Integrated analysis of human genetic association study and mouse transcriptome suggests LBH and SHF genes as novel susceptible genes for amyloid-β accumulation in Alzheimer's disease

Hum Genet. 2018 Jul;137(6-7):521-533. doi: 10.1007/s00439-018-1906-z. Epub 2018 Jul 13.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurological disease that causes dementia in humans. Although the reports of associated pathological genes have been increasing, the molecular mechanism leading to the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in human brain is still not well understood. To identify novel genes that cause accumulation of Aβ in AD patients, we conducted an integrative analysis by combining a human genetic association study and transcriptome analysis in mouse brain. First, we examined genome-wide gene expression levels in the hippocampus, comparing them to amyloid Aβ level in mice with mixed genetic backgrounds. Next, based on a GWAS statistics obtained by a previous study with human AD subjects, we obtained gene-based statistics from the SNP-based statistics. We combined p values from the two types of analysis across orthologous gene pairs in human and mouse into one p value for each gene to evaluate AD susceptibility. As a result, we found five genes with significant p values in this integrated analysis among the 373 genes analyzed. We also examined the gene expression level of these five genes in the hippocampus of independent human AD cases and control subjects. Two genes, LBH and SHF, showed lower expression levels in AD cases than control subjects. This is consistent with the gene expression levels of both the genes in mouse which were negatively correlated with Aβ accumulation. These results, obtained from the integrative approach, suggest that LBH and SHF are associated with the AD pathogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides* / genetics
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* / biosynthesis
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nuclear Proteins* / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Lbh protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Transcription Factors