Estandarización de dos PCR multiplex como base de un test de genotipado para pejerrey : Odontesthes bonariensis

El pejerrey bonaerense es una especie de gran importancia económica en Argentina. La piscicultura de pejerrey data de varias décadas en las que se ha poblado o repoblado ambientes con larvas. A pesar de la importancia de esta especie, la información sobre la diversidad genética de sus poblaciones, que sirva para la mejora de su producción o para la mitigación del impacto de las resiembras, es escasa. En este trabajo se propone el desarrollo de un test de genotipado basado en dos reacciones de PCR multiplex utilizando marcadores microsatélites. Se seleccionaron 13 marcadores descriptos en la bibliografía que fueron estandarizados. Luego, los marcadores se evaluaron en una población silvestre (n=20). Se extrajo el ADN a partir de tejido de cada individuo y se amplifico por PCR los 13 marcadores microsatélites. Los productos de amplificación fueron resueltos en geles de poliacrilamida teñidos con plata. Para cada individuo se obtuvo un genotipo. Para cada locus, se determinó el número de alelos, heterocigocidad observada y esperada, frecuencia de alelos nulos, contenidos de información polimórfica (PIC), y probabilidad de exclusión. Teniendo en cuenta estos parámetros, se seleccionaron 7 loci que fueron combinados en dos PCR multiplex M1 y M2 de acuerdo a los tamaños de los fragmentos que produce su amplificación. Los cebadores se marcaron fluorescentemente, y se estandarizaron las condiciones para M1 y M2. Las amplificaciones se evaluaron por electroforesis capilar. Dichas multiplex constituyen la base del Test de genotipado y grado de parentesco para pejerrey. Esta herramienta permitirá evaluar la diversidad genética y el grado de parentesco existente entre los reproductores de los centros de cultivo evitando la depresión consanguíneaFil: Sapino, Román. Facultad de Ciencias y Bioquímicas - Universidad Nacional de RosarioFil: Arranz, Silvia E. Facultad de Ciencias y Bioquímicas - Universidad Nacional de RosarioFil: Diaz, Juan. Facultad de Ciencias y Bioquímicas - Universidad Nacional de RosarioFil: Faggiani, Mariano. Centro Científico, Tecnológico y Educativo "Acuario del Río Paraná"Fil: Villanova, Gabriela V. Centro Científico, Tecnológico y Educativo "Acuario del Río Paraná

Selection Signatures in Worldwide Sheep Populations

The diversity of populations in domestic species offers great opportunities to study genome response to selection. The recently published Sheep HapMap dataset is a great example of characterization of the world wide genetic diversity in sheep. In this study, we re-analyzed the Sheep HapMap dataset to identify selection signatures in worldwide sheep populations. Compared to previous analyses, we made use of statistical methods that (i) take account of the hierarchical structure of sheep populations, (ii) make use of linkage disequilibrium information and (iii) focus specifically on either recent or older selection signatures. We show that this allows pinpointing several new selection signatures in the sheep genome and distinguishing those related to modern breeding objectives and to earlier post-domestication constraints. The newly identified regions, together with the ones previously identified, reveal the extensive genome response to selection on morphology, color and adaptation to new environments

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

Genomic Relationships, Novel Loci, and Pleiotropic Mechanisms across Eight Psychiatric Disorders

Genetic influences on psychiatric disorders transcend diagnostic boundaries, suggesting substantial pleiotropy of contributing loci. However, the nature and mechanisms of these pleiotropic effects remain unclear. We performed analyses of 232,964 cases and 494,162 controls from genome-wide studies of anorexia nervosa, attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome. Genetic correlation analyses revealed a meaningful structure within the eight disorders, identifying three groups of inter-related disorders. Meta-analysis across these eight disorders detected 109 loci associated with at least two psychiatric disorders, including 23 loci with pleiotropic effects on four or more disorders and 11 loci with antagonistic effects on multiple disorders. The pleiotropic loci are located within genes that show heightened expression in the brain throughout the lifespan, beginning prenatally in the second trimester, and play prominent roles in neurodevelopmental processes. These findings have important implications for psychiatric nosology, drug development, and risk prediction.Peer reviewe

