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Cai Z, Li H. Congenital Bilateral Absence of the Vas Deferens. Front Genet 2022; 13:775123. [PMID: 35222530 PMCID: PMC8873976 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.775123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is clinically characterized by the absence of the bilateral vas deferens; the main clinical manifestation is infertility, accounting for 1–2% of male infertility cases. CBAVD may be accompanied by congenital abnormalities in the urogenital system and cystic fibrosis (CF)-related clinical manifestations. CBAVD can develop as a mild manifestation of CF or can be isolated. The main pathogenic mechanism of CBAVD is gene mutation, and CBAVD and CF have a common genetic mutation background. CFTR mutation is the main pathogenic cause of CBAVD and CF, and ADGRG2 mutation is the second most common cause. Although lack of the vas deferens in CBAVD patients causes infertility due to the inability to release sperm, the testes of CBAVD patients have spermatogenic function. Therefore, CBAVD patients can achieve fertility through sperm retrieval surgery and assisted reproductive technology (ART). However, gene mutations in CBAVD patients can have an impact on the ART outcome, and there is a risk of passing on gene mutations to offspring. For CBAVD patients and their spouses, performing genetic counseling (which currently refers mainly to CFTR mutation screening) helps to reduce the risks of genetic mutations being passed on to offspring and of offspring having CF with concomitant CBAVD.
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2
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Yang B, Lei C, Yang D, Tan Z, Guo T, Luo H. Whole-Exome Sequencing Identified CFTR Variants in Two Consanguineous Families in China. Front Genet 2021; 12:631221. [PMID: 34276759 PMCID: PMC8283821 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.631221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by genetic variants of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. It is a common hereditary disease in Caucasians while rare in the Chinese. Until now, only 87 Chinese patients have been reported with molecular confirmations. The variant spectrum and clinical features of Chinese CF patients are obviously different from those of Caucasians. Materials and Methods Whole-exome sequencing was applied to analyze the exome of three individuals who have only the typical CF phenotype in the respiratory system from two consanguineous families. The protein domain and structure analysis were applied to predict the impact of the variants. Sanger sequencing was applied to validate the candidate variants. Results A previously reported homozygous variant in CFTR (NM_000492.4: c.1000C > T, p.R334W) was identified in proband I. A novel homozygous variant in a polymorphic position (NM_000492.4: c.1409T > A, p.V470E) was identified in two individuals in the family II. The novel CFTR variant predicted to be disease-causing is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to be reported in CFTR. However, in vitro validation is still needed. Conclusion Our finding expands the variant spectrum of CFTR, reveals clearer clinical phenotype distinction and variant spectrum distinction between Chinese and Caucasian CF patients, and contributes to a more rapid genetic diagnosis and future genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyi Yang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Research Unit of Respiratory Disease, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Respiratory Disease, Changsha, China
| | - Cheng Lei
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Research Unit of Respiratory Disease, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Respiratory Disease, Changsha, China
| | - Danhui Yang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Research Unit of Respiratory Disease, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Respiratory Disease, Changsha, China
| | - Zhiping Tan
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Clinical Center for Gene Diagnosis and Therapy, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ting Guo
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Research Unit of Respiratory Disease, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Respiratory Disease, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Luo
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Research Unit of Respiratory Disease, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Respiratory Disease, Changsha, China
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3
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Numaguchi K, Akagi T, Kitamura Y, Ishikawa R, Ishii T. Interspecific introgression and natural selection in the evolution of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:1551-1567. [PMID: 33048374 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Domestication and population differentiation in crops involve considerable phenotypic changes. The logs of these evolutionary paths, including natural/artificial selection, can be found in the genomes of the current populations. However, these profiles have been little studied in tree crops, which have specific characters, such as long generation time and clonal propagation, maintaining high levels of heterozygosity. We conducted exon-targeted resequencing of 129 genomes in the genus Prunus, mainly Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), and apricot (Prunus armeniaca), plum (Prunus salicina), and peach (Prunus persica). Based on their genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms merged with published resequencing data of 79 Chinese P. mume cultivars, we inferred complete and ongoing population differentiation in P. mume. Sliding window characterization of the indexes for genetic differentiation identified interspecific fragment introgressions between P. mume and related species (plum and apricot). These regions often exhibited strong selective sweeps formed in the paths of establishment or formation of substructures of P. mume, suggesting that P. mume has frequently imported advantageous genes from other species in the subgenus Prunus as adaptive evolution. These findings shed light on the complicated nature of adaptive evolution in a tree crop that has undergone interspecific exchange of genome fragments with natural/artificial selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Numaguchi
