Biomedical subjects

Nan Lin

Publications and source records attributed to Nan Lin.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Genomic analyses implicate hormonal and metabolic dysregulation in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its underlying features remain poorly understood. In this genetic study (n = 544,513), we expand the number of genetic loci from 16 to 29, and additionally identify 31 associated plasma proteins. Many risk-increasing loci were associated with later age at menopause, underscoring the reproductive longevity related to an increased oocyte number and/or availability across the lifespan. Hormonal regulation in the etiology of this condition, through metabolic and reproductive features, was emphasized. The proteomic analysis highlighted metabolic biology known to be related to PCOS. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, with differing relevance of testosterone and body mass index in women and men. Finally, while oligo-anovulation and anovulatory infertility are features of PCOS, we observed no impact of PCOS susceptibility on childlessness. We suggest that PCOS susceptibility confers balanced pleiotropic influences on fertility in women, and life-long adverse metabolic consequences in both sexes.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genomic Insights Into Local Adaptation Across Heterogeneous Understory Habitats and Climate Change Vulnerability.

Understanding adaptive evolution and survival risks in understory herbs is crucial for the effective conservation of biodiversity. How environmental gradients shape species local adaptation patterns is not well understood, nor is how populations of understory herbs respond to a changing climate. In this study, we conducted population genomic analyses of Adenocaulon himalaicum (Asteraceae) with a pan-East Asian distribution, representing a good model for dominant understory herbs to elucidate adaptation mechanisms in heterogeneous forest ecosystems. Based on 34,398 putatively neutral single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 27 populations, we identified three genetic lineages accompanied by high levels of genetic differentiation between populations. Our isolation by environment results (IBE) indicated a significant effect of environmental gradients on genomic variation of A. himalaicum (r = 0.18, p = 0.03). To decompose the relative contributions of climate, geography and population structure in explaining genetic variance, our partial RDA found that the prominent contribution of environmental effects (climatic and soil variables) explained 29% and 36% of the neutral and adaptive genetic variation, respectively. Using two genotype-environment association (GEA) methods, we identified 13 SNPs as candidates for core climate-related adaptation loci, with two of these loci further validated by qRT-PCR experiments. Projections of spatiotemporal genomic vulnerability under different future climate scenarios revealed that populations in the southeastern edge of the Himalayas, near the Sichuan Basin, the southernmost region of Northeast China and the northern Korean Peninsula, as well as northern Japan, were identified as the most vulnerable and should be prioritised for conservation. Therefore, our current study provides the genomic foundations for conservation and management strategies to elucidate how these understory herbs cope with future climate changes.

Climate Change↗

PubMed2025

Genome sequencing and population genomics provide insights into the demographic history, genetic load, and local adaptation of an endangered Tertiary relict.

Endangered Tertiary relict trees represent an exceptional evolutionary heritage with small and isolated populations, yet little is known about how demographic history, local adaptation, and genetic load have affected their long-term survival and extinction risk. We performed whole-genome sequencing and population genomic analyses on Ulmus elongata L. K. Fu & C. S. Ding, an endangered Tertiary relict tree endemic to East Asia. By integrating genomes from U. elongata and seven other endangered trees from public databases, we identified rate-decelerated genes across endangered trees and genes under positive selection of U. elongata associated with tissue development, detoxification, and immune response, and signal transduction and regulation mechanisms potentially leading to endangered status. Demographic analyses revealed continuous population decline from the late Miocene to present, especially during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and last 10 000 years. Spearman correlation indicated a strong negative relationship between effective population size and human population density (rpopulation density = -0.90, P < 0.001) as well as cropland use (rcropland use = -0.89, P < 0.001). Genotype-environment association (GEA) analyses identified a set of candidate genes associated with temperature and precipitation, supporting a polygenic adaptation model in U. elongata. Overall, our findings underscore the severe population bottlenecks that have led to the fixation of strongly deleterious mutations and inbreeding, further compromising the adaptive potential and long-term viability of U. elongata. Furthermore, assessments of genomic vulnerability under future climate scenarios revealed higher genetic offsets in northern region of Fujian and Jiangxi populations, suggesting these regions require prioritized conservation efforts due to reduced adaptive capacity.

Endangered Species↗

PubMed2024

Multiomics analyses provide insights into the genomic basis of differentiation among four sweet osmanthus groups.

Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) is famous in China for its flowers and contains four groups: Albus, Luteus, Aurantiacus, and Asiaticus. Understanding the relationships among these groups and the genetic mechanisms of flower color and aroma biosynthesis are of tremendous interest. In this study, we sequenced representative varieties from two of the four sweet osmanthus groups. Multiomics and phylogenetic analyses of varieties from each of the four groups showed that Asiaticus split first within the species, followed by Aurantiacus and the sister groups Albus and Luteus. We show that the difference in flower color between Aurantiacus and the other three groups was caused by a 4-bp deletion in the promoter region of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 (OfCCD4) that leads to expression decrease. In addition, we identified 44 gene pairs exhibiting significant structural differences between the multiseasonal flowering variety "Rixianggui" in the Asiaticus group and other autumn-flowering varieties. Through correlation analysis between intermediate products of aromatic components and gene expression, we identified eight genes associated with the linalool and α- and β-ionone biosynthesis pathways. Overall, our study offers valuable genetic resources for sweet osmanthus, while also providing genetic clues for improving the flower color and multiseasonal flowering of osmanthus and other flowers.

Oleaceae↗