• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.181-186
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• 2014

Genome-wide association studies have proven the highly polygenic architecture of complex diseases or traits; therefore, single-locus-based methods are usually unable to detect all involved loci, especially when individual loci exert small effects. Moreover, the majority of associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms resides in non-coding regions, making it difficult to understand their phenotypic contribution. In this work, we studied epistatic interactions associated with three common diseases using Korea Association Resource (KARE) data: type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and coronary artery disease (CAD). We showed that epistatic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were enriched in enhancers, as well as in DNase I footprints (the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements [ENCODE] Project Consortium 2012), which suggested that the disruption of the regulatory regions where transcription factors bind may be involved in the disease mechanism. Accordingly, to identify the genes affected by the SNPs, we employed whole-genome multiple-cell-type enhancer data which discovered using DNase I profiles and Cap Analysis Gene Expression (CAGE). Assigned genes were significantly enriched in known disease associated gene sets, which were explored based on the literature, suggesting that this approach is useful for detecting relevant affected genes. In our knowledge-based epistatic network, the three diseases share many associated genes and are also closely related with each other through many epistatic interactions. These findings elucidate the genetic basis of the close relationship between DM, HT, and CAD.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 produces a developmental patten of single hete- rocysts separated by approximately 10 vegetative cells. Heterocysts differentiate from vegetative cells and are spe- cialized for nitrogen fixation. The patS gene, which encodes a small peptide that inhibits heterocyst differentiation, is expressed in proheterocysts and plays a critical role in establishing the heterocyst pattem. Another key regulator of heterocyst development is the hetR gene. hetR mutants fail to produce heterocysts and extra copies of hetR on a plas- mid cause a multiple contiguous heterocyst phenotype. To elucidate the relationship between these two counter act- ing factors in the genetic regulatory pathway during heterocyst differentiation, the expression patterns of a patS-gfp and a hetR-gfp fusion were examined in a patS deletion and a hetR deletion strain. The results, in combination with the result from a hetR and patS double deletion strain, suggest patS and hetR are mutually antagonistic and the bal- ance between these two factors in tow different cell types (heterocysts and vegetative cells) may be critical during the decision making process on their cell fates.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.163-164
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• 2018

CONSTANS (CO) induces the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in the photoperiodic pathway, and thereby regulates the seasonal timing of flowering. CO expression is induced and CO protein is stabilized by FLAVIN-BINDING KELCH REPEAT F-BOX PROTEIN 1 (FKF1) in the late afternoon, while CO is degraded by CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) during the night. These regulatory cascades were thought to act independently. In our study, we investigated the relationship between FKF1 and COP1 in the regulation of CO stability in response to ambient light conditions. A genetic analysis revealed that FKF1 acts as a direct upstream negative regulator of COP1, in which cop1 mutation is epistatic to fkf1 mutation in the photoperiodic regulation of flowering. COP1 activity requires the formation of a hetero-tetramer with SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA-105 (SPA1), [$(COP1)_2(SPA1)_2$]. Light-activated FKF1 has an increased binding capacity for COP1, forming a FKF1-COP1 hetero-dimer, and inhibiting COP1 homo-dimerization at its coiled-coil (CC) domain. Mutations in the CC domain result in poor COP1 dimerization and misregulation of photoperiodic floral induction. We propose that FKF1 represses COP1 activity by inhibiting COP1 dimerization in the late afternoon under long-day conditions, resulting in early flowering.