基于核心家系的EGR3基因与精神分裂症的关联研究

研究表明位于染色体8p21.3区域的EGR3(Early growth response 3)是精神分裂症(Schizophrenia)的重要易感基因, 然而, 仍有两个病例-对照研究未能验证上述发现。为了研究EGR3基因在我国患者中是否与疾病关联, 文章在中国汉族的核心家系中选择EGR3基因座位上的5个SNPs位点(rs1996147、rs1877670、rs3750192、rs35201266和rs7009708)进行基因分型和传递不平衡检验(Transmission disequilibrium test, TDT)。结果表明遗传标记rs1996147和rs3750192分别显示出显著的传递不平衡(c²>4.40, P<0.05)。在连锁不平衡分析中, 由2个(rs3750192和rs35201266)、3个(rs1877670、rs3750192和rs7009708)以及4个(rs1996147、rs1877670、rs3750192和rs7009708)SNPs位点构建的单倍型均显示与精神分裂症显著性关联(c²>7.10, 整体P<0.05)。总之, EGR3基因与中国汉族人群精神分裂症遗传易感性相关, 后续关于EGR3基因进一步的功能研究将会更好的帮助我们了解该基因在疾病病理学机制中的作用。     

在亚洲和欧洲人群中对一个AC二核苷酸重复的多态性位点与精神分裂症的关联研究

连锁研究表明, 染色体15q13~q14区域可能是精神分裂症的易感区域。在此项研究中, 使用来自中国和苏格兰的3套独立的样本, 对位于D15S118的AC二核苷酸重复的多态性位点与精神分裂症进行了关联分析。在苏格兰病例－对照样本中, 该多态性位点的等位基因在患者和正常人中的分布存在显著性差异(P = 0.04), 但是这一结果在中国的病例-对照组中没有得到重复。在中国三口之家的样本中, 我们没有观察到有等位基因从正常的父母向患病子女的传递不平衡。总之, 至少在中国人中,此结果不支持这个AC二核苷酸重复的多态性位点在精神分裂症的易感性中扮演重要的角色。后续的研究有必要进一步阐明在欧洲人中该多态性位点在精神分裂症的易感性中扮演的角色。     

黔北人群TGFα基因多态性与非综合征性唇腭裂的相关性研究

本研究旨在探讨黔北地区人群TGFα基因3个SNP位点的多态性及其与非综合征性唇腭裂的相关性。采用PCR和测序方法对86个对照儿童(其中核心家系41例)和116个NSCL/P儿童(其中核心家系52例)的TGFα基因rs11466297、rs473698和rs115055578 3个SNP位点进行扩增和测序;对样本群体进行Hardy-weinberg平衡检测,对2组人群进行基因型频率、等位基因频率比较及OR分析;对病例组核心家系进行HHRR和TDT检验。对照组与病例组人群rs11466297基因型均为AA野生型,rs473698位点包含GG型、GC型和CC型,rs115055578位点基因型均为GG野生型。对于rs473698位点,对照组和病例组均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡法则(p>0.05),2组人群的基因型和等位基因频率分布差异均无统计学意义(p<0.05);rs473698位点未发现传递不平衡现象(p>0.05)。黔北地区人群TGFα基因rs11466297和rs115055578位点以野生纯合型为主,rs473698位点具有多态性,但其多态性与黔北地区人群区非综合征性唇腭裂的发生可能没有相关性。     

关联分析及其在植物遗传学研究中的应用

植物的很多重要经济性状均属于复杂性状。基于连锁分析的QTL作图是研究复杂性状的有效手段, 但其尚存在一定的局限性。随着现代生物学的发展, 一种基于连锁不平衡的新剖分复杂性状方法--关联分析法, 开始应用于植物遗传学研究。与QTL作图法相比, 应用关联分析法具有不需要构建特殊的群体, 可同时对多个等位基因进行分析, 定位QTL精度可达到单基因水平等优势。该文介绍了关联分析方法学的基础和特性, 简述了其在植物遗传学研究中的进展情况, 并对其未来发展和在植物遗传学研究中的应用进行了展望。     

