scholarly journals High-resolution genome-wide functional dissection of transcriptional regulatory regions in human

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinchen Wang ◽  
Liang He ◽  
Sarah Goggin ◽  
Alham Saadat ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Regulatory Sequence ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Regulatory Regions ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractGenome-wide epigenomic maps revealed millions of regions showing signatures of enhancers, promoters, and other gene-regulatory elements1. However, high-throughput experimental validation of their function and high-resolution dissection of their driver nucleotides remain limited in their scale and length of regions tested. Here, we present a new method, HiDRA (High-Definition Reporter Assay), that overcomes these limitations by combining components of Sharpr-MPRA2 and STARR-Seq3 with genome-wide selection of accessible regions from ATAC-Seq4. We used HiDRA to test ~7 million DNA fragments preferentially selected from accessible chromatin in the GM12878 lymphoblastoid cell line. By design, accessibility-selected fragments were highly overlapping (up to 370 per region), enabling us to pinpoint driver regulatory nucleotides by exploiting subtle differences in reporter activity between partially-overlapping fragments, using a new machine learning model SHARPR2. Our resulting maps include ~65,000 regions showing significant enhancer function and enriched for endogenous active histone marks (including H3K9ac, H3K27ac), regulatory sequence motifs, and regions bound by immune regulators. Within them, we discover ~13,000 high-resolution driver elements enriched for regulatory motifs and evolutionarily-conservednucleotides, and help predict causal genetic variants underlying disease from genome-wide association studies. Overall, HiDRA provides a general, scalable, high-throughput, and high-resolution approach for experimental dissection of regulatory regions and driver nucleotides in the context of human biology and disease.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Regulation of RUNX1: An Informatics Analysis

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1175
Author(s):  
Amarni L. Thomas ◽  
Judith Marsman ◽  
Jisha Antony ◽  
William Schierding ◽  
Justin M. O’Sullivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Runx1 Gene ◽  
Gene Regulatory Elements ◽  
Important Regulator ◽  
Aml1 Gene ◽  
Regulatory Landscape

The RUNX1/AML1 gene encodes a developmental transcription factor that is an important regulator of haematopoiesis in vertebrates. Genetic disruptions to the RUNX1 gene are frequently associated with acute myeloid leukaemia. Gene regulatory elements (REs), such as enhancers located in non-coding DNA, are likely to be important for Runx1 transcription. Non-coding elements that modulate Runx1 expression have been investigated over several decades, but how and when these REs function remains poorly understood. Here we used bioinformatic methods and functional data to characterise the regulatory landscape of vertebrate Runx1. We identified REs that are conserved between human and mouse, many of which produce enhancer RNAs in diverse tissues. Genome-wide association studies detected single nucleotide polymorphisms in REs, some of which correlate with gene expression quantitative trait loci in tissues in which the RE is active. Our analyses also suggest that REs can be variant in haematological malignancies. In summary, our analysis identifies features of the RUNX1 regulatory landscape that are likely to be important for the regulation of this gene in normal and malignant haematopoiesis.

scholarly journals Genomic basis of striking fin shapes and colours in the fighting fish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Wang ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Zi Yi Wan ◽  
Baoqing Ye ◽  
Yanfei Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Betta Splendens ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Phenotypic Variations ◽  
Genomic Basis

Abstract Resolving the genomic basis underlying phenotypic variations is a question of great importance in evolutionary biology. However, understanding how genotypes determine the phenotypes is still challenging. Centuries of artificial selective breeding for beauty and aggression resulted in a plethora of colors, long fin varieties, and hyper-aggressive behavior in the air-breathing Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), supplying an excellent system for studying the genomic basis of phenotypic variations. Combining whole genome sequencing, QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies and genome editing, we investigated the genomic basis of huge morphological variation in fins and striking differences in coloration in the fighting fish. Results revealed that the double tail, elephant ear, albino and fin spot mutants each were determined by single major-effect loci. The elephant ear phenotype was likely related to differential expression of a potassium ion channel gene, kcnh8. The albinotic phenotype was likely linked to a cis-regulatory element acting on the mitfa gene and the double tail mutant was suggested to be caused by a deletion in a zic1/zic4 co-enhancer. Our data highlight that major loci and cis-regulatory elements play important roles in bringing about phenotypic innovations and establish Bettas as new powerful model to study the genomic basis of evolved changes.

scholarly journals Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Validates a Role for S1PR1 in Microtubule Targeting Agent-Induced Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherina C. Chua ◽  
Chenling Xiong ◽  
Carol Ho ◽  
Taisei Mushiroda ◽  
Chen Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Hazard Ratio ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Microtubule Targeting Agents