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Rokkodai 1-1, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Japanese Apricot Laboratory, Wakayama Fruit Tree Experiment Station, Minabe, Higashi-honjo 1416-7, Wakayama, 645-0021, Japan
| | - Takashi Akagi
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Yuto Kitamura
- Japanese Apricot Laboratory, Wakayama Fruit Tree Experiment Station, Minabe, Higashi-honjo 1416-7, Wakayama, 645-0021, Japan
| | - Ryo Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Rokkodai 1-1, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Takashige Ishii
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Rokkodai 1-1, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
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4
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Cui X, Wu X, Li Q, Jing X. Mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene in males with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens: Reproductive implications and genetic counseling (Review). Mol Med Rep 2020; 22:3587-3596. [PMID: 33000223 PMCID: PMC7533508 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is predominantly caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CBAVD accounts for 2–6% of male infertility cases and up to 25% of cases of obstructive azoospermia. With the use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, testicular or epididymal sperm aspiration, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and in vitro fertilization, patients affected by CBAVD are able to have children who do not carry CFTR gene mutations, thereby preventing disease. Therefore, genetic counseling should be provided to couples receiving assisted reproductive techniques to discuss the impact of CFTR gene mutations on reproductive health. In the present article, the current literature concerning the CFTR gene and its association with CBAVD is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Cui
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women's Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Xueqing Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women's Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women's Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Xuan Jing
- Clinical Laboratory, Shanxi Province People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
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5
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AlMaghamsi T, Iqbal N, Al-Esaei NA, Mohammed M, Eddin KZ, Ghurab F, Moghrabi N, Heaphy E, Junaid I. Cystic fibrosis gene mutations and polymorphisms in Saudi men with infertility. Ann Saudi Med 2020; 40:321-329. [PMID: 32757986 PMCID: PMC7410224 DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2020.321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene may impair spermatogenesis or cause a congenital absence of the vas deferens that manifests as isolated male infertility. OBJECTIVE Assess the frequency and analyze the spectrum of CFTR gene variations in Saudi men with primary infertility. DESIGN Prospective, cross-sectional. SETTING Tertiary care specialist hospital in Jeddah. PATIENTS AND METHODS Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of Saudi men who presented with primary infertility to the outpatient andrology clinic with either azoospermia or oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing were used to identify all variants of the CFTR gene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Proportion of the patients with a mutant CFTR gene and the spectrum of CFTR gene variations. SAMPLE SIZE 50 infertile Saudi men. RESULTS This study identified 10 CFTR gene variants in 7 (14%) subjects (100 chromosomes). The detected variants and polymorphisms were: c.1408G>A, c.4389G>A, c.2562T>G, c.869+11C>T, c.2909-92G>A, c.3469-65C>A, c.1210-6delT, c.1210-6T>A, c.2988+1G>A, and c.1210-13GT>TG. CONCLUSION We demonstrated that 14% of the study subjects had one or more CFTR mutations and these were compounded in most of the affected patients. The spectrum of CFTR gene mutations in these subjects was similar to the mutations reported in other studies throughout the world. LIMITATIONS Small sample size and the lack of a control group. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talal AlMaghamsi
- From the Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naeem Iqbal
- From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nabil Abdullrahman Al-Esaei
- From the Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhsina Mohammed
- From the Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kamel Zein Eddin
- From the Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatima Ghurab
- From the Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nabil Moghrabi
- From the Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emily Heaphy
- From the Research Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Islam Junaid
- From the Department of Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Zhou D, Bai R, Wang L. The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator 470 Met Allele Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Chronic Pancreatitis in Both Asian and Caucasian Populations: A Meta-Analysis. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2020; 24:24-32. [PMID: 31940241 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2019.0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The Met470Val polymorphism (1540A>G [rs213950]) within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein has been reported to be associated with chronic pancreatitis (CP). The results remain inconclusive, and therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to clarify the association between M470V and CP risk. Methodology/Results: We conducted a meta-analysis of 7 case-control studies, including a total of 1121 CP patients and 2209 controls from Asian and Caucasian populations. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Met470Val was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of CP under all the genetic models (M vs. V, OR = 1.260, 95% CI: 1.134-1.399; MV vs. VV, OR = 1.292, 95% CI: 1.091-1.530; MM vs. VV, OR = 1.579, 95% CI: 1.274-1.956; MV/MV vs. VV, OR = 1.366, 95% CI: 1.165-1.603; MM vs. MV/VV, OR = 1.346, 95% CI: 1.114-1.621). Met470Val was also found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of idiopathic CP (ICP) in allele contrast, codominant, and recessive models (M vs. V, OR = 1.298, 95% CI: 1.020-1.653; MV vs. VV, OR = 1.297, 95% CI: 1.074-1.566; MM vs. VV, OR = 1.473, 95% CI: 1.165-1.862; MM vs. MV/VV, OR = 1.254, 95% CI: 1.023-1.538). Conclusions: The CFTR 470 M allele is significantly associated with an increased risk of CP in both Asian and Caucasian populations. The CFTR 470 M allele is also significantly associated with risk of ICP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donger Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rui Bai
