Economic Development and Law in Sub-Saharan Africa with Specific Reference to Legal Culture, Environmental Conservation and Technology Transfer

本取組は、2015-2017年度関西大学教育研究高度化促進費事業において、研究課題「アフリカの経済発展と法－サブサハラにおける法文化、環境保全、技術移転をめぐる総合的研究」として促進費を受け、ここにその成果の一部を公表するものである

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways

Rer1-mediated quality control system is required for neural stem cell maintenance during cerebral cortex development.

Rer1 is a retrieval receptor for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention of various ER membrane proteins and unassembled or immature components of membrane protein complexes. However, its physiological functions during mammalian development remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of Rer1-mediated quality control system in mammalian development. We show that Rer1 is required for the sufficient cell surface expression and activity of γ-secretase complex, which modulates Notch signaling during mouse cerebral cortex development. When Rer1 was depleted in the mouse cerebral cortex, the number of neural stem cells decreased significantly, and malformation of the cerebral cortex was observed. Rer1 loss reduced γ-secretase activity and downregulated Notch signaling in the developing cerebral cortex. In Rer1-deficient cells, a subpopulation of γ-secretase complexes and components was transported to and degraded in lysosomes, thereby significantly reducing the amount of γ-secretase complex on the cell surface. These results suggest that Rer1 maintains Notch signaling by maintaining sufficient expression of the γ-secretase complex on the cell surface and regulating neural stem cell maintenance during cerebral cortex development

Interleukin-6, Produced by Resident Cells of the Central Nervous System and Infiltrating Cells, Contributes to the Development of Seizures following Viral Infection▿

Cells that can participate in an innate immune response within the central nervous system (CNS) include infiltrating cells (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNs], macrophages, and natural killer [NK] cells) and resident cells (microglia and sometimes astrocytes). The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced by all of these cells and has been implicated in the development of behavioral seizures in the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced seizure model. The assessment, via PCR arrays, of the mRNA expression levels of a large number of chemokines (ligands and receptors) in TMEV-infected and mock-infected C57BL/6 mice both with and without seizures did not clearly demonstrate the involvement of PMNs, monocytes/macrophages, or NK cells in the development of seizures, possibly due to overlapping function of the chemokines. Additionally, C57BL/6 mice unable to recruit or depleted of infiltrating PMNs and NK cells had seizure rates comparable to those of controls following TMEV infection, and therefore PMNs and NK cells do not significantly contribute to seizure development. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice treated with minocycline, which affects monocytes/macrophages, microglial cells, and PMNs, had significantly fewer seizures than controls following TMEV infection, indicating monocytes/macrophages and resident microglial cells are important in seizure development. Irradiated bone marrow chimeric mice that were either IL-6-deficient mice reconstituted with wild-type bone marrow cells or wild-type mice reconstituted with IL-6-deficient bone marrow cells developed significantly fewer behavioral seizures following TMEV infection. Therefore, both resident CNS cells and infiltrating cells are necessary for seizure development

Multiancestry association study identifies new asthma risk loci that colocalize with immune-cell enhancer marks.

We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms

Characterization of new potential anticancer drugs designed to overcome glutathione transferase mediated resistance

10.1021/mp2000692Molecular Pharmaceutics851698-1708MPOH

Multiancestry association study identifies new asthma risk loci that colocalize with immune-cell enhancer marks

We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways