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Increased levels of the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) are associated with higher risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular events, but underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we conduct trans-ethnic (n = 564,257) and European-ancestry specific meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies of UACR, including ancestry- and diabetes-specific analyses, and identify 68 UACR-associated loci. Genetic correlation analyses and risk score associations in an independent electronic medical records database (n = 192,868) reveal connections with proteinuria, hyperlipidemia, gout, and hypertension. Fine-mapping and trans-Omics analyses with gene expression in 47 tissues and plasma protein levels implicate genes potentially operating through differential expression in kidney (including TGFB1, MUC1, PRKCI, and OAF), and allow coupling of UACR associations to altered plasma OAF concentrations. Knockdown of OAF and PRKCI orthologs in Drosophila nephrocytes reduces albumin endocytosis. Silencing fly PRKCI further impairs slit diaphragm formation. These results generate a priority list of genes and pathways for translational research to reduce albuminuria.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11576-0 | DOI Listing |
Genome Biol
September 2025
Center for Genomic Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, , Massachusetts General Hospital Simches Research Center, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN 5.238,, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Background: Rare genetic variation provided by whole genome sequence datasets has been relatively less explored for its contributions to human traits. Meta-analysis of sequencing data offers advantages by integrating larger sample sizes from diverse cohorts, thereby increasing the likelihood of discovering novel insights into complex traits. Furthermore, emerging methods in genome-wide rare variant association testing further improve power and interpretability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Biotechnol
September 2025
Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
RNA-protein interactions critically regulate gene expression and cellular processes, yet their comprehensive mapping remains challenging due to their structural diversity. We introduce PRIM-seq (protein-RNA interaction mapping by sequencing), a method for concurrent de novo identification of RNA-binding proteins and their associated RNAs. PRIM-seq generates unique chimeric DNA sequences by proximity ligation of RNAs with protein-linked DNA barcodes, which are subsequently decoded through sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Genom
September 2025
Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address:
Inherited genetic variants contribute to Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), but it is unknown which cell types are involved in this process. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of BE, EAC, and paired normal tissues and integrated genome-wide association data to determine cell-type-specific genetic risk and cellular processes that contribute to BE and EAC. The analysis reveals that EAC development is driven to a greater extent by local cellular processes than BE development and suggests that one cell type of BE origin (intestinal metaplasia cells) and cellular processes that control the differentiation of columnar cells are of particular relevance for EAC development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Prog
September 2025
Xiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen, China.
BackgroundGlaucoma is recognized as the second-leading cause of complete blindness in developed countries and a significant contributor to irreversible vision loss worldwide. Understanding the potential genetic links between neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, and glaucoma is crucial for developing preventive strategies.MethodsThis study utilized data from Genome-Wide Association Studies databases, focusing on European populations without gender restrictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
September 2025
The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Purpose: To define the genetic architecture of foveal morphology and explore its relevance to foveal hypoplasia (FH), a hallmark of developmental macular disorders.
Methods: We applied deep-learning algorithms to quantify foveal pit depth from central optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scans in 61,269 UK Biobank participants. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using REGENIE, adjusting for age, sex, height, and ancestry.