publications | Kyuto Sonehara 曽根原究人

発表論文の一覧です。

†: equal contribution
*: corresponding author

2026

Division state reveals hidden genetic regulation during T cell activation and identifies immune disease–linked gene programmes

†Gozzard M., *†Sonehara K., Ly K., Rupall T., Ke Z., Ibarra-Soria X., and 5 more authors

bioRxiv preprint, Feb 2026

Abstract Article Link

A major challenge in human genetics is to connect disease-associated variants to the cellular functions they perturb. Variants associated with immune-mediated disease have implicated CD4⁺ T-cell activation as a disease-causal process; however, it remains unresolved whether these variants act on pathways initiating cell division, driving effector differentiation, or maintaining proliferative capacity. Activated T cells comprise mixtures of cells that have undergone different numbers of divisions, potentially obscuring genetic effects that act at specific stages of this process. Here, we study CD4⁺ T-cell activation through cell division using division-resolved single-cell transcriptomics of naive, memory and regulatory T cells. We show that division state constitutes an important axis of transcriptional organisation, with approximately one third of genes exhibiting division-dependent regulation across shared and subset-specific programmes. We develop CellDivider, a machine-learning model that accurately infers proliferative state directly from single-cell transcriptomes, enabling a scalable approach for cohort level mapping of variant effects on cell proliferation phenotypes. Incorporating inferred division state into single-cell eQTL models reveals regulatory effects that are attenuated or missed when cells are analysed by activation time alone. Finally, we resolve gene expression programmes that govern distinct stages of T cell activation and proliferation. We show that polygenic immune disease risk preferentially converges on early activation and differentiation modules, rather than on proliferative capacity itself. Consistent with this model, division-resolved analysis of the pleiotropic immune risk gene RPS26 localises its genetic effects to early division states, providing mechanistic insight into its broad disease associations. Together, these findings illustrate how resolving dynamic cellular consequences of activation sharpens variant-to-function inference in immune disease genetics.
A cross-population compendium of gene–environment interactions

Namba S., Sonehara K., Koyanagi Y., Kikuchi T., Ojima T., Edahiro R., and 32 more authors

Nature, Jan 2026

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Environmental differences in genetic effect sizes, namely, gene–environment interactions, may uncover the genetic encoding of phenotypic plasticity1–3. We provide a cross-population atlas of gene–environment interactions comprising 440,210 individuals from European and Japanese populations, with replication in 539,794 individuals from diverse populations. By decomposing the contributions from age, sex and lifestyles, we delineate the aetiology of these gene–environment interactions, including a reverse-causality from a disease-related dietary change. Genome-wide analyses uncovered missing heritability and trait–trait relationships connected by the synergistic effects of genome and environments, which systematically affected polygenic prediction accuracy and cross-population portability. Single-cell projection revealed aging shift of pathways and cell types responsible for genetic regulation. Omics-level gene–environment analyses identified multiple sex-discordant genetic effects in lipid metabolism, informing clinical trial failures for genetically supported drug development. Our comprehensive gene–environment study decodes the dynamics of genetic associations, offering insights into complex trait biology, personalized medicine and drug development.
Genetic regulation across germline and somatic variation on the Y chromosome contributes to type 2 diabetes

Sato G., Yamamoto Y., Sonehara K., Saiki R., Ojima T., Kanai M., and 61 more authors

Nature Medicine, Feb 2026

Abstract

Our understanding of the biological role of the Y chromosome remains limited. Here, we systematically profile germline Y haplogroups and somatic loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) in 122,683 East Asian males from BioBank Japan and 181,472 European males from the UK Biobank. A phenome-wide scan uncovers male-specific genetic regulation of complex traits, including pleiotropic effects of the Japanese-specific haplogroup D on height and type 2 diabetes (T2D). LOY increases T2D risk in East Asians but is associated with reduced T2D risk in Europeans. In East Asians, LOY contributes to T2D incidence particularly among males with lower polygenic risk scores, providing a compensatory explanation for disease risk beyond germline genetics. Incorporating sex-chromosome variation improves polygenic prediction of T2D risk in both sexes. Single-cell analyses reveal cell type-specific accumulation of LOY across tissues and disease contexts, with LOY in pancreatic β cells potentially impairing glucose metabolism. Our study demonstrates the clinical relevance of Y chromosome variation for diabetes risk prediction and management.
A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Desmoglein-2 Predominance in Japanese Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

†Ishikawa T., †Sonehara K., Sonoda K., Hayashi K., Kato K., Nagase S., and 6 more authors

Journal of Arrhythmia 42:e70273, Feb 2026

Abstract Article Link

Background Rare pathogenic variations of desmosomal genes, particularly in plakophilin-2 (PKP2) and desmoglein-2 (DSG2), have been implicated in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM); however, their potential polygenic contribution remains unclear. Methods We performed a genome-wide association study of 104 Japanese patients with ACM and 46 527 controls, adjusting for case–control imbalance. Results The strongest association was observed upstream of DSG2 (rs182626537, p = 2.3 × 10−42), but the signal was abolished after excluding carriers of pathogenic DSG2 variants, suggesting a synthetic association driven by linkage disequilibrium. Conclusions These findings highlight a population-specific genetic architecture of ACM, with DSG2 predominating in the Japanese population.

2025

Whole-genome sequencing reveals rare and structural variants contributing to psoriasis and identifies CERCAM as a risk gene

*Sonehara K., Watanabe R., Matsumura Y., Mitsui Y., Ogawa Y., Odomari K., and 65 more authors

Cell Genomics 42:e70273, Aug 2025

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder with complex genetic architecture. Most genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of PsV have been limited to analyzing common single-nucleotide variants in Europeans, lacking diversity in the variant spectrum and ancestral background. To investigate the contribution of rare variants (RVs) and structural variants (SVs), we perform a whole-genome sequencing study involving 1,415 PsV cases and 3,968 controls in Japanese. A GWAS signal at IFNLR1 is fine-mapped to a 3.3-kb deletion SV disrupting an epithelium-specific putative enhancer, which is validated by PacBio long-read sequencing. Gene-based RV analyses identify two susceptibility genes: IFIH1 (p = 9.8 × 10-6) and CERCAM (p = 4.1 × 10-7). Notably, IL36RN, a causative gene for generalized pustular psoriasis, a rare and lethal multi-systemic inflammatory disorder, is associated with common PsV (p = 1.2 × 10-4). Finally, Cercam knockout (Cercam-/-) in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model aggravates dermatitis with elevated T cell retention in the subepidermis. Our study elucidates the overlooked genetic basis of PsV.
Germline variants and mosaic chromosomal alterations affect COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity

†Sonehara K., †Uwamino Y., Saiki R., Takeshita M., Namba S., Uno S., and 56 more authors

Cell Genomics 42:e70273, Mar 2025

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Vaccine immunogenicity is influenced by the vaccinee’s genetic background. Here, we perform a genome-wide association study of vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers and T cell immune responses in 1,559 mRNA-1273 and 537 BNT162b2 vaccinees of Japanese ancestry. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody titers are associated with the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus, and T cell responses are associated with MHC. The lead variants at IGH contain a population-specific missense variant (rs1043109-C; p.Leu192Val) in the immunoglobulin heavy constant gamma 1 gene (IGHG1), with a strong decreasing effect (β = −0.54). Antibody-titer-associated variants modulate circulating immune regulatory proteins (e.g., LILRB4 and FCRL6). Age-related hematopoietic expanded mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) affecting MHC and IGH also impair antibody production. MHC-/IGH-affecting mCAs confer infectious and immune disease risk, including sepsis and Graves’ disease. Impacts of expanded mosaic loss of chromosomes X/Y on these phenotypes were examined. Altogether, both germline and somatic mutations contribute to adaptive immunity functions.
HLA-B*15:01-positive severe COVID-19 patients lack CD8+ T cell pools with highly expanded public clonotypes

Rowntree L., Allen L., Hagen R., McQuilten H., Quadeer A., Chaurasia P., and 54 more authors

