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Lima M, Raposo M, Ferreira A, Melo ARV, Pavão S, Medeiros F, Teves L, Gonzalez C, Lemos J, Pires P, Lopes P, Valverde D, Gonzalez J, Kay T, Vasconcelos J. The Homogeneous Azorean Machado-Joseph Disease Cohort: Characterization and Contributions to Advances in Research. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020247. [PMID: 36830784 PMCID: PMC9953730 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most common autosomal dominant ataxia worldwide. MJD is characterized by late-onset progressive cerebellar ataxia associated with variable clinical findings, including pyramidal signs and a dystonic-rigid extrapyramidal syndrome. In the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, the worldwide population cluster for this disorder (prevalence of 39 in 100,000 inhabitants), a cohort of MJD mutation carriers belonging to extensively studied pedigrees has been followed since the late 1990s. Studies of the homogeneous Azorean MJD cohort have been contributing crucial information to the natural history of this disease as well as allowing the identification of novel molecular biomarkers. Moreover, as interventional studies for this globally rare and yet untreatable disease are emerging, this cohort should be even more important for the recruitment of trial participants. In this paper, we profile the Azorean cohort of MJD carriers, constituted at baseline by 20 pre-ataxic carriers and 52 patients, which currently integrates the European spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease Initiative (ESMI), a large European longitudinal MJD cohort. Moreover, we summarize the main studies based on this cohort and highlight the contributions made to advances in MJD research. Knowledge of the profile of the Azorean MJD cohort is not only important in the context of emergent interventional trials but is also pertinent for the implementation of adequate interventional measures, constituting relevant information for Lay Associations and providing data to guide healthcare decision makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Lima
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Mafalda Raposo
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Ferreira
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rosa Vieira Melo
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Pavão
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Filipa Medeiros
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Luís Teves
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carlos Gonzalez
- Serviço de Psicologia Clínica, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, 9500-370 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - João Lemos
- Unidade de Psicologia Clínica, Hospital do Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700-049 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Paula Pires
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital do Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, 9700-049 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Pedro Lopes
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, 9500-370 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - David Valverde
- Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Unidade de Saúde da Ilha das Flores, 9500-370 Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal
| | - José Gonzalez
- Augenarztpraxis Petrescu Wuppertal, Department of Ophthalmology, 42389 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Teresa Kay
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital D. Estefânia, 1169-045 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Vasconcelos
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Hospital Internacional dos Açores (HIA), 9560-421 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
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Raposo M, Bettencourt C, Melo ARV, Ferreira AF, Alonso I, Silva P, Vasconcelos J, Kay T, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Costa MD, Vilasboas-Campos D, Bettencourt BF, Bruges-Armas J, Houlden H, Heutink P, Jardim LB, Sequeiros J, Maciel P, Lima M. Novel Machado-Joseph disease-modifying genes and pathways identified by whole-exome sequencing. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 162:105578. [PMID: 34871736 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3) is a neurodegenerative polyglutamine disorder exhibiting a wide spectrum of phenotypes. The abnormal size of the (CAG)n at ATXN3 explains ~55% of the age at onset variance, suggesting the involvement of other factors, namely genetic modifiers, whose identification remains limited. Our aim was to find novel genetic modifiers, analyse their epistatic effects and identify disease-modifying pathways contributing to MJD variable expressivity. We performed whole-exome sequencing in a discovery sample of four age at onset concordant and four discordant first-degree relative pairs of Azorean patients, to identify candidate variants which genotypes differed for each discordant pair but were shared in each concordant pair. Variants identified by this approach were then tested in an independent multi-origin cohort of 282 MJD patients. Whole-exome sequencing identified 233 candidate variants, from which 82 variants in 53 genes were prioritized for downstream analysis. Eighteen disease-modifying pathways were identified; two of the most enriched pathways were relevant for the nervous system, namely the neuregulin signaling and the agrin interactions at neuromuscular junction. Variants at PARD3, NFKB1, CHD5, ACTG1, CFAP57, DLGAP2, ITGB1, DIDO1 and CERS4 modulate age at onset in MJD, with those identified in CFAP57, ACTG1 and DIDO1 showing consistent effects across cohorts of different geographical origins. Network analyses of the nine novel MJD modifiers highlighted several important molecular interactions, including genes/proteins previously related with MJD pathogenesis, namely between ACTG1/APOE and VCP/ITGB1. We describe novel pathways, modifiers, and their interaction partners, providing a broad molecular portrait of age at onset modulation to be further exploited as new disease-modifying targets for MJD and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Raposo
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
| | - Conceição Bettencourt
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Ana Rosa Vieira Melo
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Ana F Ferreira
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
| | - Isabel Alonso
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paulo Silva
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - João Vasconcelos
- Departamento de Neurologia, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Teresa Kay
- Departamento de Genética Clínica, Hospital D. Estefânia, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Serviço de Genética Médica/Centro de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
| | - Marta D Costa
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde (ICVS), Escola de Medicina, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - Laboratório Associado, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Daniela Vilasboas-Campos
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde (ICVS), Escola de Medicina, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - Laboratório Associado, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bruno Filipe Bettencourt
- Serviço Especializado de Epidemiologia e Biologia Molecular (SEEBMO), Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira (HSEIT), Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Jácome Bruges-Armas
- Serviço Especializado de Epidemiologia e Biologia Molecular (SEEBMO), Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira (HSEIT), Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal; CHRC - Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas & CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Center, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London and Neurogenetics Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom, London.
| | - Peter Heutink
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Serviço de Genética Médica/Centro de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
| | - Jorge Sequeiros
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde (ICVS), Escola de Medicina, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - Laboratório Associado, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Manuela Lima
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
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Climate change facilitated the early colonization of the Azores Archipelago during medieval times. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108236118. [PMID: 34607952 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108236118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have made such dramatic and permanent changes to Earth's landscapes that much of it is now substantially and irreversibly altered from its preanthropogenic state. Remote islands, until recently isolated from humans, offer insights into how these landscapes evolved in response to human-induced perturbations. However, little is known about when and how remote systems were colonized because archaeological data and historical records are scarce and incomplete. Here, we use a multiproxy approach to reconstruct the initial colonization and subsequent environmental impacts on the Azores Archipelago. Our reconstructions provide unambiguous evidence for widespread human disturbance of this archipelago starting between 700-60 +50 and 850-60 +60 Common Era (CE), ca. 700 y earlier than historical records suggest the onset of Portuguese settlement of the islands. Settlement proceeded in three phases, during which human pressure on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems grew steadily (i.e., through livestock introductions, logging, and fire), resulting in irreversible changes. Our climate models suggest that the initial colonization at the end of the early Middle Ages (500 to 900 CE) occurred in conjunction with anomalous northeasterly winds and warmer Northern Hemisphere temperatures. These climate conditions likely inhibited exploration from southern Europe and facilitated human settlers from the northeast Atlantic. These results are consistent with recent archaeological and genetic data suggesting that the Norse were most likely the earliest settlers on the islands.
