MICA*019 Allele and Soluble MICA as Biomarkers for Ankylosing Spondylitis in Taiwanese

MICA (major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A) interacts with NKG2D on immune cells to regulate host immune responses. We aimed to determine whether MICA alleles are associated with AS susceptibility in Taiwanese. MICA alleles were determined through haplotype analyses of major MICA coding SNP (cSNP) data from 895 AS patients and 896 normal healthy controls in Taiwan. The distributions of MICA alleles were compared between AS patients and normal healthy controls and among AS patients, stratified by clinical characteristics. ELISA was used to determine soluble MICA (sMICA) levels in serum of AS patients and healthy controls. Stable cell lines expressing four major MICA alleles (MICA*002, MICA*008, MICA*010 and MICA*019) in Taiwanese were used for biological analyses. We found that MICA*019 is the only major MICA allele significantly associated with AS susceptibility (PFDR = 2.25 × 10−115; OR, 14.90; 95% CI, 11.83–18.77) in Taiwanese. In addition, the MICA*019 allele is associated with syndesmophyte formation (PFDR = 0.0017; OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.29–2.22) and HLA-B27 positivity (PFDR = 1.45 × 10−33; OR, 28.79; 95% CI, 16.83–49.26) in AS patients. Serum sMICA levels were significantly increased in AS patients as compared to healthy controls. Additionally, MICA*019 homozygous subjects produced the highest levels of sMICA, compared to donors with other genotypes. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that cells expressing MICA*019 produced the highest level of sMICA, as compared to other major MICA alleles. In summary, the MICA*019 allele, producing the highest levels of sMICA, is a significant risk factor for AS and syndesmophyte formation in Taiwanese. Our data indicate that a high level of sMICA is a biomarker for AS.

Association of IL-4 and IL-4R Polymorphisms with Litter Size Traits in Pigs

The interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) are cytokines that are involved in the immune and reproductive systems. This study aimed to verify the polymorphisms in the porcine IL-4 and IL-4R genes and to assess their effects on litter size traits in commercial pigs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the porcine IL-4 and IL-4R genes were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. A non-coding SNP of IL-4 g.134993898T > C and a non-synonymous SNP of IL-4R c.1577A > T (amino acid change at position 526, Q526L) were found to be segregating in Landrace sows. The IL-4 g.134993898T > C polymorphism was significantly associated with the number of piglets weaned alive (NWA) trait. The IL-4R c.1577A > T polymorphism was significantly associated with the number born alive (NBA) and NWA traits. Moreover, the accumulation of favorable alleles of these two SNP markers revealed significant associations with the NBA, NWA, and mean weight of piglets at weaning (MWW) traits. These findings indicate that the porcine IL-4 and IL-4R genes may contribute to the reproductive traits of pigs and could be used as candidate genes to improve litter size traits in the pig breeding industry.

The Genetic Architecture of Larval Aggregation Behavior in Drosophila

Many insect species exhibit basal social behaviors such as aggregation, which play important roles in their feeding and mating ecologies. However, the evolutionary, genetic, and physiological mechanisms that regulate insect aggregation remain unknown for most species. Here, we used natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster to identify the genetic architecture that drives larval aggregation feeding behavior. By using quantitative and reverse genetic approaches, we have identified a complex neurogenetic network that plays a role in regulating the decision of larvae to feed in either solitude or as a group. Results from single gene, RNAi-knockdown experiments show that several of the identified genes represent key nodes in the genetic network that determines the level of aggregation while feeding. Furthermore, we show that a single non-coding SNP in the gene CG14205, a putative acyltransferase, is associated with both decreased mRNA expression and increased aggregate formation, which suggests that it has a specific role in inhibiting aggregation behavior. Our results identify, for the first time, the genetic components which interact to regulate naturally occurring levels of aggregation in D. melanogaster larvae.

