Project description:Actinic lentigines (AL) are very common hyperpigmented lesions that develop on chronically sun-exposed skin and represent a visible sign of skin ageing. In this study, a homogeneous group of advanced AL lesions was selected using epiluminescence imaging and pigmented pattern scoring. Gene expression profiling was performed on AL compared with adjacent non lesional (NL) skin.
Project description:Actinic lentigines (AL) are very common hyperpigmented lesions that develop on chronically sun-exposed skin and represent a visible sign of skin ageing. In this study, a homogeneous group of advanced AL lesions was selected using epiluminescence imaging and pigmented pattern scoring. Gene expression profiling was performed on AL compared with adjacent non lesional (NL) skin.
Project description:Lions and tigers, as dominant apex predators, likely became competitors when lions expanded from Africa into Eurasia approximately one million years ago (Ma), forming a lion–tiger transition belt from the Middle East through Central Asia to the Russian Far East. At the easternmost edge of this zone, the Japanese Archipelago has long been considered a Late Pleistocene tiger refugium, supported by large felid subfossils traditionally attributed to tigers (Panthera tigris), though their taxonomic identity remained unresolved. To clarify the origin, evolutionary history, and biogeography of Japan’s Pleistocene felids, we analyzed 26 ancient specimens previously assumed to be tigers. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genome hybridization capture and sequencing, paleoproteomics, Bayesian molecular dating, and radiocarbon dating, we found that all ancient Japanese “tiger” remains yielding molecular data were, unexpectedly, cave lions (Panthera spelaea). One specimen was radiocarbon dated to 31,060 ± 190 BP. These cave lions likely dispersed to the Japanese Archipelago between ~72.7 and 37.5 thousand years ago (ka), when a land bridge connected northern Japan to the mainland during the Last Glacial Period. Our findings challenge the long-held view that tigers once took refuge in Japan, showing instead that cave lions were widespread in northeast Asia during this period and were the Panthera lineage that colonized Japan, reaching even its southwestern regions despite habitats previously thought to favor tigers.
Project description:RNA-Seq was performed on 8 actinic keratoses (AK) to identify differentially expressed genes in AK vs normal skin and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Project description:Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in 120 patient-parents trio samples from Japanese schizophrenia pedigrees ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia is a devastating neuropsychiatric disorder with genetically complex traits. Genetic variants should explain a considerable portion of the risk for schizophrenia, and genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a potentially powerful tool for identifying the risk variants that underlie the disease. Here, we report the results of a three-stage analysis of three independent cohorts consisting of a total of 2,535 samples from Japanese and Chinese populations for searching schizophrenia susceptibility genes using a GWAS approach. Firstly, we examined 115,770 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 120 patient-parents trio samples from Japanese schizophrenia pedigrees. In stage II, we evaluated 1,632 SNPs (1,159 SNPs of p < 0.01 and 473 SNPs of p < 0.05 that located in previously reported linkage regions). The second sample consisted of 1,012 case-control samples of Japanese origin. The most significant p value was obtained for the SNP in the ELAVL2 [(embryonic lethal, abnormal vision, Drosophila)-like 2] gene located on 9p21.3 (p = 0.00087). In stage III, we scrutinized the ELAVL2 gene by genotyping gene-centric tagSNPs in the third sample set of 293 family samples (1,163 individuals) of Chinese descent and the SNP in the gene showed a nominal association with schizophrenia in Chinese population (p = 0.026). The current data in Asian population would be helpful for deciphering ethnic diversity of schizophrenia etiology.
Project description:Lip is an anatomical junction between skin and mucosa and the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequent lip cancers. Lip SCC is frequently developed from actinic cheilitis, presented as ulcerative lesions. However, changes in transcriptomes and tumor microenvironment driving oncogenic transformation from actinic cheilitis to lip SCC and determinants of differentiation of lip SCC are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate differences between lip SCC and its premalignant actinic cheilitis and factors related to tumor differentiation.
Project description:A custom cDNA microarray analysis was designed based on a proprietary cDNA library and EST data to investigate seasonal gene expression in Japanese cedar cambial region.
Project description:Skeletal muscle samples were collected from Japanese males and females to understand gene expression patterns in the Japanese population.
Project description:Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in 120 patient-parents trio samples from Japanese schizophrenia pedigrees ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia is a devastating neuropsychiatric disorder with genetically complex traits. Genetic variants should explain a considerable portion of the risk for schizophrenia, and genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a potentially powerful tool for identifying the risk variants that underlie the disease. Here, we report the results of a three-stage analysis of three independent cohorts consisting of a total of 2,535 samples from Japanese and Chinese populations for searching schizophrenia susceptibility genes using a GWAS approach. Firstly, we examined 115,770 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 120 patient-parents trio samples from Japanese schizophrenia pedigrees. In stage II, we evaluated 1,632 SNPs (1,159 SNPs of p < 0.01 and 473 SNPs of p < 0.05 that located in previously reported linkage regions). The second sample consisted of 1,012 case-control samples of Japanese origin. The most significant p value was obtained for the SNP in the ELAVL2 [(embryonic lethal, abnormal vision, Drosophila)-like 2] gene located on 9p21.3 (p = 0.00087). In stage III, we scrutinized the ELAVL2 gene by genotyping gene-centric tagSNPs in the third sample set of 293 family samples (1,163 individuals) of Chinese descent and the SNP in the gene showed a nominal association with schizophrenia in Chinese population (p = 0.026). The current data in Asian population would be helpful for deciphering ethnic diversity of schizophrenia etiology. Affymetrix SNP arrays were performed according to the manufacturer's directions on DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples. SUPPLEMENTARY FILES: CEL files were processed by manufacture's protocol. Genotype data were analyzed with the GeneSpring GT (Varia) 2.0 software package developed by Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, CA). Matrix tables for the Genetic programs were produced (Linkage format: http://bioinformatics.med.utah.edu/~alun/software/docs/linkage.html) File 1: Matrix file_SNP_Map.txt File 2: Matrix file_Family_Information.txt File 3: Matrix file_Pedigree_Format.txt (Genotyping data of Linkage format) Transmission disequilibrium test was performed using the R program (http://www.r-project.org). File 4: Matrix file_results.txt