dependent fashion. • There is an inverse relationship between expression of CDKN2B and adipogenic genes. • CDKN2B expression influences to postprandial triacylglycerol clearance. • CDKN2B expression in adipose tissue is linked to markers of hepatic steatosis. - Abstract: Risk alleles within a gene desert at the 9p21 locus constitute the most prevalent genetic determinant of cardiovascular disease. Previous research has demonstrated that 9p21 risk variants influence gene expression in vascular tissues, yet the biological mechanisms by which this would mediate atherosclerosis merits further investigation. To investigate possible influences of this locus on other tissues, we explored expression patterns of 9p21-regulated genes in a panel of multiple human tissues and found that the tumor suppressor CDKN2B was highly expressed in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). CDKN2B expression was regulated by obesity status, and this effect was stronger in carriers of 9p21 risk alleles. Covariation between expression of CDKN2B and genes implemented in adipogenesis was consistent with an inhibitory effect of CDKN2B on SAT proliferation. Moreover, studies of postprandial triacylglycerol clearance indicated that CDKN2B is involved in down-regulation of SAT fatty acid trafficking. CDKN2B expression in SAT correlated with indicators of ectopic fat accumulation, including markers of hepatic steatosis. Among genes regulated by 9p21 risk variants, CDKN2B appears to play a significant role in the regulation of SAT expandability, which is a strong determinant of lipotoxicity and therefore might contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.

  18. Identification of independent association signals and putative functional variants for breast cancer risk through fine-scale mapping of the 12p11 locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Chenjie; Guo, Xingyi; Long, Jirong; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B; Droit, Arnaud; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Kar, Siddhartha; Freeman, Adam; Hopper, John L; Milne, Roger L; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Agata, Simona; Ahmed, Shahana; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia N; Arason, Adalgeir; Arndt, Volker; Arun, Banu K; Arver, Brita; Bacot, Francois; Barrowdale, Daniel; Baynes, Caroline; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Bermisheva, Marina; Blomqvist, Carl; Blot, William J; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Bojesen, Stig E; Bonanni, Bernardo; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Brand, Judith S; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brennan, Paul; Brenner, Hermann; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Buys, Saundra S; Cai, Qiuyin; Caldes, Trinidad; Campbell, Ian; Carpenter, Jane; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Claes, Kathleen B M; Clarke, Christine; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Daly, Mary B; de la Hoya, Miguel; De Leeneer, Kim; Devilee, Peter; Diez, Orland; Domchek, Susan M; Doody, Michele; Dorfling, Cecilia M; Dörk, Thilo; Dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Dumont, Martine; Dwek, Miriam; Dworniczak, Bernd; Egan, Kathleen; Eilber, Ursula; Einbeigi, Zakaria; Ejlertsen, Bent; Ellis, Steve; Frost, Debra; Lalloo, Fiona; Fasching, Peter A; Figueroa, Jonine; Flyger, Henrik; Friedlander, Michael; Friedman, Eitan; Gambino, Gaetana; Gao, Yu-Tang; Garber, Judy; García-Closas, Montserrat; Gehrig, Andrea; Damiola, Francesca; Lesueur, Fabienne; Mazoyer, Sylvie; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; Giles, Graham G; Godwin, Andrew K; Goldgar, David E; González-Neira, Anna; Greene, Mark H; Guénel, Pascal; Haeberle, Lothar; Haiman, Christopher A; Hallberg, Emily; Hamann, Ute; Hansen, Thomas V O; Hart, Steven; Hartikainen, Jaana M; Hartman, Mikael; Hassan, Norhashimah; Healey, Sue; Hogervorst, Frans B L; Verhoef, Senno; Hendricks, Carolyn B; Hillemanns, Peter; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hulick, Peter J; Hunter, David J; Imyanitov, Evgeny N; Isaacs, Claudine; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Janavicius, Ramunas; Jaworska-Bieniek, Katarzyna; Jensen, Uffe Birk; John, Esther M; Joly Beauparlant, Charles; Jones, Michael; Kabisch, Maria; Kang, Daehee; Karlan, Beth Y; Kauppila, Saila; Kerin, Michael J; Khan, Sofia; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Knight, Julia A; Konstantopoulou, Irene; Kraft, Peter; Kwong, Ava; Laitman, Yael; Lambrechts, Diether; Lazaro, Conxi; Le Marchand, Loic; Lee, Chuen Neng; Lee, Min Hyuk; Lester, Jenny; Li, Jingmei; Liljegren, Annelie; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mai, Phuong L; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; Matsuo, Keitaro; McGuffog, Lesley; Meindl, Alfons; Menegaux, Florence; Montagna, Marco; Muir, Kenneth; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Nathanson, Katherine L; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Newcomb, Polly A; Nord, Silje; Nussbaum, Robert L; Offit, Kenneth; Olah, Edith; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I; Olswold, Curtis; Osorio, Ana; Papi, Laura; Park-Simon, Tjoung-Won; Paulsson-Karlsson, Ylva; Peeters, Stephanie; Peissel, Bernard; Peterlongo, Paolo; Peto, Julian; Pfeiler, Georg; Phelan, Catherine M; Presneau, Nadege; Radice, Paolo; Rahman, Nazneen; Ramus, Susan J; Rashid, Muhammad Usman; Rennert, Gad; Rhiem, Kerstin; Rudolph, Anja; Salani, Ritu; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schmutzler, Rita K; Schoemaker, Minouk J; Schürmann, Peter; Seynaeve, Caroline; Shen, Chen-Yang; Shrubsole, Martha J; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Sigurdson, Alice; Singer, Christian F; Slager, Susan; Soucy, Penny; Southey, Melissa; Steinemann, Doris; Swerdlow, Anthony; Szabo, Csilla I; Tchatchou, Sandrine; Teixeira, Manuel R; Teo, Soo H; Terry, Mary Beth; Tessier, Daniel C; Teulé, Alex; Thomassen, Mads; Tihomirova, Laima; Tischkowitz, Marc; Toland, Amanda E; Tung, Nadine; Turnbull, Clare; van den Ouweland, Ans M W; van Rensburg, Elizabeth J; Ven den Berg, David; Vijai, Joseph; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Weitzel, Jeffrey N; Whittemore, Alice S; Winqvist, Robert; Wong, Tien Y; Wu, Anna H; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Pharoah, Paul D P; Hall, Per; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M; Simard, Jacques; Couch, Fergus J; Antoniou, Antonis C; Easton, Douglas F; Zheng, Wei

    2016-06-21

    Multiple recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs10771399, at 12p11 that is associated with breast cancer risk. We performed a fine-scale mapping study of a 700 kb region including 441 genotyped and more than 1300 imputed genetic variants in 48,155 cases and 43,612 controls of European descent, 6269 cases and 6624 controls of East Asian descent and 1116 cases and 932 controls of African descent in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC; http://bcac.ccge.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ ), and in 15,252 BRCA1 mutation carriers in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA). Stepwise regression analyses were performed to identify independent association signals. Data from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements project (ENCODE) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used for functional annotation. Analysis of data from European descendants found evidence for four independent association signals at 12p11, represented by rs7297051 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-1.12; P = 3 × 10(-9)), rs805510 (OR = 1.08, 95 % CI = 1.04-1.12, P = 2 × 10(-5)), and rs1871152 (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.06; P = 2 × 10(-4)) identified in the general populations, and rs113824616 (P = 7 × 10(-5)) identified in the meta-analysis of BCAC ER-negative cases and BRCA1 mutation carriers. SNPs rs7297051, rs805510 and rs113824616 were also associated with breast cancer risk at P associations were statistically significant in African descendants. Multiple candidate functional variants are located in putative enhancer sequences. Chromatin interaction data suggested that PTHLH was the likely target gene of these enhancers. Of the six variants with the strongest evidence of potential functionality, rs11049453 was statistically significantly associated with the expression of PTHLH and its nearby gene CCDC91 at P association signals at

  19. Genome-wide association study identifies the SERPINB gene cluster as a susceptibility locus for food allergy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marenholz, Ingo; Grosche, Sarah; Kalb, Birgit; Rüschendorf, Franz; Blümchen, Katharina; Schlags, Rupert; Harandi, Neda; Price, Mareike; Hansen, Gesine; Seidenberg, Jürgen; Röblitz, Holger; Yürek, Songül; Tschirner, Sebastian; Hong, Xiumei; Wang, Xiaobin; Homuth, Georg; Schmidt, Carsten O; Nöthen, Markus M; Hübner, Norbert; Niggemann, Bodo; Beyer, Kirsten; Lee, Young-Ae

    2017-10-20

    Genetic factors and mechanisms underlying food allergy are largely unknown. Due to heterogeneity of symptoms a reliable diagnosis is often difficult to make. Here, we report a genome-wide association study on food allergy diagnosed by oral food challenge in 497 cases and 2387 controls. We identify five loci at genome-wide significance, the clade B serpin (SERPINB) gene cluster at 18q21.3, the cytokine gene cluster at 5q31.1, the filaggrin gene, the C11orf30/LRRC32 locus, and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region. Stratifying the results for the causative food demonstrates that association of the HLA locus is peanut allergy-specific whereas the other four loci increase the risk for any food allergy. Variants in the SERPINB gene cluster are associated with SERPINB10 expression in leukocytes. Moreover, SERPINB genes are highly expressed in the esophagus. All identified loci are involved in immunological regulation or epithelial barrier function, emphasizing the role of both mechanisms in food allergy.

  20. Von Willebrand Factor Gene Variants Associate with Herpes simplex Encephalitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nada Abdelmagid

    Full Text Available Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE is a rare complication of Herpes simplex virus type-1 infection. It results in severe parenchymal damage in the brain. Although viral latency in neurons is very common in the population, it remains unclear why certain individuals develop HSE. Here we explore potential host genetic variants predisposing to HSE. In order to investigate this we used a rat HSE model comparing the HSE susceptible SHR (Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats with the asymptomatic infection of BN (Brown Norway. Notably, both strains have HSV-1 spread to the CNS at four days after infection. A genome wide linkage analysis of 29 infected HXB/BXH RILs (recombinant inbred lines-generated from the prior two strains, displayed variable susceptibility to HSE enabling the definition of a significant QTL (quantitative trait locus named Hse6 towards the end of chromosome 4 (160.89-174Mb containing the Vwf (von Willebrand factor gene. This was the only gene in the QTL with both cis-regulation in the brain and included several non-synonymous SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism. Intriguingly, in human chromosome 12 several SNPs within the intronic region between exon 43 and 44 of the VWF gene were associated with human HSE pathogenesis. In particular, rs917859 is nominally associated with an odds ratio of 1.5 (95% CI 1.11-2.02; p-value = 0.008 after genotyping in 115 HSE cases and 428 controls. Although there are possibly several genetic and environmental factors involved in development of HSE, our study identifies variants of the VWF gene as candidates for susceptibility in experimental and human HSE.

  1. Bivariate genome-wide association meta-analysis of pediatric musculoskeletal traits reveals pleiotropic effects at the SREBF1/TOM1L2 locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Kemp, John P; Dimou, Niki L

    2017-01-01

    bone mineral density loci: WNT4, GALNT3, MEPE, CPED1/WNT16, TNFSF11, RIN3, and PPP6R3/LRP5. Variants in the TOM1L2/SREBF1 locus exert opposing effects TB-LM and TBLH-BMD, and have a stronger association with the former trait. We show that SREBF1 is expressed in murine and human osteoblasts, as well...

  2. High-density genotyping of immune-related loci identifies new SLE risk variants in individuals with Asian ancestry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Celi; Molineros, Julio E; Looger, Loren L; Zhou, Xu-Jie; Kim, Kwangwoo; Okada, Yukinori; Ma, Jianyang; Qi, Yuan-Yuan; Kim-Howard, Xana; Motghare, Prasenjeet; Bhattarai, Krishna; Adler, Adam; Bang, So-Young; Lee, Hye-Soon; Kim, Tae-Hwan; Kang, Young Mo; Suh, Chang-Hee; Chung, Won Tae; Park, Yong-Beom; Choe, Jung-Yoon; Shim, Seung Cheol; Kochi, Yuta; Suzuki, Akari; Kubo, Michiaki; Sumida, Takayuki; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Lee, Shin-Seok; Kim, Young Jin; Han, Bok-Ghee; Dozmorov, Mikhail; Kaufman, Kenneth M; Wren, Jonathan D; Harley, John B; Shen, Nan; Chua, Kek Heng; Zhang, Hong; Bae, Sang-Cheol; Nath, Swapan K

    2016-03-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has a strong but incompletely understood genetic architecture. We conducted an association study with replication in 4,478 SLE cases and 12,656 controls from six East Asian cohorts to identify new SLE susceptibility loci and better localize known loci. We identified ten new loci and confirmed 20 known loci with genome-wide significance. Among the new loci, the most significant locus was GTF2IRD1-GTF2I at 7q11.23 (rs73366469, Pmeta = 3.75 × 10(-117), odds ratio (OR) = 2.38), followed by DEF6, IL12B, TCF7, TERT, CD226, PCNXL3, RASGRP1, SYNGR1 and SIGLEC6. We identified the most likely functional variants at each locus by analyzing epigenetic marks and gene expression data. Ten candidate variants are known to alter gene expression in cis or in trans. Enrichment analysis highlights the importance of these loci in B cell and T cell biology. The new loci, together with previously known loci, increase the explained heritability of SLE to 24%. The new loci share functional and ontological characteristics with previously reported loci and are possible drug targets for SLE therapeutics.

  3. Incidental copy-number variants identified by routine genome testing in a clinical population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boone, Philip M.; Soens, Zachry T.; Campbell, Ian M.; Stankiewicz, Pawel; Cheung, Sau Wai; Patel, Ankita; Beaudet, Arthur L.; Plon, Sharon E.; Shaw, Chad A.; McGuire, Amy L.; Lupski, James R.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Mutational load of susceptibility variants has not been studied on a genomic scale in a clinical population, nor has the potential to identify these mutations as incidental findings during clinical testing been systematically ascertained. Methods Array comparative genomic hybridization, a method for genome-wide detection of DNA copy-number variants, was performed clinically on DNA from 9,005 individuals. Copy-number variants encompassing or disrupting single genes were identified and analyzed for their potential to confer predisposition to dominant, adult-onset disease. Multigene copy-number variants affecting dominant, adult-onset cancer syndrome genes were also assessed. Results In our cohort, 83 single-gene copy-number variants affected 40 unique genes associated with dominant, adult-onset disorders and unrelated to the patients’ referring diagnoses (i.e., incidental) were found. Fourteen of these copy-number variants are likely disease-predisposing, 25 are likely benign, and 44 are of unknown clinical consequence. When incidental copy-number variants spanning up to 20 genes were considered, 27 copy-number variants affected 17 unique genes associated with dominant, adult-onset cancer predisposition. Conclusion Copy-number variants potentially conferring susceptibility to adult-onset disease can be identified as incidental findings during routine genome-wide testing. Some of these mutations may be medically actionable, enabling disease surveillance or prevention; however, most incidentally observed single-gene copy-number variants are currently of unclear significance to the patient. PMID:22878507

  4. Fine scale mapping of the 17q22 breast cancer locus using dense SNPs, genotyped within the Collaborative Oncological Gene-Environment Study (COGs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darabi, Hatef; Beesley, Jonathan; Droit, Arnaud; Kar, Siddhartha; Nord, Silje; Moradi Marjaneh, Mahdi; Soucy, Penny; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ghoussaini, Maya; Fues Wahl, Hanna; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Alonso, M Rosario; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W; Benitez, Javier; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Bojesen, Stig E; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Broeks, Annegien; Brüning, Thomas; Burwinkel, Barbara; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Conroy, Don M; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Devilee, Peter; Dörk, Thilo; Easton, Douglas F; Fasching, Peter A; Figueroa, Jonine; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Galle, Eva; García-Closas, Montserrat; Giles, Graham G; Goldberg, Mark S; González-Neira, Anna; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A; Hallberg, Emily; Hamann, Ute; Hartman, Mikael; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Hopper, John L; Ito, Hidemi; Jakubowska, Anna; Johnson, Nichola; Kang, Daehee; Khan, Sofia; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kriege, Mieke; Kristensen, Vessela; Lambrechts, Diether; Le Marchand, Loic; Lee, Soo Chin; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Lubinski, Jan; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Matsuo, Keitaro; Mayes, Rebecca; McKay, James; Meindl, Alfons; Milne, Roger L; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Olswold, Curtis; Orr, Nick; Peterlongo, Paolo; Pita, Guillermo; Pylkäs, Katri; Rudolph, Anja; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Schmutzler, Rita K; Seynaeve, Caroline; Shah, Mitul; Shen, Chen-Yang; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Southey, Melissa C; Stram, Daniel O; Surowy, Harald; Swerdlow, Anthony; Teo, Soo H; Tessier, Daniel C; Tomlinson, Ian; Torres, Diana; Truong, Thérèse; Vachon, Celine M; Vincent, Daniel; Winqvist, Robert; Wu, Anna H; Wu, Pei-Ei; Yip, Cheng Har; Zheng, Wei; Pharoah, Paul D P; Hall, Per; Edwards, Stacey L; Simard, Jacques; French, Juliet D; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Dunning, Alison M

    2016-09-07

    Genome-wide association studies have found SNPs at 17q22 to be associated with breast cancer risk. To identify potential causal variants related to breast cancer risk, we performed a high resolution fine-mapping analysis that involved genotyping 517 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array (iCOGS) followed by imputation of genotypes for 3,134 SNPs in more than 89,000 participants of European ancestry from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). We identified 28 highly correlated common variants, in a 53 Kb region spanning two introns of the STXBP4 gene, that are strong candidates for driving breast cancer risk (lead SNP rs2787486 (OR = 0.92; CI 0.90-0.94; P = 8.96 × 10(-15))) and are correlated with two previously reported risk-associated variants at this locus, SNPs rs6504950 (OR = 0.94, P = 2.04 × 10(-09), r(2) = 0.73 with lead SNP) and rs1156287 (OR = 0.93, P = 3.41 × 10(-11), r(2) = 0.83 with lead SNP). Analyses indicate only one causal SNP in the region and several enhancer elements targeting STXBP4 are located within the 53 kb association signal. Expression studies in breast tumor tissues found SNP rs2787486 to be associated with increased STXBP4 expression, suggesting this may be a target gene of this locus.

  5. Inheritance of late flowering in natural variants of soybean cultivars under short-day conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Carpentieri-Pipolo

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to determine the inheritance of the long juvenile period trait in natural variants of the Doko, BR 9 (Savana, Davis, Embrapa 1 (IAS 5RC, and BR 16 soybean cultivars. Complete diallel crosses were made between the Doko and BR 16 cultivars and their variants. A 3:1 segregation ratio was observed in the F2 populations of the 'Doko' x Doko-18T, 'Doko' x Doko-Milionária, 'Davis' x São Carlos, and 'BR 9 (Savana' x MABR92-836 (Savanão crosses, indicating that the long juvenile period trait is controlled by a pair of recessive genes. The difference in late flowering between the Doko cultivar and both of its variants was caused by a recessive spontaneous mutation at the same genetic locus. However, the variants Doko-18T and Doko-Milionária are identical mutants that share a pair of genes that control the long juvenile period under short-day conditions. These mutants can be used in breeding programs to develop cultivars adapted to low-latitude tropical regions.

  6. MSX1 gene variant - its presence in tooth absence - a case control genetic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Naveen Admala; Adusumilli, Gopinath; Devanna, Raghu; Pichai, Saravanan; Rohra, Mayur Gobindram; Arjunan, Sharmila

    2013-10-01

    Non Syndromic tooth agenesis is a congenital anomaly with significant medical, psychological and social ramifications. There is sufficient evidence to hypothesize that locus for this condition can be identified by candidate genes. The aim of this study was to test whether MSX1 671 T>C gene variant was involved in etiology of Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. Blood samples were collected with informed consent from 50 subjects having Non Syndromic tooth agenesis and 50 controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples, Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was performed for digestion products that were evaluated. The RESULTS showed positive correlation between MSX1671 T>C gene variant and Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. MSX1 671 T>C gene variant may be a good screening marker for Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients . How to cite this article:Reddy NA, Adusumilli G, Devanna R, Pichai S, Rohra MG, Arjunan S. Msx1 Gene Variant - Its Presence in Tooth Absence - A Case Control Genetic Study. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(5):20-6.

  7. Inferring relationships between pairs of individuals from locus heterozygosities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spinetti Isabella

    2002-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The traditional exact method for inferring relationships between individuals from genetic data is not easily applicable in all situations that may be encountered in several fields of applied genetics. This study describes an approach that gives affordable results and is easily applicable; it is based on the probabilities that two individuals share 0, 1 or both alleles at a locus identical by state. Results We show that these probabilities (zi depend on locus heterozygosity (H, and are scarcely affected by variation of the distribution of allele frequencies. This allows us to obtain empirical curves relating zi's to H for a series of common relationships, so that the likelihood ratio of a pair of relationships between any two individuals, given their genotypes at a locus, is a function of a single parameter, H. Application to large samples of mother-child and full-sib pairs shows that the statistical power of this method to infer the correct relationship is not much lower than the exact method. Analysis of a large database of STR data proves that locus heterozygosity does not vary significantly among Caucasian populations, apart from special cases, so that the likelihood ratio of the more common relationships between pairs of individuals may be obtained by looking at tabulated zi values. Conclusions A simple method is provided, which may be used by any scientist with the help of a calculator or a spreadsheet to compute the likelihood ratios of common alternative relationships between pairs of individuals.

  8. Genetic variants influencing phenotypic variance heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ek, Weronica E; Rask-Andersen, Mathias; Karlsson, Torgny; Enroth, Stefan; Gyllensten, Ulf; Johansson, Åsa

    2018-03-01

    Most genetic studies identify genetic variants associated with disease risk or with the mean value of a quantitative trait. More rarely, genetic variants associated with variance heterogeneity are considered. In this study, we have identified such variance single-nucleotide polymorphisms (vSNPs) and examined if these represent biological gene × gene or gene × environment interactions or statistical artifacts caused by multiple linked genetic variants influencing the same phenotype. We have performed a genome-wide study, to identify vSNPs associated with variance heterogeneity in DNA methylation levels. Genotype data from over 10 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and DNA methylation levels at over 430 000 CpG sites, were analyzed in 729 individuals. We identified vSNPs for 7195 CpG sites (P mean DNA methylation levels. We further showed that variance heterogeneity between genotypes mainly represents additional, often rare, SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the respective vSNP and for some vSNPs, multiple low frequency variants co-segregating with one of the vSNP alleles. Therefore, our results suggest that variance heterogeneity of DNA methylation mainly represents phenotypic effects by multiple SNPs, rather than biological interactions. Such effects may also be important for interpreting variance heterogeneity of more complex clinical phenotypes.

  9. Artemisinin Resistance-Associated Polymorphisms at the K13-Propeller Locus Are Absent in Plasmodium falciparum Isolates from Haiti

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Tamar E.; Boulter, Alexis; Existe, Alexandre; Romain, Jean R.; St. Victor, Jean Yves; Mulligan, Connie J.; Okech, Bernard A.

    2015-01-01

    Antimalarial drugs are a key tool in malaria elimination programs. With the emergence of artemisinin resistance in southeast Asia, an effort to identify molecular markers for surveillance of resistant malaria parasites is underway. Non-synonymous mutations in the kelch propeller domain (K13-propeller) in Plasmodium falciparum have been associated with artemisinin resistance in samples from southeast Asia, but additional studies are needed to characterize this locus in other P. falciparum populations with different levels of artemisinin use. Here, we sequenced the K13-propeller locus in 82 samples from Haiti, where limited government oversight of non-governmental organizations may have resulted in low-level use of artemisinin-based combination therapies. We detected a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at nucleotide 1,359 in a single isolate. Our results contribute to our understanding of the global genomic diversity of the K13-propeller locus in P. falciparum populations. PMID:25646258

  10. Origin of allelic diversity in antirrhinum S locus RNases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Y; Carpenter, R; Dickinson, H G; Coen, E S

    1996-01-01

    In many plant species, self-incompatibility (SI) is genetically controlled by a single multiallelic S locus. Previous analysis of S alleles in the Solanaceae, in which S locus ribonucleases (S RNases) are responsible for stylar expression of SI, has demonstrated that allelic diversity predated speciation within this family. To understand how allelic diversity has evolved, we investigated the molecular basis of gametophytic SI in Antirrhinum, a member of the Scrophulariaceae, which is closely related to the Solanaceae. We have characterized three Antirrhinum cDNAs encoding polypeptides homologous to S RNases and shown that they are encoded by genes at the S locus. RNA in situ hybridization revealed that the Antirrhinum S RNase are primarily expressed in the stylar transmitting tissue. This expression is consistent with their proposed role in arresting the growth of self-pollen tubes. S alleles from the Scrophulariaceae form a separate group from those of the Solanaceae, indicating that new S alleles have been generated since these families separated (approximately 40 million years). We propose that the recruitment of an ancestral RNase gene into SI occurred during an early stage of angiosperm evolution and that, since that time, new alleles subsequently have arisen at a low rate. PMID:8672882

  11. TALE nickase mediates high efficient targeted transgene integration at the human multi-copy ribosomal DNA locus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yong; Gao, Tieli; Wang, Xiaolin; Hu, Youjin; Hu, Xuyun; Hu, Zhiqing; Pang, Jialun; Li, Zhuo; Xue, Jinfeng; Feng, Mai; Wu, Lingqian; Liang, Desheng

    2014-03-28

    Although targeted gene addition could be stimulated strikingly by a DNA double strand break (DSB) created by either zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) or TALE nucleases (TALENs), the DSBs are really mutagenic and toxic to human cells. As a compromised solution, DNA single-strand break (SSB) or nick has been reported to mediate high efficient gene addition but with marked reduction of random mutagenesis. We previously demonstrated effective targeted gene addition at the human multicopy ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus, a genomic safe harbor for the transgene with therapeutic potential. To improve the transgene integration efficiency by using TALENs while lowering the cytotoxicity of DSBs, we created both TALENs and TALE nickases (TALENickases) targeting this multicopy locus. A targeting vector which could integrate a GFP cassette at the rDNA locus was constructed and co-transfected with TALENs or TALENickases. Although the fraction of GFP positive cells using TALENs was greater than that using TALENickases during the first few days after transfection, it reduced to a level less than that using TALENickases after continuous culture. Our findings showed that the TALENickases were more effective than their TALEN counterparts at the multi-copy rDNA locus, though earlier studies using ZFNs and ZFNickases targeting the single-copy loci showed the reverse. Besides, TALENickases mediated the targeted integration of a 5.4 kb fragment at a frequency of up to 0.62% in HT1080 cells after drug selection, suggesting their potential application in targeted gene modification not being limited at the rDNA locus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Genome-wide association analysis of young onset stroke identifies a locus on chromosome 10q25 near HABP2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yu-Ching; Stanne, Tara M.; Giese, Anne-Katrin; Ho, Weang Kee; Traylor, Matthew; Amouyel, Philippe; Holliday, Elizabeth G.; Malik, Rainer; Xu, Huichun; Kittner, Steven J.; Cole, John W.; O’Connell, Jeffrey R.; Danesh, John; Rasheed, Asif; Zhao, Wei; Engelter, Stefan; Grond-Ginsbach, Caspar; Kamatani, Yoichiro; Lathrop, Mark; Leys, Didier; Thijs, Vincent; Metso, Tiina M.; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Pezzini, Alessandro; Parati, Eugenio A.; Norrving, Bo; Bevan, Steve; Rothwell, Peter M; Sudlow, Cathie; Slowik, Agnieszka; Lindgren, Arne; Walters, Matthew R; Jannes, Jim; Shen, Jess; Crosslin, David; Doheny, Kimberly; Laurie, Cathy C.; Kanse, Sandip M.; Bis, Joshua C.; Fornage, Myriam; Mosley, Thomas H.; Hopewell, Jemma C.; Strauch, Konstantin; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Gieger, Christian; Waldenberger, Melanie; Peters, Annette; Meisinger, Christine; Ikram, M. Arfan; Longstreth, WT; Meschia, James F.; Seshadri, Sudha; Sharma, Pankaj; Worrall, Bradford; Jern, Christina; Levi, Christopher; Dichgans, Martin; Boncoraglio, Giorgio B.; Markus, Hugh S.; Debette, Stephanie; Rolfs, Arndt; Saleheen, Danish; Mitchell, Braxton D.

    2015-01-01

    Background and Purpose Although a genetic contribution to ischemic stroke is well recognized, only a handful of stroke loci have been identified by large-scale genetic association studies to date. Hypothesizing that genetic effects might be stronger for early- versus late-onset stroke, we conducted a two-stage meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), focusing on stroke cases with an age of onset genetic variants at loci with association Pstroke susceptibility locus at 10q25 reached genome-wide significance in the combined analysis of all samples from the Discovery and Follow-up Stages (rs11196288, OR=1.41, P=9.5×10−9). The associated locus is in an intergenic region between TCF7L2 and HABP2. In a further analysis in an independent sample, we found that two SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium with rs11196288 were significantly associated with total plasma factor VII-activating protease levels, a product of HABP2. Conclusions HABP2, which encodes an extracellular serine protease involved in coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammatory pathways, may be a genetic susceptibility locus for early-onset stroke. PMID:26732560

  13. Variant Review with the Integrative Genomics Viewer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, James T; Thorvaldsdóttir, Helga; Wenger, Aaron M; Zehir, Ahmet; Mesirov, Jill P

    2017-11-01

    Manual review of aligned reads for confirmation and interpretation of variant calls is an important step in many variant calling pipelines for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Visual inspection can greatly increase the confidence in calls, reduce the risk of false positives, and help characterize complex events. The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) was one of the first tools to provide NGS data visualization, and it currently provides a rich set of tools for inspection, validation, and interpretation of NGS datasets, as well as other types of genomic data. Here, we present a short overview of IGV's variant review features for both single-nucleotide variants and structural variants, with examples from both cancer and germline datasets. IGV is freely available at https://www.igv.org Cancer Res; 77(21); e31-34. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  14. Development and validation of a single-tube multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis for Klebsiella pneumoniae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoinette A T P Brink

    Full Text Available Genotyping of Klebsiella pneumoniae is indispensable for management of nosocomial infections, monitoring of emerging strains--including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL producers-, and general epidemiology. Such objectives require a high-resolution genotyping method with a fixed scheme that allows (1 long-term retrospective and prospective assessment, (2 objective result readout and (3 library storage for database development and exchangeable results. We have developed a multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA using a single-tube fluorescently primed multiplex PCR for 8 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs and automated fragment size analysis. The type allocation scheme was optimized using 224 K. pneumoniae clinical isolates, which yielded 101 MLVA types. The method was compared to the gold standard multilocus sequence typing (MLST using a subset of these clinical isolates (n = 95 and found to be highly concordant, with at least as high a resolution but with considerably less hands-on time. Our results position this MLVA scheme as an appropriate, high-throughput and relatively low-cost tool for K. pneumoniae epidemiology.

  15. Analysis of fast neutron-generated mutants at the Arabidopsis thaliana HY4 locus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruggemann, E.; Handwerger, K.; Essex, C.; Storz, G.

    1996-01-01

    Ionizing radiation is expected to produce mutants with deletions or other chromosomal rearrangements. These mutants are useful for a variety of purposes, such as creating null alleles and cloning genes whose existence is known only from their mutant phenotype; however, only a few mutations generated by ionizing radiation have been characterized at the molecular level in Arabidopsis thaliana. Twenty fast neutron-generated alleles of the Arabidopsis HY4 locus, which encodes a blue light receptor, CRY1, were isolated and characterized. Nine of the mutant alleles displayed normal genetic behavior. The other 11 mutant alleles were poorly transmitted through the male gametophyte and were lethal in homozygous plants. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that alleles of the first group generally contain small or moderate-sized deletions at HY4, while alleles of the second group contain large deletions at this locus. These results demonstrate that fast neutrons can produce a range of deletions at a single locus in Arabidopsis. Many of these deletions would be suitable for cloning by genomic subtraction or representational difference analysis. The results also suggest the presence of an essential locus adjacent to HY4. (author)

  16. An in vivo cis-regulatory screen at the type 2 diabetes associated TCF7L2 locus identifies multiple tissue-specific enhancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Savic

    Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have repeatedly shown an association between non-coding variants in the TCF7L2 locus and risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D, implicating a role for cis-regulatory variation within this locus in disease etiology. Supporting this hypothesis, we previously localized complex regulatory activity to the TCF7L2 T2D-associated interval using an in vivo bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC enhancer-trapping reporter strategy. To follow-up on this broad initial survey of the TCF7L2 regulatory landscape, we performed a fine-mapping enhancer scan using in vivo mouse transgenic reporter assays. We functionally interrogated approximately 50% of the sequences within the T2D-associated interval, utilizing sequence conservation within this 92-kb interval to determine the regulatory potential of all evolutionary conserved sequences that exhibited conservation to the non-eutherian mammal opossum. Included in this study was a detailed functional interrogation of sequences spanning both protective and risk alleles of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs7903146, which has exhibited allele-specific enhancer function in pancreatic beta cells. Using these assays, we identified nine segments regulating various aspects of the TCF7L2 expression profile and that constitute nearly 70% of the sequences tested. These results highlight the regulatory complexity of this interval and support the notion that a TCF7L2 cis-regulatory disruption leads to T2D predisposition.

  17. Circadian gene variants and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes: a pilot study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Ann Kelly

    Full Text Available Disruption of endogenous circadian rhythms has been shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, suggesting that circadian genes might play a role in determining disease susceptibility. We present the results of a pilot study investigating the association between type 2 diabetes and selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in/near nine circadian genes. The variants were chosen based on their previously reported association with prostate cancer, a disease that has been suggested to have a genetic link with type 2 diabetes through a number of shared inherited risk determinants.The pilot study was performed using two genetically homogeneous Punjabi cohorts, one resident in the United Kingdom and one indigenous to Pakistan. Subjects with (N = 1732 and without (N = 1780 type 2 diabetes were genotyped for thirteen circadian variants using a competitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. Associations between the SNPs and type 2 diabetes were investigated using logistic regression. The results were also combined with in silico data from other South Asian datasets (SAT2D consortium and white European cohorts (DIAGRAM+ using meta-analysis. The rs7602358G allele near PER2 was negatively associated with type 2 diabetes in our Punjabi cohorts (combined odds ratio [OR] = 0.75 [0.66-0.86], p = 3.18 × 10(-5, while the BMAL1 rs11022775T allele was associated with an increased risk of the disease (combined OR = 1.22 [1.07-1.39], p = 0.003. Neither of these associations was replicated in the SAT2D or DIAGRAM+ datasets, however. Meta-analysis of all the cohorts identified disease associations with two variants, rs2292912 in CRY2 and rs12315175 near CRY1, although statistical significance was nominal (combined OR = 1.05 [1.01-1.08], p = 0.008 and OR = 0.95 [0.91-0.99], p = 0.015 respectively.None of the selected circadian gene variants was associated with type 2 diabetes with study-wide significance after meta-analysis. The nominal

  18. Genetic variant for behavioral regulation factor of executive function and its possible brain mechanism in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiao; Wu, Zhaomin; Cao, Qingjiu; Qian, Ying; Liu, Yong; Yang, Binrang; Chang, Suhua; Yang, Li; Wang, Yufeng

    2018-05-16

    As a childhood-onset psychiatric disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complicated by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Lifelong executive function deficits in ADHD are described in many literatures and have been proposed as endophenotypes of ADHD. However, its genetic basis is still elusive. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study of executive function, rated with Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), in ADHD children. We identified one significant variant (rs852004, P = 2.51e-08) for the overall score of BRIEF. The association analyses for each component of executive function found this locus was more associated with inhibit and monitor components. Further principle component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provided an ADHD-specific executive function pattern including inhibit and monitor factors. SNP rs852004 was mainly associated with the Behavioral Regulation factor. Meanwhile, we found the significant locus was associated with ADHD symptom. The Behavioral Regulation factor mediated its effect on ADHD symptom. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses further showed evidence that this variant affected the activity of inhibition control related brain regions. It provided new insights for the genetic basis of executive function in ADHD.

  19. Identification of a novel locus on chromosome 2q13, which predisposes to clinical vertebral fractures independently of bone density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonso, Nerea; Estrada, Karol; Albagha, Omar M E; Herrera, Lizbeth; Reppe, Sjur; Olstad, Ole K; Gautvik, Kaare M; Ryan, Niamh M; Evans, Kathryn L; Nielson, Carrie M; Hsu, Yi-Hsiang; Kiel, Douglas P; Markozannes, George; Ntzani, Evangelia E; Evangelou, Evangelos; Feenstra, Bjarke; Liu, Xueping; Melbye, Mads; Masi, Laura; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Riches, Philip; Daroszewska, Anna; Olmos, José Manuel; Valero, Carmen; Castillo, Jesús; Riancho, José A; Husted, Lise B; Langdahl, Bente L; Brown, Matthew A; Duncan, Emma L; Kaptoge, Stephen; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Usategui-Martín, Ricardo; Del Pino-Montes, Javier; González-Sarmiento, Rogelio; Lewis, Joshua R; Prince, Richard L; D’Amelio, Patrizia; García-Giralt, Natalia; NoguéS, Xavier; Mencej-Bedrac, Simona; Marc, Janja; Wolstein, Orit; Eisman, John A; Oei, Ling; Medina-Gómez, Carolina; Schraut, Katharina E; Navarro, Pau; Wilson, James F; Davies, Gail; Starr, John; Deary, Ian; Tanaka, Toshiko; Ferrucci, Luigi; Gianfrancesco, Fernando; Gennari, Luigi; Lucas, Gavin; Elosua, Roberto; Uitterlinden, André G; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Ralston, Stuart H

    2018-01-01

    Objectives To identify genetic determinants of susceptibility to clinical vertebral fractures, which is an important complication of osteoporosis. Methods Here we conduct a genome-wide association study in 1553 postmenopausal women with clinical vertebral fractures and 4340 controls, with a two-stage replication involving 1028 cases and 3762 controls. Potentially causal variants were identified using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data from transiliac bone biopsies and bioinformatic studies. Results A locus tagged by rs10190845 was identified on chromosome 2q13, which was significantly associated with clinical vertebral fracture (P=1.04×10−9) with a large effect size (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.6). Bioinformatic analysis of this locus identified several potentially functional SNPs that are associated with expression of the positional candidate genes TTL (tubulin tyrosine ligase) and SLC20A1 (solute carrier family 20 member 1). Three other suggestive loci were identified on chromosomes 1p31, 11q12 and 15q11. All these loci were novel and had not previously been associated with bone mineral density or clinical fractures. Conclusion We have identified a novel genetic variant that is associated with clinical vertebral fractures by mechanisms that are independent of BMD. Further studies are now in progress to validate this association and evaluate the underlying mechanism. PMID:29170203

  20. Meta-genome-wide association studies identify a locus on chromosome 1 and multiple variants in the MHC region for serum C-peptide in type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roshandel, Delnaz; Gubitosi-Klug, Rose; Bull, Shelley B; Canty, Angelo J; Pezzolesi, Marcus G; King, George L; Keenan, Hillary A; Snell-Bergeon, Janet K; Maahs, David M; Klein, Ronald; Klein, Barbara E K; Orchard, Trevor J; Costacou, Tina; Weedon, Michael N; Oram, Richard A; Paterson, Andrew D

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this study was to identify genetic variants associated with beta cell function in type 1 diabetes, as measured by serum C-peptide levels, through meta-genome-wide association studies (meta-GWAS). We performed a meta-GWAS to combine the results from five studies in type 1 diabetes with cross-sectionally measured stimulated, fasting or random C-peptide levels, including 3479 European participants. The p values across studies were combined, taking into account sample size and direction of effect. We also performed separate meta-GWAS for stimulated (n = 1303), fasting (n = 2019) and random (n = 1497) C-peptide levels. In the meta-GWAS for stimulated/fasting/random C-peptide levels, a SNP on chromosome 1, rs559047 (Chr1:238753916, T>A, minor allele frequency [MAF] 0.24-0.26), was associated with C-peptide (p = 4.13 × 10 -8 ), meeting the genome-wide significance threshold (p C>T, MAF 0.07-0.10, p = 8.43 × 10 -8 ). In the stimulated C-peptide meta-GWAS, rs61211515 (Chr6:30100975, T/-, MAF 0.17-0.19) in the MHC region was associated with stimulated C-peptide (β [SE] = - 0.39 [0.07], p = 9.72 × 10 -8 ). rs61211515 was also associated with the rate of stimulated C-peptide decline over time in a subset of individuals (n = 258) with annual repeated measures for up to 6 years (p = 0.02). In the meta-GWAS of random C-peptide, another MHC region, SNP rs3135002 (Chr6:32668439, C>A, MAF 0.02-0.06), was associated with C-peptide (p = 3.49 × 10 -8 ). Conditional analyses suggested that the three identified variants in the MHC region were independent of each other. rs9260151 and rs3135002 have been associated with type 1 diabetes, whereas rs559047 and rs61211515 have not been associated with a risk of developing type 1 diabetes. We identified a locus on chromosome 1 and multiple variants in the MHC region, at least some of which were distinct from type 1 diabetes risk loci, that were associated with C

  1. A Common CYFIP1 Variant at the 15q11.2 Disease Locus Is Associated with Structural Variation at the Language-Related Left Supramarginal Gyrus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Jae Woo

    Full Text Available Copy number variants (CNVs at the Breakpoint 1 to Breakpoint 2 region at 15q11.2 (BP1-2 are associated with language-related difficulties and increased risk for developmental disorders in which language is compromised. Towards underlying mechanisms, we investigated relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs across the region and quantitative measures of human brain structure obtained by magnetic resonance imaging of healthy subjects. We report an association between rs4778298, a common variant at CYFIP1, and inter-individual variation in surface area across the left supramarginal gyrus (lh.SMG, a cortical structure implicated in speech and language in independent discovery (n = 100 and validation cohorts (n = 2621. In silico analyses determined that this same variant, and others nearby, is also associated with differences in levels of CYFIP1 mRNA in human brain. One of these nearby polymorphisms is predicted to disrupt a consensus binding site for FOXP2, a transcription factor implicated in speech and language. Consistent with a model where FOXP2 regulates CYFIP1 levels and in turn influences lh.SMG surface area, analysis of publically available expression data identified a relationship between expression of FOXP2 and CYFIP1 mRNA in human brain. We propose that altered CYFIP1 dosage, through aberrant patterning of the lh.SMG, may contribute to language-related difficulties associated with BP1-2 CNVs. More generally, this approach may be useful in clarifying the contribution of individual genes at CNV risk loci.

  2. Functional PMS2 hybrid alleles containing a pseudogene-specific missense variant trace back to a single ancient intrachromosomal recombination event.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganster, Christina; Wernstedt, Annekatrin; Kehrer-Sawatzki, Hildegard; Messiaen, Ludwine; Schmidt, Konrad; Rahner, Nils; Heinimann, Karl; Fonatsch, Christa; Zschocke, Johannes; Wimmer, Katharina

    2010-05-01

    Sequence exchange between PMS2 and its pseudogene PMS2CL, embedded in an inverted duplication on chromosome 7p22, has been reported to be an ongoing process that leads to functional PMS2 hybrid alleles containing PMS2- and PMS2CL-specific sequence variants at the 5'-and the 3'-end, respectively. The frequency of PMS2 hybrid alleles, their biological significance, and the mechanisms underlying their formation are largely unknown. Here we show that overall hybrid alleles account for one-third of 384 PMS2 alleles analyzed in individuals of different ethnic backgrounds. Depending on the population, 14-60% of hybrid alleles carry PMS2CL-specific sequences in exons 13-15, the remainder only in exon 15. We show that exons 13-15 hybrid alleles, named H1 hybrid alleles, constitute different haplotypes but trace back to a single ancient intrachromosomal recombination event with crossover. Taking advantage of an ancestral sequence variant specific for all H1 alleles we developed a simple gDNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that can be used to identify H1-allele carriers with high sensitivity and specificity (100 and 99%, respectively). Because H1 hybrid alleles harbor missense variant p.N775S of so far unknown functional significance, we assessed the H1-carrier frequency in 164 colorectal cancer patients. So far, we found no indication that the variant plays a major role with regard to cancer susceptibility. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. Fine-mapping inflammatory bowel disease loci to single-variant resolution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huang, Hailiang; Fang, Ming; Jostins, Luke; Umićević Mirkov, Maša; Boucher, Gabrielle; Anderson, Carl A; Andersen, Vibeke; Cleynen, Isabelle; Cortes, Adrian; Crins, François; D'Amato, Mauro; Deffontaine, Valérie; Dmitrieva, Julia; Docampo, Elisa; Elansary, Mahmoud; Farh, Kyle Kai-How; Franke, Andre; Gori, Ann-Stephan; Goyette, Philippe; Halfvarson, Jonas; Haritunians, Talin; Knight, Jo; Lawrance, Ian C; Lees, Charlie W; Louis, Edouard; Mariman, Rob; Meuwissen, Theo; Mni, Myriam; Momozawa, Yukihide; Parkes, Miles; Spain, Sarah L; Théâtre, Emilie; Trynka, Gosia; Satsangi, Jack; van Sommeren, Suzanne; Vermeire, Severine; Xavier, Ramnik J; Weersma, Rinse K; Duerr, Richard H; Mathew, Christopher G; Rioux, John D; McGovern, Dermot P B; Cho, Judy H; Georges, Michel; Daly, Mark J; Barrett, Jeffrey C

    2017-01-01

    Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Genome-wide association studies have identified 200 inflammatory bowel disease-associated loci, but few have been conclusively resolved to specific functional variants. Here we

  4. Fine-mapping inflammatory bowel disease loci to single-variant resolution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Hailiang; Fang, Ming; Jostins, Luke

    2017-01-01

    Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Genome-wide association studies have identified 200 inflammatory bowel disease-associated loci, but few have been conclusively resolved to specific functional variants. Here w...

  5. A population-specific uncommon variant in GRIN3A associated with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takata, Atsushi; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Fukuo, Yasuhisa; Ikeda, Masashi; Okochi, Tomo; Maekawa, Motoko; Toyota, Tomoko; Yamada, Kazuo; Hattori, Eiji; Ohnishi, Tetsuo; Toyoshima, Manabu; Ujike, Hiroshi; Inada, Toshiya; Kunugi, Hiroshi; Ozaki, Norio; Nanko, Shinichiro; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Mori, Norio; Kanba, Shigenobu; Iwata, Nakao; Kato, Tadafumi; Yoshikawa, Takeo

    2013-03-15

    Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified several common variants showing robust association with schizophrenia. However, individually, these variants only produce a weak effect. To identify genetic variants with larger effect sizes, increasing attention is now being paid to uncommon and rare variants. From the 1000 Genomes Project data, we selected 47 candidate single nucleotide variants (SNVs), which were: 1) uncommon (minor allele frequency way to discover risk variants with larger effects. Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Lynch syndrome associated with two MLH1 promoter variants and allelic imbalance of MLH1 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hesson, Luke B; Packham, Deborah; Kwok, Chau-To; Nunez, Andrea C; Ng, Benedict; Schmidt, Christa; Fields, Michael; Wong, Jason W H; Sloane, Mathew A; Ward, Robyn L

    2015-06-01

    Lynch syndrome is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by a constitutional mutation in one of the mismatch repair genes. The implementation of predictive testing and targeted preventative surveillance is hindered by the frequent finding of sequence variants of uncertain significance in these genes. We aimed to determine the pathogenicity of previously reported variants (c.-28A>G and c.-7C>T) within the MLH1 5'untranslated region (UTR) in two individuals from unrelated suspected Lynch syndrome families. We investigated whether these variants were associated with other pathogenic alterations using targeted high-throughput sequencing of the MLH1 locus. We also determined their relationship to gene expression and epigenetic alterations at the promoter. Sequencing revealed that the c.-28A>G and c.-7C>T variants were the only potentially pathogenic alterations within the MLH1 gene. In both individuals, the levels of transcription from the variant allele were reduced to 50% compared with the wild-type allele. Partial loss of expression occurred in the absence of constitutional epigenetic alterations within the MLH1 promoter. We propose that these variants may be pathogenic due to constitutional partial loss of MLH1 expression, and that this may be associated with intermediate penetrance of a Lynch syndrome phenotype. Our findings provide further evidence of the potential importance of noncoding variants in the MLH1 5'UTR in the pathogenesis of Lynch syndrome. © 2015 The Authors. **Human Mutation published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. An ll-Diaminopimelate Aminotransferase Defines a Novel Variant of the Lysine Biosynthesis Pathway in Plants1[W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, André O.; Singh, Bijay K.; Leustek, Thomas; Gilvarg, Charles

    2006-01-01

    Although lysine (Lys) biosynthesis in plants is known to occur by way of a pathway that utilizes diaminopimelic acid (DAP) as a central intermediate, the available evidence suggests that none of the known DAP-pathway variants found in nature occur in plants. A new Lys biosynthesis pathway has been identified in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) that utilizes a novel transaminase that specifically catalyzes the interconversion of tetrahydrodipicolinate and ll-diaminopimelate, a reaction requiring three enzymes in the DAP-pathway variant found in Escherichia coli. The ll-DAP aminotransferase encoded by locus At4g33680 was able to complement the dapD and dapE mutants of E. coli. This result, in conjunction with the kinetic properties and substrate specificity of the enzyme, indicated that ll-DAP aminotransferase functions in the Lys biosynthetic direction under in vivo conditions. Orthologs of At4g33680 were identified in all the cyanobacterial species whose genomes have been sequenced. The Synechocystis sp. ortholog encoded by locus sll0480 showed the same functional properties as At4g33680. These results demonstrate that the Lys biosynthesis pathway in plants and cyanobacteria is distinct from the pathways that have so far been defined in microorganisms. PMID:16361515

  8. A large duplication involving the IHH locus mimics acrocallosal syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuksel-Apak, Memnune; Bögershausen, Nina; Pawlik, Barbara; Li, Yun; Apak, Selcuk; Uyguner, Oya; Milz, Esther; Nürnberg, Gudrun; Karaman, Birsen; Gülgören, Ayan; Grzeschik, Karl-Heinz; Nürnberg, Peter; Kayserili, Hülya; Wollnik, Bernd

    2012-06-01

    Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling is a major determinant of various processes during embryonic development and has a pivotal role in embryonic skeletal development. A specific spatial and temporal expression of Ihh within the developing limb buds is essential for accurate digit outgrowth and correct digit number. Although missense mutations in IHH cause brachydactyly type A1, small tandem duplications involving the IHH locus have recently been described in patients with mild syndactyly and craniosynostosis. In contrast, a ∼600-kb deletion 5' of IHH in the doublefoot mouse mutant (Dbf) leads to severe polydactyly without craniosynostosis, but with craniofacial dysmorphism. We now present a patient resembling acrocallosal syndrome (ACS) with extensive polysyndactyly of the hands and feet, craniofacial abnormalities including macrocephaly, agenesis of the corpus callosum, dysplastic and low-set ears, severe hypertelorism and profound psychomotor delay. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array copy number analysis identified a ∼900-kb duplication of the IHH locus, which was confirmed by an independent quantitative method. A fetus from a second pregnancy of the mother by a different spouse showed similar craniofacial and limb malformations and the same duplication of the IHH-locus. We defined the exact breakpoints and showed that the duplications are identical tandem duplications in both sibs. No copy number changes were observed in the healthy mother. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a human phenotype similar to the Dbf mutant and strikingly overlapping with ACS that is caused by a copy number variation involving the IHH locus on chromosome 2q35.

  9. Fine-Scale Mapping at 9p22.2 Identifies Candidate Causal Variants That Modify Ovarian Cancer Risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Vigorito

    Full Text Available Population-based genome wide association studies have identified a locus at 9p22.2 associated with ovarian cancer risk, which also modifies ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. We conducted fine-scale mapping at 9p22.2 to identify potential causal variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Genotype data were available for 15,252 (2,462 ovarian cancer cases BRCA1 and 8,211 (631 ovarian cancer cases BRCA2 mutation carriers. Following genotype imputation, ovarian cancer associations were assessed for 4,873 and 5,020 SNPs in BRCA1 and BRCA 2 mutation carriers respectively, within a retrospective cohort analytical framework. In BRCA1 mutation carriers one set of eight correlated candidate causal variants for ovarian cancer risk modification was identified (top SNP rs10124837, HR: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.68 to 0.79, p-value 2× 10-16. These variants were located up to 20 kb upstream of BNC2. In BRCA2 mutation carriers one region, up to 45 kb upstream of BNC2, and containing 100 correlated SNPs was identified as candidate causal (top SNP rs62543585, HR: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.59 to 0.80, p-value 1.0 × 10-6. The candidate causal in BRCA1 mutation carriers did not include the strongest associated variant at this locus in the general population. In sum, we identified a set of candidate causal variants in a region that encompasses the BNC2 transcription start site. The ovarian cancer association at 9p22.2 may be mediated by different variants in BRCA1 mutation carriers and in the general population. Thus, potentially different mechanisms may underlie ovarian cancer risk for mutation carriers and the general population.

