The XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and breast cancer risk: a case-control study in a Thai population

The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 gene (XRCC3) belongs to a family of genes responsible for repairing DNA double-strand breaks caused by normal metabolic processes and exposure to ionizing radiation. Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may alter an individual's capacity to repair damaged DNA and may lead to genetic instability and contribute to malignant transformation. We examined the role of a polymorphism in the XRCC3 gene (rs861529; codon 241: threonine to methionine change) in determining breast cancer risk in Thai women. The study population consisted of 507 breast cancer cases and 425 healthy women. The polymorphism was analysed by fluorescence-based melting curve analysis. The XRCC3 241Met allele was found to be uncommon in the Thai population (frequency 0.07 among cases and 0.05 among controls). Odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age, body mass index, age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, menopausal status, reproduction parameters, use of contraceptives, tobacco smoking, involuntary tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and education were calculated for the entire population as well as for pre- and postmenopausal women. There was a significant association between 241Met carrier status and breast cancer risk (OR 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.44). Among postmenopausal women, a slightly higher OR (1.82, 95% CI 0.95-3.51) was found than among premenopausal women (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.82-2.69). Our findings suggest that the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism is likely to play a modifying role in the individual susceptibility to breast cancer among Thai women as already shown for women of European ancestry.     

The Pleistocene subterranean volesTerricola (Rodentia) of Serbia and Montenegro

A general morphometrical analysis of the M₁ was conducted to identify the subterranean vole species found in Upper Pleistocene localities from Serbia and Montenegro, and to clarify the systematic position and the phylogenetic relationships between the different species in the Balkans. From the different localities studied, we can assign one population toMicrotus (Terricola) thomasi and the others to theM. (T.) subterraneus group. This study suggests thatM. (T.) grafi can be considered as a chronological sub-species ofM. (T.) subterraneus or as a different but phylogenetically very close species.     

Extensive polymorphism of the BOLA-DRB3 gene distinguished by PCR-RFLP

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method is described for typing of alleles of the bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3 gene. A total of 30 DRB3 alleles were distinguished by digestion of PCR amplification products of BoLA-DRB3 exon 2 with RsaI, BstYI and HaeIII (PCR-RFLP). All restriction fragment patterns, with the exception of one HaeIII pattern, were consistent with restriction sites that were found among 14 previously sequenced DRB3 alleles. The PCR-RFLP typing method was evaluated on 168 genomic DNA samples collected from animals of 10 cattle breeds, 48 of which were typed in the Fourth International BoLA Workshop for BoLA-DRB and -DQ by conventional restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using heterologous and homologous DNA probes. Thirty-one DRB/DQ haplotypes containing 23 DRB3 alleles were identified among the 48 workshop animals analysed. Using PCR-RFLP, 11 DRB3 alleles were identified in 18 workshop animals for which DRB RFLPs were not informative. PCR-RFLP typing of additional animals revealed five new DRB3 alleles, of which three contained a putatively located three basepair deletion in the identical position as found for the sequenced allele DRB*2A. PCR-RFLP was shown to be a rapid and sensitive method for the detection of polymorphism in a functionally relevant domain of the BoLA-DRB3 gene and should be useful for studying the evolution of DRB polymorphism in cattle and other Bovidae.     

广西一脊髓小脑共济失调3型家系SCA3/MJD基因突变和多态性的分析

常染色体显性脊髓小脑型共济失调(Autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias, ADCAs)是一种神经系统退行性疾病, 具有高度的遗传异质性, 其中脊髓小脑型共济失调3型(Spinocerebellar ataxias type 3, SCA3)是一种常见的类型。文章通过PCR扩增广西一个脊髓小脑共济失调家系SCA3/MJD基因片段, 用毛细管电泳和测序方法检测了SCA3/MJD基因的CAG重复序列大小、传递特点以及SCA3/MJD基因的变异。结果显示：家系的所有4名患者和3名无症状携带者(Asymptomatic carrier)的SCA3/MJD基因第10外显子中存在异常扩增的CAG重复序列, 重复次数为64~71次; CAG重复次数在具有cgg等位基因的正常个体间传递时保持不变, 提示cgg等位基因不是正常个体两代间CAG重复序列稳定性的影响因素。SCA3/MJD基因中另有两个单碱基点突变, 一个是内含子区的杂合性突变(IVS9-113 T>C), 另一个是外显子区域的错义突变(220 G>A, 220 Glu>Gly)。这两个点突变为首次报道, 但尚不能明确这两个新的点突变对SCA3表型的影响。     

Distribution of the Val108/158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene in healthy Mexican population

