Environment Interaction Studies Research Articles

Genotype by environment interaction and stability study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Genotype by environment interaction and stability study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

O11 Investigating the genetic basis of the influence of adiposity on psoriasis

Abstract Introduction and aims Obesity is a chronic inflammatory state that is highly prevalent in people with psoriasis. There is evidence to suggest that increasing levels of adiposity promotes the risk of psoriasis development and worsens disease severity. The degree to which adiposity influences psoriasis varies between individuals, and it is also unclear which key genetic factors underpin this variation. Identifying this could be mechanistically informative in uncovering immunological pathways connecting adiposity and psoriasis. This project explores the hypothesis that the influence of adiposity on psoriasis has a genetic basis. Methods Firstly, we examined the comparative strength of association between a range of measures of adiposity and psoriasis in a population-based study (UK Biobank, n = 336 806). Secondly, we performed a genome-wide by environment interaction study (GWEIS) meta-analysis examining the interaction between key measures of adiposity and psoriasis susceptibility in two large population-based studies [UK Biobank and HUNT (n = 164 753)]. Thirdly, in view of this association between human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-C*06:02 and higher adiposity levels in psoriasis, we wanted to explore whether biological differences existed between HLA-stratified subgroups. To explore this, we performed HLA-C*06:02-stratified Mendelian randomization to establish whether a difference in causal effect of adiposity on psoriasis existed between subgroups. Results We found that measures of central obesity (including impedance and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry/magnetic resonance imaging measures) were most strongly associated with both psoriasis risk and severity. A sexual dimorphism was observed, with a stronger effect in men compared with women. Through GWEIS meta-analysis, we found a significant interaction between HLA-C*06:02-status and waist circumference on psoriasis risk (P = 3.69e−08). No significant difference in causal effect of body mass index or waist circumference on psoriasis risk were found in HLA-C*06:02-stratified subgroups. Conclusions These findings underscore the significance of central adiposity in influencing psoriasis risk. This study also emphasizes both the value and limitations of HLA-C*06:02 as a potential biomarker for distinguishing metabolically-driven psoriasis.

Spatial Population Structuring and Genetic Analysis of Exotic Grevillea robusta in Northwestern India

Abstract The introduction of exotics is common in forestry, and majorly important species, like eucalypts, poplar, and Casuarina sp., occupy vast areas in the Indian subcontinent. Importantly, with the latest cost-effective sequencing techniques, genetic diversity research through molecular marker approaches on major exotics provides novel information for genetic improvement in economic traits with climatic adaptation. The study was carried out on Grevillea robusta to assess genetic relatedness and diversity among 228 genotypes belonging to five northwestern states in India. These genotypes were assayed using twelve simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A population structure analysis using structure software identified four major gene pool subgroups with clear-cut differences from each other. Principal coordinate analysis also supports the clustering patterns of the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis. In the case of genetic diversity assessment, a total of seventy-three alleles were detected from twelve SSRs, with an average of 6.08 ± 0.71 per locus. Polymorphism information content ranged from 0.17 to 0.67 with a mean of 0.44 ± 0.045, indicating high levels of polymorphism across the genotypes. All the evaluated SSRs demonstrated moderate genetic diversity (observed heterozygosity = 0.31 ± 0.03; expected heterozygosity = 0.32 ± 0.03; and genetic differentiation = 0.295) among the sampled genotypes. These findings indicate significant genetic variability in the germplasm to warrant selection and have potential for a long-term tree improvement program of G. robusta in India. Study Implications: The study on population genetics of Grevillea robusta in exotic environments assessed probable gene pools, provenances, and genetic diversity in geographical distribution range of the species in the Indian scenario. The basic population genetic measures revealed the high diversity areas and probable seed zones of G. robusta in its exotic range. Importantly, the study will be helpful in the selection of candidate plus trees of G. robusta to further strengthen the genotype × environment interaction study for future breeding programs. Further, studying the genetic makeup for moderately diverse species offers valuable insights into evolutionary history, population dynamics, and ecological interactions, which may lead to conservation efforts and guidance for the management of trees such as G. robusta in their native and introduced regions.