  10. A new polymorphic pepsinogen locus (Pg-2) in the rat (Rattus norvegicus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamada, S; Yamada, J; Bender, K; Adams, M

    1987-07-01

    Only two types of pepsinogens, which are products of the Pg-1 locus, are present in rat urine. In gastric mucosa, however, additional pepsinogen isozymes are expressed. We have found a polymorphism for rat gastric mucosa pepsinogen using agarose gel electrophoresis. Some inbred rat strains expressed a pepsinogen band, while others did not. The trait was found to be controlled by a single autosomal locus. We tentatively designated the locus as Pg-2 with two alleles, Pg-2a for the one controlling presence of the band and Pg-2o for the one controlling absence. Linkage analysis using BN and TM strains revealed that Pg-2 was closely linked to Pg-1 (3.7 +/- 1.8 cM), and that it did not belong to LG I (Hbb and p), LG II (Acon-1 and Mup-1), LG IV (Hao-1 and Svp-1), LG V (Es-1 and Es-3), LG VI (Gc and h), LG IX (RT1), LG X (Fh and Pep-3), nor a LG containing Ahd-2 (as yet undetermined).

  11. Annotating pathogenic non-coding variants in genic regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelfman, Sahar; Wang, Quanli; McSweeney, K Melodi; Ren, Zhong; La Carpia, Francesca; Halvorsen, Matt; Schoch, Kelly; Ratzon, Fanni; Heinzen, Erin L; Boland, Michael J; Petrovski, Slavé; Goldstein, David B

    2017-08-09

    Identifying the underlying causes of disease requires accurate interpretation of genetic variants. Current methods ineffectively capture pathogenic non-coding variants in genic regions, resulting in overlooking synonymous and intronic variants when searching for disease risk. Here we present the Transcript-inferred Pathogenicity (TraP) score, which uses sequence context alterations to reliably identify non-coding variation that causes disease. High TraP scores single out extremely rare variants with lower minor allele frequencies than missense variants. TraP accurately distinguishes known pathogenic and benign variants in synonymous (AUC = 0.88) and intronic (AUC = 0.83) public datasets, dismissing benign variants with exceptionally high specificity. TraP analysis of 843 exomes from epilepsy family trios identifies synonymous variants in known epilepsy genes, thus pinpointing risk factors of disease from non-coding sequence data. TraP outperforms leading methods in identifying non-coding variants that are pathogenic and is therefore a valuable tool for use in gene discovery and the interpretation of personal genomes.While non-coding synonymous and intronic variants are often not under strong selective constraint, they can be pathogenic through affecting splicing or transcription. Here, the authors develop a score that uses sequence context alterations to predict pathogenicity of synonymous and non-coding genetic variants, and provide a web server of pre-computed scores.

  12. Variants in Nebulin (NEB Are Linked to the Development of Familial Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma in Basset Hounds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dina F Ahram

    Full Text Available Several dog breeds are susceptible to developing primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG, which suggests a genetic basis for the disease. We have identified a four-generation Basset Hound pedigree with characteristic autosomal recessive PACG that closely recapitulates PACG in humans. Our aim is to utilize gene mapping and whole exome sequencing approaches to identify PACG-causing sequence variants in the Basset. Extensive clinical phenotyping of all pedigree members was conducted. SNP-chip genotyping was carried out in 9 affected and 15 unaffected pedigree members. Two-point and multipoint linkage analyses of genome-wide SNP data were performed using Superlink-Online SNP-1.1 and a locus was mapped to chromosome 19q with a maximum LOD score of 3.24. The locus contains 12 Ensemble predicted canine genes and is syntenic to a region on chromosome 2 in the human genome. Using exome-sequencing analysis, a possibly damaging, non-synonymous variant in the gene Nebulin (NEB was found to segregate with PACG which alters a phylogenetically conserved Lysine residue. The association of this variants with PACG was confirmed in a secondary cohort of unrelated Basset Hounds (p = 3.4 × 10-4, OR = 15.3 for homozygosity. Nebulin, a protein that promotes the contractile function of sarcomeres, was found to be prominently expressed in the ciliary muscles of the anterior segment. Our findings may provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie PACG. The phenotypic similarities of disease presentation in dogs and humans may enable the translation of findings made in this study to patients with PACG.

  13. Variants in Nebulin (NEB) Are Linked to the Development of Familial Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma in Basset Hounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahram, Dina F; Grozdanic, Sinisa D; Kecova, Helga; Henkes, Arjen; Collin, Rob W J; Kuehn, Markus H

    2015-01-01

    Several dog breeds are susceptible to developing primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), which suggests a genetic basis for the disease. We have identified a four-generation Basset Hound pedigree with characteristic autosomal recessive PACG that closely recapitulates PACG in humans. Our aim is to utilize gene mapping and whole exome sequencing approaches to identify PACG-causing sequence variants in the Basset. Extensive clinical phenotyping of all pedigree members was conducted. SNP-chip genotyping was carried out in 9 affected and 15 unaffected pedigree members. Two-point and multipoint linkage analyses of genome-wide SNP data were performed using Superlink-Online SNP-1.1 and a locus was mapped to chromosome 19q with a maximum LOD score of 3.24. The locus contains 12 Ensemble predicted canine genes and is syntenic to a region on chromosome 2 in the human genome. Using exome-sequencing analysis, a possibly damaging, non-synonymous variant in the gene Nebulin (NEB) was found to segregate with PACG which alters a phylogenetically conserved Lysine residue. The association of this variants with PACG was confirmed in a secondary cohort of unrelated Basset Hounds (p = 3.4 × 10-4, OR = 15.3 for homozygosity). Nebulin, a protein that promotes the contractile function of sarcomeres, was found to be prominently expressed in the ciliary muscles of the anterior segment. Our findings may provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie PACG. The phenotypic similarities of disease presentation in dogs and humans may enable the translation of findings made in this study to patients with PACG.

  14. X-linked dominant cone-rod degeneration: linkage mapping of a new locus for retinitis pigmentosa (RP 15) to Xp22.13-p22.11.

    OpenAIRE

    McGuire, R E; Sullivan, L S; Blanton, S H; Church, M W; Heckenlively, J R; Daiger, S P

    1995-01-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa is the name given to a heterogeneous group of hereditary retinal degenerations characterized by progressive visual field loss, pigmentary changes of the retina, abnormal electroretinograms, and, frequently, night blindness. In this study, we investigated a family with dominant cone-rod degeneration, a variant form of retinitis pigmentosa. We used microsatellite markers to test for linkage to the disease locus and excluded all mapped autosomal loci. However, a marker from ...

  15. Quantitative Trait Locus and Brain Expression of HLA-DPA1 Offers Evidence of Shared Immune Alterations in Psychiatric Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ling Z. Morgan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies of schizophrenia encompassing the major histocompatibility locus (MHC were highly significant following genome-wide correction. This broad region implicates many genes including the MHC complex class II. Within this interval we examined the expression of two MHC II genes (HLA-DPA1 and HLA-DRB1 in brain from individual subjects with schizophrenia (SZ, bipolar disorder (BD, major depressive disorder (MDD, and controls by differential gene expression methods. A third MHC II mRNA, CD74, was studied outside of the MHC II locus, as it interacts within the same immune complex. Exon microarrays were performed in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC in BD compared to controls, and both HLA-DPA1 and CD74 were decreased in expression in BD. The expression of HLA-DPA1 and CD74 were both reduced in hippocampus, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regions in SZ and BD compared to controls by specific qPCR assay. We found several novel HLA-DPA1 mRNA variants spanning HLA-DPA1 exons 2-3-4 as suggested by exon microarrays. The intronic rs9277341 SNP was a significant cis expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL that was associated with the total expression of HLA-DPA1 in five brain regions. A biomarker study of MHC II mRNAs was conducted in SZ, BD, MDD, and control lymphoblastic cell lines (LCL by qPCR assay of 87 subjects. There was significantly decreased expression of HLA-DPA1 and CD74 in BD, and trends for reductions in SZ in LCLs. The discovery of multiple splicing variants in brain for HLA-DPA1 is important as the HLA-DPA1 gene is highly conserved, there are no reported splicing variants, and the functions in brain are unknown. Future work on the function and localization of MHC Class II proteins in brain will help to understand the role of alterations in neuropsychiatric disorders. The HLA-DPA1 eQTL is located within a large linkage disequilibrium block that has an irrefutable association with schizophrenia. Future

  16. FunSAV: predicting the functional effect of single amino acid variants using a two-stage random forest model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingjun Wang

    Full Text Available Single amino acid variants (SAVs are the most abundant form of known genetic variations associated with human disease. Successful prediction of the functional impact of SAVs from sequences can thus lead to an improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms of why a SAV may be associated with certain disease. In this work, we constructed a high-quality structural dataset that contained 679 high-quality protein structures with 2,048 SAVs by collecting the human genetic variant data from multiple resources and dividing them into two categories, i.e., disease-associated and neutral variants. We built a two-stage random forest (RF model, termed as FunSAV, to predict the functional effect of SAVs by combining sequence, structure and residue-contact network features with other additional features that were not explored in previous studies. Importantly, a two-step feature selection procedure was proposed to select the most important and informative features that contribute to the prediction of disease association of SAVs. In cross-validation experiments on the benchmark dataset, FunSAV achieved a good prediction performance with the area under the curve (AUC of 0.882, which is competitive with and in some cases better than other existing tools including SIFT, SNAP, Polyphen2, PANTHER, nsSNPAnalyzer and PhD-SNP. The sourcecodes of FunSAV and the datasets can be downloaded at http://sunflower.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sjn/FunSAV.

  17. Discovery and functional annotation of SIX6 variants in primary open-angle glaucoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Ulmer Carnes

    Full Text Available Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG is the most common subtype and is a complex trait with multigenic inheritance. Genome-wide association studies have previously identified a significant association between POAG and the SIX6 locus (rs10483727, odds ratio (OR = 1.32, p = 3.87×10(-11. SIX6 plays a role in ocular development and has been associated with the morphology of the optic nerve. We sequenced the SIX6 coding and regulatory regions in 262 POAG cases and 256 controls and identified six nonsynonymous coding variants, including five rare and one common variant, Asn141His (rs33912345, which was associated significantly with POAG (OR = 1.27, p = 4.2×10(-10 in the NEIGHBOR/GLAUGEN datasets. These variants were tested in an in vivo Danio rerio (zebrafish complementation assay to evaluate ocular metrics such as eye size and optic nerve structure. Five variants, found primarily in POAG cases, were hypomorphic or null, while the sixth variant, found only in controls, was benign. One variant in the SIX6 enhancer increased expression of SIX6 and disrupted its regulation. Finally, to our knowledge for the first time, we have identified a clinical feature in POAG patients that appears to be dependent upon SIX6 genotype: patients who are homozygous for the SIX6 risk allele (His141 have a statistically thinner retinal nerve fiber layer than patients homozygous for the SIX6 non-risk allele (Asn141. Our results, in combination with previous SIX6 work, lead us to hypothesize that SIX6 risk variants disrupt the development of the neural retina, leading to a reduced number of retinal ganglion cells, thereby increasing the risk of glaucoma-associated vision loss.

  18. A genome-wide meta-analysis of genetic variants associated with allergic rhinitis and grass sensitization and their interaction with birth order.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Curjuric, Ivan; Coin, Lachlan J; Kumar, Ashish; McArdle, Wendy L; Imboden, Medea; Leynaert, Benedicte; Kogevinas, Manolis; Schmid-Grendelmeier, Peter; Pekkanen, Juha; Wjst, Matthias; Bircher, Andreas J; Sovio, Ulla; Rochat, Thierry; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Balding, David J; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Strachan, David P; Jarvis, Deborah L

    2011-11-01

    Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic disorder associated with IgE sensitization to grass. The underlying genetic variants have not been studied comprehensively. There is overwhelming evidence that those who have older siblings have less AR, although the mechanism for this remains unclear. We sought to identify common genetic variant associations with prevalent AR and grass sensitization using existing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and to determine whether genetic variants modify the protective effect of older siblings. Approximately 2.2 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms were investigated in 4 large European adult cohorts for AR (3,933 self-reported cases vs 8,965 control subjects) and grass sensitization (2,315 cases vs 10,032 control subjects). Three loci reached genome-wide significance for either phenotype. The HLA variant rs7775228, which cis-regulates HLA-DRB4, was strongly associated with grass sensitization and weakly with AR (P(grass) = 1.6 × 10(-9); P(AR) = 8.0 × 10(-3)). Variants in a locus near chromosome 11 open reading frame 30 (C11orf30) and leucine-rich repeat containing 32 (LRRC32), which was previously associated with atopic dermatitis and eczema, were also strongly associated with both phenotypes (rs2155219; P(grass) = 9.4 × 10(-9); P(AR) = 3.8 × 10(-8)). The third genome-wide significant variant was rs17513503 (P(grass) = 1.2 × 10(-8); PAR = 7.4 × 10(-7)) which was located near transmembrane protein 232 (TMEM232) and solute carrier family 25, member 46 (SLC25A46). Twelve further loci with suggestive associations were also identified. Using a candidate gene approach, where we considered variants within 164 genes previously thought to be important, we found variants in 3 further genes that may be of interest: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), Toll-like receptor 6 (TLR6) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 1 (NOD1/CARD4). We found no evidence for variants

  19. Genetic evidence and integration of various data sources for classifying uncertain variants into a single model.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goldgar, D.E.; Easton, D.F.; Byrnes, G.B.; Spurdle, A.B.; Iversen, E.S.; Greenblatt, M.S.; Boffetta, P.; Couch, F.J.; Wind, N. de; Eccles, D.; Foulkes, W.D.; Genuardi, M.; Hofstra, R.M.; Hogervorst, F.; Hoogerbrugge-van der Linden, N.; Plon, S.E.; Radice, P.; Rasmussen, L.; Sinilnikova, O.M.; Tavtigian, S.V.

    2008-01-01

    Genetic testing often results in the finding of a variant whose clinical significance is unknown. A number of different approaches have been employed in the attempt to classify such variants. For some variants, case-control, segregation, family history, or other statistical studies can provide

  20. Effect of agmatine on locus coeruleus neuron activity: possible involvement of nitric oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Durántez, Eduardo; Ruiz-Ortega, José A; Pineda, Joseba; Ugedo, Luisa

    2002-01-01

    To investigate whether agmatine (the proposed endogenous ligand for imidazoline receptors) controls locus coeruleus neuron activity and to elucidate its mechanism of action, we used single-unit extracellular recording techniques in anaesthetized rats. Agmatine (10, 20 and 40 μg, i.c.v.) increased in a dose-related manner the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons (maximal increase: 95±13% at 40 μg). I1-imidazoline receptor ligands stimulate locus coeruleus neuron activity through an indirect mechanism originated in the paragigantocellularis nucleus via excitatory amino acids. However, neither electrolytic lesions of the paragigantocellularis nucleus nor pretreatment with the excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid (1 μmol, i.c.v.) modified agmatine effect (10 μg, i.c.v.). After agmatine administration (20 μg, i.c.v.), dose-response curves for the effect of clonidine (0.625 – 10 μg kg−1 i.v.) or morphine (0.3 – 4.8 mg kg−1 i.v.) on locus coeruleus neurons were not different from those obtained in the control groups. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors Nω-nitro-L-arginine (10 μg, i.c.v.) or Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (100 μg, i.c.v.) but not with the less active stereoisomer Nω-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (100 μg, i.c.v.) completely blocked agmatine effect (10 and 40 μg, i.c.v.). Similarly, when agmatine (20 pmoles) was applied into the locus coeruleus there was an increase that was blocked by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (100 μg, i.c.v.) in the firing rate of the locus coeruleus neurons (maximal increase 53±11% and 14±10% before and after nitric oxide synthase inhibition, respectively). This study demonstrates that agmatine stimulates the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons via a nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanism located in this nucleus. PMID:11877321

  1. LOCUS OF CONTROL AND JOB SATISFACTION: PSU EMPLOYEES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshman Vijayashree

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Previous research studies have demonstrated that internal/external locus of control impacts jobsatisfaction. The present study thus aims to analyze type of locus of control and its relation with jobsatisfaction. The study will be of great help for organization to understand and know what type oflocus of control their employees has and how it has an impact on job satisfaction.The objectives of this study were: 1- To identify the type of Locus of Control (i.e. Internal orExternal present in Public Sector Units (PSU in Bangalore and 2- To analyze the impact of differenttype of Locus of Control on job satisfaction of PSU Employees. Further hypothesis was also set tocheck the relationship between locus of control and job satisfaction. In addition, the relationshipbetween different demographic factors was also examined. The tool used for this study was LocoInventory. The concept of locus of control by Levenson (1972 was used to develop Loco Inventory(Locus of Control in Organization Inventory. The survey used a questionnaire, which had thirty fivestatements which highlights the factors that determine the locus of control and job satisfaction levelof the employees. The Ratio, ANOVA, and Correlation analysis were used as statistical techniquesfor analysis.The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between internal locus of control and jobsatisfaction as well as between External (other locus of control and job satisfaction. And in case ofExternal (Chance locus of control and job satisfaction there exists partial positive correlation. As perthis study Job satisfaction level among the employees is also good as the mean is 17, which is closerto maximum scale value of 25. As per ANOVA table there is a significant variance betweeninternality and age as well as between externality (chance and age. There is no significantrelationship between internality and demographic factors like gender and education. There is nosignificant relationship between

  2. The Ties that Bind (the Igh Locus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krangel, Michael S

    2016-05-01

    Immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus V(D)J recombination requires a 3D chromatin organization which permits widely distributed variable (V) gene segments to contact distant diversity (D) and joining (J) gene segments. A recent study has identified key nodes in the locus interactome, paving the way for new molecular insights into how the locus is configured for recombination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Endogenous Locus Reporter Assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yaping; Hermes, Jeffrey; Li, Jing; Tudor, Matthew

    2018-01-01

    Reporter gene assays are widely used in high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify compounds that modulate gene expression. Traditionally a reporter gene assay is built by cloning an endogenous promoter sequence or synthetic response elements in the regulatory region of a reporter gene to monitor transcriptional activity of a specific biological process (exogenous reporter assay). In contrast, an endogenous locus reporter has a reporter gene inserted in the endogenous gene locus that allows the reporter gene to be expressed under the control of the same regulatory elements as the endogenous gene, thus more accurately reflecting the changes seen in the regulation of the actual gene. In this chapter, we introduce some of the considerations behind building a reporter gene assay for high-throughput compound screening and describe the methods we have utilized to establish 1536-well format endogenous locus reporter and exogenous reporter assays for the screening of compounds that modulate Myc pathway activity.

  4. Combinations of genetic data in a study of oral cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mellerup, Erling Thyge; Møller, Gert Lykke; Mondal, Pinaki

    2015-01-01

    In the single locus strategy a number of genetic variants are analyzed, in order to find variants that are distributed significantly different between controls and patients. A supplementary strategy is to analyze combinations of genetic variants. A combination that is the genetic basis...... for a polygenic disorder will not occur in in control persons genetically unrelated to patients, so the strategy is to analyze combinations of genetic variants present exclusively in patients. In a previous study of oral cancer and leukoplakia 325 SNPs were analyzed. This study has been supplemented...

  5. Prostate cancer risk locus at 8q24 as a regulatory hub by physical interactions with multiple genomic loci across the genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Meijun; Yuan, Tiezheng; Schilter, Kala F; Dittmar, Rachel L; Mackinnon, Alexander; Huang, Xiaoyi; Tschannen, Michael; Worthey, Elizabeth; Jacob, Howard; Xia, Shu; Gao, Jianzhong; Tillmans, Lori; Lu, Yan; Liu, Pengyuan; Thibodeau, Stephen N; Wang, Liang

    2015-01-01

    Chromosome 8q24 locus contains regulatory variants that modulate genetic risk to various cancers including prostate cancer (PC). However, the biological mechanism underlying this regulation is not well understood. Here, we developed a chromosome conformation capture (3C)-based multi-target sequencing technology and systematically examined three PC risk regions at the 8q24 locus and their potential regulatory targets across human genome in six cell lines. We observed frequent physical contacts of this risk locus with multiple genomic regions, in particular, inter-chromosomal interaction with CD96 at 3q13 and intra-chromosomal interaction with MYC at 8q24. We identified at least five interaction hot spots within the predicted functional regulatory elements at the 8q24 risk locus. We also found intra-chromosomal interaction genes PVT1, FAM84B and GSDMC and inter-chromosomal interaction gene CXorf36 in most of the six cell lines. Other gene regions appeared to be cell line-specific, such as RRP12 in LNCaP, USP14 in DU-145 and SMIN3 in lymphoblastoid cell line. We further found that the 8q24 functional domains more likely interacted with genomic regions containing genes enriched in critical pathways such as Wnt signaling and promoter motifs such as E2F1 and TCF3. This result suggests that the risk locus may function as a regulatory hub by physical interactions with multiple genes important for prostate carcinogenesis. Further understanding genetic effect and biological mechanism of these chromatin interactions will shed light on the newly discovered regulatory role of the risk locus in PC etiology and progression. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Predicting effects of noncoding variants with deep learning-based sequence model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jian; Troyanskaya, Olga G

    2015-10-01

    Identifying functional effects of noncoding variants is a major challenge in human genetics. To predict the noncoding-variant effects de novo from sequence, we developed a deep learning-based algorithmic framework, DeepSEA (http://deepsea.princeton.edu/), that directly learns a regulatory sequence code from large-scale chromatin-profiling data, enabling prediction of chromatin effects of sequence alterations with single-nucleotide sensitivity. We further used this capability to improve prioritization of functional variants including expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and disease-associated variants.

  7. Locus: mede-ontwikkelaar van inclusieve arbeidsorganisaties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beukema, Leni; de Lange, Annet; Wielenga-Meijer, Etty; Duijker, Theo; Hanstede, Bram

    2018-01-01

    in deze bijdrage wordt Locus beschreven, een netwerk waarin publieke partijen en grote, landelijk opererende bedrijven samenwerken om mensen met een afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt duurzaam aan het werk te helpen. Het hoofdstuk start met de ontstaansgeschiedenis en benadering van Locus. Vervolgens wordt

  8. Oscillating Evolution of a Mammalian Locus with Overlapping Reading Frames: An XLalphas/ALEX Relay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available XLalphas and ALEX are structurally unrelated mammalian proteins translated from alternative overlapping reading frames of a single transcript. Not only are they encoded by the same locus, but a specific XLalphas/ALEX interaction is essential for G-protein signaling in neuroendocrine cells. A disruption of this interaction leads to abnormal human phenotypes, including mental retardation and growth deficiency. The region of overlap between the two reading frames evolves at a remarkable speed: the divergence between human and mouse ALEX polypeptides makes them virtually unalignable. To trace the evolution of this puzzling locus, we sequenced it in apes, Old World monkeys, and a New World monkey. We show that the overlap between the two reading frames and the physical interaction between the two proteins force the locus to evolve in an unprecedented way. Namely, to maintain two overlapping protein-coding regions the locus is forced to have high GC content, which significantly elevates its intrinsic evolutionary rate. However, the two encoded proteins cannot afford to change too quickly relative to each other as this may impair their interaction and lead to severe physiological consequences. As a result XLalphas and ALEX evolve in an oscillating fashion constantly balancing the rates of amino acid replacements. This is the first example of a rapidly evolving locus encoding interacting proteins via overlapping reading frames, with a possible link to the origin of species-specific neurological differences.

  9. Efficient utilization of rare variants for detection of disease-related genomic regions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Zhang

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available When testing association between rare variants and diseases, an efficient analytical approach involves considering a set of variants in a genomic region as the unit of analysis. One factor complicating this approach is that the vast majority of rare variants in practical applications are believed to represent background neutral variation. As a result, analyzing a single set with all variants may not represent a powerful approach. Here, we propose two alternative strategies. In the first, we analyze the subsets of rare variants exhaustively. In the second, we categorize variants selectively into two subsets: one in which variants are overrepresented in cases, and the other in which variants are overrepresented in controls. When the proportion of neutral variants is moderate to large we show, by simulations, that the both proposed strategies improve the statistical power over methods analyzing a single set with total variants. When applied to a real sequencing association study, the proposed methods consistently produce smaller p-values than their competitors. When applied to another real sequencing dataset to study the difference of rare allele distributions between ethnic populations, the proposed methods detect the overrepresentation of variants between the CHB (Chinese Han in Beijing and YRI (Yoruba people of Ibadan populations with small p-values. Additional analyses suggest that there is no difference between the CHB and CHD (Chinese Han in Denver datasets, as expected. Finally, when applied to the CHB and JPT (Japanese people in Tokyo populations, existing methods fail to detect any difference, while it is detected by the proposed methods in several regions.

  10. Examining the relationship between health locus of control and God Locus of Health Control: Is God an internal or external source?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyd, Joni M; Wilcox, Sara

    2017-11-01

    For many people, the influence of believing in a higher power can elicit powerful effects. This study examined the relationship between God control, health locus of control, and frequency of religious attendance within 838 college students through online surveys. Regression analysis showed that chance and external locus of control and frequency of religious attendance were significant and positive predictors of God Locus of Health Control. The association of powerful others external locus of control and God Locus of Health Control differed by race (stronger in non-Whites than Whites) and somewhat by gender (stronger in women than men). For some people, the role of a supreme being, or God, should be considered when designing programs for improving health behaviors.

  11. Deep Sequencing of Three Loci Implicated in Large-Scale Genome-Wide Association Study Smoking Meta-Analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Shaunna L; McClay, Joseph L; Adkins, Daniel E; Aberg, Karolina A; Kumar, Gaurav; Nerella, Sri; Xie, Linying; Collins, Ann L; Crowley, James J; Quakenbush, Corey R; Hillard, Christopher E; Gao, Guimin; Shabalin, Andrey A; Peterson, Roseann E; Copeland, William E; Silberg, Judy L; Maes, Hermine; Sullivan, Patrick F; Costello, Elizabeth J; van den Oord, Edwin J

    2016-05-01

    Genome-wide association study meta-analyses have robustly implicated three loci that affect susceptibility for smoking: CHRNA5\\CHRNA3\\CHRNB4, CHRNB3\\CHRNA6 and EGLN2\\CYP2A6. Functional follow-up studies of these loci are needed to provide insight into biological mechanisms. However, these efforts have been hampered by a lack of knowledge about the specific causal variant(s) involved. In this study, we prioritized variants in terms of the likelihood they account for the reported associations. We employed targeted capture of the CHRNA5\\CHRNA3\\CHRNB4, CHRNB3\\CHRNA6, and EGLN2\\CYP2A6 loci and flanking regions followed by next-generation deep sequencing (mean coverage 78×) to capture genomic variation in 363 individuals. We performed single locus tests to determine if any single variant accounts for the association, and examined if sets of (rare) variants that overlapped with biologically meaningful annotations account for the associations. In total, we investigated 963 variants, of which 71.1% were rare (minor allele frequency < 0.01), 6.02% were insertion/deletions, and 51.7% were catalogued in dbSNP141. The single variant results showed that no variant fully accounts for the association in any region. In the variant set results, CHRNB4 accounts for most of the signal with significant sets consisting of directly damaging variants. CHRNA6 explains most of the signal in the CHRNB3\\CHRNA6 locus with significant sets indicating a regulatory role for CHRNA6. Significant sets in CYP2A6 involved directly damaging variants while the significant variant sets suggested a regulatory role for EGLN2. We found that multiple variants implicating multiple processes explain the signal. Some variants can be prioritized for functional follow-up. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Locus of control and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neymotin, Florence; Nemzer, Louis R

    2014-01-01

    In the developed world, the hazards associated with obesity have largely outstripped the risk of starvation. Obesity remains a difficult public health issue to address, due in large part to the many disciplines involved. A full understanding requires knowledge in the fields of genetics, endocrinology, psychology, sociology, economics, and public policy - among others. In this short review, which serves as an introduction to the Frontiers in Endocrinology research topic, we address one cross-disciplinary relationship: the interaction between the hunger/satiation neural circuitry, an individual's perceived locus of control, and the risk for obesity. Mammals have evolved a complex system for modulating energy intake. Overlaid on this, in humans, there exists a wide variation in "perceived locus of control" - that is, the extent to which an individual believes to be in charge of the events that affect them. Whether one has primarily an internal or external locus of control itself affects, and is affected by, external and physiological factors and has been correlated with the risk for obesity. Thus, the path from hunger and satiation to an individual's actual behavior may often be moderated by psychological factors, included among which is locus of control.

  13. The semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia: clinical and neuroimaging evidence in single subjects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Iaccarino

    Full Text Available We present a clinical-neuroimaging study in a series of patients with a clinical diagnosis of semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA, with the aim to provide clinical-functional correlations of the cognitive and behavioral manifestations at the single-subject level.We performed neuropsychological investigations, 18F-FDG-PET single-subject and group analysis, with an optimized SPM voxel-based approach, and correlation analyses. A measurement of white matter integrity by means of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI was also available for a subgroup of patients.Cognitive assessment confirmed the presence of typical semantic memory deficits in all patients, with a relative sparing of executive, attentional, visuo-constructional, and episodic memory domains. 18F-FDG-PET showed a consistent pattern of cerebral hypometabolism across all patients, which correlated with performance in semantic memory tasks. In addition, a majority of patients also presented with behavioral disturbances associated with metabolic dysfunction in limbic structures. In a subgroup of cases the DTI analysis showed FA abnormalities in the inferior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi.Each svPPA individual had functional derangement involving an extended, connected system within the left temporal lobe, a crucial part of the verbal semantic network, as well as an involvement of limbic structures. The latter was associated with behavioral manifestations and extended beyond the area of atrophy shown by CT scan.Single-subject 18F-FDG-PET analysis can account for both cognitive and behavioral alterations in svPPA. This provides useful support to the clinical diagnosis.

  14. Detecting rare variants in case-parents association studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuang-Fu Cheng

    Full Text Available Despite the success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs in detecting common variants (minor allele frequency ≥0.05 many suggested that rare variants also contribute to the genetic architecture of diseases. Recently, researchers demonstrated that rare variants can show a strong stratification which may not be corrected by using existing methods. In this paper, we focus on a case-parents study and consider methods for testing group-wise association between multiple rare (and common variants in a gene region and a disease. All tests depend on the numbers of transmitted mutant alleles from parents to their diseased children across variants and hence they are robust to the effect of population stratification. We use extensive simulation studies to compare the performance of four competing tests: the largest single-variant transmission disequilibrium test (TDT, multivariable test, combined TDT, and a likelihood ratio test based on a random-effects model. We find that the likelihood ratio test is most powerful in a wide range of settings and there is no negative impact to its power performance when common variants are also included in the analysis. If deleterious and protective variants are simultaneously analyzed, the likelihood ratio test was generally insensitive to the effect directionality, unless the effects are extremely inconsistent in one direction.

  15. Fine-Scale Mapping at 9p22.2 Identifies Candidate Causal Variants That Modify Ovarian Cancer Risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vigorito, E.; Kuchenbaecker, K.B.; Beesley, J.; Adlard, J.; Agnarsson, B.A.; Andrulis, I.L.; Arun, B.K.; Barjhoux, L.; Belotti, M.; Benitez, J.; Berger, A.; Bojesen, A.; Bonanni, B.; Brewer, C.; Caldes, T.; Caligo, M.A.; Campbell, I.; Chan, S.B.; Claes, K.B.; Cohn, D.E.; Cook, J.; Daly, M.B.; Damiola, F.; Davidson, R.; Pauw, A. de; Delnatte, C.; Diez, O.; Domchek, S.M.; Dumont, M.; Durda, K.; Dworniczak, B.; Easton, D.F.; Eccles, D.; Edwinsdotter Ardnor, C.; Eeles, R.; Ejlertsen, B.; Ellis, S.; Evans, D.G.; Feliubadalo, L.; Fostira, F.; Foulkes, W.D.; Friedman, E.; Frost, D.; Gaddam, P.; Ganz, P.A.; Garber, J.; Garcia-Barberan, V.; Gauthier-Villars, M.; Gehrig, A.; Gerdes, A.M.; Giraud, S.; Godwin, A.K.; Goldgar, D.E.; Hake, C.R.; Hansen, T.V.; Healey, S.; Hodgson, S.; Hogervorst, F.B.; Houdayer, C.; Hulick, P.J.; Imyanitov, E.N.; Isaacs, C.; Izatt, L.; Izquierdo, A.; Jacobs, L; Jakubowska, A.; Janavicius, R.; Jaworska-Bieniek, K.; Jensen, U.B.; John, E.M.; Vijai, J.; Karlan, B.Y.; Kast, K.; Khan, S.; Kwong, A.; Laitman, Y.; Lester, J.; Lesueur, F.; Liljegren, A.; Lubinski, J.; Mai, P.L.; Manoukian, S.; Mazoyer, S.; Meindl, A.; Mensenkamp, A.R.; Montagna, M.; Nathanson, K.L.; Neuhausen, S.L.; Nevanlinna, H.; Niederacher, D.; Olah, E.; Olopade, O.I.; Ong, K.R.; Osorio, A.; Park, S.K.; Paulsson-Karlsson, Y.; Pedersen, I.S.; Peissel, B.; Peterlongo, P.; et al.,

    2016-01-01

    Population-based genome wide association studies have identified a locus at 9p22.2 associated with ovarian cancer risk, which also modifies ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. We conducted fine-scale mapping at 9p22.2 to identify potential causal variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2

  16. Fine-Scale Mapping at 9p22.2 Identifies Candidate Causal Variants That Modify Ovarian Cancer Risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vigorito, Elena; Kuchenbaecker, Karoline B; Beesley, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Population-based genome wide association studies have identified a locus at 9p22.2 associated with ovarian cancer risk, which also modifies ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. We conducted fine-scale mapping at 9p22.2 to identify potential causal variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 ...

  17. HTRA1 variant confers similar risks to geographic atrophy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, D Joshua; Yang, Zhenglin; Gibbs, Daniel; Chen, Haoyu; Kaminoh, Yuuki; Jorgensen, Adam; Zeng, Jiexi; Luo, Ling; Brinton, Eric; Brinton, Gregory; Brand, John M; Bernstein, Paul S; Zabriskie, Norman A; Tang, Shibo; Constantine, Ryan; Tong, Zongzhong; Zhang, Kang

    2007-05-02

    Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible visual impairment in the developed world. The two forms of advanced AMD, geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (wet AMD), represent two types of degenerative processes in the macula that lead to loss of central vision. Soft confluent drusen, characterized by deposits in macula without visual loss are considered a precursor of advanced AMD. A single nucleotide polymorphism, rs11200638, in the promoter of HTRA1 has been shown to increases the risk for wet AMD. However, its impact on soft confluent drusen and GA or the relationship between them is unclear. To better understand the role the HTRA1 polymorphism plays in AMD subtypes, we genotyped an expanded Utah population with 658 patients having advanced AMD or soft confluent drusen and 294 normal controls and found that the rs11200638 was significantly associated with GA. This association remains significant conditional on LOC387715 rs10490924. In addition, rs11200638 was significantly associated with soft confluent drusen, which are strongly immunolabeled with HTRA1 antibody in an AMD eye with GA similar to wet AMD. Two-locus analyses were performed for CFH Y402H variant at 1q31 and the HTRA1 polymorphism. Together CFH and HTRA1 risk variants increase the odds of having AMD by more than 40 times. These findings expand the role of HTRA1 in AMD. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism will provide an important insight in pathogenesis of AMD.

  18. Expression of transgenes targeted to the Gt(ROSA26Sor locus is orientation dependent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas Strathdee

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Targeting transgenes to a chosen location in the genome has a number of advantages. A single copy of the DNA construct can be inserted by targeting into regions of chromatin that allow the desired developmental and tissue-specific expression of the transgene.In order to develop a reliable system for reproducibly expressing transgenes it was decided to insert constructs at the Gt(ROSA26Sor locus. A cytomegalovirus (CMV promoter was used to drive expression of the Tetracycline (tet transcriptional activator, rtTA2(s-M2, and test the effectiveness of using the ROSA26 locus to allow transgene expression. The tet operator construct was inserted into one allele of ROSA26 and a tet responder construct controlling expression of EGFP was inserted into the other allele.Expression of the targeted transgenes was shown to be affected by both the presence of selectable marker cassettes and by the orientation of the transgenes with respect to the endogenous ROSA26 promoter. These results suggest that transcriptional interference from the endogenous gene promoter or from promoters in the selectable marker cassettes may be affecting transgene expression at the locus. Additionally we have been able to determine the optimal orientation for transgene expression at the ROSA26 locus.

  19. Heterotic trait locus (HTL) mapping identifies intra-locus interactions that underlie reproductive hybrid vigor in Sorghum bicolor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Israel, Imri; Kilian, Benjamin; Nida, Habte; Fridman, Eyal

    2012-01-01

    Identifying intra-locus interactions underlying heterotic variation among whole-genome hybrids is a key to understanding mechanisms of heterosis and exploiting it for crop and livestock improvement. In this study, we present the development and first use of the heterotic trait locus (HTL) mapping approach to associate specific intra-locus interactions with an overdominant heterotic mode of inheritance in a diallel population using Sorghum bicolor as the model. This method combines the advantages of ample genetic diversity and the possibility of studying non-additive inheritance. Furthermore, this design enables dissecting the latter to identify specific intra-locus interactions. We identified three HTLs (3.5% of loci tested) with synergistic intra-locus effects on overdominant grain yield heterosis in 2 years of field trials. These loci account for 19.0% of the heterotic variation, including a significant interaction found between two of them. Moreover, analysis of one of these loci (hDPW4.1) in a consecutive F2 population confirmed a significant 21% increase in grain yield of heterozygous vs. homozygous plants in this locus. Notably, two of the three HTLs for grain yield are in synteny with previously reported overdominant quantitative trait loci for grain yield in maize. A mechanism for the reproductive heterosis found in this study is suggested, in which grain yield increase is achieved by releasing the compensatory tradeoffs between biomass and reproductive output, and between seed number and weight. These results highlight the power of analyzing a diverse set of inbreds and their hybrids for unraveling hitherto unknown allelic interactions mediating heterosis.

  20. Escala de Locus de controle ELCO/TELEBRÁS Scale of Locus of control - ELCO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Pasquali

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Com base na teoria de Rotter e Escala de Levenson foi elaborada uma escala de Locus de Controle Organizacional (ELCO, composta por 28 itens. A escala foi validada com uma amostra de 350 empregados do Sistema Telebrás. Verificou-se a presença dos 2 fatores previstos na teoria, a saber: internalidade e externalidade, aparecendo a escala de externalidade, com 18 itens, bem estruturada (alfa = 0.81 e a de internalidade, com 10 itens, deixando a desejar no que se refere à consistência interna (alfa = 0.66. Com os dados desta pesquisa foi feita também análise do Locus de Controle desses mesmos empregados. A constatação mais saliente foi a de que o nível de internalidade caiu com o aumento do nível escolar e o aumento da experiência profissional desses mesmos empregados. Estes resultados surpreendentes foram interpretados em termos da situação típica da empresa, que está passando por um período de transição, a saber: a passagem da condição de empresa estatal para empresa privada, o que seria motivo da perda de confiança dos empregados na própria competência, particularmente por parte daqueles com maior competência intelectual e maior experiência profissional. Fez-se igualmente reparos na qualidade psicométrica da escala e da própria teoria do Locus de controle, no sentido de que esta precisa ser melhor axiomatizada para possibilitar a elaboração de escalas mais precisas para a medida dos construtos que propõe.A scale with 28 items, the Organizational Locus of Control (ELCO, was built based on Rotter’s theory and Levenson’s scale. ELCO was validated on a sample of 350 employees of Telebrás, a governmental firm in Brazil. As foreseen from the theory, a principal-axis factoring showed the presence of the expected two factors, namely internal and external locus of control. The external locus of control factor, composed of 18 items, showed good internal consistency (alpha =.81 whereas the internal factor, with 10 items

  1. Expression of an estrogen-regulated variant transcript of the peroxisomal branched chain fatty acid oxidase ACOX2 in breast carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørklund, Sunniva Stordal; Kristensen, Vessela N; Seiler, Michael; Kumar, Surendra; Alnæs, Grethe I Grenaker; Ming, Yao; Kerrigan, John; Naume, Bjørn; Sachidanandam, Ravi; Bhanot, Gyan; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Ganesan, Shridar

    2015-07-17

    Alternate transcripts from a single gene locus greatly enhance the combinatorial flexibility of the human transcriptome. Different patterns of exon usage have been observed when comparing normal tissue to cancers, suggesting that variant transcripts may play a role in the tumor phenotype. Ribonucleic acid-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from breast cancer samples was used to identify an intronic start variant transcript of Acyl-CoA oxidase 2, ACOX2 (ACOX2-i9). Difference in expression between Estrogen Receptor (ER) positive and ER negative patients was assessed by the Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the findings validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer dataset (BRCA). ACOX2-i9 expression was also assessed in cell lines using both quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Knock down by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and colony formation assays were used to determine whether ACOX2-i9 expression would influence cellular fitness. The effect of ACOX2-i9 expression on patient survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier survival function, and association to clinical parameters was analyzed using a Fisher exact test. The expression and translation of ACOX2-i9 into a 25 kDa protein was demonstrated in HepG2 cells as well as in several breast cancer cell lines. shRNA knock down of the ACOX2-i9 variant resulted in decreased cell viability of T47D and MDA-MB 436 cells. Moreover, expression of ACOX2-i9 was shown to be estrogen regulated, being induced by propyl pyrazoletriol and inhibited by tamoxifen and fulvestrant in ER+ T47D and Mcf-7 cells, but not in the ER- MDA-MB 436 cell line. This variant transcript showed expression predominantly in ER-positive breast tumors as assessed in our initial set of 53 breast cancers and further validated in 87 tumor/normal pairs from the TCGA breast cancer dataset, and expression was associated with better outcome in ER positive patients. ACOX2-i9 is specifically enriched in ER+ breast

  2. Functional Variants at the 11q13 Risk Locus for Breast Cancer Regulate Cyclin D1 Expression through Long-Range Enhancers

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Juliet D.; Ghoussaini, Maya; Edwards, Stacey L.; Meyer, Kerstin B.; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Ahmed, Shahana; Khan, Sofia; Maranian, Mel J.; O’Reilly, Martin; Hillman, Kristine M.; Betts, Joshua A.; Carroll, Thomas; Bailey, Peter J.; Dicks, Ed; Beesley, Jonathan; Tyrer, Jonathan; Maia, Ana-Teresa; Beck, Andrew; Knoblauch, Nicholas W.; Chen, Constance; Kraft, Peter; Barnes, Daniel; González-Neira, Anna; Alonso, M. Rosario; Herrero, Daniel; Tessier, Daniel C.; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Francois; Luccarini, Craig; Baynes, Caroline; Conroy, Don; Dennis, Joe; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Hopper, John L.; Southey, Melissa C.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Broeks, Annegien; Verhoef, Senno; Cornelissen, Sten; Muir, Kenneth; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Stewart-Brown, Sarah; Siriwanarangsan, Pornthep; Fasching, Peter A.; Loehberg, Christian R.; Ekici, Arif B.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Peto, Julian; dos Santos Silva, Isabel; Johnson, Nichola; Aitken, Zoe; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Tomlinson, Ian; Kerin, Michael J.; Miller, Nicola; Marme, Frederik; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Sohn, Christof; Burwinkel, Barbara; Guénel, Pascal; Truong, Thérèse; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; Menegaux, Florence; Bojesen, Stig E.; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Nielsen, Sune F.; Flyger, Henrik; Milne, Roger L.; Zamora, M. Pilar; Arias Perez, Jose Ignacio; Benitez, Javier; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Brenner, Hermann; Müller, Heiko; Arndt, Volker; Stegmaier, Christa; Meindl, Alfons; Lichtner, Peter; Schmutzler, Rita K.; Engel, Christoph; Brauch, Hiltrud; Hamann, Ute; Justenhoven, Christina; Aaltonen, Kirsimari; Heikkilä, Päivi; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Blomqvist, Carl; Matsuo, Keitaro; Ito, Hidemi; Iwata, Hiroji; Sueta, Aiko; Bogdanova, Natalia V.; Antonenkova, Natalia N.; Dörk, Thilo; Lindblom, Annika; Margolin, Sara; Mannermaa, Arto; Kataja, Vesa; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Hartikainen, Jaana M.; Wu, Anna H.; Tseng, Chiu-chen; Van Den Berg, David; Stram, Daniel O.; Lambrechts, Diether; Peeters, Stephanie; Smeets, Ann; Floris, Giuseppe; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Rudolph, Anja; Nickels, Stefan; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Radice, Paolo; Peterlongo, Paolo; Bonanni, Bernardo; Sardella, Domenico; Couch, Fergus J.; Wang, Xianshu; Pankratz, Vernon S.; Lee, Adam; Giles, Graham G.; Severi, Gianluca; Baglietto, Laura; Haiman, Christopher A.; Henderson, Brian E.; Schumacher, Fredrick; Le Marchand, Loic; Simard, Jacques; Goldberg, Mark S.; Labrèche, France; Dumont, Martine; Teo, Soo Hwang; Yip, Cheng Har; Ng, Char-Hong; Vithana, Eranga Nishanthie; Kristensen, Vessela; Zheng, Wei; Deming-Halverson, Sandra; Shrubsole, Martha; Long, Jirong; Winqvist, Robert; Pylkäs, Katri; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Grip, Mervi; Andrulis, Irene L.; Knight, Julia A.; Glendon, Gord; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Devilee, Peter; Seynaeve, Caroline; García-Closas, Montserrat; Figueroa, Jonine; Chanock, Stephen J.; Lissowska, Jolanta; Czene, Kamila; Klevebring, Daniel; Schoof, Nils; Hooning, Maartje J.; Martens, John W.M.; Collée, J. Margriet; Tilanus-Linthorst, Madeleine; Hall, Per; Li, Jingmei; Liu, Jianjun; Humphreys, Keith; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Lu, Wei; Gao, Yu-Tang; Cai, Hui; Cox, Angela; Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P.; Blot, William; Signorello, Lisa B.; Cai, Qiuyin; Pharoah, Paul D.P.; Healey, Catherine S.; Shah, Mitul; Pooley, Karen A.; Kang, Daehee; Yoo, Keun-Young; Noh, Dong-Young; Hartman, Mikael; Miao, Hui; Sng, Jen-Hwei; Sim, Xueling; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Jaworska-Bieniek, Katarzyna; Durda, Katarzyna; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Gaborieau, Valerie; McKay, James; Toland, Amanda E.; Ambrosone, Christine B.; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Godwin, Andrew K.; Shen, Chen-Yang; Hsiung, Chia-Ni; Wu, Pei-Ei; Chen, Shou-Tung; Swerdlow, Anthony; Ashworth, Alan; Orr, Nick; Schoemaker, Minouk J.; Ponder, Bruce A.J.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Brown, Melissa A.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Easton, Douglas F.; Dunning, Alison M.

    2013-01-01

    Analysis of 4,405 variants in 89,050 European subjects from 41 case-control studies identified three independent association signals for estrogen-receptor-positive tumors at 11q13. The strongest signal maps to a transcriptional enhancer element in which the G allele of the best candidate causative variant rs554219 increases risk of breast cancer, reduces both binding of ELK4 transcription factor and luciferase activity in reporter assays, and may be associated with low cyclin D1 protein levels in tumors. Another candidate variant, rs78540526, lies in the same enhancer element. Risk association signal 2, rs75915166, creates a GATA3 binding site within a silencer element. Chromatin conformation studies demonstrate that these enhancer and silencer elements interact with each other and with their likely target gene, CCND1. PMID:23540573

  3. Structure of chymotrypsin variant B from Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth-Larsen, Rikke; Asgeirsson, B; Thórólfsson, M

    1996-01-01

    The amino-acid sequence of chymotrypsin variant B isolated from the pyloric caeca of Atlantic cod has been elucidated. The characterization of the primary structure is based on N-terminal Edman degradation and mass spectrometry of the native protein and enzymatically derived peptides. Chymotrypsi...... autolysis sites, cod variant B only contains a single autolysis site. The three-dimensional structures of the A- and B-variants of cod has been modelled on the known crystal structure of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin showing almost superimposable structures....

  4. Common and rare variants in SCN10A modulate the risk of atrial fibrillation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jabbari, Javad; Olesen, Morten S; Yuan, Lei

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have shown that the common single nucleotide polymorphism rs6800541 located in SCN10A, encoding the voltage-gated Nav1.8 sodium channel, is associated with PR-interval prolongation and atrial fibrillation (AF). Single nucleotide polymorphism rs6800541...... is in high linkage disequilibrium with the nonsynonymous variant in SCN10A, rs6795970 (V1073A, r(2)=0.933). We therefore sought to determine whether common and rare SCN10A variants are associated with early onset AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: SCN10A was sequenced in 225 AF patients in whom there was no evidence...... of other cardiovascular disease or dysfunction (lone AF). In an association study of the rs6795970 single nucleotide polymorphism variant, we included 515 AF patients and 2 control cohorts of 730 individuals free of AF and 6161 randomly sampled individuals. Functional characterization of SCN10A variants...

  5. Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, and Student Achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterbin, Allan; Rakow, Ernest

    The direct effects of locus of control and self-esteem on standardized test scores were studied. The relationships among the standardized test scores and measures of locus of control and self-esteem for 12,260 students from the National Education Longitudinal Study 1994 database were examined, using the same definition of locus of control and…

  6. A functional brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene variant increases the risk of moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Peng; Andiappan, Anand Kumar; Quek, Jia Min; Lee, Bernett; Au, Bijin; Sio, Yang Yie; Irwanto, Astrid; Schurmann, Claudia; Grabe, Hans Jörgen; Suri, Bani Kaur; Matta, Sri Anusha; Westra, Harm-Jan; Franke, Lude; Esko, Tonu; Sun, Liangdan; Zhang, Xuejun; Liu, Hong; Zhang, Furen; Larbi, Anis; Xu, Xin; Poidinger, Michael; Liu, Jianjun; Chew, Fook Tim; Rotzschke, Olaf; Shi, Li; Wang, De Yun

    2015-06-01

    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a secretory protein that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic asthma, and eczema, but it is currently unknown whether BDNF polymorphisms influence susceptibility to moderate-to-severe AR. We sought to identify disease associations and the functional effect of BDNF genetic variants in patients with moderate-to-severe AR. Tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the BDNF gene were selected from the human HapMap Han Chinese from Beijing (CHB) data set, and associations with moderate-to-severe AR were assessed in 2 independent cohorts of Chinese patients (2216 from Shandong province and 1239 living in Singapore). The functional effects of the BDNF genetic variants were determined by using both in vitro and ex vivo assays. The tagging SNP rs10767664 was significantly associated with the risk of moderate-to-severe AR in both Singapore Chinese (P = .0017; odds ratio, 1.324) and Shandong Chinese populations (P = .039; odds ratio, 1.180). The coding nonsynonymous SNP rs6265 was in perfect linkage with rs10767664 and conferred increased BDNF protein secretion by a human cell line in vitro. Subjects bearing the AA genotype of rs10767664 exhibited increased risk of moderate-to-severe AR and displayed increased BDNF protein and total IgE levels in plasma. Using a large-scale expression quantitative trait locus study, we demonstrated that BDNF SNPs are significantly associated with altered BDNF concentrations in peripheral blood. A common genetic variant of the BDNF gene is associated with increased risk of moderate-to-severe AR, and the AA genotype is associated with increased BDNF mRNA levels in peripheral blood. Together, these data indicate that functional BDNF gene variants increase the risk of moderate-to-severe AR. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Electrostatic potentials of the S-locus F-box proteins contribute to the pollen S specificity in self-incompatibility in Petunia hybrida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Junhui; Zhang, Yue; Song, Yanzhai; Zhang, Hui; Fan, Jiangbo; Li, Qun; Zhang, Dongfen; Xue, Yongbiao

    2017-01-01

    Self-incompatibility (SI) is a self/non-self discrimination system found widely in angiosperms and, in many species, is controlled by a single polymorphic S-locus. In the Solanaceae, Rosaceae and Plantaginaceae, the S-locus encodes a single S-RNase and a cluster of S-locus F-box (SLF) proteins to control the pistil and pollen expression of SI, respectively. Previous studies have shown that their cytosolic interactions determine their recognition specificity, but the physical force between their interactions remains unclear. In this study, we show that the electrostatic potentials of SLF contribute to the pollen S specificity through a physical mechanism of 'like charges repel and unlike charges attract' between SLFs and S-RNases in Petunia hybrida. Strikingly, the alteration of a single C-terminal amino acid of SLF reversed its surface electrostatic potentials and subsequently the pollen S specificity. Collectively, our results reveal that the electrostatic potentials act as a major physical force between cytosolic SLFs and S-RNases, providing a mechanistic insight into the self/non-self discrimination between cytosolic proteins in angiosperms. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Effects of a 17q21 chromosome gene variant, tobacco smoke and furred pets on infant wheeze

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bräuner, E V; Loft, S; Raaschou-Nielsen, O

    2012-01-01

    investigated associations between the rs7216389 polymorphism in the 17q21 locus affecting ORMDL3 expression and the risk for recurrent wheeze and interactions with exposure to tobacco smoke and furred pets during pregnancy and infancy using a birth cohort of 101¿042 infants. Rs7216389 was significantly...... association between pets and wheeze among homozygous wild-type carriers and a negative association among homozygous variant allele carriers. There was no interaction between rs7216389 and tobacco smoke exposure....

