| 41. |
- Johannesson, Magnus, et al.
(author)
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Meta-GWAS Accuracy and Power (MetaGAP) Calculator Shows that Hiding Heritability Is Partially Due to Imperfect Genetic Correlations across Studies
- 2017
-
In: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science. - 1553-7404 .- 1553-7390. ; 13:1, s. 1-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large-scale genome-wide association results are typically obtained from a fixed-effects meta-analysis of GWAS summary statistics from multiple studies spanning different regions and/or time periods. This approach averages the estimated effects of genetic variants across studies. In case genetic effects are heterogeneous across studies, the statistical power of a GWAS and the predictive accuracy of polygenic scores are attenuated, contributing to the so-called ‘missing heritability’. Here, we describe the online Meta-GWAS Accuracy and Power (MetaGAP) calculator (available at www.devlaming.eu) which quantifies this attenuation based on a novel multi-study framework. By means of simulation studies, we show that under a wide range of genetic architectures, the statistical power and predictive accuracy provided by this calculator are accurate. We compare the predictions from the MetaGAP calculator with actual results obtained in the GWAS literature. Specifically, we use genomic-relatedness-matrix restricted maximum likelihood to estimate the SNP heritability and cross-study genetic correlation of height, BMI, years of education, and self-rated health in three large samples. These estimates are used as input parameters for the MetaGAP calculator. Results from the calculator suggest that cross-study heterogeneity has led to attenuation of statistical power and predictive accuracy in recent large-scale GWAS efforts on these traits (e.g., for years of education, we estimate a relative loss of 51–62% in the number of genome-wide significant loci and a relative loss in polygenic score R2of 36–38%). Hence, cross-study heterogeneity contributes to the missing heritability.
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| 42. |
- Johnsson, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Genetic Regulation of Bone Metabolism in the Chicken : Similarities and Differences to Mammalian Systems
- 2015
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 11:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Birds have a unique bone physiology, due to the demands placed on them through egg production. In particular their medullary bone serves as a source of calcium for eggshell production during lay and undergoes continuous and rapid remodelling. We take advantage of the fact that bone traits have diverged massively during chicken domestication to map the genetic basis of bone metabolism in the chicken. We performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) and expression QTL (eQTL) mapping study in an advanced intercross based on Red Junglefowl (the wild progenitor of the modern domestic chicken) and White Leghorn chickens. We measured femoral bone traits in 456 chickens by peripheral computerised tomography and femoral gene expression in a subset of 125 females from the cross with microarrays. This resulted in 25 loci for female bone traits, 26 loci for male bone traits and 6318 local eQTL loci. We then overlapped bone and gene expression loci, before checking for an association between gene expression and trait values to identify candidate quantitative trait genes for bone traits. A handful of our candidates have been previously associated with bone traits in mice, but our results also implicate unexpected and largely unknown genes in bone metabolism. In summary, by utilising the unique bone metabolism of an avian species, we have identified a number of candidate genes affecting bone allocation and metabolism. These findings can have ramifications not only for the understanding of bone metabolism genetics in general, but could also be used as a potential model for osteoporosis as well as revealing new aspects of vertebrate bone regulation or features that distinguish avian and mammalian bone.
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| 43. |
- Kasparek, Petr, et al.
(author)
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KLK5 and KLK7 Ablation Fully Rescues Lethality of Netherton Syndrome-Like Phenotype
- 2017
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In: PLOS Genetics. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Netherton syndrome (NS) is a severe skin disease caused by the loss of protease inhibitor LEKTI, which leads to the dysregulation of epidermal proteases and severe skin-barrier defects. KLK5 was proposed as a major protease in NS pathology, however its inactivation is not sufficient to rescue the lethal phenotype of LEKTI-deficient mice. In this study, we further elucidated the in vivo roles of the epidermal proteases in NS using a set of mouse models individually or simultaneously deficient for KLK5 and KLK7 on the genetic background of a novel NS-mouse model. We show that although the ablation of KLK5 or KLK7 is not sufficient to rescue the lethal effect of LEKTI-deficiency simultaneous deficiency of both KLKs completely rescues the epidermal barrier and the postnatal lethality allowing mice to reach adulthood with fully functional skin and normal hair growth. We report that not only KLK5 but also KLK7 plays an important role in the inflammation and defective differentiation in NS and KLK7 activity is not solely dependent on activation by KLK5. Altogether, these findings show that unregulated activities of KLK5 and KLK7 are responsible for NS development and both proteases should become targets for NS therapy.
