Association of SOX11 Polymorphisms in distal 3'UTR with Susceptibility for Schizophrenia

Background

Diverse and circumstantial evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Genes contributing to neurodevelopment may be potential candidates for schizophrenia. The human SOX11 gene is a member of the developmentally essential SOX (Sry‐related HMG box) transcription factor gene family and mapped to chromosome 2p, a potential candidate region for schizophrenia.

Methods

Our previous genome‐wide association study (GWAS) implicated an involvement of SOX11 with schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population. To further investigate the association between SOX11 polymorphisms and schizophrenia, we performed an independent replication case‐control association study in a sample including 768 cases and 1348 controls.

Results

After Bonferroni correction, four SNPs in SOX11 distal 3′UTR significantly associated with schizophrenia in the allele frequencies: rs16864067 (allelic P = .0022), rs12478711 (allelic P = .0009), rs2564045 (allelic P = .0027), and rs2252087 (allelic P = .0025). The haplotype analysis of the selected SNPs showed different haplotype frequencies for two blocks (rs4371338‐rs7596062‐rs16864067‐rs12478711 and rs2564045‐rs2252087‐rs2564055‐rs1366733) between cases and controls. Further luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed the schizophrenia‐associated SOX11 SNPs may influence SOX11 gene expression, and the risk and non‐risk alleles may have different affinity to certain transcription factors and can recruit divergent factors.

Conclusions

Our results suggest SOX11 as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, and SOX11 polymorphisms and haplotypes in the distal 3′UTR of the gene might modulate transcriptional activity by serving as cis‐regulatory elements and recruiting transcriptional activators or repressors. Also, these SNPs may potentiate as diagnostic markers for the disease.

[Role of pregnane X receptor (PXR) in endobiotic metabolism]

As a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, the pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. PXR is highly expressed in liver and intestinal tissues, and also found in other tissues and organs, such as stomach and kidney. After heterodimerization with retinoid X receptor (RXR), PXR recruits numerous co-activating factors, and binds to specific DNA response elements to perform transcriptional regulation of the downstream target genes. As an acknowledged receptor for xenobiotics, PXR was initially considered as a nuclear receptor regulating drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters. However, nowadays, PXR has also been recognized as an important endobiotic receptor. Recent studies have shown that PXR activation can regulate glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, steroid endocrine homeostasis, detoxification of cholic acid and bilirubin, bone mineral balance, and immune inflammation in vivo. This review focuses on the role of PXR in metabolism of endogenous substances.

[Investigation of hearing loss and speech recognition ability of the elderly and analysis of its high risk factors]

Objective: To investigate the hearing loss and speech disorders in the elderly, to analyze the risk factors of the elderly deafness, as well as to provide reference for the clinical research of the elderly deafness. Methods: From March 2016 to March 2018, 913 elderly people, who were tested for hearing and speech disorders, were examined by a unified questionnaire to investigate the demographic data of the subjects and the related factors of deafness, and the hearing and speech recognition tests were carried out. According to the hearing loss, the hearing impaired group was divided into the hearing impaired group (500, 1 000, 2 000 and 4 000 Hz, the average hearing threshold>25 dBHL) and the non hearing impaired group (the average hearing threshold of the four frequencies ≤25 dBHL), and then the single factor analysis and the unconditional Logistic regression analysis were used. Finally, the risk factors of senile deafness were analyzed. Results: Of the 913 elderly subjects in the survey, 389 (42.61%, 389/913) had no hearing impaired, 345 (37.79%, 345/913) were mild hearing impaired, and 149 (16.32%, 149/913) had moderate hearing loss. Twenty-six patients were severe hearing loss (2.85%, 26/913); 4 patients had severe hearing loss (0.44%, 4/913). Among the 524 hearing-impaired elderly, there were 244 speech-recognition disorders (46.56%, 244/524), of whom 106 were mild hearing-impaired, accounting for 30.72% (106/345), 108 were moderate hearing loss, accounting for 72.48% (108/149), 26 were severe hearing loss, accounting for 100% (26/26), and 4 were the profound hearing loss, accounting for 100% (4/4). Statistical analysis showed that the age, job status, history of hypertension, history of hyperglycemia, and smoking history were independent risk factors for senile hearing loss (P<0.05). Conclusions: High incidences of hearing and speech recognition obstacle are found in health examination for the elderly patients. Noise exposure, age, history of hypertension, high blood sugar, and smoking history are high-risk factors for senile deafness, therefore, prevention and rehabilitation programs are urgent to be developed.

The expression and significance of WT1 in xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma treated by paclitaxel

In this study, the authors investigated the expression and significance of WTl in xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma cell SKOV3 of nude mice treated with paclitaxel. Xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma was established in nude mice using the SKOV3 cell line. The mice were randomized into the treatment group with paclitaxel and control group with normal sodium. The sizes of the xenotransplanted tumors were measured and the tumor specimens were confirmed by routine hemotoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. The apoptosis index was then assayed using flow cytometry. WTl and bcl-2 expression were detected with immunohistochemistry, and WT1 mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The authors found that the growth of the xenotransplanted tumor was inhibited by paclitaxel therapy. Compared to the control group, the apoptosis rate was significantly increased in the treatment group (p < 0.05). At the same time, the expression of WTl, bcl-2 and WTI, mRNA were significantly decreased in the paclitaxel therapy group (p < 0.05). The authors conclude that the WTl gene may play an important role during apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma and the mechanism may be closely related to bcl-2.

Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from cats in different geographic regions of China

Fourteen isolates of Toxoplasma gondii were isolated from cats from 4 different geographic provinces (Anhui, Hubei, Shanxi and Guangdong) in China and their genetic diversity with 8 nuclear loci SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and an apicoplast locus Apico, was analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Two genotypes from these 14 isolates were identified but none of them belongs to the typical genetic types (types I, II and III). It is unexpected that such high similarity was observed in these 14 isolates although their original regions are significantly distant. Our results strongly indicate that the three traditional clonal lineages of types I, II and III of this parasite may not be preponderant in China. In addition, our results show that the genotypes of T. gondii in China may be highly clonal with atypical genotypes and higher virulence.