Possible role of intronic polymorphisms in the PHACTR1 gene on the development of cardiovascular disease

The alleles of AGT and HIF1A gene affect the risk of hypertension in plateau residents

Plateau essential hypertension is a common chronic harmful disease of permanent residents in plateau areas. Studies have shown some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associations with hypertension, but few have been verified in plateau area-lived people. In this paper, we examined some hypertension-related gene loci to analyze the relationship between risk SNPs and plateau essential hypertension in residents in Qinghai-Tibet plateau area. We screened hypertension-related SNPs from the literature, Clinvar database, GHR database, GTR database, and GWAS database, and then selected 101 susceptible SNPs for detection. Illumina MiSeq NGS platform was used to perform DNA sequencing on the blood samples from 185 Tibetan dwellings of Qinghai, and bioinformatic tools were used to make genotyping. Genetic models adjusted by gender and age were used to calculate the risk effects of genotypes. Four known SNPs as well as a new locus were found associated with PHE, which were rs2493134 (AGT), rs9349379 (PHACTR1), rs1371182 (CYP2C56P-PRPS1P1), rs567481079 (CYP2C56P-PRPS1P1), and chr14:61734822 (HIF1A). Among them, genotypes of rs2493134, rs9349379, and rs567481079 were risk factors, genotypes of rs1371182 and chr14:61734822 were protective factors. The rs2493134 in AGT was found associated with an increased risk of the plateau essential hypertension by 3.24-, 3.24-, and 2.06-fold in co-dominant, dominant, and Log-additive models, respectively. The rs9349379 in PHACTR1 is associated with a 2.61-fold increased risk of plateau essential hypertension according to the dominant model. This study reveals that the alleles of AGT, HIF1A, and PHACTR1 are closely related to plateau essential hypertension risk in the plateau Tibetan population.

A Study of Associations Between rs9349379 (PHACTR1), rs2891168 (CDKN2B-AS), rs11838776 (COL4A2) and rs4880 (SOD2) Polymorphic Variants and Coronary Artery Disease in Iranian Population

Recent genome-wide association studies reported the association of polymorphic alleles of PHACTR1 (rs9349379 (G)), CDDKN2B-AS1 (rs2891168 (G)), COL4A2 (rs11838776 (A)) and SOD2 (rs4880 (T)) with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of our study was to assess the association of genetic variants with risk of CAD and its severity and in Southeast Iranian population. This study was examined in 250 CAD-suspected patients (mean age 53.49 ± 6.9 years) and 250 healthy individuals (mean age 52.96 ± 5.9 years). The Taqman SNP genotyping assay was used for genotyping of rs9349379 and rs2891168 variants. Tetra-primer Amplified refractory mutation system-PCR (Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR) was employed for rs11838776 and rs4880. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that the G allele of rs9349379 and rs2891168 were associated with increased risk of CAD. The GG homozygous genotype of rs9349379 and rs2891168 had also been associated with risk of CAD. Additionally, the AG genotype of rs2891168 was associated with CAD. The significance of association of rs2891168 (G, GG, AG) increases with severity of CAD; but the rs9349379 (G, GG) have shown reverse association with severity of CAD. The genetic variants of COL4A2 (rs11838776) and SOD2 (rs4880) reflected no association with CAD in Southeast Iranian population. The findings of this study revealed that the PHACTR1 (rs9349379) and CDKN2B-AS1 (rs2891168) genetic variants might serve as genetic risk factor in CAD.

Associations between PHACTR1 gene polymorphisms and pulse pressure in Chinese Han population

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Chinese twins was performed to explore associations between genes and pulse pressure (PP) in 2012, and detected a suggestive association in the phosphatase and actin regulator 1 (PHACTR1) gene on chromosome 6p24.1 (rs1223397, P=1.04e⁻⁰⁷). The purpose of the present study was to investigate associations of PHACTR1 gene polymorphisms with PP in a Chinese population. We recruited 347 subjects with PP ≥ 65 mmHg as cases and 359 subjects with 30 ≤ PP ≤ 45 mmHg as controls. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PHACTR1 gene were genotyped. Logistic regression was performed to explore associations between SNPs and PP in codominant, additive, dominant, recessive and overdominant models. The Pearson’s χ² test was applied to assess the relationships of haplotypes and PP. The A allele of rs9349379 had a positive effect on high PP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that rs9349379 was significantly related to high PP in codominant [AA vs GG, 2.255 (1.132–4.492)], additive [GG vs GA vs AA, 1.368 (1.049–1.783)] and recessive [AA vs GA + GG, 2.062 (1.051–4.045)] models. The positive association between rs499818 and high PP was significant in codominant [AA vs GG, 3.483 (1.044–11.613)] and recessive [AA vs GG + GA, 3.716 (1.119–12.339)] models. No significant association of haplotypes with PP was detected. There was no significant interaction between six SNPs without strong linkage. In conclusion, the present study presents that rs9349379 and rs499818 in the PHACTR1 gene were significantly associated with PP in Chinese population. Future research should be conducted to confirm them.

