A view from Drosophila: multiple biological functions for individual microRNAs. (1/163)
(+info)SOX2 in squamous cell carcinoma: amplifying a pleiotropic oncogene along carcinogenesis. (2/163)
SOX2 is a master pluripotency controller that was recently identified as a novel major oncogene, recurrently amplified and activated in Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). These studies have used a similar strategy of chromosomal aberrations screening to identify the SOX2 locus as one of the most frequently amplified site over the SCC genome. They have further highlighted the recurrent SOX2 activation and its necessary role for squamous cell survival. Finally, they showed that SOX2 is also involved in the early steps of lung SCC, as participating to transform human bronchial epithelial cells. Furthermore, SOX2 overexpression can induce the expression of the squamous markers p63 and keratin 6, supporting the idea that SOX2 might be implicated in SCC differentiation. In addition, SOX2 overexpression stimulates lung squamous cell migration. However, neither study assessed the impact of the recurrent activation of SOX2 in advanced primary tumors nor how SOX2 may mechanistically participate to tumor progression and aggressiveness. Here we present these studies and additional data from integrative transcriptomic analyses of primary lung SCC that altogether shed new light and open new exciting perspectives on the multiples roles that SOX2 exerts all along SCC carcinogenesis. (+info)Quantitative genetic analysis suggests causal association between cuticular hydrocarbon composition and desiccation survival in Drosophila melanogaster. (3/163)
(+info)How pleiotropic genetics of the musculoskeletal system can inform genomics and phenomics of aging. (4/163)
(+info)Revisiting the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging: TOR-driven program and quasi-program. (5/163)
(+info)Developmental decoupling of alternative phenotypes: insights from the transcriptomes of horn-polyphenic beetles. (6/163)
(+info)Pleiotropy in the presence of allelic heterogeneity: alternative genetic models for the influence of APOE on serum LDL, CSF amyloid-beta42, and dementia. (7/163)
(+info)R231C mutation in KCNQ1 causes long QT syndrome type 1 and familial atrial fibrillation. (8/163)
(+info)Genetic pleiotropy is a phenomenon in genetics where a single gene or genetic variant has multiple effects on different phenotypic traits. This means that the gene influences more than one trait, and changes in the gene can result in variations in multiple traits. The term "pleiotropy" comes from the Greek words "pleion," meaning "more," and "trope," meaning "turning."
An example of genetic pleiotropy is the gene that causes sickle cell anemia, a severe form of hemolytic anemia. This same gene also provides resistance to malaria in heterozygotes (individuals who inherit one normal and one mutated copy of the gene). Therefore, the single gene has multiple effects on different traits: red blood cell shape and susceptibility to malaria.
Understanding genetic pleiotropy is essential for understanding how complex traits are inherited and how genes contribute to various diseases and conditions. It also highlights that modifying or treating one trait may have unintended consequences on other traits influenced by the same gene.