Genes for HMG-CoA reductase and serotonin 1a receptor are on mouse chromosome 13

Major Genetic Drivers of Statin Treatment Response in African Populations and Pharmacogenetics of Dyslipidemia Through a One Health Lens

A One Health lens is increasingly significant to address the intertwined challenges in planetary health concerned with the health of humans, nonhuman animals, plants, and ecosystems. A One Health approach can benefit the public health systems in Africa that are overburdened by noncommunicable, infectious, and environmental diseases. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the previously overlooked two-fold importance of pharmacogenetics (PGx), for individually tailored treatment of noncommunicable diseases and environmental pathogens. For example, dyslipidemia, a common cardiometabolic risk factor, has been identified as an independent COVID-19 severity risk factor. Observational data suggest that patients with COVID-19 infection receiving lipid-lowering therapy may have better outcomes. However, among African patients, the response to these drugs varies from patient to patient, pointing to the possible contribution of genetic variation in important pharmacogenes. The PGx of lipid-lowering therapies may underlie differences in treatment responses observed among dyslipidemia patients as well as patients comorbid with COVID-19 and dyslipidemia. Genetic variations in APOE, ABCB1, CETP, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, HMGCR, LDLR, NPC1L1, and SLCO1B1 genes affect the pharmacogenomics of statins, and they have individually been linked to differential responses to dyslipidemia and COVID-19 treatment. African populations are underrepresented in PGx research. This leads to poor accounting of additional diverse genetic variants that could be important in understanding interindividual and between-population variations in therapeutic responses to dyslipidemia and COVID-19. This expert review examines and synthesizes the salient and priority PGx variations, as seen through a One Health lens in Africa, to improve and inform personalized medicine in both dyslipidemia and COVID-19.

An integrated genetic map of the pearl locus of mouse chromosome 13

We have used a Mus domesticus/spretus congenic animal and two interspecific backcross panels to map genetically 30 sequence-tagged sites (STSs) and 13 genes to the vicinity of the pearl locus on mouse chromosome 13. The STSs defining the mapped region are from D13Mit9 to D13Mit37, spanning 10.6 cM. Genes mapped to this region include Versican (Cspg2), GTPase activating protein (Rasa), dihydrofolate reductase (Dhfr), arylsulfatase (As-1), thrombin receptor (Cf2r), hexosaminidase b(Hexb), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (Hmgcr), microtubule associated protein 5/1b (Mtap5), phosphodiesterase (Pde), phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (Pik3rl), rat integrin a1-subunit (Itga1), collagen receptor a2-subunit (Itga2), and 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a receptor (Htr1a). This high resolution genetic map of the pearl region of chromosome 13 establishes the order of multiple markers, including genes whose human homologs are located within a limited region of human chromosome 5, with respect to the phenotypic anchor marker pearl.

5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor subtypes in vertebrates and invertebrates

In the last few years, molecular biology has led to the cloning and characterization of several 5-HT receptors (serotonin receptors) in vertebrates and in invertebrates. These studies have allowed identification not only of 5-HT receptors already described but also of novel subtypes. The molecular cloning of 13 different mammalian receptor subtypes revealed an unexpected heterogeneity among 5-HT receptors. Except for the 5-HT3 receptors which are ligand-gated ion channel receptors, all the other 5-HT receptors belong to the large family of receptors interacting with G proteins. Based on their amino acid sequence homology and coupling to second messengers these receptors can be divided into distinct families: the 5-HT1 family contains receptors that are negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase: the 5-HT2 family includes receptors that stimulate phospholipase C; the adenylyl cyclase stimulatory receptors are a heterogeneous group including the 5-HT4 receptor which has not yet been cloned, the Drosophila 5-HTdro1 receptor and two mammalian receptors tentatively named 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors. The 5-HT5A and 5-HT5B receptors might constitute a new family of 5-HT receptors whose effectors are unknown. This review focusses on the molecular characteristics of the cloned 5-HT receptors such as their structure, their effector systems and their distribution within the central nervous system. The existence of a large number of receptors with distinct signalling properties and expression patterns might enable a single substance like 5-HT to generate simultaneously a large panel of effects in many brain structures. The availability of the genes encoding these receptors has already allowed a partial characterization of their structure-function relationship and will probably allow in the future a dissection of the contribution of each of these receptor subtypes to physiology and behaviour.

