Gender Interacts with Opioid Receptor Polymorphism A118G and Serotonin Receptor Polymorphism −1438 A/G on Speed-Dating Success

We examined an understudied but potentially important source of romantic attraction—genetics—using a speed-dating paradigm. The mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) polymorphism A118G (rs1799971) and the serotonin receptor (HTR2A) polymorphism ?1438 A/G (rs6311) were studied because they have been implicated in social affiliation. Guided by the social role theory of mate selection and prior genetic evidence, we examined these polymorphisms’ gender-specific associations with speed-dating success (i.e., date offers, mate desirability). A total of 262 single Asian Americans went on speed-dates with members of the opposite gender and completed interaction questionnaires about their partners. Consistent with our prediction, significant gender-by-genotype interactions were found for speed-dating success. Specifically, the minor variant of A118G (G-allele), which has been linked to submissiveness/social sensitivity, predicted greater speed-dating success for women, whereas the minor variant of ?1438 A/G (G-allele), which has been linked to leadership/social dominance, predicted greater speed-dating success for men. For both polymorphisms, reverse “dampening” effects of minor variants were found for opposite-gender counterparts. These results support previous research on the importance of the opioid and serotonergic systems in social affiliation, indicating that their influence extends to dating success, with opposite, yet gender-norm consistent, effects for men and women.     

Do more attractive women show stronger preferences for male facial masculinity?

Researchers have suggested that more attractive women will show stronger preferences for masculine men because such women are better placed to offset the potential costs of choosing a masculine mate. However, evidence for correlations between measures of women's own attractiveness and preferences for masculine men is mixed. Moreover, the samples used to test this hypothesis are typically relatively small. Consequently, we conducted two large-scale studies that investigated possible associations between women's preferences for facial masculinity and their own attractiveness as assessed from third-party ratings of their facial attractiveness (Study 1, N = 454, laboratory study) and self-rated attractiveness (Study 2, N = 8972, online study). Own attractiveness was positively correlated with preferences for masculine men in Study 2 (self-rated attractiveness), but not Study 1 (third-party ratings of facial attractiveness). This pattern of results is consistent with the proposal that women's beliefs about their own attractiveness, rather than their physical condition per se, underpins attractiveness-contingent masculinity preferences.     

Intelligence can be detected but is not found attractive in videos and live interactions

Self-reported mate preferences suggest intelligence is valued across cultures, consistent with the idea that human intelligence evolved as a sexually selected trait. The validity of self-reports has been questioned though, so it remains unclear whether objectively assessed intelligence is indeed attractive. In Study 1, 88 target men had their intelligence measured and based on short video clips were rated on intelligence, funniness, physical attractiveness and mate appeal by 179 women. In Study 2 (N = 763), participants took part in 2 to 5 speed-dating sessions in which their intelligence was measured and they rated each other's intelligence, funniness, and mate appeal. Measured intelligence did not predict increased mate appeal in either study, whereas perceived intelligence and funniness did. More intelligent people were perceived as more intelligent, but not as funnier. Results suggest that intelligence is not important for initial attraction, which raises doubts concerning the sexual selection theory of intelligence.     

Interaction of FTO and physical activity level on adiposity in African-American and European-American adults: the ARIC study

Physical inactivity accentuates the association of variants in the FTO locus with obesity‐related traits but evidence is largely lacking in non‐European populations. Here we tested the hypothesis that physical activity (PA) modifies the association of the FTO single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9939609 with adiposity traits in 2,656 African Americans (AA) (1,626 women and 1,030 men) and 9,867 European Americans (EA) (5,286 women and 4,581 men) aged 45–66 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Individuals in the lowest quintile of the sport activity index of the Baecke questionnaire were categorized as low PA. Baseline BMI, waist circumference (WC), and skinfold measures were dependent variables in regression models testing the additive effect of the SNP, low PA, and their interaction, adjusting for age, alcohol use, cigarette use, educational attainment, and percent European ancestry in AA adults, stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. rs9939609 was associated with adiposity in all groups other than AA women. The SNP × PA interaction was significant in AA men (P ≤ 0.002 for all traits) and EA men (P ≤ 0.04 for all traits). For each additional copy of the A (risk) allele, WC in AA men was higher in those with low PA (β_lowPA: 5.1 cm, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6–7.5) than high PA (β_highPA: 0.7 cm, 95% CI: ?0.4 to 1.9); P (interaction) = 0.002). The interaction effect was not observed in EA or AA women. FTO SNP × PA interactions on adiposity were observed for AA as well as EA men. Differences by sex require further examination.     