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122:e2503145122, Sep 2025

Abstract Article Link

Understanding host factors driving asymptomatic versus severe disease outcomes is of key importance if we are to control emerging and re-emerging viral infections. HLA-B*15:01 has been associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhospitalized individuals of European ancestry, with protective immunity attributed to preexisting cross-reactive CD8+ T-cells directed against HLA-B*15:01-restricted Spike-derived S919-927 peptide (B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells). However, fundamental questions remained on the abundance and clonotypic nature of CD8+ T-cell responses in HLA-B*15:01-positive patients who succumbed to life-threatening COVID-19. Here, we analyzed B15/S919+CD8+ T-cell responses in COVID-19 patients from independent HLA-typed COVID-19 patient cohorts across three continents, Australia, Asia and Europe. We assessed B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells in COVID-19 patients across disease outcomes ranging from asymptomatic to hospitalized critical illness. We found that severe/critical COVID-19 patients mounted B15/S919+CD8+ T-cell responses lacking a highly expanded key public B15/S919+CD8+ T-cell receptor (TCR; TRAV9-2/TRBV7-2) which recurred across multiple individuals in COVID-19 patients with a mild disease. Instead, B15/S919+CD8+ T-cell responses in life-threatening disease had a prevalence of an alternate TCR clonotypic motif (TRAV38-2/DV8/TRBV20-1), potentially contributing, at least in part, to why B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells in severe COVID-19 patients were less protective. Interestingly, the frequency, memory phenotype, and activation profiles of circulating B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells did not differ across disease severity. Moreover, B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells were better maintained into convalescence compared to other SARS-CoV-2-specificities. Our study thus provides evidence on the differential nature of the TCR clonal repertoire in 22.37% of HLA-B*15:01-positive COVID-19 patients who developed severe or critical disease in our cohorts, comparing to HLA-B*15:01-expressing individuals with mild COVID-19.
Deciphering state-dependent immune features from multi-layer omics data at single-cell resolution

Edahiro R., Sato G., Naito T., Shirai Y., Saiki R., Sonehara K., and 34 more authors

Nature Genetics 57:1905–1921, Aug 2025

Abstract Article Link

Current molecular quantitative trait locus catalogs are mostly at bulk resolution and centered on Europeans. Here, we constructed an immune cell atlas with single-cell transcriptomics of \textgreater1.5 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells, host genetics, plasma proteomics and gut metagenomics from 235 Japanese persons, including patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and healthy individuals. We mapped germline genetic effects on gene expression within immune cell types and across cell states. We elucidated cell type- and context-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and genome-wide associations with T and B cell receptor repertoires. Colocalization using dynamic genetic regulation provided better understanding of genome-wide association signals. Differential gene and protein expression analyses depicted cell type- and context-specific effects of polygenic risks. Various somatic mutations including mosaic chromosomal alterations, loss of Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy were projected into single-cell resolution. We identified immune features specific to somatically mutated cells. Overall, immune cells are dynamically regulated in a cell state-dependent manner characterized with multiomic profiles.
Dissecting cross-population polygenic heterogeneity across respiratory and cardiometabolic diseases

Yamamoto Y., Shirai Y., Sonehara K., Namba S., Ojima T., Yamamoto K., and 15 more authors

Nature Communications 16:3765, Apr 2025

Abstract Article Link

Biological mechanisms underlying multimorbidity remain elusive. To dissect the polygenic heterogeneity of multimorbidity in twelve complex traits across populations, we leveraged biobank resources of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 232,987 East Asian individuals (the 1st and 2nd cohorts of BioBank Japan) and 751,051 European individuals (UK Biobank and FinnGen). Cross-trait analyses of respiratory and cardiometabolic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and smoking identified negative genetic correlations between respiratory and cardiometabolic diseases in East Asian individuals, opposite from the positive associations in European individuals. Associating genome-wide polygenic risk scores (PRS) with 325 blood metabolome and 2917 proteome biomarkers supported the negative cross-trait genetic correlations in East Asian individuals. Bayesian pathway PRS analysis revealed a negative association between asthma and dyslipidemia in a gene set of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. The pathway suggested heterogeneity of cell type specificity in the enrichment analysis of the lung single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset. Our study highlights the heterogeneous pleiotropy of immunometabolic dysfunction in multimorbidity.
Contribution of germline and somatic mutations to risk of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Yata T., Sato G., Ogawa K., Naito T., Sonehara K., Saiki R., and 41 more authors

Cell Genomics 16:3765, Feb 2025

Abstract Article Link

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, with an unclear genetic background. A genome-wide meta-analysis of NMOSD in Japanese individuals (240 patients and 50,578 controls) identified significant associations with the major histocompatibility complex region and a common variant close to CCR6 (rs12193698; p = 1.8 × 10−8, odds ratio [OR] = 1.73). In single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis (25 patients and 101 controls), the CCR6 risk variant showed disease-specific expression quantitative trait loci effects in CD4+ T (CD4T) cell subsets. Furthermore, we detected somatic mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) in various autoimmune diseases and found that mCAs increase the risk of NMOSD (OR = 3.37 for copy number alteration). In scRNA-seq data, CD4T cells with 21q loss, a recurrently observed somatic event in NMOSD, showed dysregulation of type I interferon-related genes. Our integrated study identified novel germline and somatic mutations associated with NMOSD pathogenesis.
Retrotrans-genomics identifies aberrant THE1B endogenous retrovirus fusion transcripts in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis

Funaguma S., Iida A., Saito Y., Tanboon J., De Los Reyes F., Sonehara K., and 4 more authors

Nature Communications 16:1318, Feb 2025

Abstract Article Link

Transposon-like human element 1B (THE1B) originates from ancient retroviral sequences integrated into the primate genome approximately 50 million years ago, now accounting for at least 27,233 copies in the human genome, suggesting their extensive influence on human genomic architecture. Here we report identification of 19 THE1B fusion transcripts through short- and long-read RNA-seq analysis, 15 of which are previously unmapped, showing elevated expression in 16 individuals with sarcoid myopathy (SM), as compared to 400 controls with various other muscle diseases. Analysis of publicly available RNA-seq data indicated a correlation between the reduced expression of eight THE1B fusion transcripts and clinical improvement in individuals with cutaneous sarcoidosis receiving tofacitinib treatment. Single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-seq analyses of sarcoidosis not only confirmed these transcripts but also revealed a novel read-through transcript, SIRPB1-SIRPD, and TREM2.1, predominantly in granuloma-associated macrophages. The expression profiles of THE1B fusion transcripts in tuberculosis (TB) significantly differed from SM in single-cell RNA-seq data, suggesting that the differences between TB’s caseous granulomas and sarcoidosis’s non-caseous granulomas might be linked to disparate expression patterns of THE1B fusion transcripts. Our retrotrans-genomics approach has not only identified the genomic landscape of sarcoidosis but also provided new insights into its etiology.
Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19

Sasa N., Kojima S., Koide R., Hasegawa T., Namkoong H., Hirota T., and 127 more authors

Nature Genetics 57:65–79, Jan 2025

Abstract PubMed

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus. Participants with eHHV-6B had higher risks of SLE and PAP; the former was validated in All of Us. eHHV-6B-positivity and high SLE disease activity index scores had strong correlations. Genome-wide association study and long-read sequencing mapped the integration of the HHV-6B genome to a locus on chromosome 22q. Epitope mapping and single-cell RNA sequencing revealed distinctive immune induction by eHHV-6B in patients with SLE. In addition, high anellovirus load correlated strongly with SLE, RA and COVID-19 status. Our analyses unveil relationships between the human virome and autoimmune and infectious diseases.
Incomplete human reference genomes can drive false sex biases and expose patient-identifying information in metagenomic data

Guccione C., Patel L., Tomofuji Y., McDonald D., Gonzalez A., Sepich-Poore G., and 13 more authors

Nature Communications 16:825, Jan 2025

Abstract PubMed

As next-generation sequencing technologies produce deeper genome coverages at lower costs, there is a critical need for reliable computational host DNA removal in metagenomic data. We find that insufficient host filtration using prior human genome references can introduce false sex biases and inadvertently permit flow-through of host-specific DNA during bioinformatic analyses, which could be exploited for individual identification. To address these issues, we introduce and benchmark three host filtration methods of varying throughput, with concomitant applications across low biomass samples such as skin and high microbial biomass datasets including fecal samples. We find that these methods are important for obtaining accurate results in low biomass samples (e.g., tissue, skin). Overall, we demonstrate that rigorous host filtration is a key component of privacy-minded analyses of patient microbiomes and provide computationally efficient pipelines for accomplishing this task on large-scale datasets.
Leveraging genome-wide association studies to better understand the etiology of cancers

Sonehara K., and Okada Y.

Cancer Science 116:288–296, Jan 2025

Abstract Article Link

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistically assess the association between tens of millions of genetic variants in the whole genome and a phenotype of interest. Genome-wide association studies enable the elucidation of polygenic inheritance of cancer, in which myriad low-penetrance genetic variants collectively contribute to a substantial proportion of the heritable susceptibility. In addition to the robust genotype–phenotype associations provided by GWAS, combining GWAS data with functional genomic datasets or sophisticated statistical genetic methods unlocks deeper insights. Integrating genotype and molecular phenotyping data facilitates functional characterization of GWAS association signals through molecular quantitative trait loci mapping and transcriptome-wide association studies. Furthermore, aggregating genome-wide polygenic signals, including subthreshold associations, enables one to estimate genetic correlations across diverse phenotypes and helps in clinical risk predictions by evaluating polygenic risk scores. In this review, we begin by summarizing the rationale for GWAS of cancer, introduce recent methodological updates in the GWAS-derived downstream analyses, and demonstrate their applications to GWAS of cancers.