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| 44. |
- Kim, Maria, et al.
(author)
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RNA-on-X 1 and 2 in Drosophila melanogaster fulfill separate functions in dosage compensation
- 2018
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library Science. - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 14:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Drosophila melanogaster, the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex plays a key role in dosage compensation by stimulating expression of male X-chromosome genes. It consists of MSL proteins and two long noncoding RNAs, roX1 and roX2, that are required for spreading of the complex on the chromosome and are redundant in the sense that loss of either does not affect male viability. However, despite rapid evolution, both roX species are present in diverse Drosophilidae species, raising doubts about their full functional redundancy. Thus, we have investigated consequences of deleting roX1 and/or roX2 to probe their specific roles and redundancies in D. melanogaster. We have created a new mutant allele of roX2 and show that roX1 and roX2 have partly separable functions in dosage compensation. In larvae, roX1 is the most abundant variant and the only variant present in the MSL complex when the complex is transmitted (physically associated with the X-chromosome) in mitosis. Loss of roX1 results in reduced expression of the genes on the X-chromosome, while loss of roX2 leads to MSL-independent upregulation of genes with male-biased testis-specific transcription. In roX1 roX2mutant, gene expression is strongly reduced in a manner that is not related to proximity to high-affinity sites. Our results suggest that high tolerance of mis-expression of the X-chromosome has evolved. We propose that this may be a common property of sex-chromosomes, that dosage compensation is a stochastic process and its precision for each individual gene is regulated by the density of high-affinity sites in the locus.
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| 45. |
- Klar, Joakim, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Altered paracellular cation permeability due to a rare CLDN10B variant causes anhidrosis and kidney damage
- 2017
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In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 13:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Claudins constitute the major component of tight junctions and regulate paracellular permeability of epithelia. Claudin-10 occurs in two major isoforms that form paracellular channels with ion selectivity. We report on two families segregating an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by generalized anhidrosis, severe heat intolerance and mild kidney failure. All affected individuals carry a rare homozygous missense mutation c.144C>G, p.(N48K) specific for the claudin-10b isoform. Immunostaining of sweat glands from patients suggested that the disease is associated with reduced levels of claudin-10b in the plasma membranes and in canaliculi of the secretory portion. Expression of claudin-10b N48K in a 3D cell model of sweat secretion indicated perturbed paracellular Na+ transport. Analysis of paracellular permeability revealed that claudin-10b N48K maintained cation over anion selectivity but with a reduced general ion conductance. Furthermore, freeze fracture electron microscopy showed that claudin-10b N48K was associated with impaired tight junction strand formation and altered cis-oligomer formation. These data suggest that claudin-10b N48K causes anhidrosis and our findings are consistent with a combined effect from perturbed TJ function and increased degradation of claudin-10b N48K in the sweat glands. Furthermore, affected individuals present with Mg2+ retention, secondary hyperparathyroidism and mild kidney failure that suggest a disturbed reabsorption of cations in the kidneys. These renal-derived features recapitulate several phenotypic aspects detected in mice with kidney specific loss of both claudin-10 isoforms. Our study adds to the spectrum of phenotypes caused by tight junction proteins and demonstrates a pivotal role for claudin-10b in maintaining paracellular Na+ permeability for sweat production and kidney function.
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| 46. |
- Kryvokhyzha, Dmytro, et al.
