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- Cook, Naomi L., et al.
(författare)
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CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of SPRY2 in human hepatocytes leads to increased glucose uptake and lipid droplet accumulation
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Endocrine Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1472-6823. ; 19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is dramatically increasing throughout the world; however, the underlying aetiology is incompletely understood. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of genec susceptibility loci for obesity and T2DM, although the causal genes and mechanisms are largely unknown. SPRY2 is a candidate gene identified in GWAS of body fat percentage and T2DM, and has recently been linked to insulin production in pancreatic β-cells. In the present study, we aimed to further understand SPRY2 via functional characterisation in HepG2 cells, an in vitro model of human hepatocytes widely used to investigate T2DM and insulin resistance.MethodsCRISPR-Cas9 genome editing was used to target SPRY2 in HepG2 cells, and the functional consequences of SPRY2 knockout (KO) and overexpression subsequently assessed using glucose uptake and lipid droplet assays, measurement of protein kinase phosphorylation and RNA sequencing.ResultsThe major functional consequence of SPRY2 KO was a significant increase in glucose uptake, along with elevated lipid droplet accumulation. These changes were attenuated, but not reversed, in cells overexpressing SPRY2. Phosphorylation of protein kinases across key signalling pathways (including Akt and mitogen activated protein kinases) was not altered after SPRY2 KO. Transcriptome profiling in SPRY2 KO and mock (control) cells revealed a number of differentially expressed genes related to cholesterol biosynthesis, cell cycle regulation and cellular signalling pathways. Phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) mRNA level was subsequently validated as significantly upregulated following SPRY2 KO, highlighting this as a potential mediator downstream of SPRY2.ConclusionThese findings suggest a role for SPRY2 in glucose and lipid metabolism in hepatocytes and contribute to clarifying the function of this gene in the context of metabolic diseases.
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| 2. |
- Rao, Abhiram S, et al.
(författare)
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Large-Scale Phenome-Wide Association Study of PCSK9 Variants Demonstrates Protection Against Ischemic Stroke.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 2574-8300. ; 11:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: PCSK9 inhibition is a potent new therapy for hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease. Although short-term clinical trial results have not demonstrated major adverse effects, long-term data will not be available for some time. Genetic studies in large biobanks offer a unique opportunity to predict drug effects and provide context for the evaluation of future clinical trial outcomes.METHODS: We tested the association of the PCSK9 missense variant rs11591147 with predefined phenotypes and phenome-wide, in 337 536 individuals of British ancestry in the UK Biobank, with independent discovery and replication. Using a Bayesian statistical method, we leveraged phenotype correlations to evaluate the phenome-wide impact of PCSK9 inhibition with higher power at a finer resolution.RESULTS: The T allele of rs11591147 showed a protective effect on hyperlipidemia (odds ratio, 0.63±0.04; P=2.32×10-38), coronary heart disease (odds ratio, 0.73±0.09; P=1.05×10-6), and ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 0.61±0.18; P=2.40×10-3) and was associated with increased type 2 diabetes mellitus risk adjusted for lipid-lowering medication status (odds ratio, 1.24±0.10; P=1.98×10-7). We did not observe associations with cataracts, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cognitive dysfunction. Leveraging phenotype correlations, we observed evidence of a protective association with cerebral infarction and vascular occlusion. These results explore the effects of direct PCSK9 inhibition; off-target effects cannot be predicted using this approach.CONCLUSIONS: This result represents the first genetic evidence in a large cohort for the protective effect of PCSK9 inhibition on ischemic stroke and corroborates exploratory evidence from clinical trials. PCSK9 inhibition was not associated with variables other than those related to LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, suggesting that other effects are either small or absent.
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| 3. |
- Tängdén, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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A genome-wide association study in a large community-based cohort identifies multiple loci associated with susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is limited data on host-specific genetic determinants of susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections. Genome-wide association studies using large population cohorts can be a first step towards identifying patients prone to infectious diseases and targets for new therapies. Genetic variants associated with clinically relevant entities of bacterial and viral infections (e.g., abdominal infections, respiratory infections, and sepsis) in 337,484 participants of the UK Biobank cohort were explored by genome-wide association analyses. Cases (n = 81,179) were identified based on ICD-10 diagnosis codes of hospital inpatient and death registries. Functional annotation was performed using gene expression (eQTL) data. Fifty-seven unique genome-wide significant loci were found, many of which are novel in the context of infectious diseases. Some of the detected genetic variants were previously reported associated with infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and malignant diseases or key components of the immune system (e.g., white blood cells, cytokines). Fine mapping of the HLA region revealed significant associations with HLA-DQA1, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DRB4 locus alleles. PPP1R14A showed strong colocalization with abdominal infections and gene expression in sigmoid and transverse colon, suggesting causality. Shared significant loci across infections and non-infectious phenotypes in the UK Biobank cohort were found, suggesting associations for example between SNPs identified for abdominal infections and CRP, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. We report multiple loci associated with bacterial and viral infections. A better understanding of the genetic determinants of bacterial and viral infections can be useful to identify patients at risk and in the development of new drugs.
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