关联分析及其在植物遗传学研究中的应用

植物的很多重要经济性状均属于复杂性状。基于连锁分析的QTL作图是研究复杂性状的有效手段,但其尚存在一定的局限性。随着现代生物学的发展,一种基于连锁不平衡的新剖分复杂性状方法——关联分析法,开始应用于植物遗传学研究。与QTL作图法相比,应用关联分析法具有不需要构建特殊的群体,可同时对多个等位基因进行分析,定位QTL精度可达到单基因水平等优势。该文介绍了关联分析方法学的基础和特性,简述了其在植物遗传学研究中的进展情况,并对其未来发展和在植物遗传学研究中的应用进行了展望。     

注意缺损多动障碍和儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶基因无关联性

以往研究表明,儿茶酚胺系统可能参于注意缺损多动障碍（attention—deficit hyperactivityity disorder,ADHD）的发生,而儿茶酚胺-O-甲基转移酶（catechel—O—methyltransferase,COMT）是一种降解多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素系统的儿茶酚胺神经递质的酶。因此,采用两种以家系为基础的分析方法,即传递不平衡实验（transmission disequilibrium test,TDT）和单倍型为基础的单倍型相对风险率（haplotype—based haplotype relative risk,HHRR）去探讨COMT和中国人群中79个ADHD核心家系的关联性,ADHD诊断符合DSM—IV的诊断标准。TDT（X^2=1．03,df=1,P〉0．05）和HHRR（X^2=1．08,df=1,P〉0．05）两种方法的分析结果表明,COMT等位基因不能优先传递给ADHD儿童,提示在中国人群中ADHD与COMT基因无关联性。     

YWHAE基因多态性与帕金森病的关联研究

目的:研究YWHAE基因多态性与中国汉族人群帕金森病之间的相关性。方法:采用TaqMan检测法对中国汉族人群258例帕金森病患者和260名正常对照YWHAE的3个位点(rs34041110,rs3752826,rs2131431)进行关联分析T,并使用SHEsis软件进行单核苷酸多态性分析,比较病例组和对照组等位基因频率,基因型频率及单倍型的差异。结果:我们发现YWHAE的三个位点基因频率,基因型频率两组间差异不明显(P>0.05)。rs34041110与rs3752826的LD分析其D’值r2均较大(D’=0.978,r2=0.875)。但进一步对两位点的单倍型分析发现其各种组合均无统计学差异。结论:本研究结果提示YWHAE基因的三个位点与中国汉族人群帕金森病的发生不存在相关性。     

扬子鳄种群MHC Ⅱ类B基因第3外元多态性分析

分析了取自安徽宣城野生种群、安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心和浙江长兴养殖种群的14条扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元的多态性。在这些扬子鳄样本中共检测到34个单倍型,每个亚种群内检测到的单倍型数量分别为15,9和10个,与其他一些动物如哺乳动物和鲤科鱼类相比,扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元多态性较高。另外,非同义替换率显著小于同义替换率,这可能表明扬子鳄种群MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元的多态性不是由平衡选择保持的。Tajima的中性检测拒绝了扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元多态性是由遗传漂变引起的零假设。D=-0．401也暗示了扬子鳄种群中存在较多的稀有变异。同时我们也分析了核苷酸多样性和系统发生关系,结果表明扬子鳄的3个种群遗传多样性无显著性差异。     

斑点叉尾GHRH基因3个SNPs位点及其单倍型组合与生长性状的关联分析

研究旨在探讨生长激素释放激素基因（Growth hormone-releasing hormone,GHRH）对斑点叉尾鲖（Ictalurus punctatus）生长性状的影响。采用DNA混池测序法筛选GHRH基因的单核苷酸多态性（Singlenucleotide polymorphisms,SNPs）位点,使用SNaPshot法将筛选到的SNPs多态性位点进行分型,并对这些位点进行连锁不平衡和单倍型分析。结果表明,在GHRH基因内含子区域共检测到4个SNPs位点,并成功地对3个位点进行了分型,3个位点间均不存在强连锁不平衡;3个SNPs位点在176尾斑点叉尾鲖中形成了6种有效单倍型。关联分析表明SNP位点g.6301 GA的AA基因型的体质量显著性地高于AG和GG型（P0.05）,比群体的平均体质量高14%。单倍型组合H1/H4和H1/H5个体的体质量和体长极显著性地高于其他单倍型组合（P0.01）,体质量比群体平均体质量分别高30%和15%,体长比群体平均体长分别高7%和6%。研究为斑点叉尾鲖生长性状分子标记辅助选育和QTL定位提供了参考依据。     

