Bioinformatic Prioritization and Functional Annotation of GWAS-Based Candidate Genes for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most prevalent glaucoma subtype, but its exact etiology is still unknown. In this study, we aimed to prioritize the most likely 'causal' genes and identify functional characteristics and underlying biological pathways of POAG candidate genes.Methods
We used the results of a large POAG genome-wide association analysis study from GERA and UK Biobank cohorts. First, we performed systematic gene-prioritization analyses based on: (i) nearest genes; (ii) nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms; (iii) co-regulation analysis; (iv) transcriptome-wide association studies; and (v) epigenomic data. Next, we performed functional enrichment analyses to find overrepresented functional pathways and tissues.Results
We identified 142 prioritized genes, of which 64 were novel for POAG. BICC1, AFAP1, and ABCA1 were the most highly prioritized genes based on four or more lines of evidence. The most significant pathways were related to extracellular matrix turnover, transforming growth factor-β, blood vessel development, and retinoic acid receptor signaling. Ocular tissues such as sclera and trabecular meshwork showed enrichment in prioritized gene expression (>1.5 fold). We found pleiotropy of POAG with intraocular pressure and optic-disc parameters, as well as genetic correlation with hypertension and diabetes-related eye disease.Conclusions
Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying glaucoma pathogenesis and have prioritized many novel candidate genes for functional follow-up studies.
SUBMITTER: Asefa NG
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9222386 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Bioinformatic Prioritization and Functional Annotation of GWAS-Based Candidate Genes for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.
Asefa Nigus G NG Kamali Zoha Z Pereira Satyajit S Vaez Ahmad A Jansonius Nomdo N Bergen Arthur A AA Snieder Harold H
Genes 20220613 6
Background: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most prevalent glaucoma subtype, but its exact etiology is still unknown. In this study, we aimed to prioritize the most likely ‘causal’ genes and identify functional characteristics and underlying biological pathways of POAG candidate genes. Methods: We used the results of a large POAG genome-wide association analysis study from GERA and UK Biobank cohorts. First, we performed systematic gene-prioritization analyses based on: (i) nearest gen ...[more]
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Project description:PurposePrimary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the world. To make progress in understanding POAG, it is necessary to identify more POAG-causing genes.MethodsUsing haplotype analysis, we found that mutational region is located on chromosome 2 in two families. Furthermore, we screened 11 candidate genes on chromosome 2 by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, including mutS homolog 6 (MSH6), mutS homolog 2 (MSH2), v-rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog (REL), endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1), vaccinia related kinase 2 (VRK2), F-box protein 11 (FBXO11), EGF containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1), reticulon 4 (RTN4), RAB1A, member RAS oncogene family (RAB1A), ARP2 actin-related protein 2 homolog (ACTR2), and calmodulin 2 (phosphorylase kinase, delta; CALM2). These 11 genes are all predicted to be related to trabecular meshwork changes and progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells in POAG patients.ResultsAccording to our study, FBXO11 and VRK2 may interact with tumor protein p53 to regulate mitochondrial membrane permeability, mitochondrial membrane organization, and apoptosis. MSH2 is responsible for repairing DNA mismatches and RTN4 is for neuronal regeneration. Therefore, they are supposed to play a negative role in cellular process in POAG. CALM2 may be involved in retinal ganglion cell death and oxidative damage to cell communication.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that the genes above may be associated with pathogenesis of POAG.
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Project description:AimTo estimate the risk of blindness with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) compared to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in those population-based studies that reported blindness rates for both PACG and POAG.MethodA systematic search was performed in PubMed for articles published in English between 2000 and 2020 reporting the prevalence of POAG as well as PACG among various ethnic populations. A study was included if it was (1) population-based (2) had published prevalence and blindness rates for both PACG and POAG in the same cohort. (3) Glaucoma was defined as per the International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology (ISGEO) criteria. The proportion of blindness for both POAG and PACG for each study and the cumulative proportion taking all the studies were calculated.ResultsWe included 23 studies with 78,434 participants. POAG was diagnosed in 1702 persons with 151 (8.9%) blind. There were 724 cases of PACG with 196 (27.0%) blind. The risk ratio of blindness in PACG to POAG varied from 0.73 to 10.6 among the studies. The cumulative risk ratio was 2.39 (95% confidence interval (CI); 1.99, 2.87). Risk ratios for studies including visual field restriction while defining blindness were similar to studies that did not (1.92 vs 2.64, P = 0.11). Risk ratios were also similar for studies that used greater than 2 instead of 3 or more quadrants of iridotrabecular contact to define angle closure (2.79 vs 2.25).ConclusionPrimary angle-closure disease is more likely to be associated with blindness.
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Samples were retrieved from the chips and stored again in a freezer at -20oC. The chips were filled with buffer A and placed in a module of Fluidics 400 wash station. The chips were subjected to the Affymetrix â??EuKws4 ver 2â?? programmed series of stringent post hybridization washes, staining and post-staining washes in accordance with Affy protocols. Upon completion of the wash series (approximately 2 hrs), the chips were removed from the Fluidics station. The chips were inspected. Chips were scanned using an Agilent Gene Array scanner 3000 driven by Affymetrix GCOS software. Generation of Expression Values; Microarray Suite, version 5 (Affymetrix), was used to generate *.cel files, and a computer program (Probe Profiler, ver. 1.3.11; Corimbia Inc., Berkeley, CA) developed specifically for the GeneChip system (Affymetrix) was used to convert intensity data into quantitative estimates of gene expression for each probe set. 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2008-06-12 | E-GEOD-2387 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:MotivationGenome-wide association study (GWAS) has been a great success in the past decade. However, significant challenges still remain in both identifying new risk loci and interpreting results. Bonferroni-corrected significance level is known to be conservative, leading to insufficient statistical power when the effect size is moderate at risk locus. Complex structure of linkage disequilibrium also makes it challenging to separate causal variants from nonfunctional ones in large haplotype blocks. Under such circumstances, a computational approach that may increase signal replication rate and identify potential functional sites among correlated markers is urgently needed.ResultsWe describe GenoWAP, a GWAS signal prioritization method that integrates genomic functional annotation and GWAS test statistics. The effectiveness of GenoWAP is demonstrated through its applications to Crohn's disease and schizophrenia using the largest studies available, where highly ranked loci show substantially stronger signals in the whole dataset after prioritization based on a subset of samples. At the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) level, top ranked SNPs after prioritization have both higher replication rates and consistently stronger enrichment of eQTLs. Within each risk locus, GenoWAP may be able to distinguish functional sites from groups of correlated SNPs.Availability and implementationGenoWAP is freely available on the web at http://genocanyon.med.yale.edu/GenoWAP.
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Project description:PurposeGlaucoma is a disease with high heritability in which the degradation of retinal ganglion cells occurs via apoptosis. Therefore, we investigated the role of four functional apoptosis-related gene variants (Akt1 rs1130233, Bax rs4645878, Fas rs223476, and FasL rs763110) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma.Methods334 patients with primary open angle glaucoma and 334 controls were recruited for this case-control study. The main outcome measures were genotype distribution and allelic frequencies determined with PCR.ResultsAfter adjustment for multiple testing, no significant difference in either the genotype distribution or the allelic frequencies of any investigated gene variant was found.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the investigated gene polymorphisms are unlikely to be major risk factors for primary open angle glaucoma in Caucasian patients.
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