A novel gene THSD7A is associated with obesity.

Body mass index (BMI) is a non-invasive measurement of obesity. It is commonly used for assessing adiposity and obesity-related risk prediction. Genetic differences between ethnic groups are important factors, which contribute to the variation in phenotypic effects. India inhabited by the first out-of-Africa human population and the contemporary Indian populations are admixture of two ancestral populations; ancestral north Indians (ANI) and ancestral south Indians (ASI). Although ANI are related to Europeans, ASI are not related to any group outside Indian-subcontinent. Hence, we expect novel genetic loci associated with BMI. In association analysis, we found eight genic SNPs in extreme of distribution (P⩽3.75 × 10(-5)), of which WWOX has already been reported to be associated with obesity-related traits hence excluded from further study. Interestingly, we observed rs1526538, an intronic SNP of THSD7A; a novel gene significantly associated with obesity (P=2.88 × 10(-5), 8.922 × 10(-6) and 2.504 × 10(-9) in discovery, replication and combined stages, respectively). THSD7A is neural N-glycoprotein, which promotes angiogenesis and it is well known that angiogenesis modulates obesity, adipose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, hence our result find a correlation. This information can be used for drug target, early diagnosis of obesity and treatment.

Molecular interaction of nonsteroidal compounds with uterine progesterone receptor (Part I).

Progesterone-receptor binding affinity of some nonsteroidal molecules was assessed by competitive protein binding assay in rabbit as well as human uterine cytosol in vitro. Of 40 compounds belonging to 5 different series tested, 3-(p-anisoyl)-2-chloro-6, 7-dimethoxy-quinoline exhibited around 50% inhibition whereas 2-(p-anisoyl) naphthalene and 3-substituted phenyl-1-(3-(2-chloro-6, 7-dialkoxy) quinolinyl)prop-2-en-1-one showed around 20% inhibition in 3H-progesterone binding for rabbit and human uterine progesterone receptor.

Threshold concentration of plasmon-sensitive polygenes in the expression of quantitative characters of maize (Zea mays L.).

Reciprocal crosses between varieties of maize were developed in such a way that the genome of one variety was introduced into the cytoplasm of the other in fractions of 25, 50, and 75 per cent. Cytoplasmic effects on yield, maturity, plant height, and ear height were measured at each of the three nuclear constitutions. The results indicated that the cytoplasmic effects on quantitative characters were not consistently produced irrespective of the nuclear constitution and some relationship existed between the number of polygenes introduced and the cytoplasmic effects. The hypothesis was put forward that cytoplasmic effects on quantitative characters would be expressed only when the genes of one parent remained below a certain threshold concentration in the hybrid nucleus. Once this level was crossed by increasing the number of genes alien to the cytoplasm the cytoplasmic effects disappeared.