3855 results for "*geneti*"

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• Tumor suppressor miR-133a modulates the prostate cancer epigenome by repressing BAZ2A

  Our study revealed a new subgroup of prostate tumors defined by the expression of a novel prognostic marker, BAZ2A, and the first time to show the establishment of CIMP via an microRNA-epigenetic interaction in prostate tumors.

  Study EGAS00001000568

• From matrimonial practices to genetic diversity in Southeast Asian populations: the signature of the matrilineal puzzle

  This project aims at revisiting the "matrilineal puzzle" from a population genetics' point of view. The dataset consists of 719 individuals from 12 populations sampled in continental Southeast Asia and genotyped at 598764 loci. This dataset can only be accessed and used for non-commercial research purposes with a finality complying with the informed consent provided by donors. For accessing the data, please provide: 1. An explicit title for the project you wish to use the data for. 2. A detailed institutional affiliation of all recipients and users of the data. 3. A summary (500 words) of the research project, with emphasis on its scientific and societal finality, and predicted outputs. If access is granted by the DAC, data cannot be shared with a third party not initially involved in the project, without the third party officially applying for accessing the data.

  Study EGAS00001003727

• DNA Methylation loss coupled with mitotic cell division promotes immune evasion of tumours with high mutation load

  Mitotic cell division increases tumour mutation burden and copy number load with a positive and inverse correlation, respectively, with the clinical benefit of immunotherapy. Markers of cell division correlate also with genomic demethylation involving methylation loss in late-replicating partial methylation domains. Here we find that immunomodulatory pathway genes are concentrated in these domains and transcriptionally repressed in demethylated tumours with CpG island promoter hypermethylation. Global methylation loss correlated with immune evasion signatures independently of mutation burden and aneuploidy. Methylome data of our cohort (n = 60) and a published cohort (n = 81) in lung cancer and a melanoma cohort (n = 40) consistently demonstrated that genomic methylation alterations counteract the contribution of high mutation burden and increase immunotherapeutic resistance. Higher predictive power was observed for methylation loss than mutation burden. We also found that genomic hypomethylation correlates with the immune escape signatures of aneuploid tumours. Hence, DNA methylation alterations implicate epigenetic modulation as a combination regimens for precision immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001003731

• Mapping the epigenomic landscape of human monocytes following innate immune activation reveals context-specific mechanisms driving endotoxin tolerance

  Background Monocytes are key mediators of innate immunity to infection, undergoing profound and dynamic changes in epigenetic state and immune function which are broadly protective but may be dysregulated in disease. Here, we aimed to advance understanding of epigenetic regulation following innate immune activation, acutely and in endotoxin tolerant states. Methods We exposed human primary monocytes from healthy donors (n=6) to interferon-γ or differing combinations of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide), including acute response (2hr) and two models of endotoxin tolerance: repeated stimulations (6+6hr) and prolonged exposure to endotoxin (24hr). Another subset of monocytes was left untreated (naïve). We identified context-specific regulatory elements based on epigenetic signatures for chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and regulatory non-coding RNAs from total RNA sequencing. Results We present an atlas of differential gene expression for endotoxin and interferon response, identifying widespread context specific changes. Across assayed states, only 24-29% of genes showing differential exon usage are also differential at the gene level. Overall, 19.9% (6884 of 34616) of repeatedly observed ATAC peaks were differential in at least one condition, the majority upregulated on stimulation and located in distal regions (64.1% vs 45.9% of non-differential peaks) within which sequences were less conserved than non-differential peaks. We identified enhancer-derived RNA signatures specific to different monocyte states that correlated with chromatin accessibility changes. The endotoxin tolerance models showed distinct chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic signatures, with integrated analysis identifying genes and pathways involved in the inflammatory response, detoxification, metabolism and wound healing. We leveraged eQTL mapping for the same monocyte activation states to link potential enhancers with specific genes, identifying 1,946 unique differential ATAC peaks with 1,340 expression associated genes. We further use this to inform understanding of reported GWAS, for example involving FCHO1 and coronary artery disease. Conclusion This study reports context-specific regulatory elements based on transcriptomic profiling and epigenetic signatures for enhancer-derived RNAs and chromatin accessibility in immune tolerant monocyte states, and demonstrates the informativeness of linking such elements and eQTL to inform future mechanistic studies aimed at defining therapeutic targets of immunosuppression and diseases.