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
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7
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Abstract
Between the 1930s and 1950s, scientists developed key principles of population genetics to try and explain the aging process. Almost a century later, these aging theories, including antagonistic pleiotropy and mutation accumulation, have been experimentally validated in animals. Although the theories have been much harder to test in humans despite research dating back to the 1970s, recent research is closing this evidence gap. Here we examine the strength of evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy in humans, one of the leading evolutionary explanations for the retention of genetic risk variation for non-communicable diseases. We discuss the analytical tools and types of data that are used to test for patterns of antagonistic pleiotropy and provide a primer of evolutionary theory on types of selection as a guide for understanding this mechanism and how it may manifest in other diseases. We find an abundance of non-experimental evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy in many diseases. In some cases, several studies have independently found corroborating evidence for this mechanism in the same or related sets of diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies also suggest antagonistic pleiotropy may be involved in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There are also compelling examples of disease risk variants that confer fitness benefits ranging from resistance to other diseases or survival in extreme environments. This provides increasingly strong support for the theory that antagonistic pleiotropic variants have enabled improved fitness but have been traded for higher burden of disease later in life. Future research in this field is required to better understand how this mechanism influences contemporary disease and possible consequences for their treatment.
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8
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Hart MW, Stover DA, Guerra V, Mozaffari SV, Ober C, Mugal CF, Kaj I. Positive selection on human gamete-recognition genes. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4259. [PMID: 29340252 PMCID: PMC5767332 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Coevolution of genes that encode interacting proteins expressed on the surfaces of sperm and eggs can lead to variation in reproductive compatibility between mates and reproductive isolation between members of different species. Previous studies in mice and other mammals have focused in particular on evidence for positive or diversifying selection that shapes the evolution of genes that encode sperm-binding proteins expressed in the egg coat or zona pellucida (ZP). By fitting phylogenetic models of codon evolution to data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we identified candidate sites evolving under diversifying selection in the human genes ZP3 and ZP2. We also identified one candidate site under positive selection in C4BPA, which encodes a repetitive protein similar to the mouse protein ZP3R that is expressed in the sperm head and binds to the ZP at fertilization. Results from several additional analyses that applied population genetic models to the same data were consistent with the hypothesis of selection on those candidate sites leading to coevolution of sperm- and egg-expressed genes. By contrast, we found no candidate sites under selection in a fourth gene (ZP1) that encodes an egg coat structural protein not directly involved in sperm binding. Finally, we found that two of the candidate sites (in C4BPA and ZP2) were correlated with variation in family size and birth rate among Hutterite couples, and those two candidate sites were also in linkage disequilibrium in the same Hutterite study population. All of these lines of evidence are consistent with predictions from a previously proposed hypothesis of balancing selection on epistatic interactions between C4BPA and ZP3 at fertilization that lead to the evolution of co-adapted allele pairs. Such patterns also suggest specific molecular traits that may be associated with both natural reproductive variation and clinical infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daryn A Stover
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University Colleges at Lake Havasu City, Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
| | - Vanessa Guerra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sahar V Mozaffari
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carina F Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingemar Kaj
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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9
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Gaikwad A, Khan S, Kadam S, Kadam K, Dighe V, Shah R, Kulkarni V, Kumaraswamy R, Gajbhiye R. The CFTR gene mild variants poly-T, TG repeats and M470V detection in Indian men with congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens. Andrologia 2017; 50. [PMID: 28776713 DOI: 10.1111/and.12858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to detect the frequency of the CFTR gene variants poly-T, TG repeats and c.1408A>G p.Met470Val (M470V) in Indian men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). Men diagnosed with CBAVD (n = 76), their female partners (n = 76) and healthy men from general population (n = 50) were recruited. Genomic DNA was isolated and the polymorphic regions of IVS9- c.1210-12T [5] and M470V were amplified using specific primers followed by Sanger's DNA sequencing. A statistically significant increase in the frequency of heterozygous IVS9- c.1210-12T [5] (39.4%) was observed in CBAVD men as compared to controls (14%). The allelic distribution of c.1210-12T [5], c.1210-12T [7] and c.1210-12T [9] in CBAVD men was 21%, 64.4% and 13% and that in healthy controls was 7%, 73% and 20% respectively. Longest TG repeat c.1210-34TG [13] was found in association with c.1210-12T [5] with an allelic frequency of 5.9% in CBAVD men. We found a significant association of c.1210-34TG [12]/c.1210-34TG [13] - c.1210-12[5] -V470 allele in CBAVD men. Twelve female partners harboured a heterozygous c.1210-12T [5] allele. The study emphasises the need to screen both partners for the polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG tract repeats in addition to population-specific known CFTR gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gaikwad