  9. Hemoglobin Variants: Biochemical Properties and Clinical Correlates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thom, Christopher S.; Dickson, Claire F.; Gell, David A.; Weiss, Mitchell J.

    2013-01-01

    Diseases affecting hemoglobin synthesis and function are extremely common worldwide. More than 1000 naturally occurring human hemoglobin variants with single amino acid substitutions throughout the molecule have been discovered, mainly through their clinical and/or laboratory manifestations. These variants alter hemoglobin structure and biochemical properties with physiological effects ranging from insignificant to severe. Studies of these mutations in patients and in the laboratory have produced a wealth of information on hemoglobin biochemistry and biology with significant implications for hematology practice. More generally, landmark studies of hemoglobin performed over the past 60 years have established important paradigms for the disciplines of structural biology, genetics, biochemistry, and medicine. Here we review the major classes of hemoglobin variants, emphasizing general concepts and illustrative examples. PMID:23388674

  10. Lack of Association of CD55 Receptor Genetic Variants and Severe Malaria in Ghanaian Children

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    Kathrin Schuldt

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In a recent report, the cellular receptor CD55 was identified as a molecule essential for the invasion of human erythrocytes by Plasmodium falciparum, the causal agent of the most severe form of malaria. As this invasion process represents a critical step during infection with the parasite, it was hypothesized that genetic variants in the gene could affect severe malaria (SM susceptibility. We performed high-resolution variant discovery of rare and common genetic variants in the human CD55 gene. Association testing of these variants in over 1700 SM cases and unaffected control individuals from the malaria-endemic Ashanti Region in Ghana, West Africa, were performed on the basis of single variants, combined rare variant analyses, and reconstructed haplotypes. A total of 26 genetic variants were detected in coding and regulatory regions of CD55. Five variants were previously unknown. None of the single variants, rare variants, or haplotypes showed evidence for association with SM or P. falciparum density. Here, we present the first comprehensive analysis of variation in the CD55 gene in the context of SM and show that genetic variants present in a Ghanaian study group appear not to influence susceptibility to the disease.

  11. The Role of Constitutional Copy Number Variants in Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Logan C.; Wiggins, George A.R.; Pearson, John F.

    2015-01-01

    Constitutional copy number variants (CNVs) include inherited and de novo deviations from a diploid state at a defined genomic region. These variants contribute significantly to genetic variation and disease in humans, including breast cancer susceptibility. Identification of genetic risk factors for breast cancer in recent years has been dominated by the use of genome-wide technologies, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-arrays, with a significant focus on single nucleotide variants. To date, these large datasets have been underutilised for generating genome-wide CNV profiles despite offering a massive resource for assessing the contribution of these structural variants to breast cancer risk. Technical challenges remain in determining the location and distribution of CNVs across the human genome due to the accuracy of computational prediction algorithms and resolution of the array data. Moreover, better methods are required for interpreting the functional effect of newly discovered CNVs. In this review, we explore current and future application of SNP array technology to assess rare and common CNVs in association with breast cancer risk in humans. PMID:27600231

  12. Locus of Control and Obesity

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    Florence eNeymotin

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In the developed world, the hazards associated with obesity have largely outstripped the risk of starvation. Obesity remains a difficult public health issue to address, due in large part to the many disciplines involved. A full understanding requires knowledge in the fields of genetics, endocrinology, psychology, sociology, economics, and public policy – among others. In this short review, which serves as an introduction to the Frontiers in Endocrinology research topic, we address one cross-disciplinary relationship: the interaction between the hunger/satiation neural circuitry, an individual’s perceived locus of control, and the risk for obesity. Mammals have evolved a complex system for modulating energy intake. Overlaid on this, in humans, there exists a wide variation in perceived locus of control – that is, the extent to which an individual believes to be in charge of the events that affect them. Whether one has primarily an internal or external locus of control itself affects, and is affected by, external and physiological factors and has been correlated with the risk for obesity. Thus, the path from hunger and satiation to an individual’s actual behavior may often be moderated by psychological factors, included among which is locus of control.

  13. 17q21 gene variation is not associated with asthma in adulthood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kreiner-Møller, E.; Strachan, D P; Linneberg, A

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: 17q21 gene variants are the strongest known genetic determinants for childhood asthma and have been reported to interact with environmental tobacco smoke exposure in childhood. It remains unclear whether individuals with 17q21 risk variants have increased risk of asthma or reduced lung....... This contrasts the findings in children and suggests that this locus is associated with a childhood-specific asthma endotype....... function in adulthood. The aim was to examine the association between the 17q21 region and current adult asthma and lung function, and interaction with active smoking. METHODS: We investigated the single nucleotide polymorphism rs7216389 at the 17q21 locus in 3471 adults from the Health2006 cross...

  14. Relationships between locus of control and paranormal beliefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newby, Robert W; Davis, Jessica Boyette

    2004-06-01

    The present study investigated the associations between scores on paranormal beliefs, locus of control, and certain psychological processes such as affect and cognitions as measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Analysis yielded significant correlations between scores on Locus of Control and two subscales of Tobacyk's (1988) Revised Paranormal Beliefs Scale, New Age Philosophy and Traditional Paranormal Beliefs. A step-wise multiple regression analysis indicated that Locus of Control was significantly related to New Age Philosophy. Other correlations were found between Tobacyk's subscales, Locus of Control, and three processes measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count.

  15. Designing Epigenome Editors: Considerations of Biochemical and Locus Specificities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Dilara; Keung, Albert J

    2018-01-01

    The advent of locus-specific protein recruitment technologies has enabled a new class of studies in chromatin biology. Epigenome editors enable biochemical modifications of chromatin at almost any specific endogenous locus. Their locus specificity unlocks unique information including the functional roles of distinct modifications at specific genomic loci. Given the growing interest in using these tools for biological and translational studies, there are many specific design considerations depending on the scientific question or clinical need. Here we present and discuss important design considerations and challenges regarding the biochemical and locus specificities of epigenome editors. These include how to account for the complex biochemical diversity of chromatin; control for potential interdependency of epigenome editors and their resultant modifications; avoid sequestration effects; quantify the locus specificity of epigenome editors; and improve locus specificity by considering concentration, affinity, avidity, and sequestration effects.

  16. The role of horizontal transfer in the evolution of a highly variable lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus in xanthomonads that infect rice, citrus and crucifers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogdanove Adam J

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lipopolysaccharide (LPS is a pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP of animal and plant pathogenic bacteria. Variation at the interstrain level is common in LPS biosynthetic gene clusters of animal pathogenic bacteria. This variation has been proposed to play a role in evading the host immune system. Even though LPS is a modulator of plant defense responses, reports of interstrain variation in LPS gene clusters of plant pathogenic bacteria are rare. Results In this study we report the complete sequence of a variant 19.9 kb LPS locus present in the BXO8 strain of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo, the bacterial blight pathogen of rice. This region is completely different in size, number and organization of genes from the LPS locus present in most other strains of Xoo from India and Asia. Surprisingly, except for one ORF, all the other ORFs at the BXO8 LPS locus are orthologous to the genes present at this locus in a sequenced strain of X. axonopodis pv. citri (Xac; a pathogen of citrus plants. One end of the BXO8 LPS gene cluster, comprised of ten genes, is also present in the related rice pathogen, X. oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc. In Xoc, the remainder of the LPS gene cluster, consisting of seven genes, is novel and unrelated to LPS gene clusters of any of the sequenced xanthomonads. We also report substantial interstrain variation suggestive of very recent horizontal gene transfer (HGT at the LPS biosynthetic locus of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc, the black rot pathogen of crucifers. Conclusion Our analyses indicate that HGT has altered the LPS locus during the evolution of Xanthomonas oryzae pathovars and suggest that the ancestor of all Xanthomonas oryzae pathovars had an Xac type of LPS gene cluster. Our finding of interstrain variation in two major xanthomonad pathogens infecting different hosts suggests that the LPS locus in plant pathogenic bacteria, as in animal pathogens, is under intense

  17. Comparison of semi-automated commercial rep-PCR fingerprinting, spoligotyping, 12-locus MIRU-VNTR typing and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the embB gene as molecular typing tools for Mycobacterium bovis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armas, Federica; Camperio, Cristina; Coltella, Luana; Selvaggini, Serena; Boniotti, Maria Beatrice; Pacciarini, Maria Lodovica; Di Marco Lo Presti, Vincenzo; Marianelli, Cinzia

    2017-08-04

    Highly discriminatory genotyping strategies are essential in molecular epidemiological studies of tuberculosis. In this study we evaluated, for the first time, the efficacy of the repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) DiversiLab Mycobacterium typing kit over spoligotyping, 12-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing and embB single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis for Mycobacterium bovis typing. A total of 49 M. bovis animal isolates were used. DNA was extracted and genomic DNA was amplified using the DiversiLab Mycobacterium typing kit. The amplified fragments were separated and detected using a microfluidics chip with Agilent 2100. The resulting rep-PCR-based DNA fingerprints were uploaded to and analysed using web-based DiversiLab software through Pearson's correlation coefficient. Rep-PCR DiversiLab grouped M. bovis isolates into ten different clusters. Most isolates sharing identical spoligotype, MIRU-VNTR profile or embB gene polymorphism were grouped into different rep-PCR clusters. Rep-PCR DiversiLab displayed greater discriminatory power than spoligotyping and embB SNP analysis but a lower resolution power than the 12-locus MIRU-VNTR analysis. MIRU-VNTR confirmed that it is superior to the other PCR-based methods tested here. In combination with spoligotyping and 12-locus MIRU-VNTR analysis, rep-PCR improved the discriminatory power for M. bovis typing.

  18. BAT-25 polymorphism in Chinese from Jiangsu province and its implication for locus microsatellite instability screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yan Ying; Xie, Ling; Liu, Li; Zhang, Shu Peng; Wu, Xiao Bin; Zhu, Chang Le; Lai, Ren Sheng

    2012-10-08

    Colorectal cancer is one of the most common tumors with high mortality in China. Microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis is important for the diagnosis of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) and for the prediction of 5-FU chemotherapy efficiency of colorectal tumors, especially in terms of therapeutic response and overall survival rates. Among the MSI markers recommended by the NIH/NCI, BAT-25 has been extensively studied for its major role in MSI. BAT-25 presents different polymorphisms in different ethnic populations and studies of its polymorphisms in the Chinese population are still very limited. To analyze the frequency of constitutive polymorphic variation at the BAT-25 locus in Chinese from Jiangsu Province and its implication for locus MSI screening. The frequency of allelic variation at the BAT-25 locus of cervical cells from 500 healthy women and blood from 16 healthy males was assessed by direct sequencing. Twenty samples were also analyzed by fragment analysis. DNA extracted from blood of 94 patients with gastrointestinal cancer or endometrial cancer was analyzed by fragment analysis. After comparison with the sequencing results, the more frequent allele lengths were 126-127 bp, 128-129 bp, 129-130 bp, respectively consistent with the 24 poly(T) (T24), T25 and T26 alleles. At the BAT-25 locus, 516 healthy individuals had respectively 1.36%, 97.28% and 1.36% of the T24, T25 and T26. Whereas for the 94 cancer patients allelic frequencies were 0.53%, 1.06%, 96.8%, 1.6% for T15, T24, T25 and T26 alleles respectively. Sixteen healthy males had only the T25 allele and heterozygous T15 was only found in 1 male patient with colon cancer. We established the relation between fragment length and thymine repeats in BAT-25. The results showed that the BAT-25 locus is quasimonomorphic in Chinese from Jiangsu province. Moreover we showed that variant alleles of BAT-25 were found more likely in blood from cancer patients than in healthy individuals

  19. Regularized rare variant enrichment analysis for case-control exome sequencing data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Nicholas B; Schaid, Daniel J

    2014-02-01

    Rare variants have recently garnered an immense amount of attention in genetic association analysis. However, unlike methods traditionally used for single marker analysis in GWAS, rare variant analysis often requires some method of aggregation, since single marker approaches are poorly powered for typical sequencing study sample sizes. Advancements in sequencing technologies have rendered next-generation sequencing platforms a realistic alternative to traditional genotyping arrays. Exome sequencing in particular not only provides base-level resolution of genetic coding regions, but also a natural paradigm for aggregation via genes and exons. Here, we propose the use of penalized regression in combination with variant aggregation measures to identify rare variant enrichment in exome sequencing data. In contrast to marginal gene-level testing, we simultaneously evaluate the effects of rare variants in multiple genes, focusing on gene-based least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and exon-based sparse group LASSO models. By using gene membership as a grouping variable, the sparse group LASSO can be used as a gene-centric analysis of rare variants while also providing a penalized approach toward identifying specific regions of interest. We apply extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of these approaches with respect to specificity and sensitivity, comparing these results to multiple competing marginal testing methods. Finally, we discuss our findings and outline future research. © 2013 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  20. Phylogenetic analysis consistent with a clinical history of sexual transmission of HIV-1 from a single donor reveals transmission of highly distinct variants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McClure Myra

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To combat the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1, a successful vaccine will need to cope with the variability of transmissible viruses. Human hosts infected with HIV-1 potentially harbour many viral variants but very little is known about viruses that are likely to be transmitted, or even if there are viral characteristics that predict enhanced transmission in vivo. We show for the first time that genetic divergence consistent with a single transmission event in vivo can represent several years of pre-transmission evolution. Results We describe a highly unusual case consistent with a single donor transmitting highly related but distinct HIV-1 variants to two individuals on the same evening. We confirm that the clustering of viral genetic sequences, present within each recipient, is consistent with the history of a single donor across the viral env, gag and pol genes by maximum likelihood and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo based phylogenetic analyses. Based on an uncorrelated, lognormal relaxed clock of env gene evolution calibrated with other datasets, the time since the most recent common ancestor is estimated as 2.86 years prior to transmission (95% confidence interval 1.28 to 4.54 years. Conclusion Our results show that an effective design for a preventative vaccine will need to anticipate extensive HIV-1 diversity within an individual donor as well as diversity at the population level.

  1. The DAOA/G30 locus and affective disorders: haplotype based association study in a polydiagnostic approach

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    Knapp Michael

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The DAOA/G30 (D-amino acid oxidase activator gene complex at chromosomal region 13q32-33 is one of the most intriguing susceptibility loci for the major psychiatric disorders, although there is no consensus about the specific risk alleles or haplotypes across studies. Methods In a case-control sample of German descent (affective psychosis: n = 248; controls: n = 188 we examined seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs around DAOA/G30 (rs3916966, rs1935058, rs2391191, rs1935062, rs947267, rs3918342, and rs9558575 for genetic association in a polydiagnostic approach (ICD 10; Leonhard's classification. Results No single marker showed evidence of overall association with affective disorder neither in ICD10 nor Leonhard's classification. Haplotype analysis revealed no association with recurrent unipolar depression or bipolar disorder according to ICD10, within Leonhard's classification manic-depression was associated with a 3-locus haplotype (rs2391191, rs1935062, and rs3916966; P = 0.022 and monopolar depression with a 5-locus combination at the DAOA/G30 core region (P = 0.036. Conclusion Our data revealed potential evidence for partially overlapping risk haplotypes at the DAOA/G30 locus in Leonhard's affective psychoses, but do not support a common genetic contribution of the DAOA/G30 gene complex to the pathogenesis of affective disorders.

  2. Genome-wide association study of blood pressure extremes identifies variant near UMOD associated with hypertension.

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    Sandosh Padmanabhan

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is a heritable and major contributor to the global burden of disease. The sum of rare and common genetic variants robustly identified so far explain only 1%-2% of the population variation in BP and hypertension. This suggests the existence of more undiscovered common variants. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 1,621 hypertensive cases and 1,699 controls and follow-up validation analyses in 19,845 cases and 16,541 controls using an extreme case-control design. We identified a locus on chromosome 16 in the 5' region of Uromodulin (UMOD; rs13333226, combined P value of 3.6 × 10⁻¹¹. The minor G allele is associated with a lower risk of hypertension (OR [95%CI]: 0.87 [0.84-0.91], reduced urinary uromodulin excretion, better renal function; and each copy of the G allele is associated with a 7.7% reduction in risk of CVD events after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking status (H.R. = 0.923, 95% CI 0.860-0.991; p = 0.027. In a subset of 13,446 individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR measurements, we show that rs13333226 is independently associated with hypertension (unadjusted for eGFR: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.004; after eGFR adjustment: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.003. In clinical functional studies, we also consistently show the minor G allele is associated with lower urinary uromodulin excretion. The exclusive expression of uromodulin in the thick portion of the ascending limb of Henle suggests a putative role of this variant in hypertension through an effect on sodium homeostasis. The newly discovered UMOD locus for hypertension has the potential to give new insights into the role of uromodulin in BP regulation and to identify novel drugable targets for reducing cardiovascular risk.

  3. The role of β3 integrin gene variants in Autism Spectrum Disorders--diagnosis and symptomatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuch, Jaqueline Bohrer; Muller, Diana; Endres, Renata Giuliani; Bosa, Cleonice Alves; Longo, Dânae; Schuler-Faccini, Lavinia; Ranzan, Josiane; Becker, Michele Michelin; dos Santos Riesgo, Rudimar; Roman, Tatiana

    2014-12-10

    Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) represent a group of very complex early-onset neurodevelopmental diseases. In this study, we analyzed 5 SNPs (rs2317385, rs5918, rs15908, rs12603582, rs3809865) at the β3 integrin locus (ITGB3), which has been suggested as a possible susceptibility gene, both as single markers and as part of haplotypes in 209 ASD children and their biological parents. We tested for association with the following: a) DSM-IV ASD diagnosis; b) clinical symptoms common in ASD patients (repetitive behaviors, echolalia, seizures and epilepsy, mood instability, aggression, psychomotor agitation, sleep disorders); and c) dimensional scores obtained with the Autism Screening Questionnaire and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. These hypotheses were investigated using family-based tests, logistic regression models and analysis of covariance. The family-based tests showed an association with the H5 haplotype (composed by GTCGA alleles, the order of SNPs as above), which was transmitted less often than expected by chance (P=0.006; Pcorr=0.036). The analyses of the clinical symptoms showed a trend for an association with rs12603582 (P=0.008; Pcorr=0.064) and positive results for the haplotype composed of rs15908 and rs12603582 (Pglcorr=0.048; Pindcorr=0.015), both in symptoms of echolalia. Other nominal associations with different variants were found and involved epilepsy/seizures, aggression symptoms and higher ASQ scores. Although our positive results are not definitive, they suggest small effect associations of the ITGB3 gene with both ASD diagnosis and symptoms of echolalia. Other studies are nonetheless needed to fully understand the involvement of this locus on the etiology of ASDs and its different clinical aspects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The Drosophila agnostic Locus: Involvement in the Formation of Cognitive Defects in Williams Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikitina, E A; Medvedeva, A V; Zakharov, G A; Savvateeva-Popova, E V

    2014-04-01

    The molecular basis of the pathological processes that lead to genome disorders is similar both in invertebrates and mammals. Since cognitive impairments in Williams syndrome are caused by LIMK1 hemizygosity, could the spontaneous and mutant variants of the Drosophila limk1 gene serve as a model for studying two diagnostic features from three distinct cognitive defects of the syndrome? These two symptoms are the disturbance of visuospatial orientation and an unusualy strong fixation on the faces of other people during pairwise interaction with a stranger. An experimental approach to the first cognitive manifestation might be an analysis of the locomotor behavior of Drosophila larvae involving visuospatial orientation during the exploration of the surrounding environment. An approach to tackle the second manifestation might be an analysis of the most natural ways of contact between a male and a female during courtship (the first stage of this ritual is the orientation of a male towards a female and following the female with constant fixation on the female's image). The present study of locomotor activity and cognitive repertoire in spontaneous and mutant variants of the Drosophila agnostic locus allows one to bridge alterations in the structure of the limk1 gene and behavior.

  5. Delineation of concentration ranges and longitudinal changes of human plasma protein variants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olgica Trenchevska

    Full Text Available Human protein diversity arises as a result of alternative splicing, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and posttranslational modifications. Because of these processes, each protein can exists as multiple variants in vivo. Tailored strategies are needed to study these protein variants and understand their role in health and disease. In this work we utilized quantitative mass spectrometric immunoassays to determine the protein variants concentration of beta-2-microglobulin, cystatin C, retinol binding protein, and transthyretin, in a population of 500 healthy individuals. Additionally, we determined the longitudinal concentration changes for the protein variants from four individuals over a 6 month period. Along with the native forms of the four proteins, 13 posttranslationally modified variants and 7 SNP-derived variants were detected and their concentration determined. Correlations of the variants concentration with geographical origin, gender, and age of the individuals were also examined. This work represents an important step toward building a catalog of protein variants concentrations and examining their longitudinal changes.

  6. Reversion in variants from a duplication strain of Aspergillus nidulans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menezes, E.M.; Azevedo, J.L.

    1978-01-01

    Strains of Aspergillus nidulans with a chromosome segment in duplicate, one in normal position and one translocated to another chromosome, are unstable at mitosis. In addition to variants which result from deletions in either of the duplicate segments, which usually have improved morphology, they produce variants with deteriorated morphology. Three deteriorated variants reverted frequently to parental type morphology, both spontaneously and after ultra-violet treatment. Of six reversions analysed genetically, five were due to suppressors and one was probably due to back mutation. The suppressors segregated as single genes and were not linked to the mutation which they suppress. The instability of these so-called 'deteriorated' variants is discussed in relation to mitotic instability phenomena in A. nidulans. (orig.) [de

  7. MR imaging of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cerebellitis and myelitis in infancy: likely topographic variant of a single process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortuno, J. R.; Menor, F.; Esteban, M. J.; Pamies, J.; Gomez-Gosalvez, F. A.; Jover, J.

    2003-01-01

    To describe MR images of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADE) in a paediatric group, particularly focused on its likely topographic variants, cerebellitis and myelitis, its evolution, and the differential diagnosis between it an an initial outbreak of multiple sclerosis. Initial and follow-up cranial MR images were retrospectively reviewed for 14 paediatric patients diagnosed with either ADE, cerebellitis or myelitis. In 9 patients, a spinal cord monitoring was included. Three topographic variants have been considered: ADE (7 patients). In the case of ADE, the supratentorial white matter was always affected, the brain stem in five (71%) and the cerebellum in two (28,5%). Basal ganglionic lesions were detected in 5 patients (71%) and cortical lesions in one (14%). Associated spinal cord abnormality was found in five of the six cases in which this study was included (83%). ADE lesions tended to be nodular and poorly differentiated whereas in cerebellitis and myelitis the predominant pattern was one of diffuse damage. Evolution of the lesions was toward reduction/resolution. Follow-up using MR in the medium-term in 6 patients (four ADE and two cerebellitis) did not detect any new lesions. Clinical follow-up of the patients did not show any neurological recurrences in any of them. ADE, cerebillits and myelitis could be topographic variants of a single process with a common pathogeny. As the spinal cord often seems to play a role in ADE, spinal cord monitoring would be recommended, even in the absence of the above-mentioned symptoms. This spinal cord abnormality, which is usually diffuse, plus deep gray matter damage, as well as the disease of monophase course, corroborated by a sequential MR follow-up, is all helpful in the differential diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. Nonetheless, the differential diagnosis between a recurring form of ADE and an encephalomyelitis is practically impossible to make. (Author) 33 refs

  8. The Impact of Locus of Control on Language Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali Salmani

    2012-01-01

    This study hypothesized that students' loci of control affected their language achievement. 198 (N = 198) EFL students took the Rotter's (1966) locus of control test and were classified as locus-internal (ni = 78), and locus-external (ne = 120). They then took their ordinary courses and at the end of the semester, they were given their exams.…

  9. The Effects of Locus of Control and Task Difficulty on Procrastination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Tracy; Carton, John S

    1999-12-01

    The authors investigated the effects of locus of control expectancies and task difficulty on procrastination. Forty-two college students were administered an academic locus of control scale and a task that was similar to a typical college homework assignment. The students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 task difficulty levels. Although none of the results involving task difficulty was significant, several results involving locus of control were significant. Specifically, analyses revealed that students with internal locus of control expectancies tended to begin working on the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control expectancies. In addition, students with internal locus of control completed and returned the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control. The results are discussed within the context of J. B. Rotter's (1966, 1975, 1982) social learning theory.

  10. Identification of a possible susceptibility locus for UVB-induced skin tanning phenotype in Korean females using genomewide association study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwak, Taek-Jong; Chang, Yun-Hee; Shin, Young-Ah; Shin, Jung-Min; Kim, Ji-Hye; Lim, Seul-Ki; Lee, Sang-Hwha; Lee, Min-Geol; Yoon, Tae-Jin; Kim, Chang-Deok; Lee, Jeung-Hoon; Koh, Jae Sook; Seo, Young Kyoung; Chang, Min-Youl; Lee, Young

    2015-12-01

    A two-stage genomewide association (GWA) analysis was conducted to investigate the genetic factors influencing ultraviolet (UV)-induced skin pigmentation in Korean females after UV exposure. Previously, a GWA study evaluating ~500 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 99 Korean females identified eight SNPs that were highly associated with tanning ability. To confirm these associations, we genotyped the SNPs in an independent replication study (112 Korean females). We found that a novel SNP in the intron of the WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene yielded significant replicated associations with skin tanning ability (P-value = 1.16 × 10(-4) ). To understand the functional consequences of this locus located in the non-coding region, we investigated the role of WWOX in human melanocytes using a recombinant adenovirus expressing a microRNA specific for WWOX. Inhibition of WWOX expression significantly increased the expression and activity of tyrosinase in human melanocytes. Taken together, our results suggest that genetic variants in the intronic region of WWOX could be determinants in the UV-induced tanning ability of Korean females. WWOX represents a new candidate gene to evaluate the molecular basis of the UV-induced tanning ability in individuals. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. A single genetic locus in the phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii enables gut colonization and pathogenicity in an insect host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stavrinides, John; No, Alexander; Ochman, Howard

    2010-01-01

    Aphids are typically exposed to a variety of epiphytic and phytopathogenic bacteria, many of which have entomopathogenic potential. Here we describe the interaction between Pantoea stewartii ssp. stewartii DC283 (DC283), an enteric phytopathogen and causal agent of Stewart's wilt, and the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. When ingested by aphids, DC283 establishes and aggregates in the crop and gut, preventing honeydew flow and excretion, resulting in aphid death in 72 h. A mutagenesis screen identified a single locus, termed ucp1 (youcannot pass), whose disruption abolishes aphid pathogenicity. Moreover, the expression of ucp1 in Escherichia coli is sufficient to mediate the hindgut aggregation phenotype by this normally avirulent species. Ucp1 is related to six other proteins in the DC283 genome, each having a common N-terminal region and a divergent C-terminus, but only ucp1 has a role in pathogenicity. Based on predicted motifs and secondary structure, Ucp1 is a membrane-bound protein that functions in bacterial adhesion and promotes the formation of aggregates that are lethal to the insect host. These results illustrate that the enteric plant pathogenic bacteria have the capacity to exploit alternative non-plant hosts, and retain genetic determinants for colonizing the gut.

  12. Impact of locus of control on health message effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Ying; Shen, Fuyuan

    2011-10-01

    This article examined how individuals' locus of control might moderate the effect of health message frames. An experiment was conducted whereby participants read either individual- or social-responsibility message frames after their locus of control was primed. Results indicated that messages presented in individual-responsibility frames were more persuasive when people were primed with internal locus of control, whereas social-responsibility framed appeals were more persuasive when people were primed with external locus of control. These results were found for individuals in both high and low cognitive load conditions. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

  13. Features of progression of chronic hepatitis C in children with different variants of polymorphism of the gene IL-28B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berezenko V.S.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To study the features of the progression of chronic hepatitis C in children with different variants of polymorphism of the gene IL-28B. Materials and methods. The study involved 57 children aged 3–18 years with CHC. All patients were involved in clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination. The stage of fibrosis was assessed morphologicallyon a scale METAVIR, by the calculation method — Fibro Test, on APRI index, and by the concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA, transforming growth factor TGF- β1 in serum usingIFA. The SNP genotypes of rs8099917 and rs12979860 lociin IL-28B were determinedby the method of the polymer chain reaction (PCR. A statistical analysis of the data was conducted. Resume. Most of the patients were children with chronic hepatitis C who had genotype CT at rs12979860 locus of the gene IL-28B (54% and the TT geno-type at rs8099917 locus (60%. It was found that fibrogenesis in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C depends on the polymorphism of the gene IL-28B. Unfavorable genotypevariants for the development of liver fibrosis are: TT (rs12979860, CT (rs12979860 and TG/GG (rs8099917. Variants CC (rs12979860 and TT (rs8099917 have a beneficial effect on the course of chronic hepatitis C, including patients with a lower stage of fibrosis. To determine the risk of progression of chronic hepatitis C it may be sufficient to determine the polymorphism of rs12979860locusin the gene IL-28B. Conclusions.The polymorphism variants CC (rs12979860 and TT (rs8099917of the gene IL-28Bare more favorable (lower severity of fibrosis in the progression of chronic hepatitis C in children. Variant TT (rs12979860 in the polymorphism of the gene IL-28B is associated with the progression of hepatitis — faster development of liver fibrosis.

  14. The endogenous retroviral locus ERVWE1 is a bona fide gene involved in hominoid placental physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallet, François; Bouton, Olivier; Prudhomme, Sarah; Cheynet, Valérie; Oriol, Guy; Bonnaud, Bertrand; Lucotte, Gérard; Duret, Laurent; Mandrand, Bernard

    2004-01-01

    The definitive demonstration of a role for a recently acquired gene is a difficult task, requiring exhaustive genetic investigations and functional analysis. The situation is indeed much more complicated when facing multicopy gene families, because most or portions of the gene are conserved among the hundred copies of the family. This is the case for the ERVWE1 locus of the human endogenous retrovirus W family (HERV-W), which encodes an envelope glycoprotein (syncytin) likely involved in trophoblast differentiation. Here we describe, in 155 individuals, the positional conservation of this locus and the preservation of the envelope ORF. Sequencing of the critical elements of the ERVWE1 provirus showed a striking conservation among the 48 alleles of 24 individuals, including the LTR elements involved in the transcriptional machinery, the splice sites involved in the maturation of subgenomic Env mRNA, and the Env ORF. The functionality and tissue specificity of the 5′ LTR were demonstrated, as well as the fusogenic activity of the envelope polymorphic variants. Such functions were also shown to be preserved in the orthologous loci isolated from chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and gibbon. This functional preservation among humans and during evolution strongly argued for the involvement of this recently acquired retroviral envelope glycoprotein in hominoid placental physiology. PMID:14757826

  15. Translocations affecting human immunoglobulin heavy chain locus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sklyar I. V.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Translocations involving human immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH locus are implicated in different leukaemias and lymphomas, including multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. We have analysed published data and identified eleven breakpoint cluster regions (bcr related to these cancers within the IgH locus. These ~1 kbp bcrs are specific for one or several types of blood cancer. Our findings could help devise PCR-based assays to detect cancer-related translocations, to identify the mechanisms of translocations and to help in the research of potential translocation partners of the immunoglobulin locus at different stages of B-cell differentiation.

  16. A two-locus model of spatially varying stabilizing or directional selection on a quantitative trait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geroldinger, Ludwig; Bürger, Reinhard

    2014-06-01

    The consequences of spatially varying, stabilizing or directional selection on a quantitative trait in a subdivided population are studied. A deterministic two-locus two-deme model is employed to explore the effects of migration, the degree of divergent selection, and the genetic architecture, i.e., the recombination rate and ratio of locus effects, on the maintenance of genetic variation. The possible equilibrium configurations are determined as functions of the migration rate. They depend crucially on the strength of divergent selection and the genetic architecture. The maximum migration rates are investigated below which a stable fully polymorphic equilibrium or a stable single-locus polymorphism can exist. Under stabilizing selection, but with different optima in the demes, strong recombination may facilitate the maintenance of polymorphism. However usually, and in particular with directional selection in opposite direction, the critical migration rates are maximized by a concentrated genetic architecture, i.e., by a major locus and a tightly linked minor one. Thus, complementing previous work on the evolution of genetic architectures in subdivided populations subject to diversifying selection, it is shown that concentrated architectures may aid the maintenance of polymorphism. Conditions are obtained when this is the case. Finally, the dependence of the phenotypic variance, linkage disequilibrium, and various measures of local adaptation and differentiation on the parameters is elaborated. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Application of a 5-tiered scheme for standardized classification of 2,360 unique mismatch repair gene variants in the InSiGHT locus-specific database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thompson, Bryony A; Spurdle, Amanda B; Plazzer, John-Paul

    2014-01-01

    and apply a standardized classification scheme to constitutional variants in the Lynch syndrome-associated genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Unpublished data submission was encouraged to assist in variant classification and was recognized through microattribution. The scheme was refined by multidisciplinary...... are now possible for 1,370 variants that were not obviously protein truncating from nomenclature. This large-scale endeavor will facilitate the consistent management of families suspected to have Lynch syndrome and demonstrates the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in the curation......The clinical classification of hereditary sequence variants identified in disease-related genes directly affects clinical management of patients and their relatives. The International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (InSiGHT) undertook a collaborative effort to develop, test...

  18. Identification of the BCAR1-CFDP1-TMEM170A locus as a determinant of carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery disease risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gertow, Karl; Sennblad, Bengt; Strawbridge, Rona J; Ohrvik, John; Zabaneh, Delilah; Shah, Sonia; Veglia, Fabrizio; Fava, Cristiano; Kavousi, Maryam; McLachlan, Stela; Kivimäki, Mika; Bolton, Jennifer L; Folkersen, Lasse; Gigante, Bruna; Leander, Karin; Vikström, Max; Larsson, Malin; Silveira, Angela; Deanfield, John; Voight, Benjamin F; Fontanillas, Pierre; Sabater-Lleal, Maria; Colombo, Gualtiero I; Kumari, Meena; Langenberg, Claudia; Wareham, Nick J; Uitterlinden, André G; Gabrielsen, Anders; Hedin, Ulf; Franco-Cereceda, Anders; Nyyssönen, Kristiina; Rauramaa, Rainer; Tuomainen, Tomi-Pekka; Savonen, Kai; Smit, Andries J; Giral, Philippe; Mannarino, Elmo; Robertson, Christine M; Talmud, Philippa J; Hedblad, Bo; Hofman, Albert; Erdmann, Jeanette; Reilly, Muredach P; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Farrall, Martin; Clarke, Robert; Franzosi, Maria Grazia; Seedorf, Udo; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Hansson, Göran K; Eriksson, Per; Samani, Nilesh J; Watkins, Hugh; Price, Jacqueline F; Hingorani, Aroon D; Melander, Olle; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Baldassarre, Damiano; Tremoli, Elena; de Faire, Ulf; Humphries, Steve E; Hamsten, Anders

    2012-12-01

    Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a widely accepted marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. To date, large-scale investigations of genetic determinants of cIMT are sparse. To identify cIMT-associated genes and genetic variants, a discovery analysis using the Illumina 200K CardioMetabochip was conducted in 3430 subjects with detailed ultrasonographic determinations of cIMT from the IMPROVE (Carotid Intima Media Thickness [IMT] and IMT-Progression as Predictors of Vascular Events in a High Risk European Population) study. Segment-specific IMT measurements of common carotid, bifurcation, and internal carotid arteries, and composite IMT variables considering the whole carotid tree (IMT(mean), IMT(max), and IMT(mean-max)), were analyzed. A replication stage investigating 42 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for association with common carotid IMT was undertaken in 5 independent European cohorts (total n=11,590). A locus on chromosome 16 (lead single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4888378, intronic in CFDP1) was associated with cIMT at significance levels passing multiple testing correction at both stages (array-wide significant discovery P=6.75 × 10(-7) for IMT(max); replication P=7.24×10(-6) for common cIMT; adjustments for sex, age, and population substructure where applicable; minor allele frequency 0.43 and 0.41, respectively). The protective minor allele was associated with lower carotid plaque score in a replication cohort (P=0.04, n=2120) and lower coronary artery disease risk in 2 case-control studies of subjects with European ancestry (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.83 [0.77-0.90], P=6.53 × 10(-6), n=13 591; and 0.95 [0.92-0.98], P=1.83 × 10(-4), n=82 297, respectively). Queries of human biobank data sets revealed associations of rs4888378 with nearby gene expression in vascular tissues (n=126-138). This study identified rs4888378 in the BCAR1-CFDP1-TMEM170A locus as a novel genetic determinant of cIMT and coronary artery disease risk in individuals

  19. Expression of an estrogen-regulated variant transcript of the peroxisomal branched chain fatty acid oxidase ACOX2 in breast carcinomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjørklund, Sunniva Stordal; Kristensen, Vessela N.; Seiler, Michael; Kumar, Surendra; Alnæs, Grethe I. Grenaker; Ming, Yao; Kerrigan, John; Naume, Bjørn; Sachidanandam, Ravi; Bhanot, Gyan; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Ganesan, Shridar

    2015-01-01

    Alternate transcripts from a single gene locus greatly enhance the combinatorial flexibility of the human transcriptome. Different patterns of exon usage have been observed when comparing normal tissue to cancers, suggesting that variant transcripts may play a role in the tumor phenotype. Ribonucleic acid-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from breast cancer samples was used to identify an intronic start variant transcript of Acyl-CoA oxidase 2, ACOX2 (ACOX2-i9). Difference in expression between Estrogen Receptor (ER) positive and ER negative patients was assessed by the Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the findings validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer dataset (BRCA). ACOX2-i9 expression was also assessed in cell lines using both quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Knock down by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and colony formation assays were used to determine whether ACOX2-i9 expression would influence cellular fitness. The effect of ACOX2-i9 expression on patient survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier survival function, and association to clinical parameters was analyzed using a Fisher exact test. The expression and translation of ACOX2-i9 into a 25 kDa protein was demonstrated in HepG2 cells as well as in several breast cancer cell lines. shRNA knock down of the ACOX2-i9 variant resulted in decreased cell viability of T47D and MDA-MB 436 cells. Moreover, expression of ACOX2-i9 was shown to be estrogen regulated, being induced by propyl pyrazoletriol and inhibited by tamoxifen and fulvestrant in ER+ T47D and Mcf-7 cells, but not in the ER- MDA-MB 436 cell line. This variant transcript showed expression predominantly in ER-positive breast tumors as assessed in our initial set of 53 breast cancers and further validated in 87 tumor/normal pairs from the TCGA breast cancer dataset, and expression was associated with better outcome in ER positive patients. ACOX2-i9 is specifically enriched in ER+ breast

  20. Effects of phylogenetic reconstruction method on the robustness of species delimitation using single-locus data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Cuong Q; Humphreys, Aelys M; Fontaneto, Diego; Barraclough, Timothy G; Paradis, Emmanuel

    2014-10-01

    Coalescent-based species delimitation methods combine population genetic and phylogenetic theory to provide an objective means for delineating evolutionarily significant units of diversity. The generalised mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) and the Poisson tree process (PTP) are methods that use ultrametric (GMYC or PTP) or non-ultrametric (PTP) gene trees as input, intended for use mostly with single-locus data such as DNA barcodes. Here, we assess how robust the GMYC and PTP are to different phylogenetic reconstruction and branch smoothing methods. We reconstruct over 400 ultrametric trees using up to 30 different combinations of phylogenetic and smoothing methods and perform over 2000 separate species delimitation analyses across 16 empirical data sets. We then assess how variable diversity estimates are, in terms of richness and identity, with respect to species delimitation, phylogenetic and smoothing methods. The PTP method generally generates diversity estimates that are more robust to different phylogenetic methods. The GMYC is more sensitive, but provides consistent estimates for BEAST trees. The lower consistency of GMYC estimates is likely a result of differences among gene trees introduced by the smoothing step. Unresolved nodes (real anomalies or methodological artefacts) affect both GMYC and PTP estimates, but have a greater effect on GMYC estimates. Branch smoothing is a difficult step and perhaps an underappreciated source of bias that may be widespread among studies of diversity and diversification. Nevertheless, careful choice of phylogenetic method does produce equivalent PTP and GMYC diversity estimates. We recommend simultaneous use of the PTP model with any model-based gene tree (e.g. RAxML) and GMYC approaches with BEAST trees for obtaining species hypotheses.

  1. Neurolinguistic programming training, trait anxiety, and locus of control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konefal, J; Duncan, R C; Reese, M A

    1992-06-01

    Training in the neurolinguistic programming techniques of shifting perceptual position, visual-kinesthetic dissociation, timelines, and change-history, all based on experiential cognitive processing of remembered events, leads to an increased awareness of behavioral contingencies and a more sensitive recognition of environmental cues which could serve to lower trait anxiety and increase the sense of internal control. This study reports on within-person and between-group changes in trait anxiety and locus of control as measured on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Wallston, Wallston, and DeVallis' Multiple Health Locus of Control immediately following a 21-day residential training in neurolinguistic programming. Significant with-in-person decreases in trait-anxiety scores and increases in internal locus of control scores were observed as predicted. Chance and powerful other locus of control scores were unchanged. Significant differences were noted on trait anxiety and locus of control scores between European and U.S. participants, although change scores were similar for the two groups. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that this training may lower trait-anxiety scores and increase internal locus of control scores. A matched control group was not available, and follow-up was unfortunately not possible.

  2. Analysis of protein-altering variants in telomerase genes and their association with MUC5B common variant status in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a candidate gene sequencing study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dressen, Amy; Abbas, Alexander R; Cabanski, Christopher; Reeder, Janina; Ramalingam, Thirumalai R; Neighbors, Margaret; Bhangale, Tushar R; Brauer, Matthew J; Hunkapiller, Julie; Reeder, Jens; Mukhyala, Kiran; Cuenco, Karen; Tom, Jennifer; Cowgill, Amy; Vogel, Jan; Forrest, William F; Collard, Harold R; Wolters, Paul J; Kropski, Jonathan A; Lancaster, Lisa H; Blackwell, Timothy S; Arron, Joseph R; Yaspan, Brian L

    2018-06-08

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) risk has a strong genetic component. Studies have implicated variations at several loci, including TERT, surfactant genes, and a single nucleotide polymorphism at chr11p15 (rs35705950) in the intergenic region between TOLLIP and MUC5B. Patients with IPF who have risk alleles at rs35705950 have longer survival from the time of IPF diagnosis than do patients homozygous for the non-risk allele, whereas patients with shorter telomeres have shorter survival times. We aimed to assess whether rare protein-altering variants in genes regulating telomere length are enriched in patients with IPF homozygous for the non-risk alleles at rs35705950. Between Nov 1, 2014, and Nov 1, 2016, we assessed blood samples from patients aged 40 years or older and of European ancestry with sporadic IPF from three international phase 3 clinical trials (INSPIRE, CAPACITY, ASCEND), one phase 2 study (RIFF), and US-based observational studies (Vanderbilt Clinical Interstitial Lung Disease Registry and the UCSF Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic registry cohorts) at the Broad Institute (Cambridge, MA, USA) and Human Longevity (San Diego, CA, USA). We also assessed blood samples from non-IPF controls in several clinical trials. We did whole-genome sequencing to assess telomere length and identify rare protein-altering variants, stratified by rs35705950 genotype. We also assessed rare functional variation in TERT exons and compared telomere length and disease progression across genotypes. We assessed samples from 1510 patients with IPF and 1874 non-IPF controls. 30 (3%) of 1046 patients with an rs35705950 risk allele had a rare protein-altering variant in TERT compared with 34 (7%) of 464 non-risk allele carriers (odds ratio 0·40 [95% CI 0·24-0·66], p=0·00039). Subsequent analyses identified enrichment of rare protein-altering variants in PARN and RTEL1, and rare variation in TERC in patients with IPF compared with controls. We expanded our study population to

  3. Culture, gender and locus of control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ottsen, Christina Lundsgaard; Johannessen, Kim Berg; Berntsen, Dorthe

    The current study is a cross-cultural comparison between the Middle East and Scandinavia. Two societies that offer a unique opportunity to examine gender differences in personal goals and how goals are affected by locus of control.......The current study is a cross-cultural comparison between the Middle East and Scandinavia. Two societies that offer a unique opportunity to examine gender differences in personal goals and how goals are affected by locus of control....

  4. High-resolution mapping of the x-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) locus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zonana, J.; Jones, M.; Litt, M.; Kramer, P.; Browne, D.; Becker, H.W. (Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland, OR (United States)); Brockdorff, N.; Rastan, S. (Medical Council Clinical Research Centre, Harrow (United Kingdom)); Davies, K.P.; Clarke, A. (Univ. of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff (United Kingdom)) (and others)

    1992-11-01

    The X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) locus has been previously localized to the subchromosomal region Xq11-q21.1. The authors have extended previous linkage studies and analyzed linkage between the EDA locus and 10 marker loci, including five new loci, in 41 families. Four of the marker loci showed no recombination with the EDA locus, and six other loci were also linked to the EDA locus with recombination fractions of .009-.075. Multipoint analysis gave support to the placement of the PGK1P1 locus proximal to the EDA locus and the DXS453 and PGK1 loci distal to EDA. Further ordering of the loci could be inferred from a human-rodent somatic cell hybrid derived from an affected female with EDA and an X;9 translocation and from studies of an affected male with EDA and a submicroscopic deletion. Three of the proximal marker loci, which showed no recombination with the EDA locus, when used in combination, were informative in 92% of females. The closely linked flanking polymorphic loci DXS339 and DXS453 had heterozygosites of 72% and 76%, respectively, and when used jointly, they were doubly informative in 52% of females. The human DXS732 locus was defined by a conserved mouse probe pcos169E/4 (DXCrc169 locus) that consegregates with the mouse tabby (Ta) locus, a potential homologue to the EDA locus. The absence of recombination between EDA and the DXSA732 locus lends support to the hypothesis that the DXCrc169 locus in the mouse and the DXS732 locus in humans may contain candidate sequences for the Ta and EDA genes, respectively. 36 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs.

  5. Impact of Pathogen Population Heterogeneity and Stress-Resistant Variants on Food Safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abee, T; Koomen, J; Metselaar, K I; Zwietering, M H; den Besten, H M W

    2016-01-01

    This review elucidates the state-of-the-art knowledge about pathogen population heterogeneity and describes the genotypic and phenotypic analyses of persister subpopulations and stress-resistant variants. The molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of persister phenotypes and genetic variants are identified. Zooming in on Listeria monocytogenes, a comparative whole-genome sequence analysis of wild types and variants that enabled the identification of mutations in variants obtained after a single exposure to lethal food-relevant stresses is described. Genotypic and phenotypic features are compared to those for persistent strains isolated from food processing environments. Inactivation kinetics, models used for fitting, and the concept of kinetic modeling-based schemes for detection of variants are presented. Furthermore, robustness and fitness parameters of L. monocytogenes wild type and variants are used to model their performance in food chains. Finally, the impact of stress-resistant variants and persistence in food processing environments on food safety is discussed.

  6. Molecular characterisation of the clonal emergence of high-level ciprofloxacin-monoresistant Haemophilus influenzae in the Region of Southern Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuursted, Kurt; Hartmeyer, Gitte Nyvang; Stegger, Marc

    2016-01-01

    and were demonstrated by WGS to be clonal belonging to a single clade with an unknown multilocus sequence type (double-locus variant of ST196). The antibiogram demonstrated that they were all monoresistant to ciprofloxacin with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >32mg/L. In silico resistome analysis...

  7. Single-trait and multi-trait genome-wide association analyses identify novel loci for blood pressure in African-ancestry populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingjing Liang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is a leading cause of global disease, mortality, and disability. While individuals of African descent suffer a disproportionate burden of hypertension and its complications, they have been underrepresented in genetic studies. To identify novel susceptibility loci for blood pressure and hypertension in people of African ancestry, we performed both single and multiple-trait genome-wide association analyses. We analyzed 21 genome-wide association studies comprised of 31,968 individuals of African ancestry, and validated our results with additional 54,395 individuals from multi-ethnic studies. These analyses identified nine loci with eleven independent variants which reached genome-wide significance (P < 1.25×10-8 for either systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, or for combined traits. Single-trait analyses identified two loci (TARID/TCF21 and LLPH/TMBIM4 and multiple-trait analyses identified one novel locus (FRMD3 for blood pressure. At these three loci, as well as at GRP20/CDH17, associated variants had alleles common only in African-ancestry populations. Functional annotation showed enrichment for genes expressed in immune and kidney cells, as well as in heart and vascular cells/tissues. Experiments driven by these findings and using angiotensin-II induced hypertension in mice showed altered kidney mRNA expression of six genes, suggesting their potential role in hypertension. Our study provides new evidence for genes related to hypertension susceptibility, and the need to study African-ancestry populations in order to identify biologic factors contributing to hypertension.

  8. Lack of direct evidence for natural selection at the candidate thrifty gene locus, PPARGC1A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadzow, Murray; Merriman, Tony R; Boocock, James; Dalbeth, Nicola; Stamp, Lisa K; Black, Michael A; Visscher, Peter M; Wilcox, Phillip L

    2016-11-15

    The gene PPARGC1A, in particular the Gly482Ser variant (rs8192678), had been proposed to be subject to natural selection, particularly in recent progenitors of extant Polynesian populations. Reasons include high levels of population differentiation and increased frequencies of the derived type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk 482Ser allele, and association with body mass index (BMI) in a small Tongan population. However, no direct statistical tests for selection have been applied. Using a range of Polynesian populations (Tongan, Māori, Samoan) we re-examined evidence for association between Gly482Ser with T2D and BMI as well as gout. Using also Asian, European, and African 1000 Genome Project samples a range of statistical tests for selection (F ST , integrated haplotype score (iHS), cross population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH), Tajima's D and Fay and Wu's H) were conducted on the PPARGC1A locus. No statistically significant evidence for association between Gly482Ser and any of BMI, T2D or gout was found. Population differentiation (F ST ) was smallest between Asian and Pacific populations (New Zealand Māori ≤ 0.35, Samoan ≤ 0.20). When compared to European (New Zealand Māori ≤ 0.40, Samoan ≤ 0.25) or African populations (New Zealand Māori ≤ 0.80, Samoan ≤ 0.66) this differentiation was larger. We did not find any strong evidence for departure from neutral evolution at this locus when applying any of the other statistical tests for selection. However, using the same analytical methods, we found evidence for selection in specific populations at previously identified loci, indicating that lack of selection was the most likely explanation for the lack of evidence of selection in PPARGC1A. We conclude that there is no compelling evidence for selection at this locus, and that this gene should not be considered a candidate thrifty gene locus in Pacific populations. High levels of population differentiation at this locus and the

  9. Locus of control and pain: Validity of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales when used with adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castarlenas, Elena; Solé, Ester; Racine, Mélanie; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Elisabet; Jensen, Mark P; Miró, Jordi

    2016-09-01

    The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales in adolescents. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that adequate fit of a four-factor model and the internal consistency of the scales were adequate. Criterion validity of the four scales of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control was also supported by significant correlations with measures of pain-related self-efficacy, anxiety, and coping strategies. The results indicate that the four Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale scores are reliable and valid and therefore support their use to assess pain-related locus of control beliefs in adolescents.