  Study EGAS00001007362

• Using_genetics_to_identify_cell_types_and_mechanisms_underlying_susceptibility_to_primary_sclerosing_cholangitis

  Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a T-cell mediated, chronic inflammatory condition of the biliary tree that is strongly associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified 22 non-HLA genetic risk variants associated PSC. Identifying the genes impacted by these variants has proven difficult as the majority lie in non-coding regions of the genome. Knowledge of the genes and biological pathways these non-coding variants are perturbing is vital to understanding the disease biology. One means of assessing the impact of non-coding variants within disease associated loci upon genes is via colocalisation with eQTL. Many eQTL are cell-type specific, requiring the analysis of disease relevant cell types to detect colocalisation. We have collected PSC-relevant T-cell-subtypes from the peripheral blood of PSC patients via fluorescence activated cell sorting in preparation for RNA sequencing and mapping of eQTL. Samples were collected at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hopital, for which local ethical approval has been granted. Lysed cell samples will be transferred to WTSI and DNA/RNA will be extracted from lysed cell samples by T143 before genotyping (DNA) and custom library preparation and sequencing (RNA). This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001002642

• A system-wide approach to monitor responses to synergistic BRAF and EGFR inhibition in colorectal cancer cells

  Molecular heterogeneity of tumors, epigenetic changes and a diverse range of molecular mechanisms are main contributors to drug resistance, which represents one of the great challenges in cancer treatment. A deeper understanding of the molecular biology of cancer has resulted in better targeted therapies, where one or multiple drugs are adopted in novel therapies to tackle resistance. This beneficial effect of using combination treatments has to some extent also been observed in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients harboring the BRAF(V600E) mutation, whereby dual inhibition of BRAF(V600E) and EGFR increases antitumor activity. Notwithstanding this success, it is not clear whether this combination treatment is the only or most effective treatment to block resistance. Here, we investigate molecular responses upon single and multi-target treatments, over time, using BRAF(V600E) mutant CRC cells as a well-define model system. Through integration of transcriptomic, proteomic and phosphoproteomics data we obtain a comprehensive overview, revealing both well-known and novel responses. We primarily observe widespread upregulation of tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and and metabolic pathways. This points to by which the treated cells switch energy sources as a defensive response entering a quiescent like state, while activating signalling to re-activate the MAPK pathway.

  Study EGAS00001002654

• Multimodal single-cell and bulk glioma analyses

  Glioma intratumoral heterogeneity enables adaptation to challenging microenvironments and contributes to therapeutic resistance. We integrated 914 single-cell DNA methylomes, 55,284 single-cell transcriptomes, and bulk multi-omic profiles across 11 adult IDH-mutant or IDH-wild-type gliomas to delineate sources of intratumoral heterogeneity. We show that local DNA methylation disorder associates with cell-to-cell DNA methylation differences, is elevated in more aggressive tumors, links with transcriptional disruption, and is altered in environmental stress response. Glioma cells under in vitro hypoxic and irradiation stress increased local DNA methylation disorder and shifted cell states. We identified a positive association between genetic and epigenetic instability that was supported in bulk longitudinally collected DNA methylation data. Increased DNA methylation disorder associated with accelerated disease progression, and recurrently selected DNA methylation changes were enriched for environmental stress response pathways. Our work identifies an epigenetically facilitated adaptive stress response process and highlights the importance of epigenetic heterogeneity in shaping therapeutic outcomes.

