Association analysis of LRP8 SNP rs3820198 and rs5174 with Parkinson's disease in Han Chinese population

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles reveal novel candidate genes associated with meat quality at different age stages in hens

Poultry meat quality is associated with breed, age, tissue and other factors. Many previous studies have focused on distinct breeds; however, little is known regarding the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in different age stages, such as DNA methylation. Here, we compared the global DNA methylation profiles between juvenile (20 weeks old) and later laying-period (55 weeks old) hens and identified candidate genes related to the development and meat quality of breast muscle using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. The results showed that the later laying-period hens, which had a higher intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition capacity and water holding capacity (WHC) and less tenderness, exhibited higher global DNA methylation levels than the juvenile hens. A total of 2,714 differentially methylated regions were identified in the present study, which corresponded to 378 differentially methylated genes, mainly affecting muscle development, lipid metabolism, and the ageing process. Hypermethylation of the promoters of the genes ABCA1, COL6A1 and GSTT1L and the resulting transcriptional down-regulation in the later laying-period hens may be the reason for the significant difference in the meat quality between the juvenile and later laying-period hens. These findings contribute to a better understanding of epigenetic regulation in the skeletal muscle development and meat quality of chicken.

Therapeutic neuroprotective agents for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal chronic neurodegenerative disease whose hallmark is proteinaceous, ubiquitinated, cytoplasmic inclusions in motor neurons and surrounding cells. Multiple mechanisms proposed as responsible for ALS pathogenesis include dysfunction of protein degradation, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. It is therefore essential to gain a better understanding of the underlying disease etiology and search for neuroprotective agents that might delay disease onset, slow progression, prolong survival, and ultimately reduce the burden of disease. Because riluzole, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment, prolongs the ALS patient's life by only 3 months, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In this review, we focus on studies of various small pharmacological compounds targeting the proposed pathogenic mechanisms of ALS and discuss their impact on disease progression.

Exome-wide association study of replicable nonsynonymous variants conferring risk for alcohol dependence

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we scanned the whole exome in three independent samples to search for replicable risk nonsynonymous (ns) variants (ns single-nucleotide polymorphisms [nsSNPs]) for alcohol dependence.

METHOD

A total of 10,554 subjects in three independent samples were analyzed for association with alcohol dependence, including one European American sample (1,409 cases with alcohol dependence and 1,518 controls), one African American sample (681 cases and 508 controls), and one European Australian sample (a total of 6,438 family subjects with 1,645 alcohol-dependent probands). RNA expression of the risk genes in human, mouse, and rat brains was also explored.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 70 nsSNPs at 65 genes with nominally replicable associations; 22 nsSNPs at 21 genes among them survived corrections for multiple testing in meta-analysis (α = .0007). By incorporating the information from bioinformatics and RNA expression analyses, we identified at least two of the most promising risk genes for alcohol dependence: APOER2 and UBAP2.

CONCLUSIONS

The gene coding for apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (APOER2) and the gene coding for ubiquitin-associated protein-2 (UBAP2) are among the most appropriate for follow-up in human and nonhuman species as contributors to risk for alcohol dependence.

Role of Wnt1 and Fzd1 in the spinal cord pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-transgenic mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by chronic progressive degeneration of motor neurons resulting in muscular atrophy, paralysis, and ultimately death. We have investigated the expression of Wnt1 and Fzd1 in the spinal cords of SOD1G93A ALS transgenic mice, SOD1G93A-transfected N2a cells, and primary cultured astrocytes from SOD1G93A transgenic mice. In addition, we provided further insight into the role of Wnt1 and Fzd1 in the pathogenesis of ALS transgenic mice and discuss the mechanisms underlying the Wnt signal pathway which may be useful in the treatment of ALS. The results indicate the involvement of Wnt1 and Fzd1 in the pathogenesis and development of ALS.