1
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Yu H, Yan X, Wang N, Liu X, Xue T, Li C, Zhang X. Characterization of caspase gene family in Sebastes schlegelii and their expression profiles under Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum infection. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 270:110913. [PMID: 37913865 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2023.110913] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The caspase, functioning as a proteinase, plays a crucial role in eukaryotic cell apoptosis, regulation of apoptosis, cellular growth, differentiation, and immunity. The identification of caspase gene family in Sebastes schlegelii is of great help to understand its antimicrobial research. In S. schlegelii, we totally identified nine caspase genes, including four apoptosis initiator caspases (caspase 2, caspase 8, caspase 9 and caspase 10), four apoptosis executioners (caspase 3a, caspase 3b, caspase 6, and caspase 7) and one inflammatory executioner (caspase 1). The duplication of caspase 3 genes on chr3 and chr8 may have been facilitated by whole genome duplication (WGD) events or other complex evolutionary processes. In general, the number of caspase genes relatively conserved in high vertebrates, while exhibiting variation in teleosts. Furthermore, syntenic analysis and phylogenetic relationships analysis supported the correct classification of these caspase gene family in S. schlegelii, especially for genes with duplicated copies. Additionally, the expression patterns of these caspase genes in different tissues of S. schlegelii under healthy conditions were assessed. The results revealed that the expression levels of most caspase genes were significantly elevated in the intestine, spleen, and liver. To further investigate the potential immune functions of these caspase genes in S. schlegelii, we challenged individuals with A. salmonicida and V. anguillarum, respectively. After infection with A. salmonicida, the expression levels of caspase 1 in the liver and spleen of S. schlegelii remained consistently elevated throughout the infection time points. The expression levels of most caspase family members in the intestine exhibited significant divergence following V. anguillarum infection. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the caspase gene families in S. schlegelii, thereby establishing a solid foundation for further investigations into the functional roles of these caspase genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohui Yu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
| | - Xu Yan
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China, Qingdao 266011, China; College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Ningning Wang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
| | - Xiantong Liu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
| | - Ting Xue
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
| | - Chao Li
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
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2
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Ciesielski TH, Sirugo G, Iyengar SK, Williams SM. Characterizing the pathogenicity of genetic variants: the consequences of context. NPJ Genom Med 2024; 9:3. [PMID: 38195641 PMCID: PMC10776585 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-023-00386-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H Ciesielski
- The Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Ronin Institute, Montclair, NJ, USA.
| | - Giorgio Sirugo
- The Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Institute of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sudha K Iyengar
- The Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Scott M Williams
- The Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Cleveland, OH, USA
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3
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Iwasaki RL, Satta Y. Spatial and temporal diversity of positive selection on shared haplotypes at the PSCA locus among worldwide human populations. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 131:156-169. [PMID: 37353592 PMCID: PMC10382566 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-023-00631-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Selection on standing genetic variation is important for rapid local genetic adaptation when the environment changes. We report that, for the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene, different populations have different target haplotypes, even though haplotypes are shared among populations. The C-C-A haplotype, whereby the first C is located at rs2294008 of PSCA and is a low risk allele for gastric cancer, has become a target of positive selection in Asia. Conversely, the C-A-G haplotype carrying the same C allele has become a selection target mainly in Africa. However, Asian and African share both haplotypes, consistent with the haplotype divergence time (170 kya) prior to the out-of-Africa dispersal. The frequency of C-C-A/C-A-G is 0.344/0.278 in Asia and 0.209/0.416 in Africa. Two-dimensional site frequency spectrum analysis revealed that the extent of intra-allelic variability of the target haplotype is extremely small in each local population, suggesting that C-C-A or C-A-G is under ongoing hard sweeps in local populations. From the time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of selected haplotypes, the onset times of positive selection were recent (3-55 kya), concurrently with population subdivision from a common ancestor. Additionally, estimated selection coefficients from ABC analysis were up to ~3%, similar to those at other loci under recent positive selection. Phylogeny of local populations and TMRCA of selected haplotypes revealed that spatial and temporal switching of positive selection targets is a unique and novel feature of ongoing selection at PSCA. This switching may reflect the potential of rapid adaptability to distinct environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa L Iwasaki
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan
| | - Yoko Satta
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan.
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan.
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4
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Gao L, Li Q, Zhang Z, Ge P, Sun J, Qiao X, Wang L, Song L. Species-specific CgCaspase-Cg-5 in the pacific oyster induces haemocyte apoptosis by regulating the mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes in the early stage of immune response. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2023:108856. [PMID: 37257569 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinases, playing critical roles in apoptotic pathway to induce apoptosis and inflammatory response. In this study, the expanded repertoire of Caspases was revealed in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, and a total of 30 Caspases were identified from the genomic and stress-induced transcriptomic databases of the Pacific oyster. They were clustered into CgCaspase-2/9, CgCaspase-8/10, CgCaspase-3/6/7, CgCaspase-Cg, and CgCaspase-L. CgCaspase-Cg subgroup was found to be specifically expanded after a positive selection in oyster with average Ka/Ks of 0.50. The mRNA expression of CgCaspase-Cg-5 was found to be obviously induced against various bacterial and viral stimulations or environmental stresses. The relative expression level of CgCaspase-Cg-5 in haemocytes increased and reached the peak at 6 h after Vibrio splendidus stimulation, which was 5.57-fold of that in the control group (p < 0.01). In the oysters whose CgCaspase-Cg-5 expression was knocked down, the mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes including CgBcl2, CgBax, CgCaspase3 and CgCaspase9 changed significantly at 12 h after V. splendidus stimulation. The expression of CgBax, CgCaspase3 and CgCaspase9 decreased, which was 0.64-fold (p < 0.05), 0.53-fold (p < 0.05) and 0.62-fold (p < 0.01), while the expression of CgBcl2 increased, which was 2.81-fold (p < 0.01) of that in the EGFP-dsRNA group, respectively. Meanwhile, the apoptotic rate of haemocytes (1.90 ± 0.71%) significantly decreased compared to that in the EGFP-dsRNA group (5.40 ± 0.72%) (p < 0.05), and the histological damages of widened cell spacing, gill filament swelling and loose cytoplasm were observed in the CgCaspase-Cg-5-knockdown oysters after V. splendidus stimulation. Collectively, CgCaspase-Cg subgroup was specifically expanded in oyster and some bivalve species, and species-specific CgCaspase-Cg-5 regulated the mRNA expression of the apoptosis-related genes to induce haemocyte apoptosis in the early stage of immune response. This provided insight into the evolutionary and functional characteristics of Caspase repertoire in the Pacific oyster and highlighted the important role of CgCaspase-Cg-5 in the response to pathogen infection and environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Gao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Qingsong Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Ziyang Zhang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Pingan Ge
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jiejie Sun
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xue Qiao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China.
| | - Linsheng Song
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Dalian Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China; Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China.