AbstractMicrotubule targeting agents (MTAs) are anticancer therapies commonly prescribed for breast cancer and other solid tumors. Sensory peripheral neuropathy (PN) is the major dose-limiting toxicity for MTAs and can limit clinical efficacy. The current pharmacogenomic study aimed to identify genetic variations that explain patient susceptibility and drive mechanisms underlying development of MTA-induced PN. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from two clinical cohorts treated with MTAs (CALGB 40502 and CALGB 40101) was conducted using a Cox regression model with cumulative dose to first instance of grade 2 or higher PN. Summary statistics from a GWAS of European subjects (n = 469) in CALGB 40502 that estimated cause-specific risk of PN were meta-analyzed with those from a previously published GWAS of European ancestry (n = 855) from CALGB 40101 that estimated the risk of PN. Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in an enhancer region downstream of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1 encoding S1PR1; e.g., rs74497159, βCALGB40101 per allele log hazard ratio (95% CI) = 0.591 (0.254 - 0.928), βCALGB40502 per allele log hazard ratio (95% CI) = 0.693 (0.334 - 1.053); PMETA = 3.62×10−7) were the most highly ranked associations based on P-values with risk of developing grade 2 and higher PN. In silico functional analysis identified multiple regulatory elements and potential enhancer activity for S1PR1 within this genomic region. Inhibition of S1PR1 function in iPSC-derived human sensory neurons shows partial protection against paclitaxel-induced neurite damage. These pharmacogenetic findings further support ongoing clinical evaluations to target S1PR1 as a therapeutic strategy for prevention and/or treatment of MTA-induced neuropathy.

scholarly journals Genomic characterization of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis associated transcriptome and regulome

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Makki ◽  
Jingjing Zhao ◽  
Zhaoyang Liu ◽  
Walter L. Eckalbar ◽  
Aki Ushiki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Intervertebral Discs ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Enhancer Activity ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a sideways curvature of the spine, is the most common pediatric musculoskeletal disorder, affecting ∼3% of the population worldwide. However, its genetic bases and tissues of origin remain largely unknown. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated nucleotide variants in noncoding sequences that control genes with important roles in cartilage, muscle, bone, connective tissue and intervertebral discs (IVDs) as drivers of AIS susceptibility. Here, we set out to define the expression of AIS-associated genes and active regulatory elements by performing RNA-seq and ChIP-seq against H3K27ac in these tissues in mouse and human. Our study highlights genetic pathways involving AIS-associated loci that regulate chondrogenesis, IVD development and connective tissue maintenance and homeostasis. In addition, we identify thousands of putative AIS-associated regulatory elements which may orchestrate tissue-specific expression in musculoskeletal tissues of the spine. Quantification of enhancer activity of several candidate regulatory elements from our study identifies three functional enhancers carrying AIS-associated GWAS SNPs at the ADGRG6 and BNC2 loci. Our findings provide a novel genome-wide catalog of AIS-relevant genes and regulatory elements and aid in the identification of novel targets for AIS causality and treatment.

Abstract 439: Trajectory Analysis of Left Ventricular Dimensions From Biobank Data Uncovers Novel Genetic Associations

2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tess Pottinger ◽  
Megan J Puckelwartz ◽  
Lorenzo L Pesce ◽  
Anthony Gacita ◽  
Isabella Salamone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Qtc Interval ◽  
Regulatory Regions ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Over Time

Background: Approximately 6 million adults in the United States have heart failure. The progression of heart failure is variable arising from differences in sex, age, genetic background including ancestry, and medication response. Many population-based genetic studies of heart failure have been cross-sectional in nature, failing to gain additional power from longitudinal analyses. As heart failure is known to change over time, using longitudinal data trajectories as a quantitative trait will increase power in genome wide association studies (GWAS). Methods: We used the electronic health record in a racially and ethnically diverse medical biobank from a single, metropolitan US center. We used whole genome data from 896 unrelated participants analyzed, including 494 who had at least 1 electrocardiogram and 324 who had more than 1 echocardiogram (average of 3 observations per person). A mixture model based semiparametric latent growth curve model was used to cluster outcome measures used for genome-wide analyses. Results: GWAS on the trajectory probability of QTc interval identified significant associations with variants in regulatory regions proximal to the WLS gene, which encodes Wntless, a Wnt ligand secretion mediator. WLS was previously associated with QTc and myocardial infarction, thus confirming the power of the method. GWAS on the trajectory probability of left ventricular diameter (LVIDd) identified significant associations with variants in regulatory regions near MYO10 , which encodes unconventional Myosin-10. MYO10 was previously associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: This is the first study to show an association with variants in or near MYO10 and left ventricular dimension changes over time. Further, we found that using trajectory probabilities can provide increased power to find novel associations with longitudinal data. This reduces the need for larger cohorts, and increases yield from smaller, well-phenotyped cohorts, such as those found in biobanks. This approach should be useful in the study of rare diseases and underrepresented populations.

