A genome-wide association study identifies novel gene associations with facial skin wrinkling and mole count in Latin Americans.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified genes influencing skin ageing and mole count in Europeans, but little is known about the relevance of these (or other genes) in non-Europeans. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a GWAS for facial skin ageing and mole count in adults < 40 years old, of mixed European, Native American and African ancestry, recruited in Latin America. METHODS: Skin ageing and mole count scores were obtained from facial photographs of over 6000 individuals. After quality control checks, three wrinkling traits and mole count were retained for genetic analyses. DNA samples were genotyped with Illumina's HumanOmniExpress chip. Association testing was performed on around 8 703 729 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the autosomal genome. RESULTS: Genome-wide significant association was observed at four genome regions: two were associated with wrinkling (in 1p13·3 and 21q21·2), one with mole count (in 1q32·3) and one with both wrinkling and mole count (in 5p13·2). Associated SNPs in 5p13·2 and in 1p13·3 are intronic within SLC45A2 and VAV3, respectively, while SNPs in 1q32·3 are near the SLC30A1 gene, and those in 21q21·2 occur in a gene desert. Analyses of SNPs in IRF4 and MC1R are consistent with a role of these genes in skin ageing. CONCLUSIONS: We replicate the association of wrinkling with variants in SLC45A2, IRF4 and MC1R reported in Europeans. We identify VAV3 and SLC30A1 as two novel candidate genes impacting on wrinkling and mole count, respectively. We provide the first evidence that SLC45A2 influences mole count, in addition to variants in this gene affecting melanoma risk in Europeans.

A novel Cys212Tyr founder mutation in parkin and allelic heterogeneity of juvenile Parkinsonism in a population from North West Colombia.

We report the molecular characterization of three multiplex families and a sporadic case of juvenile Parkinsonism identified in the province of Antioquia (Colombia). Linkage and haplotype analysis using markers in 6q25.2-27 indicated that Parkinsonism in the pedigrees is linked to the parkin gene (maximum LOD-score of 3.85) but that they carry two different mutant haplotypes. Sequence analysis revealed a novel G to A transition in exon 6 at position 736 (G736A) of parkin. This change results in a non-conservative cysteine for tyrosine substitution. All affected individuals from two families were homozygous for this mutation, which was not detected in 100 normal controls. Patients from the family carrying the second haplotype and the sporadic case were homozygous for a GT insertion in exon 3. This mutation has been previously identified in French families with juvenile Parkinsonism. The concomitant presence of founder effects and allelic heterogeneity in Antioquia might relate to the founding admixture at the origin of this population.

Presence of a novel form of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase in rat liver.

Rat liver microsomes contain two distinct forms of PtdIns 4-kinase which were resolved by heparin-Sepharose chromatography. One enzyme was identified as the type II PtdIns kinase previously isolated from exocytotic vesicles. The other enzyme, however, was a novel PtdIns 4-kinase isoform with properties differing from any other PtdIns kinase so far characterized. Both kinases were recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for type II PtdIns 4-kinase, but the novel enzyme was considerably less sensitive to inhibition by adenosine and Ca2+ than type II enzymes, and in addition was specifically inhibited by submillimolar concentrations of dithioerythritol. The presence of a novel PtdIns 4-kinase isoform in rat liver raises the question of whether this enzyme is unique for this organ or whether it has a more widespread distribution but so far has avoided detection.

Phosphatidylcholine enhances the activity of rat liver type II phosphatidylinositol-kinase.

A PtdIns 4-kinase was purified extensively from rat liver exocytotic vesicles. The enzyme had a low Km for ATP, was inhibited by adenosine, and had an apparent molecular mass of 54 kDa, indicating it to be a type II PtdIns-kinase. The activity of the purified enzyme was enhanced several-fold by PtdCho, and to some extent by other phospholipids with basic polar head groups, and was inhibited by PtdSer. Kinetic analyses, presenting the substrate in mixed micelles of Triton X-100, PtdIns and PtdCho, showed that the effect of PtdCho was both to increase Vmax and to decrease the apparent Km for micellar PtdIns.