  10. Genetic characterization of Anaplasma marginale strains from Tunisia using single and multiple gene typing reveals novel variants with an extensive genetic diversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Said, Mourad; Ben Asker, Alaa; Belkahia, Hanène; Ghribi, Raoua; Selmi, Rachid; Messadi, Lilia

    2018-05-12

    Anaplasma marginale, which is responsible for bovine anaplasmosis in tropical and subtropical regions, is a tick-borne obligatory intraerythrocytic bacterium of cattle and wild ruminants. In Tunisia, information about the genetic diversity and the phylogeny of A. marginale strains are limited to the msp4 gene analysis. The purpose of this study is to investigate A. marginale isolates infecting 16 cattle located in different bioclimatic areas of northern Tunisia with single gene analysis and multilocus sequence typing methods on the basis of seven partial genes (dnaA, ftsZ, groEL, lipA, secY, recA and sucB). The single gene analysis confirmed the presence of different and novel heterogenic A. marginale strains infecting cattle from the north of Tunisia. The concatenated sequence analysis showed a phylogeographical resolution at the global level and that most of the Tunisian sequence types (STs) formed a separate cluster from a South African isolate and from all New World isolates and strains. By combining the characteristics of each single locus with those of the multi-loci scheme, these results provide a more detailed understanding on the diversity and the evolution of Tunisian A. marginale strains. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Fine-Scale Mapping of the 5q11.2 Breast Cancer Locus Reveals at Least Three Independent Risk Variants Regulating MAP3K1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glubb, Dylan M.; Maranian, Mel J.; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Pooley, Karen A.; Meyer, Kerstin B.; Kar, Siddhartha; Carlebur, Saskia; O'Reilly, Martin; Betts, Joshua A.; Hillman, Kristine M.; Kaufmann, Susanne; Beesley, Jonathan; Canisius, Sander; Hopper, John L.; Southey, Melissa C.; Tsimiklis, Helen; Apicella, Carmel; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Broeks, Annegien; Hogervorst, Frans B.; van der Schoot, C. Ellen; Muir, Kenneth; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Stewart-Brown, Sarah; Siriwanarangsan, Pornthep; Fasching, Peter A.; Ruebner, Matthias; Ekici, Arif B.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Peto, Julian; Dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Fletcher, Olivia; Johnson, Nichola; Pharoah, Paul D. P.; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Tomlinson, Ian; Kerin, Michael J.; Miller, Nicola; Burwinkel, Barbara; Marme, Frederik; Yang, Rongxi; Surowy, Harald; Guénel, Pascal; Truong, Thérèse; Menegaux, Florence; Sanchez, Marie; Bojesen, Stig E.; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Nielsen, Sune F.; Flyger, Henrik; González-Neira, Anna; Benitez, Javier; Zamora, M. Pilar; Arias Perez, Jose Ignacio; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Neuhausen, Susan L.; Brenner, Hermann; Dieffenbach, Aida Karina; Arndt, Volker; Stegmaier, Christa; Meindl, Alfons; Schmutzler, Rita K.; Brauch, Hiltrud; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Brüning, Thomas; Nevanlinna, Heli; Muranen, Taru A.; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Blomqvist, Carl; Matsuo, Keitaro; Ito, Hidemi; Iwata, Hiroji; Tanaka, Hideo; Dörk, Thilo; Bogdanova, Natalia V.; Helbig, Sonja; Lindblom, Annika; Margolin, Sara; Mannermaa, Arto; Kataja, Vesa; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Hartikainen, Jaana M.; Wu, Anna H.; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; van den Berg, David; Stram, Daniel O.; Lambrechts, Diether; Zhao, Hui; Weltens, Caroline; van Limbergen, Erik; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Rudolph, Anja; Seibold, Petra; Radice, Paolo; Peterlongo, Paolo; Barile, Monica; Capra, Fabio; Couch, Fergus J.; Olson, Janet E.; Hallberg, Emily; Vachon, Celine; Giles, Graham G.; Milne, Roger L.; McLean, Catriona; Haiman, Christopher A.; Henderson, Brian E.; Schumacher, Fredrick; Le Marchand, Loic; Simard, Jacques; Goldberg, Mark S.; Labrèche, France; Dumont, Martine; teo, Soo Hwang; Yip, Cheng Har; See, Mee-Hoong; Cornes, Belinda; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Ikram, M. Kamran; Kristensen, Vessela; Zheng, Wei; Halverson, Sandra L.; Shrubsole, Martha; Long, Jirong; Winqvist, Robert; Pylkäs, Katri; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Kauppila, Saila; Andrulis, Irene L.; Knight, Julia A.; Glendon, Gord; Tchatchou, Sandrine; Devilee, Peter; Tollenaar, Robert A. E. M.; Seynaeve, Caroline; van Asperen, Christi J.; García-Closas, Montserrat; Figueroa, Jonine; Chanock, Stephen J.; Lissowska, Jolanta; Czene, Kamila; Klevebring, Daniel; Darabi, Hatef; Eriksson, Mikael; Hooning, Maartje J.; Hollestelle, Antoinette; Martens, John W. M.; Collée, J. Margriet; Hall, Per; Li, Jingmei; Humphreys, Keith; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Lu, Wei; Gao, Yu-Tang; Cai, Hui; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S.; Reed, Malcolm W. R.; Blot, William; Signorello, Lisa B.; Cai, Qiuyin; Shah, Mitul; Ghoussaini, Maya; Kang, Daehee; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Park, Sue K.; Noh, Dong-Young; Hartman, Mikael; Miao, Hui; Lim, Wei Yen; Tang, Anthony; Hamann, Ute; Torres, Diana; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Jaworska, Katarzyna; Durda, Katarzyna; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Gaborieau, Valerie; Brennan, Paul; McKay, James; Olswold, Curtis; Slager, Susan; Toland, Amanda E.; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Shen, Chen-Yang; Wu, Pei-Ei; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Hou, Ming-Feng; Swerdlow, Anthony; Ashworth, Alan; Orr, Nick; Jones, Michael; Pita, Guillermo; Alonso, M. Rosario; Álvarez, Nuria; Herrero, Daniel; Tessier, Daniel C.; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Francois; Luccarini, Craig; Baynes, Caroline; Ahmed, Shahana; Healey, Catherine S.; Brown, Melissa A.; Ponder, Bruce A. J.; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Thompson, Deborah J.; Edwards, Stacey L.; Easton, Douglas F.; Dunning, Alison M.; French, Juliet D.

    2015-01-01

    Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed SNP rs889312 on 5q11.2 to be associated with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry. In an attempt to identify the biologically relevant variants, we analyzed 909 genetic variants across 5q11.2 in 103,991 breast cancer individuals and

  12. Fine-scale mapping of the 5q11.2 breast cancer locus reveals at least three independent risk variants regulating MAP3K1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D.M. Glubb (Dylan); M. Maranian (Melanie); K. Michailidou (Kyriaki); K.A. Pooley (Karen); K.B. Meyer (Kerstin); S. Kar (Siddhartha); A.F.C. Carlebur; M. O'Reilly (Marian); J.A. Betts (Joshua); K.M. Hillman (Kristine); S. Kaufmann (Susanne); J. Beesley (Jonathan); S. Canisius (Sander); J.L. Hopper (John); M.C. Southey (Melissa); H. Tsimiklis (Helen); C. Apicella (Carmel); M.K. Schmidt (Marjanka); A. Broeks (Annegien); F.B.L. Hogervorst (Frans); C.E. van der Schoot (Ellen); K.R. Muir (K.); A. Lophatananon (Artitaya); S. Stewart-Brown (Sarah); P. Siriwanarangsan (Pornthep); P.A. Fasching (Peter); M. Ruebner (Matthias); A.B. Ekici (Arif); M.W. Beckmann (Matthias); J. Peto (Julian); I. dos Santos Silva (Isabel); O. Fletcher (Olivia); N. Johnson (Nichola); P.D.P. Pharoah (Paul D.P.); M.K. Bolla (Manjeet); Q. Wang (Qing); J. Dennis (Joe); E.J. Sawyer (Elinor); I.P. Tomlinson (Ian); M. Kerin (Michael); N. Miller (Nicola); B. Burwinkel (Barbara); F. Marme (Federick); R. Yang (Rongxi); H. Surowy (Harald); P. Guénel (Pascal); T. Truong (Thérèse); F. Menegaux (Florence); M. Sanchez (Marie); S.E. Bojesen (Stig); B.G. Nordestgaard (Børge); S.F. Nielsen (Sune); H. Flyger (Henrik); A. González-Neira (Anna); J. Benítez (Javier); M.P. Zamora (Pilar); J.I. Arias Pérez (José Ignacio); H. Anton-Culver (Hoda); S.L. Neuhausen (Susan); H. Brenner (Hermann); A.K. Dieffenbach (Aida Karina); V. Arndt (Volker); C. Stegmaier (Christa); A. Meindl (Alfons); R.K. Schmutzler (Rita); H. Brauch (Hiltrud); Y.-D. Ko (Yon-Dschun); T. Brüning (Thomas); H. Nevanlinna (Heli); T.A. Muranen (Taru); K. Aittomäki (Kristiina); C. Blomqvist (Carl); K. Matsuo (Keitaro); H. Ito (Hidemi); H. Iwata (Hisato); H. Tanaka (Hideo); T. Dörk (Thilo); N.V. Bogdanova (Natalia); S. Helbig (Sonja); A. Lindblom (Annika); S. Margolin (Sara); A. Mannermaa (Arto); V. Kataja (Vesa); V-M. Kosma (Veli-Matti); J.M. Hartikainen (J.); A.H. Wu (Anna H.); C.-C. Tseng (Chiu-Chen); D. Van Den Berg (David); D.O. Stram (Daniel O.); D. Lambrechts (Diether); H. Zhao (Hui); C. Weltens (Caroline); E. van Limbergen (Erik); J. Chang-Claude (Jenny); D. Flesch-Janys (Dieter); A. Rudolph (Anja); P. Seibold (Petra); P. Radice (Paolo); P. Peterlongo (Paolo); M. Barile (Monica); F. Capra (Fabio); F.J. Couch (Fergus); J.E. Olson (Janet); B. Hallberg (Boubou); C. Vachon (Celine); G.G. Giles (Graham); R.L. Milne (Roger); C.A. McLean (Catriona Ann); C.A. Haiman (Christopher); B.E. Henderson (Brian); F.R. Schumacher (Fredrick); L. Le Marchand (Loic); J. Simard (Jacques); M.S. Goldberg (Mark); F. Labrèche (France); M. Dumont (Martine); S.-H. Teo (Soo-Hwang); C.H. Yip (Cheng Har); M.-H. See (Mee-Hoong); B.K. Cornes (Belinda); C-Y. Cheng (Ching-Yu); M.K. Ikram (Kamran); V. Kristensen (Vessela); W. Zheng (Wei); S.L. Halverson (Sandra L.); M. Shrubsole (Martha); J. Long (Jirong); R. Winqvist (Robert); K. Pykäs (Katri); A. Jukkola-Vuorinen (Arja); S. Kauppila (Saila); I.L. Andrulis (Irene); J.A. Knight (Julia); G. Glendon (Gord); S. Tchatchou (Sandrine); P. Devilee (Peter); R.A.E.M. Tollenaar (Rob); C.M. Seynaeve (Caroline); C.J. van Asperen (Christi); M. García-Closas (Montserrat); J.D. Figueroa (Jonine); S.J. Chanock (Stephen); J. Lissowska (Jolanta); K. Czene (Kamila); D. Klevebring (Daniel); H. Darabi (Hatef); M. Eriksson (Mikael); M.J. Hooning (Maartje); A. Hollestelle (Antoinette); J.W.M. Martens (John W. M.); J.M. Collée (Margriet); P. Hall (Per); J. Li (Jingmei); K. Humphreys (Keith); X.-O. Shu (Xiao-Ou); W. Lu (Wei); Y.-T. Gao (Yu-Tang); H. Cai (Hui); A. Cox (Angela); S.S. Cross (Simon); M.W.R. Reed (Malcolm); W.J. Blot (William); L.B. Signorello (Lisa B.); Q. Cai (Qiuyin); M. Shah (Mitul); M. Ghoussaini (Maya); D. Kang (Daehee); J.-Y. Choi (J.); S.K. Park (Sue); D-Y. Noh (Dong-Young); M. Hartman (Mikael); X. Miao; W.-Y. Lim (Wei-Yen); A. Tang (Anthony); U. Hamann (Ute); D. Torres (Diana); A. Jakubowska (Anna); J. Lubinski (Jan); K. Jaworska (Katarzyna); K. Durda (Katarzyna); S. Sangrajrang (Suleeporn); V. Gaborieau (Valerie); P. Brennan (Paul); J.D. McKay (James); C. Olswold (Curtis); S. Slager (Susan); A.E. Toland (Amanda); D. Yannoukakos (Drakoulis); C-Y. Shen (Chen-Yang); P.-E. Wu (Pei-Ei); J-C. Yu (Jyh-Cherng); M.-F. Hou (Ming-Feng); A.J. Swerdlow (Anthony ); A. Ashworth (Alan); N. Orr (Nick); M. Jones (Michael); G. Pita (Guillermo); M.R. Alonso (Rosario); N. Álvarez (Nuria); D. Herrero (Daniel); D.C. Tessier (Daniel C.); D. Vincent (Daniel); F. Bacot (Francois); C. Luccarini (Craig); C. Baynes (Caroline); S. Ahmed (Shahana); S. Healey (Sue); M. Brown (Melissa); B.A.J. Ponder (Bruce A.J.); G. Chenevix-Trench (Georgia); D. Thompson (Deborah); S.L. Edwards (Stacey); D.F. Easton (Douglas); A.M. Dunning (Alison); J.D. French (Juliet)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractGenome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed SNP rs889312 on 5q11.2 to be associated with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry. In an attempt to identify the biologically relevant variants, we analyzed 909 genetic variants across 5q11.2 in 103,991 breast cancer

  13. The NDE1 genomic locus can affect treatment of psychiatric illness through gene expression changes related to microRNA-484.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradshaw, Nicholas J; Ukkola-Vuoti, Liisa; Pankakoski, Maiju; Zheutlin, Amanda B; Ortega-Alonso, Alfredo; Torniainen-Holm, Minna; Sinha, Vishal; Therman, Sebastian; Paunio, Tiina; Suvisaari, Jaana; Lönnqvist, Jouko; Cannon, Tyrone D; Haukka, Jari; Hennah, William

    2017-11-01

    Genetic studies of familial schizophrenia in Finland have observed significant associations with a group of biologically related genes, DISC1 , NDE1 , NDEL1 , PDE4B and PDE4D , the 'DISC1 network'. Here, we use gene expression and psychoactive medication use data to study their biological consequences and potential treatment implications. Gene expression levels were determined in 64 individuals from 18 families, while prescription medication information has been collected over a 10-year period for 931 affected individuals. We demonstrate that the NDE1 SNP rs2242549 associates with significant changes in gene expression for 2908 probes (2542 genes), of which 794 probes (719 genes) were replicable. A significant number of the genes altered were predicted targets of microRNA-484 ( p = 3.0 × 10 -8 ), located on a non-coding exon of NDE1 Variants within the NDE1 locus also displayed significant genotype by gender interaction to early cessation of psychoactive medications metabolized by CYP2C19. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-484 can affect the expression of CYP2C19 in a cell culture system. Thus, variation at the NDE1 locus may alter risk of mental illness, in part through modification of miR-484, and such modification alters treatment response to specific psychoactive medications, leading to the potential for use of this locus in targeting treatment. © 2017 The Authors.

  14. Birth defects and aplastic anemia: differences in polycyclic hydrocarbon toxicity associated with the Ah locus. [Mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nebert, D.W.; Levitt, R.C.; Jensen, N.M.; Lambert, G.H.; Felton, J.S.

    1977-01-01

    The balance between cytochrome(s) P/sub 1/-450 and other forms of P-450 in the liver, and probably many nonhepatic tissues as well, appears to be important in the toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity of numerous compounds. Thus, allelic differences in a single gene--the Ah locus-- can have profound effects on the susceptibility of mice to drug toxicity and cancer. There is evidence for the Ah lous in the human. Striking increases in the incidence of stillborns, reorptions,and malformations caused by 3-methylcholanthrene or 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene were observed in the aromatic hydrocarbon responsive C57BL/6N,C3H/HeN, and BALB/cAnN inbred strains, compared with the genetically nonresponsive AKR/N. These data suggest that an association exists between the Ah locus and teratogenesis. Although numerous teratogenic differences among inbred mouse strains have been previously reported, this study is unique in that the genetic differences in teratogenicity observed were predicted in advance, on the basis of known differences in polycyclic hydrocarbon metabolism regulated by the Ah locus.

  15. Variants in the SP110 gene are associated with genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis in West Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tosh, Kerrie; Campbell, Sarah J.; Fielding, Katherine; Sillah, Jackson; Bah, Boubacar; Gustafson, Per; Manneh, Kebba; Lisse, Ida; Sirugo, Giorgio; Bennett, Steve; Aaby, Peter; McAdam, Keith P. W. J.; Bah-Sow, Oumou; Lienhardt, Christian; Kramnik, Igor; Hill, Adrian V. S.

    2006-01-01

    The sst1 locus has been identified in a mouse model to control resistance and susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Subsequent studies have now identified Ipr1 (intracellular pathogen resistance 1) to be the gene responsible. Ipr1 is encoded within the sst1 locus and is expressed in the tuberculosis lung lesions and macrophages of sst1-resistant, but not sst1-susceptible mice. We have therefore examined the closest human homologue of Ipr1, SP110, for its ability to control susceptibility to M. tuberculosis infection in humans. In a study of families from The Gambia we have identified three polymorphisms that are associated with disease. On examination of additional families from Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of Guinea, two of these associations were independently replicated. These variants are in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other and lie within a 31-kb block of low haplotypic diversity, suggesting that a polymorphism within this region has a role in genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis in humans. PMID:16803959

  16. Genetic and physical maps around the sex-determining M-locus of the dioecious plant asparagus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telgmann-Rauber, Alexa; Jamsari, Ari; Kinney, Michael S; Pires, J Chris; Jung, Christian

    2007-09-01

    Asparagus officinalis L. is a dioecious plant. A region called the M-locus located on a pair of homomorphic sex chromosomes controls the sexual dimorphism in asparagus. The aim of this work was to clone the region determining sex in asparagus from its position in the genome. The structure of the region encompassing M should be investigated and compared to the sex-determining regions in other dioecious model species. To establish an improved basis for physical mapping, a high-resolution genetic map was enriched with AFLP markers closely linked to the target locus by carrying out a bulked segregant analysis. By screening a BAC library with AFLP- and STS-markers followed by chromosome walking, a physical map with eight contigs could be established. However, the gaps between the contigs could not be closed due to a plethora of repetitive elements. Surprisingly, two of the contigs on one side of the M-locus did not overlap although they have been established with two markers, which mapped in a distance as low as 0.25 cM flanking the sex locus. Thus, the clustering of the markers indicates a reduced recombination frequency within the M-region. On the opposite side of the M-locus, a contig was mapped in a distance of 0.38 cM. Four closely linked BAC clones were partially sequenced and 64 putative ORFs were identified. Interestingly, only 25% of the ORFs showed sequence similarity to known proteins and ESTs. In addition, an accumulation of repetitive sequences and a low gene density was revealed in the sex-determining region of asparagus. Molecular cytogenetic and sequence analysis of BACs flanking the M-locus indicate that the BACs contain highly repetitive sequences that localize to centromeric and pericentromeric locations on all asparagus chromosomes, which hindered the localization of the M-locus to the single pair of sex chromosomes. We speculate that dioecious Silene, papaya and Asparagus species may represent three stages in the evolution of XX, XY sex

  17. Single assay for simultaneous detection and differential identification of human and avian influenza virus types, subtypes, and emergent variants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Metzgar

    Full Text Available For more than four decades the cause of most type A influenza virus infections of humans has been attributed to only two viral subtypes, A/H1N1 or A/H3N2. In contrast, avian and other vertebrate species are a reservoir of type A influenza virus genome diversity, hosting strains representing at least 120 of 144 combinations of 16 viral hemagglutinin and 9 viral neuraminidase subtypes. Viral genome segment reassortments and mutations emerging within this reservoir may spawn new influenza virus strains as imminent epidemic or pandemic threats to human health and poultry production. Traditional methods to detect and differentiate influenza virus subtypes are either time-consuming and labor-intensive (culture-based or remarkably insensitive (antibody-based. Molecular diagnostic assays based upon reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR have short assay cycle time, and high analytical sensitivity and specificity. However, none of these diagnostic tests determine viral gene nucleotide sequences to distinguish strains and variants of a detected pathogen from one specimen to the next. Decision-quality, strain- and variant-specific pathogen gene sequence information may be critical for public health, infection control, surveillance, epidemiology, or medical/veterinary treatment planning. The Resequencing Pathogen Microarray (RPM-Flu is a robust, highly multiplexed and target gene sequencing-based alternative to both traditional culture- or biomarker-based diagnostic tests. RPM-Flu is a single, simultaneous differential diagnostic assay for all subtype combinations of type A influenza viruses and for 30 other viral and bacterial pathogens that may cause influenza-like illness. These other pathogen targets of RPM-Flu may co-infect and compound the morbidity and/or mortality of patients with influenza. The informative specificity of a single RPM-Flu test represents specimen-specific viral gene sequences as determinants of virus type, A

  18. Single assay for simultaneous detection and differential identification of human and avian influenza virus types, subtypes, and emergent variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzgar, David; Myers, Christopher A; Russell, Kevin L; Faix, Dennis; Blair, Patrick J; Brown, Jason; Vo, Scott; Swayne, David E; Thomas, Colleen; Stenger, David A; Lin, Baochuan; Malanoski, Anthony P; Wang, Zheng; Blaney, Kate M; Long, Nina C; Schnur, Joel M; Saad, Magdi D; Borsuk, Lisa A; Lichanska, Agnieszka M; Lorence, Matthew C; Weslowski, Brian; Schafer, Klaus O; Tibbetts, Clark

    2010-02-03

    For more than four decades the cause of most type A influenza virus infections of humans has been attributed to only two viral subtypes, A/H1N1 or A/H3N2. In contrast, avian and other vertebrate species are a reservoir of type A influenza virus genome diversity, hosting strains representing at least 120 of 144 combinations of 16 viral hemagglutinin and 9 viral neuraminidase subtypes. Viral genome segment reassortments and mutations emerging within this reservoir may spawn new influenza virus strains as imminent epidemic or pandemic threats to human health and poultry production. Traditional methods to detect and differentiate influenza virus subtypes are either time-consuming and labor-intensive (culture-based) or remarkably insensitive (antibody-based). Molecular diagnostic assays based upon reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) have short assay cycle time, and high analytical sensitivity and specificity. However, none of these diagnostic tests determine viral gene nucleotide sequences to distinguish strains and variants of a detected pathogen from one specimen to the next. Decision-quality, strain- and variant-specific pathogen gene sequence information may be critical for public health, infection control, surveillance, epidemiology, or medical/veterinary treatment planning. The Resequencing Pathogen Microarray (RPM-Flu) is a robust, highly multiplexed and target gene sequencing-based alternative to both traditional culture- or biomarker-based diagnostic tests. RPM-Flu is a single, simultaneous differential diagnostic assay for all subtype combinations of type A influenza viruses and for 30 other viral and bacterial pathogens that may cause influenza-like illness. These other pathogen targets of RPM-Flu may co-infect and compound the morbidity and/or mortality of patients with influenza. The informative specificity of a single RPM-Flu test represents specimen-specific viral gene sequences as determinants of virus type, A/HN subtype, virulence

  19. Functional Analysis of a Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Locus Implicates BCAR1 and Suggests a Causal Variant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boardman-Pretty, Freya; Smith, Andrew J. P.; Cooper, Jackie

    2015-01-01

    disequilibrium (r2≥0.8) with rs4888378 were identified from 1000 Genome Project. ENCODE regulatory chromatin marks were used to create a shortlist of 6 possible regulatory variants. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays on the shortlist detected allele-specific protein binding to the lead SNP rs4888378...

  20. Listeners' processing of a given reduced word pronunciation variant directly reflects their exposure to this variant: Evidence from native listeners and learners of French.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Sophie; Ernestus, Mirjam

    2018-05-01

    In casual conversations, words often lack segments. This study investigates whether listeners rely on their experience with reduced word pronunciation variants during the processing of single segment reduction. We tested three groups of listeners in a lexical decision experiment with French words produced either with or without word-medial schwa (e.g., /ʀvy/ and /ʀvy/ for revue). Participants also rated the relative frequencies of the two pronunciation variants of the words. If the recognition accuracy and reaction times (RTs) for a given listener group correlate best with the frequencies of occurrence holding for that given listener group, recognition is influenced by listeners' exposure to these variants. Native listeners' relative frequency ratings correlated well with their accuracy scores and RTs. Dutch advanced learners' accuracy scores and RTs were best predicted by their own ratings. In contrast, the accuracy and RTs from Dutch beginner learners of French could not be predicted by any relative frequency rating; the rating task was probably too difficult for them. The participant groups showed behaviour reflecting their difference in experience with the pronunciation variants. Our results strongly suggest that listeners store the frequencies of occurrence of pronunciation variants, and consequently the variants themselves.

  1. FISH-mapping of the 5S rDNA locus in chili peppers (Capsicum-Solanaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilera, Patricia M; Debat, Humberto J; Scaldaferro, Marisel A; Martí, Dardo A; Grabiele, Mauro

    2016-03-01

    We present here the physical mapping of the 5S rDNA locus in six wild and five cultivated taxa of Capsicum by means of a genus-specific FISH probe. In all taxa, a single 5S locus per haploid genome that persistently mapped onto the short arm of a unique metacentric chromosome pair at intercalar position, was found. 5S FISH signals of almost the same size and brightness intensity were observed in all the analyzed taxa. This is the first cytological characterization of the 5S in wild taxa of Capsicum by using a genus-derived probe, and the most exhaustive and comprehensive in the chili peppers up to now. The information provided here will aid the cytomolecular characterization of pepper germplasm to evaluate variability and can be instrumental to integrate physical, genetic and genomic maps already generated in the genus.

  2. Highly parallel and short-acting amplification with locus-specific primers to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms by the DigiTag2 assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nao Nishida

    Full Text Available The DigiTag2 assay enables analysis of a set of 96 SNPs using Kapa 2GFast HotStart DNA polymerase with a new protocol that has a total running time of about 7 hours, which is 6 hours shorter than the previous protocol. Quality parameters (conversion rate, call rate, reproducibility and concordance were at the same levels as when genotype calls were acquired using the previous protocol. Multiplex PCR with 192 pairs of locus-specific primers was available for target preparation in the DigiTag2 assay without the optimization of reaction conditions, and quality parameters had the same levels as those acquired with 96-plex PCR. The locus-specific primers were able to achieve sufficient (concentration of target amplicon ≥5 nM and specific (concentration of unexpected amplicons <2 nM amplification within 2 hours, were also able to achieve detectable amplifications even when working in a 96-plex or 192-plex form. The improved DigiTag2 assay will be an efficient platform for screening an intermediate number of SNPs (tens to hundreds of sites in the replication analysis after genome-wide association study. Moreover, highly parallel and short-acting amplification with locus-specific primers may thus facilitate widespread application to other PCR-based assays.

  3. Inheritance of allozyme variants in bishop pine (Pinus muricata D.Don)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constance I. Millar

    1985-01-01

    Isozyme phenotypes are described for 45 structural loci and I modifier locus in bishop pine (Pinus muricata D. Don,) and segregation data are presented for a subset of 31 polymorphic loci from 19 enzyme systems. All polymorphic loci had alleles that segregated within single-focus Mendelian expectations, although one pair of alleles at each of three...

  4. [Relationship between work locus of control and occupational stress in oil workers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xian-Hai; He, Ya-Hui; Yu, Shan-Fa; Qi, Xiu-Ying

    2008-12-01

    To investigate general states of the work locus of control and explore the relationship between work locus of control and occupational stress in oil workers. 582 oil workers were investigated by using the General Questionnaire and Occupational Stress Measure Inventory. There were significant differences in WCLS score between two age groups (= 30 years old group and locus of control; values of role ambiguity, working prospect, depression and social support were higher in the group of external locus of control (P locus of control had positive relation with role ambiguity, working prospect, depression, and social support, and negative with interpersonal relationship, promotion, participation, task consistency, challenge, job satisfaction, mental health, self-esteem and coping strategies. In the regression analysis, work locus of control was the major predictive factor of work satisfaction. Work locus of control is associated with many occupational stress factors. The group of extrinsic work locus of control experience more stress in oil workers.

  5. Complexity on Acute Myeloid Leukemia mRNA Transcript Variant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Cattani

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the sequence analysis of acute myeloid leukemia mRNA. Six transcript variants of mlf1 mRNA, with more than 2000 bps, are analyzed by focusing on the autocorrelation of each distribution. Through the correlation matrix, some patches and similarities are singled out and commented, with respect to similar distributions. The comparison of Kolmogorov fractal dimension will be also given in order to classify the six variants. The existence of a fractal shape, patterns, and symmetries are discussed as well.

  6. Insertional inactivation of a chromosomal locus that modulates expression of potential virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, A L; Wolz, C; Yeaman, M R; Bayer, A S

    1995-06-01

    A single insertion of transposon Tn551 into a unique chromosomal locus of Staphylococcus aureus ISP479C has resulted in a pleiotropic effect on the expression of both extracellular and cell wall proteins. In particular, the expression of cell wall protein A and clumping activity with fibrinogen were rendered undetectable in the mutant 1E3 compared with the parent. The secretion of alpha-hemolysin in mutant 1E3 was modestly increased. Southern blot and phenotypic analyses indicated that this locus is distinct from agr, xpr, and sar, three previously described global regulatory loci. Transduction experiments demonstrated that the genotype associated with mutant 1E3 could be transferred back into the parental strain ISP479C. The transductant 1E3-2 displayed a phenotypic profile similar to that of the original mutant. Northern (RNA) blot studies showed that this locus may be involved in modulating target genes at the mRNA level. In the rabbit endocarditis model, there was a significant decrease in both the infectivity rate and intravegetation bacterial density with mutant 1E3 compared with the parent at an inoculum of 10(3) CFU. Since protein A and the fibrinogen-binding protein(s) are major surface proteins that may mediate bacterial adhesion to host tissues, this locus may be an important genetic element involved in the expression of virulence determinants in S. aureus.

  7. In situ mapping of the hsp70 locus in seven species of the willistoni group of Drosophila

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonorino, C.B.C.; Valente, V.L.S.; Pereira, M.; Alonso, C.E.V.; Abdelhay, E.

    1993-01-01

    The hsp70 locus was mapped by in situ hybridization of a biotinylated probe (p PW 229) to the polythene chromosomes of seven species of the willistoni group of Drosophila. In all of them, the probe hybridized mainly at a single site of the third chromosome, corresponding in each case to a heat-induced puff site. Southern blot analysis comparing the Eco RI digested DNA of the willistoni species with D. melanogaster revealed that a large segment of DNA homologous to the hsp 70 probe detected in D. melanogaster does not exist in the willistoni group. These results suggested that this locus is not duplicated in the willistoni group as it is in the melanogaster. (author)

  8. Characterization of the bovine type I IFN locus: rearrangements, expansions, and novel subfamilies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walker Angela M

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Type I interferons (IFN have major roles in the innate immune response to viruses, a function that is believed to have led to expansion in the number and complexity of their genes, although these genes have remained confined to single chromosomal region in all mammals so far examined. IFNB and IFNE define the limits of the locus, with all other Type I IFN genes except IFNK distributed between these boundaries, strongly suggesting that the locus has broadened as IFN genes duplicated and then evolved into a series of distinct families. Results The Type I IFN locus in Bos taurus has undergone significant rearrangement and expansion compared to mouse and human, however, with the constituent genes separated into two sub-loci separated by >700 kb. The IFNW family is greatly expanded, comprising 24 potentially functional genes and at least 8 pseudogenes. The IFNB (n = 6, represented in human and mouse by one copy, are also present as multiple copies in Bos taurus. The IFNT, which encode a non-virally inducible, ruminant-specific IFN secreted by the pre-implantation conceptus, are represented by three genes and two pseudogenes. The latter have sequences intermediate between IFNT and IFNW. A new Type I IFN family (IFNX of four members, one of which is a pseudogene, appears to have diverged from the IFNA lineage at least 83 million years ago, but is absent in all other sequenced genomes with the possible exception of the horse, a non-ruminant herbivore. Conclusion In summary, we have provided the first comprehensive annotation of the Type I IFN locus in Bos taurus, thereby providing an insight into the functional evolution of the Type I IFN in ruminants. The diversity and global spread of the ruminant species may have required an expansion of the Type I IFN locus and its constituent genes to provide broad anti-viral protection required for foraging and foregut fermentation.

  9. Persistent trigeminal artery/persistent trigeminal artery variant and coexisting variants of the head and neck vessels diagnosed using 3 T MRA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai, M.; Guo, Q.; Li, S.

    2013-01-01

    Aim: To report the prevalence and characteristic features of persistent trigeminal artery (PTA), PTA variant (PTAV), and other variants of the head and neck vessels, identified using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Materials and methods: The three-dimensional (3D) time of flight (TOF) MRA and 3D contrast-enhanced (CE) MRA images of 6095 consecutive patients who underwent 3 T MRA at Liaocheng People's Hospital from 1 September 2008 through 31 May 2012 were retrospectively reviewed and analysed. Thirty-two patients were excluded because of suboptimal image quality or internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. Results: The prevalence of both PTA and PTAV was 0.63% (PTA, 26 cases; PTAV, 12 cases). The prevalence of coexisting variants of the head and neck vessels in cases of PTA/PTAV was 52.6% (20 of 38 cases). The vascular variants that coexisted with cases of PTA/PTAV were as follows: the intracranial arteries varied in 10 cases, the origin of the supra-aortic arteries varied in nine cases, the vertebral artery (VA) varied in 14 cases, and six cases displayed fenestrations. Fifteen of the 20 cases contained more than two types of variants. Conclusion: The prevalence of both PTA and PTAV was 0.63%. Although PTA and PTAV are rare vascular variants, they frequently coexist with other variants of the head and neck vessels. Multiple vascular variations can coexist in a single patient. Recognizing PTA, PTAV, and other variants of the head and neck vessels is crucial when planning a neuroradiological intervention or surgery. Recognizing the medial PTA is very important in clinical practice when performing trans-sphenoidal surgery on the pituitary as failure to do so could result in massive haemorrhage

  10. X-ray-induced specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of two-component heterokaryons of Neurospora crassa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serres, F.J. de

    1989-01-01

    More extensive genetic tests have been preformed on a series of 832 X-ray-induced specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of a 2-component heterokaryon of Neurospora crassa, reported earlier. Using new tester strains and techniques for performing large-scale genetic tests to characterize ad-3 mutants induced in 2-component heterokaryons, new data have been obtained on this sample of X-ray-induced mutants. These new data show that unexpectedly high frequencies of both single-locus mutations and multilocus deletions in the ad-3 region have addition, but separate, sites of recessive lethal damage in the imeediately adjacent genetic regions. The frequencies of these X-ray-induced multiple-locus mutants in the ad-3 region are orders of magnitude higher than expected on the basis of target theory and classical models of chromosome structure during interphase. Current models of interphase chromosome structure in higher eukaryotes as revealed by chromosome 'painting' offer a possible explanation of the Neurospora data. (author). 25 refs.; 5 figs

  11. Accurate genotyping across variant classes and lengths using variant graphs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sibbesen, Jonas Andreas; Maretty, Lasse; Jensen, Jacob Malte

    2018-01-01

    of read k-mers to a graph representation of the reference and variants to efficiently perform unbiased, probabilistic genotyping across the variation spectrum. We demonstrate that BayesTyper generally provides superior variant sensitivity and genotyping accuracy relative to existing methods when used...... collecting a set of candidate variants across discovery methods, individuals and databases, and then realigning the reads to the variants and reference simultaneously. However, this realignment problem has proved computationally difficult. Here, we present a new method (BayesTyper) that uses exact alignment...... to integrate variants across discovery approaches and individuals. Finally, we demonstrate that including a ‘variation-prior’ database containing already known variants significantly improves sensitivity....

  12. Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in TCF2 with type 2 diabetes susceptibility in a Han Chinese population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuelong Zhang

    Full Text Available Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β, a transcription factor encoded by the transcription factor 2 gene (TCF2, plays a critical role in pancreatic cell formation and glucose homeostasis. It has been suggested that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs of TCF2 are associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D. However, published results are inconsistent and inclusive. To further investigate the role of these common variants, we examined the association of TCF2 polymorphisms with the risk of T2D in a Han population in northeastern China. We genotyped five SNPs in 624 T2D patients and 630 healthy controls by using a SNaPshot method, and evaluated the T2D risk conferred by individual SNPs and haplotypes. In the single-locus analysis, we found that rs752010, rs4430796 and rs7501939 showed allelic differences between T2D patients and healthy controls, with an OR of 1.26 (95% CI 1.08-1.51, P = 0.003, an OR of 1.23 (95% CI 1.06-1.55, P = 0.001 and an OR of 1.28 (95% CI 1.10-1.61, P = 0.001, respectively. Genotype association analysis of each locus also revealed that the homozygous carriers of the at-risk allele had a significant increased T2D risk compared to homozygous carriers of the other allele (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.20-2.64 for rs752010; OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.24-2.67 for rs4430796; OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.31-2.90 for rs7501939, even after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Besides, the haplotype-based analysis demonstrated that AGT in block rs752010-rs4430796-rs7501939 was associated with about 30% increase in T2D risk (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.09-1.57, P = 0.01. Our findings suggested that TCF2 variants may be involved in T2D risk in a Han population of northeastern China. Larger studies with ethnically diverse populations are warranted to confirm the results reported in this investigation.

  13. Genomewide scan identifies susceptibility locus for dyslexia on Xq27 in an extended Dutch family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Kovel, C G F; Hol, F A; Heister, J G A M; Willemen, J J H T; Sandkuijl, L A; Franke, B; Padberg, G W

    2004-09-01

    Dyslexia is a common disorder with a strong genetic component, but despite significant research effort, the aetiology is still largely unknown. To identify loci contributing to dyslexia risk. This was a genomewide linkage analysis in a single large family. Dutch families with at least two first degree relatives suffering from dyslexia participated in the study. Participants were recruited through an advertisement campaign in papers and magazines. The main outcome measure was linkage between genetic markers and dyslexia phenotype. Using parametric linkage analysis, we found strong evidence for a locus influencing dyslexia on Xq27.3 (multipoint lod = 3.68). Recombinations in two family members flanked an 8 cM region, comprising 11 currently confirmed genes. All four males carrying the risk haplotype had very low scores on the reading tests. The presentation in females was more variable, but 8/9 females carrying the risk haplotype were diagnosed dyslexic by our composite score, so we considered the putative risk allele to be dominant with reduced penetrance. Linkage was not found in an additional collection of affected sibling pairs. A locus influencing dyslexia risk is probably located between markers DXS1227 and DXS8091 on the X chromosome, closely situated to a locus indicated by a published genome scan of English sibling pairs. Although the locus may not be a common cause for dyslexia, the relatively small and gene poor region offers hope to identify the responsible gene.

  14. Rasch Analysis of the Locus-of-Hope Scale. Brief Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gadiana, Leny G.; David, Adonis P.

    2015-01-01

    The Locus-of-Hope Scale (LHS) was developed as a measure of the locus-of-hope dimensions (Bernardo, 2010). The present study adds to the emerging literature on locus-of-hope by assessing the psychometric properties of the LHS using Rasch analysis. The results from the Rasch analyses of the four subscales of LHS provided evidence on the…

  15. Characterization of additional rabbit IgM allotypes and the effect of suppression of a VH locus allotypes on the expression of n Cμ locus allotype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilman-Sachs, A.; Roux, K.H.; Horing, W.J.; Dray, S.

    1982-01-01

    Anti-allotype antisera were produced that identified eight rabbit IgM allotypic specificities, n80, n81, n82, n83, n84, n85, n86, and n87. The n locus Cμ genes controlling these IgM allotypic specificities are closely linked to the a (VH subgroup) locus. The genes controlling these allotypic specificities were found to be in the heavy chain chromosomal region and were assigned to 11 haplotypes present in our rabbit colony. The n locus and a locus genes appeared in the haplotypes in six combinations: a 1 n 81 , a 2 n/sup 81,n87/, a 1 n/sup 80,83/, a 2 n/sup 80,82,87/, a 3 n/sup 81,84,85/ and a 3 n/sup 80,84,86,87/. By radioprecipitation analysis, 70 to 80% of serum IgM reacts with the antiserum directed to each n locus allotypic specificity found encoded in one haplotype; thus, each allotypic specificity of the haplotype is present on the same IgM molecule. When sera from a locus allotype-suppressed homozygous rabbits were tested for expression of each n locus allotypic specificity, n80, n81, and n87 were still expressed, whereas n82, n83, n84, n85, and n86 were not. These data provide direct evidence that some IgM specificities are expressed independently of the a locus (i.e., ''true''), and other s are dependent on the expression of an a locus specificity (i.e., conformational). The expression of the ''true'' allotypic specificities probably reflects genetic control of the germline Cμ gene, and the expression of ''conformationally dependent'' allotypic specificities probably reflects the interaction of VH and Cμ gene segments. This distinction is important and must be recognized when evaluating the genetics and structure of the IgM molecule

  16. Canine parvovirus: the worldwide occurrence of antigenic variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Carla; Thompson, Gertrude

    2016-09-01

    The most important enteric virus infecting canids is canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2). CPV is the aetiologic agent of a contagious disease, mainly characterized by clinical gastroenteritis signs in younger dogs. CPV-2 emerged as a new virus in the late 1970s, which could infect domestic dogs, and became distributed in the global dog population within 2 years. A few years later, the virus's original type was replaced by a new genetic and antigenic variant, called CPV-2a. Around 1984 and 2000, virus variants with the single change to Asp or Glu in the VP2 residue 426 were detected (sometimes termed CPV-2b and -2c). The genetic and antigenic changes in the variants have also been correlated with changes in their host range; in particular, in the ability to replicate in cats and also host range differences in canine and other tissue culture cells. CPV-2 variants have been circulating among wild carnivores and have been well-documented in several countries around the world. Here, we have reviewed and summarized the current information about the worldwide distribution and evolution of CPV-2 variants since they emerged, as well as the host ranges they are associated with.

  17. Analysis of potential protein-modifying variants in 9000 endometriosis patients and 150000 controls of European ancestry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sapkota, Yadav; Vivo, Immaculata De; Steinthorsdottir, Valgerdur

    2017-01-01

    -modifying variants in endometriosis using exome-array genotyping in 7164 cases and 21005 controls, and a replication set of 1840 cases and 129016 controls of European ancestry. Results in the discovery sample identified significant evidence for association with coding variants in single-variant (rs1801232-CUBN...... sufficient power, our results did not identify any protein-modifying variants (MAF > 0.01) with moderate or large effect sizes in endometriosis, although these variants may exist in non-European populations or in high-risk families. The results suggest continued discovery efforts should focus on genotyping...

  18. Fine-mapping the HOXB region detects common variants tagging a rare coding allele: evidence for synthetic association in prostate cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward J Saunders

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The HOXB13 gene has been implicated in prostate cancer (PrCa susceptibility. We performed a high resolution fine-mapping analysis to comprehensively evaluate the association between common genetic variation across the HOXB genetic locus at 17q21 and PrCa risk. This involved genotyping 700 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array (iCOGS followed by imputation of 3195 SNPs in 20,440 PrCa cases and 21,469 controls in The PRACTICAL consortium. We identified a cluster of highly correlated common variants situated within or closely upstream of HOXB13 that were significantly associated with PrCa risk, described by rs117576373 (OR 1.30, P = 2.62×10(-14. Additional genotyping, conditional regression and haplotype analyses indicated that the newly identified common variants tag a rare, partially correlated coding variant in the HOXB13 gene (G84E, rs138213197, which has been identified recently as a moderate penetrance PrCa susceptibility allele. The potential for GWAS associations detected through common SNPs to be driven by rare causal variants with higher relative risks has long been proposed; however, to our knowledge this is the first experimental evidence for this phenomenon of synthetic association contributing to cancer susceptibility.

  19. Common variants in SOCS7 gene predict obesity, disturbances in lipid metabolism and insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tellechea, M L; Steinhardt, A Penas; Rodriguez, G; Taverna, M J; Poskus, E; Frechtel, G

    2013-05-01

    Specific Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) members, such as SOCS7, may play a role in the development of insulin resistance (IR) owing to their ability to inhibit insulin signaling pathways. The objective was to explore the association between common variants and related haplotypes in SOCS7 gene and metabolic traits related to obesity, lipid metabolism and IR. 780 unrelated men were included in a cross-sectional study. We selected three tagged SNPs that capture 100% of SNPs with minor allele frequency ≥ 0.10. Analyses were done separately for each SNP and followed up by haplotype analysis. rs8074124C was associated with both obesity (p = 0.005) and abdominal obesity (p = 0.002) and allele C carriers showed, in comparison with TT carriers, lower BMI (p = 0.001) and waist circumference (p = 0.001). rs8074124CC- carriers showed lower fasting insulin (p = 0.017) and HOMA-IR (p = 0.018) than allele T carriers. rs12051836C was associated with hypertriglyceridemia (p = 0.009) and hypertriglyceridemic waist (p = 0.006). rs12051836CC- carriers showed lower fasting insulin (p = 0.043) and HOMA-IR (p = 0.042). Haplotype-based association analysis (rs8074124 and rs12051836 in that order) showed associations with lipid and obesity -related phenotypes, consistent with single locus analysis. Haplotype analysis also revealed association between haplotype CT and both decreased HDL-C (p = 0.026) and HDL-C (p = 0.014) as a continuous variable. We found, for the first time, significant associations between SOCS7 common variants and related haplotypes and obesity, IR and lipid metabolism disorders. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. MSX ₁ gene variant and non-syndromic clefting: association or rejection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Naveen Admala; Gopinath, Adusumilli; Reddy, Jayaprakash Thirumala; Devanna, Raghu; Saravanan, Pichai; Rohra, Mayur G

    2014-01-01

    Non-syndromic cleft lip/palate (NSCL/P) is a congenital anomaly with significant medical, psychological and social ramifications. There is sufficient evidence to hypothesize that locus for this condition can be identified by candidate genes. The aim of this study is to amplify the chosen region (799 G >T) of MSX 1 gene, investigate the degree of association and perform a mutation research from Raichur cleft lip and palate patient sample. Case history and clinical examination of the patient were recorded to rule. Written consent was obtained from patients and controls for in vivo study. STUDY WAS DESIGNED IN FOUR STEPS AS FOLLOWS: a. Collection of a blood sample; b. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction; c. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR); d. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Blood samples were collected from 50 subjects having NSCL/P and 50 controls. Genomic DNA was extracted, PCR and RFLP was performed for digestion products that were evaluated. Chi-square test with P value at 95% confidence intervals. The results showed a positive correlation between MSX 1 799 G >T gene variant and NSCL/P patients in Raichur patients. From a genetically diverse etiology MSX 1 799 G >T gene variant may be a good screening marker for NSCL/P in Raichur patients.

  1. A locus for isolated cataract on human Xp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francis, P J; Berry, V; Hardcastle, A J; Maher, E R; Moore, A T; Bhattacharya, S S

    2002-02-01

    To genetically map the gene causing isolated X linked cataract in a large European pedigree. Using the patient registers at Birmingham Women's Hospital, UK, we identified and examined 23 members of a four generation family with nuclear cataract. Four of six affected males also had complex congenital heart disease. Pedigree data were collated and leucocyte DNA extracted from venous blood. Linkage analysis by PCR based microsatellite marker genotyping was used to identify the disease locus and mutations within candidate genes screened by direct sequencing. The disease locus was genetically refined to chromosome Xp22, within a 3 cM linkage interval flanked by markers DXS9902 and DXS999 (Zmax=3.64 at theta=0 for marker DXS8036). This is the first report of a locus for isolated inherited cataract on the X chromosome. The disease interval lies within the Nance-Horan locus suggesting allelic heterogeneity. The apparent association with congenital cardiac anomalies suggests a possible new oculocardiac syndrome.

  2. Image simulation using LOCUS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strachan, J.D.; Roberts, J.A.

    1989-09-01

    The LOCUS data base program has been used to simulate images and to solve simple equations. This has been accomplished by making each record (which normally would represent a data entry)represent sequenced or random number pairs

  3. Combinations of Genetic Variants Occurring Exclusively in Patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mellerup, Erling Thyge; Møller, Gert Lykke

    2017-01-01

    The main objective of the study was to find genetic variants that in combination are significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In previous studies of bipolar disorder, combinations of three and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes taken from 803 SNPs were analyzed, and five ...

  4. Family studies to find rare high risk variants in migraine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Rikke Dyhr; Christensen, Anne Francke; Olesen, Jes

    2017-12-01

    Migraine has long been known as a common complex disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. The pathophysiology and the specific genetic susceptibility are poorly understood. Common variants only explain a small part of the heritability of migraine. It is thought that rare genetic variants with bigger effect size may be involved in the disease. Since migraine has a tendency to cluster in families, a family approach might be the way to find these variants. This is also indicated by identification of migraine-associated loci in classical linkage-analyses in migraine families. A single migraine study using a candidate-gene approach was performed in 2010 identifying a rare mutation in the TRESK potassium channel segregating in a large family with migraine with aura, but this finding has later become questioned. The technologies of next-generation sequencing (NGS) now provides an affordable tool to investigate the genetic variation in the entire exome or genome. The family-based study design using NGS is described in this paper. We also review family studies using NGS that have been successful in finding rare variants in other common complex diseases in order to argue the promising application of a family approach to migraine. PubMed was searched to find studies that looked for rare genetic variants in common complex diseases through a family-based design using NGS, excluding studies looking for de-novo mutations, or using a candidate-gene approach and studies on cancer. All issues from Nature Genetics and PLOS genetics 2014, 2015 and 2016 (UTAI June) were screened for relevant papers. Reference lists from included and other relevant papers were also searched. For the description of the family-based study design using NGS an in-house protocol was used. Thirty-two successful studies, which covered 16 different common complex diseases, were included in this paper. We also found a single migraine study. Twenty-three studies found one or a few family specific

  5. Locus of control and investment in risky assets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salamanca, N.; de Grip, A.; Fouarge, D.; Montizaan, R.M.

    2013-01-01

    Using representative household panel data, we show that the investment behavior of households is related to the economic locus of control of household heads. A household's internal locus of control in economic issues is positively related to its decision to hold risky assets as well as its share of

  6. Mouse ribosomal RNA genes contain multiple differentially regulated variants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hung Tseng

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Previous cytogenetic studies suggest that various rDNA chromosomal loci are not equally active in different cell types. Consistent with this variability, rDNA polymorphism is well documented in human and mouse. However, attempts to identify molecularly rDNA variant types, which are regulated individually (i.e., independent of other rDNA variants and tissue-specifically, have not been successful. We report here the molecular cloning and characterization of seven mouse rDNA variants (v-rDNA. The identification of these v-rDNAs was based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs, which are conserved among individuals and mouse strains. The total copy number of the identified variants is less than 100 and the copy number of each individual variant ranges from 4 to 15. Sequence analysis of the cloned v-rDNA identified variant-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the transcribed region. These SNPs were used to develop a set of variant-specific PCR assays, which permitted analysis of the v-rDNAs' expression profiles in various tissues. These profiles show that three v-rDNAs are expressed in all tissues (constitutively active, two are expressed in some tissues (selectively active, and two are not expressed (silent. These expression profiles were observed in six individuals from three mouse strains, suggesting the pattern is not randomly determined. Thus, the mouse rDNA array likely consists of genetically distinct variants, and some are regulated tissue-specifically. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for cell-type-specific regulation of a subset of rDNA.

  7. Relation of organizational citizenship behavior and locus of control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turnipseed, David L; Bacon, Calvin M

    2009-12-01

    The relation of organizational citizenship behavior and locus of control was assessed in a sample of 286 college students (52% men; M age = 24 yr.) who worked an average of 26 hr. per week. Measures were Spector's Work Locus of Control Scale and Podsakoff, et al.'s Organization Citizenship Behavior scale. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated positive association of scores on work locus of control with scores on each of the four tested dimensions of organizational citizenship, as well as total organizational citizenship behavior.