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Analysis of shared heritability in common disorders of the brain

ience, this issue p. eaap8757 Structured Abstract INTRODUCTION Brain disorders may exhibit shared symptoms and substantial epidemiological comorbidity, inciting debate about their etiologic overlap. However, detailed study of phenotypes with different ages of onset, severity, and presentation poses a considerable challenge. Recently developed heritability methods allow us to accurately measure correlation of genome-wide common variant risk between two phenotypes from pools of different individuals and assess how connected they, or at least their genetic risks, are on the genomic level. We used genome-wide association data for 265,218 patients and 784,643 control participants, as well as 17 phenotypes from a total of 1,191,588 individuals, to quantify the degree of overlap for genetic risk factors of 25 common brain disorders. RATIONALE Over the past century, the classification of brain disorders has evolved to reflect the medical and scientific communities' assessments of the presumed root causes of clinical phenomena such as behavioral change, loss of motor function, or alterations of consciousness. Directly observable phenomena (such as the presence of emboli, protein tangles, or unusual electrical activity patterns) generally define and separate neurological disorders from psychiatric disorders. Understanding the genetic underpinnings and categorical distinctions for brain disorders and related phenotypes may inform the search for their biological mechanisms. RESULTS Common variant risk for psychiatric disorders was shown to correlate significantly, especially among attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia. By contrast, neurological disorders appear more distinct from one another and from the psychiatric disorders, except for migraine, which was significantly correlated to ADHD, MDD, and Tourette syndrome. We demonstrate that, in the general population, the personality trait neuroticism is significantly correlated with almost every psychiatric disorder and migraine. We also identify significant genetic sharing between disorders and early life cognitive measures (e.g., years of education and college attainment) in the general population, demonstrating positive correlation with several psychiatric disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa and bipolar disorder) and negative correlation with several neurological phenotypes (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and ischemic stroke), even though the latter are considered to result from specific processes that occur later in life. Extensive simulations were also performed to inform how statistical power, diagnostic misclassification, and phenotypic heterogeneity influence genetic correlations. CONCLUSION The high degree of genetic correlation among many of the psychiatric disorders adds further evidence that their current clinical boundaries do not reflect distinct underlying pathogenic processes, at least on the genetic level. This suggests a deeply interconnected nature for psychiatric disorders, in contrast to neurological disorders, and underscores the need to refine psychiatric diagnostics. Genetically informed analyses may provide important "scaffolding" to support such restructuring of psychiatric nosology, which likely requires incorporating many levels of information. By contrast, we find limited evidence for widespread common genetic risk sharing among neurological disorders or across neurological and psychiatric disorders. We show that both psychiatric and neurological disorders have robust correlations with cognitive and personality measures. Further study is needed to evaluate whether overlapping genetic contributions to psychiatric pathology may influence treatment choices. Ultimately, such developments may pave the way toward reduced heterogeneity and improved diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Egg water from the amphibian Bufo arenarum induces capacitation-like changes in homologous spermatozoa

Mammalian sperm acquire fertilizing capacity after residing in the female tract, where physiological changes named capacitation take place. In animals with external fertilization as amphibians, gamete interactions are first established between sperm and molecules of the egg jelly coat released into the medium. Since dejellied oocytes are not normally fertilized, the aim of this study was to determine if the jelly coat of the toad Bufo arenarum promotes a "capacitating" activity on homologous sperm. We found that sperm incubation in diffusible substances of the jelly coat (egg water) for 90-180 s is sufficient to render sperm transiently capable of fertilizing dejellied oocytes. The fertilizing state was correlated with an increase of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and a decrease of sperm cholesterol content. Inhibition of either the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation or cholesterol efflux affected the acquisition of fertilizing capacity. Phosphorylation and fertilization could be promoted with NaHCO3 and also by addition of beta cyclodextrin. Moreover, sperm could gain the ability to fertilize dejellied oocytes in the presence of these compounds. These data indicate that sperm should undergo a series of molecular changes to gain fertilizing capacity; these changes are reminiscent of mammalian sperm capacitation and take place before the acrosome reaction.Fil: Krapf, Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Visconti, Pablo E.. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Arranz, Silvia Eda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Cabada, Marcelo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin