Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Genetic Associations with Perceived Age.

Failure of dermal protection or repair mechanisms might lead to visibly aged skin. The study aimed to identify genetic associations with perceived age. A genome-wide association study was undertaken in 423,992 adult participants of UK Biobank, using questionnaire data on perceived age and genetic data imputed to the Haplotype Reference Consortium imputation panel. The study identified 74 independently associated genetic loci, to our knowledge previously unreported (P < 5 × 10-8), which were enriched for cell signaling pathways, including the NEK6 and SMAD2 subnetworks. Common genetic variation was estimated to account for 14% of variation in perceived age, and the heritability of perceived age was partially shared with that of 75 other traits, including multiple traits representing adiposity, suggesting that perceived age may be a useful proxy trait in genetic association studies.

DNA Molecular Identification of Human Phenotypic Characteristics--New Progress Over the Past Five Years.

ABSTRACT: Molecular identification of human externally visible characteristic （EVC）, which is also called forensic DNA phenotyping （FDP）, can serve as a "molecular witness" when the routine investigations can not determine the identity of a criminal and the DNA database find no match after comparison. FDP could assist in investigation of cases by inferring the externally visible phenotypic characteristics from DNA obtained from the biological materials left at crime scenes, or unknown corpses. In the last few years, studies on the selection of EVC related molecular markers have been reported frequently and some of the EVCs could already be inferred with a certain accuracy, such as hair color and iris color. Further fundamental research on molecular genetics of human external phenotypic characteristics, as well as the continuous innovation on molecular biological technology would promote the rapid development of DNA molecular identification of human phenotypic characteristics.

Research Progress on Forensic Genetics of Facial Morphological Depiction.

ABSTRACT: Forensic DNA phenotyping （FDP） analysis uses DNA from biological samples left in crime scenes to predict individual phenotypic traits, such as geographical origin of ethnic group, height, weight, skin color, hair color and shape, iris color, male baldness, facial morphology, age, etc., thereby providing clues for case investigations. Among these traits, features of facial morphology are relatively more complicated. This paper makes an overall analysis of the measurement and collection of facial morphology, research on facial morphology related genes, forensic application and establishment of facial morphology depiction model, ethical issues, etc., then summarizes the latest research progress on features of facial morphology.

Caracterización fenotípica del Síndrome Aarskog / Phenotypical characterization of the Aarskog's Syndrome

Introducción: el síndrome Aarskog es una enfermedad genética con expresividad variable y está caracterizada por retardo del crecimiento, rasgos faciales típicos, manos y pies cortos, discapacidad intelectual y anomalías en genitales. Se describió un patrón de herencia recesiva ligada al cromosoma X, con expresión parcial en mujeres. Se han reportado casos con transmisión autosómica dominante. Objetivos: identificar las características fenotípicas de diez pacientes afectados con diagnóstico del síndrome Aarskog, encontrado tanto hembras como varones. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, donde la muestra estuvo formada por diez enfermos del municipio Urbano Noris, provincia de Holguín, durante enero a diciembre de 2015. Resultados: la característica facial más frecuente fue el puente nasal ancho (90 %), narinas antevertidas (40 %), el filtrum largo (90 %), con labios gruesos (60 %) y la fisuras palpebrales hacia abajo (90 %); seguido por el hipertelorismo y las cejas gruesas en un 70 %; la braquidactílea fue la alteración en los miembros más común (70 %) y la sindactílea membranosa en 80 %, que se acompañó de discapacidad intelectual leve en el 80 %. Conclusiones: existió variabilidad de expresión clínica entre los enfermos, estando tanto en hembras como en varones, existiendo diferencias fenotípicas que se pudieran explicarse a través de la heterogeneidad genética del síndrome. Aún no se cuenta en el país con estudios moleculares que permitan caracterizar genotípicamente a estos afectados (AU).