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5
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Jajosky RP, Wu SC, Zheng L, Jajosky AN, Jajosky PG, Josephson CD, Hollenhorst MA, Sackstein R, Cummings RD, Arthur CM, Stowell SR. ABO blood group antigens and differential glycan expression: Perspective on the evolution of common human enzyme deficiencies. iScience 2023; 26:105798. [PMID: 36691627 PMCID: PMC9860303 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions and play critical roles in human health and disease. Enzyme variants and deficiencies can lead to variable expression of glycans, which can affect physiology, influence predilection for disease, and/or directly contribute to disease pathogenesis. Although certain well-characterized enzyme deficiencies result in overt disease, some of the most common enzyme deficiencies in humans form the basis of blood groups. These carbohydrate blood groups impact fundamental areas of clinical medicine, including the risk of infection and severity of infectious disease, bleeding risk, transfusion medicine, and tissue/organ transplantation. In this review, we examine the enzymes responsible for carbohydrate-based blood group antigen biosynthesis and their expression within the human population. We also consider the evolutionary selective pressures, e.g. malaria, that may account for the variation in carbohydrate structures and the implications of this biology for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Philip Jajosky
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Biconcavity Inc, Lilburn, GA, USA
| | - Shang-Chuen Wu
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Leon Zheng
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Audrey N. Jajosky
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, West Henrietta, NY, USA
| | | | - Cassandra D. Josephson
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute and Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine Division, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
- Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marie A. Hollenhorst
- Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert Sackstein
- Translational Glycobiology Institute, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Richard D. Cummings
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Connie M. Arthur
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sean R. Stowell
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Tang J, Huang M, He S, Zeng J, Zhu H. Uncovering the extensive trade-off between adaptive evolution and disease susceptibility. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111351. [PMID: 36103812 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Favored mutations in the human genome may make the carriers adapt to changing environments and lifestyles but also susceptible to specific diseases. The scale and details of the trade-off between adaptive evolution and disease susceptibility are unclear because most favored mutations in different populations remain unidentified. As no statistical test can discriminate favored mutations from nearby hitchhiking neutral ones, we report a deep-learning network (DeepFavored) to integrate multiple statistical tests and divide identifying favored mutations into two subtasks. We identify favored mutations in three human populations and analyzed the correlation between favored/hitchhiking mutations and genome-wide association study (GWAS) sites. Both favored and hitchhiking neutral mutations are enriched in GWAS sites with population-specific features, and the enrichment and population specificity are prominent in genes in specific Gene Ontology (GO) terms. These provide evidence for extensive and population-specific trade-offs between adaptive evolution and disease susceptibility. The unveiled scale helps understand and investigate differences and diseases of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Tang
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Maosheng Huang
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; School of Medical Information and Engineering, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Sha He
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Junxiang Zeng
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Hao Zhu
- Bioinformatics Section, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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7
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Potapova NA. Nonsense Mutations in Eukaryotes. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:400-412. [PMID: 35790376 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922050029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nonsense mutations are a type of mutations which results in a premature termination codon occurrence. In general, these mutations have been considered to be among the most harmful ones which lead to premature protein translation termination and result in shortened nonfunctional polypeptide. However, there is evidence that not all nonsense mutations are harmful as well as some molecular mechanisms exist which allow to avoid pathogenic effects of these mutations. This review addresses relevant information on nonsense mutations in eukaryotic genomes, characteristics of these mutations, and different molecular mechanisms preventing or mitigating harmful effects thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda A Potapova
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems (IITP), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia.
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8
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Tummers B, Green DR. The evolution of regulated cell death pathways in animals and their evasion by pathogens. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:411-454. [PMID: 34898294 PMCID: PMC8676434 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The coevolution of host-pathogen interactions underlies many human physiological traits associated with protection from or susceptibility to infections. Among the mechanisms that animals utilize to control infections are the regulated cell death pathways of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. Over the course of evolution these pathways have become intricate and complex, coevolving with microbes that infect animal hosts. Microbes, in turn, have evolved strategies to interfere with the pathways of regulated cell death to avoid eradication by the host. Here, we present an overview of the mechanisms of regulated cell death in Animalia and the strategies devised by pathogens to interfere with these processes. We review the molecular pathways of regulated cell death, their roles in infection, and how they are perturbed by viruses and bacteria, providing insights into the coevolution of host-pathogen interactions and cell death pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Tummers
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Douglas R Green
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
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9
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Szpak M, Collins SC, Li Y, Liu X, Ayub Q, Fischer MC, Vancollie VE, Lelliott CJ, Xue Y, Yalcin B, Yang H, Tyler-Smith C. A Positively Selected MAGEE2 LoF Allele Is Associated with Sexual Dimorphism in Human Brain Size and Shows Similar Phenotypes in Magee2 Null Mice. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5655-5663. [PMID: 34464968 PMCID: PMC8662591 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A nonsense allele at rs1343879 in human MAGEE2 on chromosome X has previously been reported as a strong candidate for positive selection in East Asia. This premature stop codon causing ∼80% protein truncation is characterized by a striking geographical pattern of high population differentiation: common in Asia and the Americas (up to 84% in the 1000 Genomes Project East Asians) but rare elsewhere. Here, we generated a Magee2 mouse knockout mimicking the human loss-of-function mutation to study its functional consequences. The Magee2 null mice did not exhibit gross abnormalities apart from enlarged brain structures (13% increased total brain area, P = 0.0022) in hemizygous males. The area of the granular retrosplenial cortex responsible for memory, navigation, and spatial information processing was the most severely affected, exhibiting an enlargement of 34% (P = 3.4×10-6). The brain size in homozygous females showed the opposite trend of reduced brain size, although this did not reach statistical significance. With these insights, we performed human association analyses between brain size measurements and rs1343879 genotypes in 141 Chinese volunteers with brain MRI scans, replicating the sexual dimorphism seen in the knockout mouse model. The derived stop gain allele was significantly associated with a larger volume of gray matter in males (P = 0.00094), and smaller volumes of gray (P = 0.00021) and white (P = 0.0015) matter in females. It is unclear whether or not the observed neuroanatomical phenotypes affect behavior or cognition, but it might have been the driving force underlying the positive selection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Szpak
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan C Collins
- Inserm UMR1231, Genetics of Developmental Disorders Laboratory, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,IGBMC, UMR7104, Illkirch, Inserm, France
| | - Yan Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qasim Ayub
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, School of Science, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | - Yali Xue
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Binnaz Yalcin
- Inserm UMR1231, Genetics of Developmental Disorders Laboratory, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,IGBMC, UMR7104, Illkirch, Inserm, France
| | | | - Chris Tyler-Smith
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
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10
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Pseudogenes: Four Decades of Discovery. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34165705 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1503-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
A pseudogene is defined as a genomic DNA sequence that looks like a mutated or truncated version of a known functional gene. Nearly four decades since their first discovery it has been estimated that between ~12,000 and ~20,000 pseudogenes exist in the human genome. Early efforts to characterize functions for pseudogenes were unsuccessful, thus they were considered functionless relics of evolutionary selection, junk DNA or genetic fossils. Remarkably, an increasing number of pseudogenes have been reported to be expressed as RNA transcripts above and beyond levels considered accidental or spurious transcription. There is emerging evidence that some expressed pseudogene transcripts have biological functions and should be defined as a subclass of functional long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA). In this introductory chapter, I briefly summarize the history and the current knowledge of pseudogenes, and highlight the emerging functions of some pseudogenes in human biology and disease. This second iteration of Pseudogenes in Methods in Molecular Biology highlights new methodological approaches to investigate this intriguing family of lncRNAs and the extent of their biological function.
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11
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Murphy MK, Moon JT, Skolaris AT, Mikulin JA, Wilson TJ. Evidence for the loss and recovery of SLAMF9 during human evolution: implications on Dollo's law. Immunogenetics 2021; 73:243-251. [PMID: 33616677 PMCID: PMC7898023 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-021-01208-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Signaling lymphocyte activation molecule family member 9 (SLAMF9) is a cell surface protein of the CD2/SLAM family of leukocyte surface receptors. It is conserved throughout mammals and has roles in the initiation of inflammatory responses and regulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell function. Through comparison of reference sequences encoding SLAMF9 in human, mouse, and primate sequences, we have determined that the SLAMF9 gene underwent successive mutation events, resulting in the loss of the protein and subsequent recovery of a less stable version. The mutations included a single base pair deletion in the second exon and a change in the splice acceptor site of that same exon. These changes would have had the effect of creating and later repairing a frameshift in the coding sequence. These events took place since the divergence of the human lineage from the chimpanzee-human last common ancestor and represent the first known case of the functional loss and recovery of a gene within the human lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maegan K Murphy
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Justin T Moon
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Alexis T Skolaris
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Joseph A Mikulin
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Timothy J Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, 700 E. High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA.