The rs46522 Polymorphism of the Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2Z Gene Is Associated with Abnormal Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Myocardial Infarction: The Genetics of Atherosclerosis Disease Mexican Study

The participation of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2Z (UBE2Z) in atherosclerosis has been reported. We aimed to evaluate the association of the rs46522 polymorphism of the UBE2Z gene with myocardial infarction (MI) and other clinical and metabolic components in the Mexican population. A total of 2128 individuals (1023 patients with MI and 1105 healthy controls) were included. rs46522 was genotyped using the 5' exonuclease TaqMan genotyping assay. A similar polymorphism distribution was observed between patients and healthy controls. The association between rs46522 polymorphism and cardiometabolic parameters was evaluated separately in the two groups. In the control group, rs46522 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of developing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL (odds ratio [OR] = 1.249, p_additive = 0.018; OR = 1.479, p_recessive = 0.015; OR = 1.589, p_{codominant 2} = 0.013). On the other hand, in MI patients, it was observed that rs46522 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of developing high levels of alanine transaminase (OR = 1.297, p_heterozygote = 0.043) and aspartate transaminase (OR = 1.453, p_dominant = 0.009; OR = 1.592, p_heterozygote = 0.001; OR = 1.632, p_{codominant 1} = 0.001). Our results suggest that the UBE2Z gene rs46522 polymorphism is associated with abnormal metabolic parameters in Mexican patients with MI.

PHACTR1 gene polymorphism with the risk of coronary artery disease in Chinese Han population

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most frequent multifactorial disease worldwide and is characterised by endothelial injury, lipid deposition and coronary artery calcification. The purpose of this study was to determine the allelic and genotypic frequencies of two loci (rs2026458 and rs9349379) of phosphatase and actin regulator 1 (PHACTR1) to the risk of developing CAD in the Chinese Han population.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted including 332 patients with CAD and 119 controls. Genotype analysis was performed by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Genetic model analysis was performed to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms and CAD susceptibility using Pearson's χ² test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The GG genotype of rs9349379 represented 50% and 29% of patients with CAD and controls, respectively (p<0.001). The CC genotype of rs2026458 was more prevalent in the controls than in patients with CAD compared with TT genotype (OR=0.548, 95% CI 0.351 to 0.856, p=0.008). Logistic regression analyses revealed that PHACTR1 rs9349379 GG genotype was significantly associated with increased risk of CAD in the recessive model (OR=2.359, 95% CI 1.442 to 3.862, p=0.001), even after adjusting for age gender, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and smoking habit. Heterogeneity test proved that rs9349379's risk effects on CAD were more significant among women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicate that the PHACTR1 rs9349379 polymorphism is associated with the increased risk for CAD in the female Chinese Han population.

Phosphatase Actin Regulator-1 (PHACTR-1) Knockdown Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Migration and Promotes Cell Apoptosis in the bEnd.3 Mouse Brain Capillary Endothelial Cell Line

BACKGROUND The phosphatase actin regulator-1 (PHACTR-1) gene on chromosome 6 encodes an actin and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) binding protein, Phactr-1, which is highly expressed in brain tissues. Phactr-1 expression is involved in physiological and pathological cerebral microvascular events. This study aimed to investigate the role of expression of Phactr-1 in a mouse brain capillary endothelial cell line, bEnd.3, by knockdown the PHACTR-1 gene. MATERIAL AND METHODS Three bEnd.3 cell groups were studied, CON (normal control cells), NC (control scramble transfected cells), and KD (cells with PHACTR-1 gene knockdown). The PHACTR-1 gene was knocked down using transfection with small hairpin RNA (shRNA). In the three cell groups cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were studied by MTT and colony formation assays, transwell and scratch assays, and flow cytometry. The related cell pathways of associated with Phactr-1 knockdown were studied by Western blot. RESULTS Phactr-1 knockdown suppressed bEnd.3 cell proliferation and migration, promoted cell apoptosis, and downregulated the expressions of migration-associated proteins, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 and upregulated apoptosis-associated proteins, including Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, and caspase-3. CONCLUSIONS Phactr-1 was shown to have a role in the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and migration, promoted cell apoptosis, and regulated matrix metalloproteinases and apoptosis-associated proteins. These findings indicate that the expression of the Phactr-1 should be studied further in the cerebral microvasculature, both in vitro and in vivo, regarding its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for cerebral microvascular disease.

A haplotype of the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene is associated with myocardial infarction and with cardiometabolic parameters: the GEA study

The phosphodiesterase family is involved in a wide spectrum of diseases, including ischemic stroke. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) and myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the association of the PDE4D gene polymorphisms with MI, and with cardiometabolic parameters in the Mexican population. Six polymorphisms (rs2910829, rs1423246, rs966221, rs4502776, rs13172481, and rs6869495) were genotyped in 1023 MI patients and 1105 healthy controls. A similar distribution of the six polymorphisms was observed in both studied groups. However, after evaluating the linkage disequilibrium, we detected a risk haplotype for MI (AGAGAA; OR = 1.148; P = 0.025). In addition, the polymorphisms were associated with the presence of some clinical and metabolic parameters (central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, Aspartate transaminase >p75, Lipoprotein (a) >30 mg/dL, TAT >p75, fatty liver, and vitamin D <30 ng/dL) in healthy controls. The results suggest that in the Mexican population, a PDE4D haplotype is associated with increased risk of developing MI, and that PDE4D polymorphisms are independently associated with the presence of cardiometabolic parameters.