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Arteaga A, Malumbres-Olarte J, Gabriel R, Ros-Prieto A, Casimiro P, Sanchez AF, Albergaria IS, Borges PAV. Arthropod diversity in two Historic Gardens in the Azores, Portugal. Biodivers Data J 2020; 8:e54749. [PMID: 32855602 PMCID: PMC7426280 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e54749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of our study was to characterise and compare the richness and composition of endemic, native (non-endemic) and introduced arthropod assemblages of two Azorean Historic Gardens with contrasting plant species composition. We hypothesised that Faial Botanic Garden would hold higher arthropod diversity and abundance of native and endemic arthropod species due to its larger native plant community. Species were collected using several arthropod standardised techniques between April 2017 and June 2018. We used the alpha diversity metrics (Hill series) and the partitioning of total beta diversity (βtotal) into its replacement (βrepl) and richness (βrich) components, to analyse the adult and total arthropod community. The orders Araneae, Coleoptera and Hemiptera were also studied separately. Our results show that the number of exotic arthropod species exceeds the number of native and/or the endemic species in both gardens, but the arthropod community of Faial Botanic Garden exhibited a higher density of endemic and native species. Despite some minor exceptions, the geographic origins of plant communities largely influenced the arthropod species sampled in each garden. This study improves our knowledge about urban arthropod diversity in the Azores and shows how well-designed urban garden management and planning contribute to the conservation of native and endemic Azorean species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Arteaga
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal
| | - Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal.,LIBRe - Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland LIBRe - Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Rosalina Gabriel
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal
| | - Alejandra Ros-Prieto
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal
| | - Pedro Casimiro
- Jardim Botânico do Faial, Sociedade de Gestão Ambiental e Conservação da Natureza, Azorina S.A., Horta, Azores, Portugal Jardim Botânico do Faial, Sociedade de Gestão Ambiental e Conservação da Natureza, Azorina S.A. Horta, Azores Portugal
| | - Ana Fuentes Sanchez
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal
| | - Isabel S Albergaria
- Universidade dos Açores, CHAM e FCSH Rua Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal Universidade dos Açores, CHAM e FCSH Rua Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Azores Portugal
| | - Paulo A V Borges
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal
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Rosa J, Gaspar-Silva P, Pacheco P, Silva C, Branco CC, Vieira BS, Carreiro A, Gonçalves J, Mota-Vieira L. A comprehensive overview of the cystic fibrosis on the island of São Miguel (Azores, Portugal). BMC Pediatr 2020; 20:2. [PMID: 31900120 PMCID: PMC6942372 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-019-1903-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early diagnosis and treatment are improving significantly the quality of life of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This recessive disease is caused by a great variability of mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance (CFTR) gene, whose spectrum and frequency can be different across populations. METHODS We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of CF patients from the island of São Miguel (Azores, Portugal) through a clinical, genealogical, genetic and epidemiological investigation. The clinical course of patients was analyzed as a whole and according to their genotype. RESULTS We identified 14 CF patients within a 23-year period, corresponding to a cumulative incidence of 1:3012 births, being three of them born from consanguineous unions. Genetic analysis revealed three CFTR genotypes: p.[Ser4Ter];[Gln1100Pro] was present in one patient with a less severe phenotype (1/14); c.[120del23];p.[Phe508del], a very rare one (2/14); and p.[Phe508del];[Phe508del] in the remaining patients (11/14). Clinically, respiratory infections (8/14) and growth failure (6/14) were the most common initial manifestations. All patients presented pancreatic dysfunction, with 21.4 and 100% of them showing endocrine and exocrine insufficiency, respectively. As expected, patients with severe phenotype were homozygous for p.Phe508del and had the lowest value of body mass index. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that São Miguel Island has an increased incidence of CF when compared to recent Portuguese data (1:7500 live births). It also allowed a comprehensive overview of CF in São Miguel, improving medical practice along with genetic counselling and creating opportunities for genotype-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Rosa
- Pediatric Department, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, 9500-782 Ponta Delgada São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Gaspar-Silva
- Pediatric Department, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, 9500-782 Ponta Delgada São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
| | - Paula Pacheco
- Centre for Human Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Conceição Silva
- Centre for Human Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cláudia C. Branco
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Azores Genetics Research Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Barbara S. Vieira
- Unidade de Saúde Pública da Unidade de Saúde da Ilha de São Miguel, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Carreiro
- Pneumology Department, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
| | - Juan Gonçalves
- Pediatric Department, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, 9500-782 Ponta Delgada São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
| | - Luisa Mota-Vieira
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada EPER, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Azores Genetics Research Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
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Gnoli M, Staals EL, Campanacci L, Bedeschi MF, Faletra F, Gallone S, Gaudio A, Mattina T, Gurrieri F, Percesepe A, Neri I, Virdi A, Tremosini M, Milanesi A, Brizola E, Pedrini E, Sangiorgi L. Melorheostosis and Osteopoikilosis Clinical and Molecular Description of an Italian Case Series. Calcif Tissue Int 2019; 105:215-221. [PMID: 31129707 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-019-00565-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Melorheostosis (MEL) is an uncommon, sclerosing disease, characterised by hyperostosis of long bones, resembling the flowing of candle wax. The disease is sporadic and the pathogenesis is still poorly understood. Occasionally, the same family can include individuals with MEL and Osteopoikilosis (OPK), a disease characterised by multiple round foci of increased bone density. LEMD3 gene mutations are related to OPK and Buschke-Ollendorff Syndrome, a genetic condition in which an association between MEL, OPK and skin lesions is observed. In rare cases, LEMD3 mutations and recently mosaic MAP2K1 gene mutations have been correlated to MEL suggesting that somatic mosaicism could be causative of the disease. In this study, we described the clinical, radiological and molecular findings of 19 individuals with MEL and 8 with OPK and compared the results to the medical literature. The molecular analyses of this case series corroborate the available data in the medical literature, indicating that LEMD3 germline mutations are not a major cause of isolated MEL and reporting five further cases of OPK caused by LEMD3 germline mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gnoli
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Eric Lodewijk Staals
- 3rd Clinic, Oncologic Orthopaedic Surgery, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Campanacci
- 3rd Clinic, Oncologic Orthopaedic Surgery, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Flavio Faletra
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gallone
- Clinic Neurogenetic Neuroscience Department, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Agostino Gaudio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Teresa Mattina
- Department BIOMETEC, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Fiorella Gurrieri
- Servizio di Genetica Medica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Percesepe
- Medical Genetics - Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Iria Neri