Molecular biology of serotonin (5-HT) receptors

The hypothesis that multiple serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) receptors exist was first developed in the 1950s. However, unequivocal proof of 5-HT receptor multiplicity required the availability of molecular biological technologies. Indeed, the multiplicity of 5-HT receptor subtypes, both within and between species, has far exceeded most of the predictions that might have been made on the basis of pharmacological data. Over the past few years, and especially in 1992 and 1993, numerous "new" 5-HT receptors were reported. In this review, the extensive data generated in the past few years are summarized in an evolutionary context.

Anchored reference loci for comparative genome mapping in mammals

Recent advances in gene mapping technologies have led to increased emphasis in developing representative genetic maps for several species, particularly domestic plants and animals. These maps are being compiled with two distinct goals: to provide a resource for genetic analysis, and to help dissect the evolution of genome organization by comparing linkage relationships of homologous genes. We propose here a list of 321 reference anchor loci suitable for comparative gene mapping in mammals and other vertebrate classes. We selected cloned mouse and human functional genes spaced an average of 5-10 centiMorgans throughout their respective genomes. We also attempted to include loci that are evolutionarily conserved and represented in comparative gene maps in other mammalian orders, particularly cattle and the domestic cat. We believe that the map may provide the basis for a unified approach to comparative analysis of mammalian species genomes.

RASA contains a polymorphic microsatellite and maps to bovine syntenic group U22 on chromosome 7q2.4-qter

The bovine gene for the p21ras protein activator (RASA) includes in its 5' untranslated region a (TG)n repeat. Analysis of this (TG)n repeat by PCR amplification of genomic DNA revealed a four-allele polymorphism. A cDNA probe was used to assign RASA to the region 2.4-qter of bovine Chromosome (Chr) 7 by in situ hybridization. PCR analysis of a panel of somatic hybrid lines allowed the assignment of RASA to the unassigned syntenic group 22 (U22) and thus localizes U22 on Chr 7.

The serotonin receptor subtype 2 locus HTR2 is on human chromosome 13 near genes for esterase D and retinoblastoma-1 and on mouse chromosome 14

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) functions as a neurotransmitter and a hormone. Its diverse actions are mediated by at least seven distinct cell surface receptor subtypes. The serotonin receptor subtype 2 (gene symbol HTR2) is a G-protein-coupled receptor, expressed primarily in the cerebral cortex, where upon stimulation it stimulates the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids. We have mapped the HTR2 locus to human chromosome 13 and to mouse chromosome 14 by somatic cell hybrid analysis. Linkage studies in CEPH families, using a PvuII RFLP detected with the HTR2 probe, revealed tight linkage between HTR2 and ESD, the locus for esterase D. The most likely position for HTR2 is between ESD and RB1, the retinoblastoma-1 gene. The homologous loci in mouse, Rb-1 and Esd(Es-10) are on mouse chromosome 14, close to ag, agitans, a recessive neurological mutation. Having mapped Htr-2 to mouse chromosome 14, we predict that it falls into this known conserved gene cluster.

Chromosome localization and cDNA sequence of murine and human genes for ras p21 GTPase activating protein (GAP)

The cDNA coding for mouse and human ras p21 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) was isolated; the deduced amino acid sequences share over 96% homology with that previously determined for bovine brain GAP. Both the mouse and human GAP cDNAs were used as probes for the chromosomal localization of this gene. The locus designations for the gene encoding GAP in human and mouse are RASA and Rasa (for ras-activating protein), respectively. By somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ chromosomal hybridization, we have assigned the RASA gene to human chromosome band 5q13.3. In addition, with somatic cell genetics and linkage analysis in recombinant inbred mouse strains, the murine Rasa gene was localized to the distal end of mouse chromosome 13. These assignments place the gene encoding GAP in a known conserved syntenic region.