Computational Molecular Analysis of the 5 Candidate Genes of Suidae Family Related to African Swine Fever Occurrence

Suidae family consisting, domestic pig, warthog and babyrousa are identified with even hooves and snout nose. They have been reported to be tolerant to African swine fever virus (ASFV) with the exception of the domestic pig. Domestic pig is valuable for humans as a source of protein all over the world, but is more susceptible to this disease. ASFV has been found in warthog and bush pig. Five candidate genes, RELA, PPP3CB, PPIA, NFKBIA, and NFATC1 have been suggested to be responsible for the genetic variation between the components of Suidae family, which may contribute to the species-specific responses to ASFV infection. This study aims to investigate the evolution, differentiation and functional function of these five genes in three species of Suidae family that are either susceptible or tolerant to ASFV using molecular computational genetics. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence (aas) of the 5 genes of pig, warthog and babyrousa were downloaded from NCBI, Essembel geneome browser, and Uniprot database. They were aligned and analysed to predict functional effect of amino acid substitution as deleterious or neutral for small insertions and deletions. The candidate genes were observed to have variants with the exception of NFKBIA. They were observed to have deleterious variants. These deleterious variants may be responsible for the susceptibility or tolerance of this family to ASF disease.

Computational drug repositioning using big data from genetic studies

This mini-review gives the development of computational drug repositioning using big data from perspective of genetic study. The reverse profile principle is utilized to reposition drug hits by investigating gene expression, genotyping and GWAS data. Several big data sets are introduced, which are remarkable references that utilized for the genetic studies. Relevant computational genetics methods and the developments are briefly described as well. This review aims to give insights into this area so as to raise more ideas as well as to attract more attentions for this ascendant field. With the development of information technology and engineering applications, prosperous results are highly expected.

Immunogenetic Study in Chinese Population with Ankylosing Spondylitis: Are There Specific Genes Recently Disclosed?

Purpose. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic, autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of the affected joints. Over the past 5 years, several new genes or genetic regions associated with AS have been identified in the Chinese population. This paper aims to discuss the major findings and related potential mechanisms of these studies in our population.Recent Findings. In recent years, due to the rapid advances in computational genetics and technology, there has been an increasing list of well-validated genes or genetic regions associated with AS susceptibility. So far, several genes or genetic regions have now been reported in the Han ethnic Chinese population, containing the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), ERAP1, IL-23R, 12q12, 2p15, 5q14.3, and so on. Different hypotheses for disease mechanisms have been investigated on the basis of the functional studies of these genes or genetic regions.Summary. This paper tries to summarize the association of several candidate genes with risk for AS in the Han ethnic Chinese population and aims to identify the novel inflammatory pathways and provide potential strategies for better therapies.