Stability analysis and genotype X environment interaction of cotton seed and fiber yield of some cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes in multi-environment in Mali

Cotton is a strategically important crop for Mali. Mainly used for export, it represents 50–60 % of the value of the country's exports. Genotype by environment interaction study was carried out to identify the most stable cotton genotype(s) and the most desirable for seed cotton yield and lint yield in 35 villages across six different environments(High Valley of the Niger, New Cotton Growing Zone, North Sudan-Sahel, Old Basin, Southern Extension Zone and Zone Sikasso-Bougouni) in a dispersed block design. Where each village represented a block, giving a total of 35 blocks or replications. A combined analysis of variance showed that yields of seed cotton and fiber were significantly affected by environments (p<0.05), but did not reveal any significant difference between genotypes or genotype-environment interactions. The result of GGE biplot analysis method showed that the polygonal view identified three mega-environments (ME1, ME2 and ME3) with three winning genotypes: BRS 293, NTA B149 and NTA L66, respectively, for seed cotton yield. For fiber yield, the winning genotypes were CG1, NTA L65 and BRS 293, respectively. Given that all the varieties tested have a mean fiber yield within the recommended norms, the two promising varieties NTA B149 and NTA L66 with good seed cotton yields and the standard check BRS 293 can be recommended for extension in the environments to which they have been assigned.

P1159 Gene and environment interactions in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review of human epidemiologic studies

Abstract Background Complex gene-environment interaction for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) remains elusive. This systematic review aims to summarize the current evidence of gene and environment interactions in IBD. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus were systematically searched from inception through July 20, 2022 to identify publications examining the interaction effect of genetic variants and environmental factors in IBD. Two investigators independently screened the title/abstract and full text according to the predefined criteria. All eligible studies were graded using STREGA guideline. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023443071). Results 4,305 publications were identified and screened, resulting in 36 eligible studies. 17 studies reported statistically significant interactions. The interaction effect of NOD2 and smoking was most frequently investigated and showed variant-specific interaction at rs2066847 regrading risk of Crohn’s disease (CD). Gene-smoking interactions were further identified in 1) other IBD risk genes (ATG16L1, IL23R, CALM3), as well as the IBD-genetic risk score (GRS), 2) detoxification genes (GSTP1 and ΗΜΟΧ1), 3) smoking-associated genes (CHRNA3, CHRNA5, PPP1R3C, BDNF), as well as the general smoking-GRS, and 4) the inflammation cytokine gene (IL-1β) using the candidate gene approach. Using the Illumina immune-focused Chip, another 64 smoking interacting variants were identified. Gene-diet interactions were reported across different nutritional measures, including the intake of fatty acids with CYP4F3 and FADS2, serum level of selenium with SEPHS1and SEPSECS, dietary intake of potassium with IL21, alcohol consumption with IL12B, dietary heme iron intake with FcgRIIA and serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with VDR. No genome wide environment interaction studies (GWEIS) of IBD have been conducted to date, while this strategy holds great potential to unravel the missing heritability influenced by environment factors for IBD. Conclusion While past studies have increased insights into potential gene-environmental interactions in the pathophysiology of IBD, current evidence is limited and inconclusive due to lack of replication of presented results, and limited study power. Further research, including GWEIS and clinical trials, is needed for future recommendations on lifestyle and dietary modification, based on individual genetic backgrounds.

Risk factors associated with age at onset of Parkinson’s disease in the UK Biobank

Substantial evidence shown that the age at onset (AAO) of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a major determinant of clinical heterogeneity. However, the mechanisms underlying heterogeneity in the AAO remain unclear. To investigate the risk factors with the AAO of PD, a total of 3156 patients with PD from the UK Biobank were included in this study. We evaluated the effects of polygenic risk scores (PRS), nongenetic risk factors, and their interaction on the AAO using Mann–Whitney U tests and regression analyses. We further identified the genes interacting with nongenetic risk factors for the AAO using genome-wide environment interaction studies. We newly found physical activity (P < 0.0001) was positively associated with AAO and excessive daytime sleepiness (P < 0.0001) was negatively associated with AAO, and reproduced the positive associations of smoking and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake and the negative association of family history with AAO. In the dose-dependent analyses, smoking duration (P = 1.95 × 10−6), coffee consumption (P = 0.0150), and tea consumption (P = 0.0008) were positively associated with AAO. Individuals with higher PRS had younger AAO (P = 3.91 × 10−5). In addition, we observed a significant interaction between the PRS and smoking for AAO (P = 0.0316). Specifically, several genes, including ANGPT1 (P = 7.17 × 10−7) and PLEKHA6 (P = 4.87 × 10−6), may influence the positive relationship between smoking and AAO. Our data suggests that genetic and nongenetic risk factors are associated with the AAO of PD and that there is an interaction between the two.

