Project description:Myanmar locates in the crossroads of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, and is known for high culture diversity in different ethnic groups. It is considered to be important for understanding human evolutionary history and genetic diversity in East Eurasia. However, relatively few studies have examined the population structure and demographic history in Myanmar to date. In this study, we analyzed more than 220,000 genome-wide SNPs in 175 new samples of five ethnic groups from Myanmar and compared them with the published data. Our results showed that the Myanmar population is intricately substructured, with the main observed clusters corresponding roughly to western/northern highlanders (Chin, Naga, and Jingpo) and central/southern lowlanders (Bamar and Rakhine). The gene flow inferred from South Asia has a substantial influence (~11%) on the gene pool of central/southern lowlanders rather than western/northern highlanders. The genetic admixture is dated around 650 years ago. These findings suggest that the genome-wide variation in Myanmar was likely shaped by the linguistic, cultural, and historical changes.
Project description:Rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) is the causal agent of rice ragged stunt disease which causes severe loss of rice yield in Asia countries. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between symptom and host gene responses by RRSV infection.
Project description:Rice gall dwarf virus (RGDV) is the causal agent of rice gall dwarf disease which causes severe loss of rice yield in Asia countries. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between symptom and host gene responses by RGDV infection.
Project description:Rice transitory yellow (RTYV) is the causal agent of rice transitory yellow disease which causes severe loss of rice yield in Asia countries. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between symptom and host gene responses by RGDV infection.
Project description:Rice black streak dwarf virus (RBSDV) is the causal agent of rice black streak dwarf disease which causes severe loss of rice yield in Asia countries. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between symptom and host gene responses by RBSDV infection.
Project description:Gastric cancer is the most common cancer in Asia and most developing countries. To identify the molecular underpinnings of gastric cancer in the Asian population, we applied an RNA-sequencing approach to gastric tumor and noncancerous specimens to quantitatively characterize the entire transcriptome of gastric cancer (including mRNAs and microRNAs). A multi-layer analysis was then developed to identify multiple types of transcriptional aberrations associated with different stages of gastric cancer, including differentially expressed mRNAs, recurrent somatic mutations and key differentially expressed microRNAs. Through this approach, we identified the central metabolic regulator AMPK-α as a potential functional target in Asian gastric cancer. Further, we experimentally demonstrated the translational relevance of this gene as a potential therapeutic target for early-stage gastric cancer in Asian patients. Together, our findings not only provide a valuable information resource for identifying and elucidating the molecular mechanisms of Asian gastric cancer, but also represent a general integrative framework to develop more effective therapeutic targets.
Project description:The whitefly Bemisa tabaci is a species complex of more than 31 cryptic species which include some of the most destructive invasive pests of many ornamental and glasshouse crops worldwide. Among them, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (herein MEAM1) and Mediterranean (herein MED) have invaded many countries around the world and displaced the native whitefly species. However, the molecular differences between invasive and indigenous whiteflies remain largely unknown. The global transcriptional difference between the two invasive whitefly Bemisia tabaci species (MEAM1, MED) and one indigenous whitefly species (Asia II 3) were analyzed using the Illumina sequencing technology.
Project description:If copy number variants (CNVs) are predominantly deleterious, we would expect them to be more efficiently purged from populations with a large effective population size (Ne) than from populations with a small Ne. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) provide an excellent organism to examine this prediction, because this protozoan shows a broad spectrum of population structures within a single species, with large, stable, outbred populations in Africa, small unstable inbred populations in South America and with intermediate population characteristics in South East Asia. We characterized 122 single-clone parasites, without prior laboratory culture, from malaria-infected patients in 7 countries in Africa, SE Asia and S. America using a high density SNP/CNV microarray. We scored 134 high-confidence CNVs across the parasite exome, including 33 deletions and 102 amplifications, which ranged in size from <500bp to 59kb, as well as 10,107 flanking, biallelic SNPs. Overall, CNVs were rare, small and skewed towards low frequency variants, consistent with the deleterious model. Relative to African and SE Asian populations, CNVs were significantly more common in S. America, showed significantly less skew in allele frequencies, and were significantly larger. On this background of low frequency CNV, we also identified several high-frequency CNVs under putative positive selection using an FST outlier analysis. These included known adaptive CNVs containing rh2b and pfmdr1, and several other CNVs (e.g. DNA helicase, and 3 conserved proteins) that require further investigation. Our data are consistent with a significant impact of genetic structure on CNV burden in an important human pathogen. SNP/CGH hybridisation of 175 malaria parasite samples
Project description:If copy number variants (CNVs) are predominantly deleterious, we would expect them to be more efficiently purged from populations with a large effective population size (Ne) than from populations with a small Ne. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) provide an excellent organism to examine this prediction, because this protozoan shows a broad spectrum of population structures within a single species, with large, stable, outbred populations in Africa, small unstable inbred populations in South America and with intermediate population characteristics in South East Asia. We characterized 122 single-clone parasites, without prior laboratory culture, from malaria-infected patients in 7 countries in Africa, SE Asia and S. America using a high density SNP/CNV microarray. We scored 134 high-confidence CNVs across the parasite exome, including 33 deletions and 102 amplifications, which ranged in size from <500bp to 59kb, as well as 10,107 flanking, biallelic SNPs. Overall, CNVs were rare, small and skewed towards low frequency variants, consistent with the deleterious model. Relative to African and SE Asian populations, CNVs were significantly more common in S. America, showed significantly less skew in allele frequencies, and were significantly larger. On this background of low frequency CNV, we also identified several high-frequency CNVs under putative positive selection using an FST outlier analysis. These included known adaptive CNVs containing rh2b and pfmdr1, and several other CNVs (e.g. DNA helicase, and 3 conserved proteins) that require further investigation. Our data are consistent with a significant impact of genetic structure on CNV burden in an important human pathogen.
Project description:Rice transitory yellow (RTYV) is the causal agent of rice transitory yellow disease which causes severe loss of rice yield in Asia countries. In this study, we have analyzed the relationship between symptom and host gene responses by RGDV infection. Comparison between RTYV and mock infected rice. Biological replicates: 3 control, 3 infected, independently grown and harvested. 1 samples derived from 5 plants grown under same conditons