NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 21 October 2007
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
· Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Genetic variants in autoimmunity – Nature Genetics
Genetic variation in hair, eye, and skin pigmentation – Nature Genetics
Sex chromosomes influence behaviour – Nature Neuroscience
New AIDS risk factor – Nature Immunology
· Mention of papers to be published at the same time with the same embargo
· Geographical listing of authors
PDFs of all the papers mentioned on this release can be found in the relevant journal’s section of http://press.nature.com. Press contacts for the Nature journals are listed at the end of this release.
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PLEASE CITE THE SPECIFIC NATURE JOURNAL AND WEBSITE AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO THE APPROPRIATE JOURNAL’S WEBSITE.
***********************************************NATURE GENETICS **************************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[1] Genetic variants in autoimmunity
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2007.17
Scientists report new genetic associations to four diseases in a large scale collaborative effort online this week in Nature Genetics. The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), together with The Australo-Anglo-American Spondylitis Consortium (TASC), identify new genetic associations to three autoimmune diseases – Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Autoimmune Thyroid Disease/Graves’ Disease (AITD), and Multiple Sclerosis—as well as Breast Cancer.
The study involved genome-wide association of protein-coding variants (known as non-synonymous SNPs) in 1000 independent cases of each of the four diseases, compared to a common control set of 1500 healthy individuals. The findings include a report of two new replicated genetic loci associated to AS. The strongest genetic associations were found in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region, previously known to be strongly associated with autoimmunity. The authors also provide confirmation of a number of previously reported associations for these diseases.
Author contacts:
Lon R. Cardon (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA)
Tel: +1 206 667 6542; E-mail: [email protected]
David M. Evans (University of Oxford, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, UK)
Tel: +44 1865 287 587; E-mail: [email protected]
Additional media contact:
Craig Brierley (Wellcome Trust Press Office)
Tel: +44 20 7611 7329; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Genetic variation in hair, eye, and skin pigmentation
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2007.13
Several new genetic associations for human hair, eye and skin pigmentation in individuals of European ancestry are identified online this week in Nature Genetics.
Kari Stefansson and colleagues have conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic variation associated with human hair and eye pigmentation, as well as skin sensitivity to sun and freckling. The study included 2,986 Icelandic individuals in the initial genome-wide scan, followed by replication of significantly associated genetic loci in a second sample of 2,718 Icelandic and 1,214 Dutch individuals.
The authors identified 6 genetic loci associated with at least one of these pigmentation phenotypes, 4 of which have not been previously associated with pigmentation. The pigmentation characteristics of study participants were defined by self-assessment, and it is possible that more quantitative measures would identify further genetic associations. Most of the pigmentation variants identified in this study have, in previous studies, shown signals of positive selection in European populations.
Author contacts:
Kari Stefansson (deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Tel: +354 570 1900; E-mail: [email protected]
Daniel F. Gudbjartsson (deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Tel: +354 570 1900; E-mail: [email protected]
Additional media contact:
Edward Farmer (Director of Corporate Communication, deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Tel: +1 646 417 4555; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Genetics to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[3] Genetic basis of proteome variation in yeast
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2007.22
[4] Evidence that homologous X-chromosome pairing requires transcription and Ctcf protein
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2007.5
*******************************************NATURE NEUROSCIENCE ***********************************
(http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[5] Sex chromosomes influence behaviour
DOI: 10.1038/nn1994
Differences in habit learning between male and female mice are due to their chromosomes, not to their sex hormones, reports a paper in the November issue of Nature Neuroscience. Most sex differences in brain and behaviour are attributable to the effects of hormones, but this work suggests that some sex differences may be caused by chromosomes through another pathway.
Jane Taylor and colleagues studied mutant mice with XY (male) chromosomes and ovaries, mutant mice with XX (female) chromosomes and testes, and normal male and female mice in a test of behavioural learning. The XX mice were faster to learn a food-reinforced habit than the XY mice, regardless of whether they had testes or ovaries, and even if they had been removed. Habit formation is implicated in the progression from casual drug-taking to addiction, which happens more rapidly in women than in men. Future studies of the mechanism of this effect may provide insight into such differences.