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - S Khan
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - S Kadam
- Department of Molecular Immunodiagnostics, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - K Kadam
- Department of Gamete Immunobiology, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - V Dighe
- National Center for Preclinical Reproductive and Genetic Toxicology, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | - R Shah
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India.,Lilavati Hospital and Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - V Kulkarni
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
| | | | - R Gajbhiye
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
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10
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Burrows CK, Kosova G, Herman C, Patterson K, Hartmann KE, Velez Edwards DR, Stephenson MD, Lynch VJ, Ober C. Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Studies in Mid-secretory Phase Endometrial Cells Identifies HLA-F and TAP2 as Fecundability-Associated Genes. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005858. [PMID: 27447835 PMCID: PMC4957750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertility traits in humans are heritable, however, little is known about the genes that influence reproductive outcomes or the genetic variants that contribute to differences in these traits between individuals, particularly women. To address this gap in knowledge, we performed an unbiased genome-wide expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping study to identify common regulatory (expression) single nucleotide polymorphisms (eSNPs) in mid-secretory endometrium. We identified 423 cis-eQTLs for 132 genes that were significant at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 1%. After pruning for strong LD (r2 >0.95), we tested for associations between eSNPs and fecundability (the ability to get pregnant), measured as the length of the interval to pregnancy, in 117 women. Two eSNPs were associated with fecundability at a FDR of 5%; both were in the HLA region and were eQTLs for the TAP2 gene (P = 1.3x10-4) and the HLA-F gene (P = 4.0x10-4), respectively. The effects of these SNPs on fecundability were replicated in an independent sample. The two eSNPs reside within or near regulatory elements in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells. Our study integrating eQTL mapping in a primary tissue with association studies of a related phenotype revealed novel genes and associated alleles with independent effects on fecundability, and identified a central role for two HLA region genes in human implantation success. Little is known about the genetics of female fertility. In this study, we addressed this gap in knowledge by first searching for genetic variants that regulate gene expression in uterine endometrial cells, and then testing those functional variants for associations with the length of time to pregnancy in fertile women. Two functional genetic variants were associated with time to pregnancy in women after correcting for multiple testing. Those variants were each associated with the expression of genes in the HLA region, HLA-F and TAP2, which are have not previously been implicated female fertility. The association between HLA-F and TAP2 genotypes on the length of time to pregnancy was replicated in an independent cohort of women. Because HLA-F and TAP2 are involved in immune processes, these results suggest their role in specific immune regulation in the endometrium during implantation. Future studies will characterize these molecules in the implantation process and their potential as drug targets for treatment of conditions related to implantation failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K. Burrows
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gülüm Kosova
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Catherine Herman
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kristen Patterson
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Katherine E. Hartmann
- Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Digna R. Velez Edwards
- Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Mary D. Stephenson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Vincent J. Lynch
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Smith JG, Felix JF, Morrison AC, Kalogeropoulos A, Trompet S, Wilk JB, Gidlöf O, Wang X, Morley M, Mendelson M, Joehanes R, Ligthart S, Shan X, Bis JC, Wang YA, Sjögren M, Ngwa J, Brandimarto J, Stott DJ, Aguilar D, Rice KM, Sesso HD, Demissie S, Buckley BM, Taylor KD, Ford I, Yao C, Liu C, Sotoodehnia N, van der Harst P, Stricker BHC, Kritchevsky SB, Liu Y, Gaziano JM, Hofman A, Moravec CS, Uitterlinden AG, Kellis M, van Meurs JB, Margulies KB, Dehghan A, Levy D, Olde B, Psaty BM, Cupples LA, Jukema JW, Djousse L, Franco OH, Boerwinkle E, Boyer LA, Newton-Cheh C, Butler J, Vasan RS, Cappola TP, Smith NL. Discovery of Genetic Variation on Chromosome 5q22 Associated with Mortality in Heart Failure. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006034. [PMID: 27149122 PMCID: PMC4858216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Failure of the human heart to maintain sufficient output of blood for the demands of the body, heart failure, is a common condition with high mortality even with modern therapeutic alternatives. To identify molecular determinants of mortality in patients with new-onset heart failure, we performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies and follow-up genotyping in independent populations. We identified and replicated an association for a genetic variant on chromosome 5q22 with 36% increased risk of death in subjects with heart failure (rs9885413, P = 2.7x10-9). We provide evidence from reporter gene assays, computational predictions and epigenomic marks that this polymorphism increases activity of an enhancer region active in multiple human tissues. The polymorphism was further reproducibly associated with a DNA methylation signature in whole blood (P = 4.5x10-40) that also associated with allergic sensitization and expression in blood of the cytokine TSLP (P = 1.1x10-4). Knockdown of the transcription factor predicted to bind the enhancer region (NHLH1) in a human cell line (HEK293) expressing NHLH1 resulted in lower TSLP expression. In addition, we observed evidence of recent positive selection acting on the risk allele in populations of African descent. Our findings provide novel genetic leads to factors that influence mortality in patients with heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Gustav Smith
- Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Heart Failure and Valvular Disease, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Center, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Janine F. Felix
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Aging (NGI-NCHA), The Netherlands Genomics Initiative, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alanna C. Morrison
- Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andreas Kalogeropoulos
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Stella Trompet
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jemma B. Wilk
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Olof Gidlöf
- Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Xinchen Wang
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael Morley
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Mendelson
- The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lund and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Roby Joehanes
- The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lund and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Symen Ligthart
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoyin Shan
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joshua C. Bis
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ying A. Wang
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Marketa Sjögren
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Julius Ngwa
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Brandimarto
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David J. Stott
- Academic Section of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David Aguilar
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kenneth M. Rice
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Howard D. Sesso
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Serkalem Demissie
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brendan M. Buckley
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kent D. Taylor
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, United States of America
| | - Ian Ford
- Robertson Center for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Chen Yao
- The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lund and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chunyu Liu
- The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lund and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | - Nona Sotoodehnia
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Pim van der Harst
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bruno H. Ch. Stricker
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Inspectorate for Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stephen B. Kritchevsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Geronotology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yongmei Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - J. Michael Gaziano
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Albert Hofman
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christine S. Moravec
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - André G. Uitterlinden
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Aging (NGI-NCHA), The Netherlands Genomics Initiative, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joyce B. van Meurs
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kenneth B. Margulies
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Abbas Dehghan
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel Levy
- The Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lund and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Björn Olde
- Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bruce M. Psaty
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - L. Adrienne Cupples
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - J. Wouter Jukema
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Durrer Center for Cardiogenetic Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Luc Djousse
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Oscar H. Franco
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Aging (NGI-NCHA), The Netherlands Genomics Initiative, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Boerwinkle
- Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Laurie A. Boyer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christopher Newton-Cheh
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Human Genetic Research and Cardiovascular Research Center, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Javed Butler
- Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ramachandran S. Vasan
- Departments of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thomas P. Cappola
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Nicholas L. Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Research and Development, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Xu X, Zheng J, Liao Q, Zhu H, Xie H, Shi H, Duan S. Meta-analyses of 4 CFTR variants associated with the risk of the congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens. J Clin Bioinforma 2014; 4:11. [PMID: 25170420 PMCID: PMC4147875 DOI: 10.1186/2043-9113-4-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between four CFTR variations and the congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). Methods A systematic search was performed in the literature databases for the case–control studies of CFTR variations with the risk of CBAVD. A total of 29 studies among 1139 controls and 1562 CBAVD patients were gathered for the meta-analyses of three commonly tecsted variations (5T, ΔF508 and M470V) with CBAVD. Results Our meta-analyses observed significant associations between CBAVD and all the three variations, including 5T (P < 0.001, OR = 8.35, 95% CI = 6.68-10.43), M470V (P = 0.027, OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.60-0.91) and ΔF508 (P < 0.001, OR = 22.20, 95% CI = 7.49-65.79). Conclusion In the current study, we demonstrated a significant association between CFTR variations and CBAVD. Our results showed that the 5T variation was a risk factor of CBAVD in French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Iranian, Indian, Mexican and Egyptian populations. CFTR ΔF508 was another important risk factor in Caucasians, including Slovenians, Canadians, Iranians, and Egyptians. In addition, M470V was a protective factor among French, Chinese, Italian and Iranian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuting Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Jufen Zheng