  8. The Arg59Trp variant in ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) is associated with total and HDL-cholesterol in American Indians and Mexican Americans and differentially affects cleavage of ANGPTL3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, Robert L; Leti, Fatjon; Tsinajinnie, Darwin; Kobes, Sayuko; Puppala, Sobha; Curran, Joanne E; Almasy, Laura; Lehman, Donna M; Blangero, John; Duggirala, Ravindranath; DiStefano, Johanna K

    2016-06-01

    We previously identified a locus linked to total cholesterol (TC) concentration in Pima Indians on chromosome 19p. To characterize this locus, we genotyped >2000 SNPs in 1838 Pimas and assessed association with log(TC). We observed evidence for association with log(TC) with rs2278426 (3.5% decrease/copy of the T allele; P=5.045×10(-6)) in the ANGPTL8 (angiopoietin-like 8) gene. We replicated this association in 2413 participants of the San Antonio Mexican American Family Study (SAMAFS: 2.0% decrease per copy of the T allele; P=0.005842). In a meta-analysis of the combined data, we found the strongest estimated effect with rs2278426 (P=2.563×10(-7)). The variant T allele at rs2278426 predicts an Arg59Trp substitution and has previously been associated with LDL-C and HDL-C. In Pimas and SAMAFS participants, the T allele of rs2278426 was associated with reduced HDL-C levels (P=0.000741 and 0.00002, respectively), and the combined estimated effect for the two cohorts was -3.8% (P=8.526×10(-8)). ANGPTL8 transcript and protein levels increased in response to both glucose and insulin. The variant allele was associated with increased levels of cleaved ANGPTL3. We conclude that individuals with the variant allele may have lower TC and HDL-C levels due to increased activation of ANGPTL3 by ANGPTL8. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Locus of control and investment in risky assets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salamanca Acosta, N.; de Grip, A.; Fouarge, D.; Montizaan, R.M.

    2013-01-01

    Using representative household panel data, we show that the investment behavior of households is related to the economic locus of control of household heads. A household’s internal locus of control in economic issues is positively related to its decision to hold risky assets as well as its share of

  10. Intronic variants in the dopa decarboxylase (DDC) gene are associated with smoking behavior in European-Americans and African-Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yi; Panhuysen, Carolien; Kranzler, Henry R; Hesselbrock, Victor; Rounsaville, Bruce; Weiss, Roger; Brady, Kathleen; Farrer, Lindsay A; Gelernter, Joel

    2006-07-15

    We report here a study considering association of alleles and haplotypes at the DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) locus with the DSM-IV diagnosis of nicotine dependence (ND) or a quantitative measure for ND using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). We genotyped 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning a region of approximately 210 kb that includes DDC and the genes immediately flanking DDC in 1,590 individuals from 621 families of African-American (AA) or European-American (EA) ancestry. Evidence of association (family-based tests) was observed with several SNPs for both traits (0.0002DDC lacking exons 10-15. Haplotype analysis did not reveal any SNP combination with stronger evidence for association than rs12718541 alone. Although sequence analysis suggests that rs12718541 may be an intronic splicing enhancer, further studies are needed to determine whether a direct link exists between an alternatively spliced form of DDC and predisposition to ND. These findings confirm a previous report of association of DDC with ND, localize the causative variants to the 3' end of the coding region and extend the association to multiple population groups.

  11. Quantitative Missense Variant Effect Prediction Using Large-Scale Mutagenesis Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Vanessa E; Hause, Ronald J; Luebeck, Jens; Shendure, Jay; Fowler, Douglas M

    2018-01-24

    Large datasets describing the quantitative effects of mutations on protein function are becoming increasingly available. Here, we leverage these datasets to develop Envision, which predicts the magnitude of a missense variant's molecular effect. Envision combines 21,026 variant effect measurements from nine large-scale experimental mutagenesis datasets, a hitherto untapped training resource, with a supervised, stochastic gradient boosting learning algorithm. Envision outperforms other missense variant effect predictors both on large-scale mutagenesis data and on an independent test dataset comprising 2,312 TP53 variants whose effects were measured using a low-throughput approach. This dataset was never used for hyperparameter tuning or model training and thus serves as an independent validation set. Envision prediction accuracy is also more consistent across amino acids than other predictors. Finally, we demonstrate that Envision's performance improves as more large-scale mutagenesis data are incorporated. We precompute Envision predictions for every possible single amino acid variant in human, mouse, frog, zebrafish, fruit fly, worm, and yeast proteomes (https://envision.gs.washington.edu/). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Cellulase variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blazej, Robert; Toriello, Nicholas; Emrich, Charles; Cohen, Richard N.; Koppel, Nitzan

    2015-07-14

    This invention provides novel variant cellulolytic enzymes having improved activity and/or stability. In certain embodiments the variant cellulotyic enzymes comprise a glycoside hydrolase with or comprising a substitution at one or more positions corresponding to one or more of residues F64, A226, and/or E246 in Thermobifida fusca Cel9A enzyme. In certain embodiments the glycoside hydrolase is a variant of a family 9 glycoside hydrolase. In certain embodiments the glycoside hydrolase is a variant of a theme B family 9 glycoside hydrolase.

  13. 19p13.1 is a triple-negative-specific breast cancer susceptibility locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stevens, Kristen N; Fredericksen, Zachary; Vachon, Celine M

    2012-01-01

    (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status, using 48,869 breast cancer cases and 49,787 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Variants from 19p13.1 were not associated with breast cancer overall or with ER-positive breast cancer but were significantly......The 19p13.1 breast cancer susceptibility locus is a modifier of breast cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers and is also associated with the risk of ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated 19p13.1 variation and risk of breast cancer subtypes, defined by estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor...... associated with ER-negative breast cancer risk [rs8170 OR, 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.15; P = 3.49 × 10(-5)] and triple-negative (ER-, PR-, and HER2-negative) breast cancer (rs8170: OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.13-1.31; P = 2.22 × 10(-7)). However, rs8170 was no longer associated with ER...

  14. Association of ADIPOQ gene variants with body weight, type 2 diabetes and serum adiponectin concentrations: the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venojärvi Mika

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adiponectin, secreted mainly by mature adipocytes, is a protein with insulin-sensitising and anti-atherogenic effects. Human adiponectin is encoded by the ADIPOQ gene on the chromosomal locus 3q27. Variations in ADIPOQ are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM and related phenotypes in several populations. Our aim was to study the association of the ADIPOQ variations with body weight, serum adiponectin concentrations and conversion to T2DM in overweight subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Moreover, we investigated whether ADIPOQ gene variants modify the effect of lifestyle changes on these traits. Methods Participants in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study were randomly assigned to a lifestyle intervention group or a control group. Those whose DNA was available (n = 507 were genotyped for ten ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. Associations between SNPs and baseline body weight and serum adiponectin concentrations were analysed using the univariate analysis of variance. The 4-year longitudinal weight data were analysed using linear mixed models analysis and the change in serum adiponectin from baseline to year four was analysed using Kruskal-Wallis test. In addition, the association of SNPs with the risk of developing T2DM during the follow-up of 0-11 (mean 6.34 years was analysed by Cox regression analysis. Results rs266729, rs16861205, rs1501299, rs3821799 and rs6773957 associated significantly (p Conclusions These results from the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study support the concept that genetic variation in ADIPOQ locus contributes to variation in body size and serum adiponectin concentrations and may also modify the risk of developing T2DM. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00518167

  15. Peptidase-3 (Pep-3), dipeptidase variant in the rat homologous to mouse pep-3 (Dip-1) and human PEP-c.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Womack, J E; Cramer, D V

    1980-10-01

    Starch gel electrophoresis and histochemical staining with L-leucyl-L-tyrosine have revealed genetic variation for dipeptidase in Rattus norvegicus. The tissue distribution, substrate specificity, and heterozygous expression as a monmeric protein suggest homology of the variant peptidase to human PEP-C and mouse Pep-3 (Dip-1). We propose Peptidase-3 (Pep-3) as a name for this autosomal locus in the rat. The allele responsible for slower (less anodal) electrophoretic migration is designated Pep-3a and is characteristic of strain ACI/Pit. A faster (more anodal) electrophoretic mobility is the product of the Pep-3b allele in strain F344/Pit. Twenty-five additional inbred strains carry Pep-3a and 16 others carry Pep-3b. Wild rats trapped in Pittsburgh were polymorphic for this locus. Alleles at Pep-3 segregated independently of c (linkage group I), a (linkage group IV), RT2 and Es-1 (linkage group V), h (linkage group VI), and RTI (linkage group VIII).

  16. Common Variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 Genes Confer Disease Susceptibility in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anil K Giri

    Full Text Available A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS identified association with variants in X-linked CLDN2 and MORC4, and PRSS1-PRSS2 loci with chronic pancreatitis (CP in North American patients of European ancestry. We selected 9 variants from the reported GWAS and replicated the association with CP in Indian patients by genotyping 1807 unrelated Indians of Indo-European ethnicity, including 519 patients with CP and 1288 controls. The etiology of CP was idiopathic in 83.62% and alcoholic in 16.38% of 519 patients. Our study confirmed a significant association of 2 variants in CLDN2 gene (rs4409525-OR 1.71, P = 1.38 x 10-09; rs12008279-OR 1.56, P = 1.53 x 10-04 and 2 variants in MORC4 gene (rs12688220-OR 1.72, P = 9.20 x 10-09; rs6622126-OR 1.75, P = 4.04x10-05 in Indian patients with CP. We also found significant association at PRSS1-PRSS2 locus (OR 0.60; P = 9.92 x 10-06 and SAMD12-TNFRSF11B (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.31-0.78], P = 0.0027. A variant in the gene MORC4 (rs12688220 showed significant interaction with alcohol (OR for homozygous and heterozygous risk allele -14.62 and 1.51 respectively, P = 0.0068 suggesting gene-environment interaction. A combined analysis of the genes CLDN2 and MORC4 based on an effective risk allele score revealed a higher percentage of individuals homozygous for the risk allele in CP cases with 5.09 fold enhanced risk in individuals with 7 or more effective risk alleles compared with individuals with 3 or less risk alleles (P = 1.88 x 10-14. Genetic variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 genes were associated with CP in Indian patients.

  17. A variational Bayes discrete mixture test for rare variant association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logsdon, Benjamin A; Dai, James Y; Auer, Paul L; Johnsen, Jill M; Ganesh, Santhi K; Smith, Nicholas L; Wilson, James G; Tracy, Russell P; Lange, Leslie A; Jiao, Shuo; Rich, Stephen S; Lettre, Guillaume; Carlson, Christopher S; Jackson, Rebecca D; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Wurfel, Mark M; Nickerson, Deborah A; Tang, Hua; Reiner, Alexander P; Kooperberg, Charles

    2014-01-01

    Recently, many statistical methods have been proposed to test for associations between rare genetic variants and complex traits. Most of these methods test for association by aggregating genetic variations within a predefined region, such as a gene. Although there is evidence that "aggregate" tests are more powerful than the single marker test, these tests generally ignore neutral variants and therefore are unable to identify specific variants driving the association with phenotype. We propose a novel aggregate rare-variant test that explicitly models a fraction of variants as neutral, tests associations at the gene-level, and infers the rare-variants driving the association. Simulations show that in the practical scenario where there are many variants within a given region of the genome with only a fraction causal our approach has greater power compared to other popular tests such as the Sequence Kernel Association Test (SKAT), the Weighted Sum Statistic (WSS), and the collapsing method of Morris and Zeggini (MZ). Our algorithm leverages a fast variational Bayes approximate inference methodology to scale to exome-wide analyses, a significant computational advantage over exact inference model selection methodologies. To demonstrate the efficacy of our methodology we test for associations between von Willebrand Factor (VWF) levels and VWF missense rare-variants imputed from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Exome Sequencing project into 2,487 African Americans within the VWF gene. Our method suggests that a relatively small fraction (~10%) of the imputed rare missense variants within VWF are strongly associated with lower VWF levels in African Americans.

  18. Computational Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Altered Drug Responsiveness in Type 2 Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerio Costa

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes (T2D is one of the most frequent mortality causes in western countries, with rapidly increasing prevalence. Anti-diabetic drugs are the first therapeutic approach, although many patients develop drug resistance. Most drug responsiveness variability can be explained by genetic causes. Inter-individual variability is principally due to single nucleotide polymorphisms, and differential drug responsiveness has been correlated to alteration in genes involved in drug metabolism (CYP2C9 or insulin signaling (IRS1, ABCC8, KCNJ11 and PPARG. However, most genome-wide association studies did not provide clues about the contribution of DNA variations to impaired drug responsiveness. Thus, characterizing T2D drug responsiveness variants is needed to guide clinicians toward tailored therapeutic approaches. Here, we extensively investigated polymorphisms associated with altered drug response in T2D, predicting their effects in silico. Combining different computational approaches, we focused on the expression pattern of genes correlated to drug resistance and inferred evolutionary conservation of polymorphic residues, computationally predicting the biochemical properties of polymorphic proteins. Using RNA-Sequencing followed by targeted validation, we identified and experimentally confirmed that two nucleotide variations in the CAPN10 gene—currently annotated as intronic—fall within two new transcripts in this locus. Additionally, we found that a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP, currently reported as intergenic, maps to the intron of a new transcript, harboring CAPN10 and GPR35 genes, which undergoes non-sense mediated decay. Finally, we analyzed variants that fall into non-coding regulatory regions of yet underestimated functional significance, predicting that some of them can potentially affect gene expression and/or post-transcriptional regulation of mRNAs affecting the splicing.

  19. Thoroughbred Horse Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Expression Database: HSDB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joon-Ho Lee

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Genetics is important for breeding and selection of horses but there is a lack of well-established horse-related browsers or databases. In order to better understand horses, more variants and other integrated information are needed. Thus, we construct a horse genomic variants database including expression and other information. Horse Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Expression Database (HSDB (http://snugenome2.snu.ac.kr/HSDB provides the number of unexplored genomic variants still remaining to be identified in the horse genome including rare variants by using population genome sequences of eighteen horses and RNA-seq of four horses. The identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were confirmed by comparing them with SNP chip data and variants of RNA-seq, which showed a concordance level of 99.02% and 96.6%, respectively. Moreover, the database provides the genomic variants with their corresponding transcriptional profiles from the same individuals to help understand the functional aspects of these variants. The database will contribute to genetic improvement and breeding strategies of Thoroughbreds.

  20. Genetic Variants in Epigenetic Pathways and Risks of Multiple Cancers in the GAME-ON Consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toth, Reka; Scherer, Dominique; Kelemen, Linda E; Risch, Angela; Hazra, Aditi; Balavarca, Yesilda; Issa, Jean-Pierre J; Moreno, Victor; Eeles, Rosalind A; Ogino, Shuji; Wu, Xifeng; Ye, Yuanqing; Hung, Rayjean J; Goode, Ellen L; Ulrich, Cornelia M

    2017-06-01

    Background: Epigenetic disturbances are crucial in cancer initiation, potentially with pleiotropic effects, and may be influenced by the genetic background. Methods: In a subsets (ASSET) meta-analytic approach, we investigated associations of genetic variants related to epigenetic mechanisms with risks of breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian and prostate carcinomas using 51,724 cases and 52,001 controls. False discovery rate-corrected P values (q values cancer type. For example, variants in BABAM1 were confirmed as a susceptibility locus for squamous cell lung, overall breast, estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast, and overall prostate, and overall serous ovarian cancer; the most significant variant was rs4808076 [OR = 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-1.19; q = 6.87 × 10 -5 ]. DPF1 rs12611084 was inversely associated with ER-negative breast, endometrioid ovarian, and overall and aggressive prostate cancer risk (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.91-0.96; q = 0.005). Variants in L3MBTL3 were associated with colorectal, overall breast, ER-negative breast, clear cell ovarian, and overall and aggressive prostate cancer risk (e.g., rs9388766: OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.03-1.08; q = 0.02). Variants in TET2 were significantly associated with overall breast, overall prostate, overall ovarian, and endometrioid ovarian cancer risk, with rs62331150 showing bidirectional effects. Analyses of subpathways did not reveal gene subsets that contributed disproportionately to susceptibility. Conclusions: Functional and correlative studies are now needed to elucidate the potential links between germline genotype, epigenetic function, and cancer etiology. Impact: This approach provides novel insight into possible pleiotropic effects of genes involved in epigenetic processes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(6); 816-25. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  1. Genetic and physical analysis of a YAC contig spanning the fungal disease resistance locus Asc of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesbah, L.A.; Kneppers, T.J.A.; Takken, F.L.W.; Laurent, P.; Hille, J.; Nijkamp, H.J.J.

    1998-01-01

    The Alternaria stem canker disease of tomato is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL). The fungus produces AAL toxins that kill the plant tissue. Resistance to the fungus segregates as a single locus, called Asc, and has been genetically mapped on

  2. Genetic and physical analysis of a YAC contig spannig the fungal disease resistance locus Asc of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesbah, L.A.; Kneppers, T.J.A.; Takken, F.L.W.; Laurent, P.J.F.; Hille, J.; Nijkamp, H.J.J.

    1999-01-01

    The Alternaria in stem canker disease of tomato is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL). The fungus produces AAL toxins that kill the plant tissue. Resistance to the fungus segregates as a single locus, called Asc, and has been genetically mapped

  3. Imputing Variants in HLA-DR Beta Genes Reveals That HLA-DRB1 Is Solely Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwangwoo Kim

    Full Text Available The genetic association of HLA-DRB1 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE is well documented, but association with other HLA-DR beta genes (HLA-DRB3, HLA-DRB4 and HLA-DRB5 has not been thoroughly studied, despite their similar functions and chromosomal positions. We examined variants in all functional HLA-DR beta genes in RA and SLE patients and controls, down to the amino-acid level, to better understand disease association with the HLA-DR locus. To this end, we improved an existing HLA reference panel to impute variants in all protein-coding HLA-DR beta genes. Using the reference panel, HLA variants were inferred from high-density SNP data of 9,271 RA-control subjects and 5,342 SLE-control subjects. Disease association tests were performed by logistic regression and log-likelihood ratio tests. After imputation using the newly constructed HLA reference panel and statistical analysis, we observed that HLA-DRB1 variants better accounted for the association between MHC and susceptibility to RA and SLE than did the other three HLA-DRB variants. Moreover, there were no secondary effects in HLA-DRB3, HLA-DRB4, or HLA-DRB5 in RA or SLE. Of all the HLA-DR beta chain paralogs, those encoded by HLA-DRB1 solely or dominantly influence susceptibility to RA and SLE.

  4. Second site escape of a T20-dependent HIV-1 variant by a single amino acid change in the CD4 binding region of the envelope glycoprotein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berkhout Ben

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We previously described the selection of a T20-dependent human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1 variant in a patient on T20 therapy. The fusion inhibitor T20 targets the viral envelope (Env protein by blocking a conformational switch that is critical for viral entry into the host cell. T20-dependent viral entry is the result of 2 mutations in Env (GIA-SKY, creating a protein that undergoes a premature conformational switch, and the presence of T20 prevents this premature switch and rescues viral entry. In the present study, we performed 6 independent evolution experiments with the T20-dependent HIV-1 variant in the absence of T20, with the aim to identify second site compensatory changes, which may provide new mechanistic insights into Env function and the T20-dependence mechanism. Results Escape variants with improved replication capacity appeared within 42 days in 5 evolution cultures. Strikingly, 3 cultures revealed the same single amino acid change in the CD4 binding region of Env (glycine at position 431 substituted for arginine: G431R. This mutation was sufficient to abolish the T20-dependence phenotype and restore viral replication in the absence of T20. The GIA-SKY-G431R escape variant produces an Env protein that exhibits reduced syncytia formation and reduced cell-cell fusion activity. The escape variant was more sensitive to an antibody acting on an early gp41 intermediate, suggesting that the G431R mutation helps preserve a pre-fusion Env conformation, similar to T20 action. The escape variant was also less sensitive to soluble CD4, suggesting a reduced CD4 receptor affinity. Conclusion The forced evolution experiments indicate that the premature conformational switch of the T20-dependent HIV-1 Env variant (GIA-SKY can be corrected by a second site mutation in Env (GIA-SKY-G431R that affects the interaction with the CD4 receptor.

  5. Are there gender differences in locus of control specific to alcohol dependence?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPherson, Andrew; Martin, Colin R

    2017-01-01

    To investigate gender differences in locus of control in an alcohol-dependent population. Locus of control helps to explain behaviour in terms of internal (the individual is responsible) or external (outside forces, such as significant other people or chance, are responsible) elements. Past research on gender differences in locus of control in relation to alcohol dependence has shown mixed results. There is a need then to examine gender and locus of control in relation to alcohol dependence to ascertain the veracity of any locus of control differences as a function of gender. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control form-C was administered to clients from alcohol dependence treatment centres in the West of Scotland. Independent t-tests were carried out to assess gender differences in alcohol dependence severity and internal/external aspects of locus of control. One hundred and eighty-eight (53% females) participants were recruited from a variety of alcohol dependence treatment centres. The majority of participants (72%) came from Alcoholics Anonymous groups. Women revealed a greater internal locus of control compared with men. Women also had a greater 'significant others' locus of control score than men. Men were more reliant on 'chance' and 'doctors' than women. All these trends were not, however, statistically significant. Gender differences in relation to locus of control and alcohol dependence from past studies are ambiguous. This study also found no clear statistically significant differences in locus of control orientation as a function of gender. This article helps nurses to contextualise health behaviours as a result of internal or external forces. It also helps nursing staff to better understand alcohol dependence treatment in relation to self-efficacy and control. Moreover, it highlights an important concept in health education theory. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. LocusTrack: Integrated visualization of GWAS results and genomic annotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; Renteria, Miguel E; MacGregor, Stuart

    2015-01-01

    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an important tool for the mapping of complex traits and diseases. Visual inspection of genomic annotations may be used to generate insights into the biological mechanisms underlying GWAS-identified loci. We developed LocusTrack, a web-based application that annotates and creates plots of regional GWAS results and incorporates user-specified tracks that display annotations such as linkage disequilibrium (LD), phylogenetic conservation, chromatin state, and other genomic and regulatory elements. Currently, LocusTrack can integrate annotation tracks from the UCSC genome-browser as well as from any tracks provided by the user. LocusTrack is an easy-to-use application and can be accessed at the following URL: http://gump.qimr.edu.au/general/gabrieC/LocusTrack/. Users can upload and manage GWAS results and select from and/or provide annotation tracks using simple and intuitive menus. LocusTrack scripts and associated data can be downloaded from the website and run locally.

  7. Exome and Transcriptome Sequencing of Aedes aegypti Identifies a Locus That Confers Resistance to Brugia malayi and Alters the Immune Response

    KAUST Repository

    Juneja, Punita

    2015-03-27

    Many mosquito species are naturally polymorphic for their abilities to transmit parasites, a feature which is of great interest for controlling vector-borne disease. Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue and yellow fever and a laboratory model for studying lymphatic filariasis, is genetically variable for its capacity to harbor the filarial nematode Brugia malayi. The genome of Ae. aegypti is large and repetitive, making genome resequencing difficult and expensive. We designed exome captures to target protein-coding regions of the genome, and used association mapping in a wild Kenyan population to identify a single, dominant, sex-linked locus underlying resistance. This falls in a region of the genome where a resistance locus was previously mapped in a line established in 1936, suggesting that this polymorphism has been maintained in the wild for the at least 80 years. We then crossed resistant and susceptible mosquitoes to place both alleles of the gene into a common genetic background, and used RNA-seq to measure the effect of this locus on gene expression. We found evidence for Toll, IMD, and JAK-STAT pathway activity in response to early stages of B. malayi infection when the parasites are beginning to die in the resistant genotype. We also found that resistant mosquitoes express anti-microbial peptides at the time of parasite-killing, and that this expression is suppressed in susceptible mosquitoes. Together, we have found that a single resistance locus leads to a higher immune response in resistant mosquitoes, and we identify genes in this region that may be responsible for this trait.

  8. Genetic Variation at Exon 2 of the MHC Class II DQB Locus in Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus from the Gulf of California.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana D Moreno-Santillán

    Full Text Available The genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC play an important role in the vertebrate immune response and are among the most polymorphic genes known in vertebrates. In some marine mammals, MHC genes have been shown to be characterized by low levels of polymorphism compared to terrestrial taxa; this reduction in variation is often explained as a result of lower pathogen pressures in marine habitats. To determine if this same reduction in variation applies to the migratory population of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus that occurs in the Gulf of California, we genotyped a 172 bp fragment of exon 2 of the MHC Class II DQB locus for 80 members of this population. Twenty-two putatively functional DQB allotypes were identified, all of which were homologous with DQB sequences from other cetacean species. Up to 5 putative alleles per individual were identified, suggesting that gene duplication has occurred at this locus. Rates of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (ω and maximum likelihood analyses of models of nucleotide variation provided potential evidence of ongoing positive selection at this exon. Phylogenetic analyses of DQB alleles from B. musculus and 16 other species of cetaceans revealed trans-specific conservation of MHC variants, suggesting that selection has acted on this locus over prolonged periods of time. Collectively our findings reveal that immunogenic variation in blue whales is comparable to that in terrestrial mammals, thereby providing no evidence that marine taxa are subject to reduced pathogen-induced selective pressures.

  9. Personality and Locus of Control among School Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandya, Archana A.; Jogsan, Yogesh A.

    2013-01-01

    The main purpose of this investigation is to find out the sex differences in personality traits and locus of control among school children. A total 60 children (30 boys and 30 girls) were taken as a sample. The research tool for personality, children personality questionnaire was used, which was made by Cattell and Porter. Locus of control was…

  10. Common genetic variants and modification of penetrance of BRCA2-associated breast cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mia M Gaudet

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The considerable uncertainty regarding cancer risks associated with inherited mutations of BRCA2 is due to unknown factors. To investigate whether common genetic variants modify penetrance for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we undertook a two-staged genome-wide association study in BRCA2 mutation carriers. In stage 1 using the Affymetrix 6.0 platform, 592,163 filtered SNPs genotyped were available on 899 young (<40 years affected and 804 unaffected carriers of European ancestry. Associations were evaluated using a survival-based score test adjusted for familial correlations and stratified by country of the study and BRCA2*6174delT mutation status. The genomic inflation factor (λ was 1.011. The stage 1 association analysis revealed multiple variants associated with breast cancer risk: 3 SNPs had p-values<10(-5 and 39 SNPs had p-values<10(-4. These variants included several previously associated with sporadic breast cancer risk and two novel loci on chromosome 20 (rs311499 and chromosome 10 (rs16917302. The chromosome 10 locus was in ZNF365, which contains another variant that has recently been associated with breast cancer in an independent study of unselected cases. In stage 2, the top 85 loci from stage 1 were genotyped in 1,264 cases and 1,222 controls. Hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI for stage 1 and 2 were combined and estimated using a retrospective likelihood approach, stratified by country of residence and the most common mutation, BRCA2*6174delT. The combined per allele HR of the minor allele for the novel loci rs16917302 was 0.75 (95% CI 0.66-0.86, and for rs311499 was 0.72 (95% CI 0.61-0.85, . FGFR2 rs2981575 had the strongest association with breast cancer risk (per allele HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.39, . These results indicate that SNPs that modify BRCA2 penetrance identified by an agnostic approach thus far are limited to variants that also modify risk of sporadic BRCA2 wild-type breast cancer.

  11. Minor drug-resistant HIV type-1 variants in breast milk and plasma of HIV type-1-infected Ugandan women after nevirapine single-dose prophylaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilger, Daniel; Hauser, Andrea; Kuecherer, Claudia; Mugenyi, Kizito; Kabasinguzi, Rose; Somogyi, Sybille; Harms, Gundel; Kunz, Andrea

    2011-01-01

    Nevirapine single-dose (NVP-SD) reduces mother-to-child transmission of HIV type-1 (HIV-1), but frequently induces resistance mutations in the HIV-1 genome. Little is known about drug-resistant HIV-1 variants in the breast milk of women who have taken NVP-SD. Blood and breast milk samples of 39 HIV-1-infected Ugandan women were taken 6-12 weeks after NVP-SD intake. Samples were analysed by population sequencing and allele-specific real-time PCR (AS-PCR) with detection limits for NVP-resistant HIV-1 variants (K103N and Y181C) of D n = 5, G n = 2 and C n = 1). A total of 7 (37%) and 10 (53%) women carried NVP-resistant virus in breast milk and plasma, respectively. Overall, 71% (5/7) women with NVP-resistant HIV-1 in breast milk displayed >1 drug-resistant variant. Resistance in breast milk was higher at week 6 (6/13 samples [46%]) compared with week 12 (1/6 samples [17%]). In total, 10 drug-resistant populations harbouring the K103N and/or Y181C mutation were detected in the 19 breast milk samples; 7 (70%) were caused by resistant minorities (< 5% of the total HIV-1 population). In the four women with drug-resistant virus in both plasma and breast milk, the mutation patterns differed between the two compartments. Minor populations of drug-resistant HIV-1 were frequently found in breast milk of Ugandan women after exposure to NVP-SD. Further studies need to explore the role of minor drug-resistant variants in the postnatal transmission of (resistant) HIV-1.

  12. A Common Variant in the SETD7 Gene Predicts Serum Lycopene Concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Adamo, Christopher R; D'Urso, Antonietta; Ryan, Kathleen A; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Semba, Richard D; Steinle, Nanette I; Mitchell, Braxton D; Shuldiner, Alan R; McArdle, Patrick F

    2016-02-06

    Dietary intake and higher serum concentrations of lycopene have been associated with lower incidence of prostate cancer and other chronic diseases. Identifying determinants of serum lycopene concentrations may thus have important public health implications. Prior studies have suggested that serum lycopene concentrations are under partial genetic control. The goal of this research was to identify genetic predictors of serum lycopene concentrations using the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach among a sample of 441 Old Order Amish adults that consumed a controlled diet. Linear regression models were utilized to evaluate associations between genetic variants and serum concentrations of lycopene. Variant rs7680948 on chromosome 4, located in the intron region of the SETD7 gene, was significantly associated with serum lycopene concentrations (p = 3.41 × 10(-9)). Our findings also provided nominal support for the association previously noted between SCARB1 and serum lycopene concentrations, although with a different SNP (rs11057841) in the region. This study identified a novel locus associated with serum lycopene concentrations and our results raise a number of intriguing possibilities regarding the nature of the relationship between SETD7 and lycopene, both of which have been independently associated with prostate cancer. Further investigation into this relationship might help provide greater mechanistic understanding of these associations.

  13. A Common Variant in the SETD7 Gene Predicts Serum Lycopene Concentrations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher R. D’Adamo

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Dietary intake and higher serum concentrations of lycopene have been associated with lower incidence of prostate cancer and other chronic diseases. Identifying determinants of serum lycopene concentrations may thus have important public health implications. Prior studies have suggested that serum lycopene concentrations are under partial genetic control. The goal of this research was to identify genetic predictors of serum lycopene concentrations using the genome-wide association study (GWAS approach among a sample of 441 Old Order Amish adults that consumed a controlled diet. Linear regression models were utilized to evaluate associations between genetic variants and serum concentrations of lycopene. Variant rs7680948 on chromosome 4, located in the intron region of the SETD7 gene, was significantly associated with serum lycopene concentrations (p = 3.41 × 10−9. Our findings also provided nominal support for the association previously noted between SCARB1 and serum lycopene concentrations, although with a different SNP (rs11057841 in the region. This study identified a novel locus associated with serum lycopene concentrations and our results raise a number of intriguing possibilities regarding the nature of the relationship between SETD7 and lycopene, both of which have been independently associated with prostate cancer. Further investigation into this relationship might help provide greater mechanistic understanding of these associations.

  14. Locus of Control in Offenders and Alleged Offenders with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Wendy; Leggett, Janice; Garrett, Tanya

    2007-01-01

    Locus of control can be a useful measure of treatment outcome in offenders from the general population. However, there is little information regarding locus of control and offenders with learning disabilities. Existing measures of locus of control use complex language and abstract ideas that may not be accessible to individuals in this group. A…

  15. Genetic and environmental influences on the relationship between flow proneness, locus of control and behavioral inhibition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam A Mosing

    Full Text Available Flow is a psychological state of high but subjectively effortless attention that typically occurs during active performance of challenging tasks and is accompanied by a sense of automaticity, high control, low self-awareness, and enjoyment. Flow proneness is associated with traits and behaviors related to low neuroticism such as emotional stability, conscientiousness, active coping, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Little is known about the genetic architecture of flow proneness, behavioral inhibition and locus of control--traits also associated with neuroticism--and their interrelation. Here, we hypothesized that individuals low in behavioral inhibition and with an internal locus of control would be more likely to experience flow and explored the genetic and environmental architecture of the relationship between the three variables. Behavioral inhibition and locus of control was measured in a large population sample of 3,375 full twin pairs and 4,527 single twins, about 26% of whom also scored the flow proneness questionnaire. Findings revealed significant but relatively low correlations between the three traits and moderate heritability estimates of .41, .45, and .30 for flow proneness, behavioral inhibition, and locus of control, respectively, with some indication of non-additive genetic influences. For behavioral inhibition we found significant sex differences in heritability, with females showing a higher estimate including significant non-additive genetic influences, while in males the entire heritability was due to additive genetic variance. We also found a mainly genetically mediated relationship between the three traits, suggesting that individuals who are genetically predisposed to experience flow, show less behavioral inhibition (less anxious and feel that they are in control of their own destiny (internal locus of control. We discuss that some of the genes underlying this relationship may include those influencing the function of

  16. Genetic and environmental influences on the relationship between flow proneness, locus of control and behavioral inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosing, Miriam A; Pedersen, Nancy L; Cesarini, David; Johannesson, Magnus; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Nakamura, Jeanne; Madison, Guy; Ullén, Fredrik

    2012-01-01

    Flow is a psychological state of high but subjectively effortless attention that typically occurs during active performance of challenging tasks and is accompanied by a sense of automaticity, high control, low self-awareness, and enjoyment. Flow proneness is associated with traits and behaviors related to low neuroticism such as emotional stability, conscientiousness, active coping, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Little is known about the genetic architecture of flow proneness, behavioral inhibition and locus of control--traits also associated with neuroticism--and their interrelation. Here, we hypothesized that individuals low in behavioral inhibition and with an internal locus of control would be more likely to experience flow and explored the genetic and environmental architecture of the relationship between the three variables. Behavioral inhibition and locus of control was measured in a large population sample of 3,375 full twin pairs and 4,527 single twins, about 26% of whom also scored the flow proneness questionnaire. Findings revealed significant but relatively low correlations between the three traits and moderate heritability estimates of .41, .45, and .30 for flow proneness, behavioral inhibition, and locus of control, respectively, with some indication of non-additive genetic influences. For behavioral inhibition we found significant sex differences in heritability, with females showing a higher estimate including significant non-additive genetic influences, while in males the entire heritability was due to additive genetic variance. We also found a mainly genetically mediated relationship between the three traits, suggesting that individuals who are genetically predisposed to experience flow, show less behavioral inhibition (less anxious) and feel that they are in control of their own destiny (internal locus of control). We discuss that some of the genes underlying this relationship may include those influencing the function of dopaminergic neural

  17. The stability of locus equation slopes across stop consonant voicing/aspiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sussman, Harvey M.; Modarresi, Golnaz

    2004-05-01

    The consistency of locus equation slopes as phonetic descriptors of stop place in CV sequences across voiced and voiceless aspirated stops was explored in the speech of five male speakers of American English and two male speakers of Persian. Using traditional locus equation measurement sites for F2 onsets, voiceless labial and coronal stops had significantly lower locus equation slopes relative to their voiced counterparts, whereas velars failed to show voicing differences. When locus equations were derived using F2 onsets for voiced stops that were measured closer to the stop release burst, comparable to the protocol for measuring voiceless aspirated stops, no significant effects of voicing/aspiration on locus equation slopes were observed. This methodological factor, rather than an underlying phonetic-based explanation, provides a reasonable account for the observed flatter locus equation slopes of voiceless labial and coronal stops relative to voiced cognates reported in previous studies [Molis et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 95, 2925 (1994); O. Engstrand and B. Lindblom, PHONUM 4, 101-104]. [Work supported by NIH.

  18. The mating type locus (MAT and sexual reproduction of Cryptococcus heveanensis: insights into the evolution of sex and sex-determining chromosomal regions in fungi.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Banu Metin

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Mating in basidiomycetous fungi is often controlled by two unlinked, multiallelic loci encoding homeodomain transcription factors or pheromones/pheromone receptors. In contrast to this tetrapolar organization, Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii have a bipolar mating system, and a single biallelic locus governs sexual reproduction. The C. neoformans MAT locus is unusually large (>100 kb, contains >20 genes, and enhances virulence. Previous comparative genomic studies provided insights into how this unusual MAT locus might have evolved involving gene acquisitions into two unlinked loci and fusion into one contiguous locus, converting an ancestral tetrapolar system to a bipolar one. Here we tested this model by studying Cryptococcus heveanensis, a sister species to the pathogenic Cryptococcus species complex. An extant sexual cycle was discovered; co-incubating fertile isolates results in the teleomorph (Kwoniella heveanensis with dikaryotic hyphae, clamp connections, septate basidia, and basidiospores. To characterize the C. heveanensis MAT locus, a fosmid library was screened with C. neoformans/C. gattii MAT genes. Positive fosmids were sequenced and assembled to generate two large probably unlinked MAT gene clusters: one corresponding to the homeodomain locus and the other to the pheromone/receptor locus. Strikingly, two divergent homeodomain genes (SXI1, SXI2 are present, similar to the bE/bW Ustilago maydis paradigm, suggesting one or the other homeodomain gene was recently lost in C. neoformans/C. gattii. Sequencing MAT genes from other C. heveanensis isolates revealed a multiallelic homeodomain locus and at least a biallelic pheromone/receptor locus, similar to known tetrapolar species. Taken together, these studies reveal an extant C. heveanensis sexual cycle, define the structure of its MAT locus consistent with tetrapolar mating, and support the proposed evolutionary model for the bipolar Cryptococcus MAT locus revealing

  19. Somatic cancer variant curation and harmonization through consensus minimum variant level data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deborah I. Ritter

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To truly achieve personalized medicine in oncology, it is critical to catalog and curate cancer sequence variants for their clinical relevance. The Somatic Working Group (WG of the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen, in cooperation with ClinVar and multiple cancer variant curation stakeholders, has developed a consensus set of minimal variant level data (MVLD. MVLD is a framework of standardized data elements to curate cancer variants for clinical utility. With implementation of MVLD standards, and in a working partnership with ClinVar, we aim to streamline the somatic variant curation efforts in the community and reduce redundancy and time burden for the interpretation of cancer variants in clinical practice. Methods We developed MVLD through a consensus approach by i reviewing clinical actionability interpretations from institutions participating in the WG, ii conducting extensive literature search of clinical somatic interpretation schemas, and iii survey of cancer variant web portals. A forthcoming guideline on cancer variant interpretation, from the Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP, can be incorporated into MVLD. Results Along with harmonizing standardized terminology for allele interpretive and descriptive fields that are collected by many databases, the MVLD includes unique fields for cancer variants such as Biomarker Class, Therapeutic Context and Effect. In addition, MVLD includes recommendations for controlled semantics and ontologies. The Somatic WG is collaborating with ClinVar to evaluate MVLD use for somatic variant submissions. ClinVar is an open and centralized repository where sequencing laboratories can report summary-level variant data with clinical significance, and ClinVar accepts cancer variant data. Conclusions We expect the use of the MVLD to streamline clinical interpretation of cancer variants, enhance interoperability among multiple redundant curation efforts, and increase submission of

  20. A cut locus for finite graphs and the farthest point mapping

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maddaloni, Alessandro; Zamfirescu, Carol T.

    2016-01-01

    We reflect upon an analogue of the cut locus, a notion classically studied in Differential Geometry, for finite graphs. The cut locus C(x) of a vertex x shall be the graph induced by the set of all vertices y with the property that no shortest path between x and z, z≠y, contains y. The cut locus ...

  1. Is this Red Spot the Blue Spot (locus ceruleum)?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choe, Won Sick; Lee, Yu Kyung; Lee, Min Kyung; Hwang, Kyung Hoon [Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-06-15

    The authors report brain images of 18F-FDG-PET in a case of schizophrenia. The images showed strikingly increased bilateral uptake in the locus ceruleum. The locus ceruleum is called the blue spot and known to be a center of the norepinephrinergic system.

  2. Is this Red Spot the Blue Spot (locus ceruleum)?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choe, Won Sick; Lee, Yu Kyung; Lee, Min Kyung; Hwang, Kyung Hoon

    2010-01-01

    The authors report brain images of 18F-FDG-PET in a case of schizophrenia. The images showed strikingly increased bilateral uptake in the locus ceruleum. The locus ceruleum is called the blue spot and known to be a center of the norepinephrinergic system.

  3. CDKL5 variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalscheuer, Vera M.; Hennig, Friederike; Leonard, Helen; Downs, Jenny; Clarke, Angus; Benke, Tim A.; Armstrong, Judith; Pineda, Mercedes; Bailey, Mark E.S.; Cobb, Stuart R.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To provide new insights into the interpretation of genetic variants in a rare neurologic disorder, CDKL5 deficiency, in the contexts of population sequencing data and an updated characterization of the CDKL5 gene. Methods: We analyzed all known potentially pathogenic CDKL5 variants by combining data from large-scale population sequencing studies with CDKL5 variants from new and all available clinical cohorts and combined this with computational methods to predict pathogenicity. Results: The study has identified several variants that can be reclassified as benign or likely benign. With the addition of novel CDKL5 variants, we confirm that pathogenic missense variants cluster in the catalytic domain of CDKL5 and reclassify a purported missense variant as having a splicing consequence. We provide further evidence that missense variants in the final 3 exons are likely to be benign and not important to disease pathology. We also describe benign splicing and nonsense variants within these exons, suggesting that isoform hCDKL5_5 is likely to have little or no neurologic significance. We also use the available data to make a preliminary estimate of minimum incidence of CDKL5 deficiency. Conclusions: These findings have implications for genetic diagnosis, providing evidence for the reclassification of specific variants previously thought to result in CDKL5 deficiency. Together, these analyses support the view that the predominant brain isoform in humans (hCDKL5_1) is crucial for normal neurodevelopment and that the catalytic domain is the primary functional domain. PMID:29264392

  4. Multidimensional profiles of health locus of control in Hispanic Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Champagne, Brian R; Fox, Rina S; Mills, Sarah D; Sadler, Georgia Robins; Malcarne, Vanessa L

    2016-10-01

    Latent profile analysis identified health locus of control profiles among 436 Hispanic Americans who completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales. Results revealed four profiles: Internally Oriented-Weak, -Moderate, -Strong, and Externally Oriented. The profile groups were compared on sociocultural and demographic characteristics, health beliefs and behaviors, and physical and mental health outcomes. The Internally Oriented-Strong group had less cancer fatalism, religiosity, and equity health attributions, and more alcohol consumption than the other three groups; the Externally Oriented group had stronger equity health attributions and less alcohol consumption. Deriving multidimensional health locus of control profiles through latent profile analysis allows examination of the relationships of health locus of control subtypes to health variables. © The Author(s) 2015.

  5. The role of common genetic variants in atrial fibrillation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paludan-Muller, Christian; Svendsen, Jesper H.; Olesen, Morten S.

    2016-01-01

    lone AF, has a substantial genetic component. A number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have indicated that common genetic variants, more precisely the so called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with AF. Presently more than 10 genomic regions have been identified using...

  6. Multiplexed enrichment of rare DNA variants via sequence-selective and temperature-robust amplification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lucia R.; Chen, Sherry X.; Wu, Yalei; Patel, Abhijit A.; Zhang, David Yu

    2018-01-01

    Rare DNA-sequence variants hold important clinical and biological information, but existing detection techniques are expensive, complex, allele-specific, or don’t allow for significant multiplexing. Here, we report a temperature-robust polymerase-chain-reaction method, which we term blocker displacement amplification (BDA), that selectively amplifies all sequence variants, including single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), within a roughly 20-nucleotide window by 1,000-fold over wild-type sequences. This allows for easy detection and quantitation of hundreds of potential variants originally at ≤0.1% in allele frequency. BDA is compatible with inexpensive thermocycler instrumentation and employs a rationally designed competitive hybridization reaction to achieve comparable enrichment performance across annealing temperatures ranging from 56 °C to 64 °C. To show the sequence generality of BDA, we demonstrate enrichment of 156 SNVs and the reliable detection of single-digit copies. We also show that the BDA detection of rare driver mutations in cell-free DNA samples extracted from the blood plasma of lung-cancer patients is highly consistent with deep sequencing using molecular lineage tags, with a receiver operator characteristic accuracy of 95%. PMID:29805844

  7. m6AVar: a database of functional variants involved in m6A modification

    OpenAIRE

    Zheng, Yueyuan; Nie, Peng; Peng, Di; He, Zhihao; Liu, Mengni; Xie, Yubin; Miao, Yanyan; Zuo, Zhixiang; Ren, Jian

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Identifying disease-causing variants among a large number of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) is still a major challenge. Recently, N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) has become a research hotspot because of its critical roles in many fundamental biological processes and a variety of diseases. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effect of variants on m6A modification, in order to gain a better understanding of them. Here, we report m6AVar (http://m6avar.renlab.org), a comprehensive da...

  8. A Standardized DNA Variant Scoring System for Pathogenicity Assessments in Mendelian Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karbassi, Izabela; Maston, Glenn A; Love, Angela; DiVincenzo, Christina; Braastad, Corey D; Elzinga, Christopher D; Bright, Alison R; Previte, Domenic; Zhang, Ke; Rowland, Charles M; McCarthy, Michele; Lapierre, Jennifer L; Dubois, Felicita; Medeiros, Katelyn A; Batish, Sat Dev; Jones, Jeffrey; Liaquat, Khalida; Hoffman, Carol A; Jaremko, Malgorzata; Wang, Zhenyuan; Sun, Weimin; Buller-Burckle, Arlene; Strom, Charles M; Keiles, Steven B; Higgins, Joseph J

    2016-01-01

    We developed a rules-based scoring system to classify DNA variants into five categories including pathogenic, likely pathogenic, variant of uncertain significance (VUS), likely benign, and benign. Over 16,500 pathogenicity assessments on 11,894 variants from 338 genes were analyzed for pathogenicity based on prediction tools, population frequency, co-occurrence, segregation, and functional studies collected from internal and external sources. Scores were calculated by trained scientists using a quantitative framework that assigned differential weighting to these five types of data. We performed descriptive and comparative statistics on the dataset and tested interobserver concordance among the trained scientists. Private variants defined as variants found within single families (n = 5,182), were either VUS (80.5%; n = 4,169) or likely pathogenic (19.5%; n = 1,013). The remaining variants (n = 6,712) were VUS (38.4%; n = 2,577) or likely benign/benign (34.7%; n = 2,327) or likely pathogenic/pathogenic (26.9%, n = 1,808). Exact agreement between the trained scientists on the final variant score was 98.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) (98.0, 98.9)] with an interobserver consistency of 97% [95% CI (91.5, 99.4)]. Variant scores were stable and showed increasing odds of being in agreement with new data when re-evaluated periodically. This carefully curated, standardized variant pathogenicity scoring system provides reliable pathogenicity scores for DNA variants encountered in a clinical laboratory setting. © 2015 The Authors. **Human Mutation published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Exome-wide association study identifies a TM6SF2 variant that confers susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kozlitina, Julia; Smagris, Eriks; Stender, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease. To elucidate the molecular basis of NAFLD, we performed an exome-wide association study of liver fat content. Three variants were associated with higher liver fat levels at the exome-wide significance level of 3.......6 × 10(-7): two in PNPLA3, an established locus for NAFLD, and one (encoding p.Glu167Lys) in TM6SF2, a gene of unknown function. The TM6SF2 variant encoding p.Glu167Lys was also associated with higher circulating levels of alanine transaminase, a marker of liver injury, and with lower levels of low...... knockdown of Tm6sf2 in mice increased liver triglyceride content by threefold and decreased very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion by 50%. Taken together, these data indicate that TM6SF2 activity is required for normal VLDL secretion and that impaired TM6SF2 function causally contributes to NAFLD....

  10. Characterization and mapping of LanrBo: a locus conferring anthracnose resistance in narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Kristin; Dieterich, Regine; Nelson, Matthew N; Kamphuis, Lars G; Singh, Karam B; Rotter, Björn; Krezdorn, Nicolas; Winter, Peter; Wehling, Peter; Ruge-Wehling, Brigitte

    2015-10-01

    A novel and highly effective source of anthracnose resistance in narrow-leafed lupin was identified. Resistance was shown to be governed by a single dominant locus. Molecular markers have been developed, which can be used for selecting resistant genotypes in lupin breeding. A screening for anthracnose resistance of a set of plant genetic resources of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) identified the breeding line Bo7212 as being highly resistant to anthracnose (Colletotrichum lupini). Segregation analysis indicated that the resistance of Bo7212 is inherited by a single dominant locus. The corresponding resistance gene was given the designation LanrBo. Previously published molecular anchor markers allowed us to locate LanrBo on linkage group NLL-11 of narrow-leafed lupin. Using information from RNAseq data obtained with inoculated resistant vs. susceptible lupin entries as well as EST-sequence information from the model genome Lotus japonicus, additional SNP and EST markers linked to LanrBo were derived. A bracket of two LanrBo-flanking markers allows for precise marker-assisted selection of the novel resistance gene in narrow-leafed lupin breeding programs.

  11. Identification and molecular characterization of a new ovarian cancer susceptibility locus at 17q21.31

    OpenAIRE

    Permuth-Wey, Jennifer; Lawrenson, Kate; Shen, Howard C.; Velkova, Aneliya; Tyrer, Jonathan P.; Chen, Zhihua; Lin, Hui-Yi; Chen, Y. Ann; Tsai, Ya-Yu; Qu, Xiaotao; Ramus, Susan J.; Karevan, Rod; Lee, Janet; Lee, Nathan; Larson, Melissa C.

    2013-01-01

    Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has a heritable component that remains to be fully characterized. Most identified common susceptibility variants lie in non-protein-coding sequences. We hypothesized that variants in the 3′ untranslated region at putative microRNA (miRNA)-binding sites represent functional targets that influence EOC susceptibility. Here, we evaluate the association between 767 miRNA-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (miRSNPs) and EOC risk in 18,174 EOC cases and 26,134 co...

  12. Fixation Probability in a Two-Locus Model by the Ancestral Recombination–Selection Graph

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lessard, Sabin; Kermany, Amir R.

    2012-01-01

    We use the ancestral influence graph (AIG) for a two-locus, two-allele selection model in the limit of a large population size to obtain an analytic approximation for the probability of ultimate fixation of a single mutant allele A. We assume that this new mutant is introduced at a given locus into a finite population in which a previous mutant allele B is already segregating with a wild type at another linked locus. We deduce that the fixation probability increases as the recombination rate increases if allele A is either in positive epistatic interaction with B and allele B is beneficial or in no epistatic interaction with B and then allele A itself is beneficial. This holds at least as long as the recombination fraction and the selection intensity are small enough and the population size is large enough. In particular this confirms the Hill–Robertson effect, which predicts that recombination renders more likely the ultimate fixation of beneficial mutants at different loci in a population in the presence of random genetic drift even in the absence of epistasis. More importantly, we show that this is true from weak negative epistasis to positive epistasis, at least under weak selection. In the case of deleterious mutants, the fixation probability decreases as the recombination rate increases. This supports Muller’s ratchet mechanism to explain the accumulation of deleterious mutants in a population lacking recombination. PMID:22095080

  13. Human Obesity Associated with an Intronic SNP in the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Locus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zongyang Mou

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF plays a key role in energy balance. In population studies, SNPs of the BDNF locus have been linked to obesity, but the mechanism by which these variants cause weight gain is unknown. Here, we examined human hypothalamic BDNF expression in association with 44 BDNF SNPs. We observed that the minor C allele of rs12291063 is associated with lower human ventromedial hypothalamic BDNF expression (p < 0.001 and greater adiposity in both adult and pediatric cohorts (p values < 0.05. We further demonstrated that the major T allele for rs12291063 possesses a binding capacity for the transcriptional regulator, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D0B, knockdown of which disrupts transactivation by the T allele. Binding and transactivation functions are both disrupted by substituting C for T. These findings provide a rationale for BDNF augmentation as a targeted treatment for obesity in individuals who have the rs12291063 CC genotype.

