Asparaginsäure-vermittelte enzymatische Reaktionen

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Untersuchung der Promiskuität zweier Enzyme aus unterschiedlichen Proteinklassen, die allerdings auf eine gemeinsame, in der Biochemie sehr häufige Reaktion, die Säure-(Base)-Reaktion, zurückgreifen. Beide Enzyme verwenden die Asparaginsäure als katalytisch aktive Aminosäure, wobei Haloalkan Dehalogenasen aus der alpha/beta-Hydrolase-Familie, die deprotonierte Form der Asparaginsäure als nukleophiles Aspartat verwenden, wohingegen die Squalen-Hopen-Zyklasen die protonierte Asparaginsäure als Brønsted-Säure nutzen. Das Substratspektrum der Dehalogenase LinB aus Sphingobium japonicum, das sonst nur halogenierte Alkane umfasst, sollte um alternative Substrate erweitert werden. Es konnte erfolgreich demonstriert werden, dass LinB eine eindeutige Hydrolyseaktivität gegenüber organischen Thiocyanaten und Isothiocyanaten aufweist, was auf erstmals beschriebene promiskuitive Eigenschaften der LinB schließen lässt. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Substrate von unterschiedlicher Größe toleriert werden, um dabei Alkohole und Amine zu generieren. Mittels rationalem Design konnten Varianten erzeugt werden, die eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber der Bildung von Benzylamin demonstrierten. Zur Untersuchung der Art der Promiskuität, wurden sogenannte knockout-Mutanten der katalytischen Triade der LinB erstellt und für Studien bezüglich des Katalysemechanismus herangezogen. In der Tat konnte über die einfache Substratpromiskuität hinaus, katalytische Promiskuität der LinB in Bezug auf die organischen Isothiocyanate gezeigt werden. Anhand der Squalen-Hopen-Zyklase aus Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius (AacSHC) wurden Untersuchungen bezüglich intermolekular katalysierter Reaktionen vorgenommen. Diese Fähigkeit der Etherbildung ist zwar bei der nativen AacSHC anhand des Substrates Farnesol bekannt, allerdings nur in geringem Umfang. So konnte mittels Varianten aus einer fokussierten Mutantenbibliothek eine 10-fache Steigerung der Produktbildung erzielt werden. Ferner konnten unter Verwendung nicht-natürlicher Substrate und unterschiedlicher Nukleophile neue, nicht-literaturbekannte intermolekular gebildete Produkte dargestellt werden. Durch die Wahl des Nukleophils und dessen Konzentration gelang es, Produktverhältnisse eindeutig zu Gunsten der intermolekular gebildeten Produkte zu verschieben.The present study deals with the investigation of the promiscuity of two enzymes from different proteinfamilies, which however draw on a common reaction, the acid (-base)-reaction. Both enzymes use an aspartic acid as catalytically active amino acid: haloalkane dehalogenases from the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold family use the deprotonated form for nucleophilic attack, whereas the squalene-hopene-cyclases use the protonated form as Brønsted-acid. The substrate scope of the dehalogenase LinB from Sphingobium japonicum, which includes only halogenated alkanes so far, should be expanded towards alternative substrates. In this work, it was successfully demonstrated, that LinB exhibits unambiguously hydrolysis-activity towards organic thiocyanates and isothiocyanates, which indicates the promiscuous character of LinB for the first time. Different sizes of substrates where tolerated for generating alcohols and amines. Through rational design, variants could be generated, which showed a significant improvement in formation of benzylamine. To study the type of promiscuity, so-called knockout mutants were created for studies concerning the reaction mechanism. In fact, LinB demonstrated not only substrate promiscuity but additional catalytic promiscuity. With the squalene-hopene-cyclase from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius (AacSHC), studies concerning intermolecular catalyzed reactions were performed. AacSHC is known to form ethers through intermolecular linkage, when farnesol is used as substrate, but only to a limited extent. In the present study, a 10-fold increase in product formation with variants of a focused AacSHC mutant library was achieved. Using non-natural substrates and an extended set of nucleophiles, new intermolecular formed products could be generated. Furthermore, it was possible to shift the product distribution clearly in favor of intermolecular formed products only with the choice of the nucleophile and its concentration

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity.

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study accounting for gene-psychosocial factor interactions identifies novel loci for blood pressure traits

Psychological and social factors are known to influence blood pressure (BP) and risk of hypertension and associated cardiovascular diseases. To identify novel BP loci, we carried out genome-wide association meta-analyses of systolic, diastolic, pulse, and mean arterial BP, taking into account the interaction effects of genetic variants with three psychosocial factors: depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and social support. Analyses were performed using a two-stage design in a sample of up to 128,894 adults from five ancestry groups. In the combined meta-analyses of stages 1 and 2, we identified 59 loci (p value < 5e−8), including nine novel BP loci. The novel associations were observed mostly with pulse pressure, with fewer observed with mean arterial pressure. Five novel loci were identified in African ancestry, and all but one showed patterns of interaction with at least one psychosocial factor. Functional annotation of the novel loci supports a major role for genes implicated in the immune response (PLCL2), synaptic function and neurotransmission (LIN7A and PFIA2), as well as genes previously implicated in neuropsychiatric or stress-related disorders (FSTL5 and CHODL). These findings underscore the importance of considering psychological and social factors in gene discovery for BP, especially in non-European populations

Multi-ancestry sleep-by-SNP interaction analysis in 126,926 individuals reveals lipid loci stratified by sleep duration.