Genotype × environment interaction study for grain yield and its component traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Genotype × environment interaction study for grain yield and its component traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Genotype by environment interaction for agro-morphological traits and herbage nutritive values and fodder yield stability in oat (Avena sativa L.) using AMMI analysis in Ethiopia

This study aimed to evaluate the genotype by environment interaction for agro-morphological traits and fodder nutritive values of oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes under diverse environmental conditions and to identify high fodder yielding and consistently performing genotypes in Ethiopia. Oat genotypes usually demonstrate inconsistent performance in different environments due to variations in growing environments and the existence of significant genotype by environment interaction complicates the selection process. Therefore, the genotype by environment interaction study was executed using the additive main effects and multiplicative interactions model to select superior and stable genotypes. The effects of genotype by environment interaction on fodder yield stability in twenty-four oat genotypes were investigated in nine environments using a randomized complete block design. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis of variance for fodder yield showed significant variation for genotype, environment, and genotype by environment interaction effects and the highest contributor for the total variation was the environment (67.45 %) main effect followed by genotype by environment interaction (22.73 %) and the genotype (9.82 %). The first (44.11 %) and the second (26.79 %) interaction principal component axes were significant and cumulatively accounted for 70.91 % of the total interaction variance. Based on the first two additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analyses, E6, E4, and E2 were located far from the biplot origin and had a high contribution to the total variation of genotype by environment interaction. The fodder yield of the genotypes G6, G10, G23, G7, G9, G18, G13, G1, G24, G15, G2, G3, G19, G4, and G11 were above the grand mean. The fodder yield stability result obtained from the second additive main effects and multiplicative interaction is usually more accurate compared to the first additive main effects and multiplicative interaction. Consequently, genotypes which had mean fodder yield above the grand mean and relatively stable performance were observed for G23, G6, G10, G7, G11, G1, G9, G15, G2, G3, G4, and G19. However, G2, G3, G4, G11, and G19 have released varieties while the remaining genotypes have not been yet released. Therefore, G6, G10, G23, G7, and G9 were selected for verification and cultivation of these selected genotypes would contribute more for oat fodder yield improvement programs in Ethiopia.

Diversity and genetic architecture of agro-morphological traits in a Core Collection of European traditional tomato.

European traditional tomato varieties have been selected by farmers given their consistent performance and adaptation to local growing conditions. Here we developed a multipurpose core collection, comprising 226 accessions representative of the genotypic, phenotypic and geographical diversity present in European traditional tomatoes, to investigate the basis of their phenotypic variation, G×E interactions and stability for 33 agro-morphological traits. Comparison of the traditional varieties with a modern reference panel revealed that some traditional varieties displayed excellent agronomic performance and high trait stability, as good as or better than that of their modern counterparts. We conducted genome-wide association and genome-wide environment interaction studies and detected 141 quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Out of those, 47 QTLs were associated with the phenotype mean (meanQTLs) and 41 with stability (stbQTLs) and 53 QTL-by-environment interactions (QTIs). Most QTLs displayed additive gene actions, with the exception of stbQTLs, which were mostly recessive and overdominant QTLs. Both common and specific loci controlled the phenotype mean and stability variation in traditional tomato; however, a larger proportion of specific QTLs was observed, indicating that the stability gene regulatory model is the predominant one. Developmental genes tended to map close to meanQTLs, while genes involved in stress response, hormone metabolism and signalling were found within regions affecting stability. A total of 137 marker trait associations for phenotypic means and stability were novel, and therefore our study enhances the understanding of the genetic basis of valuable agronomic traits and opens a new avenue for an exploitation of the allelic diversity available within European traditional tomato germplasm.

Genome-wide by environment interaction studies of maternal smoking and educational score in UK biobank.

This study aimed to investigate the associations between maternal smoking (MS) and education score in adult offspring. To better understand this link, we performed a two-stage genome-wide by environment interaction studies (GWEIS) of MS and offspring education score in UK Biobank cohort. Specifically, 276 996 subjects from England were enrolled in the discovery study, while 24 355 subjects from Scotland and 14 526 subjects from Wales were enrolled in the replication study. GWEIS were conducted by PLINK 2.0 with MS used as an environmental risk factor. Significant GWEIS associations ( P < 0.0001) between MS and offspring education score in both the discovery cohort and two replicate cohorts (Scotland population and Wales population) were identified. GWEIS identified 2 independent significant single nucleotide polymorphism-MS interaction, with one variant located in the chromosomal 16 (rs72768988, Position: 22,768,798, P = 1.22 × 10 -8 , β = 6.7662) and the other one located in 2q32.3 region (2 : 196424612_GT_G, Position: 196 424 612, 3.60 × 10 -9 , β = -0.4721). Our results suggested 2q32.3 region and HECW2 gene could negatively moderate the influence of MS on offspring's educational status.

Genotype and environment interaction study shows fungal diseases and heat stress are detrimental to spring wheat production in Sweden.

Spring wheat is an economically important crop for Scandinavia and its cultivation is likely to be affected by climate change. The current study focused on wheat yield in recent years, during which climate change-related yield fluctuations have been more pronounced than previously observed. Here, effects of the environment, together with the genotype and fungicide treatment was evaluated. Spring wheat multi-location trials conducted at five locations between 2016 and 2020 were used to understand effects of the climate and fungicides on wheat yield. The results showed that the environment has a strong effect on grain yield, followed by the genotype effect. Moreover, temperature has a stronger (negative) impact than rainfall on grain yield and crop growing duration. Despite a low rainfall in the South compared to the North, the southern production region (PR) 2 had the highest yield performance, indicating the optimal environment for spring wheat production. The fungicide treatment effect was significant in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Overall, yield reduction due to fungal diseases ranged from 0.98 (2018) to 13.3% (2017) and this reduction was higher with a higher yield. Overall yield reduction due to fungal diseases was greater in the South (8.9%) than the North zone (5.3%). The genotypes with higher tolerance to diseases included G4 (KWS Alderon), G14 (WPB 09SW025-11), and G23 (SW 11360) in 2016; G24 (SW 11360), G25 (Millie), and G19 (SEC 526-07-2) in 2017; and G19 (WPB 13SW976-01), G12 (Levels), and G18 (SW 141011) in 2020. The combined best performing genotypes for disease tolerance and stable and higher yield in different locations were KWS Alderon, SEC 526-07-2, and WPB 13SW976-01 with fungicide treatment and WPB Avonmore, SEC 526-07-2, SW 131323 without fungicide treatment. We conclude that the best performing genotypes could be recommended for Scandinavian climatic conditions with or without fungicide application and that developing heat-tolerant varieties for Scandinavian countries should be prioritized.

Association between birth by caesarian section and anxiety, self-harm: a gene-environment interaction study using UK Biobank data

BackgroundLimited efforts have been paid to explore the underlying genetic mechanisms of birth by caesarian section (CS) affecting the risks of adult anxiety and self-harm.MethodsUsing UK Biobank cohort, the logistic regression model was first applied to evaluate the associations of adult anxiety and self-harm with birth by CS. Using birth by CS as exposure variables, genome-wide by environment interaction study (GWEIS) was then applied by PLINK2.0 to identify associated genes interacting with birth by CS for anxiety and self-harm.ResultsIn the observational study, significant associations were observed between birth by CS and anxiety (odds ratio (OR) = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12–1.38; P = 4.86 × 10− 5), and self-harm (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01–1.24; P = 2.90 × 10− 2). GWEIS revealed multiple suggestive genes interacted with birth by CS for anxiety, such as DKK2 (rs13137764, P = 1.24 × 10− 9, adjusted P = 2.68 × 10− 7) and ATXN1 (rs62389045, P = 4.38 × 10− 8, adjusted P = 3.55 × 10− 6). For self-harm, significant gene-environment interactions of birth by CS on self-harm were detected, such as ALDH1A2 (rs77828167, P = 1.62 × 10− 8; rs116899929, P = 1.92 × 10− 8) and DAB1 (rs116124269, P = 3.20 × 10− 8; rs191070006, P = 3.63 × 10− 8).ConclusionsOur results suggested that birth by CS was associated with the risk of adult anxiety and self-harm. We also discovered some genes interacted with birth by CS might influence the risk of anxiety and self-harm, which may provide novel clues for the pathogenesis of those mental disorders.

Springer: An R package for bi-level variable selection of high-dimensional longitudinal data.