2024

Common and rare genetic variants predisposing females to unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss

†Sonehara K., †Yano Y., Naito T., Goto S., Yoshihara H., Otani T., and 6 more authors

Nature Communications 15:5744, Jul 2024

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a major reproductive health issue with multifactorial causes, affecting 2.6% of all pregnancies worldwide. Nearly half of the RPL cases lack clinically identifiable causes (e.g., antiphospholipid syndrome, uterine anomalies, and parental chromosomal abnormalities), referred to as unexplained RPL (uRPL). Here, we perform a genome-wide association study focusing on uRPL in 1,728 cases and 24,315 female controls of Japanese ancestry. We detect significant associations in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region at 6p21 (lead variant=rs9263738; P = 1.4 × 10−10; odds ratio [OR] = 1.51 [95% CI: 1.33–1.72]; risk allele frequency = 0.871). The MHC associations are fine-mapped to the classical HLA alleles, HLA-C*12:02, HLA-B*52:01, and HLA-DRB1*15:02 (P = 1.1 × 10−10, 1.5 × 10−10, and 1.2 × 10−9, respectively), which constitute a population-specific common long-range haplotype with a protective effect (P = 2.8 × 10−10; OR = 0.65 [95% CI: 0.57–0.75]; haplotype frequency=0.108). Genome-wide copy-number variation (CNV) calling demonstrates rare predicted loss-of-function (pLoF) variants of the cadherin-11 gene (CDH11) conferring the risk of uRPL (P = 1.3 × 10−4; OR = 3.29 [95% CI: 1.78–5.76]). Our study highlights the importance of reproductive immunology and rare variants in the uRPL etiology.
A genome-wide meta-analysis reveals shared and population-specific variants for allergic sensitization

Noguchi E., Morii W., Kitazawa H., Hirota T., Sonehara K., Masuko H., and 2 more authors

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 15:5744, Dec 2024

Abstract PubMed

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are major causes of morbidity in both developed and developing countries and represent a global burden on health care systems. Allergic sensitization is defined as the production of IgE specific to common environmental allergens and is an important indicator in the assessment of allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: We sought to clarify the genetic basis of allergic sensitization. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of allergic sensitization in the Japanese population followed by a cross-ancestry meta-analysis with a European population including 20,492 cases and 23,342 controls for Japanese and 8,246 cases and 16,786 controls for Europeans. We also performed a polysensitization GWAS of a Japanese population including 4,923 cases and 17,009 controls. RESULTS: Allergic sensitization GWAS identified 18 susceptibility loci for Japanese only and 23 loci for the cross-ancestry population, among which 4 loci were novel. Polysensitization GWAS identified 8 significant loci. Expression quantitative trait locus colocalization analysis revealed polysensitization GWAS significant variants affecting both the phenotype and the expression of the CD28, LPP, and LRCC32 genes. Cross-population genetic correlation analysis of allergic sensitization suggested that heterogeneity exists in allergic sensitization between Europeans and Japanese, indicating that more genetic heterogeneity may exist in allergic sensitization than allergic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of allergic sensitization that could enhance current understanding of allergy and allergic diseases.
Inconsistent embryo selection across polygenic score methods

Namba S., Akiyama M., Hamanoue H., Kato K., Kawashima M., Kushima I., and 13 more authors

Nature Human Behaviour 8:2264–2267, Dec 2024

PubMed
Single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood links cell-type-specific regulation of splicing to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

Tian C., Zhang Y., Tong Y., Kock K., Sim D., Liu F., and 29 more authors

Nature Genetics 56:2739–2752, Dec 2024

Abstract PubMed

Alternative splicing contributes to complex traits, but whether this differs in trait-relevant cell types across diverse genetic ancestries is unclear. Here we describe cell-type-specific, sex-biased and ancestry-biased alternative splicing in ~1 M peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 474 healthy donors from the Asian Immune Diversity Atlas. We identify widespread sex-biased and ancestry-biased differential splicing, most of which is cell-type-specific. We identify 11,577 independent cis-splicing quantitative trait loci (sQTLs), 607 trans-sGenes and 107 dynamic sQTLs. Colocalization between cis-eQTLs and trans-sQTLs revealed a cell-type-specific regulatory relationship between HNRNPLL and PTPRC. We observed an enrichment of cis-sQTL effects in autoimmune and inflammatory disease heritability. Specifically, we functionally validated an Asian-specific sQTL disrupting the 5’ splice site of TCHP exon 4 that putatively modulates the risk of Graves’ disease in East Asian populations. Our work highlights the impact of ancestral diversity on splicing and provides a roadmap to dissect its role in complex diseases at single-cell resolution.
Genetic legacy of ancient hunter-gatherer Jomon in Japanese populations

Yamamoto K., Namba S., Sonehara K., Suzuki K., Sakaue S., Cooke N., and 14 more authors

Nature Communications 15:9780, Nov 2024

Abstract PubMed

The tripartite ancestral structure is a recently proposed model for the genetic origin of modern Japanese, comprising indigenous Jomon hunter-gatherers and two additional continental ancestors from Northeast Asia and East Asia. To investigate the impact of the tripartite structure on genetic and phenotypic variation today, we conducted biobank-scale analyses by merging Biobank Japan (BBJ; n = 171,287) with ancient Japanese and Eurasian genomes (n = 22). We demonstrate the applicability of the tripartite model to Japanese populations throughout the archipelago, with an extremely strong correlation between Jomon ancestry and genomic variation among individuals. We also find that the genetic legacy of Jomon ancestry underlies an elevated body mass index (BMI). Genome-wide association analysis with rigorous adjustments for geographical and ancestral substructures identifies 132 variants that are informative for predicting individual Jomon ancestry. This prediction model is validated using independent Japanese cohorts (Nagahama cohort, n = 2993; the second cohort of BBJ, n = 72,695). We further confirm the phenotypic association between Jomon ancestry and BMI using East Asian individuals from UK Biobank (n = 2286). Our extensive analysis of ancient and modern genomes, involving over 250,000 participants, provides valuable insights into the genetic legacy of ancient hunter-gatherers in contemporary populations.
Bioactive Mediator Profile of Mepolizumab-Treated Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis

Kamide Y., Sonehara K., Sekiya K., Ueki S., Nakamura Y., Okada Y., and 1 more author

Allergy 15:9780, Nov 2024

PubMed
Statistically and functionally fine-mapped blood eQTLs and pQTLs from 1,405 humans reveal distinct regulation patterns and disease relevance

Wang Q., Hasegawa T., Namkoong H., Saiki R., Edahiro R., Sonehara K., and 26 more authors

Nature Genetics 56:2054–2067, Oct 2024

Abstract PubMed

Studying the genetic regulation of protein expression (through protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs)) offers a deeper understanding of regulatory variants uncharacterized by mRNA expression regulation (expression QTLs (eQTLs)) studies. Here we report cis-eQTL and cis-pQTL statistical fine-mapping from 1,405 genotyped samples with blood mRNA and 2,932 plasma samples of protein expression, as part of the Japan COVID-19 Task Force (JCTF). Fine-mapped eQTLs (n = 3,464) were enriched for 932 variants validated with a massively parallel reporter assay. Fine-mapped pQTLs (n = 582) were enriched for missense variations on structured and extracellular domains, although the possibility of epitope-binding artifacts remains. Trans-eQTL and trans-pQTL analysis highlighted associations of class I HLA allele variation with KIR genes. We contrast the multi-tissue origin of plasma protein with blood mRNA, contributing to the limited colocalization level, distinct regulatory mechanisms and trait relevance of eQTLs and pQTLs. We report a negative correlation between ABO mRNA and protein expression because of linkage disequilibrium between distinct nearby eQTLs and pQTLs.
Machine learning reveals heterogeneous associations between environmental factors and cardiometabolic diseases across polygenic risk scores

Naito T., Inoue K., Namba S., Sonehara K., Suzuki K., BioBank Japan ., and 6 more authors