Both short and long sleep are associated with an adverse lipid profile, likely through different biological pathways. To elucidate the biology of sleep-associated adverse lipid profile, we conduct multi-ancestry genome-wide sleep-SNP interaction analyses on three lipid traits (HDL-c, LDL-c and triglycerides). In the total study sample (discovery + replication) of 126,926 individuals from 5 different ancestry groups, when considering either long or short total sleep time interactions in joint analyses, we identify 49 previously unreported lipid loci, and 10 additional previously unreported lipid loci in a restricted sample of European-ancestry cohorts. In addition, we identify new gene-sleep interactions for known lipid loci such as LPL and PCSK9. The previously unreported lipid loci have a modest explained variance in lipid levels: most notable, gene-short-sleep interactions explain 4.25% of the variance in triglyceride level. Collectively, these findings contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in sleep-associated adverse lipid profiles

Gene-educational attainment interactions in a multi-population genome-wide meta-analysis identify novel lipid loci

Introduction: Educational attainment, widely used in epidemiologic studies as a surrogate for socioeconomic status, is a predictor of cardiovascular health outcomes. Methods: A two-stage genome-wide meta-analysis of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels was performed while accounting for gene-educational attainment interactions in up to 226,315 individuals from five population groups. We considered two educational attainment variables: “Some College” (yes/no, for any education beyond high school) and “Graduated College” (yes/no, for completing a 4-year college degree). Genome-wide significant (p &lt; 5 × 10−8) and suggestive (p &lt; 1 × 10−6) variants were identified in Stage 1 (in up to 108,784 individuals) through genome-wide analysis, and those variants were followed up in Stage 2 studies (in up to 117,531 individuals). Results: In combined analysis of Stages 1 and 2, we identified 18 novel lipid loci (nine for LDL, seven for HDL, and two for TG) by two degree-of-freedom (2 DF) joint tests of main and interaction effects. Four loci showed significant interaction with educational attainment. Two loci were significant only in cross-population analyses. Several loci include genes with known or suggested roles in adipose (FOXP1, MBOAT4, SKP2, STIM1, STX4), brain (BRI3, FILIP1, FOXP1, LINC00290, LMTK2, MBOAT4, MYO6, SENP6, SRGAP3, STIM1, TMEM167A, TMEM30A), and liver (BRI3, FOXP1) biology, highlighting the potential importance of brain-adipose-liver communication in the regulation of lipid metabolism. An investigation of the potential druggability of genes in identified loci resulted in five gene targets shown to interact with drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration, including genes with roles in adipose and brain tissue. Discussion: Genome-wide interaction analysis of educational attainment identified novel lipid loci not previously detected by analyses limited to main genetic effects.</p

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity.

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity

The present work was largely supported by a grant from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (R01HL118305). The full list of acknowledgments appears in the Supplementary Notes 3 and 4.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Multiancestry Genome-Wide Association Study of Lipid Levels Incorporating Gene-Alcohol Interactions

A person's lipid profile is influenced by genetic variants and alcohol consumption, but the contribution of interactions between these exposures has not been studied. We therefore incorporated gene-alcohol interactions into a multiancestry genome-wide association study of levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. We included 45 studies in stage 1 (genome-wide discovery) and 66 studies in stage 2 (focused follow-up), for a total of 394,584 individuals from 5 ancestry groups. Analyses covered the period July 2014-November 2017. Genetic main effects and interaction effects were jointly assessed by means of a 2-degrees-of-freedom (df) test, and a 1-df test was used to assess the interaction effects alone. Variants at 495 loci were at least suggestively associated (P <1 x 10(-6)) with lipid levels in stage 1 and were evaluated in stage 2, followed by combined analyses of stage 1 and stage 2. In the combined analysis of stages 1 and 2, a total of 147 independent loci were associated with lipid levels at P <5 x 10(-8) using 2-df tests, of which 18 were novel. No genome-wide-significant associations were found testing the interaction effect alone. The novel loci included several genes (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5), vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB), and apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide 1 (APOBEC1) complementation factor (A1CF)) that have a putative role in lipid metabolism on the basis of existing evidence from cellular and experimental models.Peer reviewe

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study accounting for gene-psychosocial factor interactions identifies novel loci for blood pressure traits

Psychological and social factors are known to influence blood pressure (BP) and risk of hypertension and associated cardiovascular diseases. To identify novel BP loci, we carried out genome-wide association meta-analyses of systolic, diastolic, pulse, and mean arterial BP taking into account the interaction effects of genetic variants with three psychosocial factors: depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and social support. Analyses were performed using a two-stage design in a sample of up to 128,894 adults from 5 ancestry groups. In the combined meta-analyses of Stages 1 and 2, we identified 59 loci (p value &lt;5e-8), including nine novel BP loci. The novel associations were observed mostly with pulse pressure, with fewer observed with mean arterial pressure. Five novel loci were identified in African ancestry, and all but one showed patterns of interaction with at least one psychosocial factor. Functional annotation of the novel loci supports a major role for genes implicated in the immune response (PLCL2), synaptic function and neurotransmission (LIN7A, PFIA2), as well as genes previously implicated in neuropsychiatric or stress-related disorders (FSTL5, CHODL). These findings underscore the importance of considering psychological and social factors in gene discovery for BP, especially in non-European populations