- China National Population and Family Planning Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices, SIPPR, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qi Liao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Huiqing Zhu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Hongyan Xie
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Huijuan Shi
- China National Population and Family Planning Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research (SIPPR), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
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13
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Chong JX, Ouwenga R, Anderson RL, Waggoner DJ, Ober C. A population-based study of autosomal-recessive disease-causing mutations in a founder population. Am J Hum Genet 2012; 91:608-20. [PMID: 22981120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The decreasing cost of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing has resulted in a renaissance for identifying Mendelian disease mutations, and for the first time it is possible to survey the distribution and characteristics of these mutations in large population samples. We conducted carrier screening for all autosomal-recessive (AR) mutations known to be present in members of a founder population and revealed surprisingly high carrier frequencies for many of these mutations. By utilizing the rich demographic, genetic, and phenotypic data available on these subjects and simulations in the exact pedigree that these individuals belong to, we show that the majority of mutations were most likely introduced into the population by a single founder and then drifted to the high carrier frequencies observed. We further show that although there is an increased incidence of AR diseases overall, the mean carrier burden is likely to be lower in the Hutterites than in the general population. Finally, on the basis of simulations, we predict the presence of 30 or more undiscovered recessive mutations among these subjects, and this would at least double the number of AR diseases that have been reported in this isolated population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica X Chong
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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14
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Ni WH, Jiang L, Fei QJ, Jin JY, Yang X, Huang XF. The CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V in Chinese males with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens. Asian J Androl 2012; 14:687-90. [PMID: 22842702 DOI: 10.1038/aja.2012.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene have also been frequently identified in patients with CBAVD. However, the distribution of the CFTR polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG-repeats and F508del mutation in the Chinese CBAVD population with presumed low cystic fibrosis (CF) frequency remains to be evaluated. Samples obtained from 109 Chinese infertile males with CBAVD and 104 normal controls were analyzed for the presence of CFTR (TG)m(T)n, M470V and F508del by PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing. Our study showed that the F508del mutation was not found in our patients. The 5T mutation was present with high frequency in Chinese CBAVD patients and IVS8-5T linked to either 12 or 13 TG repeats was highly prevalent among CBAVD patients (97.22% of 72 cases and 96.91% of 97 alleles with IVS8-5T). Moreover, a statistically significant relationship between TG12-5T-V470 haplotype and CBAVD was detected. This study indicated that the CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V might affect the process of CBAVD in the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu-Hua Ni
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, China
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15
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Ultraconserved elements in the human genome: association and transmission analyses of highly constrained single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Genetics 2012; 192:253-66. [PMID: 22714408 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.112.141945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraconserved elements in the human genome likely harbor important biological functions as they are dosage sensitive and are able to direct tissue-specific expression. Because they are under purifying selection, variants in these elements may have a lower frequency in the population but a higher likelihood of association with complex traits. We tested a set of highly constrained SNPs (hcSNPs) distributed genome-wide among ultraconserved and nearly ultraconserved elements for association with seven traits related to reproductive (age at natural menopause, number of children, age at first child, and age at last child) and overall [longevity, body mass index (BMI), and height] fitness. Using up to 24,047 European-American samples from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Candidate Gene Association Resource (CARe), we observed an excess of associations with BMI and height. In an independent replication panel the most strongly associated SNPs showed an 8.4-fold enrichment of associations at the nominal level, including three variants in previously identified loci and one in a locus (DENND1A) previously shown to be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome. Finally, using 1430 family trios, we showed that the transmissions from heterozygous parents to offspring of the derived alleles of rare (frequency ≤ 0.5%) hcSNPs are not biased, particularly after adjusting for the rates of genotype missingness and error in the data. The lack of transmission bias ruled out an immediately and strongly deleterious effect due to the rare derived alleles, consistent with the observation that mice homozygous for the deletion of ultraconserved elements showed no overt phenotype. Our study also illustrated the importance of carefully modeling potential technical confounders when analyzing genotype data of rare variants.