In high-dimensional data analysis, the bi-level (or the sparse group) variable selection can simultaneously conduct penalization on the group level and within groups, which has been developed for continuous, binary, and survival responses in the literature. Zhou et al. (2022) (PMID: 35766061) has further extended it under the longitudinal response by proposing a quadratic inference function-based penalization method in gene-environment interaction studies. This study introduces "springer," an R package implementing the bi-level variable selection within the QIF framework developed in Zhou et al. (2022). In addition, R package "springer" has also implemented the generalized estimating equation-based sparse group penalization method. Alternative methods focusing only on the group level or individual level have also been provided by the package. In this study, we have systematically introduced the longitudinal penalization methods implemented in the "springer" package. We demonstrate the usage of the core and supporting functions, which is followed by the numerical examples and discussions. R package "springer" is available at https://cran.r-project.org/package=springer.

Exploring Variability of Free Asparagine Content in the Grain of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties Cultivated in Italy to Reduce Acrylamide-Forming Potential.

Acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen, is generated during food processing at high temperatures in the Maillard reaction, which involves reducing sugars and free asparagine. In wheat derivatives, free asparagine represents a key factor in acrylamide formation. Free asparagine levels in the grain of different wheat genotypes has been investigated in recent studies, but little is known about elite varieties that are cultivated in Italy. Here, we analysed the accumulation of free asparagine in a total of 54 bread wheat cultivars that are relevant for the Italian market. Six field trials in three Italian locations over two years were considered. Wholemeal flours obtained from harvested seeds were analysed using an enzymatic method. Free asparagine content ranged from 0.99 to 2.82 mmol/kg dry matter in the first year, and from 0.55 to 2.84 mmol/kg dry matter in the second year. Considering the 18 genotypes that were present in all the field trials, we evaluated possible environment and genetic influences for this trait. Some cultivars seemed to be highly affected by environment, whereas others showed a relative stability in free asparagine content across years and locations. Finally, we identified two varieties showing the highest free asparagine levels in our analysis, representing potential useful materials for genotype x environment interaction studies. Two other varieties, which were characterized by low amounts of free asparagine in the considered samples, may be useful for the food industry and for future breeding programs aimed to reduce acrylamide-forming potential in bread wheat.

Early life adversity and cardiovascular responses to repeated stress among adolescents: Moderating role of COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism

BackgroundEarly life adversity (ELA) increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases through dysregulation of cardiovascular stress responses manifested by either exaggerated or blunted reactivity. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene rs4680 polymorphism has been identified in gene–environment interaction (G×E) studies to explain individual differences in the effects of ELA on physiological stress responses. However, little is known about whether ELA interacts with COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism to affect cardiovascular responses to repeated stress exposures. ObjectiveThe current study examined the associations between ELA and cardiovascular responses to repeated stress exposures, and the moderating role of COMT rs4680 polymorphism in these associations. MethodsThe childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) was administered to 359 junior school students who underwent a two-successive stress exposures protocol with continuous cardiovascular monitoring [heart rate (HR) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP)] across four laboratory phases, and their saliva samples for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) genotyping were collected. ResultsELA was associated with blunted HR reactivity to the first and second stress exposures, blunted SBP reactivity to the first stress exposure, and attenuated SBP habituation to repeated stress exposures. Moreover, COMT rs4680 moderated these associations, such that the associations between ELA and blunted HR, SBP, and DBP reactivity to the first stress and disrupted DBP habituation to repeated stress exposures only existed in GA/AA genotype carriers but not in GG genotype carriers. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the A allele of COMT rs4680 is vulnerable to the negative effects of ELA on the developmental dysregulation of stress physiological systems.

Sleep Duration, Midday Napping, and Serum Homocysteine Levels: A Gene-Environment Interaction Study.

The associations of sleep duration and midday napping with homocysteine (Hcy) levels, and whether these sleep behaviors modify the association between genetic predisposition and Hcy levels, has yet to be investigated. We included 19,426 participants without severe health conditions at baseline from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort. In a subgroup of 15,126 participants with genetic data, a genetic risk score (GRS) based on 18 Hcy-related loci was constructed to test the gene-sleep interactions in Hcy. Hcy levels were higher in subjects with a long sleep duration (≥9 h) and midday napping (&gt;90 min), as compared to those who reported a moderate sleep duration (7 to &lt;8 h) and midday napping (1-30 min) (all p values &lt; 0.05). A long sleep duration and midday napping showed a joint effect in increasing Hcy (p for trend &lt; 0.001). Significant interactions regarding Hcy levels were observed for a long sleep duration with GRS and MTHFR rs1801133, and long midday napping with DPEP1 rs12921383 (all p values for interaction &lt; 0.05). Overall findings indicated that a long sleep duration and midday napping were associated with elevated serum Hcy levels, independently and jointly, and amplified the genetic susceptibility to higher Hcy.