Communications Medicine 4:181, Sep 2024

Abstract PubMed

BACKGROUND: Although polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are expected to be helpful in precision medicine, it remains unclear whether high-PRS groups are more likely to benefit from preventive interventions for diseases. Recent methodological advancements enable us to predict treatment effects at the individual level. METHODS: We employed causal forest to explore the relationship between PRSs and individual risk of diseases associated with certain environmental factors. Following simulations illustrating its performance, we applied our approach to investigate the individual risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including coronary artery diseases (CAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), associated with obesity and smoking among individuals from UK Biobank (UKB; n = 369,942) and BioBank Japan (BBJ; n = 149,421). RESULTS: Here we find the heterogeneous association of obesity and smoking with diseases across PRS values, complicated by the multi-dimensional combination of individual characteristics such as age and sex. The highest positive correlations of PRSs and the exposure-related disease risks are observed between obesity and T2D in UKB and between smoking and CAD in BBJ (Spearman’s ρ = 0.61 and 0.32, respectively). However, most relationships are weak or negative, suggesting that high-PRS groups will not necessarily benefit most from environmental factor prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of individual-level prediction of disease risks associated with target exposure in precision medicine.
Quantification of escape from X chromosome inactivation with single-cell omics data reveals heterogeneity across cell types and tissues

Tomofuji Y., Edahiro R., Sonehara K., Shirai Y., Kock K., Wang Q., and 28 more authors

Cell Genomics 4:100625, Aug 2024

Abstract PubMed

Several X-linked genes escape from X chromosome inactivation (XCI), while differences in escape across cell types and tissues are still poorly characterized. Here, we developed scLinaX for directly quantifying relative gene expression from the inactivated X chromosome with droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. The scLinaX and differentially expressed gene analyses with large-scale blood scRNA-seq datasets consistently identified the stronger escape in lymphocytes than in myeloid cells. An extension of scLinaX to a 10x multiome dataset (scLinaX-multi) suggested a stronger escape in lymphocytes than in myeloid cells at the chromatin-accessibility level. The scLinaX analysis of human multiple-organ scRNA-seq datasets also identified the relatively strong degree of escape from XCI in lymphoid tissues and lymphocytes. Finally, effect size comparisons of genome-wide association studies between sexes suggested the underlying impact of escape on the genotype-phenotype association. Overall, scLinaX and the quantified escape catalog identified the heterogeneity of escape across cell types and tissues.
Primary Aldosteronism and Risk of Cardiovascular Outcomes: Genome-Wide Association and Mendelian Randomization Study

Inoue K., Naito T., Fuji R., Sonehara K., Yamamoto K., Baba R., and 13 more authors

Journal of the American Heart Association 13:e034180, Aug 2024

Abstract PubMed

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have reported associations between primary aldosteronism (PA) and cardiovascular outcomes, including coronary artery diseases (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and stroke. However, establishing causality remains a challenge due to the lack of randomized controlled trial data on this topic. We thus aimed to investigate the causal relationship between PA and the risk of developing CAD, CHF, and stroke. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies combining East Asian and European ancestry (1560 PA cases and 742 139 controls) was conducted to identify single-nucleotide variants that are associated with PA. Then, using the identified genetic variants as instrumental variables, we conducted the 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal relationship between PA and incident CAD, CHF, and stroke among both East Asian and European ancestry. Summary association results were extracted from large genome-wide association studies consortia. Our cross-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European populations identified 7 genetic loci significantly associated with the risk of PA, for which the genes nearest to the lead variants were CASZ1, WNT2B, HOTTIP, LSP1, TBX3, RXFP2, and NDP. Among the East Asian population, the pooled odds ratio estimates using these 7 genetic instruments of PA were 1.07 (95% CI, 1.03-1.11) for CAD, 1.10 (95% CI, 1.01-1.20) for CHF, and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.09-1.18) for stroke. The results were consistent among the European population. CONCLUSIONS: Our 2-sample Mendelian randomization study revealed that PA had increased risks of CAD, CHF, and stroke. These findings highlight that early and active screening of PA is critical to prevent future cardiovascular events.
Genome-wide association study on meningioma risk in Japan: a multicenter prospective study

†Yamada S., †Umehara T., †Sonehara K., Kijima N., Kawabata S., Takano K., and 13 more authors

Journal of Neuro-Oncology 13:e034180, Jul 2024

Abstract PubMed

PURPOSE: Although meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors, their genetic etiologies have not been fully elucidated. To date, only two genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have focused on European ancestries, despite ethnic differences in the incidence of meningiomas. The aim of this study was to conduct the first GWAS of Japanese patients with meningiomas to identify the SNPs associated with meningioma susceptibility. METHODS: In this multicenter prospective case-control study, we studied 401 Japanese patients with meningioma admitted in five institutions in Japan, and 50,876 control participants of Japanese ancestry enrolled in Biobank Japan. RESULTS: The quality control process yielded 536,319 variants and imputation resulted in 8,224,735 variants on the autosomes and 224,820 variants on the X chromosomes. This GWAS eventually revealed no genetic variants with genome-wide significance (P \textless 5 × 10 - 8) and observed no significant association in the previously reported risk variants rs11012732 and rs2686876 due to low minor allele frequency in the Japanese population. CONCLUSION: This is the first GWAS of meningiomas in East Asian populations and is expected to contribute to the development of GWAS research for meningiomas.
Body mass index stratification optimizes polygenic prediction of type 2 diabetes in cross-biobank analyses

Ojima T., Namba S., Suzuki K., Yamamoto K., Sonehara K., Narita A., and 6 more authors

Nature Genetics 56:1100–1109, Jun 2024

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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) shows heterogeneous body mass index (BMI) sensitivity. Here, we performed stratification based on BMI to optimize predictions for BMI-related diseases. We obtained BMI-stratified datasets using data from more than 195,000 individuals (nT2D = 55,284) from BioBank Japan (BBJ) and UK Biobank. T2D heritability in the low-BMI group was greater than that in the high-BMI group. Polygenic predictions of T2D toward low-BMI targets had pseudo-R2 values that were more than 22% higher than BMI-unstratified targets. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) from low-BMI discovery outperformed PRSs from high BMI, while PRSs from BMI-unstratified discovery performed best. Pathway-specific PRSs demonstrated the biological contributions of pathogenic pathways. Low-BMI T2D cases showed higher rates of neuropathy and retinopathy. Combining BMI stratification and a method integrating cross-population effects, T2D predictions showed greater than 37% improvements over unstratified-matched-population prediction. We replicated findings in the Tohoku Medical Megabank (n = 26,000) and the second BBJ cohort (n = 33,096). Our findings suggest that target stratification based on existing traits can improve the polygenic prediction of heterogeneous diseases.
Brugada syndrome in Japan and Europe: a genome-wide association study reveals shared genetic architecture and new risk loci

Ishikawa T., Masuda T., Hachiya T., Dina C., Simonet F., Nagata Y., and 32 more authors

European Heart Journal 56:1100–1109, May 2024

Abstract Article Link

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited arrhythmia with a higher disease prevalence and more lethal arrhythmic events in Asians than in Europeans. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed its polygenic architecture mainly in European populations. The aim of this study was to identify novel BrS-associated loci and to compare allelic effects across ancestries.A GWAS was conducted in Japanese participants, involving 940 cases and 1634 controls, followed by a cross-ancestry meta-analysis of Japanese and European GWAS (total of 3760 cases and 11 635 controls). The novel loci were characterized by fine-mapping, gene expression, and splicing quantitative trait associations in the human heart.The Japanese-specific GWAS identified one novel locus near ZSCAN20 (P = 1.0 × 10−8), and the cross-ancestry meta-analysis identified 17 association signals, including six novel loci. The effect directions of the 17 lead variants were consistent (94.1%; P for sign test = 2.7 × 10−4), and their allelic effects were highly correlated across ancestries (Pearson’s R = .91; P = 2.9 × 10−7). The genetic risk score derived from the BrS GWAS of European ancestry was significantly associated with the risk of BrS in the Japanese population [odds ratio 2.12 (95% confidence interval 1.94–2.31); P = 1.2 × 10−61], suggesting a shared genetic architecture across ancestries. Functional characterization revealed that a lead variant in CAMK2D promotes alternative splicing, resulting in an isoform switch of calmodulin kinase II-δ, favouring a pro-inflammatory/pro-death pathway.This study demonstrates novel susceptibility loci implicating potentially novel pathogenesis underlying BrS. Despite differences in clinical expressivity and epidemiology, the polygenic architecture of BrS was substantially shared across ancestries.
Genetic drivers of heterogeneity in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology

Suzuki K., Hatzikotoulas K., Southam L., Taylor H., Yin X., Lorenz K., and 357 more authors

