Biology subjects

Hu, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Hu, F..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Sequencing of the MHC region defines HLA-DQA1 as the major independent risk for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA)-positive rheumatoid arthritis in Han population

The strong genetic contribution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility has been generally attributed to HLA-DRB1. However, due to the high linkage disequilibrium in the MHC region, it is difficult to define the real or/and additional independent genetic risks using the conventional HLA genotyping or chip-based microarray technology. By the capture sequencing of entire MHC region for discovery and HLA-typing for validation in 2,773 subjects of Han ancestry, we identified HLA-DQ1:160D as the strongest independent genetic risk for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA)-positive RA in Han population (P = 6.16 x 10-36, OR=2.29). Further stepwise conditional analysis revealed that DR{beta}1:37N has an independent protective effect on ACPA-positive RA (P = 5.81 x 10-16, OR=0.49). The DQ1:160 coding allele DQA1*0303 displayed high impact on joint radiographic severity, especially in patients with early disease and smoking (P = 3.02 x 10-5). Interaction analysis by comparative molecular modeling revealed that the negative charge of DQ1:160D stabilizes the dimer of dimers, leading to an increased T cell activation. The electrostatic potential surface analysis indicated that the negative charged DR{beta}1:37N encoding alleles could bind with epitope P9 arginine, thus may result in a decreased RA susceptibility.\n\nIn this study, we provide the first evidence that HLA-DQA1, instead of HLA-DRB1, is the strongest and independent genetic risk for ACPA-positive RA in Chinese Han population. Our study also illustrates the value of MHC deep sequencing for fine mapping disease risk variants in the MHC region.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Inhibition of Hsp70 suppresses neuronal hyperexcitability and attenuates seizures by enhancing A-type potassium currents

The heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is upregulated in response to stress and has been implicated as a stress marker in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, whether Hsp70 plays a pathologic or protective role in TLE remains unclear. Here we report that Hsp70 exerts an unexpected deleterious role in kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures, and inhibition of Hsp70 suppresses neuronal hyperexcitability and attenuates both acute and chronic seizures via enhancing A-type potassium currents primarily formed by Kv4 -subunits and auxiliary KChIPs. Proteosomal degradation of Kv4-KChIP4a channel complexes is enhanced by Hsp70, which can be reversed by the Hsp70 inhibitors, 2-phenylethynesulfonamide (PES) and VER-155008 (VER). In cultured hippocampal neurons, either PES or VER can increase A-type Kv4 current to suppress neuronal hyperexcitability. Mechanistically, Hsp70-CHIP complexes directly bind to the N-terminus of auxiliary KChIP4a and target Kv4-KChIP4a complexes to the proteasome. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of Hsp70 in mediating degradation of Kv4-KChIP4a complexes and regulating neuronal excitability, thus highlighting a therapeutic potential for hyperexcitability-related neurological disorders through Hsp70 inhibition.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2016

Chimeras Link to Tandem Repeats and Transposable Elements in Tetraploid Hybrid Fish

The formation of the allotetraploid hybrid lineage (4nAT) encompasses both distant hybridization and polyploidization processes. The allotetraploid offspring have two sets of sub-genomes inherited from both parental species and therefore it is important to explore its genetic structure. Herein, we construct a bacterial artificial chromosome library of allotetraploids, and then sequence and analyze the full-length sequences of 19 bacterial artificial chromosomes. Sixty-eight DNA chimeras are identified, which are divided into four models according to the distribution of the genomic DNA derived from the parents. Among the 68 genetic chimeras, 44 (64.71%) are linked to tandem repeats (TRs) and 23 (33.82%) are linked to transposable elements (TEs). The chimeras linked to TRs are related to slipped-strand mispairing and double-strand break repair while the chimeras linked to TEs are benefit from the intervention of recombinases. In addition, TRs and TEs are linked not only with the recombinations, but also with the insertions/deletions of DNA segments. We conclude that DNA chimeras accompanied by TRs and TEs coordinate a balance between the sub-genomes derived from the parents which reduces the genomic shock effects and favors the evolutionary and adaptive capacity of the allotetraploidization. It is the first report on the relationship between formation of the DNA chimeras and TRs and TEs in the polyploid animals.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2016

A comprehensive survey of genetic variation in 20,691 subjects from four large cohorts

The Nurses Health Study (NHS), Nurses Health Study II (NHSII), Health Professionals Follow Up Study (HPFS) and the Physicians Health Study (PHS) have collected detailed longitudinal data on multiple exposures and traits for approximately 310,000 study participants over the last 35 years. Over 160,000 study participants across the cohorts have donated a DNA sample and to date, 20,691 subjects have been genotyped as part of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of twelve primary outcomes. However, these studies utilized six different GWAS arrays making it difficult to conduct analyses of secondary phenotypes or share controls across studies. To allow for secondary analyses of these data, we have created three new datasets merged by platform family and performed imputation using a common reference panel, the 1,000 Genomes Phase I release. Here, we describe the methodology behind the data merging and imputation and present imputation quality statistics and association results from two GWAS of secondary phenotypes (body mass index (BMI) and venous thromboembolism (VTE)).\n\nWe observed the strongest BMI association for the FTO SNP rs55872725 ({beta}=0.45, p=3.48x10-22), and using a significance level of p=0.05, we replicated 19 out of 32 known BMI SNPs. For VTE, we observed the strongest association for the rs2040445 SNP (OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.79-2.63, p=2.70x10-15), located downstream of F5 and also observed significant associations for the known ABO and F11 regions. This pooled resource can be used to maximize power in GWAS of phenotypes collected across the cohorts and for studying gene-environment interactions as well as rare phenotypes and genotypes.

epidemiology↗

bioRxiv2016

Chimeric Genes Revealed in the Polyploidy Fish Hybrids of Carassius cuvieri (Female) x Megalobrama amblycephala (Male)

The genomes of newly formed natural or artificial polyploids may experience rapid gene loss and genome restructuring. In this study, we obtained tetraploid hybrids (4n=148, 4nJB) and triploid hybrids (3n=124, 3nJB) derived from the hybridization of two different subfamily species Carassius cuvieri ([female], 2n = 100, JCC) and Megalobrama amblycephala ([male], 2n = 48, BSB). Some significant morphological and physiological differences were detected in the polyploidy hybrids compared with their parents. To reveal the molecular traits of the polyploids, we compared the liver transcriptomes of 4nJB, 3nJB and their parents. The results indicated high proportion chimeric genes (31 > %) and mutated orthologous genes (17 > %) both in 4nJB and 3nJB. We classified 10 gene patterns within three categories in 4nJB and 3nJB orthologous gene, and characterized 30 randomly chosen genes using genomic DNA to confirm the chimera or mutant. Moreover, we mapped chimeric genes involved pathways and discussed that the phenotypic novelty of the hybrids may relate to some chimeric genes. For example, we found there is an intragenic insertion in the K+ channel kcnk5b, which may be related to the novel presence of the barbels in 4nJB. Our results indicated that the genomes of newly formed polyploids experienced rapid restructuring post-polyploidization, which may results in the phenotypic and phenotypic changes among the polyploidy hybrid offspring. The formation of the 4nJB and 3nJB provided new insights into the genotypic and phenotypic diversity of hybrid fish resulting from distant hybridization between subfamilies.

developmental biology↗