scholarly journals Addressing the Missing Heritability Problem With the Help of Regulatory Features

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117693431986086
Author(s):  
Shan-Shan Dong ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Tie-Lin Yang
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Complex Diseases ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Susceptibility Loci ◽  
Missing Heritability ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Missing Heritability Problem

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have successfully identified thousands of susceptibility loci for human complex diseases. However, missing heritability is still a challenging problem. Considering most GWAS loci are located in regulatory elements, we recently developed a pipeline named functional disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) prediction (FDSP), to predict novel susceptibility loci for complex diseases based on the interpretation of regulatory features and published GWAS results with machine learning. When applied to type 2 diabetes and hypertension, the predicted susceptibility loci by FDSP were proved to be capable of explaining additional heritability. In addition, potential target genes of the predicted positive SNPs were significantly enriched in disease-related pathways. Our results suggested that taking regulatory features into consideration might be a useful way to address the missing heritability problem. We hope FDSP could offer help for the identification of novel susceptibility loci for complex diseases.

scholarly journals Dissecting meningococcal disease and carriage traits using high throughput phenotypic testing

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7A) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan De Ste Croix ◽  
Dave Neelam ◽  
Neil Oldfield ◽  
Jay Lucidarme ◽  
David Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Meningococcal Disease ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Phase Variation ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
The Uk

Despite on-going vaccination programmes, Neisseria meningitidis causes over 700 cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in the UK each year. In 2017-18, the MenW and MenY capsular groups caused 38% of all IMD cases. Current policy is to generate genome sequences of all meningococcal disease isolates. Using this resource, we aim to understand how genetic variation contributes to phenotypic differences between carriage and disease isolates. We are adapting a variety of assays, designed to mimic carriage and disease behaviours, for high throughput phenotypic testing of multiple meningococcal isolates from carriage and cases of IMD. We have selected 335 MenW cc11 and MenY cc23 isolates and are currently testing subsets of isolates in cell culture (CaLu3), growth and biofilm assays. Phenotypic differences will be utilised as input data for Genome Wide Association Studies that aim to identify the specific genomic variants, or combinations of variants, determining observed differences. Genomic data will include whole genome sequences and repeat-mediated phase variation states. Our preliminary data has detected variation in the ability of cc11 and cc23 isolates to disrupt monolayers of CaLu3 cells, indicating that minor genetic differences in phylogentically similar organisms may be physiologically important for both carriage and disease. We will also discuss progress in establishing successful, high-throughput assays for testing multiple isolates.

scholarly journals Whole genome sequencing identifies common and rare structural variants contributing to hematologic traits in the NHLBI TOPMed program

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marsha M. Wheeler ◽  
Adrienne M Stilp ◽  
Shuquan Rao ◽  
Bjarni V Halldorsson ◽  
Doruk V Beyter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Chromatin Domain ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Structural Variants ◽  
Genome Wide

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of single nucleotide variants and small indels that contribute to the genetic architecture of hematologic traits. While structural variants (SVs) are known to cause rare blood or hematopoietic disorders, the genome-wide contribution of SVs to quantitative blood cell trait variation is unknown. Here we utilized SVs detected from whole genome sequencing (WGS) in ancestrally diverse participants of the NHLBI TOPMed program (N=50,675). Using single variant tests, we assessed the association of common and rare SVs with red cell-, white cell-, and platelet-related quantitative traits. The results show 33 independent SVs (23 common and 10 rare) reaching genome-wide significance. The majority of significant association signals (N=27) replicated in independent datasets from deCODE genetics and the UK BioBank. Moreover, most trait-associated SVs (N=24) are within 1Mb of previously-reported GWAS loci. SV analyses additionally discovered an association between a complex structural variant on 17p11.2 and white blood cell-related phenotypes. Based on functional annotation, the majority of significant SVs are located in non-coding regions (N=26) and predicted to impact regulatory elements and/or local chromatin domain boundaries in blood cells. We predict that several trait-associated SVs represent the causal variant. This is supported by genome-editing experiments which provide evidence that a deletion associated with lower monocyte counts leads to disruption of an S1PR3 monocyte enhancer and decreased S1PR3 expression.

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