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16
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Chen H, Ruan YC, Xu WM, Chen J, Chan HC. Regulation of male fertility by CFTR and implications in male infertility. Hum Reprod Update 2012; 18:703-13. [PMID: 22709980 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dms027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-activated Cl(-) and HCO(3)(-) conducting channel, mutations of which are known to be associated with male infertility. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. METHODS Literature databases were searched for papers on the topics related to CFTR and male fertility and infertility with relevant keywords. Unpublished data from authors' laboratory were also included for analysis. RESULTS Clinical evidence shows increased mutation frequency or reduced CFTR expression in men with congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD) or sperm abnormalities, such as azoospermia teratospermia and oligoasthenospermia. Studies on primary rodent Sertoli cells and germ cells, as well as testes from CFTR knockout mice or a cryptorchidism model, yield findings indicating the involvement of CFTR in spermatogensis through the HCO(3)(-)/sAC/cAMP/CREB(CREM) pathway and the NF-κB/COX-2/PGE(2) pathway. Evidence also reveals a critical role of CFTR in sperm capacitation by directly or indirectly mediating HCO(3)(-) entry that is essential for capacitation. CFTR is emerging as a versatile player with roles in mediating different signaling pathways pertinent to various reproductive processes, in addition to its long-recognized role in electrolyte and fluid transport that regulates the luminal microenvironment of the male reproductive tract. CONCLUSIONS CFTR is a key regulator of male fertility, a defect of which may result in different forms of male infertility other than CBAVD. It would be worthwhile to further investigate the potential of developing novel diagnostic and contraceptive methods targeting CFTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Sichuan University - The Chinese University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
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17
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Genome-wide association study identifies candidate genes for male fertility traits in humans. Am J Hum Genet 2012; 90:950-61. [PMID: 22633400 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Revised: 03/26/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that hundreds of genes are known to affect fertility in animal models, relatively little is known about genes that influence natural fertility in humans. To broadly survey genes contributing to variation in male fertility, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of two fertility traits (family size and birth rate) in 269 married men who are members of a founder population of European descent that proscribes contraception and has large family sizes. Associations between ∼250,000 autosomal SNPs and the fertility traits were examined. A total of 41 SNPs with p ≤ 1 × 10(-4) for either trait were taken forward to a validation study of 123 ethnically diverse men from Chicago who had previously undergone semen analyses. Nine (22%) of the SNPs associated with reduced fertility in the GWAS were also associated with one or more of the ten measures of reduced sperm quantity and/or function, yielding 27 associations with p values < 0.05 and seven with p values < 0.01 in the validation study. On the basis of 5,000 permutations of our data, the probabilities of observing this many or more small p values were 0.0014 and 5.6 × 10(-4), respectively. Among the nine associated loci, outstanding candidates for male fertility genes include USP8, an essential deubiquitinating enzyme that has a role in acrosome assembly; UBD and EPSTI1, which have potential roles in innate immunity; and LRRC32, which encodes a latent transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) receptor on regulatory T cells. We suggest that mutations in these genes that are more severe may account for some of the unexplained infertility (or subfertility) in the general population.
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