混合家系中NOTCH4基因多态与精神分裂症、心境障碍关联研究

文章旨在探讨NOTCH4基因多态性与精神分裂症（SP）、心境障碍（MD）的关系,搜寻中国汉族人群SP与MD的共同易患基因。在中国汉族人群中收集61个SP与MD的混合家系,应用PCR-RFLP方法对NOTCH4基因多态性-1725T/G、-25T/C分型,进行传递不平衡检验（TDT）和基于单体型的单体型相对风险分析（HHRR）。结果显示-1725T/G 与SP或MD无明显关联（P>0.05）;-25T/C与SP无明显关联（P>0.05）,与女性或发病年龄≤25岁的MD相关联（P<0.05）;单体型-1725G/-25T与SP相关联（P<0.05）,与MD无明显关联（P>0.05）。本研究结果提示,在我们研究的家系中NOTCH4或邻近基因可能是精神分裂症与心境障碍的共同易患基因之一。     

DISC1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of schizophrenia in an Iranian population: A preliminary study

Background: Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar illness are common psychological disorders with high heritability and variable phenotypes. The disrupted in schizophrenia 1 ( DISC1) gene, on chromosome 1q42, has an essential role in neurite outgrowth and cell signaling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs6675281, rs2255340, and rs2738864) with schizophrenia disorder. These three SNPs were chosen as they had been used in most of the previous studies. Methods: In a case-control study of Iranian population for the first time 778 blood samples were collected including, 402 schizophrenic patients and 376 healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood using DNA extraction kit (BioFlux Co). The genotypes of rs6675281, rs2255340, and rs2738864 were detected by nested allele-specific multiplex polymersae chain reaction (PCR). Results: Our data revealed that the three SNPs are significantly associated with schizophrenia (rs2255349 C>T: confidence interval (CI), 2.115 to 3.268; P = 0.0000 OR: 2.629; rs2738864 C>T: CI, 1.538 to 2.339; P = 0.0000 OR: 1.897; rs6675281 C>T: CI, 2.788 to 4.662; P = 0.0009241 OR: 3.605). Through applying the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, we calculated the haplotype frequency, and finally performed haplotype analysis with Bonferroni correction and data preprocessing methods and the results showed rs66875281 to have the highest association. Discussion: Our findings primarily showed that DISC1 gene polymorphisms contribute to schizophrenia risk and have a significant association with this disorder among Iranian population. The strategy was found to be easy, rapid, specific, and consistent for the co-occurring detection of the DISC1 polymorphisms. We could finally confirm that the polymorphisms are related to schizophrenia studied in Iranian population.     

Association study between kynurenine 3-monooxygenase gene and schizophrenia in the Japanese population

Several lines of evidence suggest that metabolic changes in the kynurenic acid (KYNA) pathway are related to the etiology of schizophrenia. The inhibitor of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) is known to increase KYNA levels, and the KMO gene is located in the chromosome region associated with schizophrenia, 1q42-q44. Single-marker and haplotype analyses for 6-tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of KMO were performed (cases = 465, controls = 440). Significant association of rs2275163 with schizophrenia was observed by single-marker comparisons (P = 0.032) and haplotype analysis including this SNP (P = 0.0049). Significant association of rs2275163 and haplotype was not replicated using a second, independent set of samples (cases = 480, controls = 448) (P = 0.706 and P = 0.689, respectively). These results suggest that the KMO is unlikely to be related to the development of schizophrenia in Japanese.     

