Exploring the camouflaged and non-coding genome: analysing difficult genomic regions in human disease genetics
Loading...
Files
Date
2023
Authors
Becerra Rodríguez , Maria de los Ángeles
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
The main objective of this thesis is to highlight the importance of investigating camouflaged regions, specifically segmental duplications, and non-coding regions, in the human genome. These regions, often overlooked due to their complexity, hold immense potential for uncovering novel insights into disease genetics. In pursuit of this objective, this thesis first focused on the study of camouflaged and non-coding regions in the context of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder specific to humans characterized by a combination of altered cognitive function, distorted perception, and disrupted social behaviour. Understanding the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia is crucial for advancing our knowledge of its aetiology and developing more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Through comprehensive genomic analyses, novel insights were gained, which identified a novel duplication in a locus affecting a dopamine receptor implicated in neurotransmission. Additionally, small deletions in constrained non-coding regulatory regions were implicated in schizophrenia for the first time. Moreover, this thesis characterizes a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) originating from the segmentally duplicated Pregnancy-Specific Glycoprotein locus. The lncRNA was expressed exclusively in oligodendrocytes, implicating it in the regulation of myelination processes in the brain. This lncRNA is human-specific, further emphasizing the biological relevance of camouflaged and non-coding regions in the context of human evolution. Throughout this thesis, a human-specific perspective was adopted, recognizing the unique genomic features that shape our species. By expanding our knowledge of difficult genomic regions, such as camouflaged and non-coding regions, this thesis aims to close the gap in the missing heritability problem and to gain a comprehensive understanding of the genetic architecture underlying complex disorders and uniquely human traits like schizophrenia.
Description
Keywords
Camouflaged , Genome , Non-coding , Schizophrenia , Human , PSG8-AS1 , Copy number variants
Citation
Becerra Rodríguez , M. A. 2023. Exploring the camouflaged and non-coding genome: analysing difficult genomic regions in human disease genetics. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.