  14. Joint Identification of Genetic Variants for Physical Activity in Korean Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayoun Kim

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available There has been limited research on genome-wide association with physical activity (PA. This study ascertained genetic associations between PA and 344,893 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers in 8842 Korean samples. PA data were obtained from a validated questionnaire that included information on PA intensity and duration. Metabolic equivalent of tasks were calculated to estimate the total daily PA level for each individual. In addition to single- and multiple-SNP association tests, a pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify the biological significance of SNP markers. Although no significant SNP was found at genome-wide significance level via single-SNP association tests, 59 genetic variants mapped to 76 genes were identified via a multiple SNP approach using a bootstrap selection stability measure. Pathway analysis for these 59 variants showed that maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY was enriched. Joint identification of SNPs could enable the identification of multiple SNPs with good predictive power for PA and a pathway enriched for PA.

  15. [Health locus of control of patients in disease management programmes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnee, M; Grikscheit, F

    2013-06-01

    Health locus of control beliefs plays a major role in improving self-management skills of the chronically ill - a main goal in disease management programmes (DMP). This study aims at characterising participants in disease management regarding their health locus of control. Data are based on 4 cross-sectional postal surveys between spring and autumn of 2006 and 2007 within the Health Care Monitor of the Bertelsmann Foundation. Among the 6 285 respondents, 1 266 are chronically ill and not enrolled in a DMP and 327 are participating in a DMP. A high internal locus of control (HLC) occurs significantly less often in DMP patients than in normal chronically ill patients (and healthy people) controlling for age, gender and social class. With increasing age, a high internal locus of control is also significantly less likely. When comparing healthy people, the chronically ill and the DMP participants a social gradient of a high internal locus of control belief can be observed. The weaker internal and higher doctor-related external locus of control of DMP participants should be carefully observed by the physician when trying to strengthen the patients' self-management skills. Evaluators of DMP should take into account the different baselines of DMP patients and relevant control groups and incorporate these differences into the evaluation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  16. First High-Density Linkage Map and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Significantly Associated With Traits of Economic Importance in Yellowtail Kingfish Seriola lalandi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen H. Nguyen

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The genetic resources available for the commercially important fish species Yellowtail kingfish (YTK (Seriola lalandi are relative sparse. To overcome this, we aimed (1 to develop a linkage map for this species, and (2 to identify markers/variants associated with economically important traits in kingfish (with an emphasis on body weight. Genetic and genomic analyses were conducted using 13,898 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs generated from a new high-throughput genotyping by sequencing platform, Diversity Arrays Technology (DArTseqTM in a pedigreed population comprising 752 animals. The linkage analysis enabled to map about 4,000 markers to 24 linkage groups (LGs, with an average density of 3.4 SNPs per cM. The linkage map was integrated into a genome-wide association study (GWAS and identified six variants/SNPs associated with body weight (P < 5e-8 when a multi-locus mixed model was used. Two out of the six significant markers were mapped to LGs 17 and 23, and collectively they explained 5.8% of the total genetic variance. It is concluded that the newly developed linkage map and the significantly associated markers with body weight provide fundamental information to characterize genetic architecture of growth-related traits in this population of YTK S. lalandi.

  17. First High-Density Linkage Map and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Significantly Associated With Traits of Economic Importance in Yellowtail Kingfish Seriola lalandi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Nguyen H; Rastas, Pasi M A; Premachandra, H K A; Knibb, Wayne

    2018-01-01

    The genetic resources available for the commercially important fish species Yellowtail kingfish (YTK) ( Seriola lalandi) are relative sparse. To overcome this, we aimed (1) to develop a linkage map for this species, and (2) to identify markers/variants associated with economically important traits in kingfish (with an emphasis on body weight). Genetic and genomic analyses were conducted using 13,898 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated from a new high-throughput genotyping by sequencing platform, Diversity Arrays Technology (DArTseq TM ) in a pedigreed population comprising 752 animals. The linkage analysis enabled to map about 4,000 markers to 24 linkage groups (LGs), with an average density of 3.4 SNPs per cM. The linkage map was integrated into a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and identified six variants/SNPs associated with body weight ( P 5e -8 ) when a multi-locus mixed model was used. Two out of the six significant markers were mapped to LGs 17 and 23, and collectively they explained 5.8% of the total genetic variance. It is concluded that the newly developed linkage map and the significantly associated markers with body weight provide fundamental information to characterize genetic architecture of growth-related traits in this population of YTK S. lalandi .

  18. VIPER: a web application for rapid expert review of variant calls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wöste, Marius; Dugas, Martin

    2018-01-15

    With the rapid development in next-generation sequencing, cost and time requirements for genomic sequencing are decreasing, enabling applications in many areas such as cancer research. Many tools have been developed to analyze genomic variation ranging from single nucleotide variants to whole chromosomal aberrations. As sequencing throughput increases, the number of variants called by such tools also grows. Often employed manual inspection of such calls is thus becoming a time-consuming procedure. We developed the Variant InsPector and Expert Rating tool (VIPER) to speed up this process by integrating the Integrative Genomics Viewer into a web application. Analysts can then quickly iterate through variants, apply filters and make decisions based on the generated images and variant metadata. VIPER was successfully employed in analyses with manual inspection of more than 10,000 calls. VIPER is implemented in Java and Javascript and is freely available at https://github.com/MarWoes/viper. Marius.Woeste@uni-muenster.de. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2018). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  19. The regulated secretory pathway and human disease: insights from gene variants and single nucleotide polymorphisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen eSalton

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The regulated secretory pathway provides critical control of peptide, growth factor, and hormone release from neuroendocrine and endocrine cells, and neurons, maintaining physiological homeostasis. Propeptides and prohormones are packaged into dense core granules (DCGs, where they frequently undergo tissue-specific processing as the DCG matures. Proteins of the granin family are DCG components, and although their function is not fully understood, data suggest they are involved in DCG formation and regulated protein/peptide secretion, in addition to their role as precursors of bioactive peptides. Association of gene variation, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, with neuropsychiatric, endocrine and metabolic diseases, has implicated specific secreted proteins and peptides in disease pathogenesis. For example, a SNP at position 196 (G/A of the human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF gene dysregulates protein processing and secretion and leads to cognitive impairment. This suggests more generally that variants identified in genes encoding secreted growth factors, peptides, hormones, and proteins involved in DCG biogenesis, protein processing, and the secretory apparatus, could provide insight into the process of regulated secretion as well as disorders that result when it is impaired.

  20. Locus ceruleus neurons in people with autism contain no histochemically-detectable mercury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pamphlett, Roger; Kum Jew, Stephen

    2016-02-01

    Exposure to environmental mercury has been proposed to play a part in autism. Mercury is selectively taken up by the human locus ceruleus, a region of the brain that has been implicated in autism. We therefore looked for the presence of mercury in the locus ceruleus of people who had autism, using the histochemical technique of autometallography which can detect nanogram amounts of mercury in tissues. In addition, we sought evidence of damage to locus ceruleus neurons in autism by immunostaining for hyperphosphorylated tau. No mercury was found in any neurons of the locus ceruleus of 6 individuals with autism (5 male, 1 female, age range 16-48 years). Mercury was present in locus ceruleus neurons in 7 of 11 (64%) age-matched control individuals who did not have autism, which is significantly more than in individuals with autism. No increase in numbers of locus ceruleus neurons containing hyperphosphorylated tau was detected in people with autism. In conclusion, most people with autism have not been exposed early in life to quantities of mercury large enough to be found later in adult locus ceruleus neurons. Human locus ceruleus neurons are sensitive indicators of mercury exposure, and mercury appears to remain in these neurons indefinitely, so these findings do not support the hypothesis that mercury neurotoxicity plays a role in autism.

  1. Allelic state at the microsatellite locus Xgwm261 marking the dwarfing gene Rht8 in Egyptian bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. genotypes released from 1947 to 2004

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salem Khaled F.M.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Rht8 is widely used in dry environments such as Mediterranean regions where it increases plant adaptability. Variation at the Gatersleben wheat microsatellite Xgwm261 locus, whose 192-bp allele closely linked to the dwarfing gene Rht8, on chromosome 2D within 0.6 cM, was used to screen thirty Egyptian bread wheat genotypes released from (1947-2004 to assess the variation at this locus. There were three microsatellite allelic variants based on size. Screening of this wheat collection showed that the three alleles Xgwm261-165, Xgwm261-174 and Xgwm261-192 bp were the most frequent. The highest allele frequency was observed for a Xgwm261-165 bp fragment (65.52% followed by a Xgwm261-174 bp fragment (24.14%. However, the allele frequency of a Xgwm261-192 bp fragment among these wheat genotypes was 10.34%. The percentage distribution of dwarfing alleles for the microsatellite locus Xgwm261 in the Egyptian wheat breeding programs was 30, 20, 20 and 30% for the wheat breeding program Giza, Sakha, Gemmiza and Sids, respectively. PIC for Xgwm261 was 0.527. Genetic heritage of Egyptian genotypes at the microsatellite locus Xgwm261 is consequence of new parental components usage, carriers short plant and early maturity attributes and consequent selection progeny with these traits in breeding programs. The present study will be helpful in characterization Egyptian wheat genotypes, as well as in accurate selection of parents for wheat breeding program in Egypt.

  2. Rare missense mutations in P2RY11 in narcolepsy with cataplexy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Degn, Matilda; Dauvilliers, Yves; Dreisig, Karin

    2017-01-01

    these are single nucleotide polymorphisms in the P2RY11-EIF3G locus. It is unknown how these genetic variants affect narcolepsy pathogenesis and whether the effect is directly related to P2Y11 signalling or EIF3G function. Exome sequencing in 18 families with at least two affected narcolepsy with cataplexy...

  3. Resequencing of IRS2 reveals rare variants for obesity but not fasting glucose homeostasis in Hispanic children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butte, Nancy F; Voruganti, V Saroja; Cole, Shelley A; Haack, Karin; Comuzzie, Anthony G; Muzny, Donna M; Wheeler, David A; Chang, Kyle; Hawes, Alicia; Gibbs, Richard A

    2011-09-22

    Our objective was to resequence insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) to identify variants associated with obesity- and diabetes-related traits in Hispanic children. Exonic and intronic segments, 5' and 3' flanking regions of IRS2 (∼14.5 kb), were bidirectionally sequenced for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in 934 Hispanic children using 3730XL DNA Sequencers. Additionally, 15 SNPs derived from Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChips were analyzed. Measured genotype analysis tested associations between SNPs and obesity and diabetes-related traits. Bayesian quantitative trait nucleotide analysis was used to statistically infer the most likely functional polymorphisms. A total of 140 SNPs were identified with minor allele frequencies (MAF) ranging from 0.001 to 0.47. Forty-two of the 70 coding SNPs result in nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions relative to the consensus sequence; 28 SNPs were detected in the promoter, 12 in introns, 28 in the 3'-UTR, and 2 in the 5'-UTR. Two insertion/deletions (indels) were detected. Ten independent rare SNPs (MAF = 0.001-0.009) were associated with obesity-related traits (P = 0.01-0.00002). SNP 10510452_139 in the promoter region was shown to have a high posterior probability (P = 0.77-0.86) of influencing BMI, fat mass, and waist circumference in Hispanic children. SNP 10510452_139 contributed between 2 and 4% of the population variance in body weight and composition. None of the SNPs or indels were associated with diabetes-related traits or accounted for a previously identified quantitative trait locus on chromosome 13 for fasting serum glucose. Rare but not common IRS2 variants may play a role in the regulation of body weight but not an essential role in fasting glucose homeostasis in Hispanic children.

  4. Life events, locus of control, and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, X; Kurita, H; Uchiyama, M; Okawa, M; Liu, L; Ma, D

    2000-12-01

    This study examined associations of life events and locus of control with behavioral problems among 1,365 Chinese adolescents by using the Youth Self-Report (YSR), Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC), and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. Results indicated that the overall prevalence of behavioral and emotional problems was 10.7% (95% CI = 9.9-11.5%). Logistic-regression analyses showed that a total of 13 negative life events mainly coming from academic domain and interpersonal relationships, high life-stress score, and high external locus score significantly increased the risk for behavioral problems. Life stress and locus of control significantly interacted with behavioral problems. These findings support the linkage between stressful life events and psychopathology in a general population of adolescents from mainland China, and demonstrate the stress-moderating effects of locus of control on psychopathology as well.

  5. Comparing genetic variants detected in the 1000 genomes project ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) determined based on SNP arrays from the international HapMap consortium (HapMap) and the genetic variants detected in the 1000 genomes project (1KGP) can serve as two references for genomewide association studies (GWAS). We conducted comparative analyses to provide ...

  6. Physical map and one-megabase sequencing of the human immunoglobulin lambda locus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geraldo A.S. Passos Jr.

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available The human immunoglobulin lambda (IGL locus is located on chromosome 22q11.1-q11.2 and contains the genes responsible for the immunoglobulin lambda light chains. This locus was recently mapped (physical map and its 1-Mb DNA totally sequenced. In this review we focus on the characterization of the v-lambda genes, its chromosomal location, genomics and sequencing of the IGL locus.O locus IGL humano está localizado no cromosomo 22q11.1-q11.2 e contém os genes responsáveis pelas cadeias leves de imunoglobulina tipo lambda. Este locus foi recentemente mapeado (mapa físico e seu 1 Mb DNA totalmente sequenciado. Nesta revisão focamos os principais resultados de caracterização dos genes v-lambda, sua localização cromossômica, a genômica e seqüenciamento do locus IGL.

  7. Common variants at 1p36 are associated with superior frontal gyrus volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, R; Ikeda, M; Yamashita, F; Ohi, K; Yamamori, H; Yasuda, Y; Fujimoto, M; Fukunaga, M; Nemoto, K; Takahashi, T; Tochigi, M; Onitsuka, T; Yamasue, H; Matsuo, K; Iidaka, T; Iwata, N; Suzuki, M; Takeda, M; Kasai, K; Ozaki, N

    2014-10-21

    The superior frontal gyrus (SFG), an area of the brain frequently found to have reduced gray matter in patients with schizophrenia, is involved in self-awareness and emotion, which are impaired in schizophrenia. However, no genome-wide association studies of SFG volume have investigated in patients with schizophrenia. To identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SFG volumes, we demonstrated a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of gray matter volumes in the right or left SFG of 158 patients with schizophrenia and 378 healthy subjects. We attempted to bioinformatically ascertain the potential effects of the top hit polymorphism on the expression levels of genes at the genome-wide region. We found associations between five variants on 1p36.12 and the right SFG volume at a widely used benchmark for genome-wide significance (P5.0 × 10(-8)); however, the rs4654899 polymorphism was identified as the locus with the second strongest association with the volume of the left SFG (P=1.5 × 10(-6)). In silico analyses revealed a proxy SNP of rs4654899 had effect on gene expression of two genes, HP1BP3 lying 3' to EIF4G3 (P=7.8 × 10(-6)) and CAPN14 at 2p (P=6.3 × 10(-6)), which are expressed in moderate-to-high levels throughout the adult human SFG. These results contribute to understand genetic architecture of a brain structure possibly linked to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

  8. The IGF2 Locus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a peptide hormone regulating various cellular processes such as proliferation and apoptosis. IGF2 is vital to embryo development. The IGF2 locus covers approximately 150-kb genomic region on human chromosome 11, containing two imprinted genes, IGF2 and H19, sha...

  9. Radio-ligand immunoassay for human hemoglobin variants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javid, J.; Pettis, P.K.; Miller, J.E.

    1981-01-01

    A quantitative method is described for the individual assay of human hemoglobin variants occurring singly or in mixture. The hemoglobin to be assayed is bound to specific antibody; the immune complex is attached to protein A-containing S. aureus and removed from the mixture. The hemoglobin thus isolated is quantified by its ability to bind radiolabeled haptoglobin. The technique is accurate and distinguishes among the 4 hemoglobins tested, namely Hb A, S, C and F. It has the advantage over conventional radioimmunoassay that a single probe, radiolabeled haptoglobin, is needed for the specific assay of any hemoglobin. (Auth.)

  10. Health Locus of Control尺度開発の歴史(社会科学編)

    OpenAIRE

    吉田, 由美; Yumi, YOSHIDA; 千葉県立衛生短期大学(看護学); Chiba College of Health Science

    1994-01-01

    This article describes the origins history of Health Locus of Control scales. First, Rotter's social learing theory, which is the theoretical background of the Health Locus of Control construct, is outlined. The scale and research trends of Locus of Control concept, and those of Health Locus of Control concept which are based on Locus of Control, are then reviewed. Finally, Health Locus of Control is discussed with regard to the implications for health education.

  11. Farsi version of the multidimensional health locus of control and God locus of health control scales: validity and reliability study among Iranian women with a family history of breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashemian, Masoumeh; Aminshokravi, Farkhonde; Hidarnia, Alireza; Lamyian, Minoor; Hassanpour, Kazem; Akaberi, Arash; Moshki, Mahdi

    2014-09-01

    To determine the Persian version's reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control and God Health Locus of Control scales among women with family history of breast cancer. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Sabzevar, Iran, in 2012. It randomly selected women with family members affected by breast cancer. Predesigned questionnaires were completed through interviews. Content and face validity was evaluated using the opinions of a panel of experts, and construct validity was confirmed by applying confirmatory factor analysis.The instruments' reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability. There were 200 women in the study with their age ranging between 18 and 69 years and revealed the following; root mean square error of approximation for Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale = 0.013, and God Locus of Health Control Scale = 0.077; comparative fit index = 0.999, 0.998; incremental fit index = 0.999, 0.998;Tucker-Lewis fit index = 0.998, 0.998; and normed fit index = 0.983, 0.997 respectively. Cronbach's alpha was 0.61 for Internal Health Locus of Control, 0.8 for Chance Health Locus of Control, 0.68 for Power Health Locus of Control and 0.9 for God Locus Health Control. The Persian version of the subscales supported the main version.

  12. wANNOVAR: annotating genetic variants for personal genomes via the web.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Xiao; Wang, Kai

    2012-07-01

    High-throughput DNA sequencing platforms have become widely available. As a result, personal genomes are increasingly being sequenced in research and clinical settings. However, the resulting massive amounts of variants data pose significant challenges to the average biologists and clinicians without bioinformatics skills. We developed a web server called wANNOVAR to address the critical needs for functional annotation of genetic variants from personal genomes. The server provides simple and intuitive interface to help users determine the functional significance of variants. These include annotating single nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions for their effects on genes, reporting their conservation levels (such as PhyloP and GERP++ scores), calculating their predicted functional importance scores (such as SIFT and PolyPhen scores), retrieving allele frequencies in public databases (such as the 1000 Genomes Project and NHLBI-ESP 5400 exomes), and implementing a 'variants reduction' protocol to identify a subset of potentially deleterious variants/genes. We illustrated how wANNOVAR can help draw biological insights from sequencing data, by analysing genetic variants generated on two Mendelian diseases. We conclude that wANNOVAR will help biologists and clinicians take advantage of the personal genome information to expedite scientific discoveries. The wANNOVAR server is available at http://wannovar.usc.edu, and will be continuously updated to reflect the latest annotation information.

  13. Chemogenetic locus coeruleus activation restores reversal learning in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rorabaugh, Jacki M; Chalermpalanupap, Termpanit; Botz-Zapp, Christian A; Fu, Vanessa M; Lembeck, Natalie A; Cohen, Robert M; Weinshenker, David

    2017-11-01

    See Grinberg and Heinsen (doi:10.1093/brain/awx261) for a scientific commentary on this article. Clinical evidence suggests that aberrant tau accumulation in the locus coeruleus and noradrenergic dysfunction may be a critical early step in Alzheimer’s disease progression. Yet, an accurate preclinical model of these phenotypes that includes early pretangle tau accrual in the locus coeruleus, loss of locus coeruleus innervation and deficits locus coeruleus/norepinephrine modulated behaviours, does not exist, hampering the identification of underlying mechanisms and the development of locus coeruleus-based therapies. Here, a transgenic rat (TgF344-AD) expressing disease-causing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPsw) and presenilin-1 (PS1ΔE9) was characterized for histological and behavioural signs of locus coeruleus dysfunction reminiscent of mild cognitive impairment/early Alzheimer’s disease. In TgF344-AD rats, hyperphosphorylated tau was detected in the locus coeruleus prior to accrual in the medial entorhinal cortex or hippocampus, and tau pathology in the locus coeruleus was negatively correlated with noradrenergic innervation in the medial entorhinal cortex. Likewise, TgF344-AD rats displayed progressive loss of hippocampal norepinephrine levels and locus coeruleus fibres in the medial entorhinal cortex and dentate gyrus, with no frank noradrenergic cell body loss. Cultured mouse locus coeruleus neurons expressing hyperphosphorylation-prone mutant human tau had shorter neurites than control neurons, but similar cell viability, suggesting a causal link between pretangle tau accrual and altered locus coeruleus fibre morphology. TgF344-AD rats had impaired reversal learning in the Morris water maze compared to their wild-type littermates, which was rescued by chemogenetic locus coeruleus activation via designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). Our results indicate that TgF344-AD rats uniquely meet several key criteria for a

  14. Multiple Functional Variants in cis Modulate PDYN Expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbitt, Courtney C; Silverman, Jesse S; Haygood, Ralph; Reininga, Jennifer M; Rockman, Matthew V; Wray, Gregory A

    2010-02-01

    Understanding genetic variation and its functional consequences within cis-regulatory regions remains an important challenge in human genetics and evolution. Here, we present a fine-scale functional analysis of segregating variation within the cis-regulatory region of prodynorphin, a gene that encodes an endogenous opioid precursor with roles in cognition and disease. In order to characterize the functional consequences of segregating variation in cis in a region under balancing selection in different human populations, we examined associations between specific polymorphisms and gene expression in vivo and in vitro. We identified five polymorphisms within the 5' flanking region that affect transcript abundance: a 68-bp repeat recognized in prior studies, as well as two microsatellites and two single nucleotide polymorphisms not previously implicated as functional variants. The impact of these variants on transcription differs by brain region, sex, and cell type, implying interactions between cis genotype and the differentiated state of cells. The effects of individual variants on expression level are not additive in some combinations, implying epistatic interactions between nearby variants. These data reveal an unexpectedly complex relationship between segregating genetic variation and its expression-trait consequences and highlights the importance of close functional scrutiny of natural genetic variation within even relatively well-studied cis-regulatory regions.

  15. [Locus of control and self-concept in interpersonal conflict resolution approaches].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hisli Sahin, Nesrin; Basim, H Nejat; Cetin, Fatih

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-concept and locus of control in interpersonal conflict resolution approaches and to determine the predictors of conflict resolution approach choices. The study included 345 students aged between 18 and 28 years that were studying at universities in Ankara. Data were collected using the Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Approaches Scale to measure conflict resolution approaches, the Social Comparison Scale to measure self-concept, and the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale to measure locus of control. It was observed that confrontation approach to interpersonal conflict was predicted by self-concept (beta = 0.396, P resolution approaches. In addition to these findings, it was observed that females used self-disclosure (beta = -0.163, P resolution processes. Self-concept and locus of control were related to the behaviors adopted in the interpersonal conflict resolution process. Individuals with a positive self-concept and an internal locus of control adopted solutions to interpersonal conflict resolution that were more effective and constructive.

  16. Specific locus mutagenesis of human mammary epithelial cells by ultraviolet radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eldridge, S.R.; Gould, M.N.

    1991-01-01

    Tissue and locus specificity of mutation induction was studied in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Primary HMEC from normal tissue, and immortalized HMEC (184B5) derived from normal HMEC, were cultured under identical conditions and exposed to 10J/m 2 ultraviolet (UV) radiation (254 nm peak wavelength), which produced approximately 50% mean survival in all cell strains and lines tested. UV radiation was found to induce mutations at the Na + -K + ATPase locus as determined by ouabain-resistance in both normal and immortalized HMEC. Mutation frequencies measured in these cells following UV exposure were similar to those reported for human diploid fibroblasts. Mutation induction was investigated at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus in normal and immortalized HMEC. Induced mutations at the HPRT locus as determined by 6-thioguanine resistance in normal primary HMEC were not observed following UV radiation. Mutation induction was observed at this locus UV-exposed immortalized HMEC. (author)

  17. Sequence and organization of the rhoptry-associated-protein-1 (rap-1) locus for the sheep hemoprotozoan Babesia sp. BQ1 Lintan (B. motasi phylogenetic group).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Qingli; Bonsergent, Claire; Guan, Guiquan; Yin, Hong; Malandrin, Laurence

    2013-11-15

    Babesiosis is a frequent infection of animals worldwide by tick borne pathogen Babesia, and several species are responsible for ovine babesiosis. Recently, several Babesia motasi-like isolates were described in sheep in China. In this study, we sequenced the multigenic rap-1 gene locus of one of these isolates, Babesia sp. BQ1 Lintan. The RAP-1 proteins are involved in the process of red blood cells invasion and thus represent a potential target for vaccine development. A complex composition and organization of the rap-1 locus was discovered with: (1) the presence of 3 different types of rap-1 sequences (rap-1a, rap-1b and rap-1c); (2) the presence of multiple copies of rap-1a and rap-1b; (3) polymorphism among the rap-1a copies, with two classes (named rap-1a61 and rap-1a67) having a similarity of 95.7%, each class represented by two close variants; (4) polymorphism between rap-1a61-1 and rap-1a61-2 limited to three nucleotide positions; (5) a difference of eight nucleotides between rap-1a67-1 and rap-1a67-2 from position 1270 to the putative stop site of rap-1a67-1 which might produce two putative proteins of slightly different sizes; (6) the ratio of rap-1a copies corresponding to one rap-1a67, one rap-1a61-1 and one rap-1a61-2; (7) the presence of three different intergenic regions separating rap-1a, rap-1b and rap-1c; (8) interspacing of the rap-1a copies with rap-1b copies; and (9) the terminal position of rap-1c in the locus. A 31kb locus composed of 6 rap-1a sequences interspaced with 5 rap-1b sequences and with a terminal rap-1c copy was hypothesized. A strikingly similar sequence composition (rap-1a, rap-1b and rap-1c), as well as strong gene identities and similar locus organization with B. bigemina were found and highlight the conservation of synteny at this locus in this phylogenetic clade. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Characterization and genetic mapping of a Photoperiod-sensitive dwarf 1 locus in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Riqing; Xia, Jixing; Xu, Yiwei; Zhao, Xiucai; Liu, Yao-Guang; Chen, Yuanling

    2014-01-01

    Plant height is an important agronomic trait for crop architecture and yield. Most known factors determining plant height function in gibberellin or brassinosteroid biosynthesis or signal transduction. Here, we report a japonica rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica) dominant dwarf mutant, Photoperiod-sensitive dwarf 1 (Psd1). The Psd1 mutant showed impaired cell division and elongation, and a severe dwarf phenotype under long-day conditions, but nearly normal growth in short-day. The plant height of Psd1 mutant could not be rescued by gibberellin or brassinosteroid treatment. Genetic analysis with R1 and F2 populations determined that Psd1 phenotype was controlled by a single dominant locus. Linkage analysis with 101 tall F2 plants grown in a long-day season, which were derived from a cross between Psd1 and an indica cultivar, located Psd1 locus on chromosome 1. Further fine-mapping with 1017 tall F2 plants determined this locus on an 11.5-kb region. Sequencing analysis of this region detected a mutation site in a gene encoding a putative lipid transfer protein; the mutation produces a truncated C-terminus of the protein. This study establishes the genetic foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating plant cell division and elongation mediated by interaction between genetic and environmental factors.

  19. Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR intron 1 variants are major risk factors for Graves' disease in three European Caucasian cohorts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafał Płoski

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR gene is an established susceptibility locus for Graves' disease (GD, with recent studies refining association to two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs179247 and rs12101255, within TSHR intron 1.We aimed to validate association of rs179247 and rs12101255 in Polish and UK Caucasian GD case-control subjects, determine the mode of inheritance and to see if association correlates with specific GD clinical manifestations. We investigated three case-control populations; 558 GD patients and 520 controls from Warsaw, Poland, 196 GD patients and 198 controls from Gliwice, Poland and 2504 GD patients from the UK National collection and 2784 controls from the 1958 British Birth cohort. Both rs179247 (P = 1.2×10(-2-6.2×10(-15, OR = 1.38-1.45 and rs12101255 (P = 1.0×10(-4-3.68×10(-21, OR = 1.47-1.87 exhibited strong association with GD in all three cohorts. Logistic regression suggested association of rs179247 is secondary to rs12101255 in all cohorts. Inheritance modeling suggested a co-dominant mode of inheritance in all cohorts. Genotype-phenotype correlations provided no clear evidence of association with any specific clinical characteristics.We have validated association of TSHR intron 1 SNPs with GD in three independent European cohorts and have demonstrated that the aetiological variant within the TSHR is likely to be in strong linkage disequilibrium with rs12101255. Fine mapping is now required to determine the exact location of the aetiological DNA variants within the TSHR.

  20. Locus of control in relation to flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celeste M Taylor

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available The principal objective of the study was to examine the relationship between locus of control and optimal experience (flow in carrying out work and/or study activities. Two questionnaires measuring the aforementioned constructs were administered to a group of first and second-year Human Resource Management students (n=168 between the ages of 16 and 30. The results suggest that more frequent experience of flow is positively correlated with Autonomy and Internal Locus of Control. Limitations, lines of future research, implications and further contributions are discussed.

  1. Genome-wide association study identifies variants associated with autoimmune hepatitis type 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer, Ynto S; van Gerven, Nicole M F; Zwiers, Antonie; Verwer, Bart J; van Hoek, Bart; van Erpecum, Karel J; Beuers, Ulrich; van Buuren, Henk R; Drenth, Joost P H; den Ouden, Jannie W; Verdonk, Robert C; Koek, Ger H; Brouwer, Johannes T; Guichelaar, Maureen M J; Vrolijk, Jan M; Kraal, Georg; Mulder, Chris J J; van Nieuwkerk, Carin M J; Fischer, Janett; Berg, Thomas; Stickel, Felix; Sarrazin, Christoph; Schramm, Christoph; Lohse, Ansgar W; Weiler-Normann, Christina; Lerch, Markus M; Nauck, Matthias; Völzke, Henry; Homuth, Georg; Bloemena, Elisabeth; Verspaget, Hein W; Kumar, Vinod; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Wijmenga, Cisca; Franke, Lude; Bouma, Gerd

    2014-08-01

    Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an uncommon autoimmune liver disease of unknown etiology. We used a genome-wide approach to identify genetic variants that predispose individuals to AIH. We performed a genome-wide association study of 649 adults in The Netherlands with AIH type 1 and 13,436 controls. Initial associations were further analyzed in an independent replication panel comprising 451 patients with AIH type 1 in Germany and 4103 controls. We also performed an association analysis in the discovery cohort using imputed genotypes of the major histocompatibility complex region. We associated AIH with a variant in the major histocompatibility complex region at rs2187668 (P = 1.5 × 10(-78)). Analysis of this variant in the discovery cohort identified HLA-DRB1*0301 (P = 5.3 × 10(-49)) as a primary susceptibility genotype and HLA-DRB1*0401 (P = 2.8 × 10(-18)) as a secondary susceptibility genotype. We also associated AIH with variants of SH2B3 (rs3184504, 12q24; P = 7.7 × 10(-8)) and CARD10 (rs6000782, 22q13.1; P = 3.0 × 10(-6)). In addition, strong inflation of association signal was found with single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with other immune-mediated diseases, including primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis, but not with single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with other genetic traits. In a genome-wide association study, we associated AIH type 1 with variants in the major histocompatibility complex region, and identified variants of SH2B3and CARD10 as likely risk factors. These findings support a complex genetic basis for AIH pathogenesis and indicate that part of the genetic susceptibility overlaps with that for other immune-mediated liver diseases. Copyright © 2014 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Systematic identification of regulatory variants associated with cancer risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Song; Liu, Yuwen; Zhang, Qin; Wu, Jiayu; Liang, Junbo; Yu, Shan; Wei, Gong-Hong; White, Kevin P; Wang, Xiaoyue

    2017-10-23

    Most cancer risk-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are noncoding and it is challenging to assess their functional impacts. To systematically identify the SNPs that affect gene expression by modulating activities of distal regulatory elements, we adapt the self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (STARR-seq) strategy, a high-throughput technique to functionally quantify enhancer activities. From 10,673 SNPs linked with 996 cancer risk-associated SNPs identified in previous GWAS studies, we identify 575 SNPs in the fragments that positively regulate gene expression, and 758 SNPs in the fragments with negative regulatory activities. Among them, 70 variants are regulatory variants for which the two alleles confer different regulatory activities. We analyze in depth two regulatory variants-breast cancer risk SNP rs11055880 and leukemia risk-associated SNP rs12142375-and demonstrate their endogenous regulatory activities on expression of ATF7IP and PDE4B genes, respectively, using a CRISPR-Cas9 approach. By identifying regulatory variants associated with cancer susceptibility and studying their molecular functions, we hope to help the interpretation of GWAS results and provide improved information for cancer risk assessment.

  3. Screening for common copy-number variants in cancer genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyson, Jess; Majerus, Tamsin M O; Walker, Susan; Armour, John A L

    2010-12-01

    For most cases of colorectal cancer that arise without a family history of the disease, it is proposed that an appreciable heritable component of predisposition is the result of contributions from many loci. Although progress has been made in identifying single nucleotide variants associated with colorectal cancer risk, the involvement of low-penetrance copy number variants is relatively unexplored. We have used multiplex amplifiable probe hybridization (MAPH) in a fourfold multiplex (QuadMAPH), positioned at an average resolution of one probe per 2 kb, to screen a total of 1.56 Mb of genomic DNA for copy number variants around the genes APC, AXIN1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CTNNB1, HRAS, MLH1, MSH2, and TP53. Two deletion events were detected, one upstream of MLH1 in a control individual and the other in APC in a colorectal cancer patient, but these do not seem to correspond to copy number polymorphisms with measurably high population frequencies. In summary, by means of our QuadMAPH assay, copy number measurement data were of sufficient resolution and accuracy to detect any copy number variants with high probability. However, this study has demonstrated a very low incidence of deletion and duplication variants within intronic and flanking regions of these nine genes, in both control individuals and colorectal cancer patients. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Genetic Variants at BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB loci Influence Hb F Levels in Chinese Zhuang β-Thalassemia Intermedia Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Yunli; Chen, Yun; Chen, Biyan; Zheng, Haiyang; Yi, Sheng; Li, Guojian; Wei, Hongwei; He, Sheng; Zheng, Chenguang

    2016-11-01

    Increased Hb F levels can ameliorate the symptoms of β-thalassemia (β-thal). Due to the genetic heterogenicity of β-thal, the relationship between genetic variants in modifier genes and Hb F level has been studied in different populations. The Chinese Zhuang has the second largest population in China and has 6.78% prevalence of β-thal. However, the effects of these single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants on the Hb F levels of β-thal intermedia (β-TI) patients in this population have not been reported. To explore the association between modifier loci (β-globin gene cluster, HBS1L-MYB intergenic region and BCL11A) and Hb F levels in Chinese Zhuang β-TI patients, 96 unrelated β-TI patients (50 males and 46 females) with different Hb F levels were recruited and genotyped by mass spectrometry. A total of 13 SNPs were confirmed to be in a significant relationship with Hb F levels in this population. Of these, high-risk genotypes of six Hb F-associated SNPs, rs9376090, rs7776054, rs9399137, rs9389268, rs9402685 in the HBS1L-MYB intergenic region and rs189984760 in the BCL11A locus, showed association with high Hb F levels, especially for SNPs in linkage disequilibrium. One novel Hb F-associated SNP, rs189984760, was identified in our study. Our findings will be of valuable reference for correlation between modifier genes and Hb F in Chinese Zhuang populations and may lead to better understand the modifying mechanisms for β-thal.

  5. Weight loss maintenance in relation to locus of control: The MedWeight study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasiou, Costas A; Fappa, Evaggelia; Karfopoulou, Eleni; Gkza, Anastasia; Yannakoulia, Mary

    2015-08-01

    Locus of control, i.e. the degree of an individual's belief on the control of his/her life, has been related to many health outcomes, including weight loss in overweight/obese individuals. No information is available on the impact of locus of control in maintaining weight loss. We aimed to investigate the effect of locus of control in weight loss maintenance and explore potential associations with lifestyle factors. Study participants included 239 individuals (41% males) who had lost at least 10% of body weight in the past and either maintained the loss (maintainers: weight maintenance of at least 10% of initial weight) or regained it (regainers). Locus of control was defined by a relevant multi-dimensional scale; participants were categorised to internals and externals, based on "internal" and "others" sub-scales. A significant interaction was found between locus of control and weight loss maintenance status (p locus of control. Individualised treatment, according to locus of control, may increase weight loss maintenance rates in former overweight/obese individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Detection of a molecular deletion at the DXS732 locus in a patient with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA), with the identification of a unique junctional fragment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zonana, J.; Gault, J.; Jones, M.; Browne, D.; Litt, M. (Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland (United States)); Davies, K.J.P.; Clarke, A.; Thomas, N.S.T. (Univ. of Wales, Cardiff (United Kingdom)); Brockdorff, N.; Rastan, S. (Medical Research Council Clinical Research Centre, Harrow (United Kingdom))

    1993-01-01

    X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) has been localized to the Xq12-q13.1. A panel of genomic DNA samples from 80 unrelated males with EDA has been screened for deletions at seven genetic loci within the Xq12-13 region. A single individual was identified with a deletion at the DXS732 locus by hybridization with the mouse genomic probe pcos169E/4. This highly conserved DNA probe is from locus DXCrc169, which is tightly linked to the Ta locus, the putative mouse homologue of EDA. The proband had the classical phenotype of EDA, with no other phenotypic abnormalities, and a normal cytogenetic analysis. A human genomic DNA clone, homologous to pcos169E/4, was isolated from a human X-chromosome cosmid library. On hybridization with the cosmid, the proband was found to be only partially deleted at the DXS732 locus, with a unique junctional fragment identified in the proband and in three of his maternal relatives. This is the first determination of carrier status for EDA in females, by direct mutation analysis. Failure to detect deletion of the other loci tested in the proband suggests that the DXS732 locus is the closest known locus to the EDA gene. Since the DXS732 locus contains a highly conserved sequence, it must be considered to be a candidate locus for the EDA gene itself. 18 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

  7. Diverse Functional Properties of Wilson Disease ATP7B Variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huster, Dominik; Kühne, Angelika; Bhattacharjee, Ashima; Raines, Lily; Jantsch, Vanessa; Noe, Johannes; Schirrmeister, Wiebke; Sommerer, Ines; Sabri, Osama; Berr, Frieder; Mössner, Joachim; Stieger, Bruno; Caca, Karel; Lutsenko, Svetlana

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS Wilson disease is a severe disorder of copper metabolism caused by mutations in ATP7B, which encodes a copper-transporting adenosine triphosphatase. The disease presents with a variable phenotype that complicates the diagnostic process and treatment. Little is known about the mechanisms that contribute to the different phenotypes of the disease. METHODS We analyzed 28 variants of ATP7B from patients with Wilson disease that affected different functional domains; the gene products were expressed using the baculovirus expression system in Sf9 cells. Protein function was analyzed by measuring catalytic activity and copper (64Cu) transport into vesicles. We studied intracellular localization of variants of ATP7B that had measurable transport activities and were tagged with green fluorescent protein in mammalian cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS Properties of ATP7B variants with pathogenic amino-acid substitution varied greatly even if substitutions were in the same functional domain. Some variants had complete loss of catalytic and transport activity, whereas others lost transport activity but retained phosphor-intermediate formation or had partial losses of activity. In mammalian cells, transport-competent variants differed in stability and subcellular localization. CONCLUSIONS Variants in ATP7B associated with Wilson disease disrupt the protein’s transport activity, result in its mislocalization, and reduce its stability. Single assays are insufficient to accurately predict the effects of ATP7B variants the function of its product and development of Wilson disease. These findings will contribute to our understanding of genotype–phenotype correlation and mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. PMID:22240481

  8. Genetic variants of 17q21 are associated with childhood-onset asthma and related phenotypes in a northeastern Han Chinese population: a case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, X; Yu, C; Ren, Z; Deng, Y; Song, J; Zhang, H; Zhou, H

    2014-05-01

    A genome-wide association study (GWAS) suggested that variants on chromosome 17q21 were associated with childhood-onset asthma in white populations. Two replication studies had been conducted in southern Han Chinese population in 2009 and 2012. However, these two Chinese replication results were inconsistent. To further confirm the role of 17q21 common variants, an association study of 17q21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of childhood-onset asthma was performed in a Han population from northeastern China. In this study, rs3894194, rs12603332 and rs11650680 were genotyped in 435 asthmatic children and 601 healthy controls by using a SNaPshot method. Our data showed that the allelic frequency of rs12603332 and rs11650680 showed significant differences between asthmatic cases and healthy controls, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.65, P=0.002] and an OR of 1.36 (95% CI 1.07-1.74, P=0.01). Genotype distribution analysis also showed the significant associations of the above two loci with childhood asthma under dominant, recessive and additive model (dominant OR=1.57, 95% CI 1.04-2.36, P=0.032; recessive OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.09-1.83, P=0.009; additive OR=1.97, 95% CI 1.24-3.14, P=0.004; recessive OR=1.50, 95% CI 1.13-1.98, P=0.005). Besides, linear regression analysis showed that rs3894194 and rs12603332 were also significantly associated with asthma phenotypes such as log10 -transformed immunoglobulin E (IgE) level (IU/ml) and log10 -transformed eosinophil percentage (dominant, P=0.04; additive, P=0.01; recessive, P=0.04; recessive, P=0.03; additive, P=0.02). Collectively, our findings suggest that orosomucoid 1-like 3 (ORMDL3) locus on chromosome 17q21 is a risk factor for childhood-onset asthma in northeastern Han Chinese population. Further studies will be needed to elucidate the pathogenesis that ORMDL3 locus predisposes to childhood-onset asthma. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. IL10 low-frequency variants in Behçet's disease patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matos, Mafalda; Xavier, Joana M; Abrantes, Patrícia; Sousa, Inês; Rei, Nádia; Davatchi, Fereydoun; Shahram, Farhad; Jesus, Gorete; Barcelos, Filipe; Vedes, Joana; Salgado, Manuel; Abdollahi, Bahar Sadeghi; Nadji, Abdolhadi; Moraes-Fontes, Maria Francisca; Shafiee, Niloofar Mojarad; Ghaderibarmi, Fahmida; Vaz Patto, José; Crespo, Jorge; Oliveira, Sofia A

    2017-05-01

    To explain the missing heritability after the genome-wide association studies era, sequencing studies allow the identification of low-frequency variants with a stronger effect on disease risk. Common variants in the interleukin 10 gene (IL10) have been consistently associated with Behçet's disease (BD) and the goal of this study is to investigate the role of low-frequency IL10 variants in BD susceptibility. To identify IL10 low-frequency variants, a discovery group of 50 Portuguese BD patients were Sanger-sequenced in a 7.7 kb genomic region encompassing the complete IL10 gene, 0.9 kb upstream and 2 kb downstream, and two conserved regions in the putative promoter. To assess if the novel variants are BD- and/or Portuguese-specific, they were assayed in an additional group of BD patients (26 Portuguese and 964 Iranian) and controls (104 Portuguese and 823 Iranian). Rare IL10 coding variants were not detected in BD patients, but we identified 28 known single nucleotide polymorphisms with minor allele frequencies ranging from 0.010 to 0.390, and five novel non-coding variants in five heterozygous cases. ss836185595, located in the IL10 3' untranslated region, was also detected in one Iranian control individual and therefore is not specific to BD. The remaining novel IL10 variants (ss836185596 and ss836185602 in intron 3, ss836185598 and ss836185604 in the putative promoter region) were not found in the replication dataset. This study highlights the importance of screening the whole gene and regulatory regions when searching for novel variants associated with complex diseases, and the need to develop bioinformatics tools to predict the functional impact of non-coding variants and statistical tests which incorporate these predictions. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  10. Locus - ASTRA | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data ...URL: ftp://ftp.biosciencedbc.jp/archive/astra/LATEST/astra_locus.zip File size: 887 KB Simple search URL htt...icing type (ex. cassette) About This Database Database Description Download License Update History of This Database Site Policy | Contact Us Locus - ASTRA | LSDB Archive ...

  11. Functional variants at the 11q13 risk locus for breast cancer regulate cyclin D1 expression through long-range enhancers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    French, Juliet D; Ghoussaini, Maya; Edwards, Stacey L

    2013-01-01

    Analysis of 4,405 variants in 89,050 European subjects from 41 case-control studies identified three independent association signals for estrogen-receptor-positive tumors at 11q13. The strongest signal maps to a transcriptional enhancer element in which the G allele of the best candidate causativ...

  12. Genetic variation at the PCSK9 locus, low density lipoproteins, response to pravastatin and coronary heart disease: results from PROSPER

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caucasian carriers of the T allele at R46L in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) locus have been reported to have 15% lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (C) levels and 47% lower coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Our objective was to examine two PCSK9 single nucle...

  13. Molecular alterations underlying the spontaneous and γ-ray-induced point mutations at the white locus of Drosophila Melanogaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleksandrova, M.V.; Lapidus, I.L.; Aleksandrov, I.D.; Karpovskij, A.L.

    1996-01-01

    The white locus in D.Melanogaster was selected as a target gene for the study of the mutational spectra of spontaneously arising and radiation-induced gene mutations in a whole organism. Analysis of 6 spontaneous and 73 γ-ray-induced white mutations by a combination of cytological, genetic and molecular techniques revealed that on the chromosomal and genetic levels all spontaneous mutations showed themselves to be point mutants. The share of such mutants among all heritable radiation-induced gene mutations is about 40%, whereas the rest ones are due to exchange breaks (8%) as well as multilocus, single-locus or partial-locus (intragenic) deletions (52%). The DNAs from 4 spontaneous and 17 γ-ray-induced point mutants were analysed by Southern blot-hybridization. The three spontaneous and 7 radiation mutants showed an altered DNA sequence at the left (distal) half of the white gene due to insertion or DNA rearrangement. The rest (58%) of the radiation-induced point mutations did not indicate any alternations in this part of the gene as detected by this technique and probes employed. 15 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  14. Adaptation to diverse nitrogen-limited environments by deletion or extrachromosomal element formation of the GAP1 locus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gresham, D.; Usaite, Renata; Germann, S.M.

    2010-01-01

    and deletions at the GAP1 locus. GAP1 encodes the general amino acid permease, which transports amino acids across the plasma membrane. We identified a self-propagating extrachromosomal circular DNA molecule that results from intrachromosomal recombination between long terminal repeats (LTRs) flanking GAP1....... Extrachromosomal DNA circles (GAP1(circle)) contain GAP1, the replication origin ARS1116, and a single hybrid LTR derived from recombination between the two flanking LTRs. Formation of the GAP1(circle) is associated with deletion of chromosomal GAP1 (gap1 Delta) and production of a single hybrid LTR at the GAP1...

  15. Physical Attractiveness, Locus of Control, Sex Role, and Conversational Assertiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Keith F.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Analyzes the relationship among physical attractiveness, locus of control, sex role orientation, and assertiveness in undergraduate students. Reviews videotapes of mixed-sex student groups engaged in discussion. Finds an internal locus of control positively correlated with assertiveness. Uses a behavioral measure of assertiveness rather than…

  16. mirVAFC: A Web Server for Prioritizations of Pathogenic Sequence Variants from Exome Sequencing Data via Classifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhongshan; Liu, Zhenwei; Jiang, Yi; Chen, Denghui; Ran, Xia; Sun, Zhong Sheng; Wu, Jinyu

    2017-01-01

    Exome sequencing has been widely used to identify the genetic variants underlying human genetic disorders for clinical diagnoses, but the identification of pathogenic sequence variants among the huge amounts of benign ones is complicated and challenging. Here, we describe a new Web server named mirVAFC for pathogenic sequence variants prioritizations from clinical exome sequencing (CES) variant data of single individual or family. The mirVAFC is able to comprehensively annotate sequence variants, filter out most irrelevant variants using custom criteria, classify variants into different categories as for estimated pathogenicity, and lastly provide pathogenic variants prioritizations based on classifications and mutation effects. Case studies using different types of datasets for different diseases from publication and our in-house data have revealed that mirVAFC can efficiently identify the right pathogenic candidates as in original work in each case. Overall, the Web server mirVAFC is specifically developed for pathogenic sequence variant identifications from family-based CES variants using classification-based prioritizations. The mirVAFC Web server is freely accessible at https://www.wzgenomics.cn/mirVAFC/. © 2016 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  17. Spectrum of PAH gene variants among a population of Han Chinese patients with phenylketonuria from northern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Huang, Qiuying; Li, Qingge; Zhao, Dehua; Li, Xiaole; Cui, Lixia; Bai, Ying; Feng, Yin; Kong, Xiangdong

    2017-10-05

    Phenylketonuria (PKU), which primarily results from a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), is one of the most common inherited inborn errors of metabolism that impairs postnatal cognitive development. The incidence of various PAH variations differs by race and ethnicity. The aim of the present study was to characterize the PAH gene variants of a Han population from Northern China. In total, 655 PKU patients and their families were recruited for this study; each proband was diagnosed both clinically and biochemically with phenylketonuria. Subjects were sequentially screened for single-base variants and exon deletions or duplications within PAH via direct Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). A spectrum of 174 distinct PAH variants was identified: 152 previously documented variants and 22 novel variants. While single-base variants were distributed throughout the 13 exons, they were particularly concentrated in exons 7 (33.3%), 11 (14.2%), 6 (13.2%), 12 (11.0%), 3 (10.4%), and 5 (4.4%). The predominant variant was p.Arg243Gln (17.7%), followed by Ex6-96A > G (8.3%), p.Val399 = (6.4%), p.Arg53His (4.7%), p.Tyr356* (4.7%), p.Arg241Cys (4.6%), p.Arg413Pro (4.6%), p.Arg111* (4.4%), and c.442-1G > A (3.4%). Notably, two patients were also identified as carrying de novo variants. The composition of PAH gene variants in this Han population from Northern China was distinct from those of other ethnic groups. As such, the construction of a PAH gene variant database for Northern China is necessary to lay a foundation for genetic-based diagnoses, prenatal diagnoses, and population screening.

  18. 'Locus of control', health-related quality of life, emotional distress and disability in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizza, Federica; Gison, Annalisa; Bonassi, Stefano; Dall'Armi, Valentina; Tonto, Francesca; Giaquinto, Salvatore

    2017-06-01

    This cross-sectional study evaluated locus of control and its subscales in Parkinson's disease. A total of 50 consecutive Parkinson's disease participants and 50 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled. External locus of control was significantly higher in Parkinson's disease participants, whereas internal locus of control had no significant differences. External locus of control and internal locus of control were correlated in control group, but not in Parkinson's disease. In Parkinson's disease participants, external locus of control was negatively associated with health-related quality of life as well as positively associated with emotional distress and disease severity (but not with disability). After adjusting to confound variables, the associations remained. On the other hand, internal locus of control was negatively associated with depression.

  19. Hubungan antara Locus Of Control dan Efektivitas Komunikasi antar Pribadi dengan Problem Focused Coping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eko Sujadi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Problem focused coping need to be possessed by every individual. The purposes of this research were to described locus of control, the effectiveness of interpersonal communication, problem focused coping,the correlation between locus of control with problem focused coping, andthe correlationbetween the effectiveness of interpersonal communication with problem focused coping.This research was descriptive & correlation research by using quantitative approach. Data were collected through a Likert scale questionaire and locus of controlby using inventory Rotters Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E Scale, which was the validity and reliability has been tested. The data were analyzed by percentage technique and product moment correlation. The finding of research are:  1locus of control were in the middle range between internal locus of control and external locus of control with an average as big as 11.46, 2 the general level of effectiveness of interpersonal communication is in high category, 3 the general level of problem focused coping is in high category, 4 there is correlation between locus of control withproblem focused coping, and 5 there is correlation betweeneffectiveness of interpersonal communicationwithproblem focused coping.

