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- van der Harst, Pim, et al.
(författare)
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Seventy-five genetic loci influencing the human red blood cell
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 492:7429, s. 369-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anaemia is a chief determinant of global ill health, contributing to cognitive impairment, growth retardation and impaired physical capacity. To understand further the genetic factors influencing red blood cells, we carried out a genome-wide association study of haemoglobin concentration and related parameters in up to 135,367 individuals. Here we identify 75 independent genetic loci associated with one or more red blood cell phenotypes at P < 10(-8), which together explain 4-9% of the phenotypic variance per trait. Using expression quantitative trait loci and bioinformatic strategies, we identify 121 candidate genes enriched in functions relevant to red blood cell biology. The candidate genes are expressed preferentially in red blood cell precursors, and 43 have haematopoietic phenotypes in Mus musculus or Drosophila melanogaster. Through open-chromatin and coding-variant analyses we identify potential causal genetic variants at 41 loci. Our findings provide extensive new insights into genetic mechanisms and biological pathways controlling red blood cell formation and function.
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| 2. |
- Kornfeld, Jan-Wilhelm, et al.
(författare)
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Variants in STAT5B Associate with Serum TC and LDL-C Levels
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 96:9, s. E1496-E1501
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Known genetic variants influencing serum lipid levels do not adequately account for the observed population variability of these phenotypes. The GH/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved system that exerts strong effects on metabolism, including that of lipids. Research Design and Methods: We analyzed the association of 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) spanning the STAT5B/STAT5A/STAT3 locus with serum lipid levels in six European populations (n = 5162 nondiabetic individuals). Results: After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol use, smoking, and body mass index, we identified STAT5B variants(rs8082391 and rs8064638) in novel association with total cholesterol (TC; P = 0.001 and P = 0.002) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004) levels. The minor alleles of these single-nucleotide polymorphisms were significantly enriched in hyperlipidemic individuals across the six discovery populations (P = 0.004 and P = 0.006). In transgenic mice deficient for hepatic STAT5A and STAT5B, reduced serum TC levels coincided with reduced hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis as demonstrated using gene expression profiling and pathway enrichment analysis. Conclusions: Genetic variants in STAT5B are associated with TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among six populations. Mechanistically, STAT5B transcriptionally regulates hepatic cholesterol homeostasis.
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| 3. |
- Neely, G Gregory, et al.
(författare)
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A Genome-wide Drosophila Screen for Heat Nociception Identifies alpha 2 delta 3 as an Evolutionarily Conserved Pain Gene
- 2010
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Ingår i: Cell. - : Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.. - 0092-8674 .- 1097-4172. ; 143:4, s. 628-638
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Worldwide, acute, and chronic pain affects 20% of the adult population and represents an enormous financial and emotional burden. Using genome-wide neuronal-specific RNAi knockdown in Drosophila, we report a global screen for an innate behavior and identify hundreds of genes implicated in heat nociception, including the alpha 2 delta family calcium channel subunit straightjacket (stj). Mice mutant for the stj ortholog CACNA2D3 (alpha 2 delta 3) also exhibit impaired behavioral heat pain sensitivity. In addition, in humans, alpha 2 delta 3 SNP variants associate with reduced sensitivity to acute noxious heat and chronic back pain. Functional imaging in alpha 2 delta 3 mutant mice revealed impaired transmission of thermal pain-evoked signals from the thalamus to higher-order pain centers. Intriguingly, in alpha 2 delta 3 mutant mice, thermal pain and tactile stimulation triggered strong cross-activation, or synesthesia, of brain regions involved in vision, olfaction, and hearing.
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