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12
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Van Opdenbosch N, Lamkanfi M. Caspases in Cell Death, Inflammation, and Disease. Immunity 2019; 50:1352-1364. [PMID: 31216460 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 683] [Impact Index Per Article: 136.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are an evolutionary conserved family of cysteine proteases that are centrally involved in cell death and inflammation responses. A wealth of foundational insight into the molecular mechanisms that control caspase activation has emerged in recent years. Important advancements include the identification of additional inflammasome platforms and pathways that regulate activation of inflammatory caspases; the discovery of gasdermin D as the effector of pyroptosis and interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-18 secretion; and the existence of substantial crosstalk between inflammatory and apoptotic initiator caspases. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating caspase activation has supported initial efforts to modulate dysfunctional cell death and inflammation pathways in a suite of communicable, inflammatory, malignant, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we review current understanding of caspase biology with a prime focus on the inflammatory caspases and outline important topics for future experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Van Opdenbosch
- Janssen Immunosciences, World Without Disease Accelerator, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, 2340, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Lamkanfi
- Janssen Immunosciences, World Without Disease Accelerator, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, 2340, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
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13
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Jeyakumar T, Beauchemin N, Gros P. Impact of the Microbiome on the Human Genome. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:809-821. [PMID: 31451407 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Humans live in a microbial world that includes pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause lethal infections. In addition, a large number of microbial communities inhabit mucosal surfaces where they provide key metabolic activities, facilitating adaptation to changing environments. New genome technologies enable both sequencing of the human genome and sequence-based cataloging of microbial communities inhabiting human mucosal surfaces. These have revealed intricate two-way relationships between the microbiome and the genome, including strong effects of human genotypes on the composition and activity of the microbiome. Likewise, the microbiome plays an important role in training and regulating the immune system, and acts to modify expression of human genetic risk for debilitating chronic inflammatory and immune conditions. These studies are suggesting a new role of the microbiome in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiviya Jeyakumar
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; McGill Center for the Study of Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicole Beauchemin
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Philippe Gros
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; McGill Center for the Study of Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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14
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Szpak M, Xue Y, Ayub Q, Tyler‐Smith C. How well do we understand the basis of classic selective sweeps in humans? FEBS Lett 2019; 593:1431-1448. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yali Xue
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute Hinxton UK
| | - Qasim Ayub
- School of Science Monash University Malaysia Bandar Sunway Malaysia
- Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility Bandar Sunway Malaysia
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15
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Spead O, Verreet T, Donelson CJ, Poulain FE. Characterization of the caspase family in zebrafish. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197966. [PMID: 29791492 PMCID: PMC5965869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
First discovered for their role in mediating programmed cell death and inflammatory responses, caspases have now emerged as crucial regulators of other cellular and physiological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and survival. In the developing nervous system, for instance, the non-apoptotic functions of caspases have been shown to play critical roles in the formation of neuronal circuits by regulating axon outgrowth, guidance and pruning. How caspase activity is spatially and temporally maintained at sub-lethal levels within cells remains however poorly understood, especially in vivo. Thanks to its transparency and accessibility, the zebrafish offers the unique ability to directly visualize caspase activation in vivo. Yet, detailed information about the caspase family in zebrafish is lacking. Here, we report the identification and characterization of 19 different caspase genes in zebrafish, and show that caspases have diverse expression profiles from cleavage to larval stages, suggesting highly specialized and/or redundant functions during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Spead
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Tine Verreet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Cory J. Donelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Fabienne E. Poulain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
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16
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Casanova JL, Abel L. Human genetics of infectious diseases: Unique insights into immunological redundancy. Semin Immunol 2018; 36:1-12. [PMID: 29254755 PMCID: PMC5910248 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
For almost any given human-tropic virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite, the clinical outcome of primary infection is enormously variable, ranging from asymptomatic to lethal infection. This variability has long been thought to be largely determined by the germline genetics of the human host, and this is increasingly being demonstrated to be the case. The number and diversity of known inborn errors of immunity is continually increasing, and we focus here on autosomal and X-linked recessive traits underlying complete deficiencies of the encoded protein. Schematically, four types of infectious phenotype have been observed in individuals with such deficiencies, each providing information about the redundancy of the corresponding human gene, in terms of host defense in natural conditions. The lack of a protein can confer vulnerability to a broad range of microbes in most, if not all patients, through the disruption of a key immunological component. In such cases, the gene concerned is of low redundancy. However, the lack of a protein may also confer vulnerability to a narrow range of microbes, sometimes a single pathogen, and not necessarily in all patients. In such cases, the gene concerned is highly redundant. Conversely, the deficiency may be apparently neutral, conferring no detectable predisposition to infection in any individual. In such cases, the gene concerned is completely redundant. Finally, the lack of a protein may, paradoxically, be advantageous to the host, conferring resistance to one or more infections. In such cases, the gene is considered to display beneficial redundancy. These findings reflect the current state of evolution of humans and microbes, and should not be considered predictive of redundancy, or of a lack of redundancy, in the distant future. Nevertheless, these observations are of potential interest to present-day biologists testing immunological hypotheses experimentally and physicians managing patients with immunological or infectious conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Laurent Casanova
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA; Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, Inserm U1163, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France, EU; Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris, France, EU; Pediatric Hematology and Immunology Unit, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France, EU.
| | - Laurent Abel
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, Inserm U1163, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France, EU; Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris, France, EU.
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17
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Potapova NA, Andrianova MA, Bazykin GA, Kondrashov AS. Are Nonsense Alleles of Drosophila melanogaster Genes under Any Selection? Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1012-1018. [PMID: 29425311 PMCID: PMC5888714 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A gene which carries a bona fide loss-of-function mutation effectively becomes a functionless pseudogene, free from selective constraint. However, there is a number of molecular mechanisms that may lead to at least a partial preservation of the function of genes carrying even drastic alleles. We performed a direct measurement of the strength of negative selection acting on nonsense alleles of protein-coding genes in the Zambian population of Drosophila melanogaster. Within those exons that carry nonsense mutations, negative selection, assayed by the ratio of missense over synonymous nucleotide diversity levels, appears to be absent, consistent with total loss of function. In other exons of nonsense alleles, negative selection was deeply relaxed but likely not completely absent, and the per site number of missense alleles declined significantly with the distance from the premature stop codon. This pattern may be due to alternative splicing which preserves function of some isoforms of nonsense alleles of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda A Potapova
- Institute of Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria A Andrianova
- Institute of Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Georgii A Bazykin
- Institute of Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey S Kondrashov
- Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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18
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Songane M, Khair M, Saleh M. An updated view on the functions of caspases in inflammation and immunity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 82:137-149. [PMID: 29366812 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The binary classification of mammalian caspases as either apoptotic or inflammatory is now obsolete. Emerging data indicate that all mammalian caspases are intricately involved in the regulation of inflammation and immunity. They participate in embryonic and adult tissue homeostasis, control leukocyte differentiation, activation and effector functions, and mediate innate and adaptive immunity signaling. Caspases also promote host resistance by regulating anti-oxidant defense and pathogen clearance through regulation of phagosomal maturation, actin dynamics and phagosome-lysosome fusion. Beyond apoptosis, they regulate inflammatory cell death, eliciting rapid pyroptosis of infected cells, while inhibiting necroptosis-mediated tissue destruction and chronic inflammation. In this review, we describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying non-apoptotic functions of caspases in inflammation and immunity and provide an updated view of their functions as central regulators of tissue homeostasis and host defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Songane
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Mostafa Khair
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Maya Saleh
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3G 0B1, Canada.