Author contact:
Jane Taylor (Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA)
Tel: +1 203 974 7727; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Neuroscience to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[6] Neurological defects in trichothiodystrophy reveal a coactivator function of TFIIH
DOI: 10.1038/nn1990
[7] Mechanism suppressing glycogen synthesis in neurons and its demise in progressive myoclonus epilepsy
DOI: 10.1038/nn1998
*******************************************NATURE IMMUNOLOGY ************************************
(http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[8] New AIDS risk factor
DOI: 10.1038/ni1521
More rapid HIV disease progression occurs in individuals who have a specific genetic risk factor, according to a new study published online this week in Nature Immunology.
A team of HIV researchers led by Sunil Ahuja studied a risk factor that significantly predicts HIV disease outcome. Individuals who have certain combinations of the two genes CCR5 and CCL3L1 are much more likely to have reduced immune responses and greater decline in numbers of CD4+ T immune cells, two hallmarks of progressive HIV disease.
The significance of the findings is two-fold. Previous work indicated that the influence of the two genes was much more limited that the new data indicate. These findings suggest a means to more effectively predict the course of HIV disease.
Author contact:
Sunil Ahuja (University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA)
Tel: +1 210 567 0233; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Immunology to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[9] NKG2D signaling is coupled to the interleukin 15 receptor signaling pathway
DOI: 10.1038/ni1524
***************************************************************************************************************
Items from other Nature journals to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature)
[10] An epigenetic activation role of Piwi and a Piwi-associated piRNA in Drosophila melanogaster
DOI: 10.1038/nature06263
[11] Legionella pneumophila proteins that regulate Rab1 membrane cycling
DOI: 10.1038/nature06336
[12] Crystal structure of the human beta2 adrenergic G-protein-coupled receptor
DOI: 10.1038/nature06325
This paper is related to the following Nature Methods paper to be published at the same time and with the same embargo:
[13] A monoclonal antibody for G protein coupled receptor crystallography
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1112
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[14] The reverse in-gel kinase assay to profile physiological kinase substrates
DOI: 10.1038/ nmeth1106
[15] STED microscopy with continuous wave beams
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1108
[16] Semi-supervised learning for peptide identification from shotgun proteomics datasets
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1113
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio)
[17] Transgenic or tumor-induced expression of heparanase upregulates sulfation of heparin sulfate
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2007.41
[18] Genetically encoded molecules for inducibly inactivating CaV channels
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2007.42
NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[19] Cooperative mechanisms of fast-ion conduction in gallium-based oxides with tetrahedral moieties
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2039
[20] Broad-wavelength-range chemically tunable block-copolymer photonic gels
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2032
[21] Tuning magnetoresistance between positive and negative values in organic semiconductors
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2034
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[22] A charge-driven molecular water pump (N&V)
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.320
Nature MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[23] TLR4 enhances TGF-beta signaling and hepatic fibrosis
DOI: 10.1038/nm1663
[24] Inhibition of FcepsilonRI-mediated mast cell responses by ES-62, a product of parasitic filarial nematodes
DOI: 10.1038/nm1654
[25] Nucleotide-sugar transporter SLC35D1 is critical to chondroitin sulfate synthesis in cartilage and skeletal development in mouse and human
DOI: 10.1038/nm1655
Nature BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[26] Chemotherapy-resistant human AML stem cells home to and engraft within the bone-marrow endosteal region
DOI: 10.1038/nbt1350
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[27] TOR signalling regulates mitotic commitment through the stress MAPK kinase pathway and the Polo and Cdc2 kinases
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1646
[28] A histone lysine methyltransferase activated by non-canonical Wnt signalling suppresses PAR-g transactivation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1647
[29] Rapid activation of ATM on DNA flanking double-strand breaks
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1651
[30] AK2 activates a novel apoptotic pathway through formation of a complex with FADD and caspase-10
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1650
[31] Spatial regulation of Fus3 MAP kinase activity through a reaction-diffusion mechanism in yeast pheromone signalling
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1652
[32] Melanopsin-dependent photo-perturbation reveals desynchronization underlying the singularity of mammalian circadian clocks
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1653
Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[33] Structural insight into OprD substrate specificity
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1304
***************************************************************************************************************
GEOGRAPHICAL LISTING OF AUTHORS
The following list of places refers to the whereabouts of authors on the papers numbered in this release. The listing may be for an author's main affiliation, or for a place where they are working temporarily. Please see the PDF of the paper for full details.