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inactivates the catecholamines adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. On the other hand, some studies have reported that the enzymatic activity of COMT is partly genetically determined. With regard to the COMT gene, the most studied polymorphism is the functional variant Val108/158Met (rs4680), which results in substantial three- to four-fold variations in enzyme activity. To date, the rs4680 polymorphism of COMT has been associated with a number of disorders. In addition, this polymorphism has been found to have important differences in frequency according to the studied population. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of a common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Val108/158Met of the COMT gene in the Mexican population. Accordingly, we recruited 431 healthy volunteers. Our sample consisted of 111 healthy individuals from Mexico City and 320 individuals from the state of Tabasco, Mexico. We observed that Met was the most common allele, ranging from 57% (Tabasco) to 85% (Mexico City). In addition, we analyzed the frequency of Val108/158Met polymorphism of Caucasian (54% Met allele), Asian (29% Met allele) and African (34% Met allele) populations separately and also in comparison with Mexican (63% Met allele) population. In conclusion, the distribution of the Val108/158Met polymorphism distinguishes the Mexican population studied from other populations, but it is necessary to increase the size of the sample to get more conclusive results.     

Bryophyte Red List of Serbia and Montenegro

The bryophyte Red List of Serbia and Montenegro comprises 254 species (212 mosses and 42 liverworts). Serbia and Montenegro have 39.50% of threatened bryoflora. One moss species is considered as extinct (Encalypta serbica Katic). In the threatened categories there are 20 critically endangered (CR), 35 endangered (EN) and 100 vulnerable (VU) bryophyte species. Seventy-two species are considered to be of low risk, and 36 are too data deficient to place them in any category, but potentially with further investigation will enter one of the threat categories in the Red List.     

Analysis of polymorphism of 18S rRNA gene in Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae

The polymorphism of the 18S rRNA gene in Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae (mf) collected from three different zones in India was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The RFLPs of the amplified products obtained after digestion with restriction enzymes Ssp I, Msp I and Hha I showed no difference in the banding patterns among the mf isolates from different endemic zones. Further the sequencing of PCR products did not show any difference in the nucleotide sequence either. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of W. bancrofti mf isolates from different endemic zones has shown branching with the earlier reported sequences of W. bancrofti and its close relative Brugia malayi.     

cDNA cloning, genomic structure and polymorphism of the porcine FHL3 gene

LIM domain proteins are important regulators of the growth, determination and differentiation of cells. Four-and-a-half LIM-only protein 3 (FHL3) is a type of LIM-only protein that contains four tandemly repeated LIM motifs with an N-terminal single zinc finger (half LIM motif). In this study, we have determined the complete coding sequence of pig FHL3 which encodes a 280 amino acid protein. The coding region of the pig FHL3 gene is organized in five exons and spans an approximately 2.1-kb genomic region. Comparative sequencing of six pig breeds revealed three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within exon 2 of which an A-->G substitution at position 313 changes a codon for arginine into a codon for glycine. The substitution was situated within a PstI recognition site and developed as a PCR-RFLP marker for further use in population variation investigations and association analysis. The A/G polymorphism was segregating only in Landrace pigs. Association studies of the FHL3 polymorphism with carcass traits provided preliminary evidence that the PstI PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotype may be associated with variation in several carcass traits of interest for pig breeding. Further investigations in more Landrace pigs are needed to confirm this.     

STAT3基因多态性与女性人乳头瘤病毒感染及宫颈病变的关系

目的探究女性人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)感染及转录活化因子3(STAT3)单核苷酸基因多态性(SNPs)的改变。方法2016年9月至2019年9月经病理组织学确定的健康子宫者60例(NC组)、低度鳞状上皮内病变(LSIL)50例(LSIL组)、高度鳞状上皮内病变(HSIL)55例(HSIL组)和宫颈鳞状细胞癌(CSCC)57例(CSCC组),PCR测定HPV感染情况,同时采用PCR 限制片段长度多态性(RFLP)测定各组STAT3基因C1697G多态性。结果HSIL组、LSIL组及CSCC组高危HPV与NC组比较阳性率显著升高,CSCC组(98.24%)显著高于HSIL组(72.73%)和LSIL组(5.8%),HSIL组显著高于LSIL组,结果均具有统计学差异(P<0.05)。LSIL组、HSIL组及CSCC组中与NC组比较显著升高的基因比例为C/C型,CSCC组C/C型基因比例为70.18%,HSIL组(58.18%)C/C型基因比例显著高于LSIL组(0.18%)(P<0.05)。与HPV阴性比较,C/C型基因比例在HPV阳性中显著升高(P<0.05)。通过调整年龄因素,C/G基因型HPV感染风险上升到3.120(95％CI:0.847～4.995),发生宫颈癌的风险上升到3.876(95％CI为0.935～5.336);C/C型基因HPV感染风险上升到3.574(95％CI为0.893～4.912),发生宫颈癌的风险上升到5.137(95％CI为0.967～5.776)。结论STAT3基因C1697G多态性与HPV易感性及宫颈病变的发生发展有密切关系。     