Introduction: Aarskog's syndrome is a genetic disease with variable manifestation, characterized by growth retardation, typical facial features, short hand and feet, intellectual disability and genital anomalies. It was described a pattern of recessive inheritance linked to X chromosome, with partial expression in women. Cases with dominanta autosomal transmission have been reported. Objective: describing the phenotypical characteristics of ten patients with Aarskog's syndrome diagnosis, found as much in female as in male patients. Materials and methods: we carried out a descriptive, retrospective study, from January to December 2015, with a sample formed by ten patients from Urbano Noris Municipality, province of Holguin. Results: the most frequent facial characteristics were wide nasal bridge (90 %), anteverted nares (40 %), long philtrum (90 %), with thick lips (60 %) and palpebral fissures down (90 %), followed by hypertelorism and thick eyebrows in a 70 %; brachydactyly was the most common alteration of the limbs (70 %) and membranous syndactyly (80 %), accompanied by mild intellectual disability in 80 %. Conclusions: the patients showed variability of the clinical expression, found as much in female as in male ones; the phenotypical differences may be explained by the syndrome´s genetic heterogeneity. There are not still in the country molecular researches allowing the genotypic characterization of these patients (AU).

Minor physical anomalies are more common among the first-degree unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients - Results with the Méhes Scale.

Minor physical anomalies are external markers of abnormal brain development,so the more common appearance of these signs among the relatives of schizophrenia patients can confirm minor physical anomalies as intermediate phenotypes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate and topological profile of minor physical anomalies in the first-degree unaffected relatives of patients with schizophrenia compared to matched normal control subjects. Using a list of 57 minor physical anomalies (the Méhes Scale), 20 relatives of patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and as a comparison 20 matched normal control subjects were examined. Minor physical anomalies were more common in the head and mouth regions among the relatives of schizophrenia patients compared to normal controls. By the differentiation of minor malformations and phenogenetic variants, we have found that only phenogenetic variants were more common in the relatives of schizophrenia patients compared to the control group, however individual analyses showed, that one minor malformation (flat forehead) was more prevalent in the relative group. The results can promote the concept, that minor physical anomalies can be endophenotypic markers of the illness.

Forensic DNA Phenotyping: Predicting human appearance from crime scene material for investigative purposes.

Forensic DNA Phenotyping refers to the prediction of appearance traits of unknown sample donors, or unknown deceased (missing) persons, directly from biological materials found at the scene. "Biological witness" outcomes of Forensic DNA Phenotyping can provide investigative leads to trace unknown persons, who are unidentifiable with current comparative DNA profiling. This intelligence application of DNA marks a substantially different forensic use of genetic material rather than that of current DNA profiling presented in the courtroom. Currently, group-specific pigmentation traits are already predictable from DNA with reasonably high accuracies, while several other externally visible characteristics are under genetic investigation. Until individual-specific appearance becomes accurately predictable from DNA, conventional DNA profiling needs to be performed subsequent to appearance DNA prediction. Notably, and where Forensic DNA Phenotyping shows great promise, this is on a (much) smaller group of potential suspects, who match the appearance characteristics DNA-predicted from the crime scene stain or from the deceased person's remains. Provided sufficient funding being made available, future research to better understand the genetic basis of human appearance will expectedly lead to a substantially more detailed description of an unknown person's appearance from DNA, delivering increased value for police investigations in criminal and missing person cases involving unknowns.

Quantitative Genetic Analyses of Male Color Pattern and Female Mate Choice in a Pair of Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, East Africa.

The traits involved in sexual selection, such as male secondary sexual characteristics and female mate choice, often co-evolve which can promote population differentiation. However, the genetic architecture of these phenotypes can influence their evolvability and thereby affect the divergence of species. The extraordinary diversity of East African cichlid fishes is often attributed to strong sexual selection and thus this system provides an excellent model to test predictions regarding the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits that contribute to reproductive isolation. In particular, theory predicts that rapid speciation is facilitated when male sexual traits and female mating preferences are controlled by a limited number of linked genes. However, few studies have examined the genetic basis of male secondary sexual traits and female mating preferences in cichlids and none have investigated the genetic architecture of both jointly. In this study, we artificially hybridized a pair of behaviorally isolated cichlid fishes from Lake Malawi and quantified both melanistic color pattern and female mate choice. We investigated the genetic architecture of both phenotypes using quantitative genetic analyses. Our results suggest that 1) many non-additively acting genetic factors influence melanistic color patterns, 2) female mate choice may be controlled by a minimum of 1-2 non-additive genetic factors, and 3) F2 female mate choice is not influenced by male courting effort. Furthermore, a joint analysis of color pattern and female mate choice indicates that the genes underlying these two traits are unlikely to be physically linked. These results suggest that reproductive isolation may evolve rapidly owing to the few genetic factors underlying female mate choice. Hence, female mate choice likely played an important role in the unparalleled speciation of East African cichlid fish.