Visual, base-specific detection of nucleic acid hybridization using polymerization-based amplification

Polymerization-based signal amplification offers sensitive visualization of biotinylated biomolecules functionalized to glass microarrays in a manner suitable for point-of-care use. Here we report using this method for visual detection of multiplexed nucleic acid hybridizations from complex media and develop an application toward point mutation detection and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing. Primer extension reactions were employed to label selectively and universally all complementary surface DNA hybrids with photoinitiators, permitting simultaneous and dynamic photopolymerization from positive sites to 0.5-nM target concentrations. Dramatic improvements in signal ratios between complementary and mismatched hybrids enabled visual discrimination of single base differences in KRAS codon-12 biomarkers.     

Detailed analysis of variants in FTO in association with body composition in a cohort of 70-year-olds suggests a weakened effect among elderly

Background

The rs9939609 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fat mass and obesity (FTO) gene has previously been associated with higher BMI levels in children and young adults. In contrast, this association was not found in elderly men. BMI is a measure of overweight in relation to the individuals'' height, but offers no insight into the regional body fat composition or distribution.

Objective

To examine whether the FTO gene is associated with overweight and body composition-related phenotypes rather than BMI, we measured waist circumference, total fat mass, trunk fat mass, leg fat mass, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, and daily energy intake in 985 humans (493 women) at the age of 70 years. In total, 733 SNPs located in the FTO gene were genotyped in order to examine whether rs9939609 alone or the other SNPs, or their combinations, are linked to obesity-related measures in elderly humans.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) cohort.

Results

Neither a single SNP, such as rs9939609, nor a SNP combination was significantly linked to overweight, body composition-related measures, or daily energy intake in elderly humans. Of note, these observations hold both among men and women.

Conclusions

Due to the diversity of measurements included in the study, our findings strengthen the view that the effect of FTO on body composition appears to be less profound in later life compared to younger ages and that this is seemingly independent of gender.     

Bovine mu-calpain (CAPN1) gene: new SNP within intron 14

The calpain system originally comprised molecules: two Ca2+-dependent proteases, mu-calpain and m-calpain, and a third polypeptide, calpastatin, whose only known function is to inhibit the two calpains. This proteolytic system plays a key role in the tenderisation process that occurs during post-mortem storage of meat under refrigerated conditioning. Their polymorphism is examined from the point of view of their effect on corresponding production traits. The calpain genes are investigated as potential candidate genes for a quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting meat tenderness. In this study a new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found within intron 14 of the bovine CAPN1 gene, being transition C --> T at position 4685 nt (consensus sequence - GenBank No. AF 248054), as this mutation creates a new FokI restriction site detected with PCR-RFLP analysis. This sequence fragment of the SNP position has already been deposited in the GenBank database under accession No. AY639597. The RFLP-FokI polymorphism was studied in 141 bulls of seven breeds, including the native Polish Red (PR, preserved), and Polish Black-and White (BW) breed. The frequency of alleles T and C varied between the breeds considered, the mean reaching 0.38 and 0.62, respectively. Associations between CAPN1/FokI gene polymorphism and meat production traits were studied in BW (n = 84) young bulls. In the animals of the TT genotype the lean share in valuable cuts (%) was found more favourable than in CC animals.     