- Dermatology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annalucia Virdi
- Dermatology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Morena Tremosini
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annamaria Milanesi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Evelise Brizola
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Pedrini
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Sangiorgi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rare Orthopaedic Diseases & CLIBI Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
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Silva PTM, Silva MAF, Silva L, Seca AML. Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Sete Cidades, Azores Archipelago: First Ethnomedicinal Report. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 8:E256. [PMID: 31366082 PMCID: PMC6724175 DOI: 10.3390/plants8080256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge about folk medicines is limited to elder community members of remote communities, like Sete Cidades in the Azores. The Azores, 1300 km west of Portugal, are nine volcanic islands, totalling 2330 km2 of land dispersed by 173,200 km2 in the North Atlantic Ocean. The present study aims to scientifically document the uses of plant species for medicinal purposes, in the Sete Cidades. Twenty-eight community members from 40 to 84 years of age, of whom half were 55 to 64 years old, were interviewed. Twenty-nine taxa were reported as being used for medicinal purposes, ten of which have not been previously reported for ethnomedicinal use in Portugal, with a first record of the use of Morella faya. Leaves were the most used plant part (55%), and decoction the most common preparation mode. The five reported taxa with both the highest use value (0.71-0.25) and relative frequency of citation (0.14-0.11) were Clinopodium menthifolium subsp. ascendens, Aloysia citriodora, Mentha x piperita, Citrus limon and Rosmarinus officinalis. The traditional uses of some of the reported plants are supported by scientific studies, confirming their ethnomedicinal value and the need to preserve local knowledge of folk medicine practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro T M Silva
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Marta A F Silva
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Luís Silva
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO-Açores, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Ana M L Seca
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group & University of Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
- QOPNA & LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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8
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Origin and introduction history of the least weasel (Mustela nivalis) on Mediterranean and Atlantic islands inferred from genetic data. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1287-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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9
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Raposo M, Ramos A, Bettencourt C, Lima M. Replicating studies of genetic modifiers in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: can homogeneous cohorts aid? Brain 2015; 138:e398. [PMID: 26173860 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Raposo
- 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Amanda Ramos
- 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | | | - Manuela Lima
- 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal 1 Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
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10
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Nogueiro I, Teixeira JC, Amorim A, Gusmão L, Alvarez L. Portuguese crypto-Jews: the genetic heritage of a complex history. Front Genet 2015; 6:12. [PMID: 25699075 PMCID: PMC4313780 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The first documents mentioning Jewish people in Iberia are from the Visigothic period. It was also in this period that the first documented anti-Judaic persecution took place. Other episodes of persecution would happen again and again during the long troubled history of the Jewish people in Iberia and culminated with the Decrees of Expulsion and the establishment of the Inquisition: some Jews converted to Catholicism while others resisted and were forcedly baptized, becoming the first Iberian Crypto-Jews. In the 18th century the official discrimination and persecution carried out by the Inquisition ended and several Jewish communities emerged in Portugal. From a populational genetics point of view, the worldwide Diaspora of contemporary Jewish communities has been intensely studied. Nevertheless, very little information is available concerning Sephardic and Iberian Crypto-Jewish descendants. Data from the Iberian Peninsula, the original geographic source of Sephardic Jews, is limited to two populations in Portugal, Belmonte, and Bragança district, and the Chueta community from Mallorca. Belmonte was the first Jewish community studied for uniparental markers. The construction of a reference model for the history of the Portuguese Jewish communities, in which the genetic and classical historical data interplay dynamically, is still ongoing. Recently an enlarged sample covering a wide region in the Northeast Portugal was undertaken, allowing the genetic profiling of male and female lineages. A Jewish specific shared female lineage (HV0b) was detected between the community of Belmonte and Bragança. In contrast to what was previously described as a hallmark of the Portuguese Jews, an unexpectedly high polymorphism of lineages was found in Bragança, showing a surprising resistance to the erosion of genetic diversity typical of small-sized isolate populations, as well as signs of admixture with the Portuguese host population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Nogueiro
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigaç ao e Inovaç ao em Saúde, Universidade do Porto Porto, Portugal
| | - João C Teixeira
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig, Germany
| | - António Amorim
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigaç ao e Inovaç ao em Saúde, Universidade do Porto Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonor Gusmão
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigaç ao e Inovaç ao em Saúde, Universidade do Porto Porto, Portugal ; DNA Diagnostic Laboratory, State University of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto Porto, Portugal ; Instituto de Investigaç ao e Inovaç ao em Saúde, Universidade do Porto Porto, Portugal
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11
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Gabriel SI, Mathias ML, Searle JB. Of mice and the 'Age of Discovery': the complex history of colonization of the Azorean archipelago by the house mouse (Mus musculus) as revealed by mitochondrial DNA variation. J Evol Biol 2014; 28:130-45. [PMID: 25394749 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans have introduced many species onto remote oceanic islands. The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a human commensal and has consequently been transported to oceanic islands around the globe as an accidental stowaway. The history of these introductions can tell us not only about the mice themselves but also about the people that transported them. Following a phylogeographic approach, we used mitochondrial D-loop sequence variation (within an 849- to 864-bp fragment) to study house mouse colonization of the Azores. A total of 239 sequences were obtained from all nine islands, and interpretation was helped by previously published Iberian sequences and 66 newly generated Spanish sequences. A Bayesian analysis revealed presence in the Azores of most of the D-loop clades previously described in the domesticus subspecies of the house mouse, suggesting a complex colonization history of the archipelago as a whole from multiple geographical origins, but much less heterogeneity (often single colonization?) within islands. The expected historical link with mainland Portugal was reflected in the pattern of D-loop variation of some of the islands but not all. A more unexpected association with a distant North European source area was also detected in three islands, possibly reflecting human contact with the Azores prior to the 15th century discovery by Portuguese mariners. Widening the scope to colonization of the Macaronesian islands as a whole, human linkages between the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries, Portugal and Spain were revealed through the sharing of mouse sequences between these areas. From these and other data, we suggest mouse studies may help resolve historical uncertainties relating to the 'Age of Discovery'.