  Study EGAS00001005300

• Bulk-tissue RNA-sequencing of anterior cingulate cortex samples derived from Lewy body disease patients

  Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are three clinically, genetically and neuropathologically overlapping neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as the Lewy body diseases (LBDs). A variety of molecular mechanisms have been implicated in PD pathogenesis, but the mechanisms underlying PDD and DLB remain largely unknown, a knowledge gap that presents an impediment to the discovery of disease-modifying therapies. Transcriptomic profiling can contribute to addressing this gap, but remains limited in the LBDs. Here, we applied paired bulk-tissue and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to anterior cingulate cortex samples derived from 28 individuals, including healthy controls, PD, PDD and DLB cases (n = 7 per group), to transcriptomically profile the LBDs. Using this approach, we (i) found transcriptional alterations in multiple cell types across the LBDs; (ii) discovered evidence for widespread dysregulation of RNA splicing, particularly in PDD and DLB; (iii) identified potential splicing factors, with links to other dementia-related neurodegenerative diseases, coordinating this dysregulation; and (iv) identified transcriptomic commonalities and distinctions between the LBDs that inform understanding of the relationships between these three clinical disorders. Together, these findings have important implications for the design of RNA-targeted therapies for these diseases and highlight a potential molecular “window” of therapeutic opportunity between the initial onset of PD and subsequent development of Lewy body dementia.

  Study EGAS00001005305

• A targeted gene panel that covers coding, noncoding, and short tandem repeat regions improves the diagnosis of patients with neurodegenerative diseases

  Genetic testing for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is highly challenging because of genotype heterogeneity and overlapping clinical manifestations. Targeted-gene panels (TGPs), coupled with next-generation sequencing (NGS), can facilitate the profiling of a large repertoire of ND-related genes and help with differential diagnosis. Due to the technical limitations inherent in NGS and TGPs, short tandem repeat (STR) variations are often ignored. However, STR expansions are known to cause such NDs as Huntington’s disease and several types of spinocerebellar ataxias, such as SCA type 3 (SCA3).Here, we studied the clinical utility of a custom-made TGP that targets 199 NDs and 311 ND-associated genes on 118 undiagnosed patients. At least one known pathogenic or likely pathogenic variation was found in 54 (45.8%) patients; 27 (22.9%) of the 118 patients demonstrated clinical profiles that matched the variants. Based on the findings from the TGP, we refined the original diagnosis of 16 patients. A high concordance of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (99.9%) and small insertions and deletions (93.2%) were observed when comparing the results from TGP and whole-exome sequencing of four patients. We tested an in-house STR detection algorithm, and it reached a specificity of 0.88 and a sensitivity of 0.82 in our SCA3 cohort. This study also uncovered a trove of novel and recurrent variants that may enrich the repertoire of ND-related genetic markers. We propose that a combination of comprehensive TGPs and the bioinformatics analysis pipeline can improve the clinical diagnosis and accelerate the diagnosis of NDs.

  Study EGAS00001003737

• Multi-site tumor sampling highlights molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity in malignant pleural mesothelioma

  Background:Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a heterogeneous cancer. Better knowledge of molecular and cellular intra-tumor heterogeneity throughout the thoracic cavity is required to develop efficient therapies. This study focuses on molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity using the largest series to date in MPM and is the first to report on the multi-omics profiling of a substantial series of multi-site tumor samples. Methods:Intra-tumor heterogeneity was investigated in 16 patients from whom biopsies were taken at distinct anatomical sites. The paired biopsies collected from apex, side wall, costo-diaphragmatic or highest metabolic sites as well as 5 derived cell lines were screened using targeted sequencing. Whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation were performed on a subset of the cohort for deep characterization. Molecular classification, recently defined histo-molecular gradients, and cell populations of the tumor microenvironment were assessed. Results:Sequencing analysis identified heterogeneous variants notably in NF2, a key tumor suppressor gene of mesothelial carcinogenesis. Subclonal tumor populations were shared among paired biopsies, suggesting a polyclonal dissemination of the tumor. Transcriptome analysis highlighted dysregulation of cell adhesion and extracellular matrix pathways, linked to changes in histo-molecular gradient proportions between anatomic sites. Methylome analysis revealed contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in two patients. Finally, significant changes in the expression of immune mediators and genes related to immunological synapse, as well as differential infiltration of immune populations in the tumor environment were observed and led to a switch from a hot to a cold immune profile in three patients. Conclusions:This comprehensive analysis reveals patient-dependent spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity at the genetic, transcriptomic and epigenetic levels and in the immune landscape of the tumor microenvironment. Results support

  Study EGAS00001005328

• FinHer_Breast_Cancer_Study

  The purpose of this study is to sequence 500 known cancer genes in 960 newly diagnosed high risk breast cancer patients treated with current standard of care therapies and trastuzumab, for somatic alteration and copy number changes. We will be using next gen sequencing technology to determine the prognostic relevance of these somatic genetic alterations and of teh low frequency events to determine if they are associated with trastuzumab benefit or HER2 positive breast cancer, i.e. treatment interaction. The samples will be analysed adn correlated with clinical variables including outcome.

  Study EGAS00001000648

• Combination_therapies_for_personalized_cancer_medicine

  It is the ambition of the team formed by members of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI) to unravel the genomic and phenotypic complexity of human cancers in order to identify optimal drug combinations for personalized cancer therapy. Our integrated approach will entail (i) deep sequencing of human tumours and cognate mouse tumours; (ii) drug screens in a 1000+ fully characterized tumour cell line panel; (iii) high-throughput in vitro and in vivo shRNA and cDNA drug resistance and enhancement screens; (iv) computational analysis of the acquired data, leading to significant response predictions; (v) rigorous validation of these predictions in genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts. This integrated effort is expected to yield a number of combination therapies and companion-diagnostics biomarkers that will be further explored in our existing clinical trial networks.

  Study EGAS00001000655

• Dataset with genome-wide array data from Algerian Amazigh (Chaoui and Mozabite) and non-Amazigh individuals

  In this study we perform a genetic characterization of different Amazigh populations in Algeria and assess the impact of recent demography on their genomes.

  Study EGAS00001007235

• Clonal expansion and epigenetic reprogramming following deletion or amplification of mutant IDH1

  IDH1 mutation is the earliest genetic alteration in low-grade gliomas (LGGs), but its role in tumor recurrence is unclear. Mutant IDH1 drives overproduction of the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) and a CpG island (CGI) hypermethylation phenotype (G-CIMP). To investigate the role of mutant IDH1 at recurrence, we performed a longitudinal analysis of 50 IDH1 mutant LGGs. We discovered six cases with copy number alterations (CNAs) at the IDH1 locus at recurrence. Deletion or amplification of IDH1 was followed by clonal expansion and recurrence at a higher grade. Successful cultures derived from IDH1 mutant, but not IDH1 wild-type, gliomas systematically deleted IDH1 in vitro and in vivo, further suggestive of selection against the heterozygous mutant state as tumors progress. Tumors and cultures with IDH1 CNA had decreased 2HG, maintenance of G-CIMP, and DNA methylation reprogramming outside CGI. Thus, while IDH1 mutation initiates gliomagenesis, in some patients, mutant IDH1 and 2HG are not required for later clonal expansions.

  Study EGAS00001001854

• Genetic subclone heterogeneity of tumor-initiating cells in human colorectal cancer

  A subset of tumor-initiating cells (TIC) drives colorectal cancer (CRC) progression in serial mouse xenografts. The TIC compartment itself is heterogeneous and comprises hierarchically organized long-term TIC, tumor transient amplifying cells, and delayed contributing TIC. To address the genomic heterogeneity of the CRC TIC compartment, genome-wide high-coverage whole genome sequencing was performed on patient tumors (n=3), corresponding serially passaged TIC-enriched spheres, and serial xenografts.HIPO P002

  Study EGAS00001001857

• Whole transcriptome and exome sequencing of childhood ALL

  Gene fusion is a major class of genomic abnormalities in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and sentinel chromosomal rearrangements involving EP300 and CREBBP may cause global epigenetic deregulation during leukemogenesis with potentials for therapeutic targeting. This dataset includes whole transcriptome sequencing of 231 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia from a Singapore-Malaysia frontline clinical treatment protocol.

  Study EGAS00001001858

• SmMIP-tools:a computational toolset for processing and analysis of single-molecule molecular inversion probes derived data

  Single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs) provides a modular and cost-effective platform for high-multiplex targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Nevertheless, translating the raw smMIP-derived sequencing data into accurate and meaningful information currently requires proficient computational skills and a large amount of computational work, prohibiting wide-scale adoption of smMIP-based technologies. To enable easy, efficient, and accurate interrogation of smMIP-derived data, we developed SmMIP-tools, a computational toolset that combines the critical analytic steps for smMIP data interpretation into a single computational pipeline. Here, we describe in detail two major components of the software. The first is a read processing tool that performs quality control steps, generates read-smMIP linkages and retrieves molecular tags. The second is an error-aware variant caller capable of detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and short insertions and deletions (indels). Using a cell-line DNA dilution series and a cohort of blood cancer patients, we benchmarked SmMIP-tools and evaluated its performance against clinical sequencing reports. We anticipate that SmMIP-tools will increase accessibility to smMIP-technology, enabling cost-effective genetic research to push personalized medicine forward.