Nature 627:347–357, Mar 2024

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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disease that develops through diverse pathophysiological processes1,2 and molecular mechanisms that are often specific to cell type3,4. Here, to characterize the genetic contribution to these processes across ancestry groups, we aggregate genome-wide association study data from 2,535,601 individuals (39.7% not of European ancestry), including 428,452 cases of T2D. We identify 1,289 independent association signals at genome-wide significance (P \textless 5 × 10−8) that map to 611 loci, of which 145 loci are, to our knowledge, previously unreported. We define eight non-overlapping clusters of T2D signals that are characterized by distinct profiles of cardiometabolic trait associations. These clusters are differentially enriched for cell-type-specific regions of open chromatin, including pancreatic islets, adipocytes, endothelial cells and enteroendocrine cells. We build cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores5 in a further 279,552 individuals of diverse ancestry, including 30,288 cases of T2D, and test their association with T2D-related vascular outcomes. Cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores are associated with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and end-stage diabetic nephropathy across ancestry groups, highlighting the importance of obesity-related processes in the development of vascular outcomes. Our findings show the value of integrating multi-ancestry genome-wide association study data with single-cell epigenomics to disentangle the aetiological heterogeneity that drives the development and progression of T2D. This might offer a route to optimize global access to genetically informed diabetes care.
Extracting immunological and clinical heterogeneity across autoimmune rheumatic diseases by cohort-wide immunophenotyping

Tanaka H., Okada Y., Nakayamada S., Miyazaki Y., Sonehara K., Namba S., and 8 more authors

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 83:242–252, Feb 2024

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Objective Extracting immunological and clinical heterogeneity across autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) is essential towards personalised medicine. Methods We conducted large-scale and cohort-wide immunophenotyping of 46 peripheral immune cells using Human Immunology Protocol of comprehensive 8-colour flow cytometric analysis. Dataset consisted of >1000 Japanese patients of 11 AIRDs with deep clinical information registered at the FLOW study, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In-depth clinical and immunological characterisation was conducted for the identified RA patient clusters, including associations of inborn human genetics represented by Polygenic Risk Score (PRS). Results Multimodal clustering of immunophenotypes deciphered underlying disease-cell type network in immune cell, disease and patient cluster resolutions. This provided immune cell type specificity shared or distinct across AIRDs, such as close immunological network between mixed connective tissue disease and SLE. Individual patient-level clustering dissected patients with AIRD into several clusters with different immunological features. Of these, RA-like or SLE-like clusters were exclusively dominant, showing immunological differentiation between RA and SLE across AIRDs. In-depth clinical analysis of RA revealed that such patient clusters differentially defined clinical heterogeneity in disease activity and treatment responses, such as treatment resistance in patients with RA with SLE-like immunophenotypes. PRS based on RA case–control and within-case stratified genome-wide association studies were associated with clinical and immunological characteristics. This pointed immune cell type implicated in disease biology such as dendritic cells for RA-interstitial lung disease. Conclusion Cohort-wide and cross-disease immunophenotyping elucidate clinically heterogeneous patient subtypes existing within single disease in immune cell type-specific manner.

2023

A second update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative .

Nature 621:E7–E26, Sep 2023

Article Link PubMed
Genome-wide association study identifies risk loci within the major histocompatibility complex region for Hunner-type interstitial cystitis

†Akiyama Y., †Sonehara K., Maeda D., Katoh H., Naito T., Yamamoto K., and 7 more authors

Cell Reports Medicine 4:101114, Jul 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Hunner-type interstitial cystitis (HIC) is a rare, chronic inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder with unknown etiology and genetic background. Here, we conduct a genome-wide association study of 144 patients with HIC and 41,516 controls of Japanese ancestry. The genetic variant, rs1794275, in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (chromosome 6p21.3) is associated with HIC risk (odds ratio [OR] = 2.32; p = 3.4 × 10⁻⁹). The association is confirmed in a replication set of 26 cases and 1,026 controls (p = 0.014). Fine mapping demonstrates the contribution to the disease risk of a completely linked haplotype of three human leukocyte antigen HLA-DQβ1 amino acid positions, 71, 74, and 75 (OR = 1.94; p = 5 × 10⁻⁸) and of HLA-DPβ1 amino acid position 178, which tags HLA-DPB1∗04:02 (OR = 2.35; p = 7.5 × 10⁻⁸). The three HLA-DQβ1 amino acid positions are located together at the peptide binding groove, suggesting their functional importance in antigen presentation. Our study reveals genetic contributions to HIC risk that may be associated with class II MHC molecule antigen presentation.
Reconstruction of the personal information from human genome reads in gut metagenome sequencing data

Tomofuji Y., Sonehara K., Kishikawa T., Maeda Y., Ogawa K., Kawabata S., and 21 more authors

Nature Microbiology 8:1079–1094, Jun 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Human DNA present in faecal samples can result in a small number of human reads in gut shotgun metagenomic sequencing data. However, it is presently unclear how much personal information can be reconstructed from such reads, and this has not been quantitatively evaluated. Such a quantitative evaluation is necessary to clarify the ethical concerns related to data sharing and to enable efficient use of human genetic information in stool samples, such as for research and forensics. Here we used genomic approaches to reconstruct personal information from the faecal metagenomes of 343 Japanese individuals with associated human genotype data. Genetic sex could be accurately predicted based on the sequencing depth of sex chromosomes for 97.3% of the samples. Individuals could be re-identified from the matched genotype data based on human reads recovered from the faecal metagenomic data with 93.3% sensitivity using a likelihood score-based method. This method also enabled us to predict the ancestries of 98.3% of the samples. Finally, we performed ultra-deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing of five faecal samples as well as whole-genome sequencing of blood samples. Using genotype-calling approaches, we demonstrated that the genotypes of both common and rare variants could be reconstructed from faecal samples. This included clinically relevant variants. Our approach can be used to quantify personal information contained within gut metagenome data.
Estimating gene-level false discovery probability improves eQTL statistical fine-mapping precision

Wang Q., Edahiro R., Namkoong H., Hasegawa T., Shirai Y., Sonehara K., and 11 more authors

NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics 5:lqad090, Dec 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Statistical fine-mapping prioritizes putative causal variants from a large number of candidate variants, and is widely used in expression quantitative loci (eQTLs) studies. In eQTL fine-mapping, the existence of causal variants for gene expression is not guaranteed, since the genetic heritability of gene expression explained by nearby (cis-) variants is limited. Here we introduce a refined fine-mapping algorithm, named Knockoff–Finemap combination (KFc). KFc estimates the probability that the causal variant(s) exist in the cis-window of a gene through construction of knockoff genotypes (i.e. a set of synthetic genotypes that resembles the original genotypes), and uses it to adjust the posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs). Utilizing simulated gene expression data, we show that KFc results in calibrated PIP distribution with improved precision. When applied to gene expression data of 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force (JCTF), KFc resulted in significant enrichment of a functional score as well as reporter assay hits in the top PIP bins. When combined with functional priors derived from an external fine-mapping study (GTEx), KFc resulted in a significantly higher proportion of hematopoietic trait putative causal variants in the top PIP bins. Our work presents improvements in the precision of a major fine-mapping algorithm.
Analysis of gut microbiome, host genetics, and plasma metabolites reveals gut microbiome-host interactions in the Japanese population

Tomofuji Y., Kishikawa T., Sonehara K., Maeda Y., Ogawa K., Kawabata S., and 22 more authors

Cell Reports 42:113324, Nov 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Interaction between the gut microbiome and host plays a key role in human health. Here, we perform a metagenome shotgun-sequencing-based analysis of Japanese participants to reveal associations between the gut microbiome, host genetics, and plasma metabolome. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for microbial species (n = 524) identifies associations between the PDE1C gene locus and Bacteroides intestinalis and between TGIF2 and TGIF2-RAB5IF gene loci and Bacteroides acidifiaciens. In a microbial gene ortholog GWAS, agaE and agaS, which are related to the metabolism of carbohydrates forming the blood group A antigen, are associated with blood group A in a manner depending on the secretor status determined by the East Asian-specific FUT2 variant. A microbiome-metabolome association analysis (n = 261) identifies associations between bile acids and microbial features such as bile acid metabolism gene orthologs including bai and 7β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Our publicly available data will be a useful resource for understanding gut microbiome-host interactions in an underrepresented population.
Pan-cancer and cross-population genome-wide association studies dissect shared genetic backgrounds underlying carcinogenesis

Sato G., Shirai Y., Namba S., Edahiro R., Sonehara K., Hata T., and 5 more authors