In vivo reporter assays uncover changes in enhancer activity caused by type 2 diabetes associated SNPs

Many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to type 2 diabetes overlap with putative endocrine pancreatic enhancers, suggesting that these SNPs modulate enhancer activity and consequently, gene expression. We performed <i>in vivo</i> mosaic transgenesis assays in zebrafish to quantitatively test the enhancer activity of type 2 diabetes-associated <i>loci</i>. Six out of ten tested sequences are endocrine pancreatic enhancers. The risk variant of two sequences decreased enhancer activity, while in another two incremented it. One of the latter (rs13266634) locates in a <i>SLC30A8 </i>exon, encoding a tryptophan-to-arginine substitution that decreases <i>SLC30A8 </i>function, being the canonical explanation for type 2 diabetes risk association. However, other type 2 diabetes associated SNPs that truncate SLC30A8, confer protection to this disease, contradicting this explanation. Here, we clarify this incongruence showing that rs13266634 boosts the activity of an overlapping enhancer, suggesting a SLC30A8 gain-of-function as the cause for the increased risk for the disease. We further dissected the functionality of this enhancer finding a single nucleotide mutation sufficient to impair its activity. Overall, this work assesses <i>in vivo</i> the importance of disease-associated SNPs in the activity of endocrine pancreatic enhancers, including a poorly explored case where a coding SNP modulates the activity of an enhancer.

In vivo reporter assays uncover changes in enhancer activity caused by type 2 diabetes associated SNPs

Many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to type 2 diabetes overlap with putative endocrine pancreatic enhancers, suggesting that these SNPs modulate enhancer activity and consequently, gene expression. We performed <i>in vivo</i> mosaic transgenesis assays in zebrafish to quantitatively test the enhancer activity of type 2 diabetes-associated <i>loci</i>. Six out of ten tested sequences are endocrine pancreatic enhancers. The risk variant of two sequences decreased enhancer activity, while in another two incremented it. One of the latter (rs13266634) locates in a <i>SLC30A8 </i>exon, encoding a tryptophan-to-arginine substitution that decreases <i>SLC30A8 </i>function, being the canonical explanation for type 2 diabetes risk association. However, other type 2 diabetes associated SNPs that truncate SLC30A8, confer protection to this disease, contradicting this explanation. Here, we clarify this incongruence showing that rs13266634 boosts the activity of an overlapping enhancer, suggesting a SLC30A8 gain-of-function as the cause for the increased risk for the disease. We further dissected the functionality of this enhancer finding a single nucleotide mutation sufficient to impair its activity. Overall, this work assesses <i>in vivo</i> the importance of disease-associated SNPs in the activity of endocrine pancreatic enhancers, including a poorly explored case where a coding SNP modulates the activity of an enhancer.

Genomic responses to selection for tame/aggressive behaviors in the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Animal domestication efforts have led to a shared spectrum of striking behavioral and morphological changes. To recapitulate this process, silver foxes have been selectively bred for tame and aggressive behaviors for more than 50 generations at the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. To understand the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic changes, we profiled gene expression levels and coding SNP allele frequencies in two brain tissue specimens from 12 aggressive foxes and 12 tame foxes. Expression analysis revealed 146 genes in the prefrontal cortex and 33 genes in the basal forebrain that were differentially expressed, with a 5% false discovery rate (FDR). These candidates include genes in key pathways known to be critical to neurologic processing, including the serotonin and glutamate receptor pathways. In addition, 295 of the 31,000 exonic SNPs show significant allele frequency differences between the tame and aggressive populations (1% FDR), including genes with a role in neural crest cell fate determination.

Genomic responses to selection for tame/aggressive behaviors in the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Animal domestications have led to a shared spectrum of striking behavioral and morphological changes. To recapitulate this process, silver foxes have been selectively bred for tame and aggressive behaviors for over 50 generations at the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. To understand the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic changes, we profiled gene expression level and coding SNP allele frequencies in two brain tissues from 12 aggressive and 12 tame foxes. Expression analysis revealed 146 genes in prefrontal cortex and 33 genes in basal forebrain that were differentially expressed (5% FDR). These candidates include genes in key pathways known to be critical to neurological processing, including the serotonin and glutamate receptor pathways. In addition, 295 of the 31,000 exonic SNPs show significant allele frequency differences between tame and aggressive population (1% FDR), including genes with a role in neural crest cell fate determination.