  Study EGAS00001005359

• Next-Generation Sequencing of AV Nodal Reentry Tachycardia patients

  Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common form of regular paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. This arrhythmia affects women twice as frequently as men, and is often diagnosed in patients below 40 years of age. Familial clustering, early onset of symptoms, and lack of structural anomaly indicate involvement of genetic factors in AVNRT pathophysiology. We hypothesized that AVNRT patients have a high prevalence of variants in genes that are highly expressed in the atrioventricular conduction axis of the heart and potentially involved in arrhythmic diseases. Next-generation sequencing of 67 genes was applied to the DNA profile of 298 AVNRT patients and 10 AVNRT family members using HaloPlex Target Enrichment System.In total, we identified 229 variants in 60 genes; 215 missenses, four frame shifts, four codon deletions, three missense and splice sites, two stop-gain variants, and one start-lost variant. Sixty-five of these were not present in the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database. Furthermore, we report two AVNRT families with co-segregating variants. Seventy-five of 284 AVNRT patients (26.4%) and three family members to different AVNRT probands had one or more variants in genes affecting the sodium handling. Fifty-four out of 284 AVNRT patients (19.0%) had variants in genes affecting the calcium handling of the heart. We furthermore find a large proportion of variants in the HCN1-4 genes. We did not detect a significant enrichment of rare variants in the tested genes.This could be an indication that AVNRT might be an electrical arrhythmic disease with abnormal sodium and calcium handling.

  Study EGAS00001002745

• Glioblastoma initiating cells are sensitive to histone demethylase inhibition due to epigenetic deregulation

  Tumor-initiating cells are a subpopulation of cells that have self-renewal capacity to regenerate a tumor. Here, we identify stem cell-like chromatin features in human glioblastoma initiating cells (GICs) and link them to a loss of the repressive histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) mark. Increasing H3K9me3 levels by histone demethylase inhibition led to cell death in GICs but not in their differentiated counterparts. The induction of apoptosis was accompanied by a loss of the activating H3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) modification and accumulation of DNA damage and downregulation of DDR genes. Upon knockdown of histone demethylases KDM4C and KDM7A both differentiation and DNA damage was induced. Thus, the H3K9me3-H3K9ac equilibrium is crucial for GIC viability and represents a chromatin feature that can be exploited to specifically target this tumor subpopulation.

  Study EGAS00001003750

• Mutational bias in spermatogonia impacts the anatomy of regulatory sites in the human genome

  Mutation in the germline is the ultimate source of genetic variation, but little is known about the influence of germline chromatin structure on mutational processes. Using ATAC-seq, we profile the open chromatin landscape of human spermatogonia, the most proliferative cell-type of the germline, identifying transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and PRDM9-binding sites, a subset of which will initiate meiotic recombination. We observe an increase in rare structural variant (SV) breakpoints at PRDM9-bound sites, implicating meiotic recombination in the generation of structural variation. Many germline TFBSs, such as NRF, are also associated with increased rates of SV breakpoints, apparently independent of recombination. Singleton short insertions (>=5 bp) are highly enriched at TFBSs, particularly at sites bound by testis active TFs, and their rates correlate with those of structural variant breakpoints. Short insertions often duplicate the TFBS motif, leading to clustering of motif sites near regulatory regions in this male-driven evolutionary process. Increased mutation loads at germline TFBSs disproportionately affect neural enhancers with activity in spermatogonia, potentially altering neurodevelopmental regulatory architecture. Local chromatin structure in spermatogonia is thus pervasive in shaping both evolution and disease.

