Multi-ethnic genome-wide association study for atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects more than 33 million individuals worldwide and has a complex heritability. We conducted the largest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AF to date, consisting of more than half a million individuals, including 65,446 with AF. In total, we identified 97 loci significantly associated with AF, including 67 that were novel in a combined-ancestry analysis, and 3 that were novel in a European-specific analysis. We sought to identify AF-associated genes at the GWAS loci by performing RNA-sequencing and expression quantitative trait locus analyses in 101 left atrial samples, the most relevant tissue for AF. We also performed transcriptome-wide analyses that identified 57 AF-associated genes, 42 of which overlap with GWAS loci. The identified loci implicate genes enriched within cardiac developmental, electrophysiological, contractile and structural pathways. These results extend our understanding of the biological pathways underlying AF and may facilitate the development of therapeutics for AF

Yeast replicative lifespan and terminal morphology in culture media of varying pH

<p>The replicative lifespan of yeast (BY4742 strain background) cultured in media of varying pH. Column L (“lifespans”; LS) through AE represent the number of daughter cells produced by each mother cell and the endCode (column AF-AY) represents the terminal morphology of the corresponding numbered mother cell. End lost represents the number of cells that did not receive a terminal cell morphology designation. U = unbudded, S = small bud (<50% size of mother), L = large bud (>=50% size of mother), C = cluster of cells.</p