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19
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Szpak M, Mezzavilla M, Ayub Q, Chen Y, Xue Y, Tyler-Smith C. FineMAV: prioritizing candidate genetic variants driving local adaptations in human populations. Genome Biol 2018; 19:5. [PMID: 29343290 PMCID: PMC5771147 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-017-1380-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a new method, Fine-Mapping of Adaptive Variation (FineMAV), which combines population differentiation, derived allele frequency, and molecular functionality to prioritize positively selected candidate variants for functional follow-up. We calibrate and test FineMAV using eight experimentally validated "gold standard" positively selected variants and simulations. FineMAV has good sensitivity and a low false discovery rate. Applying FineMAV to the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3 SNP dataset, we report many novel selected variants, including ones in TGM3 and PRSS53 associated with hair phenotypes that we validate using available independent data. FineMAV is widely applicable to sequence data from both human and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Szpak
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Massimo Mezzavilla
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
- Division of Experimental Genetics, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Qasim Ayub
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
- Present Address: Genomics Facility, School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Darul Ehsan Malaysia
| | - Yuan Chen
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Yali Xue
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Chris Tyler-Smith
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
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20
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Teh CK, Muaz SD, Tangaya P, Fong PY, Ong AL, Mayes S, Chew FT, Kulaveerasingam H, Appleton D. Characterizing haploinsufficiency of SHELL gene to improve fruit form prediction in introgressive hybrids of oil palm. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3118. [PMID: 28596562 PMCID: PMC5465187 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The fundamental trait in selective breeding of oil palm (Eleais guineensis Jacq.) is the shell thickness surrounding the kernel. The monogenic shell thickness is inversely correlated to mesocarp thickness, where the crude palm oil accumulates. Commercial thin-shelled tenera derived from thick-shelled dura × shell-less pisifera generally contain 30% higher oil per bunch. Two mutations, shMPOB (M1) and shAVROS (M2) in the SHELL gene – a type II MADS-box transcription factor mainly present in AVROS and Nigerian origins, were reported to be responsible for different fruit forms. In this study, we have tested 1,339 samples maintained in Sime Darby Plantation using both mutations. Five genotype-phenotype discrepancies and eight controls were then re-tested with all five reported mutations (shAVROS, shMPOB, shMPOB2, shMPOB3 and shMPOB4) within the same gene. The integration of genotypic data, pedigree records and shell formation model further explained the haploinsufficiency effect on the SHELL gene with different number of functional copies. Some rare mutations were also identified, suggesting a need to further confirm the existence of cis-compound mutations in the gene. With this, the prediction accuracy of fruit forms can be further improved, especially in introgressive hybrids of oil palm. Understanding causative variant segregation is extremely important, even for monogenic traits such as shell thickness in oil palm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee-Keng Teh
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Siti Dalila Muaz
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Praveena Tangaya
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Po-Yee Fong
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ai-Ling Ong
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Sean Mayes
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Fook-Tim Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - David Appleton
- Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
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21
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Jagannathan S, Bradley RK. Translational plasticity facilitates the accumulation of nonsense genetic variants in the human population. Genome Res 2016; 26:1639-1650. [PMID: 27646533 PMCID: PMC5131816 DOI: 10.1101/gr.205070.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variants that disrupt protein-coding DNA are ubiquitous in the human population, with about 100 such loss-of-function variants per individual. While most loss-of-function variants are rare, a subset have risen to high frequency and occur in a homozygous state in healthy individuals. It is unknown why these common variants are well tolerated, even though some affect essential genes implicated in Mendelian disease. Here, we combine genomic, proteomic, and biochemical data to demonstrate that many common nonsense variants do not ablate protein production from their host genes. We provide computational and experimental evidence for diverse mechanisms of gene rescue, including alternative splicing, stop codon readthrough, alternative translation initiation, and C-terminal truncation. Our results suggest a molecular explanation for the mild fitness costs of many common nonsense variants and indicate that translational plasticity plays a prominent role in shaping human genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujatha Jagannathan
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
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22
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García de la Cadena S, Massieu L. Caspases and their role in inflammation and ischemic neuronal death. Focus on caspase-12. Apoptosis 2016; 21:763-77. [DOI: 10.1007/s10495-016-1247-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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23
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Houldcroft CJ, Underdown SJ. Neanderthal genomics suggests a pleistocene time frame for the first epidemiologic transition. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:379-88. [PMID: 27063929 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
High quality Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes are revealing which regions of archaic hominin DNA have persisted in the modern human genome. A number of these regions are associated with response to infection and immunity, with a suggestion that derived Neanderthal alleles found in modern Europeans and East Asians may be associated with autoimmunity. As such Neanderthal genomes are an independent line of evidence of which infectious diseases Neanderthals were genetically adapted to. Sympathetically, human genome adaptive introgression is an independent line of evidence of which infectious diseases were important for AMH coming in to Eurasia and interacting with Neanderthals. The Neanderthals and Denisovans present interesting cases of hominin hunter-gatherers adapted to a Eurasian rather than African infectious disease package. Independent sources of DNA-based evidence allow a re-evaluation of the first epidemiologic transition and how infectious disease affected Pleistocene hominins. By combining skeletal, archaeological and genetic evidence from modern humans and extinct Eurasian hominins, we question whether the first epidemiologic transition in Eurasia featured a new package of infectious diseases or a change in the impact of existing pathogens. Coupled with pathogen genomics, this approach supports the view that many infectious diseases are pre-Neolithic, and the list continues to expand. The transfer of pathogens between hominin populations, including the expansion of pathogens from Africa, may also have played a role in the extinction of the Neanderthals and offers an important mechanism to understand hominin-hominin interactions well back beyond the current limits for aDNA extraction from fossils alone. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:379-388, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte J Houldcroft
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QG, UK.,Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Simon J Underdown
- Human Origins and Palaeoenvironmental Research Group (HOPE), Department of Anthropology & Geography, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
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24
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Narasimhan VM, Xue Y, Tyler-Smith C. Human Knockout Carriers: Dead, Diseased, Healthy, or Improved? Trends Mol Med 2016; 22:341-351. [PMID: 26988438 PMCID: PMC4826344 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Whole-genome and whole-exome sequence data from large numbers of individuals reveal that we all carry many variants predicted to inactivate genes (knockouts). This discovery raises questions about the phenotypic consequences of these knockouts and potentially allows us to study human gene function through the investigation of homozygous loss-of-function carriers. Here, we discuss strategies, recent results, and future prospects for large-scale human knockout studies. We examine their relevance to studying gene function, population genetics, and importantly, the implications for accurate clinical interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yali Xue
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
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25
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Lee FXZ, Houweling PJ, North KN, Quinlan KGR. How does α-actinin-3 deficiency alter muscle function? Mechanistic insights into ACTN3, the 'gene for speed'. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2016; 1863:686-93. [PMID: 26802899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
An estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide are deficient in the skeletal muscle protein α-actinin-3 due to homozygosity for the common ACTN3 R577X polymorphism. α-Actinin-3 deficiency influences muscle performance in elite athletes and the general population. The sarcomeric α-actinins were originally characterised as scaffold proteins at the muscle Z-line. Through studying the Actn3 knockout mouse and α-actinin-3 deficient humans, significant progress has been made in understanding how ACTN3 genotype alters muscle function, leading to an appreciation of the diverse roles that α-actinins play in muscle. The α-actinins interact with a number of partner proteins, which broadly fall into three biological pathways-structural, metabolic and signalling. Differences in functioning of these pathways have been identified in α-actinin-3 deficient muscle that together contributes to altered muscle performance in mice and humans. Here we discuss new insights that have been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the consequences of α-actinin-3 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona X Z Lee
- The Institute for Neuroscience and Muscle Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter J Houweling
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Kathryn N North
- The Institute for Neuroscience and Muscle Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Kate G R Quinlan
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.