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Affiliation(s)
- S I Gabriel
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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12
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Marques SL, Goios A, Rocha AM, Prata MJ, Amorim A, Gusmão L, Alves C, Alvarez L. Portuguese mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity-An update and a phylogenetic revision. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2014; 15:27-32. [PMID: 25457629 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In recent years a large amount of mitochondrial population data for forensic purposes has been produced. Current efforts are focused at increasing the number of studied populations while generating updated genetic information of forensic quality. However, complete mitochondrial control region sequences are still scarce for most populations and even more so for complete mitochondrial genomes. In the case of Portugal, previous population genetics studies have already revealed the general portrait of HVS-I and HVS-II mitochondrial diversity, becoming now important to update and expand the mitochondrial region analysed. Accordingly, a total of 292 complete control region sequences from continental Portugal were obtained, under a stringent experimental design to ensure the quality of data through double sequencing of each target region. Furthermore, H-specific coding region SNPs were examined to detail haplogroup classification and complete mitogenomes were obtained for all sequences belonging to haplogroups U4 and U5. In general, a typical Western European haplogroup composition was found in mainland Portugal, associated to high level of mitochondrial genetic diversity. Within the country, no signs of substructure were detected. The typing of extra coding region SNPs has provided the refinement or confirmation of the previous classification obtained with EMMA tool in 96% of the cases. Finally, it was also possible to enlarge haplogroup U phylogeny with 28 new U4 and U5 mitogenomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia L Marques
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Goios
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Ana M Rocha
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Prata
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - António Amorim
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonor Gusmão
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; DNA Diagnostic Laboratory (LDD), State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cíntia Alves
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
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13
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Cymbron T, Mendes P, Ramos A, Raposo M, Kazachkova N, Medeiros AM, Bruges-Armas J, Bourbon M, Lima M. Familial hypercholesterolemia: Molecular characterization of possible cases from the Azores Islands (Portugal). Meta Gene 2014; 2:638-45. [PMID: 25606447 PMCID: PMC4287853 DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder of the cholesterol metabolism, which constitutes a risk factor for coronary arterial disease (CAD). In the Azores Islands (Portugal), where mortality from CAD doubles its rate comparatively to the rest of the country and where a high frequency of dyslipidemia has been reported, the prevalence and distribution of FH remain unknown. The molecular characterization of a group of 33 possible cases of FH of Azorean background was undertaken in this study. A DNA array was initially used to search mutations in the LDLR, APOB and PCSK9 loci in 10 unrelated possible cases of FH. No mutations were detected in the array; after sequencing the full LDLR gene, 18 variants were identified, corresponding to two missense (c.806G > A; c.1171G > A) and sixteen synonymous alterations. Six of the synonymous variants which are consistently described in the literature as associated with altered cholesterol levels were used to build haplotypes. The most frequent haplotype corresponded to TTCGCC (45%), a “risk” haplotype, formed exclusively by alleles that were reported to increase cholesterol levels. Some of the variants detected in the full sequencing of the LDLR gene fell within the ligand-binding domain of this gene, defined by exons 2 to 6. To add information as to the role of such variants, these exons were sequenced in the remaining 23 possible FH cases. Two missense alterations (c.185C > T; c.806G > A) were found in this subset of possible FH cases. The missense alteration c.185C > T, identified in one individual, is novel for the Portuguese population. In silico analysis was not conclusive for this alteration, whose role will have to be further investigated. This study represents the first approach to the establishment of the mutational profile of FH in the Azores Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cymbron
- Centre of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal ; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Mendes
- The Azores School of New Technologies (ENTA), 9504-540 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
| | - Amanda Ramos
- Centre of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal ; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Raposo
- Centre of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal ; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nadiya Kazachkova
- Centre of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal ; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Margarida Medeiros
- Grupo de Investigação Cardiovascular, Unidade I&D, Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Prevenção de Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-040 Lisboa, Portugal ; Centre for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jácome Bruges-Armas
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal ; Specialized Service of Epidemiology and Molecular Biology (SEEBMO), Hospital of Santo Espírito, 9700-049 Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Bourbon
- Grupo de Investigação Cardiovascular, Unidade I&D, Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Prevenção de Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, 1649-040 Lisboa, Portugal ; Centre for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuela Lima
- Centre of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal ; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
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14
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Bettencourt C, Santos C, Coutinho P, Rizzu P, Vasconcelos J, Kay T, Cymbron T, Raposo M, Heutink P, Lima M. Parkinsonian phenotype in Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3): a two-case report. BMC Neurol 2011; 11:131. [PMID: 22023810 PMCID: PMC3217914 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-11-131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 10/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder of late onset, which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the ATXN3 gene. This disease presents clinical heterogeneity, which cannot be completely explained by the size of the repeat tract. MJD presents extrapyramidal motor signs, namely Parkinsonism, more frequently than the other subtypes of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias. Although Parkinsonism seems to segregate within MJD families, only a few MJD patients develop parkinsonian features and, therefore, the clinical and genetic aspects of these rare presentations remain poorly investigated. The main goal of this work was to describe two MJD patients displaying the parkinsonian triad (tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity), namely on what concerns genetic variation in Parkinson's disease (PD) associated loci (PARK2, LRRK2, PINK1, DJ-1, SNCA, MAPT, APOE, and mtDNA tRNAGln T4336C). Case presentation Patient 1 is a 40 year-old female (onset at 30 years of age), initially with a pure parkinsonian phenotype (similar to the phenotype previously reported for her mother). Patient 2 is a 38 year-old male (onset at 33 years of age), presenting an ataxic phenotype with parkinsonian features (not seen either in other affected siblings or in his father). Both patients presented an expanded ATXN3 allele with 72 CAG repeats. No PD mutations were found in the analyzed loci. However, allelic variants previously associated with PD were observed in DJ-1 and APOE genes, for both patients. Conclusions The present report adds clinical and genetic information on this particular and rare MJD presentation, and raises the hypothesis that DJ-1 and APOE polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to the parkinsonian phenotype in MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conceição Bettencourt
