The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Convergent Total Synthesis of Lamellarins and Their Congeners

A convergent total synthesis of lamellarins S and Z is described. The synthesis features a halogen dance of an easily accessible α,β-dibromopyrrole promoted by an ester moiety. The resultant β,β'-dibromopyrrole undergoes a ligand-controlled Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to provide a range of diarylated pyrrole derivatives. The established synthetic method was also applicable to the synthesis of ningalin B and lukianols A and B

Gene cloning and characterization of a vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidase from the red alga Laurencia saitoi, a producer of brominated diterpenoids and triterpenoids

The gene encoding vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidase (V-BPO) was cloned for the first time from the red alga Laurencia saitoi, which produces pharmaceutically promising brominated diterpenoids and triterpenoids. The molecular weight of V-BPO from L. saitoi (LsVBPO1) was the highest (77.0 kDa) among previously reported V-BPOs from Laurencia with a peptide insertion Asn194-Ser221 containing short Gln repeats. It shares approximately 60% amino acid sequence identity with V-BPOs from L. nipponica (LnVBPO1 and LnVBPO2) and L. okamurae (LoVBPO1a and LoVBPO2a). Heterologously expressed LsVBPO1 in Escherichia coli was partially purified and exhibited low but significant bromination activity of 38 U mg(-1) protein using monochlorodimedone. The pH optimum was 8.0, which was more alkaline than that for LnVBPOs and LoVBPO2a (pH 7.0). The K-m for H2O2 was 0.04 mM, comparable to LnVBPO1 (0.026 mM), LnVBPO2 (0.025 mM), and LoVBPO2a (0.014 mM). LsVPBO1 retained its bromination activity until 45 degrees C for 20 min. When incubated at 55 degrees C for 20 min, catalytic activity decreased rapidly, as shown for LnVBPO1 and LoVBPO2a (retained at 45 degrees C, decreased at 55 degrees C) and LnVBPO2 (retained at 55 degrees C, decreased at 65 degrees C). Unlike other V-BPOs from Laurencia (LnVBPO1, LnVBPO2, and LoVBPO2a), dialysis and concentration during purification process were rapidly inactivated LsVBPO1, suggesting its structural instability