Novel genomic resources contribute to the systematics of threatened arboreal deer mice of the genus Habromys Hooper & Musser, 1964 (Cricetidae, Neotominae) within a neotomine–peromyscine phylogeny

The Crested-tailed deer mouse, Habromys lophurus, is one of seven arboreal species within the genus Habromys. Species of this genus are monotypic, relatively rare, and occur in low densities. Their geographical distribution is highly fragmented due to being restricted to montane cloud forest in Mesoamerica and they are of conservation concern. All Habromys species are endemic to Mexico, except H. lophurus, which is also distributed in Guatemala and El Salvador. In this study, we obtained and characterized the first mitogenome and several thousand nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of H. lophurus to determine its phylogenetic position within neotomine–peromyscine mice. Its mitogenome sequence (16,509 bp) is only the second complete mitogenome obtained for this poorly known genus. We also obtained the first nuclear genomic data for H. lophurus, including 3,654 UCE loci, as well as a partial mitogenome of H. simulatus (6,349 bp), and 2,186 UCE for the outgroup Holochilus sciureus. Phylogenetic analyses that included our newly generated genomic data coupled with previously published data from other neotomine–peromyscine mice confirm the placement of H. lophurus, H. simulatus, and H. ixtlani within a highly supported clade. The Habromys clade was nested within a clade that also contains members of the genus Peromyscus and provides further support for the hypothesis of the paraphyly of Peromyscus. These genomic resources will contribute to future phylogenomic studies that aim to further elucidate the evolutionary history of this rare and critically endangered genus of rodents

Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology

Note: A full list of authors and affiliations appears at the end of the article. Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P 20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.</p