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26
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Matusiak M, Van Opdenbosch N, Lamkanfi M. CARD- and pyrin-only proteins regulating inflammasome activation and immunity. Immunol Rev 2016; 265:217-30. [PMID: 25879296 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-bound and intracellular immune receptors respond to microbial pathogens by initiating signaling cascades that result in production of inflammatory cytokines and antimicrobial factors. These host responses need to be tightly regulated to prevent tissue damage and other harmful consequences of excessive inflammation. CARD-only proteins (COPs) and Pyrin-only proteins (POPs) are human- and primate-specific dominant negative inhibitors that modulate inflammatory and innate immune responses. In addition, several poxviruses encode POPs that interfere with inflammatory and host defense responses. COPs and POPs modulate inflammatory signaling at several checkpoints by sequestering key components of the inflammasome and NF-κB signaling cascades, thus hampering downstream signal transduction. Here, we review and discuss current understanding of the evolutionary history and molecular mechanisms by which roles of host- and virus-encoded COPs and POPs may regulate inflammatory and immune responses. In addition, we address their (patho)physiological roles and highlight topics for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Matusiak
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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27
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Converging roles of caspases in inflammasome activation, cell death and innate immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2015; 16:7-21. [PMID: 26655628 DOI: 10.1038/nri.2015.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 455] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory and apoptotic caspases are central players in inflammation and apoptosis, respectively. However, recent studies have revealed that these caspases have functions beyond their established roles. In addition to mediating cleavage of the inflammasome-associated cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18, inflammatory caspases modulate distinct forms of programmed cell death and coordinate cell-autonomous immunity and other fundamental cellular processes. Certain apoptotic caspases assemble structurally diverse and dynamic complexes that direct inflammasome and interferon responses to fine-tune inflammation. In this Review, we discuss the expanding and interconnected roles of caspases that highlight new aspects of this family of cysteine proteases in innate immunity.
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28
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Schrider DR, Kern AD. Inferring Selective Constraint from Population Genomic Data Suggests Recent Regulatory Turnover in the Human Brain. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:3511-28. [PMID: 26590212 PMCID: PMC4700959 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The comparative genomics revolution of the past decade has enabled the discovery of functional elements in the human genome via sequence comparison. While that is so, an important class of elements, those specific to humans, is entirely missed by searching for sequence conservation across species. Here we present an analysis based on variation data among human genomes that utilizes a supervised machine learning approach for the identification of human-specific purifying selection in the genome. Using only allele frequency information from the complete low-coverage 1000 Genomes Project data set in conjunction with a support vector machine trained from known functional and nonfunctional portions of the genome, we are able to accurately identify portions of the genome constrained by purifying selection. Our method identifies previously known human-specific gains or losses of function and uncovers many novel candidates. Candidate targets for gain and loss of function along the human lineage include numerous putative regulatory regions of genes essential for normal development of the central nervous system, including a significant enrichment of gain of function events near neurotransmitter receptor genes. These results are consistent with regulatory turnover being a key mechanism in the evolution of human-specific characteristics of brain development. Finally, we show that the majority of the genome is unconstrained by natural selection currently, in agreement with what has been estimated from phylogenetic methods but in sharp contrast to estimates based on transcriptomics or other high-throughput functional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew D Kern
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey
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Kang H, Wang H, Fan Z, Zhao P, Khan A, Yin Z, Wang J, Bao W, Wang A, Zhang Q, Liu JF. Resequencing diverse Chinese indigenous breeds to enrich the map of genomic variations in swine. Genomics 2015; 106:286-94. [PMID: 26296457 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2014] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To enrich the map of genomic variations in swine, we randomly sequenced 13 domestic and wild individuals from China and Europe. We detected approximately 28.1 million single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 3.6 million short insertions and deletions (INDELs), of which 2,530,248 SNVs and 3,456,626 INDELs were firstly identified compared with dbSNP 143. Moreover, 208,687 SNVs and 24,161 INDELs were uniquely observed in Chinese pigs, potentially accounting for phenotypic differences between Chinese and European pigs. Furthermore, significantly high correlation between SNV and INDEL was witnessed, which indicated that these two distinct variants may share similar etiologies. We also predicted loss of function genes and found that they were under weaker evolutionary constraints. This study gives interesting insights into the genomic features of the Chinese pig breeds. These data would be useful in the establishment of high-density SNP map and would lay a foundation for facilitating pig functional genomics study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Kang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Haifei Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Ziyao Fan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Pengju Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Amjad Khan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Zongjun Yin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Jiafu Wang
- School of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Wenbin Bao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
| | - Aiguo Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Qin Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jian-Feng Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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Abstract
Humans have acquired many distinct evolutionary traits after the human-chimpanzee divergence. These phenotypes have resulted from genetic changes that occurred in the human genome and were retained by natural selection. Comparative primate genome analyses reveal that loss-of-function mutations are common in the human genome. Some of these gene inactivation events were revealed to be associated with the emergence of advantageous phenotypes and were therefore positively selected and fixed in modern humans (the "less-ismore" hypothesis). Representative cases of human gene inactivation and their functional implications are presented in this review. Functional studies of additional inactive genes will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying acquisition of various human-specific traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yoonsoo Hahn
- Department of Life Science, Research Center for Biomolecules and Biosystems, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Korea
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Cohen J, Vincent JL, Adhikari NKJ, Machado FR, Angus DC, Calandra T, Jaton K, Giulieri S, Delaloye J, Opal S, Tracey K, van der Poll T, Pelfrene E. Sepsis: a roadmap for future research. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2015; 15:581-614. [DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(15)70112-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 658] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Duru KC, Noble JA, Guindo A, Yi L, Imumorin IG, Diallo DA, Thomas BN. Extensive genomic variability of knops blood group polymorphisms is associated with sickle cell disease in Africa. Evol Bioinform Online 2015; 11:25-33. [PMID: 25788827 PMCID: PMC4357628 DOI: 10.4137/ebo.s23132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a multisystem disorder characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, vaso-occlusive crises, and marked variability in disease severity. Patients require transfusions to manage disease complications, with complements, directed by complement regulatory genes (CR1) and its polymorphisms, implicated in the development of alloantibodies. We hypothesize that CR1 polymorphisms affect complement regulation and function, leading to adverse outcome in SCD. To this end, we determined the genomic diversity of complement regulatory genes by examining single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with Knops blood group antigens. Genomic DNA samples from 130 SCD cases and 356 control Africans, 331 SCD cases and 497 control African Americans, and 254 Caucasians were obtained and analyzed, utilizing a PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) assay. Analyzing for ethnic diversity, we found significant differences in the genotypic and allelic frequencies of Sl1/Sl2 (rs17047661) and McCa/b (rs17047660) polymorphisms between Africans, African Americans, and Caucasians (P < 0.05). The homozygote mutant variants had significantly higher frequencies in Africans and African Americans but were insignificant in Caucasians (80.2% and 59.6% vs 5.9% for Sl1/2; and 36% and 24% vs 1.8% for McCa/b). With SCD, we did not detect any difference among cases and controls either in Africa or in the United States. However, we found significant difference in genotypic (P < 0.0001) and allelic frequencies (P < 0.0001) of Sl1/Sl2 (rs17047661) and McCa/b (rs17047660) polymorphisms between SCD groups from Africa and the United States. There was no difference in haplotype frequencies of these polymorphisms among or between groups. The higher frequency of CR1 homozygote mutant variants in Africa but not United States indicates a potential pathogenic role, possibly associated with complicated disease pathophysiology in the former and potentially protective in the latter. The difference between sickle cell groups suggests potential genetic drift or founder effect imposed on the disease in the United States, but not in Africa, and a possible confirmation of the ancestral susceptibility hypothesis. The lower haplotype frequencies among sickle cell and control populations in the United States may be due to the admixture and the dilution of African genetic ancestry in the African American population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley C Duru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jenelle A Noble
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Aldiouma Guindo
- Centre de Recherche et de Lutte contre la Drepanocytose (CRLD), Bamako, Mali
| | - Li Yi
- School of Statistics, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Shanxi, China
| | - Ikhide G Imumorin
- Animal Genetics and Genomics Lab, Office of International Programs, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Dapa A Diallo
- Centre de Recherche et de Lutte contre la Drepanocytose (CRLD), Bamako, Mali
| | - Bolaji N Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
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Inflammatory caspases: key regulators of inflammation and cell death. Biol Chem 2015; 396:193-203. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2014-0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The innate immune system represents the first line of defence against infectious agents, and co-ordinates cellular and molecular mechanisms that result in effective inflammatory and anti-microbial responses against pathogens. Infection and cellular stress trigger assembly of canonical and noncanonical inflammasome complexes that activate the inflammatory caspases-1 and -11, respectively. These inflammatory caspases play key roles in innate immune responses by inducing pyroptosis to halt intracellular replication of pathogens, and by engaging the extracellular release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and danger signals. In addition, the inflammatory caspases-4, -5 and -11 were recently shown to directly bind microbial components. Although the immune roles of caspase-12 are debated, it was proposed to dampen inflammatory responses by interfering with caspase-1 activation and other innate immune pathways. Here, we recapitulate the reported roles of inflammatory caspases with an emphasis on recent insights into their biological functions.
