ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5433-3439
Current Organisations
Virginia Commonwealth University
,
University of Miami
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-02-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ANA.25426
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 23-01-2013
Abstract: Age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss are major causes of human morbidity. Here we used genetics and functional studies to show that a shared cause of these disorders may be loss of function of the ATP-gated P2X 2 receptor (ligand-gated ion channel, purinergic receptor 2) that is expressed in sensory and supporting cells of the cochlea. Genomic analysis of dominantly inherited, progressive sensorineural hearing loss DFNA41 in a six-generation kindred revealed a rare heterozygous allele, P2RX2 c.178G T (p.V60L), at chr12:133,196,029, which cosegregated with fully penetrant hearing loss in the index family, and also appeared in a second family with the same phenotype. The mutation was absent from more than 7,000 controls. P2RX2 p.V60L abolishes two hallmark features of P2X 2 receptors: ATP-evoked inward current response and ATP-stimulated macropore permeability, measured as loss of ATP-activated FM1-43 fluorescence labeling. Coexpression of mutant and WT P2X 2 receptor subunits significantly reduced ATP-activated membrane permeability. P2RX2 -null mice developed severe progressive hearing loss, and their early exposure to continuous moderate noise led to high-frequency hearing loss as young adults. Similarly, among family members heterozygous for P2RX2 p.V60L, noise exposure exacerbated high-frequency hearing loss in young adulthood. Our results suggest that P2X 2 function is required for life-long normal hearing and for protection from exposure to noise.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-10-2016
DOI: 10.1038/NN.4398
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 04-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-01-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-018-07867-7
Abstract: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects ~10% of the global population, with considerable ethnic differences in prevalence and aetiology. We assemble genome-wide association studies of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function that defines CKD, in 312,468 in iduals of erse ancestry. We identify 127 distinct association signals with homogeneous effects on eGFR across ancestries and enrichment in genomic annotations including kidney-specific histone modifications. Fine-mapping reveals 40 high-confidence variants driving eGFR associations and highlights putative causal genes with cell-type specific expression in glomerulus, and in proximal and distal nephron. Mendelian randomisation supports causal effects of eGFR on overall and cause-specific CKD, kidney stone formation, diastolic blood pressure and hypertension. These results define novel molecular mechanisms and putative causal genes for eGFR, offering insight into clinical outcomes and routes to CKD treatment development.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 16-01-2019
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006851
Abstract: To explore genetic and lifestyle risk factors of MRI-defined brain infarcts (BI) in large population-based cohorts. We performed meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and examined associations of vascular risk factors and their genetic risk scores (GRS) with MRI-defined BI and a subset of BI, namely, small subcortical BI (SSBI), in 18 population-based cohorts (n = 20,949) from 5 ethnicities (3,726 with BI, 2,021 with SSBI). Top loci were followed up in 7 population-based cohorts (n = 6,862 1,483 with BI, 630 with SBBI), and we tested associations with related phenotypes including ischemic stroke and pathologically defined BI. The mean prevalence was 17.7% for BI and 10.5% for SSBI, steeply rising after age 65. Two loci showed genome-wide significant association with BI: FBN2, p = 1.77 × 10 −8 and LINC00539/ZDHHC20, p = 5.82 × 10 −9 . Both have been associated with blood pressure (BP)–related phenotypes, but did not replicate in the smaller follow-up s le or show associations with related phenotypes. Age- and sex-adjusted associations with BI and SSBI were observed for BP traits ( p value for BI, p [BI] = 9.38 × 10 −25 p [SSBI] = 5.23 × 10 −14 for hypertension), smoking ( p [BI] = 4.4 × 10 −10 p [SSBI] = 1.2 × 10 −4 ), diabetes ( p [BI] = 1.7 × 10 −8 p [SSBI] = 2.8 × 10 −3 ), previous cardiovascular disease ( p [BI] = 1.0 × 10 −18 p [SSBI] = 2.3 × 10 −7 ), stroke ( p [BI] = 3.9 × 10 −69 p [SSBI] = 3.2 × 10 −24 ), and MRI-defined white matter hyperintensity burden ( p [BI] = 1.43 × 10 −157 p [SSBI] = 3.16 × 10 −106 ), but not with body mass index or cholesterol. GRS of BP traits were associated with BI and SSBI ( p ≤ 0.0022), without indication of directional pleiotropy. In this multiethnic GWAS meta-analysis, including over 20,000 population-based participants, we identified genetic risk loci for BI requiring validation once additional large datasets become available. High BP, including genetically determined, was the most significant modifiable, causal risk factor for BI.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-01-2017
DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS13624
Abstract: The hippoc al formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippoc al volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippoc al structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 in iduals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippoc al volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes ( ASTN2 , DPP4 and MAST4 ) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH . A hippoc al subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippoc al volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease ( r g =−0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippoc al volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness.
No related grants have been discovered for Susan Blanton.