(author)
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Parental legacy, demography, and admixture influenced the evolution of the two subgenomes of the tetraploid Capsella bursa-pastoris (Brassicaceae)
- 2019
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 15:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Allopolyploidy is generally perceived as a major source of evolutionary novelties and as an instantaneous way to create isolation barriers. However, we do not have a clear understanding of how two subgenomes evolve and interact once they have fused in an allopolyploid species nor how isolated they are from their relatives. Here, we address these questions by analyzing genomic and transcriptomic data of allotetraploid Capsella bursa-pastoris in three differentiated populations, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. We phased the two subgenomes, one descended from the outcrossing and highly diverse Capsella grandiflora (Cbp(Cg)) and the other one from the selfing and genetically depauperate Capsella orientalis (Cbp(Co)). For each subgenome, we assessed its relationship with the diploid relatives, temporal changes of effective population size (N-e), signatures of positive and negative selection, and gene expression patterns. In all three regions, N-e of the two subgenomes decreased gradually over time and the Cbp(Co) subgenome accumulated more deleterious changes than Cbp(Cg). There were signs of widespread admixture between C. bursa-pastoris and its diploid relatives. The two subgenomes were impacted differentially depending on geographic region suggesting either strong interploidy gene flow or multiple origins of C. bursa-pastoris. Selective sweeps were more common on the Cbp(Cg) subgenome in Europe and the Middle East, and on the Cbp(Co) subgenome in Asia. In contrast, differences in expression were limited with the Cbp(Cg) subgenome slightly more expressed than Cbp(Co) in Europe and the Middle-East. In summary, after more than 100,000 generations of co-existence, the two subgenomes of C. bursa-pastoris still retained a strong signature of parental legacy but their evolutionary trajectory strongly varied across geographic regions. Author summary Allopolyploid species have two or more sets of chromosomes that originate from hybridization of different species. It remains largely unknown how the two genomes evolve in the same organism and how strongly their evolutionary trajectory depends on the initial differences between the two parental species and the specific demographic history of the newly formed allopolyploid species. To address these questions, we analyzed the genomic and gene expression variation of the shepherd's purse, a recent allopolyploid species, in three regions of its natural range. After approximate to 100,000 generations of co-existence within the same species, the two subgenomes had still retained part of the initial difference between the two parental species in the number of deleterious mutations reflecting a history of mating system differences. This difference, as well as differences in patterns of positive selection and levels of gene expression, also strongly depended on the specific histories of the three regions considered. Most strikingly, and unexpectedly, the allopolyploid species showed signs of hybridization with different diploid relatives or multiple origins in different parts of its range. Regardless if it was hybridization or multiple origins, this profoundly altered the relationship between the two subgenomes in different regions. Hence, our study illustrates how both the genomic structure and ecological arena interact to determine the evolutionary trajectories of allopolyploid species.
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| 47. |
- Kryvokhyzha, Dmytro, et al.
(author)
-
Towards the new normal : Transcriptomic convergence and genomic legacy of the two subgenomes of an allopolyploid weed (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- 2019
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 15:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Allopolyploidy has played a major role in plant evolution but its impact on genome diversity and expression patterns remains to be understood. Some studies found important genomic and transcriptomic changes in allopolyploids, whereas others detected a strong parental legacy and more subtle changes. The allotetraploid C. bursa-pastoris originated around 100,000 years ago and one could expect the genetic polymorphism of the two subgenomes to follow similar trajectories and their transcriptomes to start functioning together. To test this hypothesis, we sequenced the genomes and the transcriptomes (three tissues) of allotetraploid C. bursa-pastoris and its parental species, the outcrossing C. grandiflora and the self-fertilizing C. orientalis. Comparison of the divergence in expression between subgenomes, on the one hand, and divergence in expression between the parental species, on the other hand, indicated a strong parental legacy with a majority of genes exhibiting a conserved pattern and cis-regulation. However, a large proportion of the genes that were differentially expressed between the two subgenomes, were also under trans-regulation reflecting the establishment of a new regulatory pattern. Parental dominance varied among tissues: expression in flowers was closer to that of C. orientalis and expression in root and leaf to that of C. grandiflora. Since deleterious mutations accumulated preferentially on the C. orientalis subgenome, the bias in expression towards C. orientalis observed in flowers indicates that expression changes could be adaptive and related to the selfing syndrome, while biases in the roots and leaves towards the C. grandiflora subgenome may be reflective of the differential genetic load.
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| 48. |
- Kumar, Anmol, et al.
(author)
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GDNF Overexpression from the Native Locus Reveals its Role in the Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic System Function
- 2015
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : PLoS. - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 11:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is the principal lesion in Parkinson's disease. Because glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes survival of dopamine neurons in vitro and in vivo, intracranial delivery of GDNF has been attempted for Parkinson's disease treatment but with variable success. For improving GDNF-based therapies, knowledge on physiological role of endogenous GDNF at the sites of its expression is important. However, due to limitations of existing genetic model systems, such knowledge is scarce. Here, we report that prevention of transcription of Gdnf 3'UTR in Gdnf endogenous locus yields GDNF hypermorphic mice with increased, but spatially unchanged GDNF expression, enabling analysis of postnatal GDNF function. We found that increased level of GDNF in the central nervous system increases the number of adult dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the number of dopaminergic terminals in the dorsal striatum. At the functional level, GDNF levels increased striatal tissue dopamine levels and augmented striatal dopamine release and re-uptake. In a proteasome inhibitor lactacystin-induced model of Parkinson's disease GDNF hypermorphic mice were protected from the reduction in striatal dopamine and failure of dopaminergic system function. Importantly, adverse phenotypic effects associated with spatially unregulated GDNF applications were not observed. Enhanced GDNF levels up-regulated striatal dopamine transporter activity by at least five fold resulting in enhanced susceptibility to 6-OHDA, a toxin transported into dopamine neurons by DAT. Further, we report how GDNF levels regulate kidney development and identify microRNAs miR-9, miR-96, miR-133, and miR-146a as negative regulators of GDNF expression via interaction with Gdnf 3'UTR in vitro. Our results reveal the role of GDNF in nigrostriatal dopamine system postnatal development and adult function, and highlight the importance of correct spatial expression of GDNF. Furthermore, our results suggest that 3'UTR targeting may constitute a useful tool in analyzing gene function.
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Lachowiec, Jennifer, et al.
(author)
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A Genome-Wide Association Analysis Reveals Epistatic Cancellation of Additive Genetic Variance for Root Length in Arabidopsis thaliana.
- 2015
-
In: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 11:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efforts to identify loci underlying complex traits generally assume that most genetic variance is additive. Here, we examined the genetics of Arabidopsis thaliana root length and found that the genomic narrow-sense heritability for this trait in the examined population was statistically zero. The low amount of additive genetic variance that could be captured by the genome-wide genotypes likely explains why no associations to root length could be found using standard additive-model-based genome-wide association (GWA) approaches. However, as the broad-sense heritability for root length was significantly larger, and primarily due to epistasis, we also performed an epistatic GWA analysis to map loci contributing to the epistatic genetic variance. Four interacting pairs of loci were revealed, involving seven chromosomal loci that passed a standard multiple-testing corrected significance threshold. The genotype-phenotype maps for these pairs revealed epistasis that cancelled out the additive genetic variance, explaining why these loci were not detected in the additive GWA analysis. Small population sizes, such as in our experiment, increase the risk of identifying false epistatic interactions due to testing for associations with very large numbers of multi-marker genotypes in few phenotyped individuals. Therefore, we estimated the false-positive risk using a new statistical approach that suggested half of the associated pairs to be true positive associations. Our experimental evaluation of candidate genes within the seven associated loci suggests that this estimate is conservative; we identified functional candidate genes that affected root development in four loci that were part of three of the pairs. The statistical epistatic analyses were thus indispensable for confirming known, and identifying new, candidate genes for root length in this population of wild-collected A. thaliana accessions. We also illustrate how epistatic cancellation of the additive genetic variance explains the insignificant narrow-sense and significant broad-sense heritability by using a combination of careful statistical epistatic analyses and functional genetic experiments.
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