- Center of Research in Natural Resources, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
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15
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Gaieski JB, Owings AC, Vilar MG, Dulik MC, Gaieski DF, Gittelman RM, Lindo J, Gau L, Schurr TG. Genetic ancestry and indigenous heritage in a Native American descendant community in Bermuda. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 146:392-405. [PMID: 21994016 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Discovered in the early 16th century by European colonists, Bermuda is an isolated set of islands located in the mid-Atlantic. Shortly after its discovery, Bermuda became the first English colony to forcibly import its labor by trafficking in enslaved Africans, white ethnic minorities, and indigenous Americans. Oral traditions circulating today among contemporary tribes from the northeastern United States recount these same events, while, in Bermuda, St. David's Islanders consider their histories to be linked to a complex Native American, European, and African past. To investigate the influence of historical events on biological ancestry and native cultural identity, we analyzed genetic variation in 111 members of Bermuda's self-proclaimed St. David's Island Native Community. Our results reveal that the majority of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome haplotypes are of African and West Eurasian origin. However, unlike other English-speaking New World colonies, most African mtDNA haplotypes appear to derive from central and southeast Africa, reflecting the extent of maritime activities in the region. In light of genealogical and oral historical data from the St. David's community, the low frequency of Native American mtDNA and NRY lineages may reflect the influence of genetic drift, the demographic impact of European colonization, and historical admixture with persons of non-native backgrounds, which began with the settlement of the islands. By comparing the genetic data with genealogical and historical information, we are able to reconstruct the complex history of this Bermudian community, which is unique among New World populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Gaieski
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6398, USA
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16
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Cymbron T, Raposo M, Kazachkova N, Bettencourt C, Silva F, Santos C, Dahmani Y, Lourenço P, Ferin R, Pavão ML, Lima M. Cross-sectional study of risk factors for atherosclerosis in the Azorean population. Ann Hum Biol 2011; 38:354-9. [PMID: 21322770 DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2011.553203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis-a major cause of vascular disease, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a pathology that has a two-fold higher mortality rate in the Azorean Islands compared to mainland Portugal. AIM This cross-sectional study investigated the role of genetic variation in the prevalence of atherosclerosis in this population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 305 individuals were characterized for polymorphisms in eight susceptibility genes for atherosclerosis: ACE, PAI1, NOS3, LTA, FGB, ITGB3, PON1 and APOE. Data were analysed with respect to phenotypic characteristics such as blood pressure, lipid profile, life-style risk factors and familial history of myocardial infarction. RESULTS In the total sample, frequencies for hypercholestrolemic, hypertensive and obese individuals were 63.6%, 39.3% and 23.3%, respectively. The genetic profile was similar to that observed in other European populations, namely in mainland Portugal. No over-representation of risk alleles was evidenced in this sample. CONCLUSIONS One has to consider the possibility of an important non-genetic influence on the high cholesterolemia present in the Azorean population. Since diet is the most important life-style risk factor for dyslipidemia, studies aiming to evaluate the dietary characteristics of this population and its impact on serum lipid levels will be of major importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cymbron
- Center of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
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Davis MC, Novak SJ, Hampikian G. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of an immigrant Basque population: loss of diversity due to founder effects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 144:516-25. [PMID: 21404229 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Basques have a well-documented history of migration and settlement in the Americas, and they often retain cultural identity across generations. Numerous genetic studies have been carried out on European Basques; thus, immigrant Basques are an ideal population for investigating the genetic consequences of a recent human migration event. We have sampled 53 unrelated individuals with Basque ancestry in Boise, Idaho and determined the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation of the first and second hypervariable regions. Thirty-six mtDNA haplotypes were detected in our sample. We found evidence of genetic changes consistent with founder effects, which is compatible with the known history of migration. Compared with the European Basque population, the immigrant Basques are significantly different in terms of haplogroup frequency distribution and diversity. They have a lower measure of weighted intralineage mean pairwise diversity (WIMP) and greater genetic distance from other European populations. These data indicate that this immigrant Basque population has experienced a reduction in genetic diversity compared with the putative source population. However, this loss of diversity is not detectable using indices of demographic history such as Tajima's D and Fu's F. This study represents the first description of mtDNA diversity in an immigrant Basque population, and our findings indicate that founder effects accompanying this relatively recent migration event have shaped the genetic diversity of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
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Alvarez L, Santos C, Ramos A, Pratdesaba R, Francalacci P, Aluja MP. Mitochondrial DNA patterns in the Iberian Northern plateau: population dynamics and substructure of the Zamora province. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 142:531-9. [PMID: 20127843 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have shown the importance of recent events in the configuration of the genetic landscape of a specific territory. In this context, due to the phenomena of repopulation and demographic fluctuations that took place in recent centuries, the Iberian Northern plateau is a very interesting case study. The main aim of this work is to check if recent population movements together with existing boundaries (geographical and administrative) have influenced the current genetic composition of the area. To accomplish this general purpose, mitochondrial DNA variations of 214 individuals from a population located in the Western region of the Iberian Northern plateau (the province of Zamora) were analyzed. Results showed a typical Western European mitochondrial DNA haplogroup composition. However, unexpected high frequencies of U5, HV0, and L haplogroups were found in some regions. The analyses of microdifferentiation showed that there are differences between regions, but no geographic substructure organization can be noticed. It can be stated that the differences observed in the genetic pool of the sampled area at regional level results from the mixture of different populations carrying new lineages into this area at different points in history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Alvarez
