Whole-genome sequence-based analysis of thyroid function

Tiina Paunio on työryhmän UK10K Consortium jäsen.Normal thyroid function is essential for health, but its genetic architecture remains poorly understood. Here, for the heritable thyroid traits thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4), we analyse whole-genome sequence data from the UK10K project (N = 2,287). Using additional whole-genome sequence and deeply imputed data sets, we report meta-analysis results for common variants (MAF >= 1%) associated with TSH and FT4 (N = 16,335). For TSH, we identify a novel variant in SYN2 (MAF = 23.5%, P = 6.15 x 10(-9)) and a new independent variant in PDE8B (MAF = 10.4%, P = 5.94 x 10(-14)). For FT4, we report a low-frequency variant near B4GALT6/ SLC25A52 (MAF = 3.2%, P = 1.27 x 10(-9)) tagging a rare TTR variant (MAF = 0.4%, P = 2.14 x 10(-11)). All common variants explain >= 20% of the variance in TSH and FT4. Analysis of rare variants (MAFPeer reviewe

The role of legumes as a component of biodiversity in a cross- European study of grassland biomass nitrogen

To investigate how plant diversity loss affects nitrogen accumulation in above-ground plant biomass and how consistent patterns are across sites of different climatic and soil conditions, we varied the number of plant species and functional groups (grasses, herbs and legumes) in experimental grassland communities across seven European experimental sites (Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom (Silwood Park), Portugal, Sweden and Greece). Nitrogen pools were significantly affected by both plant diversity and community composition. Two years after sowing, nitrogen pools in Germany and Switzerland strongly increased in the presence of legumes. Legume effects on nitrogen pools were less pronounced at the Swedish, Irish and Portuguese site. In Greece and UK there were no legume effects. Nitrogen concentration in total above-ground biomass was quite invariable at 1.66 +/- 0.03% across all sites and diversity treatments. Thus, the presence of legumes had a positive effect oil nitrogen pools by significantly increasing above-ground biomass, i.e. by increases in vegetation quantity rather than quality. At the German site with the strongest legume effect on nitrogen pools and biomass, nitrogen that was fixed symbiotically by legumes was transferred to the other plant functional groups (grasses and herbs) but varied depending on the particular legume species fixing N and the non-legume species taking it up. Nitrogenfixation by legumes therefore appeared to be one of the major functional traits of species that influenced nitrogen accumulation and biomass production, although effects varied among sites and legume species. This study demonstrates that the consequences of species loss on the nitrogen budget of plant communities may be more severe if legume species are lost. However, our data indicate that legume species differ in their N-2 fixation. Therefore, loss of an efficient N-2-fixer (Trifolium in our study) may have a greater influence on the ecosystem function than loss of a less efficient species (Lotus in our study). Furthermore, there is indication that P availability in the soil facilitates the legume effect on biomass production and biomass nitrogen accumulation

Unpaved road verges as hotspots of fleshy-fruited shrub recruitment and establishment

Hypothetical low-quality habitats can hold an overlooked conservation value. Some frugivorous mam- mals such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) disperse many viable seeds of fleshy-fruited shrubs along the verges of soft linear developments (SLD), such as trails and firebreaks. However, seed arrival does not guarantee plant recruitment, since several post-dispersal processes can alter seed rain. To examine whether SLD verges assist shrub recruitment and establish- ment, we compared the density and the structure of a community of Mediterranean shrubs between SLD verges and the adjacent scrubland. Both seedlings and adult fleshy-fruited shrubs dispersed by foxes and rabbits reached higher densities along SLD verges than in the scrubland, suggesting SLD verges can be suitable habitats for shrub recruit- ment and establishment. Bird-dispersed shrubs showed a similar pattern, whereas shrubs dispersed by ungulates and badgers (Meles meles) as well as rockroses (Cistaceae) showed similar densities in both hab- itats. Shrub species composition and diversity were similar between habitats. Due to a marked differential seed arrival, SLD verges housed higher densities of fleshy-fruited shrubs than the adjacent scrubland. Established shrubs may attract seed-dispersing wildlife, and create proper environments for plant recruitment, generating a reforestation feedback. Incipient shrub populations along roadsides may act as stepping stones with potential to connect isolated populations in fragmented landscapes, where SLD are pervasive. We recommend careful management of frugivore populations and SLD verges in order to favor the diversity and the structural complexity of native vegetation while preventing the spread of invasive species.Peer reviewe