Q192R polymorphism in the PON1 gene and nasal polyp in a Turkish population

The pathogenesis of nasal polyps is not completely understood. Oxidative damage contributes to polyp formation in the nasal mucosa. The paraoxonase 1 (PON1) enzyme is an important liver enzyme with high antioxidant activity. In this study, we investigated the correlation between Q192R genotypic polymorphism of the PON1 enzyme and nasal‐polyp disease. The study examined 62 nasal‐polyp patients and 88 controls. PON1 Q192R polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. The genotype distribution of the PON1 gene was significantly different between nasal‐polyp patients (QQ = 69.35%, QR = 25.81%, RR = 4.83%) and healthy controls (QQ = 52.27%, QR = 44.31%, RR = 3.40%). Our results suggest that the PON1 QQ genotype (odds ratio [OR] = 2.066, P = .036) is associated with a higher risk of developing the nasal‐polyp disease while QR genotype (OR = 0.437, P = .021) showed a lower risk.     

Association of Per3 length polymorphism with susceptibility of Alzheimer disease (AD) in Chinese population

Objectives: The association of Per3 length polymorphism with susceptibility of Alzheimer Disease (AD) was examined in the present study. Methods: This study was constructed using the case-control method and investigated the association of Per3 length polymorphism with susceptibility of AD. Genotypes of APOE and Per3 length were determined by a PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism detection method. Results: In this study, we gathered 130 unrelated AD patients and 188 controls in performing an analysis the association of Per3 length polymorphism with susceptibility of AD. In the whole sample or APOE ε4 non-carriers, an increased prevalence of five repeat homozygotes of Per3 length in AD patients had significant higher than that in controls (in the whole sample: χ² = 7.261,= 0.0176; in APOE ε4 non-carriers: χ² = 6.086, p = 0.030). And, among APOE ε4 carriers, an increased prevalence of five repeat homozygotes of Per3 length in AD patients had also significant higher than that in controls (χ² = 3.893, p = 0.0319). Conclusions: Among APOE ε4 non-carriers, five repeat homozygotes of Per3 length was associated with a high susceptibility of AD among APOE ε4 carriers and non-carriers.     

Prolein polymorphism in a randombred chicken population

Polymorphism in plasma amylase, plasma alkaline phosphatase, non-specific esterase and red cell esterase-D of the Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB) population of chickens was determined by polyacrylamide and starch gel electrophoresis. Amylase alleles Amy-1^A and Amy-1^B were segregating in the ACRB population with frequencies of 0.45 and 0.55 respectively. For the plasma alkaline phosphatase the F and S bands, the B band and a new isozyme migrating at a faster rate than the previously reported F band were detected. A genetic nomenclature for plasma alkaline phosphatase is suggested which considers the difference between the F and S bands as the presence or absence of sialic acid attached to a primary protein.
Plasma esterase activity was observed in all four of the regions previously reported, but there was no polymorphism found in any of the loci. All birds in this population showed the same red-cell esterase-D phenotype which consisted of a main band with sub-bands on each side.     

重庆市汉族健康人群白细胞介素-1基因多态性的研究

为了了解白细胞介素-I基因在中国重庆市汉族健康人群中的分布及其与不同种族比较的特点,采用了聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态（PCR—RFLP）的方法,对140名重庆市汉族健康者的IL-1B-511基因多态性和IL-1RN第2内含子可变数目串联重复序列多态性进行检测,并结合相关文献进行了不同种族间的分析比较。结果表明重庆市汉族健康人群中1L-1B-511的各基因型频率为C/T型0．58、形,型0．50、C/C型0,32,与西班牙白种人相比,重庆地区汉族人IL-1B,B-511等位基因频率存在明显差异（P〈0．05）。1L-1RN的各基因型频率为1／1型0．93、1／2型0．05、1／4型0．01、4／4型0．01,与西班牙白种人及南非黑种人相比,重庆地区汉族人,IL-IRN等位基因频率存在明显差异（P〈0．05）。由此可以得出重庆地区汉族人群IL-1B-511位点存在C／T多态性和IL-1RN基因的第2号内含子存在可变数目串联重复序列多态性．其在不同种族间的分布存在着差异．     

Association of potentially functional variants in the XPG gene with neuroblastoma risk in a Chinese population