Nature Communications 14:3671, Jun 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Integrating genomic data of multiple cancers allows de novo cancer grouping and elucidating the shared genetic basis across cancers. Here, we conduct the pan-cancer and cross-population genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis and replication studies on 13 cancers including 250,015 East Asians (Biobank Japan) and 377,441 Europeans (UK Biobank). We identify ten cancer risk variants including five pleiotropic associations (e.g., rs2076295 at DSP on 6p24 associated with lung cancer and rs2525548 at TRIM4 on 7q22 nominally associated with six cancers). Quantifying shared heritability among the cancers detects positive genetic correlations between breast and prostate cancer across populations. Common genetic components increase the statistical power, and the large-scale meta-analysis of 277,896 breast/prostate cancer cases and 901,858 controls identifies 91 newly genome-wide significant loci. Enrichment analysis of pathways and cell types reveals shared genetic backgrounds across said cancers. Focusing on genetically correlated cancers can contribute to enhancing our insights into carcinogenesis.
Single-cell analyses and host genetics highlight the role of innate immune cells in COVID-19 severity

Edahiro R., Shirai Y., Takeshima Y., Sakakibara S., Yamaguchi Y., Murakami T., and 20 more authors

Nature Genetics 14:3671, Apr 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Mechanisms underpinning the dysfunctional immune response in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection are elusive. We analyzed single-cell transcriptomes and T and B cell receptors (BCR) of >895,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 73 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and 75 healthy controls of Japanese ancestry with host genetic data. COVID-19 patients showed a low fraction of nonclassical monocytes (ncMono). We report downregulated cell transitions from classical monocytes to ncMono in COVID-19 with reduced CXCL10 expression in ncMono in severe disease. Cell–cell communication analysis inferred decreased cellular interactions involving ncMono in severe COVID-19. Clonal expansions of BCR were evident in the plasmablasts of patients. Putative disease genes identified by COVID-19 genome-wide association study showed cell type-specific expressions in monocytes and dendritic cells. A COVID-19-associated risk variant at the IFNAR2 locus (rs13050728) had context-specific and monocyte-specific expression quantitative trait loci effects. Our study highlights biological and host genetic involvement of innate immune cells in COVID-19 severity.
A genomewide association study for allergen component sensitizations identifies allergen component-specific and allergen protein group-specific associations

Morii W., Kasai K., Nakamura T., Hayashi D., Hara M., Naito T., and 10 more authors

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global 14:3671, Feb 2023

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Background: Allergic diseases are some of the most common diseases worldwide. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been conducted to elucidate the genetic factors of allergic diseases. However, no GWASs for allergen component sensitization have been performed. Objective: We sought to detect genetic variants associated with differences in immune responsiveness against allergen components. Methods: The participants of the present study were recruited from the Tokyo Children’s Health, Illness, and Development study, and allergen component-specific IgE level at age 9 years was measured by means of allergen microarray immunoassays. We performed GWASs for allergen component sensitization against each allergen (single allergen component sensitization, number of allergen components analyzed, n = 31), as well as against allergen protein families (allergen protein group sensitization, number of protein groups analyzed, n = 16). Results: We performed GWAS on 564 participants of the Tokyo Children’s Health, Illness, and Development study and found associations between Amb a 1 sensitization and the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene on chromosome 14 and between Phl p 1 sensitization and the HLA class II region on chromosome 6 (P < 5.0 × 10^-8). A GWAS-significant association was also observed between the HLA class II region and profilin sensitization (P < 5.0 × 10^-8). Conclusions: Our data provide the first demonstration of genetic risk for allergen component sensitization and show that this genetic risk is related to immune response genes including immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene and HLA.
Genetic Risk of Primary Aldosteronism and Its Contribution to Hypertension: A Cross-Ancestry Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Study

Naito T., Inoue K., Sonehara K., Baba R., Kodama T., Otagaki Y., and 13 more authors

Circulation 14:3671, Feb 2023

Abstract PubMed

BACKGROUND: Hypertension imposes substantial health and economic burden worldwide. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension, causing cardiovascular events at higher risk compared with essential hypertension. However, the germline genetic contribution to the susceptibility of PA has not been well elucidated. METHOD: We conducted a genome-wide association analysis of PA in the Japanese population and a cross-ancestry meta-analysis combined with UK Biobank and FinnGen cohorts (816 PA cases and 425 239 controls) to identify genetic variants that contribute to PA susceptibility. We also performed a comparative analysis for the risk of 42 previously established blood pressure-associated variants between PA and hypertension with the adjustment of blood pressure.
RESULTS: In the Japanese genome-wide association study, we identified 10 loci that presented suggestive evidence for the association with the PA risk (P<1.0×10^-6). In the meta-analysis, we identified 5 genome-wide significant loci (1p13, 7p15, 11p15, 12q24, and 13q12; P<5.0×10^-8), including 3 of the suggested loci in the Japanese genome-wide association study. The strongest association was observed at rs3790604 (1p13), an intronic variant of WNT2B (odds ratio, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.33-1.69]; P=5.2×10^-11). We further identified 1 nearly genome-wide significant locus (8q24, CYP11B2), which presented a significant association in the gene-based test (P=7.2×10^-7). Of interest, all of these loci were known to be associated with blood pressure in previous studies, presumably because of the prevalence of PA among individuals with hypertension. This assumption was supported by the observation that they had a significantly higher risk effect on PA than on hypertension. We also revealed that 66.7% of the previously established blood pressure-associated variants had a higher risk effect for PA than for hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the genome-wide evidence for a genetic predisposition to PA susceptibility in the cross-ancestry cohorts and its significant contribution to the genetic background of hypertension. The strongest association with the WNT2B variants reinforces the implication of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the PA pathogenesis.

2022

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

Namkoong H., Edahiro R., Takano T., Nishihara H., Shirai Y., Sonehara K., and 481 more authors

Nature 609:754–760, Sep 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge1–5. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2,393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3,289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target.
Genetic footprints of assortative mating in the Japanese population

Yamamoto K., Sonehara K., Namba S., Konuma T., Masuko H., Miyawaki S., and 5 more authors

Nature Human Behaviour 609:754–760, Sep 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Assortative mating (AM) is a pattern characterized by phenotypic similarities between mating partners. Detecting the evidence of AM has been challenging due to the lack of large-scale datasets that include phenotypic data on both partners, especially in populations of non-European ancestries. Gametic phase disequilibrium between trait-associated alleles is a signature of parental AM on a polygenic trait, which can be detected even without partner data. Here, using polygenic scores for 81 traits in the Japanese population using BioBank Japan Project genome-wide association studies data (n = 172,270), we found evidence of AM on the liability to type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, as well as on dietary habits. In cross-population comparison using United Kingdom Biobank data (n = 337,139) we found shared but heterogeneous impacts of AM between populations.
A common deletion at BAK1 reduces enhancer activity and confers risk of intracranial germ cell tumors

Sonehara K., Kimura Y., Nakano Y., Ozawa T., Takahashi M., Suzuki K., and 22 more authors

Nature Communications 13:4478, Aug 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Intracranial germ cell tumors (IGCTs) are rare brain neoplasms that mainly occur in children and adolescents with a particularly high incidence in East Asian populations. Here, we conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 133 patients with IGCTs and 762 controls of Japanese ancestry. A common 4-bp deletion polymorphism in an enhancer adjacent to BAK1 is significantly associated with the disease risk (rs3831846; P = 2.4 × 10⁻⁹, odds ratio = 2.46 [95% CI: 1.83–3.31], minor allele frequency = 0.43). Rs3831846 is in strong linkage disequilibrium with a testicular GCTs susceptibility variant rs210138. In-vitro reporter assays reveal rs3831846 to be a functional variant attenuating the enhancer activity, suggesting its contribution to IGCTs predisposition through altering BAK1 expression. Risk alleles of testicular GCTs derived from the European GWAS show significant positive correlations in the effect sizes with the Japanese IGCTs GWAS (P = 1.3 × 10⁻⁴, Spearman’s ρ = 0.48). These results suggest the shared genetic susceptibility of GCTs beyond ethnicity and primary sites.
Genetic architecture of microRNA expression and its link to complex diseases in the Japanese population

†Sonehara K., †Sakaue S., Maeda Y., Hirata J., Kishikawa T., Yamamoto K., and 6 more authors

