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Zaied RE, Fadason T, O'Sullivan JM. De novo identification of complex traits associated with asthma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1231492. [PMID: 37680636 PMCID: PMC10480836 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1231492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Asthma is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease often associated with other complex phenotypes. Identifying asthma-associated diseases and uncovering the molecular mechanisms mediating their interaction can help detangle the heterogeneity of asthma. Network analysis is a powerful approach for untangling such inter-disease relationships. Methods Here, we integrated information on physical contacts between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data from the lung and whole blood to construct two tissue-specific spatial gene regulatory networks (GRN). We then located the asthma GRN (level 0) within each tissue-specific GRN by identifying the genes that are functionally affected by asthma-associated spatial eQTLs. Curated protein interaction partners were subsequently identified up to four edges or levels away from the asthma GRN. The eQTLs spatially regulating genes on levels 0-4 were queried against the GWAS Catalog to identify the traits enriched (hypergeometric test; FDR ≤ 0.05) in each level. Results We identified 80 and 82 traits significantly enriched in the lung and blood GRNs, respectively. All identified traits were previously reported to be comorbid or associated (positively or negatively) with asthma (e.g., depressive symptoms and lung cancer), except 8 traits whose association with asthma is yet to be confirmed (e.g., reticulocyte count). Our analysis additionally pinpoints the variants and genes that link asthma to the identified asthma-associated traits, a subset of which was replicated in a comorbidity analysis using health records of 26,781 asthma patients in New Zealand. Discussion Our discovery approach identifies enriched traits in the regulatory space proximal to asthma, in the tissue of interest, without a priori selection of the interacting traits. The predictions it makes expand our understanding of possible shared molecular interactions and therapeutic targets for asthma, where no cure is currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roan E Zaied
- The Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tayaza Fadason
- The Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Justin M O'Sullivan
- The Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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Farrow SL, Schierding W, Gokuladhas S, Golovina E, Fadason T, Cooper AA, O’Sullivan JM. Establishing gene regulatory networks from Parkinson's disease risk loci. Brain 2022; 145:2422-2435. [PMID: 35094046 PMCID: PMC9373962 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The latest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identified 90 independent variants across 78 genomic regions associated with Parkinson's disease, yet the mechanisms by which these variants influence the development of the disease remains largely elusive. To establish the functional gene regulatory networks associated with Parkinson's disease risk variants, we utilized an approach combining spatial (chromosomal conformation capture) and functional (expression quantitative trait loci) data. We identified 518 genes subject to regulation by 76 Parkinson's variants across 49 tissues, whicih encompass 36 peripheral and 13 CNS tissues. Notably, one-third of these genes were regulated via trans-acting mechanisms (distal; risk locus-gene separated by >1 Mb, or on different chromosomes). Of particular interest is the identification of a novel trans-expression quantitative trait loci-gene connection between rs10847864 and SYNJ1 in the adult brain cortex, highlighting a convergence between familial studies and Parkinson's disease genome-wide association studies loci for SYNJ1 (PARK20) for the first time. Furthermore, we identified 16 neurodevelopment-specific expression quantitative trait loci-gene regulatory connections within the foetal cortex, consistent with hypotheses suggesting a neurodevelopmental involvement in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Through utilizing Louvain clustering we extracted nine significant and highly intraconnected clusters within the entire gene regulatory network. The nine clusters are enriched for specific biological processes and pathways, some of which have not previously been associated with Parkinson's disease. Together, our results not only contribute to an overall understanding of the mechanisms and impact of specific combinations of Parkinson's disease variants, but also highlight the potential impact gene regulatory networks may have when elucidating aetiological subtypes of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L Farrow
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Evgeniia Golovina
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tayaza Fadason
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Antony A Cooper
- Australian Parkinson’s Mission, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent’s Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin M O’Sullivan
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Australian Parkinson’s Mission, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Brain Research New Zealand, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, UK