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Selection on a variant associated with improved viral clearance drives local, adaptive pseudogenization of interferon lambda 4 (IFNL4). PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004681. [PMID: 25329461 PMCID: PMC4199494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon lambda 4 gene (IFNL4) encodes IFN-λ4, a new member of the IFN-λ family with antiviral activity. In humans IFNL4 open reading frame is truncated by a polymorphic frame-shift insertion that eliminates IFN-λ4 and turns IFNL4 into a polymorphic pseudogene. Functional IFN-λ4 has antiviral activity but the elimination of IFN-λ4 through pseudogenization is strongly associated with improved clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We show that functional IFN-λ4 is conserved and evolutionarily constrained in mammals and thus functionally relevant. However, the pseudogene has reached moderately high frequency in Africa, America, and Europe, and near fixation in East Asia. In fact, the pseudogenizing variant is among the 0.8% most differentiated SNPs between Africa and East Asia genome-wide. Its raise in frequency is associated with additional evidence of positive selection, which is strongest in East Asia, where this variant falls in the 0.5% tail of SNPs with strongest signatures of recent positive selection genome-wide. Using a new Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) approach we infer that the pseudogenizing allele appeared just before the out-of-Africa migration and was immediately targeted by moderate positive selection; selection subsequently strengthened in European and Asian populations resulting in the high frequency observed today. This provides evidence for a changing adaptive process that, by favoring IFN-λ4 inactivation, has shaped present-day phenotypic diversity and susceptibility to disease. The genetic association with clearance of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the strongest and most elusive known associations with disease. The genetic variant more strongly associated with improved HCV clearance inactivates the recently discovered IFNL4 gene, which encodes for antiviral IFN-λ4 protein, and turns it into a polymorphic pseudogene. We show that functional IFN-λ4 is conserved and functionally important in mammals. In humans though the inactivating mutation appeared in Africa just before the out-of-Africa migration and quickly became advantageous, with the strength of selection (the degree of advantage) varying across human groups. In particular, selection became stronger out of Africa and was strongest in East Asia, raising the frequency of the pseudogene and resulting in the virtual loss of functional IFN-λ4 protein in several Asian populations. Although the environmental force driving selection is unknown, this process resulted in variable clearance of HCV in modern human populations. The complex selective history of IFNL4-inactivating allele has thus shaped present-day heterogeneity across populations not only in genetic variation, but also in relevant phenotypes and susceptibility to disease.
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Abstract
The great ape families are the species most closely related to our own, comprising chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. They live exclusively in tropical rainforests in Central Africa and the islands of Southeast Asia. Due to their close evolutionary relationship with humans, great apes share many cognitive, physiological, and morphological similarities with humans. The members of the great ape family make obvious models to facilitate the further understanding about humans' biology and history. This review will discuss how the recent addition of genome-wide data from great apes has furthered humans' understanding of these species and humanity, especially in the realm of evolutionary genetics.
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Quintáns B, Ordóñez-Ugalde A, Cacheiro P, Carracedo A, Sobrido MJ. Medical genomics: The intricate path from genetic variant identification to clinical interpretation. Appl Transl Genom 2014; 3:60-7. [PMID: 27284505 PMCID: PMC4887840 DOI: 10.1016/j.atg.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The field of medical genomics involves translating high throughput genetic methods to the clinic, in order to improve diagnostic efficiency and treatment decision making. Technical questions related to sample enrichment, sequencing methodologies and variant identification and calling algorithms, still need careful investigation in order to validate the analytical step of next generation sequencing techniques for clinical applications. However, the main foreseeable challenge will be interpreting the clinical significance of the variants observed in a given patient, as well as their significance for family members and for other patients. Every step in the variant interpretation process has limitations and difficulties, and its quote of contribution to false positive and false negative results. There is no single piece of evidence enough on its own to make firm conclusions on the pathogenicity and disease causality of a given variant. A plethora of automated analysis software tools is being developed that will enhance efficiency and accuracy. However a risk of misinterpretation could derive from biased biorepository content, facilitated by annotation of variant functional consequences using previous datasets stored in the same or linked repositories. In order to improve variant interpretation and avoid an exponential accumulation of confounding noise in the medical literature, the use of terms in a standard way should be sought and requested when reporting genetic variants and their consequences. Generally, stepwise and linear interpretation processes are likely to overrate some pieces of evidence while underscoring others. Algorithms are needed that allow a multidimensional, parallel analysis of diverse lines of evidence to be carried out by expert teams for specific genes, cellular pathways or disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Quintáns
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro para Investigación Biomédica en red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - A Ordóñez-Ugalde
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - P Cacheiro
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A Carracedo
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro para Investigación Biomédica en red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - M J Sobrido
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro para Investigación Biomédica en red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
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37
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Chen J, Wilson ES, Dahmer MK, Quasney MW, Waterer GW, Feldman C, Wunderink RG. Lack of association of the caspase-12 long allele with community-acquired pneumonia in people of African descent. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89194. [PMID: 24586588 PMCID: PMC3935862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of sepsis. Active full-length caspase-12 (CASP12L), confined to the people of African descent, has been associated with increased susceptibility to and mortality from severe sepsis. The objective of this study was to determine whether CASP12L was a marker for susceptibility and/or severity of CAP. We examined three CAP cohorts and two control populations: 241 adult Memphis African American CAP patients, 443 pediatric African American CAP patients, 90 adult South African CAP patients, 120 Memphis healthy adult African American controls and 405 adult Chicago African American controls. Clinical outcomes including mortality, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock or severe sepsis, need for mechanical ventilation, and S. pneumoniae bacteremia. Neither in the three individual CAP cohorts nor in the combined CAP cohorts, was mortality in CASP12L carriers significantly different from that in non-CASP12L carriers. No statistically significant association between genotype and any measures of CAP severity was found in any cohort. We conclude that the functional CASP12L allele is not a marker for susceptibility and/or severity of CAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwang Chen
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Esther S. Wilson
- Oakbrook Pediatrics, Summerville, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mary K. Dahmer
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Quasney
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Grant W. Waterer
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Charles Feldman
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Richard G. Wunderink
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Zhang Q. Using pseudogene database to identify lineage-specific genes and pseudogenes in humans and chimpanzees. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 105:436-43. [PMID: 24399747 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/est097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
It has been revealed that gene content changes, or gene gains or losses, have played an important role in the evolution of modern humans. As one of the major players accounting for gene content changes, gene pseudogenization is abundant in mammalian genomes, and approximately 20000 pseudogenes have been identified in ape genomes. Therefore, it is an interesting question how to exploit rich information embedded in pseudogenes. Here, I present a bioinformatic pipeline that utilizes a pseudogene database to identify both lineage-specific genes and pseudogenes in humans and chimpanzees. I found 6 human-specific gene gains (HSGs), 1 chimpanzee-specific gene gain, and 4 chimpanzee-specific pseudogenes, most not discovered in previous studies. Further analysis showed that HSGs have been evolving under strong purifying selection and are broadly expressed, indicating strong functional constraint. This study demonstrates the usage of pseudogene information in comparative genomics and suggests that new genes during primate evolution may acquire essential functions in a short time. The pipeline developed here could also be applied to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qu Zhang
- the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Art and Science, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
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39
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Abstract
Innate immunity involves direct interactions between the host and microorganisms, both pathogenic and symbiotic, so natural selection is expected to strongly influence genes involved in these processes. Population genetics investigates the impact of past natural selection events on the genome of present-day human populations, and it complements immunological as well as clinical and epidemiological genetic studies. Recent data show that the impact of selection on the different families of innate immune receptors and their downstream signalling molecules varies considerably. This Review discusses these findings and highlights how they help to delineate the relative functional importance of innate immune pathways, which can range from being essential to being redundant.