- Unitat Antropologia Biològica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Santos C, Fregel R, Cabrera VM, González AM, Larruga JM, Lima M. Mitochondrial DNA patterns in the Macaronesia islands: Variation within and among archipelagos. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 141:610-9. [PMID: 19927277 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Macaronesia covers four Atlantic archipelagos: the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde islands. When discovered by Europeans in the 15th century, only the Canaries were inhabited. Historical reports highlight the impact of Iberians on settlement in Macaronesia. Although important differences in their settlement are documented, its influence on their genetic structures and relationships has yet to be ascertained. In this study, the hypervariable region I (HVRI) sequence and coding region polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in 623 individuals from the Azores (120) and Canary Islands (503) were analyzed. Combined with published data, these give a total of 1,542 haplotypes from Macaronesia and 1,067 from the Iberian Peninsula. The results obtained indicate that Cape Verde is the most distinctive archipelago, with an mtDNA pool composed almost exclusively of African lineages. However, the other archipelagos present an mtDNA profile dominated by the presence of West-Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups with African lineages present in varying proportions. Moreover, no signs of integration of typical Canarian U6 lineages in the other archipelagos were detected. The four Macaronesia archipelagos currently have differentiated genetic profiles, and the Azores present the highest intra-archipelago differentiation and the lowest values of diversity. The analyses performed show that the present-day genetic profile of the Macaronesian archipelagos was mainly determined by the initial process of settlement and further microdifferentiation probably as a consequence of the small population size of some islands. Moreover, contacts between archipelagos seem to have had a low impact on the mtDNA genetic pool of each archipelago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Santos
- Unitat Antropologia Biològica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Pacheco PR, Branco CC, Gomes CT, Cabral R, Mota-Vieira L. HLA Class I and II profiles in São Miguel Island (Azores): genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium. BMC Res Notes 2010; 3:134. [PMID: 20462405 PMCID: PMC2883542 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-3-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2009] [Accepted: 05/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes are characterized by high levels of polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium (LD), important characteristics to study the genetic background of human populations and their genetic structure. Here, we analyse the allele distribution and LD extent of HLA class I and II in São Miguel Island population (Azores archipelago, Portugal). FINDINGS The sample set was composed of 106 healthy blood donors living in São Miguel Island obtained from the anonymized Azorean DNA bank. HLA class I (-A, -B and -Cw) and class II (-DRB1, -DQB1, -DPA1 and -DPB1) genotyping was performed by PCR-SSP Olerup SSP (GenoVision Inc.), according to the manufacturer's instructions.Genetic diversity values, based on the 7 loci, ranged from 0.821 both for HLA-DPA1 and -DQB1 to 0.934 for HLA-B, with a mean value of 0.846. Analysis of 5 HLA-A-Cw-B-DRB1-DQB1 haplotypes revealed that A*01-Cw*07-B*08-DRB1*03-DQB1*02 is the most frequent in São Miguel (7.9%) followed by A*24-B*08-Cw*07-DRB1*03-DQB1*02 (3.8%). In addition, even though the reports of high LD for HLA markers in worldwide populations, São Miguel islanders do not have extensive LD (average D' = 0.285). CONCLUSIONS In summary, the results demonstrate high variability of HLA in São Miguel Island population as well as absence of genetic structure and extensive LD. The data here presented suggest that in São Miguel islanders autoimmune diseases studies will necessarily encompass a more focused analysis of HLA extended haplotypes as well as the evaluation of other non-HLA candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula R Pacheco
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo of Ponta Delgada, EPE, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal.
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Allelic frequency distribution of 17 STRs from Identifiler and PowerPlex-16 in Central Portugal area and the Azores archipelago. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2009; 4:e1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2008.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2008] [Revised: 10/13/2008] [Accepted: 12/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Silva F, Pereira R, Gusmão L, Santos C, Amorim A, Prata MJ, Bettencourt C, Lourenço P, Lima M. Genetic profiling of the Azores Islands (Portugal): data from 10 X-chromosome STRs. Am J Hum Biol 2009; 22:221-3. [PMID: 19593741 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The populations from the Azores islands have been the target of several genetic studies, using data derived from monoparental and recombining genetic systems. These studies have provided a complex picture of the genetic landscape of the three groups of Azorean islands, and further data are required to assess its genetic profile. We present a study of the polymorphism in 10 X-chromosome STR loci (DSXS8378, DXS9898, DXS7133, GATA31E08, GATA172D05, DXS7423, DXS6809, DXS7132, DXS9902, DXS6789) conducted on a total of 304 chromosomes (97 females and 110 males) of unrelated individuals with Azorean ancestry. Average gene diversity was 74.47%, ranging from 66.21% (DXS7133) to 81.19% (GATA172D05). No shared haplotypes were found. Genotype frequencies among females displayed conformity with Hardy-Weinberg expectations for all loci. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium tests did not reveal evidences of association between the studied markers. Significant differences in allelic frequencies between the Western and the Eastern group of islands are in agreement with previous results from mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome studies, providing further evidence that the Azores cannot be considered an homogeneous population. Moreover, differences between the Western group and the North of Portugal are also reported, supporting the pertinence of a specific database for the Azores populations, on what concerns the genetic markers analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Silva
- Center for Research in Natural Resources, and Department of Biology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
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Branco CC, Bento MS, Gomes CT, Cabral R, Pacheco PR, Mota-Vieira L. Azores Islands: Genetic origin, gene flow and diversity pattern. Ann Hum Biol 2009; 35:65-74. [DOI: 10.1080/03014460701793782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Branco CC, Pacheco PR, Cabrol E, Cabral R, Vicente AM, Mota-Vieira L. Linkage disequilibrium and diversity for three genomic regions in Azoreans and mainland Portuguese. Genet Mol Biol 2009; 32:220-6. [PMID: 21637671 PMCID: PMC3036928 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-47572009000200003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2008] [Accepted: 01/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on linkage disequilibrium (LD) across the genome and populations have been used in recent years with the main objective of improving gene mapping of complex traits. Here, we characterize the patterns of genetic diversity of HLA loci and evaluate LD (D') extent in three genomic regions: Xq13.3, NRY and HLA. In addition, we examine the distribution of DXS1225-DXS8082 haplotype diversity in Azoreans and mainland Portuguese. Allele distribution has demonstrated that the São Miguel population is genetically very diverse; haplotype analysis revealed 100% discriminatory power for X- and Y-markers and 94.3% for HLA markers. Standardized multiallelic D' in these three genomic regions shows values lower than 0.33, thereby suggesting there is no extensive LD in the São Miguel population. Data regarding the distribution of DXS1225-DXS8082 haplotypes indicate that there are no significant differences among all the populations studied, (Azorean geographical groups, the Azores archipelago and mainland Portugal). Moreover, in these as well as in other European populations, the most frequent DXS1225-DXS8082 haplotype is 210-219. Even though São Miguel islanders and Azoreans do not constitute isolated populations and show LD for only very short physical distances, certain characteristics, such as the absence of genetic structure, the same environment and the possibility of constructing extensive pedigrees through church and civil records, offer an opportunity for dissecting the genetic background of complex diseases in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Branco
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo of Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores Portugal