  20. Health locus of control: Its relationship with medication adherence and medication wastage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Lorna Marie; Borg Theuma, Ruth; Cordina, Maria

    2017-12-09

    Non-adherence is a significant factor contributing to medication wastage. Whilst there is some evidence on the influence of patients' health locus of control in relation to adherence, there has been little inquiry into its relationship with mediation wastage. To determine the relationship between medication adherence and health locus of control as well as medication wastage and health locus of control in patients with chronic conditions. Outpatients having a diagnosis of asthma, cardiovascular conditions, or diabetes participated in a cross-sectional study employing a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire determined presence of unused medication (wastage), adherence using 'Tool for Adherence Behaviour Screening' (TABS), and health locus of control using 'Multidimensional Health Locus of Control' (MHLC) scale Form C. Logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of MHLC and demographics in relation to adherence and wastage. MHLC beliefs were divided into 8 types of health locus of control. One-Way ANOVA was used to assess differences between conditions and belief types. P-values ≤ .05 were considered significant. There were 330 patients recruited (58% male; age, mean±(SD): 61 ± 15 years; 110 asthma, 110 cardiovascular, 110 diabetes). In terms of health locus of control, females had higher 'doctors' beliefs (p = .054) and significantly lower 'other people' beliefs (p = control. 'Yea-sayers' had the least presence of unused medication, followed by 'pure internal' believers. 'Pure powerful others external' had the highest presence of unused medication. Healthcare professionals should take into account patients' health locus of control beliefs whilst conducting an intervention with patients; this can impact positively medication adherence and minimisation of medication wastage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Genome-wide analyses implicate 33 loci in heritable dog osteosarcoma, including regulatory variants near CDKN2A/B

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Canine osteosarcoma is clinically nearly identical to the human disease, but is common and highly heritable, making genetic dissection feasible. Results Through genome-wide association analyses in three breeds (greyhounds, Rottweilers, and Irish wolfhounds), we identify 33 inherited risk loci explaining 55% to 85% of phenotype variance in each breed. The greyhound locus exhibiting the strongest association, located 150 kilobases upstream of the genes CDKN2A/B, is also the most rearranged locus in canine osteosarcoma tumors. The top germline candidate variant is found at a >90% frequency in Rottweilers and Irish wolfhounds, and alters an evolutionarily constrained element that we show has strong enhancer activity in human osteosarcoma cells. In all three breeds, osteosarcoma-associated loci and regions of reduced heterozygosity are enriched for genes in pathways connected to bone differentiation and growth. Several pathways, including one of genes regulated by miR124, are also enriched for somatic copy-number changes in tumors. Conclusions Mapping a complex cancer in multiple dog breeds reveals a polygenic spectrum of germline risk factors pointing to specific pathways as drivers of disease. PMID:24330828

  2. HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL PERCEPTION OF ADOLESCENTS, AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEIR HEALTH BEHAVIOURS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruhi Selcuk TABAK

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Main objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between health locus of control perceptions and health behaviours of adolescents as well as the effectiveness of lectures on health locus of control to them. The subjects of our study are 192 students in 6 groups of the 9. Grade students of a high school. Three groups of 108 students were randomly selected as the experiment group who were subjected to 4 class-hours specific lectures on health locus of control. The rest 84 students constituted the control group. A 34-item questionnaire for health behaviours and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLOC, were filled by the students before and after the lectures. The lectures on health locus of control increased the perception of internal health locus of control of adolescents while decreasing chance health locus of control. The differences between experiment and control groups in this aspect were found to be statistically significant. Internal health locus of control is the main source for the increase of responsibility and management of individuals on their health. The relations that were detected between students’ health behaviours and information solicitation and their perceptions of health locus of control showed that the students with higher internal health locus of control are more eager to be responsible and active for their health, especially, for the health behaviours such as physical exercise, smoking, tooth-brushing, medical check-ups so on. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2006; 5(2.000: 118-130

  3. Morphology and genomic hallmarks of breast tumours developed by ATM deleterious variant carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renault, Anne-Laure; Mebirouk, Noura; Fuhrmann, Laetitia; Bataillon, Guillaume; Cavaciuti, Eve; Le Gal, Dorothée; Girard, Elodie; Popova, Tatiana; La Rosa, Philippe; Beauvallet, Juana; Eon-Marchais, Séverine; Dondon, Marie-Gabrielle; d'Enghien, Catherine Dubois; Laugé, Anthony; Chemlali, Walid; Raynal, Virginie; Labbé, Martine; Bièche, Ivan; Baulande, Sylvain; Bay, Jacques-Olivier; Berthet, Pascaline; Caron, Olivier; Buecher, Bruno; Faivre, Laurence; Fresnay, Marc; Gauthier-Villars, Marion; Gesta, Paul; Janin, Nicolas; Lejeune, Sophie; Maugard, Christine; Moutton, Sébastien; Venat-Bouvet, Laurence; Zattara, Hélène; Fricker, Jean-Pierre; Gladieff, Laurence; Coupier, Isabelle; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Hall, Janet; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Stoppa-Lyonnet, Dominique; Andrieu, Nadine; Lesueur, Fabienne

    2018-04-17

    The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene is a moderate-risk breast cancer susceptibility gene; germline loss-of-function variants are found in up to 3% of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) families who undergo genetic testing. So far, no clear histopathological and molecular features of breast tumours occurring in ATM deleterious variant carriers have been described, but identification of an ATM-associated tumour signature may help in patient management. To characterise hallmarks of ATM-associated tumours, we performed systematic pathology review of tumours from 21 participants from ataxia-telangiectasia families and 18 participants from HBOC families, as well as copy number profiling on a subset of 23 tumours. Morphology of ATM-associated tumours was compared with that of 599 patients with no BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations from a hospital-based series, as well as with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Absolute copy number and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) profiles were obtained from the OncoScan SNP array. In addition, we performed whole-genome sequencing on four tumours from ATM loss-of-function variant carriers with available frozen material. We found that ATM-associated tumours belong mostly to the luminal B subtype, are tetraploid and show LOH at the ATM locus at 11q22-23. Unlike tumours in which BRCA1 or BRCA2 is inactivated, tumours arising in ATM deleterious variant carriers are not associated with increased large-scale genomic instability as measured by the large-scale state transitions signature. Losses at 13q14.11-q14.3, 17p13.2-p12, 21p11.2-p11.1 and 22q11.23 were observed. Somatic alterations at these loci may therefore represent biomarkers for ATM testing and harbour driver mutations in potentially 'druggable' genes that would allow patients to be directed towards tailored therapeutic strategies. Although ATM is involved in the DNA damage response, ATM-associated tumours are distinct from BRCA1-associated tumours in terms of morphological

  4. Selection, trans-species polymorphism, and locus identification of major histocompatibility complex class IIβ alleles of New World ranid frogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Karen M.; Richmond, Jonathan Q.; Savage, Anna E.; Zamudio, Kelly R.

    2010-01-01

    Genes encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play key roles in the vertebrate immune system. However, our understanding of the evolutionary processes and underlying genetic mechanisms shaping these genes is limited in many taxa, including amphibians, a group currently impacted by emerging infectious diseases. To further elucidate the evolution of the MHC in frogs (anurans) and develop tools for population genetics, we surveyed allelic diversity of the MHC class II ??1 domain in both genomic and complementary DNA of seven New World species in the genus Rana (Lithobates). To assign locus affiliation to our alleles, we used a "gene walking" technique to obtain intron 2 sequences that flanked MHC class II?? exon 2. Two distinct intron sequences were recovered, suggesting the presence of at least two class II?? loci in Rana. We designed a primer pair that successfully amplified an orthologous locus from all seven Rana species. In total, we recovered 13 alleles and documented trans-species polymorphism for four of the alleles. We also found quantitative evidence of selection acting on amino acid residues that are putatively involved in peptide binding and structural stability of the ??1 domain of anurans. Our results indicated that primer mismatch can result in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bias, which influences the number of alleles that are recovered. Using a single locus may minimize PCR bias caused by primer mismatch, and the gene walking technique was an effective approach for generating single-copy orthologous markers necessary for future studies of MHC allelic variation in natural amphibian populations. ?? 2010 Springer-Verlag.

  5. Family and population-based studies of variation within the ghrelin receptor locus in relation to measures of obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjesing, Anette P.; Larsen, Lesli Hingstrup; Torekov, Signe Sørensen

    2010-01-01

    -carriers (mean BMI: 28+/-5 kg/m(2)) (p>0.05) could be shown. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In a population-based study sample of 15,854 Danes no association between GHSR genotypes and measures of obesity and overweight was found. Also, analyses of GHSR haplotypes lack consistent associations with obesity related......BACKGROUND: The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is mediating hunger sensation when stimulated by its natural ligand ghrelin. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that common and rare variation in the GHSR locus are related to increased prevalence of obesity and overweight...... among Whites. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a population-based study sample of 15,854 unrelated, middle-aged Danes, seven variants were genotyped to capture common variation in an 11 kbp region including GHSR. These were investigated for their individual and haplotypic association with obesity...

  6. [Genetic variants in miRNAs and its association with breast cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez-Gómez, Susana; Ruiz Esparza-Garrido, Ruth; Velázquez-Flores, Miguel; Dolores-Vergara, Maria; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio; Arenas-Aranda, Diego Julio

    2014-01-01

    In Mexico, breast cancer represents the first cause of cancer death in females. At the molecular level, non-coding RNAs and especially microRNAs have played an important role in the origin and development of this neoplasm In the Anglo-Saxon population, diverse genetic variants in microRNA genes and in their targets are associated with the development of this disease. In the Mexican population it is not known if these or other variants exist. Identification of these or new variants in our population is fundamental in order to have a better understanding of cancer development and to help establish a better diagnostic strategy. DNA was isolated from mammary tumors, adjacent tissue and peripheral blood of Mexican females with or without cancer. From DNA, five microRNA genes and three of their targets were amplified and sequenced. Genetic variants associated with breast cancer in an Anglo- Saxon population have been previously identified in these sequences. In the samples studied we identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two had not been previously described and were identified only in women with cancer. The new variants may be genetic predisposition factors for the development of breast cancer in our population. Further experiments are needed to determine the involvement of these variants in the development, establishment and progression of breast cancer.

  7. Family studies to find rare high risk variants in migraine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Rikke Dyhr; Christensen, Anne Francke; Olesen, Jes

    2017-01-01

    genetic variants with bigger effect size may be involved in the disease. Since migraine has a tendency to cluster in families, a family approach might be the way to find these variants. This is also indicated by identification of migraine-associated loci in classical linkage-analyses in migraine families....... A single migraine study using a candidate-gene approach was performed in 2010 identifying a rare mutation in the TRESK potassium channel segregating in a large family with migraine with aura, but this finding has later become questioned. The technologies of next-generation sequencing (NGS) now provides...... an affordable tool to investigate the genetic variation in the entire exome or genome. The family-based study design using NGS is described in this paper. We also review family studies using NGS that have been successful in finding rare variants in other common complex diseases in order to argue the promising...

  8. Simple and complex dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNT) variants: clinical profile, MRI, and histopathology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campos, Alexandre R.; Clusmann, Hans; Lehe, Marec von; Schramm, Johannes [University of Bonn Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Bonn (Germany); Niehusmann, Pitt; Becker, Albert J. [University of Bonn Medical Center, Department of Neuropathology, Bonn (Germany); Urbach, Horst [University of Bonn Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Bonn (Germany)

    2009-07-15

    Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs) are long-term epilepsy associated tumors subdivided into simple and complex variants. The purpose of this study was to relate different DNT components identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to histopathological features and to test the hypothesis that glial nodules as a histopathological feature of complex variants induce an occasional glioma misdiagnosis. Clinical, MRI, and histopathologic features of DNTs operated between 1988 and 2008 were reviewed. From a total of 61 DNTs, 48 simple and 13 complex variants were identified. Multiple or single pseudocysts in a cortical/subcortical location with small cysts sometimes separated from the tumor represented the glioneuronal element and were found in all DNTs. FLAIR hyperintense tissue was found between pseudocysts but - in neocortical DNTs - also circumscript in deeper tumor parts. Calcification and hemorrhages in this location occurred in four of 13 complex variants, and one of these patients was also the only one with tumor growth. Patients with complex variants had earlier seizure onset, and complex variants were more often located outside the temporal lobe. Although complex variants represented a higher diagnostic challenge, misdiagnoses also occurred in simple variants. One of five of DNTs showed contrast enhancement, which varied on follow-up studies with enhancing parts becoming nonenhancing and vice versa. The glioneuronal element is readily identifiable on MRI and should be considered to support the DNT diagnosis. Complex DNT variants have a different clinical profile and a more variable histopathological and MRI appearance; however, misdiagnoses occasionally also occur in simple variants. (orig.)

  9. New genetic variants of LATS1 detected in urinary bladder and colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saadeldin, Mona K; Shawer, Heba; Mostafa, Ahmed; Kassem, Neemat M; Amleh, Asma; Siam, Rania

    2014-01-01

    LATS1, the large tumor suppressor 1 gene, encodes for a serine/threonine kinase protein and is implicated in cell cycle progression. LATS1 is down-regulated in various human cancers, such as breast cancer, and astrocytoma. Point mutations in LATS1 were reported in human sarcomas. Additionally, loss of heterozygosity of LATS1 chromosomal region predisposes to breast, ovarian, and cervical tumors. In the current study, we investigated LATS1 genetic variations including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in 28 Egyptian patients with either urinary bladder or colon cancers. The LATS1 gene was amplified and sequenced and the expression of LATS1 at the RNA level was assessed in 12 urinary bladder cancer samples. We report, the identification of a total of 29 variants including previously identified SNPs within LATS1 coding and non-coding sequences. A total of 18 variants were novel. Majority of the novel variants, 13, were mapped to intronic sequences and un-translated regions of the gene. Four of the five novel variants located in the coding region of the gene, represented missense mutations within the serine/threonine kinase catalytic domain. Interestingly, LATS1 RNA steady state levels was lost in urinary bladder cancerous tissue harboring four specific SNPs (16045 + 41736 + 34614 + 56177) positioned in the 5'UTR, intron 6, and two silent mutations within exon 4 and exon 8, respectively. This study identifies novel single-base-sequence alterations in the LATS1 gene. These newly identified variants could potentially be used as novel diagnostic or prognostic tools in cancer.

  10. Pooled Sequencing of 531 Genes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Identifies an Associated Rare Variant in BTNL2 and Implicates Other Immune Related Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prescott, Natalie J.; Lehne, Benjamin; Stone, Kristina; Lee, James C.; Taylor, Kirstin; Knight, Jo; Papouli, Efterpi; Mirza, Muddassar M.; Simpson, Michael A.; Spain, Sarah L.; Lu, Grace; Fraternali, Franca; Bumpstead, Suzannah J.; Gray, Emma; Amar, Ariella; Bye, Hannah; Green, Peter; Chung-Faye, Guy; Hayee, Bu’Hussain; Pollok, Richard; Satsangi, Jack; Parkes, Miles; Barrett, Jeffrey C.; Mansfield, John C.; Sanderson, Jeremy; Lewis, Cathryn M.; Weale, Michael E.; Schlitt, Thomas; Mathew, Christopher G.

    2015-01-01

    The contribution of rare coding sequence variants to genetic susceptibility in complex disorders is an important but unresolved question. Most studies thus far have investigated a limited number of genes from regions which contain common disease associated variants. Here we investigate this in inflammatory bowel disease by sequencing the exons and proximal promoters of 531 genes selected from both genome-wide association studies and pathway analysis in pooled DNA panels from 474 cases of Crohn’s disease and 480 controls. 80 variants with evidence of association in the sequencing experiment or with potential functional significance were selected for follow up genotyping in 6,507 IBD cases and 3,064 population controls. The top 5 disease associated variants were genotyped in an extension panel of 3,662 IBD cases and 3,639 controls, and tested for association in a combined analysis of 10,147 IBD cases and 7,008 controls. A rare coding variant p.G454C in the BTNL2 gene within the major histocompatibility complex was significantly associated with increased risk for IBD (p = 9.65x10−10, OR = 2.3[95% CI = 1.75–3.04]), but was independent of the known common associated CD and UC variants at this locus. Rare (T) or decreased risk (IL12B p.V298F, and NICN p.H191R) of IBD. These results provide additional insights into the involvement of the inhibition of T cell activation in the development of both sub-phenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease. We suggest that although rare coding variants may make a modest overall contribution to complex disease susceptibility, they can inform our understanding of the molecular pathways that contribute to pathogenesis. PMID:25671699

  11. Social Self-Efficacy, Academic Locus of Control, and Internet Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iskender, Murat; Akin, Ahmet

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship of internet addiction, social self-efficacy, and academic locus of control. Participants were 311 university students who completed a questionnaire package that included the Online Cognition Scale, the Academic Locus of Control Scale, and the Perceived Social Self-efficacy Scale. The…

  12. Germline Variants in Targeted Tumor Sequencing Using Matched Normal DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrader, Kasmintan A; Cheng, Donavan T; Joseph, Vijai; Prasad, Meera; Walsh, Michael; Zehir, Ahmet; Ni, Ai; Thomas, Tinu; Benayed, Ryma; Ashraf, Asad; Lincoln, Annie; Arcila, Maria; Stadler, Zsofia; Solit, David; Hyman, David M; Hyman, David; Zhang, Liying; Klimstra, David; Ladanyi, Marc; Offit, Kenneth; Berger, Michael; Robson, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Tumor genetic sequencing identifies potentially targetable genetic alterations with therapeutic implications. Analysis has concentrated on detecting tumor-specific variants, but recognition of germline variants may prove valuable as well. To estimate the burden of germline variants identified through routine clinical tumor sequencing. Patients with advanced cancer diagnoses eligible for studies of targeted agents at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are offered tumor-normal sequencing with MSK-IMPACT, a 341-gene panel. We surveyed the germline variants seen in 187 overlapping genes with Mendelian disease associations in 1566 patients who had undergone tumor profiling between March and October 2014. The number of presumed pathogenic germline variants (PPGVs) and variants of uncertain significance per person in 187 genes associated with single-gene disorders and the proportions of individuals with PPGVs in clinically relevant gene subsets, in genes consistent with known tumor phenotypes, and in genes with evidence of second somatic hits in their tumors. The mean age of the 1566 patients was 58 years, and 54% were women. Presumed pathogenic germline variants in known Mendelian disease-associated genes were identified in 246 of 1566 patients (15.7%; 95% CI, 14.0%-17.6%), including 198 individuals with mutations in genes associated with cancer susceptibility. Germline findings in cancer susceptibility genes were concordant with the individual's cancer type in only 81 of 198 cases (40.9%; 95% CI, 34.3%-47.9%). In individuals with PPGVs retained in the tumor, somatic alteration of the other allele was seen in 39 of 182 cases (21.4%; 95% CI, 16.1%-28.0%), of which 13 cases did not show a known correlation of the germline mutation and a known syndrome. Mutations in non-cancer-related Mendelian disease genes were seen in 55 of 1566 cases (3.5%; 95% CI, 27.1%-45.4%). Almost every individual had more than 1 variant of uncertain significance (1565 of 1566 patients; 99

  13. Rank-based characterization of pollen assemblages collected by honey bees using a multi-locus metabarcoding approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Rodney T; Lin, Chia-Hua; Quijia, Juan O; Riusech, Natalia S; Goodell, Karen; Johnson, Reed M

    2015-11-01

    Difficulties inherent in microscopic pollen identification have resulted in limited implementation for large-scale studies. Metabarcoding, a relatively novel approach, could make pollen analysis less onerous; however, improved understanding of the quantitative capacity of various plant metabarcode regions and primer sets is needed to ensure that such applications are accurate and precise. We applied metabarcoding, targeting the ITS2, matK, and rbcL loci, to characterize six samples of pollen collected by honey bees, Apis mellifera. Additionally, samples were analyzed by light microscopy. We found significant rank-based associations between the relative abundance of pollen types within our samples as inferred by the two methods. Our findings suggest metabarcoding data from plastid loci, as opposed to the ribosomal locus, are more reliable for quantitative characterization of pollen assemblages. Furthermore, multilocus metabarcoding of pollen may be more reliable than single-locus analyses, underscoring the need for discovering novel barcodes and barcode combinations optimized for molecular palynology.

  14. Mutation at the Human D1S80 Minisatellite Locus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuppareddi Balamurugan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the general biology of minisatellites. The purpose of this study is to examine repeat mutations from the D1S80 minisatellite locus by sequence analysis to elucidate the mutational process at this locus. This is a highly polymorphic minisatellite locus, located in the subtelomeric region of chromosome 1. We have analyzed 90,000 human germline transmission events and found seven (7 mutations at this locus. The D1S80 alleles of the parentage trio, the child, mother, and the alleged father were sequenced and the origin of the mutation was determined. Using American Association of Blood Banks (AABB guidelines, we found a male mutation rate of 1.04×10-4 and a female mutation rate of 5.18×10-5 with an overall mutation rate of approximately 7.77×10-5. Also, in this study, we found that the identified mutations are in close proximity to the center of the repeat array rather than at the ends of the repeat array. Several studies have examined the mutational mechanisms of the minisatellites according to infinite allele model (IAM and the one-step stepwise mutation model (SMM. In this study, we found that this locus fits into the one-step mutation model (SMM mechanism in six out of seven instances similar to STR loci.

  15. Altered endoribonuclease activity of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 variants identified in the human population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan Cheol Kim

    Full Text Available Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1 is the major mammalian enzyme in the DNA base excision repair pathway and cleaves the DNA phosphodiester backbone immediately 5' to abasic sites. APE1 also has 3'-5' DNA exonuclease and 3' DNA phosphodiesterase activities, and regulates transcription factor DNA binding through its redox regulatory function. The human APE1 has recently been shown to endonucleolytically cleave single-stranded regions of RNA. Towards understanding the biological significance of the endoribonuclease activity of APE1, we examined eight different amino acid substitution variants of APE1 previously identified in the human population. Our study shows that six APE1 variants, D148E, Q51H, I64V, G241R, R237A, and G306A, exhibit a 76-85% reduction in endoribonuclease activity against a specific coding region of the c-myc RNA, yet fully retain the ability to cleave apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA. We found that two APE1 variants, L104R and E126D, exhibit a unique RNase inhibitor-resistant endoribonuclease activity, where the proteins cleave c-myc RNA 3' of specific single-stranded guanosine residues. Expression of L104R and E126D APE1 variants in bacterial Origami cells leads to a 60-80% reduction in colony formation and a 1.5-fold increase in cell doubling time, whereas the other variants, which exhibit diminished endoribonuclease activity, had no effect. These data indicate that two human APE1 variants exhibit a unique endoribonuclease activity, which correlates with their ability to induce cytotoxicity or slow down growth in bacterial cells and supports the notion of their biological functionality.

  16. EVI1 activation in blast crisis CML due to juxtaposition to the rare 17q22 partner region as part of a 4-way variant translocation t(9;22

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verhasselt Bruno

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Variant translocations t(9;22 occur in 5 to 10% of newly diagnosed CMLs and additional genetic changes are present in 60–80% of patients in blast crisis (BC. Here, we report on a CML patient in blast crisis presenting with a four-way variant t(9;22 rearrangement involving the EVI1 locus. Methods Dual-colour Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation was performed to unravel the different cytogenetic aberrations. Expression levels of EVI1 and BCR/ABL1 were investigated using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Results In this paper we identified a patient with a complex 4-way t(3;9;17;22 which, in addition to BCR/ABL1 gene fusion, also resulted in EVI1 rearrangement and overexpression. Conclusion This report illustrates how a variant t(9;22 translocation can specifically target a second oncogene most likely contributing to the more aggressive phenotype of the disease. Molecular analysis of such variants is thus warranted to understand the phenotypic consequences and to open the way for combined molecular therapies in order to tackle the secondary oncogenic effect which is unresponsive to imatinib treatment.

  17. Combinations of genetic variants associated with bipolar disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mellerup, Erling; Andreassen, Ole A; Bennike, Bente

    2017-01-01

    The main objective of the study was to find genetic variants that in combination are significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In previous studies of bipolar disorder, combinations of three and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes taken from 803 SNPs were analyzed, and five...... clusters of combinations were found to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In the present study, combinations of ten SNP genotypes taken from the same 803 SNPs were analyzed, and one cluster of combinations was found to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. Combinations from......, heterozygote or variant homozygote. In the combinations containing 10 SNP genotypes almost all the genotypes were the normal homozygote. Such a finding may indicate that accumulation in the genome of combinations containing few SNP genotypes may be a risk factor for bipolar disorder when those combinations...

  18. New polymorphisms within the variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) 7 locus of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawzy, Ahmad; Zschöck, Michael; Ewers, Christa; Eisenberg, Tobias

    2016-06-01

    Variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) is a frequently employed typing method of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) isolates. Based on whole genome sequencing in a previous study, allelic diversity at some VNTR loci seems to over- or under-estimate the actual phylogenetic variance among isolates. Interestingly, two closely related isolates on one farm showed polymorphism at the VNTR 7 locus, raising concerns about the misleading role that it might play in genotyping. We aimed to investigate the underlying basis of VNTR 7-polymorphism by analyzing sequence data for published genomes and field isolates of MAP and other M. avium complex (MAC) members. In contrast to MAP strains from cattle, strains from sheep displayed an "imperfect" repeat within VNTR 7, which was identical to respective allele types in other MAC genomes. Subspecies- and strain-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two novel (16 and 56 bp) repeats were detected. Given the combination of the three existing repeats, there are at least five different patterns for VNTR 7. The present findings highlight a higher polymorphism and probable instability of VNTR 7 locus that needs to be considered and challenged in future studies. Until then, sequencing of this locus in future studies is important to correctly assign the underlying allele types.(1). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Composición del locus de control en dos ciudades latinoamericanas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesús Francisco Laborín Álvarez

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available El locus de control es un rasgo de personalidad vinculado con la atribución que hacen los individuos acerca de sus éxitos y fracasos. Los estudios en diferentes naciones y sociedades han demostrado que existen características generales y particulares respecto a la percepción de control y donde la cultura juega un papel importante. Se partió del objetivo de conocer la composición factorial del locus de control en dos poblaciones, Hermosillo, Sonora (México (n=600 y João Pessoa, Paraíba (Brasil (n=600; y establecer las diferencias en cuanto a dicho constructo en ambas poblaciones con respecto a las variables atributivas: edad, escolaridad, ocupación y ciudad. Los resultados revelan tres dimensiones comunes a las dos poblaciones: locus de control interno, locus de control afiliativo y locus de control externo. Los datos en general hacen ver que las muestras poblacionales de las ciudades hacen juicios de control en relación a los esfuerzos y el trabajo personal, en la afiliación a colectivos y grupos de interés como los fundamentos de explicación para éxitos y fracasos.

  20. Comparison of gene-based rare variant association mapping methods for quantitative traits in a bovine population with complex familial relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qianqian; Guldbrandtsen, Bernt; Calus, Mario P L; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Sahana, Goutam

    2016-08-17

    There is growing interest in the role of rare variants in the variation of complex traits due to increasing evidence that rare variants are associated with quantitative traits. However, association methods that are commonly used for mapping common variants are not effective to map rare variants. Besides, livestock populations have large half-sib families and the occurrence of rare variants may be confounded with family structure, which makes it difficult to disentangle their effects from family mean effects. We compared the power of methods that are commonly applied in human genetics to map rare variants in cattle using whole-genome sequence data and simulated phenotypes. We also studied the power of mapping rare variants using linear mixed models (LMM), which are the method of choice to account for both family relationships and population structure in cattle. We observed that the power of the LMM approach was low for mapping a rare variant (defined as those that have frequencies lower than 0.01) with a moderate effect (5 to 8 % of phenotypic variance explained by multiple rare variants that vary from 5 to 21 in number) contributing to a QTL with a sample size of 1000. In contrast, across the scenarios studied, statistical methods that are specialized for mapping rare variants increased power regardless of whether multiple rare variants or a single rare variant underlie a QTL. Different methods for combining rare variants in the test single nucleotide polymorphism set resulted in similar power irrespective of the proportion of total genetic variance explained by the QTL. However, when the QTL variance is very small (only 0.1 % of the total genetic variance), these specialized methods for mapping rare variants and LMM generally had no power to map the variants within a gene with sample sizes of 1000 or 5000. We observed that the methods that combine multiple rare variants within a gene into a meta-variant generally had greater power to map rare variants compared

  1. A Chromosome 7 Pericentric Inversion Defined at Single-Nucleotide Resolution Using Diagnostic Whole Genome Sequencing in a Patient with Hand-Foot-Genital Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Christopher M; Crinnion, Laura A; Harrison, Sally M; Lascelles, Carolina; Antanaviciute, Agne; Carr, Ian M; Bonthron, David T; Sheridan, Eamonn

    2016-01-01

    Next generation sequencing methodologies are facilitating the rapid characterisation of novel structural variants at nucleotide resolution. These approaches are particularly applicable to variants initially identified using alternative molecular methods. We report a child born with bilateral postaxial syndactyly of the feet and bilateral fifth finger clinodactyly. This was presumed to be an autosomal recessive syndrome, due to the family history of consanguinity. Karyotype analysis revealed a homozygous pericentric inversion of chromosome 7 (46,XX,inv(7)(p15q21)x2) which was confirmed to be heterozygous in both unaffected parents. Since the resolution of the karyotype was insufficient to identify any putatively causative gene, we undertook medium-coverage whole genome sequencing using paired-end reads, in order to elucidate the molecular breakpoints. In a two-step analysis, we first narrowed down the region by identifying discordant read-pairs, and then determined the precise molecular breakpoint by analysing the mapping locations of "soft-clipped" breakpoint-spanning reads. PCR and Sanger sequencing confirmed the identified breakpoints, both of which were located in intergenic regions. Significantly, the 7p15 breakpoint was located 523 kb upstream of HOXA13, the locus for hand-foot-genital syndrome. By inference from studies of HOXA locus control in the mouse, we suggest that the inversion has delocalised a HOXA13 enhancer to produce the phenotype observed in our patient. This study demonstrates how modern genetic diagnostic approach can characterise structural variants at nucleotide resolution and provide potential insights into functional regulation.

  2. [Analysis of allele dropout at TH01 locus in paternity testing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Li; Shen, Xiao-li; Xue, Shi-jie; Hu, Jie

    2013-10-01

    To analyze allele dropout at TH01 locus in paternity testing in order to determine the accurate genotype. To use a two STR loci genotyping system to verify an abnormal genotype for the TH01 locus with PCR using specific primers, cloning and DNA sequencing. A rare allele at TH01 locus named 5.2, which was undetectable with PowerPlex 21 system, was detected with an Identifiler system. Genetic variations may result in rare alleles and loci loss. To avoid misjudgment, laboratories should have a variety of methods for detecting loci loss.

  3. Identification of Inherited Retinal Disease-Associated Genetic Variants in 11 Candidate Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astuti, Galuh D N; van den Born, L Ingeborgh; Khan, M Imran; Hamel, Christian P; Bocquet, Béatrice; Manes, Gaël; Quinodoz, Mathieu; Ali, Manir; Toomes, Carmel; McKibbin, Martin; El-Asrag, Mohammed E; Haer-Wigman, Lonneke; Inglehearn, Chris F; Black, Graeme C M; Hoyng, Carel B; Cremers, Frans P M; Roosing, Susanne

    2018-01-10

    Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) display an enormous genetic heterogeneity. Whole exome sequencing (WES) recently identified genes that were mutated in a small proportion of IRD cases. Consequently, finding a second case or family carrying pathogenic variants in the same candidate gene often is challenging. In this study, we searched for novel candidate IRD gene-associated variants in isolated IRD families, assessed their causality, and searched for novel genotype-phenotype correlations. Whole exome sequencing was performed in 11 probands affected with IRDs. Homozygosity mapping data was available for five cases. Variants with minor allele frequencies ≤ 0.5% in public databases were selected as candidate disease-causing variants. These variants were ranked based on their: (a) presence in a gene that was previously implicated in IRD; (b) minor allele frequency in the Exome Aggregation Consortium database (ExAC); (c) in silico pathogenicity assessment using the combined annotation dependent depletion (CADD) score; and (d) interaction of the corresponding protein with known IRD-associated proteins. Twelve unique variants were found in 11 different genes in 11 IRD probands. Novel autosomal recessive and dominant inheritance patterns were found for variants in Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein U5 Subunit 200 ( SNRNP200 ) and Zinc Finger Protein 513 ( ZNF513 ), respectively. Using our pathogenicity assessment, a variant in DEAH-Box Helicase 32 ( DHX32 ) was the top ranked novel candidate gene to be associated with IRDs, followed by eight medium and lower ranked candidate genes. The identification of candidate disease-associated sequence variants in 11 single families underscores the notion that the previously identified IRD-associated genes collectively carry > 90% of the defects implicated in IRDs. To identify multiple patients or families with variants in the same gene and thereby provide extra proof for pathogenicity, worldwide data sharing is needed.

  4. Variants in linkage disequilibrium with the late cornified envelope gene cluster deletion are associated with susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Bowes, John

    2010-12-01

    A common deletion mapping to the psoriasis susceptibility locus 4 on chromosome 1q21, encompassing two genes of the late cornified envelope (LCE) gene cluster, has been associated with an increased risk of psoriasis vulgaris (PsV). One previous report found no association of the deletion with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), suggesting it may be a specific risk factor for PsV. Given the genetic overlap between PsA and PsV, a study was undertaken to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping to this locus are risk factors for PsA in a UK and Irish population.

  5. Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum Cyclic Amine Resistance Locus (PfCARL Confer Multidrug Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory LaMonte

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum cyclic amine resistance locus (PfCARL are associated with parasite resistance to the imidazolopiperazines, a potent class of novel antimalarial compounds that display both prophylactic and transmission-blocking activity, in addition to activity against blood-stage parasites. Here, we show that pfcarl encodes a protein, with a predicted molecular weight of 153 kDa, that localizes to the cis-Golgi apparatus of the parasite in both asexual and sexual blood stages. Utilizing clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-mediated gene introduction of 5 variants (L830V, S1076N/I, V1103L, and I1139K, we demonstrate that mutations in pfcarl are sufficient to generate resistance against the imidazolopiperazines in both asexual and sexual blood-stage parasites. We further determined that the mutant PfCARL protein confers resistance to several structurally unrelated compounds. These data suggest that PfCARL modulates the levels of small-molecule inhibitors that affect Golgi-related processes, such as protein sorting or membrane trafficking, and is therefore an important mechanism of resistance in malaria parasites.

  6. Pan-cancer analysis reveals technical artifacts in TCGA germline variant calls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckley, Alexandra R; Standish, Kristopher A; Bhutani, Kunal; Ideker, Trey; Lasken, Roger S; Carter, Hannah; Harismendy, Olivier; Schork, Nicholas J

    2017-06-12

    Cancer research to date has largely focused on somatically acquired genetic aberrations. In contrast, the degree to which germline, or inherited, variation contributes to tumorigenesis remains unclear, possibly due to a lack of accessible germline variant data. Here we called germline variants on 9618 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database representing 31 cancer types. We identified batch effects affecting loss of function (LOF) variant calls that can be traced back to differences in the way the sequence data were generated both within and across cancer types. Overall, LOF indel calls were more sensitive to technical artifacts than LOF Single Nucleotide Variant (SNV) calls. In particular, whole genome amplification of DNA prior to sequencing led to an artificially increased burden of LOF indel calls, which confounded association analyses relating germline variants to tumor type despite stringent indel filtering strategies. The samples affected by these technical artifacts include all acute myeloid leukemia and practically all ovarian cancer samples. We demonstrate how technical artifacts induced by whole genome amplification of DNA can lead to false positive germline-tumor type associations and suggest TCGA whole genome amplified samples be used with caution. This study draws attention to the need to be sensitive to problems associated with a lack of uniformity in data generation in TCGA data.

  7. Computing Relative Free Energies of Solvation using Single Reference Thermodynamic Integration Augmented with Hamiltonian Replica Exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khavrutskii, Ilja V; Wallqvist, Anders

    2010-11-09

    This paper introduces an efficient single-topology variant of Thermodynamic Integration (TI) for computing relative transformation free energies in a series of molecules with respect to a single reference state. The presented TI variant that we refer to as Single-Reference TI (SR-TI) combines well-established molecular simulation methodologies into a practical computational tool. Augmented with Hamiltonian Replica Exchange (HREX), the SR-TI variant can deliver enhanced sampling in select degrees of freedom. The utility of the SR-TI variant is demonstrated in calculations of relative solvation free energies for a series of benzene derivatives with increasing complexity. Noteworthy, the SR-TI variant with the HREX option provides converged results in a challenging case of an amide molecule with a high (13-15 kcal/mol) barrier for internal cis/trans interconversion using simulation times of only 1 to 4 ns.

  8. Metacognition: As a Predictor of One's Academic Locus of Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arslan, Serhat; Akin, Ahmet

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of metacognition on one's academic locus of control. The study's sample group consists of 451 university students enrolled in various programs at Sakarya University, Turkey. In this study, the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and the Academic Locus of Control Scale were used. The correlations and…

  9. Unraveling of the polymorphic C lambda 2-C lambda 3 amplification and the Ke+Oz- polymorphism in the human Ig lambda locus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. van der Burg (Mirjam); B.H. Barendregt (Barbara); E.J. van Gastel-Mol (Ellen); T. Tümkaya (Talip); A.W. Langerak (Anton); J.J.M. van Dongen (Jacques)

    2002-01-01

    textabstractTwo polymorphisms of the human Ig(lambda) (IGL) locus have been described. The first polymorphism concerns a single, 2- or 3-fold amplification of 5.4 kb of DNA in the C(lambda)2-C(lambda)3 region. The second polymorphism is the Mcg(-)Ke(+)Oz(-) isotype, which has

  10. Estimating the contribution of genetic variants to difference in incidence of disease between population groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moonesinghe, Ramal; Ioannidis, John PA; Flanders, W Dana; Yang, Quanhe; Truman, Benedict I; Khoury, Muin J

    2012-01-01

    Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic susceptibility variants to several complex human diseases. However, risk-genotype frequency at loci showing robust associations might differ substantially among different populations. In this paper, we present methods to assess the contribution of genetic variants to the difference in the incidence of disease between different population groups for different scenarios. We derive expressions for the contribution of a single genetic variant, multiple genetic variants, and the contribution of the joint effect of a genetic variant and an environmental factor to the difference in the incidence of disease. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence increases with increasing difference in risk-genotype frequency, but declines with increasing difference in incidence between the two populations. The contribution of genetic variants also increases with increasing relative risk and the contribution of joint effect of genetic and environmental factors increases with increasing relative risk of the gene–environmental interaction. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence between two populations can be expressed as a function of the population attributable risks of the genetic variants in the two populations. The contribution of a group of genetic variants to the disparity in incidence of disease could change considerably by adding one more genetic variant to the group. Any estimate of genetic contribution to the disparity in incidence of disease between two populations at this stage seems to be an elusive goal. PMID:22333905

  11. Estimating the contribution of genetic variants to difference in incidence of disease between population groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moonesinghe, Ramal; Ioannidis, John P A; Flanders, W Dana; Yang, Quanhe; Truman, Benedict I; Khoury, Muin J

    2012-08-01

    Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic susceptibility variants to several complex human diseases. However, risk-genotype frequency at loci showing robust associations might differ substantially among different populations. In this paper, we present methods to assess the contribution of genetic variants to the difference in the incidence of disease between different population groups for different scenarios. We derive expressions for the contribution of a single genetic variant, multiple genetic variants, and the contribution of the joint effect of a genetic variant and an environmental factor to the difference in the incidence of disease. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence increases with increasing difference in risk-genotype frequency, but declines with increasing difference in incidence between the two populations. The contribution of genetic variants also increases with increasing relative risk and the contribution of joint effect of genetic and environmental factors increases with increasing relative risk of the gene-environmental interaction. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence between two populations can be expressed as a function of the population attributable risks of the genetic variants in the two populations. The contribution of a group of genetic variants to the disparity in incidence of disease could change considerably by adding one more genetic variant to the group. Any estimate of genetic contribution to the disparity in incidence of disease between two populations at this stage seems to be an elusive goal.

  12. Linkage analysis in a family with Stickler syndrome leads to the exclusion of the COL2A1 locus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mottes, M.; Zolezzi, F.; Pignatti, P.F. [Univ. of Verona (Italy)

    1994-09-01

    Hereditary arthro-ophtalmopathy (AO) or Stickler Syndrome (MIM No. 10830) is a dominantly inherited disorder characterized by vitro-retinal degeneration and other connective tissue disturbances. Mutations in the COL2A1 gene, coding for type II collagen chains, have been described in a few patients. The wide spectrum of clinical manifestations is presumably due to genetic heterogeneity, since only about 50% of the Stickler families so far studied show cosegregation of the disease with the COL2A1 locus. We have investigated a large pedigree (19 individuals of whom 9 are affected) in which severe myopia with vitro-retinal degeneration consegregated with joint laxity, recurrent inguinal hernias, and degenerative changes of the hip and the knee. The 3{prime} end COL2A1 VNTR polymorphism was utilized for linkage analysis. In order to get the maximum informativity, we have analyzed the allelic microheterogeneity of this VNTR, due to the repeat sequence variation, by means of a single strand polymorphism. Mendelian inheritance of the different single strands was observed as expected. Discordance of segregation between the disease and the COL2A1 locus was thus established inequivocally in this family.

  13. Variants in TTC25 affect autistic trait in patients with autism spectrum disorder and general population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vojinovic, Dina; Brison, Nathalie; Ahmad, Shahzad; Noens, Ilse; Pappa, Irene; Karssen, Lennart C; Tiemeier, Henning; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Peeters, Hilde; Amin, Najaf

    2017-08-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic architecture. To identify genetic variants underlying ASD, we performed single-variant and gene-based genome-wide association studies using a dense genotyping array containing over 2.3 million single-nucleotide variants in a discovery sample of 160 families with at least one child affected with non-syndromic ASD using a binary (ASD yes/no) phenotype and a quantitative autistic trait. Replication of the top findings was performed in Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and Erasmus Rucphen Family (ERF) cohort study. Significant association of quantitative autistic trait was observed with the TTC25 gene at 17q21.2 (effect size=10.2, P-value=3.4 × 10 -7 ) in the gene-based analysis. The gene also showed nominally significant association in the cohort-based ERF study (effect=1.75, P-value=0.05). Meta-analysis of discovery and replication improved the association signal (P-value meta =1.5 × 10 -8 ). No genome-wide significant signal was observed in the single-variant analysis of either the binary ASD phenotype or the quantitative autistic trait. Our study has identified a novel gene TTC25 to be associated with quantitative autistic trait in patients with ASD. The replication of association in a cohort-based study and the effect estimate suggest that variants in TTC25 may also be relevant for broader ASD phenotype in the general population. TTC25 is overexpressed in frontal cortex and testis and is known to be involved in cilium movement and thus an interesting candidate gene for autistic trait.

  14. How Multidimensional Health Locus of Control predicts utilization of emergency and inpatient hospital services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mautner, Dawn; Peterson, Bridget; Cunningham, Amy; Ku, Bon; Scott, Kevin; LaNoue, Marianna

    2017-03-01

    Health locus of control may be an important predictor of health care utilization. We analyzed associations between health locus of control and frequency of emergency department visits and hospital admissions, and investigated self-rated health as a potential mediator. Overall, 863 patients in an urban emergency department completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control instrument, and self-reported emergency department use and hospital admissions in the last year. We found small but significant associations between Multidimensional Health Locus of Control and utilization, all of which were mediated by self-rated health. We conclude that interventions to shift health locus of control may change patients' perceptions of their own health, thereby impacting utilization.

  15. Effects of genetic variants previously associated with fasting glucose and insulin in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose C Florez

    Full Text Available Common genetic variants have been recently associated with fasting glucose and insulin levels in white populations. Whether these associations replicate in pre-diabetes is not known. We extended these findings to the Diabetes Prevention Program, a clinical trial in which participants at high risk for diabetes were randomized to placebo, lifestyle modification or metformin for diabetes prevention. We genotyped previously reported polymorphisms (or their proxies in/near G6PC2, MTNR1B, GCK, DGKB, GCKR, ADCY5, MADD, CRY2, ADRA2A, FADS1, PROX1, SLC2A2, GLIS3, C2CD4B, IGF1, and IRS1 in 3,548 Diabetes Prevention Program participants. We analyzed variants for association with baseline glycemic traits, incident diabetes and their interaction with response to metformin or lifestyle intervention. We replicated associations with fasting glucose at MTNR1B (P<0.001, G6PC2 (P = 0.002 and GCKR (P = 0.001. We noted impaired β-cell function in carriers of glucose-raising alleles at MTNR1B (P<0.001, and an increase in the insulinogenic index for the glucose-raising allele at G6PC2 (P<0.001. The association of MTNR1B with fasting glucose and impaired β-cell function persisted at 1 year despite adjustment for the baseline trait, indicating a sustained deleterious effect at this locus. We also replicated the association of MADD with fasting proinsulin levels (P<0.001. We detected no significant impact of these variants on diabetes incidence or interaction with preventive interventions. The association of several polymorphisms with quantitative glycemic traits is replicated in a cohort of high-risk persons. These variants do not have a detectable impact on diabetes incidence or response to metformin or lifestyle modification in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

  16. Mutations in LOXHD1, a Recessive-Deafness Locus, Cause Dominant Late-Onset Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riazuddin, S. Amer; Parker, David S.; McGlumphy, Elyse J.; Oh, Edwin C.; Iliff, Benjamin W.; Schmedt, Thore; Jurkunas, Ula; Schleif, Robert; Katsanis, Nicholas; Gottsch, John D.

    2012-01-01

    Fuchs corneal dystrophy (FCD) is a genetic disorder of the corneal endothelium and is the most common cause of corneal transplantation in the United States. Previously, we mapped a late-onset FCD locus, FCD2, on chromosome 18q. Here, we present next-generation sequencing of all coding exons in the FCD2 critical interval in a multigenerational pedigree in which FCD segregates as an autosomal-dominant trait. We identified a missense change in LOXHD1, a gene causing progressive hearing loss in humans, as the sole variant capable of explaining the phenotype in this pedigree. We observed LOXHD1 mRNA in cultured human corneal endothelial cells, whereas antibody staining of both human and mouse corneas showed staining in the corneal epithelium and endothelium. Corneal sections of the original proband were stained for LOXHD1 and demonstrated a distinct increase in antibody punctate staining in the endothelium and Descemet membrane; punctate staining was absent from both normal corneas and FCD corneas negative for causal LOXHD1 mutations. Subsequent interrogation of a cohort of >200 sporadic affected individuals identified another 15 heterozygous missense mutations that were absent from >800 control chromosomes. Furthermore, in silico analyses predicted that these mutations reside on the surface of the protein and are likely to affect the protein's interface and protein-protein interactions. Finally, expression of the familial LOXHD1 mutant allele as well as two sporadic mutations in cells revealed prominent cytoplasmic aggregates reminiscent of the corneal phenotype. All together, our data implicate rare alleles in LOXHD1 in the pathogenesis of FCD and highlight how different mutations in the same locus can potentially produce diverse phenotypes. PMID:22341973

  17. The impact of single-gender classrooms on science achievement of middle school gifted girls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulkins, David S.

    Studies indicate a gap in science achievement and positive attitudes towards science between gifted male and female students with females performing less than the males. This study investigated the impact of a single-gender classroom environment as opposed to a mixed-gender classroom, on motivation, locus of control, self-concept, and science achievement of middle school gifted girls. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), Review of Personal Effectiveness with Locus of Control (ROPELOC), Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA), and Stanford Achievement Test 10th Edition, were used to measure the dependent variables respectively. The independent-measure t test was used to compare the differences between girls in a single-gender classroom with the ones in a mixed-gender classroom. A significant difference in the external locus of control resulted for girls in the single gender classroom. However, there were no significant differences found in science achievement, motivation, and the attitudes toward science between the two groups. The implication is that a single-gender learning environment and the use of differentiated teaching strategies can help lessen the negative effects of societal stereotypes in today's classrooms. These, along with being cognizant of the differences in learning styles of girls and their male counterparts, will result in a greater level of success for gifted females in the area of science education.

  18. Molecular Mapping of PMR1, a Novel Locus Conferring Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Pepper (Capsicum annuum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jo, Jinkwan; Venkatesh, Jelli; Han, Koeun; Lee, Hea-Young; Choi, Gyung Ja; Lee, Hee Jae; Choi, Doil; Kang, Byoung-Cheorl

    2017-01-01

    Powdery mildew, caused by Leveillula taurica , is a major fungal disease affecting greenhouse-grown pepper ( Capsicum annuum ). Powdery mildew resistance has a complex mode of inheritance. In the present study, we investigated a novel powdery mildew resistance locus, PMR1 , using two mapping populations: 102 'VK515' F 2:3 families (derived from a cross between resistant parental line 'VK515R' and susceptible parental line 'VK515S') and 80 'PM Singang' F 2 plants (derived from the F 1 'PM Singang' commercial hybrid). Genetic analysis of the F 2:3 'VK515' and F 2 'PM Singang' populations revealed a single dominant locus for inheritance of the powdery mildew resistance trait. Genetic mapping showed that the PMR1 locus is located on syntenic regions of pepper chromosome 4 in a 4-Mb region between markers CZ2_11628 and HRM4.1.6 in 'VK515R'. Six molecular markers including one SCAR marker and five SNP markers were localized to a region 0 cM from the PMR1 locus. Two putative nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR)-type disease resistance genes were identified in this PMR1 region. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and genetic mapping analysis revealed suppressed recombination in the PMR1 region, perhaps due to alien introgression. In addition, a comparison of species-specific InDel markers as well as GBS-derived SNP markers indicated that C. baccatum represents a possible source of such alien introgression of powdery mildew resistance into 'VK515R'. The molecular markers developed in this study will be especially helpful for marker-assisted selection in pepper breeding programs for powdery mildew resistance.

  19. Improving accuracy of rare variant imputation with a two-step imputation approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kreiner-Møller, Eskil; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Uitterlinden, André G

    2015-01-01

    not being comprehensively scrutinized. Next-generation arrays ensuring sufficient coverage together with new reference panels, as the 1000 Genomes panel, are emerging to facilitate imputation of low frequent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (minor allele frequency (MAF) ... reference sample genotyped on a dense array and hereafter to the 1000 Genomes reference panel. We show that mean imputation quality, measured by the r(2) using this approach, increases by 28% for variants with a MAF between 1 and 5% as compared with direct imputation to 1000 Genomes reference. Similarly......Genotype imputation has been the pillar of the success of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for identifying common variants associated with common diseases. However, most GWAS have been run using only 60 HapMap samples as reference for imputation, meaning less frequent and rare variants...

  20. The relationship between the INTERMED patient complexity instrument and Level of Care Utilisation System (LOCUS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thurber, Steven; Wilson, Ann; Realmuto, George; Specker, Sheila

    2018-03-01

    To investigate the concurrent and criterion validity of two independently developed measurement instruments, INTERMED and LOCUS, designed to improve the treatment and clinical management of patients with complex symptom manifestations. Participants (N = 66) were selected from hospital records based on the complexity of presenting symptoms, with tripartite diagnoses across biological, psychiatric and addiction domains. Biopsychosocial information from hospital records were submitted to INTERMED and LOCUS grids. In addition, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) ratings were gathered for statistical analyses. The product moment correlation between INTERMED and LOCUS was 0.609 (p = .01). Inverse zero-order correlations for INTERMED and LOCUS total score and GAF were obtained. However, only the beta weight for LOCUS and GAF was significant. An exploratory principal components analysis further illuminated areas of convergence between the instruments. INTERMED and LOCUS demonstrated shared variance. INTERMED appeared more sensitive to complex medical conditions and severe physiological reactions, whereas LOCUS findings are more strongly related to psychiatric symptoms. Implications are discussed.

  1. Functionally significant, rare transcription factor variants in tetralogy of Fallot.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Töpf

    Full Text Available Rare variants in certain transcription factors involved in cardiac development cause Mendelian forms of congenital heart disease. The purpose of this study was to systematically assess the frequency of rare transcription factor variants in sporadic patients with the cardiac outflow tract malformation tetralogy of Fallot (TOF.We sequenced the coding, 5'UTR, and 3'UTR regions of twelve transcription factor genes implicated in cardiac outflow tract development (NKX2.5, GATA4, ISL1, TBX20, MEF2C, BOP/SMYD1, HAND2, FOXC1, FOXC2, FOXH, FOXA2 and TBX1 in 93 non-syndromic, non-Mendelian TOF cases. We also analysed Illumina Human 660W-Quad SNP Array data for copy number variants in these genes; none were detected. Four of the rare variants detected have previously been shown to affect transactivation in in vitro reporter assays: FOXC1 p.P297S, FOXC2 p.Q444R, FOXH1 p.S113T and TBX1 p.P43_G61del PPPPRYDPCAAAAPGAPGP. Two further rare variants, HAND2 p.A25_A26insAA and FOXC1 p.G378_G380delGGG, A488_491delAAAA, affected transactivation in in vitro reporter assays. Each of these six functionally significant variants was present in a single patient in the heterozygous state; each of the four for which parental samples were available were maternally inherited. Thus in the 93 TOF cases we identified six functionally significant mutations in the secondary heart field transcriptional network.This study indicates that rare genetic variants in the secondary heart field transcriptional network with functional effects on protein function occur in 3-13% of patients with TOF. This is the first report of a functionally significant HAND2 mutation in a patient with congenital heart disease.