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40
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Abstract
Caspases are a family of endoproteases that provide critical links in cell regulatory networks controlling inflammation and cell death. The activation of these enzymes is tightly controlled by their production as inactive zymogens that gain catalytic activity following signaling events promoting their aggregation into dimers or macromolecular complexes. Activation of apoptotic caspases results in inactivation or activation of substrates, and the generation of a cascade of signaling events permitting the controlled demolition of cellular components. Activation of inflammatory caspases results in the production of active proinflammatory cytokines and the promotion of innate immune responses to various internal and external insults. Dysregulation of caspases underlies human diseases including cancer and inflammatory disorders, and major efforts to design better therapies for these diseases seek to understand how these enzymes work and how they can be controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R McIlwain
- The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research and Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C1, Canada
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41
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Nishishita K, Sakai E, Okamoto K, Tsukuba T. Structural and phylogenetic comparison of napsin genes: The duplication, loss of function and human-specific pseudogenization of napsin B. Gene 2013; 517:147-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Revised: 12/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Evolutionary Analysis of the Contact System Indicates that Kininogen Evolved Adaptively in Mammals and in Human Populations. Mol Biol Evol 2013; 30:1397-408. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mst054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Yeretssian G. Effector functions of NLRs in the intestine: innate sensing, cell death, and disease. Immunol Res 2013; 54:25-36. [PMID: 22454103 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-012-8317-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) are central regulators of pathogen recognition, the induction of innate immune effectors and inflammation with utmost importance in human diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases. Most NLRs are key mediators of inflammasome complexes that activate caspase-1 and drive proteolytic processing of pro-inflammatory cytokines; however, a few tightly regulate inflammasome-independent activation of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. NLR signaling has evolved in intestinal epithelial cells to avoid overactive inflammatory responses toward the resident microbiota and to preserve epithelial barrier integrity and functions by maintaining homeostasis. In the present review, I examine new insights into the role of the NLRs in antimicrobial defenses. I pay particular attention to the emerging role of these receptors in engaging a complex cross talk between cell death and innate immunity pathways. Furthermore, I discuss the physiological functions of the NLRs in shaping the innate immune response within the intestine, maintaining homeostasis, inducing tissue repair following injury and promoting tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garabet Yeretssian
- Department of Medicine, Immunology Institute, Icahn Medical Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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44
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Roussel BD, Kruppa AJ, Miranda E, Crowther DC, Lomas DA, Marciniak SJ. Endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction in neurological disease. Lancet Neurol 2013; 12:105-18. [PMID: 23237905 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(12)70238-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction might have an important part to play in a range of neurological disorders, including cerebral ischaemia, sleep apnoea, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the prion diseases, and familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies. Protein misfolding in the ER initiates the well studied unfolded protein response in energy-starved neurons during stroke, which is relevant to the toxic effects of reperfusion. The toxic peptide amyloid β induces ER stress in Alzheimer's disease, which leads to activation of similar pathways, whereas the accumulation of polymeric neuroserpin in the neuronal ER triggers a poorly understood ER-overload response. In other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, ER dysfunction is well recognised but the mechanisms by which it contributes to pathogenesis remain unclear. By targeting components of these signalling responses, amelioration of their toxic effects and so the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative disorders might become possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit D Roussel
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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45
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Menheniott TR, Kurklu B, Giraud AS. Gastrokines: stomach-specific proteins with putative homeostatic and tumor suppressor roles. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2013; 304:G109-21. [PMID: 23154977 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00374.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
During the past decade, a new family of stomach-specific proteins has been recognized. Known as "gastrokines" (GKNs), these secreted proteins are products of gastric mucus-producing cell lineages. GKNs are highly conserved in physical structure, and emerging data point to convergent functions in the modulation of gastric mucosal homeostasis and inflammation. While GKNs are highly prevalent in the normal stomach, frequent loss of GKN expression in gastric cancers, coupled with established antiproliferative activity, suggests putative tumor suppressor roles. Conversely, ectopic expression of GKNs in reparative lesions of Crohn's disease alludes to additional activity in epithelial wound healing and/or repair. Modes of action remain unsolved, but the recent demonstration of a GKN2-trefoil factor 1 heterodimer implicates functional interplay with trefoil factors. This review aims to provide a historical account of GKN biology and encapsulate the rapidly accumulating evidence supporting roles in gastric epithelial homeostasis and tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevelyan R Menheniott
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Rd., Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.
