New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

The Family Streptomycetaceae

The family Streptomycetaceae comprises the genera Streptomyces, Kitasatospora, and Streptacidiphilus that are very difficult to differentiate both with genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. A separate generic status for Kitasatospora and Streptacidiphilus is questionable. Members of the family can be characterized as non-acid-alcohol-fast actinomycetes that generate most often an extensively branched substrate mycelium that rarely fragments. At maturity, the aerial mycelium forms chains of few to many spores. A large variety of pigments is produced, responsible for the color of the substrate and aerial mycelium. The organisms are chemoorganotrophic with an oxidative type of metabolism and grow within different pH ranges. Streptomyces are notable for their complex developmental cycle and production of bioactive secondary metabolites, producing more than a third of commercially available antibiotics. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and immunosuppressant compounds have been identified as products of Streptomyces secondary metabolism. Streptomyces can be distinguished from other filamentous actinomycetes on the basis of morphological characteristics, in particular by vegetative mycelium, aerial mycelium, and arthrospores. The genus comprises at the time of writing more than 600 species with validated names. 16S rRNA gene sequence-based analysis for species delineation within the Streptomycetaceae is of limited value. The variations within the 16S rRNA genes—even in the variable regions—are too small to resolve problems of species differentiation and to establish a taxonomic structure within the genus. Comprehensive comparative studies including protein-coding gene sequences with higher phylogenetic resolution and genome-based studies are needed to clarify the species delineation within the Streptomycetaceae