  2. OVAS: an open-source variant analysis suite with inheritance modelling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozere, Monika; Tekman, Mehmet; Kari, Jameela; Bockenhauer, Detlef; Kleta, Robert; Stanescu, Horia

    2018-02-08

    The advent of modern high-throughput genetics continually broadens the gap between the rising volume of sequencing data, and the tools required to process them. The need to pinpoint a small subset of functionally important variants has now shifted towards identifying the critical differences between normal variants and disease-causing ones. The ever-increasing reliance on cloud-based services for sequence analysis and the non-transparent methods they utilize has prompted the need for more in-situ services that can provide a safer and more accessible environment to process patient data, especially in circumstances where continuous internet usage is limited. To address these issues, we herein propose our standalone Open-source Variant Analysis Sequencing (OVAS) pipeline; consisting of three key stages of processing that pertain to the separate modes of annotation, filtering, and interpretation. Core annotation performs variant-mapping to gene-isoforms at the exon/intron level, append functional data pertaining the type of variant mutation, and determine hetero/homozygosity. An extensive inheritance-modelling module in conjunction with 11 other filtering components can be used in sequence ranging from single quality control to multi-file penetrance model specifics such as X-linked recessive or mosaicism. Depending on the type of interpretation required, additional annotation is performed to identify organ specificity through gene expression and protein domains. In the course of this paper we analysed an autosomal recessive case study. OVAS made effective use of the filtering modules to recapitulate the results of the study by identifying the prescribed compound-heterozygous disease pattern from exome-capture sequence input samples. OVAS is an offline open-source modular-driven analysis environment designed to annotate and extract useful variants from Variant Call Format (VCF) files, and process them under an inheritance context through a top-down filtering schema of

  3. Genome-Wide Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Discovery and High-Density Genetic Map Construction in Cauliflower Using Specific-Locus Amplified Fragment Sequencing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhenqing; Gu, Honghui; Sheng, Xiaoguang; Yu, Huifang; Wang, Jiansheng; Huang, Long; Wang, Dan

    2016-01-01

    Molecular markers and genetic maps play an important role in plant genomics and breeding studies. Cauliflower is an important and distinctive vegetable; however, very few molecular resources have been reported for this species. In this study, a novel, specific-locus amplified fragment (SLAF) sequencing strategy was employed for large-scale single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and high-density genetic map construction in a double-haploid, segregating population of cauliflower. A total of 12.47 Gb raw data containing 77.92 M pair-end reads were obtained after processing and 6815 polymorphic SLAFs between the two parents were detected. The average sequencing depths reached 52.66-fold for the female parent and 49.35-fold for the male parent. Subsequently, these polymorphic SLAFs were used to genotype the population and further filtered based on several criteria to construct a genetic linkage map of cauliflower. Finally, 1776 high-quality SLAF markers, including 2741 SNPs, constituted the linkage map with average data integrity of 95.68%. The final map spanned a total genetic length of 890.01 cM with an average marker interval of 0.50 cM, and covered 364.9 Mb of the reference genome. The markers and genetic map developed in this study could provide an important foundation not only for comparative genomics studies within Brassica oleracea species but also for quantitative trait loci identification and molecular breeding of cauliflower. PMID:27047515

  4. Pleiotropic roles of Clostridium difficile sin locus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Junjun; Dupuy, Bruno

    2018-01-01

    Clostridium difficile is the primary cause of nosocomial diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. It produces dormant spores, which serve as an infectious vehicle responsible for transmission of the disease and persistence of the organism in the environment. In Bacillus subtilis, the sin locus coding SinR (113 aa) and SinI (57 aa) is responsible for sporulation inhibition. In B. subtilis, SinR mainly acts as a repressor of its target genes to control sporulation, biofilm formation, and autolysis. SinI is an inhibitor of SinR, so their interaction determines whether SinR can inhibit its target gene expression. The C. difficile genome carries two sinR homologs in the operon that we named sinR and sinR’, coding for SinR (112 aa) and SinR’ (105 aa), respectively. In this study, we constructed and characterized sin locus mutants in two different C. difficile strains R20291 and JIR8094, to decipher the locus’s role in C. difficile physiology. Transcriptome analysis of the sinRR’ mutants revealed their pleiotropic roles in controlling several pathways including sporulation, toxin production, and motility in C. difficile. Through various genetic and biochemical experiments, we have shown that SinR can regulate transcription of key regulators in these pathways, which includes sigD, spo0A, and codY. We have found that SinR’ acts as an antagonist to SinR by blocking its repressor activity. Using a hamster model, we have also demonstrated that the sin locus is needed for successful C. difficile infection. This study reveals the sin locus as a central link that connects the gene regulatory networks of sporulation, toxin production, and motility; three key pathways that are important for C. difficile pathogenesis. PMID:29529083

  5. Common single nucleotide variants underlying drug addiction: more than a decade of research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bühler, Kora-Mareen; Giné, Elena; Echeverry-Alzate, Victor; Calleja-Conde, Javier; de Fonseca, Fernando Rodriguez; López-Moreno, Jose Antonio

    2015-09-01

    Drug-related phenotypes are common complex and highly heritable traits. In the last few years, candidate gene (CGAS) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a huge number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with drug use, abuse or dependence, mainly related to alcohol or nicotine. Nevertheless, few of these associations have been replicated in independent studies. The aim of this study was to provide a review of the SNPs that have been most significantly associated with alcohol-, nicotine-, cannabis- and cocaine-related phenotypes in humans between the years of 2000 and 2012. To this end, we selected CGAS, GWAS, family-based association and case-only studies published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals (using the PubMed/MEDLINE and Addiction GWAS Resource databases) in which a significant association was reported. A total of 371 studies fit the search criteria. We then filtered SNPs with at least one replication study and performed meta-analysis of the significance of the associations. SNPs in the alcohol metabolizing genes, in the cholinergic gene cluster CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4, and in the DRD2 and ANNK1 genes, are, to date, the most replicated and significant gene variants associated with alcohol- and nicotine-related phenotypes. In the case of cannabis and cocaine, a far fewer number of studies and replications have been reported, indicating either a need for further investigation or that the genetics of cannabis/cocaine addiction are more elusive. This review brings a global state-of-the-art vision of the behavioral genetics of addiction and collaborates on formulation of new hypothesis to guide future work. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  6. Organization of the cpe locus in CPE-positive clostridium perfringens type C and D isolates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jihong Li

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (encoded by the cpe gene contributes to several important human, and possibly veterinary, enteric diseases. The current study investigated whether cpe locus organization in type C or D isolates resembles one of the three (one chromosomal and two plasmid-borne cpe loci commonly found amongst type A isolates. Multiplex PCR assays capable of detecting sequences in those type A cpe loci failed to amplify products from cpe-positive type C and D isolates, indicating these isolates possess different cpe locus arrangements. Therefore, restriction fragments containing the cpe gene were cloned and sequenced from two type C isolates and one type D isolate. The obtained cpe locus sequences were then used to construct an overlapping PCR assay to assess cpe locus diversity amongst other cpe-positive type C and D isolates. All seven surveyed cpe-positive type C isolates had a plasmid-borne cpe locus partially resembling the cpe locus of type A isolates carrying a chromosomal cpe gene. In contrast, all eight type D isolates shared the same plasmid-borne cpe locus, which differed substantially from the cpe locus present in other C. perfringens by containing two copies of an ORF with 67% identity to a transposase gene (COG4644 found in Tn1546, but not previously associated with the cpe gene. These results identify greater diversity amongst cpe locus organization than previously appreciated, providing new insights into cpe locus evolution. Finally, evidence for cpe gene mobilization was found for both type C and D isolates, which could explain their cpe plasmid diversity.

  7. A New Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database for Rainbow Trout Generated Through Whole Genome Resequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guangtu Gao

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs are highly abundant markers, which are broadly distributed in animal genomes. For rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, SNP discovery has been previously done through sequencing of restriction-site associated DNA (RAD libraries, reduced representation libraries (RRL and RNA sequencing. Recently we have performed high coverage whole genome resequencing with 61 unrelated samples, representing a wide range of rainbow trout and steelhead populations, with 49 new samples added to 12 aquaculture samples from AquaGen (Norway that we previously used for SNP discovery. Of the 49 new samples, 11 were double-haploid lines from Washington State University (WSU and 38 represented wild and hatchery populations from a wide range of geographic distribution and with divergent migratory phenotypes. We then mapped the sequences to the new rainbow trout reference genome assembly (GCA_002163495.1 which is based on the Swanson YY doubled haploid line. Variant calling was conducted with FreeBayes and SAMtools mpileup, followed by filtering of SNPs based on quality score, sequence complexity, read depth on the locus, and number of genotyped samples. Results from the two variant calling programs were compared and genotypes of the double haploid samples were used for detecting and filtering putative paralogous sequence variants (PSVs and multi-sequence variants (MSVs. Overall, 30,302,087 SNPs were identified on the rainbow trout genome 29 chromosomes and 1,139,018 on unplaced scaffolds, with 4,042,723 SNPs having high minor allele frequency (MAF > 0.25. The average SNP density on the chromosomes was one SNP per 64 bp, or 15.6 SNPs per 1 kb. Results from the phylogenetic analysis that we conducted indicate that the SNP markers contain enough population-specific polymorphisms for recovering population relationships despite the small sample size used. Intra-Population polymorphism assessment revealed high level of polymorphism and

  8. Effectiveness of teaching cognitive-behavioral techniques on locus of control in hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrtak, Mohammad; Habibzadeh, Shahram; Farzaneh, Esmaeil; Rjaei-Khiavi, Abdollah

    2017-10-01

    Many of the cognitive behavioral models and therapeutic protocols developed so far for psychological disorders and chronic diseases have proved effective through clinical research. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of teaching cognitive-behavioral techniques on locus of control in hemodialysis patients. This controlled clinical trial study was conducted in 2015 with 76 patients selected by census and treated with a hemodialysis machine in the dialysis department of Vali-Asr Hospital in the city of Meshkinshahr. A total of four patients were excluded because of their critical conditions while the rest, who were recruited, were randomly divided into two equal groups of 36 patients as the intervention and control groups. First, the locus of control was measured in both groups through a pretest, and cognitive-behavioral techniques were then taught to the intervention group during eight 45 to 90-minute sessions. The locus of control in patients of both groups was finally re-measured through a posttest. Data were collected using Rotter's Locus of Control Inventory. The Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney U test were respectively used in SPSS18 for data analysis. In the pretest and posttest stages respectively, 4.8% and 14.3% of samples in the control group as well as 14.3% and 33.3% of samples in the intervention group enjoyed internal locus of control. The difference between the pretest and posttest scores of internal locus of control in the intervention group was significant (p=0.004), which indicates the positive effect of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapeutic intervention on internalization of locus of control in this group. Given the external locus of control in most of the study patients and also the positive significant effect of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy on internalization of locus of control in this group of patients, it appears necessary to have a psychology resident present in the hemodialysis department to teach the necessary cognitive

  9. Multiplexed resequencing analysis to identify rare variants in pooled DNA with barcode indexing using next-generation sequencer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitsui, Jun; Fukuda, Yoko; Azuma, Kyo; Tozaki, Hirokazu; Ishiura, Hiroyuki; Takahashi, Yuji; Goto, Jun; Tsuji, Shoji

    2010-07-01

    We have recently found that multiple rare variants of the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) confer a robust risk for Parkinson disease, supporting the 'common disease-multiple rare variants' hypothesis. To develop an efficient method of identifying rare variants in a large number of samples, we applied multiplexed resequencing using a next-generation sequencer to identification of rare variants of GBA. Sixteen sets of pooled DNAs from six pooled DNA samples were prepared. Each set of pooled DNAs was subjected to polymerase chain reaction to amplify the target gene (GBA) covering 6.5 kb, pooled into one tube with barcode indexing, and then subjected to extensive sequence analysis using the SOLiD System. Individual samples were also subjected to direct nucleotide sequence analysis. With the optimization of data processing, we were able to extract all the variants from 96 samples with acceptable rates of false-positive single-nucleotide variants.

  10. Insertional inactivation of a chromosomal locus that modulates expression of potential virulence determinants in Staphylococcus aureus.

    OpenAIRE

    Cheung, A L; Wolz, C; Yeaman, M R; Bayer, A S

    1995-01-01

    A single insertion of transposon Tn551 into a unique chromosomal locus of Staphylococcus aureus ISP479C has resulted in a pleiotropic effect on the expression of both extracellular and cell wall proteins. In particular, the expression of cell wall protein A and clumping activity with fibrinogen were rendered undetectable in the mutant 1E3 compared with the parent. The secretion of alpha-hemolysin in mutant 1E3 was modestly increased. Southern blot and phenotypic analyses indicated that this l...

  11. Targeted Resequencing and Functional Testing Identifies Low-Frequency Missense Variants in the Gene Encoding GARP as Significant Contributors to Atopic Dermatitis Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manz, Judith; Rodríguez, Elke; ElSharawy, Abdou; Oesau, Eva-Maria; Petersen, Britt-Sabina; Baurecht, Hansjörg; Mayr, Gabriele; Weber, Susanne; Harder, Jürgen; Reischl, Eva; Schwarz, Agatha; Novak, Natalija; Franke, Andre; Weidinger, Stephan

    2016-12-01

    Gene-mapping studies have consistently identified a susceptibility locus for atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory diseases on chromosome band 11q13.5, with the strongest association observed for a common variant located in an intergenic region between the two annotated genes C11orf30 and LRRC32. Using a targeted resequencing approach we identified low-frequency and rare missense mutations within the LRRC32 gene encoding the protein GARP, a receptor on activated regulatory T cells that binds latent transforming growth factor-β. Subsequent association testing in more than 2,000 atopic dermatitis patients and 2,000 control subjects showed a significant excess of these LRRC32 variants in individuals with atopic dermatitis. Structural protein modeling and bioinformatic analysis predicted a disruption of protein transport upon these variants, and overexpression assays in CD4 + CD25 - T cells showed a significant reduction in surface expression of the mutated protein. Consistently, flow cytometric (FACS) analyses of different T-cell subtypes obtained from atopic dermatitis patients showed a significantly reduced surface expression of GARP and a reduced conversion of CD4 + CD25 - T cells into regulatory T cells, along with lower expression of latency-associated protein upon stimulation in carriers of the LRRC32 A407T variant. These results link inherited disturbances of transforming growth factor-β signaling with atopic dermatitis risk. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Rank-based characterization of pollen assemblages collected by honey bees using a multi-locus metabarcoding approach1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Rodney T.; Lin, Chia-Hua; Quijia, Juan O.; Riusech, Natalia S.; Goodell, Karen; Johnson, Reed M.

    2015-01-01

    Premise of the study: Difficulties inherent in microscopic pollen identification have resulted in limited implementation for large-scale studies. Metabarcoding, a relatively novel approach, could make pollen analysis less onerous; however, improved understanding of the quantitative capacity of various plant metabarcode regions and primer sets is needed to ensure that such applications are accurate and precise. Methods and Results: We applied metabarcoding, targeting the ITS2, matK, and rbcL loci, to characterize six samples of pollen collected by honey bees, Apis mellifera. Additionally, samples were analyzed by light microscopy. We found significant rank-based associations between the relative abundance of pollen types within our samples as inferred by the two methods. Conclusions: Our findings suggest metabarcoding data from plastid loci, as opposed to the ribosomal locus, are more reliable for quantitative characterization of pollen assemblages. Furthermore, multilocus metabarcoding of pollen may be more reliable than single-locus analyses, underscoring the need for discovering novel barcodes and barcode combinations optimized for molecular palynology. PMID:26649264

  13. Coronary artery disease-associated genetic variants and biomarkers of inflammation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Morten Krogh; Larsen, Sanne Bøjet; Nyegaard, Mette

    2017-01-01

    score was calculated to assess the combined risk associated with all the genetic variants. A multiple linear regression model was used to assess associations between the genetic risk score, single SNPs, and the five inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS:The minor allele (G) (CAD risk allele) of rs2075650......INTRODUCTION:Genetic constitution and inflammation both contribute to development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Several CAD-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have recently been identified, but their functions are largely unknown. We investigated the associations between CAD...

  14. A novel locus for dilated cardiomyopathy maps to canine chromosome 8.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Petra; Raducha, Michael G; Prociuk, Ulana; Sleeper, Meg M; Van Winkle, Thomas J; Henthorn, Paula S

    2008-06-01

    Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the most common form of cardiomyopathy, often leads to heart failure and sudden death. While a substantial proportion of DCMs are inherited, mutations responsible for the majority of DCMs remain unidentified. A genome-wide linkage study was performed to identify the locus responsible for an autosomal recessive inherited form of juvenile DCM (JDCM) in Portuguese water dogs using 16 families segregating the disease. Results link the JDCM locus to canine chromosome 8 with two-point and multipoint lod scores of 10.8 and 14, respectively. The locus maps to a 3.9-Mb region, with complete syntenic homology to human chromosome 14, that contains no genes or loci known to be involved in the development of any type of cardiomyopathy. This discovery of a DCM locus with a previously unknown etiology will provide a new gene to examine in human DCM patients and a model for testing therapeutic approaches for heart failure.

  15. The relationship between locus of control and career advancement

    OpenAIRE

    2014-01-01

    M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) The objective which career of this study advancement is was to investigate the extent to contingent on the personality construct locus of control. In order to achieve this, empirical research was conducted in a South African organisation. A survey questionnaire measuring career advancement and locus of control was completed by 152 subjects. The hypothesis which was formulated was that people with higher rates of career advancement would be more internal and t...

  16. Vocational interests of adolescents: relationships between self-esteem and locus of control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullis, A K; Mullis, R L

    1997-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among scores on vocational interests, self-esteem, and locus of control for high school students. Grade and sex differences were also examined. 1364 high school students ranging in age from 14 to 19 years of age were administered the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children, and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. High school students with higher scores on self-esteem and showing an orientation toward internal locus of control expressed more interests in a variety of vocational themes than adolescents with lower scores on self-esteem and scores for external locus of control. Sex and grade differences in vocational interests of adolescents were also noted. The findings were discussed in light of theoretical and practical considerations.

  17. HaploReg v4: systematic mining of putative causal variants, cell types, regulators and target genes for human complex traits and disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Lucas D; Kellis, Manolis

    2016-01-04

    More than 90% of common variants associated with complex traits do not affect proteins directly, but instead the circuits that control gene expression. This has increased the urgency of understanding the regulatory genome as a key component for translating genetic results into mechanistic insights and ultimately therapeutics. To address this challenge, we developed HaploReg (http://compbio.mit.edu/HaploReg) to aid the functional dissection of genome-wide association study (GWAS) results, the prediction of putative causal variants in haplotype blocks, the prediction of likely cell types of action, and the prediction of candidate target genes by systematic mining of comparative, epigenomic and regulatory annotations. Since first launching the website in 2011, we have greatly expanded HaploReg, increasing the number of chromatin state maps to 127 reference epigenomes from ENCODE 2012 and Roadmap Epigenomics, incorporating regulator binding data, expanding regulatory motif disruption annotations, and integrating expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) variants and their tissue-specific target genes from GTEx, Geuvadis, and other recent studies. We present these updates as HaploReg v4, and illustrate a use case of HaploReg for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-associated SNPs with putative brain regulatory mechanisms. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. On the Relation of Locus of Control and L2 Reading and Writing Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghonsooly, Behzad; Shirvan, Majid Elahi

    2011-01-01

    Locus of control, a psychological construct, has been the focus of attention in recent decades. Psychologists have discussed the effect of locus of control on achieving life goals in social/psychological interactions. While learning a foreign language involves both social interactions and psychological processes, the role and relation of locus of…

  19. Sequence variants at the myostatin gene locus influence the body composition of Thoroughbred horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tozaki, Teruaki; Sato, Fumio; Hill, Emmeline W; Miyake, Takeshi; Endo, Yoshiro; Kakoi, Hironaga; Gawahara, Hitoshi; Hirota, Kei-ichi; Nakano, Yasuko; Nambo, Yasuo; Kurosawa, Masahiko

    2011-12-01

    Myostatin is a member of the transforming growth factor-β family with a key role in inhibition of muscle growth by negative regulation of both myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Recently, a genomic region on ECA18, which includes the MSTN gene, was identified as a candidate region influencing racing performance in Thoroughbreds. In this study, four SNPs on ECA18, g.65809482T>C, g.65868604G>T, g.66493737C>T, and g.66539967A>G, were genotyped in 91 Thoroughbred horses-in-training to evaluate the association between genotype and body composition traits, including body weight, withers height, chest circumference, cannon circumference, and body weight/withers height. Of these, statistically differences in body weight and body weight/withers height were associated with specific genotypes in males. Specifically, body weight/withers height showed statistically significant differences depending on genotype at g.658604G>T, g.66493737C>T, and g.66539967A>G (PT, had the highest value (3.17 ± 0.05 kg·cm(-1)) for body weight/withers height in March, while those with a genotype associated with suitability for long-distance racing, T/T, had the lowest (2.99 ± 0.03 kg·cm(-1)). In females, the trends in the association of body weight/withers height with genotypes were similar to those observed in males. As the SNPs are not believed to be linked to coding variants in MSTN, these results suggest that regulation of MSTN gene expression influences skeletal muscle mass and hence racing performance, particularly optimum race distance, in Thoroughbred horses.

  20. Whole-genome sequencing and genetic variant analysis of a Quarter Horse mare.

    KAUST Repository

    Doan, Ryan; Cohen, Noah D; Sawyer, Jason; Ghaffari, Noushin; Johnson, Charlie D; Dindot, Scott V

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The catalog of genetic variants in the horse genome originates from a few select animals, the majority originating from the Thoroughbred mare used for the equine genome sequencing project. The purpose of this study was to identify genetic variants, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertion/deletion polymorphisms (INDELs), and copy number variants (CNVs) in the genome of an individual Quarter Horse mare sequenced by next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: Using massively parallel paired-end sequencing, we generated 59.6 Gb of DNA sequence from a Quarter Horse mare resulting in an average of 24.7X sequence coverage. Reads were mapped to approximately 97% of the reference Thoroughbred genome. Unmapped reads were de novo assembled resulting in 19.1 Mb of new genomic sequence in the horse. Using a stringent filtering method, we identified 3.1 million SNPs, 193 thousand INDELs, and 282 CNVs. Genetic variants were annotated to determine their impact on gene structure and function. Additionally, we genotyped this Quarter Horse for mutations of known diseases and for variants associated with particular traits. Functional clustering analysis of genetic variants revealed that most of the genetic variation in the horse's genome was enriched in sensory perception, signal transduction, and immunity and defense pathways. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first sequencing of a horse genome by next-generation sequencing and the first genomic sequence of an individual Quarter Horse mare. We have increased the catalog of genetic variants for use in equine genomics by the addition of novel SNPs, INDELs, and CNVs. The genetic variants described here will be a useful resource for future studies of genetic variation regulating performance traits and diseases in equids.

  1. Whole-genome sequencing and genetic variant analysis of a Quarter Horse mare.

    KAUST Repository

    Doan, Ryan

    2012-02-17

    BACKGROUND: The catalog of genetic variants in the horse genome originates from a few select animals, the majority originating from the Thoroughbred mare used for the equine genome sequencing project. The purpose of this study was to identify genetic variants, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertion/deletion polymorphisms (INDELs), and copy number variants (CNVs) in the genome of an individual Quarter Horse mare sequenced by next-generation sequencing. RESULTS: Using massively parallel paired-end sequencing, we generated 59.6 Gb of DNA sequence from a Quarter Horse mare resulting in an average of 24.7X sequence coverage. Reads were mapped to approximately 97% of the reference Thoroughbred genome. Unmapped reads were de novo assembled resulting in 19.1 Mb of new genomic sequence in the horse. Using a stringent filtering method, we identified 3.1 million SNPs, 193 thousand INDELs, and 282 CNVs. Genetic variants were annotated to determine their impact on gene structure and function. Additionally, we genotyped this Quarter Horse for mutations of known diseases and for variants associated with particular traits. Functional clustering analysis of genetic variants revealed that most of the genetic variation in the horse\\'s genome was enriched in sensory perception, signal transduction, and immunity and defense pathways. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first sequencing of a horse genome by next-generation sequencing and the first genomic sequence of an individual Quarter Horse mare. We have increased the catalog of genetic variants for use in equine genomics by the addition of novel SNPs, INDELs, and CNVs. The genetic variants described here will be a useful resource for future studies of genetic variation regulating performance traits and diseases in equids.

  2. A review of variant hemoglobins interfering with hemoglobin A1c measurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Randie R; Roberts, William L

    2009-05-01

    Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is used routinely to monitor long-term glycemic control in people with diabetes mellitus, as HbA1c is related directly to risks for diabetic complications. The accuracy of HbA1c methods can be affected adversely by the presence of hemoglobin (Hb) variants or elevated levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). The effect of each variant or elevated HbF must be examined with each specific method. The most common Hb variants worldwide are HbS, HbE, HbC, and HbD. All of these Hb variants have single amino acid substitutions in the Hb beta chain. HbF is the major hemoglobin during intrauterine life; by the end of the first year, HbF falls to values close to adult levels of approximately 1%. However, elevated HbF levels can occur in certain pathologic conditions or with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. In a series of publications over the past several years, the effects of these four most common Hb variants and elevated HbF have been described. There are clinically significant interferences with some methods for each of these variants. A summary is given showing which methods are affected by the presence of the heterozygous variants S, E, C, and D and elevated HbF. Methods are divided by type (immunoassay, ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, boronate affinity, other) with an indication of whether the result is artificially increased or decreased by the presence of a Hb variant. Laboratorians should be aware of the limitations of their method with respect to these interferences. 2009 Diabetes Technology Society.

  3. DNA modification study of major depressive disorder: beyond locus-by-locus comparisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Gabriel; Wang, Sun-Chong; Pal, Mrinal; Chen, Zheng Fei; Khare, Tarang; Tochigi, Mamoru; Ng, Catherine; Yang, Yeqing A; Kwan, Andrew; Kaminsky, Zachary A; Mill, Jonathan; Gunasinghe, Cerisse; Tackett, Jennifer L; Gottesman, Irving I; Willemsen, Gonneke; de Geus, Eco J C; Vink, Jacqueline M; Slagboom, P Eline; Wray, Naomi R; Heath, Andrew C; Montgomery, Grant W; Turecki, Gustavo; Martin, Nicholas G; Boomsma, Dorret I; McGuffin, Peter; Kustra, Rafal; Petronis, Art

    2015-02-01

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibits numerous clinical and molecular features that are consistent with putative epigenetic misregulation. Despite growing interest in epigenetic studies of psychiatric diseases, the methodologies guiding such studies have not been well defined. We performed DNA modification analysis in white blood cells from monozygotic twins discordant for MDD, in brain prefrontal cortex, and germline (sperm) samples from affected individuals and control subjects (total N = 304) using 8.1K CpG island microarrays and fine mapping. In addition to the traditional locus-by-locus comparisons, we explored the potential of new analytical approaches in epigenomic studies. In the microarray experiment, we detected a number of nominally significant DNA modification differences in MDD and validated selected targets using bisulfite pyrosequencing. Some MDD epigenetic changes, however, overlapped across brain, blood, and sperm more often than expected by chance. We also demonstrated that stratification for disease severity and age may increase the statistical power of epimutation detection. Finally, a series of new analytical approaches, such as DNA modification networks and machine-learning algorithms using binary and quantitative depression phenotypes, provided additional insights on the epigenetic contributions to MDD. Mapping epigenetic differences in MDD (and other psychiatric diseases) is a complex task. However, combining traditional and innovative analytical strategies may lead to identification of disease-specific etiopathogenic epimutations. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

  4. TCF7L2 Genetic Variants Contribute to Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Type 1 Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redondo, Maria J; Geyer, Susan; Steck, Andrea K; Sosenko, Jay; Anderson, Mark; Antinozzi, Peter; Michels, Aaron; Wentworth, John; Xu, Ping; Pugliese, Alberto

    2018-02-01

    The phenotypic diversity of type 1 diabetes suggests heterogeneous etiopathogenesis. We investigated the relationship of type 2 diabetes-associated transcription factor 7 like 2 ( TCF7L2 ) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with immunologic and metabolic characteristics at type 1 diabetes diagnosis. We studied TrialNet participants with newly diagnosed autoimmune type 1 diabetes with available TCF7L2 rs4506565 and rs7901695 SNP data ( n = 810; median age 13.6 years; range 3.3-58.6). We modeled the influence of carrying a TCF7L2 variant (i.e., having 1 or 2 minor alleles) on the number of islet autoantibodies and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-stimulated C-peptide and glucose measures at diabetes diagnosis. All analyses were adjusted for known confounders. The rs4506565 variant was a significant independent factor of expressing a single autoantibody, instead of multiple autoantibodies, at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 1.66 [95% CI 1.07, 2.57], P = 0.024). Interaction analysis demonstrated that this association was only significant in participants ≥12 years old ( n = 504; OR 2.12 [1.29, 3.47], P = 0.003) but not younger ones ( n = 306, P = 0.73). The rs4506565 variant was independently associated with higher C-peptide area under the curve (AUC) ( P = 0.008) and lower mean glucose AUC ( P = 0.0127). The results were similar for the rs7901695 SNP. In this cohort of individuals with new-onset type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes-linked TCF7L2 variants were associated with single autoantibody (among those ≥12 years old), higher C-peptide AUC, and lower glucose AUC levels during an OGTT. Thus, carriers of the TCF7L2 variant had a milder immunologic and metabolic phenotype at type 1 diabetes diagnosis, which could be partly driven by type 2 diabetes-like pathogenic mechanisms. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

  5. Genome-wide association study identifies chromosome 10q24.32 variants associated with arsenic metabolism and toxicity phenotypes in Bangladesh.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandon L Pierce

    Full Text Available Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a major public health issue in many countries, increasing risk for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. There is inter-individual variation in arsenic metabolism efficiency and susceptibility to arsenic toxicity; however, the basis of this variation is not well understood. Here, we have performed the first genome-wide association study (GWAS of arsenic-related metabolism and toxicity phenotypes to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which arsenic affects health. Using data on urinary arsenic metabolite concentrations and approximately 300,000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs for 1,313 arsenic-exposed Bangladeshi individuals, we identified genome-wide significant association signals (P<5×10(-8 for percentages of both monomethylarsonic acid (MMA and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA near the AS3MT gene (arsenite methyltransferase; 10q24.32, with five genetic variants showing independent associations. In a follow-up analysis of 1,085 individuals with arsenic-induced premalignant skin lesions (the classical sign of arsenic toxicity and 1,794 controls, we show that one of these five variants (rs9527 is also associated with skin lesion risk (P = 0.0005. Using a subset of individuals with prospectively measured arsenic (n = 769, we show that rs9527 interacts with arsenic to influence incident skin lesion risk (P = 0.01. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL analyses of genome-wide expression data from 950 individual's lymphocyte RNA suggest that several of our lead SNPs represent cis-eQTLs for AS3MT (P = 10(-12 and neighboring gene C10orf32 (P = 10(-44, which are involved in C10orf32-AS3MT read-through transcription. This is the largest and most comprehensive genomic investigation of arsenic metabolism and toxicity to date, the only GWAS of any arsenic-related trait, and the first study to implicate 10q24.32 variants in both arsenic metabolism and arsenical

  6. Alzheimer Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: Automatic Classification Based on Cortical Atrophy for Single-Subject Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Christiane; Pijnenburg, Yolande A L; van der Flier, Wiesje M; Versteeg, Adriaan; Tijms, Betty; de Munck, Jan C; Hafkemeijer, Anne; Rombouts, Serge A R B; van der Grond, Jeroen; van Swieten, John; Dopper, Elise; Scheltens, Philip; Barkhof, Frederik; Vrenken, Hugo; Wink, Alle Meije

    2016-06-01

    Purpose To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of an image-based classifier to distinguish between Alzheimer disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) in individual patients by using gray matter (GM) density maps computed from standard T1-weighted structural images obtained with multiple imagers and with independent training and prediction data. Materials and Methods The local institutional review board approved the study. Eighty-four patients with AD, 51 patients with bvFTD, and 94 control subjects were divided into independent training (n = 115) and prediction (n = 114) sets with identical diagnosis and imager type distributions. Training of a support vector machine (SVM) classifier used diagnostic status and GM density maps and produced voxelwise discrimination maps. Discriminant function analysis was used to estimate suitability of the extracted weights for single-subject classification in the prediction set. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC) were calculated for image-based classifiers and neuropsychological z scores. Results Training accuracy of the SVM was 85% for patients with AD versus control subjects, 72% for patients with bvFTD versus control subjects, and 79% for patients with AD versus patients with bvFTD (P ≤ .029). Single-subject diagnosis in the prediction set when using the discrimination maps yielded accuracies of 88% for patients with AD versus control subjects, 85% for patients with bvFTD versus control subjects, and 82% for patients with AD versus patients with bvFTD, with a good to excellent AUC (range, 0.81-0.95; P ≤ .001). Machine learning-based categorization of AD versus bvFTD based on GM density maps outperforms classification based on neuropsychological test results. Conclusion The SVM can be used in single-subject discrimination and can help the clinician arrive at a diagnosis. The SVM can be used to distinguish disease-specific GM patterns in patients with AD

  7. A Low Density Microarray Method for the Identification of Human Papillomavirus Type 18 Variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meza-Menchaca, Thuluz; Williams, John; Rodríguez-Estrada, Rocío B.; García-Bravo, Aracely; Ramos-Ligonio, Ángel; López-Monteon, Aracely; Zepeda, Rossana C.

    2013-01-01

    We describe a novel microarray based-method for the screening of oncogenic human papillomavirus 18 (HPV-18) molecular variants. Due to the fact that sequencing methodology may underestimate samples containing more than one variant we designed a specific and sensitive stacking DNA hybridization assay. This technology can be used to discriminate between three possible phylogenetic branches of HPV-18. Probes were attached covalently on glass slides and hybridized with single-stranded DNA targets. Prior to hybridization with the probes, the target strands were pre-annealed with the three auxiliary contiguous oligonucleotides flanking the target sequences. Screening HPV-18 positive cell lines and cervical samples were used to evaluate the performance of this HPV DNA microarray. Our results demonstrate that the HPV-18's variants hybridized specifically to probes, with no detection of unspecific signals. Specific probes successfully reveal detectable point mutations in these variants. The present DNA oligoarray system can be used as a reliable, sensitive and specific method for HPV-18 variant screening. Furthermore, this simple assay allows the use of inexpensive equipment, making it accessible in resource-poor settings. PMID:24077317

  8. The Role of Locus of Control and Feedback on Performance of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined Students' Locus of Control and Teacher Feedback using a 2x3 factorial to measure the performance of thirty-six (36) primary school students utilizing the two locus of control types and three levels of teacher feedback: no feedback, attributional feedback, and progressive feedback. No significant ...

  9. The relationship between the perception of own locus of control and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aggression is increasingly seen in most parts of South African society. Aggressive behaviour of boys in secondary school often results from frustrations caused by perceived high expectations of others regarding the role, locus of control, and personality of boys. Locus of control plays an important role in a person's ...

  10. Genome of the Netherlands population-specific imputations identify an ABCA6 variant associated with cholesterol levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Leeuwen, Elisabeth M.; Karssen, Lennart C.; Deelen, Joris; Isaacs, Aaron; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Mbarek, Hamdi; Kanterakis, Alexandros; Trompet, Stella; Postmus, Iris; Verweij, Niek; van Enckevort, David J.; Huffman, Jennifer E.; White, Charles C.; Feitosa, Mary F.; Bartz, Traci M.; Manichaikul, Ani; Joshi, Peter K.; Peloso, Gina M.; Deelen, Patrick; van Dijk, Freerk; Willemsen, Gonneke; de Geus, Eco J.; Milaneschi, Yuri; Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.; Francioli, Laurent C.; Menelaou, Androniki; Pulit, Sara L.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Hofman, Albert; Oostra, Ben A.; Franco, Oscar H.; Leach, Irene Mateo; Beekman, Marian; de Craen, Anton J.M.; Uh, Hae-Won; Trochet, Holly; Hocking, Lynne J.; Porteous, David J.; Sattar, Naveed; Packard, Chris J.; Buckley, Brendan M.; Brody, Jennifer A.; Bis, Joshua C.; Rotter, Jerome I.; Mychaleckyj, Josyf C.; Campbell, Harry; Duan, Qing; Lange, Leslie A.; Wilson, James F.; Hayward, Caroline; Polasek, Ozren; Vitart, Veronique; Rudan, Igor; Wright, Alan F.; Rich, Stephen S.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Kearney, Patricia M.; Stott, David J.; Adrienne Cupples, L.; Neerincx, Pieter B.T.; Elbers, Clara C.; Francesco Palamara, Pier; Pe'er, Itsik; Abdellaoui, Abdel; Kloosterman, Wigard P.; van Oven, Mannis; Vermaat, Martijn; Li, Mingkun; Laros, Jeroen F.J.; Stoneking, Mark; de Knijff, Peter; Kayser, Manfred; Veldink, Jan H.; van den Berg, Leonard H.; Byelas, Heorhiy; den Dunnen, Johan T.; Dijkstra, Martijn; Amin, Najaf; Joeri van der Velde, K.; van Setten, Jessica; Kattenberg, Mathijs; van Schaik, Barbera D.C.; Bot, Jan; Nijman, Isaäc J.; Mei, Hailiang; Koval, Vyacheslav; Ye, Kai; Lameijer, Eric-Wubbo; Moed, Matthijs H.; Hehir-Kwa, Jayne Y.; Handsaker, Robert E.; Sunyaev, Shamil R.; Sohail, Mashaal; Hormozdiari, Fereydoun; Marschall, Tobias; Schönhuth, Alexander; Guryev, Victor; Suchiman, H. Eka D.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H.; Platteel, Mathieu; Pitts, Steven J.; Potluri, Shobha; Cox, David R.; Li, Qibin; Li, Yingrui; Du, Yuanping; Chen, Ruoyan; Cao, Hongzhi; Li, Ning; Cao, Sujie; Wang, Jun; Bovenberg, Jasper A.; Jukema, J. Wouter; van der Harst, Pim; Sijbrands, Eric J.; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Swertz, Morris A.; van Ommen, Gert-Jan B.; de Bakker, Paul I.W.; Eline Slagboom, P.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Wijmenga, Cisca; van Duijn, Cornelia M.

    2015-01-01

    Variants associated with blood lipid levels may be population-specific. To identify low-frequency variants associated with this phenotype, population-specific reference panels may be used. Here we impute nine large Dutch biobanks (~35,000 samples) with the population-specific reference panel created by the Genome of the Netherlands Project and perform association testing with blood lipid levels. We report the discovery of five novel associations at four loci (P value <6.61 × 10−4), including a rare missense variant in ABCA6 (rs77542162, p.Cys1359Arg, frequency 0.034), which is predicted to be deleterious. The frequency of this ABCA6 variant is 3.65-fold increased in the Dutch and its effect (βLDL-C=0.135, βTC=0.140) is estimated to be very similar to those observed for single variants in well-known lipid genes, such as LDLR. PMID:25751400

  11. Locus of control and peer relationships among Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and African American adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hannah Soo; Chang, Kyle Edward; Chen, Chuansheng; Greenberger, Ellen

    2015-01-01

    Past research has shown that locus of control plays an important role in a wide range of behaviors, such as academic achievement and positive social behaviors. However, little is known about whether locus of control plays the same role in minority adolescents' peer relationships. The current study examined ethnic differences in the associations between locus of control and peer relationships in early adolescence using samples from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K: 5,612 Caucasian, 1,562 Hispanic, 507 Asian, and 908 African-American adolescents) and the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS: 8,484 Caucasian, 1,604 Hispanic, and 860 Asian, and 1,228 African American adolescents). Gender was approximately evenly split in both samples. The results from the two datasets were highly consistent. Significant interactions between ethnicity and locus of control indicated that having a more internal locus of control was particularly important for Caucasian students' peer relationships (ECLS-K) and social status (NELS), but less so for Asian, Hispanic, and African American students. Our findings suggest that the role of locus of control in peer relationship is contingent upon culture.

  12. Functional analysis of four naturally occurring variants of human constitutive androstane receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Shinobu; Kurose, Kouichi; Jinno, Hideto; Sai, Kimie; Ozawa, Shogo; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Komamura, Kazuo; Kotake, Takeshi; Morishita, Hideki; Kamakura, Shiro; Kitakaze, Masafumi; Tomoike, Hitonobu; Tamura, Tomohide; Yamamoto, Noboru; Kunitoh, Hideo; Yamada, Yasuhide; Ohe, Yuichiro; Shimada, Yasuhiro; Shirao, Kuniaki; Kubota, Kaoru; Minami, Hironobu; Ohtsu, Atsushi; Yoshida, Teruhiko; Saijo, Nagahiro; Saito, Yoshiro; Sawada, Jun-ichi

    2005-01-01

    The human constitutive androstane receptor (CAR, NR1I3) is a member of the orphan nuclear receptor superfamily that plays an important role in the control of drug metabolism and disposition. In this study, we sequenced all the coding exons of the NR1I3 gene for 334 Japanese subjects. We identified three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that induce non-synonymous alterations of amino acids (His246Arg, Leu308Pro, and Asn323Ser) residing in the ligand-binding domain of CAR, in addition to the Val133Gly variant, which was another CAR variant identified in our previous study. We performed functional analysis of these four naturally occurring CAR variants in COS-7 cells using a CYP3A4 promoter/enhancer reporter gene that includes the CAR responsive elements. The His246Arg variant caused marked reductions in both transactivation of the reporter gene and in the response to 6-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazole-5-carbaldehyde O-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxime (CITCO), which is a human CAR-specific agonist. The transactivation ability of the Leu308Pro variant was also significantly decreased, but its responsiveness to CITCO was not abrogated. The transactivation ability and CITCO response of the Val133Gly and Asn323Ser variants did not change as compared to the wild-type CAR. These data suggest that the His246Arg and Leu308Pro variants, especially His246Arg, may influence the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters that are transactivated by CAR.

  13. Antigenic variants of yellow fever virus with an altered neurovirulence phenotype in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryman, K D; Xie, H; Ledger, T N; Campbell, G A; Barrett, A D

    1997-04-14

    The live-attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccine virus, strain 17D-204, has long been known to consist of a heterologous population of virions. Gould et al. (J. Gen. Virol. 70, 1889-1894 (1989)) previously demonstrated that variant viruses exhibiting a YF wild-type-specific envelope (E) protein epitope are present at low frequency in the vaccine pool and were able to isolate representative virus variants with and without this epitope, designated 17D(+wt) and 17D(-wt), respectively. These variants were employed here in an investigation of YF virus pathogenesis in the mouse model. Both the 17D-204 parent and the 17D(+wt) variant viruses were lethal for adult outbred mice by the intracerebral route of inoculation. However, the 17D(-wt) variant was significantly attenuated (18% mortality rate) and replicated to much lower titer in the brains of infected mice. A single amino acid substitution in the envelope (E) protein at E-240 (Ala-->Val) was identified as responsible for the restricted replication of the 17D(-wt) variant in vivo. The 17D(+wt) variant has an additional second-site mutation, believed to encode a reversion to the neurovirulence phenotype of the 17D-204 parent virus. The amino acid substitution in the E protein at E-173 (Thr-->Ile) of the 17D(+wt) variant which results in the appearance of the wild-type-specific epitope or nucleotide changes in the 5' and 3' noncoding regions of the virus are proposed as a candidates.

  14. Product Variant Master as a Means to Handle Variant Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hildre, Hans Petter; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Andreasen, Mogens Myrup

    1996-01-01

    be implemented in the CAD system I-DEAS. A precondition for high degree of computer support is identification of a product variant master from which new variants can be derived. This class platform defines how a product build up fit certain production methods and rules governing determination of modules...

  15. Locus specificity in the mutability of mouse lymphoma strain LY-S

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, H.H.; Mencl, J.; Horng, M.F.

    1985-01-01

    Mouse lymphoma L5178Y strains, LY-R and LY-S, are closely related but differ in their sensitivity to the lethal effects of radiation and various chemicals. Strain LY-S was originally isolated in 1961 following a spontaneous change in the sensitivity of cultured LY-R cells to ionizing radiation. The authors previously reported that, although strain LY-S is more sensitive to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation and alkylating agents than strain LY-R, it is markedly less mutable than strain LY-R at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus. The isolated sublines of strains LY-R and LY-S which are heterozygous at the thymidine kinase (TK) locus. The LY-S TK+/- heterozygote, like its TK+/+ parent, is more sensitive to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation and alkylating agents and less mutable at the HGPRT locus by these agents than the LY-R TK+/- heterozygote. However, the LY-S heterozygote is 100 times more mutable by these agents at the TK locus than at the HGRT locus. In contrast to LY-R, the majority of the spontaneous and induced LY-S TK-/- mutants form small colonies in the presence of trifluorothymidine, indicating that in the LY-S heterozygote, the inactivation of the TK gene is accompanied by damage to, or rearrangement of neighboring genes

  16. Social capital, political trust, and health locus of control: a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindström, Martin

    2011-02-01

    To investigate the association between political trust in the Riksdag and lack of belief in the possibility to influence one's own health (external locus of control), taking horizontal trust into account. The 2008 public health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study with a 55% participation rate. A random sample of 28,198 persons aged 18-80 years participated. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between political trust in the Riksdag (an aspect of vertical trust) and lack of belief in the possibility to influence one's own health (external locus of control). The multiple regression analyses included age, country of birth, education, and horizontal trust in other people. A 33.7% of all men and 31.8% of all women lack internal locus of control. Low (external) health locus of control is more common in higher age groups, among people born outside Sweden, with lower education, low horizontal trust, low political trust, and no opinion concerning political trust. Respondents with not particularly strong political trust, no political trust at all and no opinion have significantly higher odds ratios of external locus of control throughout the multiple regression analyses. Low political trust in the Riksdag seems to be independently associated with external health locus of control.

  17. Improved score statistics for meta-analysis in single-variant and gene-level association studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jingjing; Chen, Sai; Abecasis, Gonçalo

    2018-06-01

    Meta-analysis is now an essential tool for genetic association studies, allowing them to combine large studies and greatly accelerating the pace of genetic discovery. Although the standard meta-analysis methods perform equivalently as the more cumbersome joint analysis under ideal settings, they result in substantial power loss under unbalanced settings with various case-control ratios. Here, we investigate the power loss problem by the standard meta-analysis methods for unbalanced studies, and further propose novel meta-analysis methods performing equivalently to the joint analysis under both balanced and unbalanced settings. We derive improved meta-score-statistics that can accurately approximate the joint-score-statistics with combined individual-level data, for both linear and logistic regression models, with and without covariates. In addition, we propose a novel approach to adjust for population stratification by correcting for known population structures through minor allele frequencies. In the simulated gene-level association studies under unbalanced settings, our method recovered up to 85% power loss caused by the standard methods. We further showed the power gain of our methods in gene-level tests with 26 unbalanced studies of age-related macular degeneration . In addition, we took the meta-analysis of three unbalanced studies of type 2 diabetes as an example to discuss the challenges of meta-analyzing multi-ethnic samples. In summary, our improved meta-score-statistics with corrections for population stratification can be used to construct both single-variant and gene-level association studies, providing a useful framework for ensuring well-powered, convenient, cross-study analyses. © 2018 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  18. Association between genetic variants of the clock gene and obesity and sleep duration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valladares, Macarena; Obregón, Ana María; Chaput, Jean-Philippe

    2015-12-01

    Obesity is a multifactorial disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors related to lifestyle aspects. It has been shown that reduced sleep is associated with increased body mass index (BMI). Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK) gene variants have also been associated with obesity. The objective of this mini-review was to discuss the available literature related to CLOCK gene variants associated with adiposity and sleep duration in humans. In total, 16 articles complied with the terms of the search that reported CLOCK variants associated with sleep duration, energy intake, and BMI. Overall, six CLOCK single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with sleep duration, and three variants have been associated with energy intake variables. Overall, the most studied area has been the association of CLOCK gene with obesity; close to eight common variants have been associated with obesity. The most studied CLOCK SNP in different populations is rs1801260, and most of these populations correspond to European populations. Collectively, identifying at risk CLOCK genotypes is a new area of research that may help identify individuals who are more susceptible to overeating and gaining weight when exposed to short sleep durations.

  19. Targeted resequencing and analysis of the Diamond-Blackfan anemia disease locus RPS19.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alvaro Martinez Barrio

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The Ribosomal protein S19 gene locus (RPS19 has been linked to two kinds of red cell aplasia, Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA and Transient Erythroblastopenia in Childhood (TEC. Mutations in RPS19 coding sequences have been found in 25% of DBA patients, but not in TEC patients. It has been suggested that non-coding RPS19 sequence variants contribute to the considerable clinical variability in red cell aplasia. We therefore aimed at identifying non-coding variations associated with DBA or TEC phenotypes.We targeted a region of 19'980 bp encompassing the RPS19 gene in a cohort of 89 DBA and TEC patients for resequencing. We provide here a catalog of the considerable, previously unrecognized degree of variation in this region. We identified 73 variations (65 SNPs, 8 indels that all are located outside of the RPS19 open reading frame, and of which 67.1% are classified as novel. We hypothesize that specific alleles in non-coding regions of RPS19 could alter the binding of regulatory proteins or transcription factors. Therefore, we carried out an extensive analysis to identify transcription factor binding sites (TFBS. A series of putative interaction sites coincide with detected variants. Sixteen of the corresponding transcription factors are of particular interest, as they are housekeeping genes or show a direct link to hematopoiesis, tumorigenesis or leukemia (e.g. GATA-1/2, PU.1, MZF-1.Specific alleles at predicted TFBSs may alter the expression of RPS19, modify an important interaction between transcription factors with overlapping TFBS or remove an important stimulus for hematopoiesis. We suggest that the detected interactions are of importance for hematopoiesis and could provide new insights into individual response to treatment.

  20. Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis of Sciatica in Finnish Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemmelä, Susanna; Solovieva, Svetlana; Shiri, Rahman; Benner, Christian; Heliövaara, Markku; Kettunen, Johannes; Anttila, Verneri; Ripatti, Samuli; Perola, Markus; Seppälä, Ilkka; Juonala, Markus; Kähönen, Mika; Salomaa, Veikko; Viikari, Jorma; Raitakari, Olli T; Lehtimäki, Terho; Palotie, Aarno; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Kirsti

    2016-01-01

    Sciatica or the sciatic syndrome is a common and often disabling low back disorder in the working-age population. It has a relatively high heritability but poorly understood molecular mechanisms. The Finnish population is a genetic isolate where small founder population and bottleneck events have led to enrichment of certain rare and low frequency variants. We performed here the first genome-wide association (GWAS) and meta-analysis of sciatica. The meta-analysis was conducted across two GWAS covering 291 Finnish sciatica cases and 3671 controls genotyped and imputed at 7.7 million autosomal variants. The most promising loci (psciatica patients and 18,489 controls. We identified five intragenic variants, with relatively low frequencies, at two novel loci associated with sciatica at genome-wide significance. These included chr9:14344410:I (rs71321981) at 9p22.3 (NFIB gene; p = 1.30x10-8, MAF = 0.08) and four variants at 15q21.2: rs145901849, rs80035109, rs190200374 and rs117458827 (MYO5A; p = 1.34x10-8, MAF = 0.06; p = 2.32x10-8, MAF = 0.07; p = 3.85x10-8, MAF = 0.06; p = 4.78x10-8, MAF = 0.07, respectively). The most significant association in the meta-analysis, a single base insertion rs71321981 within the regulatory region of the transcription factor NFIB, replicated in an independent Finnish population sample (p = 0.04). Despite identifying 15q21.2 as a promising locus, we were not able to replicate it. It was differentiated; the lead variants within 15q21.2 were more frequent in Finland (6-7%) than in other European populations (1-2%). Imputation accuracies of the three significantly associated variants (chr9:14344410:I, rs190200374, and rs80035109) were validated by genotyping. In summary, our results suggest a novel locus, 9p22.3 (NFIB), which may be involved in susceptibility to sciatica. In addition, another locus, 15q21.2, emerged as a promising one, but failed to replicate.