  Study EGAS00001005366

• Variation in the Glucose Transporter gene SLC2A2 is associated with glycaemic response to metformin

  Metformin is the first-line antidiabetic drug with over 100 million users worldwide, yet its mechanism of action remains unclear1. Here the Metformin Genetics (MetGen) Consortium reports a three-stage genome wide association study (GWAS), consisting of 13,123 participants of different ancestries. The C-allele of rs8192675 in the intron of SLC2A2, which encodes the facilitated glucose transporter GLUT2, was associated with a 0.17% (p=6.6x10-14) greater metformin induced HbA1c reduction in 10,577 participants of European ancestry. rs8192675 is the top cis-eQTL for SLC2A2 in 1,226 human liver samples, suggesting a key role for hepatic GLUT2 in regulation of metformin action. In obese individuals C-allele homozygotes at rs8192675 had a 0.33% (3.6mmol/mol) greater absolute HbA1c reduction than T-allele homozygotes.This is about half the effect seen with the addition of a DPP-4 inhibitor, and equates to a dose difference of 550mg of metformin, suggesting rs8192675 as a potential biomarker for stratified medicine.

  Study EGAS00001001875

• Growth Hormone (GH) -secreting Pituitary Adenoma

  We profiled the somatic landscape of 21 growth hormone (GH) -secreting pituitary adenomas using somatic copy-number alteration (SCNA), whole-genome sequencing (WGS), bisulfate sequencing, and transcriptome approaches. See details in Valimaki et al. Genetic and epigenetic characterization of growth hormone (GH) - secreting pituitary tumors. Manuscript in preparation, 2019.

  Study EGAS00001003488

• Investigating genetic susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease in Oceania

  This case-control study investigated susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease in over 3,000 individuals recruited across eight Oceanian countries. Cases were patients with rheumatic heart disease and controls were members of the general population. In addition to the Illumina HumanCore-24 BeadChip genotyping, a subset of 128 samples were analysed using the higher density Illumina HumanOmniExpressExome BeadChip of which 64 were also analysed using low coverage sequencing with the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform.

  Study EGAS00001001881

• Kibbutzim Family study

  The Kibbutzim Family Study (KFS) was established in 1992 to investigate the environmental and genetic determinants of cardiometabolic risk factors and their change over time. The participants belong to large families living in close-knit communities, called “Kibbutzim”, in Northern Israel. The Kibbutz has been a communal settlement, which has created a relatively homogeneous environment for its members. Kibbutz members are mostly of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, with the remaining members belonging to other Jewish subgroups. Participants were recruited in two phases from six Kibbutzim. In the first recruitment phase of the study (1992–1993) 500 individuals from 80 extended families (range 2 to 43) were examined. During the second phase (1999–2000), all participants from the first phase were invited for repeat examinations (80% response rate) and additional new participants were recruited, giving a total of 922 individuals from 150 extended families (range 2 to 55). Families were invited to participate if they consisted of at least four individuals who (i) lived in the Kibbutz, (ii) spanned at least two generations, and (iii) were at least 15 years old. Families were retained if at least two family members consented to participate in the study. Overall, 1033 participants were recruited; 111 were examined only in the first phase, 533 only in the second phase, and 389 were included in both. 901 individuals were successfully genotyped using Illumina HumanCoreExome BeadChip.

  Study EGAS00001002782

• Genetic control of the transcriptomic response of monocytes to bacterial and viral stimuli assessed by RNA-seq in Africans and Europeans

  Humans differ in the outcome that follows exposure to life-threatening pathogens, yet the extent of population differences in immune responses, and their genetic and evolutionary determinants, remain undefined. Here, we characterized, using RNA-sequencing, the transcriptional response of primary monocytes from Africans and Europeans to bacterial and viral stimuli - ligands activating Toll-like receptors pathways (TLR1/2, TLR4 and TLR7/8) and influenza virus - and mapped expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We identify multiple cis- and trans-eQTL that contribute to the marked differences in immune responses detected within and between populations, including a TLR1 master regulator that decreases expression of pro-inflammatory genes in Europeans only. We show that regulatory variants have been privileged targets of natural selection, uncovering evolutionarily advantageous mechanisms, such as attenuated inflammation. Finally, we demonstrate that admixture with Neandertals introduced regulatory variants into European genomes, affecting preferentially responses to viral challenges, and identify archaic haplotypes that contributed to population genetic adaptation.

  Study EGAS00001001895