Association between Toll-like receptor 9 gene polymorphisms and risk of bacterial meningitis in a Chinese population.

We determined whether two common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Toll-like receptor 9 gene (TLR9) (TLR9+2848 rs352140 and TLR9-1237 rs5743836) influenced susceptibility to bacterial meningitis in a Chinese population. The study comprised 126 patients with bacterial meningitis and 252 control subjects, all of whom were recruited from the Tuberculosis Hospital of Shanxi Province. Genotyping of TLR9+2848 rs352140 and TLR9-1237 rs5743836 was performed by polymerase chain reaction coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that individuals with the AA genotype were associated with an increased risk of bacterial meningitis compared with those with the GG genotype (OR = 0.43, 95%CI = 0.19-0.95; P = 0.03). In a recessive model, the AA genotype was correlated with an elevated risk of bacterial meningitis compared with the GG+GA genotype (OR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.22-0.99; P = 0.04). However, no significant differences were observed in the association between the TLR9-1237 rs5743836 polymorphism and the risk of bacterial meningitis in the codominant, dominant, or recessive models. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest an association between the TLR9+2848 polymorphism and a reduced risk of bacterial meningitis in the codominant and recessive models.

Genomic cloning, expression, and single nucleotide polymorphism association analysis of the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone gene in the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense).

Increasing evidence suggests that the insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) gene plays an important role in male sexual differentiation, metabolism, and growth in crustaceans. In the present study, we isolated the full-length genome sequence of IAG by genome walking based on the cDNA sequence in Macrobrachium nipponense. Four novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were studied, including 509G>T, 529G>T, 590A>T in intron 1, and 2226A>G in intron 2. The association of genetic variation with growth traits [body length (BL) and body weight (BW)] was analyzed. Individuals with GG geno- type at locus 2226A>G maintained higher mean BL (P < 0.01) and BW (P < 0.05) than AA and GA individuals. These results suggest that IAG SNPs may be useful molecular markers for selecting growth traits in M. nipponense.

KLK1 A1789G gene polymorphism and the risk of coronary artery stenosis in the Chinese population.

Previous reports have shown that polymorphism of the human tissue kallikrein 1 (KLK1) A1789G gene is associated with susceptibility to hypertension. The current study aimed to confirm the association between the polymorphism in KLK1 and coronary artery stenosis (CAS). A total of 458 patients with CAS and 482 controls were used in a case-control study carried out between January 2008 and January 2011 at the Qilu Hospital (Jinan, China). Analyses of the KLK1 A1789G genotype were performed, and the logistic regression model was used to assess the odds ratio related to CAS. The results showed that the frequencies of the AA, AG, and GG genotypes were 11.4, 50.2, and 38.4%, respectively, in patients with CAS, and 21.2, 47.7, and 31.1%, respectively, in controls. Compared with the AA genotype, the GG and AG/GG genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of CAS. Furthermore, the AG and GG genotypes combined with smoking showed a remarkable increase in the risk for CAS. In conclusion, polymorphism of the KLK1 A1789G gene is associated with CAS, and smoking combined with the KLK1 GG genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of CAS. This information is extremely important to prevention strategies for CAS.

Association of T1740C polymorphism of L-FABP with meat quality traits in Junmu No. 1 white swine.

This study was designed to investigate a single nucleotide polymorphism in intron 1 of the liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) gene in 156 Junmu No. 1 white swine using PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism. The association between the polymorphism and meat quality traits was also studied. The cloning and sequencing results indicated that the polymorphism in intron 1 was due to a T→C mutation at position 1740 of L-FABP, yielding three genotypes (TT, TC, and CC). Association analysis revealed that the polymorphism had a significant effect on marbling (P < 0.05): genotype CC had more marbling than TC, and TC had more marbling than TT. The polymorphism also had a highly significant effect on intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01). Genotypes CC and TC had higher intramuscular fat content than TT; there was no significant difference between CC and TC (P > 0.05). However, no significant conclusions concerning other traits could be drawn. We tentatively conclude that L-FABP is a candidate gene or a quantitative trait locus-linked gene associated with meat quality traits.