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46
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Yin Y, Pastrana JL, Li X, Huang X, Mallilankaraman K, Choi ET, Madesh M, Wang H, Yang XF. Inflammasomes: sensors of metabolic stresses for vascular inflammation. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) 2013; 18:638-49. [PMID: 23276949 DOI: 10.2741/4127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is a major health issue in the western world. An elevated pro-inflammatory state is often found in patients with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Atherosclerosis is one such clinical manifestation of pro-inflammatory state associated with the vasculature. The exact mechanism by which metabolic stress induces this pro-inflammatory status and promotes atherogenesis remained elusive until the discovery of the inflammasome protein complex. This complex is composed of pro-caspase-1 and pathogen sensors. Activation of inflammasome requires the transcriptional upregulation of inflammasome components and the post-translational assembly. Three models of inflammasome assembly have been proposed: 1) the ion channel model; 2) the reactive oxygen species (ROS) model; and 3) the lysosome model. In either case, inflammasome activation triggers the auto-activation of pro-caspase-1 into its mature form. Caspase-1, which was first discovered as the IL-1β converting enzyme, is known to be a major player in inflammatory and cell death pathways. Many endogenous metabolic ligands have been experimentally shown to activate inflammasome, and thus initiate the subsequent inflammation process. Further understanding of the distinct molecular mechanism by which metabolic ligands activates inflammasome could lead to developing novel therapeutic interventions for atherosclerosis and other clinical problems related to metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yin
- Department of Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 North Broad Street, MERB 1059, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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47
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Gupta R, Ratan A, Rajesh C, Chen R, Kim HL, Burhans R, Miller W, Santhosh S, Davuluri RV, Butte AJ, Schuster SC, Seshagiri S, Thomas G. Sequencing and analysis of a South Asian-Indian personal genome. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:440. [PMID: 22938532 PMCID: PMC3534380 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With over 1.3 billion people, India is estimated to contain three times more genetic diversity than does Europe. Next-generation sequencing technologies have facilitated the understanding of diversity by enabling whole genome sequencing at greater speed and lower cost. While genomes from people of European and Asian descent have been sequenced, only recently has a single male genome from the Indian subcontinent been published at sufficient depth and coverage. In this study we have sequenced and analyzed the genome of a South Asian Indian female (SAIF) from the Indian state of Kerala. RESULTS We identified over 3.4 million SNPs in this genome including over 89,873 private variations. Comparison of the SAIF genome with several published personal genomes revealed that this individual shared ~50% of the SNPs with each of these genomes. Analysis of the SAIF mitochondrial genome showed that it was closely related to the U1 haplogroup which has been previously observed in Kerala. We assessed the SAIF genome for SNPs with health and disease consequences and found that the individual was at a higher risk for multiple sclerosis and a few other diseases. In analyzing SNPs that modulate drug response, we found a variation that predicts a favorable response to metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes. SNPs predictive of adverse reaction to warfarin indicated that the SAIF individual is not at risk for bleeding if treated with typical doses of warfarin. In addition, we report the presence of several additional SNPs of medical relevance. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to report the complete whole genome sequence of a female from the state of Kerala in India. The availability of this complete genome and variants will further aid studies aimed at understanding genetic diversity, identifying clinically relevant changes and assessing disease burden in the Indian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Gupta
- SciGenom Labs Pvt Ltd., Plot 43A, SDF 3rd Floor CSEZ, Kakkanad, Cochin, Kerala, 682037, India
| | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, 310 Wartik Lab, University Park, , Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Changanamkandath Rajesh
- SciGenom Labs Pvt Ltd., Plot 43A, SDF 3rd Floor CSEZ, Kakkanad, Cochin, Kerala, 682037, India
| | - Rong Chen
- , , Personalis, 1350 Willow Road, Suite 202, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Hie Lim Kim
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, 310 Wartik Lab, University Park, , Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Richard Burhans
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, 310 Wartik Lab, University Park, , Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Webb Miller
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, 310 Wartik Lab, University Park, , Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Sam Santhosh
- SciGenom Labs Pvt Ltd., Plot 43A, SDF 3rd Floor CSEZ, Kakkanad, Cochin, Kerala, 682037, India
| | - Ramana V Davuluri
- Center for Systems The Wistar Institute,, , Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Atul J Butte
- Division of Systems Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stephan C Schuster
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, 310 Wartik Lab, University Park, , Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, SBS-01N-27, Singapore, Singapore , 637551
| | - Somasekar Seshagiri
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech Inc, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - George Thomas
- SciGenom Labs Pvt Ltd., Plot 43A, SDF 3rd Floor CSEZ, Kakkanad, Cochin, Kerala, 682037, India
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48
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Meyer M, Kircher M, Gansauge MT, Li H, Racimo F, Mallick S, Schraiber JG, Jay F, Prüfer K, de Filippo C, Sudmant PH, Alkan C, Fu Q, Do R, Rohland N, Tandon A, Siebauer M, Green RE, Bryc K, Briggs AW, Stenzel U, Dabney J, Shendure J, Kitzman J, Hammer MF, Shunkov MV, Derevianko AP, Patterson N, Andrés AM, Eichler EE, Slatkin M, Reich D, Kelso J, Pääbo S. A high-coverage genome sequence from an archaic Denisovan individual. Science 2012; 338:222-6. [PMID: 22936568 DOI: 10.1126/science.1224344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1083] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We present a DNA library preparation method that has allowed us to reconstruct a high-coverage (30×) genome sequence of a Denisovan, an extinct relative of Neandertals. The quality of this genome allows a direct estimation of Denisovan heterozygosity indicating that genetic diversity in these archaic hominins was extremely low. It also allows tentative dating of the specimen on the basis of "missing evolution" in its genome, detailed measurements of Denisovan and Neandertal admixture into present-day human populations, and the generation of a near-complete catalog of genetic changes that swept to high frequency in modern humans since their divergence from Denisovans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Meyer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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49
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Functional genetic screen of human diversity reveals that a methionine salvage enzyme regulates inflammatory cell death. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:E2343-52. [PMID: 22837397 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1206701109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies can identify common differences that contribute to human phenotypic diversity and disease. When genome-wide association studies are combined with approaches that test how variants alter physiology, biological insights can emerge. Here, we used such an approach to reveal regulation of cell death by the methionine salvage pathway. A common SNP associated with reduced expression of a putative methionine salvage pathway dehydratase, apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (APAF1)-interacting protein (APIP), was associated with increased caspase-1-mediated cell death in response to Salmonella. The role of APIP in methionine salvage was confirmed by growth assays with methionine-deficient media and quantitation of the methionine salvage substrate, 5'-methylthioadenosine. Reducing expression of APIP or exogenous addition of 5'-methylthioadenosine increased Salmonellae-induced cell death. Consistent with APIP originally being identified as an inhibitor of caspase-9-dependent apoptosis, the same allele was also associated with increased sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agent carboplatin. Our results show that common human variation affecting expression of a single gene can alter susceptibility to two distinct cell death programs. Furthermore, the same allele that promotes cell death is associated with improved survival of individuals with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, suggesting a possible evolutionary pressure that may explain the geographic pattern observed for the frequency of this SNP. Our study shows that in vitro association screens of disease-related traits can not only reveal human genetic differences that contribute to disease but also provide unexpected insights into cell biology.
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50
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Perry GH, Xue Y, Smith RS, Meyer WK, Çalışkan M, Yanez-Cuna O, Lee AS, Gutiérrez-Arcelus M, Ober C, Hollox EJ, Tyler-Smith C, Lee C. Evolutionary genetics of the human Rh blood group system. Hum Genet 2012; 131:1205-16. [PMID: 22367406 PMCID: PMC3378649 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-012-1147-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary history of variation in the human Rh blood group system, determined by variants in the RHD and RHCE genes, has long been an unresolved puzzle in human genetics. Prior to medical treatments and interventions developed in the last century, the D-positive (RhD positive) children of D-negative (RhD negative) women were at risk for hemolytic disease of the newborn, if the mother produced anti-D antibodies following sensitization to the blood of a previous D-positive child. Given the deleterious fitness consequences of this disease, the appreciable frequencies in European populations of the responsible RHD gene deletion variant (for example, 0.43 in our study) seem surprising. In this study, we used new molecular and genomic data generated from four HapMap population samples to test the idea that positive selection for an as-of-yet unknown fitness benefit of the RHD deletion may have offset the otherwise negative fitness effects of hemolytic disease of the newborn. We found no evidence that positive natural selection affected the frequency of the RHD deletion. Thus, the initial rise to intermediate frequency of the RHD deletion in European populations may simply be explained by genetic drift/founder effect, or by an older or more complex sweep that we are insufficiently powered to detect. However, our simulations recapitulate previous findings that selection on the RHD deletion is frequency dependent and weak or absent near 0.5. Therefore, once such a frequency was achieved, it could have been maintained by a relatively small amount of genetic drift. We unexpectedly observed evidence for positive selection on the C allele of RHCE in non-African populations (on chromosomes with intact copies of the RHD gene) in the form of an unusually high F( ST ) value and the high frequency of a single haplotype carrying the C allele. RhCE function is not well understood, but the C/c antigenic variant is clinically relevant and can result in hemolytic disease of the newborn, albeit much less commonly and severely than that related to the D-negative blood type. Therefore, the potential fitness benefits of the RHCE C allele are currently unknown but merit further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- George H. Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801 USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yali Xue
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Richard S. Smith
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Wynn K. Meyer
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Minal Çalışkan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Omar Yanez-Cuna
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, México
| | - Arthur S. Lee
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - María Gutiérrez-Arcelus
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, México
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Edward J. Hollox
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | | | - Charles Lee
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
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