XPG gene plays a critical role in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. However, the association between XPG gene polymorphisms and neuroblastoma risk has not been investigated. In this study with 256 neuroblastoma cases and 531 cancer‐free controls, we investigated the effects of five potentially functional polymorphisms ( rs2094258 C>T, rs751402 C>T, rs2296147 T>C, rs1047768 T>C and rs873601G>A) on neuroblastoma risk. We calculated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate the association between the five selected polymorphisms and neuroblastoma risk. False‐positive report probability (FPRP) was utilized to determine whether significant findings were noteworthy or because of a chance. We also performed genotype–phenotype association analysis to explore the biological plausibility of our findings. We found that the rs2094258 T allele was significantly associated with decreased neuroblastoma risk (CT versus CC: adjusted OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.47–0.90, P = 0.010; and CT/TT versus CC: adjusted OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.53–0.97, P = 0.030) after adjusting for age and gender. The association was more prominent for subjects with retroperitoneal tumour or early‐stage tumour. We also found that carriers of the 2–3 risk genotypes had a significantly increased neuroblastoma risk when compared to carriers of the 0–1 risk genotypes. The association with risk genotypes was more predominant in older children, females and subjects with retroperitoneal tumour or early stage. Our results were further supported by FPRP analysis and genotype–phenotype association analysis. In conclusion, our study verified that the XPG gene rs2094258 C>T polymorphism may contribute to neuroblastoma susceptibility. Our findings require further validation by studies with larger sample size and concerning different ethnicities.     

双生子多巴胺D3受体基因多态性对儿童体成分的影响

均衡的体成分构成对维持机体的健康状态具有重要作用,体成分受遗传与环境因素的共同影响。多巴胺参与摄食、运动及认知等活动的调节,多巴胺D3受体（DRD3）对多巴胺神经通路起关键调节作用,进而对摄食功能发挥作用,从而可能对体成分产生影响。为了解遗传与环境因素对双生子儿童体成分的影响,并探讨DRD3基因单核苷酸多态性（SNP）与体成分的相关性,对160对4-12岁双生子肱三头肌皮褶厚度（d₁）、肩胛下皮褶厚度（d₂）、髂前上棘位皮褶厚度（d₃）和体质量（m）进行了测量,计算d₄(d₁+d₂)、d₅(d₂/d₁),体脂率（P_f）、瘦体质量（m_l）;从口腔拭子中提取全基因组DNA;通过Amp FISTR Sino filerPlus试剂盒分析确定卵型;采用SNaPshot技术对DRD3基因4个SNP位点进行检测;使用Mx软件估算各指标遗传度;运用广义估计方程模型分析各指标与DRD3基因SNP的相关性。校正年龄效应后,除个别指标（d₃, m_l）外,男女生指标遗传度（h）学龄前期总体偏低,且某些指标（d₂, d₄, P_f, m_l）的遗传度存在一定的性别差异。d₂分别与rs324029、rs226082存在相关（P<0.05）; d₃分别与rs2134655、rs226082存在相关（P<0.05）;d₅分别与rs2134655、rs167771存在相关（P<0.05）;P_f分别与rs226082、rs167771存在相关（P<0.05）;m_l分别与rs2134655、rs226082、rs167771存在相关（P<0.05）。本研究结果表明,遗传和环境因素对儿童体成分发育均有影响,但遗传效应可能存在一定的发育阶段和性别差异;DRD3基因SNPs与儿童的体成分可能存在一定的相关性。     

3个山羊群体中4个微卫星DNA多态性及其与杂种优势的关系

利用4个微卫星标记（OarFCB11,OarAE101,McM218,McM38）对波尔山羊、太行山羊和河北奶山羊的等位基因频率、群体多态信息含量、有效等位基因数、杂合度和遗传距离进行了遗传检测,并测定了波尔山羊与河北奶山羊及太行山羊的杂交效果。结果表明：4个微卫星标记在波尔山羊、太行山羊和河北奶山羊3个品种中存在多态性,可以用于山羊遗传多样性的评估;从不同品种来看,太行山羊的遗传变异程度最大,而波尔山羊的遗传变异程度相对较小;波尔山羊与河北奶山羊的遗传距离大于与太行山羊,波尔山羊与河北奶山羊的杂种优势高于与太行山羊,与实际杂种优势测定结果相符。 Abstract: Gene frequency, polymorphism information contents, number of effective alleles, heterozygosity and genetic distances were studied in Boer goat, Taihang goat and Hebei dairy goat using four microsatellite markers（OarFCB11,OarAE101,McM218,McM38）. The crossing effects on Hebei dairy goat and Taihang goat with Boer goat were tested. The results indicated that there are genetic polymorphisms at four microsatellite markers in three goat breeds. Four microsatellite markers can be used for genetic diversity evaluation in goat breeds. The genetic variability of Taihang goat is the highest, and Boer goat is the lowest in three goat breeds. Genetic distances between Boer goat and Hebei dairy goat is bigger than that between Boer goat and Taihang goat. The heterosis between Boer goat and Hebei dairy goat is higher than that between Boer goat and Taihang goat. It accords with testing results on actual heterosis.