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Alfonso-Sánchez MA, Cardoso S, Martínez-Bouzas C, Peña JA, Herrera RJ, Castro A, Fernández-Fernández I, De Pancorbo MM. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup diversity in Basques: a reassessment based on HVI and HVII polymorphisms. Am J Hum Biol 2008; 20:154-64. [PMID: 18172868 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides a more complete characterization of the mitochondrial genome variability of the Basques, including data on the hypervariable segment HVII of the D-loop region, which remains relatively unknown. To that end, genomic DNA from 55 healthy men living in the Arratia Valley (Biscay province) and the Goiherri region (Guipúzcoa province) was examined by direct sequencing. Three-generation pedigree charts were compiled to ensure the collection from autochthonous individuals. The most notable findings emerging from the analysis of haplogroup composition are: (i) lack of U8a mitochondrial lineage, a rare subhaplogroup recently identified in Basques and proposed as a Paleolithic marker, (ii) low frequency of haplogroup V, which conflicts with results of earlier analyses describing high frequencies in southwestern Europe, and (iii) high frequency of haplogroup J, especially subhaplogroups J1c1 and J2a. The frequency of haplogroup J does not coincide with previous mtDNA studies in present-day Basques, but is congruent with frequencies found in prehistoric and historic Basque populations. In explaining divergence in haplogroup composition between modern Basque samples, we hypothesized spatial heterogeneity promoted by population fragmentation due to extreme limitation of dispersal opportunities during the Pleistocene glaciations. Similarities between extinct and extant Basque populations as for the high frequency of lineage J, as well as the abundance of this haplogroup in northern Spain endorse a shift in the focus of attention of mtDNA analysts. A refined dissection of haplogroup J might provide more solid evidence about the process of postglacial recolonization of Europe, and thus about the shaping of the European gene pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Alfonso-Sánchez
- Departamento de Genética y Antropología Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco, 48080 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
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Branco CC, Pacheco PR, Cabral R, Vicente AM, Mota-Vieira L. Genetic signature of the São Miguel Island population (Azores) assessed by 21 microsatellite loci. Am J Hum Biol 2008; 20:118-20. [PMID: 17990326 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the genetic diversity of São Miguel's population we compared 21 microsatellite loci in 204 individuals from São Miguel island and 103 individuals from mainland Portugal. The results show that São Miguel and mainland Portugal populations have an average gene diversity of 0.767 and 0.765, respectively. Allele frequencies of all markers are comparable to other European populations. This observation is corroborated by the genetic relationships analysis based on the NJ tree and principal component, where São Miguel is closely related to mainland Portugal. Overall, the data suggests that São Miguel does not show population structure and is outbred with high genetic diversity. Moreover, the characterization here described is crucial to predict and explain genotypes implicated in genetic diseases in the Azorean population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Branco
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
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Branco CC, Cabrol E, Bento MS, Gomes CT, Cabral R, Vicente AM, Pacheco PR, Mota-Vieira L. Evaluation of linkage disequilibrium on the Xq13.3 region: Comparison between the Azores islands and mainland Portugal. Am J Hum Biol 2008; 20:364-6. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Neto D, Montiel R, Bettencourt C, Santos C, Prata MJ, Lima M. The African contribution to the present-day population of the Azores Islands (Portugal): Analysis of the Y chromosome haplogroup E. Am J Hum Biol 2007; 19:854-60. [PMID: 17712788 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the settlers that, from 1432 onwards, arrived to the Azores Islands were individuals of North and sub-Saharan African origin. A previous study of markers of the Y chromosome revealed that haplogroup E is the second more frequent in the Azores (13%). Since this haplogroup is heterogeneous and may contain subtypes of African or non-African origin, we analyzed an extended sample of 319 Azoreans, originating from the three groups of islands (Eastern, Central, and Western), to evaluate the African contribution to the present-day population of the Azores. Samples belonging to the E clade were distributed into six haplogroups, from which the most frequent was E3b1a, representing 47.2% of the E chromosomes (6.3% of the total sample). The sub-Saharan haplogroup E3a was found in 7.1% of E chromosomes (0.9% of the total), corresponding to the highest frequency reported so far in a Portuguese population. No significant differences were detected in the haplogroup distribution among groups of islands, as well as between Azores and most of other European populations compared. The present-day representation of sub-Saharan lineages in Azores, although reduced, is higher than in other Portuguese populations, where the demographic representation of sub-Saharan slaves is reported as similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingos Neto
- Department of Biology, Center of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), University of the Azores, Portugal
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Couto AR, Bruges-Armas J, Peach CA, Chapman K, Brown MA, Wordsworth BP, Zhang Y. A novel LEMD3 mutation common to patients with osteopoikilosis with and without melorheostosis. Calcif Tissue Int 2007; 81:81-4. [PMID: 17622481 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-007-9043-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2007] [Accepted: 05/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have reported loss of function mutations in the LEMD3 gene, encoding an inner nuclear membrane protein that influences Smad signaling, as a cause of osteopoikilosis, Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome, and melorheostosis. We investigated LEMD3 in a three-generation family with osteopoikilosis from the Azores, an affected father and daughter from Ireland with osteopoikilosis (the daughter also had melorheostosis), and two other individuals from the UK with isolated melorheostosis. We found a novel C to T substitution at position 2032 bp (cDNA) in exon 8 of LEMD3, resulting in a premature stop codon at amino acid position 678. This mutation co-segregates with the osteopoikilosis phenotype in both the Azorean family and the Irish family. It was not detected in any of the six unaffected family members or in 342 healthy Caucasian individuals. No LEMD3 mutations were detected in the two patients with sporadic melorheostosis. The LEMD3 mutation reported was clearly the cause of osteopoikilosis in the two families but its relationship to melorheostosis in one of the family members is still unclear. Perhaps unsurprisingly in what is a segmental disease, we did not find LEMD3 mutations in peripheral-blood-derived DNA from the two other individuals with sporadic melorheostosis. The nature of the additional genetic and/or environmental influences required for the development of melorheostosis in those with osteopoikilosis requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Couto
- Serviço Especializado de Epidemiologia e Biologia Molecular, Hospital de Santo Espírito and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular da Universidade do Porto, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, GARG/IBMC, 9700-856, Porto, Portugal
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González AM, Larruga JM, Abu-Amero KK, Shi Y, Pestano J, Cabrera VM. Mitochondrial lineage M1 traces an early human backflow to Africa. BMC Genomics 2007; 8:223. [PMID: 17620140 PMCID: PMC1945034 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-8-223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2006] [Accepted: 07/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The out of Africa hypothesis has gained generalized consensus. However, many specific questions remain unsettled. To know whether the two M and N macrohaplogroups that colonized Eurasia were already present in Africa before the exit is puzzling. It has been proposed that the east African clade M1 supports a single origin of haplogroup M in Africa. To test the validity of that hypothesis, the phylogeographic analysis of 13 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and 261 partial sequences belonging to haplogroup M1 was carried out. Results The coalescence age of the African haplogroup M1 is younger than those for other M Asiatic clades. In contradiction to the hypothesis of an eastern Africa origin for modern human expansions out of Africa, the most ancestral M1 lineages have been found in Northwest Africa and in the Near East, instead of in East Africa. The M1 geographic distribution and the relative ages of its different subclades clearly correlate with those of haplogroup U6, for which an Eurasian ancestor has been demonstrated. Conclusion This study provides evidence that M1, or its ancestor, had an Asiatic origin. The earliest M1 expansion into Africa occurred in northwestern instead of eastern areas; this early spread reached the Iberian Peninsula even affecting the Basques. The majority of the M1a lineages found outside and inside Africa had a more recent eastern Africa origin. Both western and eastern M1 lineages participated in the Neolithic colonization of the Sahara. The striking parallelism between subclade ages and geographic distribution of M1 and its North African U6 counterpart strongly reinforces this scenario. Finally, a relevant fraction of M1a lineages present today in the European Continent and nearby islands possibly had a Jewish instead of the commonly proposed Arab/Berber maternal ascendance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M González