Human Molecular Genetics 31:1806–1820, Jun 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Understanding the genetic effects on non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression facilitates functional characterization of disease-associated genetic loci. Among several classes of ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional gene regulators. Despite its biological importance, previous studies on the genetic architecture of miRNA expression focused mostly on the European individuals, underrepresented in other populations. Here, we mapped miRNA expression quantitative trait loci (miRNA-eQTL) for 343 miRNAs in 141 Japanese using small RNA sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, identifying 1275 cis-miRNA-eQTL variants for 40 miRNAs (false discovery rate < 0.2). Of these, 25 miRNAs having eQTL were unreported in the European studies, including 5 miRNAs with their lead variant monomorphic in the European populations, which demonstrates the value of miRNA-eQTL analysis in diverse ancestral populations. MiRNAs with eQTL effect showed allele-specific expression (ASE; e.g. miR-146a-3p), and ASE analysis further detected cis-regulatory variants not captured by the conventional miRNA-eQTL mapping (e.g. miR-933). We identified a copy number variation associated with miRNA expression (e.g. miR-570-3p, P = 7.2 ×10^-6), which contributes to a more comprehensive landscape of miRNA-eQTLs. To elucidate a post-transcriptional modification in miRNAs, we created a catalog of miRNA-editing sites, including 10 canonical and 6 non-canonical sites. Finally, by integrating the miRNA-eQTLs and Japanese genome-wide association studies of 25 complex traits (mean n = 192 833), we conducted a transcriptome-wide association study, identifying miR-1908-5p as a potential mediator for adult height, colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes (P < 9.1 ×10^-5). Our study broadens the population diversity in ncRNA-eQTL studies and contributes to functional annotation of disease-associated loci found in non-European populations.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Intracranial Artery Stenosis Followed by Phenome-Wide Association Study

†Dofuku S., †Sonehara K., Miyawaki S., Sakaue S., Imai H., Shimizu M., and 20 more authors

Translational Stroke Research 31:1806–1820, Jun 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

The genetic background of intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS), a major cause of ischemic stroke, remains elusive. We performed the world’s first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ICAS using DNA samples from Japanese subjects, to identify the genetic factors associated with ICAS and their correlation with clinical features. We also conducted a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) of the top variant identified via GWAS to determine its association with systemic disease. The GWAS involved 408 patients with ICAS and 349 healthy controls and utilized an Asian Screening Array of venous blood samples. The PheWAS was performed using genotypic and phenotypic data of the Biobank Japan Project, which contained information on 46 diseases and 60 quantitative trait data from > 150,000 Japanese individuals. The GWAS revealed that the East Asian-specific functional variant of RNF213, rs112735431 (c.14429G > A, p.Arg4810Lys), was associated with ICAS (odds ratio, 12.3; 95% CI 5.5 to 27.5; P = 7.8 × 10⁻¹⁰). Stratified analysis within ICAS cases demonstrated that clinical features of those with and without the risk allele were different. PheWAS indicated that high blood pressure and angina were significantly associated with RNF213 rs112735431. The first GWAS of ICAS, which stratifies subpopulations within the ICAS cases with distinct clinical features, revealed that RNF213 rs112735431 was the most significant variant associated with ICAS. Thus, RNF213 rs112735431 shows potential as an important clinical biomarker that characterizes pleiotropic risk in various vascular diseases, such as blood pressure and angina, thereby facilitating personalized medicine for systemic vascular diseases in East Asian populations.
Multidimensional analyses of the pathomechanism caused by the non-catalytic GNE variant, c.620A>T, in patients with GNE myopathy

Yoshioka W., Iida A., Sonehara K., Yamamoto K., Oya Y., Mori-Yoshimura M., and 11 more authors

Scientific Reports 12:21806, Dec 2022

Abstract PubMed

GNE myopathy is a distal myopathy caused by biallelic variants in GNE, which encodes a protein involved in sialic acid biosynthesis. Compound heterozygosity of the second most frequent variant among Japanese GNE myopathy patients, GNE c.620A>T encoding p.D207V, occurs in the expected number of patients; however, homozygotes for this variant are rare; three patients identified while 238 homozygotes are estimated to exist in Japan. The aim of this study was to elucidate the pathomechanism caused by c.620A>T. Identity-by-descent mapping indicated two distinct c.620A>T haplotypes, which were not correlated with age onset or development of myopathy. Patients homozygous for c.620A>T had mildly decreased sialylation, and no additional pathogenic variants in GNE or abnormalities in transcript structure or expression of other genes related to sialic acid biosynthesis in skeletal muscle. Structural modeling of full-length GNE dimers revealed that the variant amino acid localized close to the monomer interface, but far from catalytic sites, suggesting functions in enzymatic product transfer between the epimerase and kinase domains on GNE oligomerization. In conclusion, homozygotes for c.620A>T rarely develop myopathy, while symptoms occur in compound heterozygotes, probably because of mildly decreased sialylation, due to partial defects in oligomerization and product trafficking by the mutated GNE protein.
Prokaryotic and viral genomes recovered from 787 Japanese gut metagenomes revealed microbial features linked to diets, populations, and diseases

Tomofuji Y., Kishikawa T., Maeda Y., Ogawa K., Otake-Kasamoto Y., Kawabata S., and 26 more authors

Cell Genomics 12:21806, Nov 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

We reconstructed 19,084 prokaryotic and 31,395 viral genomes from 787 Japanese gut metagenomes as Japanese metagenome-assembled genomes (JMAG) and Japanese Virus Database (JVD), which are large microbial genome datasets for a single population. Population-specific enrichment of the Bacillus subtilis and β-porphyranase among the JMAG could derive from the Japanese traditional food natto (fermented soybeans) and nori (laver), respectively. Dairy-related Enterococcus_B lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus were nominally associated with the East Asian-specific missense variant rs671:G>A in ALDH2, which was associated with dairy consumption. Of the species-level viral genome clusters in the JVD, 62.9% were novel. The β crAss-like phage composition was low among the Japanese but relatively high among African and Oceanian peoples. Evaluations of the association between crAss-like phages and diseases showed significant disease-specific associations. Our large catalog of virus-host pairs identified the positive correlation between the abundance of the viruses and their hosts.
Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses identify novel genetic mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis

Ishigaki K., Sakaue S., Terao C., Luo Y., Sonehara K., Yamaguchi K., and 84 more authors

Nature Genetics 54:1640–1651, Nov 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly heritable complex disease with unknown etiology. Multi-ancestry genetic research of RA promises to improve power to detect genetic signals, fine-mapping resolution and performances of polygenic risk scores (PRS). Here, we present a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of RA, which includes 276,020 samples from five ancestral groups. We conducted a multi-ancestry meta-analysis and identified 124 loci (P < 5 × 10⁻⁸), of which 34 are novel. Candidate genes at the novel loci suggest essential roles of the immune system (for example, TNIP2 and TNFRSF11A) and joint tissues (for example, WISP1) in RA etiology. Multi-ancestry fine-mapping identified putatively causal variants with biological insights (for example, LEF1). Moreover, PRS based on multi-ancestry GWAS outperformed PRS based on single-ancestry GWAS and had comparable performance between populations of European and East Asian ancestries. Our study provides several insights into the etiology of RA and improves the genetic predictability of RA.
The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

Wang Q., Edahiro R., Namkoong H., Hasegawa T., Shirai Y., Sonehara K., and 437 more authors

Nature Communications 13:4830, Aug 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection.
Multi-trait and cross-population genome-wide association studies across autoimmune and allergic diseases identify shared and distinct genetic component

Shirai Y., Nakanishi Y., Suzuki A., Konaka H., Nishikawa R., Sonehara K., and 21 more authors

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 13:4830, Jun 2022

Abstract Article Link PubMed

Objectives Autoimmune and allergic diseases are outcomes of the dysregulation of the immune system. Our study aimed to elucidate differences or shared components in genetic backgrounds between autoimmune and allergic diseases. Methods We estimated genetic correlation and performed multi-trait and cross-population genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of six immune-related diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, type 1 diabetes for autoimmune diseases and asthma, atopic dermatitis and pollinosis for allergic diseases. By integrating large-scale biobank resources (Biobank Japan and UK biobank), our study included 105 721 cases and 433 663 controls. Newly identified variants were evaluated in 21 778 cases and 712 767 controls for two additional autoimmune diseases: psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus. We performed enrichment analyses of cell types and biological pathways to highlight shared and distinct perspectives. Results Autoimmune and allergic diseases were not only mutually classified based on genetic backgrounds but also they had multiple positive genetic correlations beyond the classifications. Multi-trait GWAS meta-analysis newly identified six allergic disease-associated loci. We identified four loci shared between the six autoimmune and allergic diseases (rs10803431 at PRDM2, OR=1.07, p=2.3×10⁻⁸, rs2053062 at G3BP1, OR=0.90, p=2.9×10⁻⁸, rs2210366 at HBS1L, OR=1.07, p=2.5×10⁻⁸ in Japanese and rs4529910 at POU2AF1, OR=0.96, p=1.9×10⁻¹⁰ across ancestries). Associations of rs10803431 and rs4529910 were confirmed at the two additional autoimmune diseases. Enrichment analysis demonstrated link to T cells, natural killer cells and various cytokine signals, including innate immune pathways. Conclusion Our multi-trait and cross-population study should elucidate complex pathogenesis shared components across autoimmune and allergic diseases.
Whole gut virome analysis of 476 Japanese revealed a link between phage and autoimmune disease