Association of CD14 G(-1145)A and C(-159)T polymorphisms with reduced risk for tuberculosis in a Chinese Han population.

Although the role of CD14 in mediating signals from Toll-like receptors to recognize Mycobacterium tuberculosis is known, how polymorphisms in this gene affect the susceptibility to develop tuberculosis are still not clear. We examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -1145 and -159 in the promoter region of the CD14 gene are associated with tuberculosis in a Chinese Han population in a case-control study of 432 Chinese patients with tuberculosis and 404 ethnically matched healthy controls. Genotyping was performed to identify polymorphisms of the CD14 gene by PCR-DNA sequencing. Both the frequency of allele T in the C(-159)T polymorphism (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.148-1.708) and allele G in the G(-1145)A polymorphism (OR = 1.512; 95%CI = 1.236- 1.849) were significantly more frequent in cases than in controls. The frequencies of genotypes CC and CT in the C(-159)T polymorphism, as well as the frequencies of genotypes AA and AG, were lower in cases than in controls. Based on our results, we conclude that G(-1145)A and C(-159)T polymorphisms of CD14 are associated with decreased risk for the development of tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population.

Detection of differentially expressed genes in the longissimus dorsi of Northeastern Indigenous and Large White pigs.

Recent attention in pig breeding programs has focused on the improvement of pork quality in response to increasing consumer demands. Compared to the fatty-type Northeastern Indigenous (Chinese) breed of pigs, the lean-type Large White has lower intramuscular fat and inferior eating quality from the perspective of the Chinese consumer. In order to investigate the molecular basis of differences in pork quality in Chinese indigenous and Western breeds, longissimus dorsi samples were collected from three adult Northeastern Indigenous and three adult Large White pigs. The RNAs were extracted and hybridized to the porcine Affymetrix GeneChip. Microarray analysis demonstrated differential expression of 1134 genes of which 401 have a known function. One hundred and thirty-six genes were up-regulated and 998 down-regulated in Northeastern Indigenous breed compared to Large White pigs. We screened 10 genes as candidate genes associated with pork quality. We investigated a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' regulatory region of the gene FABP4 in 65 Songliao black swine, using PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism. We found this polymorphism to be highly significantly associated with marbling and intra-muscular fat content (P ≤ 0.01). Genotype BB had higher marbling than AB and AA, but there was no significant difference between AB and AA. Genotype BB and AB had higher intra-muscular fat content than AA, but there was no significant difference between BB and AB. These results help to elucidate the genetic mechanisms behind differences in pork quality and provide a theoretical basis for selection and genetic improvement of meat quality traits in pigs.

Association of TIRAP (MAL) gene polymorhisms with susceptibility to tuberculosis in a Chinese population.

Toll-interleukin 1 receptor (TIR) domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP; also known as MAL) is an essential adaptor molecule in Toll-like receptor signaling, involved in activating the innate immune response during infection. Genetic variations in the TIRAP gene may influence human susceptibility to infectious disease. To date, in the Chinese population, a possible predisposition of TIRAP gene variants to tuberculosis has not been reported. We investigated whether TIRAP gene polymorphisms are associated with the development of tuberculosis in a Chinese population. We investigated all the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TIRAP exon 5 in a case-control study of 212 patients with tuberculosis and 215 controls in a Chinese population. Genotyping was performed to identify the polymorphisms of TIRAP gene by PCR-DNA sequencing method. Haplotypes for the TIRAP gene variants were constructed using Haplo view version 4.2. Six polymorphisms of the SNPs listed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database were detected in these Chinese tuberculosis patients. It was found that both the frequency of the 286A allele (odds ratio (OR) = 13.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75-238.3; P < 0.01) and the frequency of 286AG genotype (OR = 13.57; 95%CI = 0.76-242.5; P < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls. However, two other SNPs, C539T and C558T, reported to be associated with tuberculosis in other populations, were found not to be associated with tuberculosis in this Chinese population. We conclude that TIRAP G286A (D96N) polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis and may be a new risk factor for the development of tuberculosis in China.