Replicated association of the NR4A3 gene with smoking behaviour in schizophrenia and in bipolar disorder

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are associated with dopamine neurotransmission and show high comorbidity with tobacco dependence. Recent evidence indicates that the family of the NR4A orphan nuclear receptors, which are expressed in dopamine neurons and in dopaminoceptive brain areas, may play a role in dopamine‐mediated effects. We have, therefore, analysed the association of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the three genes belonging to the NR4A orphan nuclear receptor family, NR4A1 (rs2603751, rs2701124), NR4A2 (rs12803, rs834835) and NR4A3 (rs1131339, rs1405209), with the degree of smoking in a sample of 204 unrelated schizophrenia patients, which included 126 smokers and 78 non‐smokers. SNPs within the NR4A3 gene (rs1131339 and rs1405209) were significantly associated with heavy smoking in this cohort, using a stepwise analysis of the escalated number of cigarettes smoked per day (P = 0.008 and 0.006, respectively; satisfying the Nyholt significance threshold of 0.009, an adjustment for multiple testing). We then repeated the association analysis of the NR4A3 markers (rs1131339 and rs1405209) in a larger cohort of 319 patients with bipolar disorder, which included 167 smokers and 152 non‐smokers. We have replicated the positive association with smoking of the NR4A3 SNP rs1131339 in this group (P = 0.04), providing an important confirmation of the involvement of the NR4A3 gene in nicotine addiction in patients with mental health disease, a population significantly at risk for nicotine addiction.     

SIRT1 gene, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the Japanese population: an association study

Several lines of evidence suggest that alterations in circadian rhythms might be associated with the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BP). A recent study reported that SIRT1 is a molecule that plays an important role in the circadian clock system. Therefore, to evaluate the association among the SIRT1 gene, schizophrenia and BP, we conducted a case-control study of Japanese population samples (1158 schizophrenia patients, 1008 BP patients and 2127 controls) with four tagging SNPs (rs12778366, rs2273773, rs4746720 and rs10997875) in the SIRT1 gene. Marker-trait association analysis was used to evaluate the allele and the genotype association with the χ(2) test, and haplotype association analysis was evaluated with a likelihood ratio test. We showed an association between rs4746720 in the SIRT1 gene and schizophrenia in the allele and the genotype analysis. However, the significance of these associations did not survive after Bonferroni's correction for multiple testing. On the other hand, the SIRT1 gene was associated with Japanese schizophrenia in a haplotype-wise analysis (global P(all markers) = 4.89 × 10(-15)). Also, four tagging SNPs in the SIRT1 gene were not associated with BP. In conclusion, the SIRT1 gene may play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in the Japanese population.     

Polymorphism identification in the goat KITLG gene and association analysis with litter size

This study reported the analysis of KIT ligand (KITLG) gene polymorphisms in 681 goats of three breeds: Xinong Saanen (SN), Guanzhong (GZ), and Boer (BG). In addition, the study identified three allelic variants: g.769T>C and g.817G>T in SN and GZ breeds, and g.9760G>C in the three goat breeds. The g.769T>C and g.817G>T loci were closely linked (r² > 0.33). All the single nucleotide polymorphism loci were in Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium (P < 0.05). Significant associations were found for litter size with all three loci. Therefore, these results suggest that the KITLG gene is a strong candidate gene affecting litter size in goats.     

Candidate gene polymorphisms among North Indians and their association with schizophrenia in a case-control study

Knowledge of candidate gene polymorphisms in a population is useful for a variety of gene-disease association studies, particularly for some complex traits. A number of candidate genes, a majority of them from the monoaminergic pathway in the brain, have been very popular in association studies with schizophrenia, a neuropsychiatric disorder. In this study diallelic/multiallelic polymorphisms in some dopaminergic, serotonergic and membrane-phospholipid-related genes have been evaluated in a control population recruited from North India. Association, if any, of these allelic variants with schizopherenia has been tested using a case-control approach. The case data have been taken from our published family-based association studies in schizophrenia. Of the eight genes tested in this study, association with schizophrenia was observed for only two gene polymorphisms, one in the promoter region of the serotonin 2A receptor gene and the other in the tryptophan hydroxylase gene. One new allele for the dopamine transporter gene (with eight repeats, 570-bp size), not reported in any population so far, has been identified in one individual in our sample. The data generated in this study, besides providing a normative background for various disease association studies, are a significant contribution to the population-specific genome database, a currently growing requirement.