Tomofuji Y., Kishikawa T., Maeda Y., Ogawa K., Nii T., Okuno T., and 17 more authors

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 81:278–288, Feb 2022

Abstract PubMed

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between autoimmune diseases and the gut microbiome has been intensively studied, and several autoimmunity-associated bacterial taxa have been identified. However, much less is known about the roles of the gut virome in autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Here, we performed a whole gut virome analysis based on the shotgun sequencing of 476 Japanese which included patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis and healthy control subjects.
RESULTS: Our case-control comparison of the viral abundance revealed that crAss-like phages, which are one of the main components of a healthy gut virome, significantly decreased in the gut of the patients with autoimmune disease, specifically the patients with RA and SLE. In addition, Podoviridae significantly decreased in the gut of the patients with SLE. To understand how these viruses affected the bacteriome, we performed a quantitative virus-bacterium association analysis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-based virus-bacterium interaction analysis. We identified a symbiosis between Podoviridae and Faecalibacterium. In addition, multiple bacterial targets of crAss-like phages were identified (eg, Ruminococcus spp).
CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the gut virome can affect our body either directly or via bacteria. Our analyses have elucidated a previously missing part of the autoimmunity-associated gut microbiome and presented new candidates that contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases.

2021

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative .

Nature 600:472–477, Dec 2021

Abstract Article Link PubMed

The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-191,2, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases3-7. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease.
Obelisc: an identical-by-descent mapping tool based on SNP streak

Sonehara K., and Okada Y.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England) 36:5567–5570, Apr 2021

Abstract Article Link PubMed

MOTIVATION: Genetic linkage analysis has made a huge contribution to the genetic mapping of Mendelian diseases. However, most previously available linkage analysis methods have limited applicability. Since parametric linkage analysis requires predefined model of inheritance with a fixed set of parameters, it is inapplicable without fully structured pedigree information. Furthermore, the analytical results are dependent on the specification of model parameters. While non-parametric linkage analysis can avoid these problems, the runs of homozygosity (ROH) mapping, a widely used non-parametric linkage analysis method, can only deal with recessive inheritance. The implementation of non-parametric linkage analyses capable of dealing with both dominant and recessive inheritance has been required.
RESULTS: We have developed the Obelisc (Observational linkage scan), a flexibly applicable user-friendly non-parametric linkage analysis tool, which also provides an intuitive visualization of the analytical results. Obelisc is based on the SNP streak approach, which does not require any predefined inheritance model with parameters. In contrast to the ROH mapping, the SNP streak approach is applicable to both dominant and recessive traits. To illustrate the performance of Obelisc, we generated a pseudo-pedigree from the publicly available BioBank Japan Project genome-wide genotype dataset (n > 180 000). By applying Obelisc to this pseudo-pedigree, we successfully identified the regions with inherited identical-by-descent haplotypes shared among the members of the pseudo-pedigree, which was validated by the population-based haplotype phasing approach.
AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Obelisc is feely available at https://github.com/qsonehara/Obelisc as a python package with example datasets. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Metagenome-wide association study revealed disease-specific landscape of the gut microbiome of systemic lupus erythematosus in Japanese

Tomofuji Y., Maeda Y., Oguro-Igashira E., Kishikawa T., Yamamoto K., Sonehara K., and 12 more authors

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 80:1575–1583, Dec 2021

Abstract PubMed

OBJECTIVE: Alteration of the gut microbiome has been linked to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, a comprehensive view of the gut microbiome in SLE and its interaction with the host remains to be revealed. This study aimed to reveal SLE-associated changes in the gut microbiome and its interaction with the host by a comprehensive metagenome-wide association study (MWAS) followed by integrative analysis. METHODS: We performed a MWAS of SLE based on shotgun sequencing of the gut microbial DNA from Japanese individuals (N_case=47, N_control=203). We integrated the result of the MWAS with the genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and plasma metabolite data.
RESULTS: Via species level phylogenetic analysis, we identified and validated increases of Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus anginosus in the patients with SLE. Microbial gene analysis revealed increases of Streptococcus-derived genes including one involved in redox reaction. Additionally, microbial pathways related to sulfur metabolism and flagella assembly were altered in the patients with SLE. We identified an overlap in the enriched biological pathways between the metagenome and the germline genome by comparing the result of the MWAS and the GWAS of SLE (ie, MWAS-GWAS interaction). α-diversity and β-diversity analyses provided evidence of dysbiosis in the metagenome of the patients with SLE. Microbiome-metabolome association analysis identified positive dosage correlation of acylcarnitine with Streptococcus intermedius, an SLE-associated taxon.
CONCLUSION: Our MWAS followed by integrative analysis revealed SLE-associated changes in the gut microbiome and its interaction with the host, which contribute to our understanding of the relationship between the microbiome and SLE.
A recurrent homozygous ACTN2 variant associated with core myopathy

Inoue M., Noguchi S., Sonehara K., Nakamura-Shindo K., Taniguchi A., Kajikawa H., and 8 more authors

Acta Neuropathologica 142:785–788, Oct 2021

PubMed
Genetic determinants of risk in autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis

Sakaue S., Yamaguchi E., Inoue Y., Takahashi M., Hirata J., Suzuki K., and 51 more authors

Nature Communications 12:1032, Feb 2021

Abstract PubMed

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a devastating lung disease caused by abnormal surfactant homeostasis, with a prevalence of 6-7 cases per million population worldwide. While mutations causing hereditary PAP have been reported, the genetic basis contributing to autoimmune PAP (aPAP) has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study of aPAP in 198 patients and 395 control participants of Japanese ancestry. The common genetic variant, rs138024423 at 6p21, in the major-histocompatibility-complex (MHC) region was significantly associated with disease risk (Odds ratio [OR] = 5.2; P = 2.4 × 10^-12). HLA fine-mapping revealed that the common HLA class II allele, HLA-DRB1*08:03, strongly drove this signal (OR = 4.8; P = 4.8 × 10^-12), followed by an additional independent risk allele at HLA-DPβ1 amino acid position 8 (OR = 0.28; P = 3.4 × 10^-7). HLA-DRB1*08:03 was also associated with an increased level of anti-GM-CSF antibody, a key driver of the disease (β = 0.32; P = 0.035). Our study demonstrated a heritable component of aPAP, suggesting an underlying genetic predisposition toward an abnormal antibody production.
Genomics-driven drug discovery based on disease-susceptibility genes

Sonehara K., and Okada Y.

Inflammation and Regeneration 41:8, Mar 2021

Abstract PubMed

Genome-wide association studies have identified numerous disease-susceptibility genes. As knowledge of gene-disease associations accumulates, it is becoming increasingly important to translate this knowledge into clinical practice. This challenge involves finding effective drug targets and estimating their potential side effects, which often results in failure of promising clinical trials. Here, we review recent advances and future perspectives in genetics-led drug discovery, with a focus on drug repurposing, Mendelian randomization, and the use of multifaceted omics data.

2015

Oncogenic activity of BIRC2 and BIRC3 mutants independent of nuclear factor-κB-activating potential

Yamato A., Soda M., Ueno T., Kojima S., Sonehara K., Kawazu M., and 4 more authors

Cancer Science 106:1137–1142, Sep 2015

Abstract PubMed

BIRC2 and BIRC3 are closely related members of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins and play pivotal roles in regulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and apoptosis. Copy number loss for and somatic mutation of BIRC2 and BIRC3 have been frequently detected in lymphoid malignancies, with such genetic alterations being thought to contribute to carcinogenesis through activation of the noncanonical NF-κB signaling pathway. Here we show that BIRC2 and BIRC3 mutations are also present in a wide range of epithelial tumors and that most such nonsense or frameshift mutations confer direct transforming potential. This oncogenic function of BIRC2/3 mutants is largely independent of their ability to activate NF-κB signaling. Rather, all of the transforming mutants lack an intact RING finger domain, with loss of ubiquitin ligase activity being essential for transformation irrespective of NF-κB regulation. The serine-threonine kinase NIK was found to be an important, but not exclusive, mediator of BIRC2/3-driven carcinogenesis, although this function was independent of NF-κB activation. Our data thus suggest that, in addition to the BIRC2/3-NIK-NF-κB signaling pathway, BIRC2/3-NIK signaling targets effectors other than NF-κB and thereby contributes directly to carcinogenesis. Identification of these effectors may provide a basis for the development of targeted agents for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies and other cancers with BIRC2/3 alterations.