Comparative Study for the Association of Mitochondrial Haplogroup F+ and Metabolic Syndrome between Longevity and Control Population in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Geographical distinctions of longevity indicators and their correlation with climatic factors in the area where most Chinese Yao are distributed

Longevity research is a hot topic in the health field. Considerable research focuses on longevity phenomenon in Bama Yao Autonomous County, which has a typical karst landform and is located in Southwest China. This study aims to illustrate the spatial feature of longevity indicators in other Yao areas, to analyze the correlation between climatic factors and longevity indicators, and to provide new clues and targets for further longevity studies. We collect and integrate population, climate, and terrain data into a spatial database. The main analysis methods include spatial autocorrelation, high/low clustering, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). Two longevity clusters are identified in Guijiang River Basin (longevity index (LI%): 2.49 ± 0.63) and Liujiang River Basin (LI%: 2.13 ± 0.60). The spatial distribution of longevity indicators is autocorrelative (Moran's I = 0.652, p < 0.001) and clustered significantly (Z score = 4.268, p < 0.001). MGWR shows that the atmospheric pressure significantly affects the spatial distribution of LI% (estimate value (EV) =  - 0.566, p = 0.012), centenarity index (CI%) (EV =  - 0.425, p = 0.007), UC (EV =  - 0.502, p = 0.006), and CH (EV =  - 0.497, p = 0.007). Rainfall significantly affects the spatial distribution of LI% (EV = 0.300, p = 0.003) and CI% (EV =  - 0.191, p = 0.016). The spatial distribution of the main longevity indicators shows significant heterogeneity and autocorrelation, and they cluster in the Guijiang River and Liujiang River basins. Atmospheric pressure and rainfall may contribute to the longevity phenomenon through complex mechanisms. The longevity phenomenon in the Yao nationality in Guijiang River Basin requires further study to improve our understanding of the health effect of meteorological, environmental, and social conditions on longevity.

Common mtDNA variations at C5178a and A249d/T6392C/G10310A decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 in a Han Chinese population from Central China

BACKGROUND

Mitochondria have been shown to play vital roles during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) development. Currently, it is unclear whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants, which define mtDNA haplogroups and determine oxidative phosphorylation performance and reactive oxygen species production, are associated with COVID-19 risk.

METHODS

A population-based case-control study was conducted to compare the distribution of mtDNA variations defining mtDNA haplogroups between healthy controls (n = 615) and COVID-19 patients (n = 536). COVID-19 patients were diagnosed based on molecular diagnostics of the viral genome by qPCR and chest X-ray or computed tomography scanning. The exclusion criteria for the healthy controls were any history of disease in the month preceding the study assessment. MtDNA variants defining mtDNA haplogroups were identified by PCR-RFLPs and HVS-I sequencing and determined based on mtDNA phylogenetic analysis using Mitomap Phylogeny. Student's t-test was used for continuous variables, and Pearson's chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables. To assess the independent effect of each mtDNA variant defining mtDNA haplogroups, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjustments for possible confounding factors of age, sex, smoking and diseases (including cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, obesity and hypertension) as determined through clinical and radiographic examinations.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the most common investigated mtDNA variations (> 10% in the control population) at C5178a (in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene, ND2) and A249d (in the displacement loop region, D-loop)/T6392C (in cytochrome c oxidase I gene, CO1)/G10310A (in ND3) were associated with a reduced risk of severe COVID-19 (OR = 0.590, 95% CI 0.428-0.814, P = 0.001; and OR = 0.654, 95% CI 0.457-0.936, P = 0.020, respectively), while A4833G (ND2), A4715G (ND2), T3394C (ND1) and G5417A (ND2)/C16257a (D-loop)/C16261T (D-loop) were related to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 (OR = 2.336, 95% CI 1.179-4.608, P = 0.015; OR = 2.033, 95% CI 1.242-3.322, P = 0.005; OR = 3.040, 95% CI 1.522-6.061, P = 0.002; and OR = 2.890, 95% CI 1.199-6.993, P = 0.018, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to explore the association of mtDNA variants with individual's risk of developing severe COVID-19. Based on the case-control study, we concluded that the common mtDNA variants at C5178a and A249d/T6392C/G10310A might contribute to an individual's resistance to developing severe COVID-19, whereas A4833G, A4715G, T3394C and G5417A/C16257a/C16261T might increase an individual's risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Stem cell plasticity and regenerative potential regulation through Ca2+-mediated mitochondrial nuclear crosstalk

The multi-lineage differentiation potential is one of the prominent mechanisms through which stem cells can repair damaged tissues. The regenerative potential of stem cells is the manifestation of several changes at the structural and molecular levels in stem cells that are regulated through intricate mitochondrial-nuclear interactions maintained by Ca²⁺ ion signaling. Despite the exhilarating evidences strengthening the versatile and indispensible role of Ca²⁺ in regulating mitochondrial-nuclear interactions, the extensive details of signaling mechanisms remains largely unexplored. In this review we have discussed the effect of Ca²⁺ ion mediated mitochondrial-nuclear interactions participating in stem plasticity and its regenerative potential.

Identification of cardiovascular health gene variants related to longevity in a Chinese population

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most important causes of human death, but no attention has been paid to cardiovascular health genes related to healthy longevity. Therefore, we developed a cohort study to explore such genes in healthy, long-lived Chinese subjects. A total of 13275 healthy elderly people were enrolled, including 5107 healthy long-lived individuals and 8168 age-matched control individuals with low CVD risk. Using a combination of whole-exome sequencing (WES) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we identified 2 genetic variants (TFPI rs7586970 T, p=0.013, OR=1.100. ADAMTS7 rs3825807 A, p=0.017, OR=1.198) associated with healthy lipid metabolism and longevity. Furthermore, we showed that an interaction among TFPI rs7586970, ADAMTS7 rs3825807 and APOE ɛ3 maintained normal blood lipid levels in centenarians by stratified analysis of CVD risk factors. Finally, through biological function analysis, we revealed clues regarding the mechanism of factor related to cardiovascular health (FCH) such as lipids and longevity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that the two variants above may be associated with longevity via FCH lipid metabolism pathways. From a meta-analysis of venous thrombosis patients, we unexpectedly found that rs7586970 T is associated with both longevity and protection against vascular disease.