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires: 8
AUSTRALIA
Brisbane: 1
Sydney: 8
Woolloongaba: 1
AUSTRIA
Linz: 31
CHINA
Beijing: 22
Hangzhou: 22
Jinhua: 22
Shanghai: 22
COLOMBIA
Medellin: 8
FRANCE
Grenoble: 12
Paris: 1
Strasbourg: 6
GAMBIA
Fajara: 1
GERMANY
Dortmund: 31
Freiburg: 25
Goettingen: 15
Heidelberg: 31
ICELAND
Reykjavik: 2
ISRAEL
Haifa: 17
JAPAN
Aichi: 28
Chiba: 25
Fukuoka: 26
Kanagawa: 25
Kisarazu: 26
Kiyose: 25
Kobe: 28, 32
Kumamoto: 28
Kurume: 26
Osaka: 32
Nagoya: 28, 32
Saitama: 25, 28
Tokushima: 28
Tokyo: 25, 26, 28
Yokohama: 26
KOREA
Gwangju: 30
Gyeonggi: 30
Seoul: 20, 30
NETHERLANDS
Nijmegen: 2, 17
PORTUGAL
Oeiras: 4
SINGAPORE
Singapore: 24
SPAIN
Barcelona: 7
Madrid: 7
SWEDEN
Uppsala: 17, 25
UNITED KINGDOM
Aberdeen: 1
Bath: 19
Birmingham: 1
Bradford: 19
Brentwood: 1
Bristol: 1
Cambridge: 1
Cardiff: 1
Didcot: 19
Edinburgh: 1
Exeter: 1
Glasgow: 1, 24
Guilford: 19
Leeds: 1
Leicester: 1
London: 1, 19, 29
Manchester: 1, 22, 27
Newcastle: 1
Oxford: 1
Pontyclun: 1
Saffron Walden: 1
Sheffield: 1
Southampton: 1
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Irvine: 6
Milpitas: 13
La Jolla: 23, 29
Los Angeles:1, 5, 25
Palo Alto: 12, 13
San Francisco: 1, 8
Sherman Oaks: 1
Connecticut
New Haven: 5, 9, 10, 11
Florida
Boca Raton: 3
Illinois
Argonne: 12
Maine
Bar Harbor: 26
Maryland
Baltimore: 14, 18
Bethesda: 1
Chevy Chase: 8
Massachusetts
Boston: 4, 8, 9, 26
Cambridge: 20
Worcester: 11, 33
New Jersey
Princeton: 3, 16
New York
New York: 18, 23, 27, 33
North Carolina
Durham: 10
Tennessee
Knoxville: 21
Texas
Houston: 1
Lackland Air Force Base: 8
San Antonio: 8
Washington
Seattle: 1, 3, 16
PRESS CONTACTS…
For media inquiries relating to embargo policy for all the Nature Research Journals:
Katherine Anderson (Nature London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4502; E-mail: [email protected]
Ruth Francis (Senior Press Officer, Nature, London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: [email protected]
For media inquiries relating to editorial content/policy for the Nature Research Journals, please contact the journals individually:
Nature Biotechnology (New York)
Peter Hare
Tel: +1 212 726 9284; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Cell Biology (London)
Bernd Pulverer
Tel: +44 20 7843 4892; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Chemical Biology (Boston)
Andrea Garvey
Tel: +1 617 475 9241, E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Genetics (New York)
Orli Bahcall
Tel: +1 212 726 9311; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Immunology (New York)
Laurie Dempsey
Tel: +1 212 726 9372; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Materials (London)
Fabio Pulizzi
Tel: +44 20 7014 4024; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Medicine (New York)
Juan Carlos Lopez
Tel: +1 212 726 9325; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Methods (New York)
Allison Doerr
Tel: +1 212 726 9393; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Nanotechnology (London)
Peter Rodgers
Tel: +44 20 7014 4019; Email: [email protected]
Nature Neuroscience (New York)
Sandra Aamodt (based in California)
Tel: +1 530 795 3256; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Physics (London)
Alison Wright
Tel: +44 20 7843 4555; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (New York)
Michelle Montoya
Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: [email protected]
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