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Fadason T, Farrow S, Gokuladhas S, Golovina E, Nyaga D, O'Sullivan JM, Schierding W. Assigning function to SNPs: Considerations when interpreting genetic variation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 121:135-142. [PMID: 34446357 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Assigning function to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to understand the mechanisms that link genetic and phenotypic variation and disease is an area of intensive research that is necessary to contribute to the continuing development of precision medicine. However, despite the apparent simplicity that is captured in the name SNP - 'single nucleotide' changes are not easy to functionally characterize. This complexity arises from multiple features of the genome including the fact that function is development and environment specific. As such, we are often fooled by our terminology and underlying assumptions that there is a single function for a SNP. Here we discuss some of what is known about SNPs, their functions and how we can go about characterizing them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayaza Fadason
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sophie Farrow
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Evgeniia Golovina
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Denis Nyaga
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Justin M O'Sullivan
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Zhang Q, Zhong D, Ren YY, Meng ZK, Pegg RB, Zhong G. Effect of konjac glucomannan on metabolites in the stomach, small intestine and large intestine of constipated mice and prediction of the KEGG pathway. Food Funct 2021; 12:3044-3056. [PMID: 33710209 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo02682d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of constipation involves the whole gastrointestinal tract. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) has been clinically proven to alleviate constipation, but its mechanism has not been fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the excretion-promoting effect of KGM on constipated mice and the underlying molecular mechanism. In this study, the UHPLC-QE orbitrap/MS method was used to determine the metabolic phenotypes of total gastrointestinal segments (i.e., the stomach {St}, small intestine {S}, and large intestine {L}) in constipated mice treated with KGM. The results showed that KGM improved the fecal water content, body weight growth rate, and serum gastrointestinal regulation related peptide levels. The metabolomics results revealed the decreased levels of amino acids, cholines, deoxycholic acid, arachidonic acid, thiamine and the increased levels of indoxyl sulfate, histamine, linoelaidic acid etc. The KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the relaxation effect of KGM supplementation was most likely driven by modulating the expression levels of various key factors involved in biosynthesis of amino acid (i.e., phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan), linoleic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and arachidonic acid metabolism signalling pathways. The results indicated that KGM alleviates constipation by regulating potential metabolite markers and metabolic pathways in different gastrointestinal segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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Eicher T, Kinnebrew G, Patt A, Spencer K, Ying K, Ma Q, Machiraju R, Mathé EA. Metabolomics and Multi-Omics Integration: A Survey of Computational Methods and Resources. Metabolites 2020; 10:E202. [PMID: 32429287 PMCID: PMC7281435 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10050202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As researchers are increasingly able to collect data on a large scale from multiple clinical and omics modalities, multi-omics integration is becoming a critical component of metabolomics research. This introduces a need for increased understanding by the metabolomics researcher of computational and statistical analysis methods relevant to multi-omics studies. In this review, we discuss common types of analyses performed in multi-omics studies and the computational and statistical methods that can be used for each type of analysis. We pinpoint the caveats and considerations for analysis methods, including required parameters, sample size and data distribution requirements, sources of a priori knowledge, and techniques for the evaluation of model accuracy. Finally, for the types of analyses discussed, we provide examples of the applications of corresponding methods to clinical and basic research. We intend that our review may be used as a guide for metabolomics researchers to choose effective techniques for multi-omics analyses relevant to their field of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Eicher
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
- Computer Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University College of Engineering, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Garrett Kinnebrew
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University and James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource Group, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Andrew Patt
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, 9800 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20892, USA;
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kyle Spencer
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Nationwide Children’s Research Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kevin Ying
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University and James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
| | - Raghu Machiraju
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
- Computer Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University College of Engineering, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pathology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ewy A. Mathé
- Biomedical Informatics Department, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (T.E.); (G.K.); (K.S.); (Q.M.); (R.M.)
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, 9800 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20892, USA;
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