Spontaneous single nucleotide polymorphism in porcine microRNA-378 seed region leads to functional alteration

Sequence variation in a microRNA (miRNA) seed region can influence its biogenesis and effects on target mRNAs; however, in mammals, few seed region mutations leading to functional alterations have been reported to date. Here, we report the identification of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with functional consequence located in the seed region of porcine miR-378. In vitro analysis of this rs331295049 A17G SNP showed significantly up-regulated expression of the mature miR-378 (miR-378/G). In silico target prediction indicated that the SNP would modulate secondary structure and result in functional loss affecting >85% of the known target genes of the wild-type miR-378 (miR-378/A), and functional gain affecting >700 new target genes, and dual-luciferase reporter assay verified this result. This report of a SNP in the seed region of miR-378 leads to functional alteration and indicates the potential for substantive functional consequences to the molecular physiology of a mammalian organism.     

Plasmodium falciparum mitochondrial genetic diversity exhibits isolation-by-distance patterns supporting a sub-Saharan African origin

The geographical distribution of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the mitochondrial genome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum was investigated. We identified 88 SNPs in 516 isolates from seven parasite populations in Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania. Analysis of the SNPs postulated a sub-Saharan African origin and recovered a strong negative correlation between within-population SNP diversity and geographic distance from the putative African origin over Southeast Asia and Oceania. These results are consistent with those previously obtained for nuclear genome-encoded housekeeping genes, indicating that the pattern of inheritance does not substantially affect the geographical distribution of SNPs.     

Resources,attractiveness, family commitment; reproductive decisions in human mate choice

This study of reproductive decisions in human mate selection used data from "lonely hearts" advertisements to examine a series of predictions based on the mate preferences of male and females relating to age; physical appearance; financial condition and socioeconomic status; family commitment and personal traits; short- and long-term mating; and marital status and preexisting children. The sample consisted of 1000 personal advertisements (500 male) placed in two daily, national papers between February and October 1994 in Hungary. The research procedure included a pilot study of 150 advertisers (75 male) to refine the categories examined. Analysis was performed using 1) a matrix with one axis referring to offers and the other to demands of males and females separately; 2) a matrix of offers only to derive correlated traits of claims by males and females; and 3) a matrix with columns describing sex, offers, demands, advertiser's age, and required age and a row for each of the 1000 samples. It was found that men preferred younger mates, while women preferred older ones. Men were more likely to seek physical attractiveness, while women were more likely to seek financial resources (ranked 7th) and high status (ranked 6th). Women strongly preferred male domestic virtue and family commitment, and twice as many women as men demanded long-term relationships. Women more frequently declared preexisting children, and men exhibited a reluctance to accept these children. Both males and females employed "trade-off" strategies, making greater demands if they felt they had attractive offers.     

Glycosylase mediated polymorphism detection (GMPD)—a novel process for genetic analysis

A process for mutation and polymorphism detection is described here that offers significant advances over current mutation detection systems and that has the potential to significantly enhance molecular genetic analysis of human disease. This novel process is referred to as glycosylase mediated polymorphism detection (GMPD) and exploits the use of highly specific DNA glycosylase enzymes to excise substrate bases incorporated into amplified DNA. Action of the glycosylase leaves the DNA with one or more specific abasic sites which can be cleaved by enzymatic or chemical means. The GMPD process permits detection of polymorphisms and mutations using fragment size analysis or solid phase formats. GMPD is particularly suitable for genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based markers and also permits efficient scanning of genes for unknown polymorphisms and mutations.     