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38271, Spain
| | - José M Larruga
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38271, Spain
| | - Khaled K Abu-Amero
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yufei Shi
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - José Pestano
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas 35080, Spain
| | - Vicente M Cabrera
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife 38271, Spain
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Branco CC, Palla R, Lino S, Pacheco PR, Cabral R, De Fez L, Peixoto BR, Mota-Vieira L. Assessment of Azorean ancestry by Alu insertion polymorphisms. Am J Hum Biol 2006; 18:223-6. [PMID: 16493635 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of population ancestry from genetic markers is essential, for example, to understand the history of human migration and to carry out admixture and association studies. Here we assess the genome ancestry of the Azorean population through analysis of six Alu polymorphic sites (TPA-25, ACE, APO, B65, PV92, and D1) in 65 Azoreans and 30 Portuguese unrelated blood donors and compare data for the Y-chromosome and mtDNA. Allele frequencies were calculated by direct counting. Statistical analysis was performed using Arlequin 2.0. Nei's genetic distance was calculated with DISPAN software, and trees were constructed by neighbor joining (NJ) using PHYLIP 3.63. The results show that all Alu insertions were polymorphic. APO is the closest to fixation. The less frequent insertions are PV92 and D1 in the Azores and Portugal, respectively. ACE and TPA-25 show the highest values of heterozygosity in both populations. Allele frequencies are very similar to those obtained in European populations. These results are validated by the Y-chromosome and mtDNA data, where the majority of the maternal and paternal lineages are European. Overall, these data are reflected in the phylogenetic tree, in which the Azoreans and the Portuguese branch with Catalans, Andalusians, Moroccans, and Algerians. We conclude that the population of the Azores shows no significant genetic differences from that of mainland Portugal and that it is an outbred population. Moreover, the data validate the use of Alu insertion polymorphisms to assess the origin and history of human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Branco
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores
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Montiel R, Bettencourt C, Silva C, Santos C, Prata MJ, Lima M. Analysis of Y-chromosome Variability and its Comparison with mtDNA Variability Reveals Different Demographic Histories Between Islands in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal). Ann Hum Genet 2005. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-1809.2004.00146.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Pacheco PR, Branco CC, Cabral R, Costa S, Araújo AL, Peixoto BR, Mendonça P, Mota-Vieira L. The Y-chromosomal Heritage of the Azores Islands Population. Ann Hum Genet 2005. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-1809.2004.00147.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Cabral R, Branco CC, Costa S, Caravello G, Tasso M, Peixoto BR, Mota-Vieira L. Geography of surnames in the Azores: specificity and spatial distribution analysis. Am J Hum Biol 2005; 17:634-45. [PMID: 16136536 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to obtain a better understanding of the genetic structure of the Azorean population, a specificity and spatial distribution analysis was performed, based on 2,454 different surnames present in the Azorean telephone directory (2002). We considered as specific surnames those with an absolute frequency ratio equal to or higher than 50%. The results revealed 51 specific surnames in the whole archipelago. The smallest island presents the only surname with 100% specificity (Pedras). In addition, São Miguel island, which contains 54% of the Azorean population, has the highest number of specific surnames (25 specific surnames). The spatial distribution analysis was used to detect genetic similarity between municipalities through the calculation of spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I coefficient). Of 240 surnames included in the analysis, 113 showed statistically significant patterns. Five different patterns were obtained, of which the most relevant was isolation by distance and depression (41.6%). However, 43.4% had no defined pattern. The overall correlogram shows a majority of positive values for distances lower than 49 km and between 269-309 km, indicating high similarity between closer municipalities and between distant municipalities whose populations show historic and sociocultural affinities. In conclusion, our data are in agreement with the historical background of the Azorean population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Cabral
- Molecular Genetics and Pathology Unit, Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
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Santos C, Montiel R, Sierra B, Bettencourt C, Fernandez E, Alvarez L, Lima M, Abade A, Aluja MP. Understanding differences between phylogenetic and pedigree-derived mtDNA mutation rate: a model using families from the Azores Islands (Portugal). Mol Biol Evol 2005; 22:1490-505. [PMID: 15814829 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msi141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the control region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from maternally related individuals originating from the Azores Islands (Portugal) in order to estimate the mutation rate of mtDNA and to gain insights into the process by which a new mutation arises and segregates into heteroplasmy. Length and/or point heteroplasmies were found at least in one individual of 72% of the studied families. Eleven new point substitutions were found, all of them in heteroplasmy, from which five appear to be somatic mutations and six can be considered germinal, evidencing the high frequency of somatic mutations in mtDNA in healthy young individuals. Different values of the mutation rate according to different assumptions were estimated. When considering all the germinal mutations, the value of the mutation rate obtained is one of the highest reported so far in family studies. However, when corrected for gender (assuming that the mutations present in men have the same evolutionary weight of somatic mutations because they will inevitably be lost) and for the probability of intraindividual fixation, the value for the mutation rate obtained for HVRI and HVRII (0.2415 mutations/site/Myr) was in the upper end of the values provided by phylogenetic estimations. These results indicate that the discrepancy, that has been reported previously, between the human mtDNA mutation rates observed along evolutionary timescales and the estimations obtained using family pedigrees can be minimized when corrections for gender proportions in newborn individuals and for the probability of intraindividual fixation are introduced. The analyses performed support the hypothesis that (1) in a constant, tight bottleneck genetic drift alone can explain different patterns of heteroplasmy segregation and (2) in neutral conditions, the destiny of a new mutation is strictly related to the initial proportion of the new variant. Another important point arising from the data obtained is that, even in the absence of a paternal contribution of mtDNA, recombination may occur between mtDNA molecules present in an individual, which is only observable if it occurs between mtDNA types that differ at two or more positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Santos
- Anthropology Unit, Department BABVE, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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