Identification of stable lentil genotypes through genotype by environment interactions on yield potential in Morocco

Genotype by environment (G×E) interaction study becomes essential for selecting high and stable yielding genotypes. Altogether 64 lentil genotypes representing improved varieties, landraces and advanced lines were evaluated under 6 environments for green cover, phenological characters, grain yield and 1000 seed weight. Variance analysis revealed highly significant effects of genotype, environment and genotype by environment interaction for all studied traits. The environment had the greatest effect with 75.7% of the total sum of squares. AMMI-GGE biplot identified 3 mega-environments where Z32 advanced lines were performed in the first one (E1, E4 and E5); Z33 was the best in the second mega-environment (E2 and E3), of which E2 (SAD18) was characterized as discriminating and representative environment for selecting adaptable genotypes. While VR4 and LR4 were the winning genotypes in the third mega-environment represented by E6. According to 7 stability methods, Z33, Z32, Z31, Z13 and G03 lines were the most stable and resilient in all environments. In addition, five landraces (PA6, LR4, LR10, LR6 and PA1) showed a high yielding potential that could be used as a source of genotype candidates to develop novel resilient varieties of lentils. Varieties VR9 was recommended for both favorable and unfavorable environments, VR6 for unfavorable and VR3 for favorable environment. Otherwise, genotypes were grouped into 3 clusters with 90% of similarity. The third one gathered the highest yielding genotypes (Z33 and Z32), which were the most stable that could be promoted for developing resilient varieties for climatic changing environments.

The interaction of early life factors and depression-associated loci affecting the age at onset of the depression

Multiple previous studies explored the associations between early life factors and the age at onset of the depression. However, they only focused on the influence of environmental or genetic factors, without considering the interactions between them. Based on previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we first calculated polygenic risk score (PRS) for depression. Regression analyses were conducted to assess the interacting effects of depression PRS and 5 early life factors, including felt hated by family member (N = 40,112), physically abused by family (N = 40,464), felt loved (N = 35633), and sexually molested (N = 41,595) in childhood and maternal smoking during pregnancy (N = 38,309), on the age at onset of the depression. Genome-wide environment interaction studies (GWEIS) were then performed to identify the genes interacting with early life factors for the age at onset of the depression. In regression analyses, we observed significant interacting effects of felt loved as a child and depression PRS on the age at onset of depression in total sample (β = 0.708, P = 5.03 × 10−3) and males (β = 1.421, P = 7.64 × 10−4). GWEIS identified a novel candidate loci interacting with felt loved as a child at GSAP (rs2068031, P = 4.24 × 10–8) and detected several genes with suggestive significance association, such as CMYA5 (rs7343, P = 2.03 × 10–6) and KIRREL3 (rs535603, P = 4.84 × 10–6) in males. Our results indicate emotional care in childhood may affect the age at onset of depression, especially in males, and GSAP plays an important role in their interaction.

Omics approaches to discover pathophysiological pathways contributing to human pain.

Omics approaches to discover pathophysiological pathways contributing to human pain.

Genotype X Environment Interaction Studies in Single Cross Maize Hybrids for Quality Traits under Different Environments

Sixty eight genotypes of maize (48 hybrids, 16 parents and 4 checks were evaluated under three different environments to test their stability. Variance due to genotypes, environments and genotype x environment interactions were found significant for oil content, starch content and protein content. Regression approach by Eberhart and Russel 1966 used to investigate the nature of G x E interaction and for identifying genotypes possessing general and specific adaption. None of the hybrids had stability for all quality traits. For Grain Starch content hybrid EI-1155-1 x EI-2416, for oil content hybrid EI-670-2 x EI-2403 and for Protein content hybrids EI-2187 x EI-2403, EI-536-3 x EI-2403, EI-2176 x EI-561-2,EI-2173 x EI561-7 had higher mean values, non significant deviation from regression and regression coefficient around unity (bi=1) indicating the stable performance in different environment and wider adaptability.