Imprints of Natural Selection Along Environmental Gradients in Phenology-Related Genes of Quercus petraea

We explored single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation in candidate genes for bud burst from Quercus petraea populations sampled along gradients of latitude and altitude in Western Europe. SNP diversity was monitored for 106 candidate genes, in 758 individuals from 32 natural populations. We investigated whether SNP variation reflected the clinal pattern of bud burst observed in common garden experiments. We used different methods to detect imprints of natural selection (F_ST outlier, clinal variation at allelic frequencies, association tests) and compared the results obtained for the two gradients. F_ST outlier SNPs were found in 15 genes, 5 of which were common to both gradients. The type of selection differed between the two gradients (directional or balancing) for 3 of these 5. Clinal variations were observed for six SNPs, and one cline was conserved across both gradients. Association tests between the phenotypic or breeding values of trees and SNP genotypes identified 14 significant associations, involving 12 genes. The results of outlier detection on the basis of population differentiation or clinal variation were not very consistent with the results of association tests. The discrepancies between these approaches may reflect the different hierarchical levels of selection considered (inter- and intrapopulation selection). Finally, we obtained evidence for convergent selection (similar for gradients) and clinal variation for a few genes, suggesting that comparisons between parallel gradients could be used to screen for major candidate genes responding to natural selection in trees.     

Mate choice differences according to sex and age

We used 7,415 advertisements published in Spain to analyze traits sought/offered by men and women from different age groups. Findings regarding age, socioeconomic status, and physical attractiveness requirements support evolutionary predictions about mate preferences. However, changes in trait preferences among women under 40 appear to be contingent on Spain’s socioeconomic transformation. Women under 40 seek mainly physical attractiveness in men, whereas those over 40 seek mainly socioeconomic status. The trait most sought by men in all age groups is physical attractiveness. Traits sought and offered by advertisers may be conditioned by the personal situation of the advertiser. Mean age of advertisers (around their forties) and Spain’s social indicators suggest that the majority of advertisers have been unsuccessful in the mating arena at the conventional age.     

Association of the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene with body height in adult males from two Swedish population cohorts

Human body height is a complex genetic trait with high heritability. We performed an association study of 17 candidate genes for height in the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM) that consists of 1153 elderly men of age 70 born in the central region of Sweden. First we genotyped a panel of 137 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) evenly distributed across the candidate genes in the ULSAM cohort. We identified 4 SNPs in the estrogen receptor gene (ESR1) on chromosome 6q25.1 with suggestive signals of association (p<0.05) with standing body height. This result was followed up by genotyping the same 25 SNPs in the ESR1 gene as in ULSAM in a second population cohort, the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) cohort that consist of 507 males and 509 females of age 70 from the same geographical region as ULSAM. One SNP, rs2179922 located in intron 4 of ESR1 showed and association signal (p = 0.0056) in the male samples from the PIVUS cohort. Homozygote carriers of the G-allele of the SNP rs2179922 were on average 0.90 cm taller than individuals with the two other genotypes at this SNP in the ULSAM cohort and 2.3 cm taller in the PIVUS cohort. No association was observed for the females in the PIVUS cohort.     

奶牛TLR4基因的多态性与乳房炎的相关性研究

TLR4通过识别病原体而激活免疫细胞,在先天免疫和适应性免疫防御中起着重要作用。以中国荷斯坦奶牛、三河牛和中国西门塔尔牛为研究对象,以TLR4为乳房炎抗性的候选基因,分别扩增316bp和382bp2个片段,分别采用SSCP和RFLP-AluⅠ方法来检测TLR4基因的多态性。结合测序发现:在intron1的第4,525bp处的A→G的突变,和exon3的第1,397bp处的T→C突变,使得产生多态。2个位点的A、B等位基因在3个群体中都有分布,且处于中度多态。χ2适合性检验表明,3个群体在这2个位点的突变达到Hardy-Weinberg平衡状态(P>0.05)。运用SAS8.0软件采用最小二乘法拟合线性模型,将基因座不同基因型与奶牛乳房炎进行了关联分析,结果表明:T4CRBR1的AA基因型为乳房炎抗性基因型(P<0.05),A等位基因为乳房炎抗性的有利基因,T4CRBR2的各基因型个体间的体细胞评分差异不显著(P>0.05)。