Yingjun Cai1,2, Kangcheng Liu3, Pengfei Wu4, Ruolan Yuan1,2, Fei He5, Jing Zou6,7. 1. Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China. 2. National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China. 3. Jiangxi Clinical Research center for Ophthalmic Disease, Jiangxi Research Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. 4. Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China. 5. The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. 6. Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China. jzou30@csu.edu.cn. 7. National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China. jzou30@csu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway plays a critical regulating role in the occurrence and development of cataract. However, the role of mTORC1 downstream proteins, including ribosomal protein S6K (RP-S6K), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein (EIF4EBP), eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (EIF-4G), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (EIF-4E), and eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (EIF-4A), in regulating cataract development is still unknown. Herein, we conducted a mendelian randomization (MR) study to understand the function of mTORC1 signaling in the process of cataract development. RESULTS: The causal estimate was evaluated with inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimate, weighted median estimator, MR-Egger and MR robust adjusted profile score (MR. RAPS). The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), P<5 × 10- 6 and r2<0.05, were selected to genetically predict the RP-S6K, EIF4EBP, EIF-4E, EIF-4A, and EIF-4G. We included a total of 26,758 cases and 189,604 controls in this MR study. The study revealed causal association between circulating EIF4EBP (OR 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.03,1.16, P = 0.004), RP-S6K (OR 1.04, 95% confidence interval 1.01, 1.08, P = 0.02) and cataract formation with IVW estimate. Whereas after correcting outliers, MR robust adjusted profile score (MR. RAPS) shows consistent result with IVW for EIF4EBP (OR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.05-1.11, P = 0.007). The observation strengthened the confidence in the true causal associations. However, no association was found for circulating EIF-4E (OR 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.97, 1.09, P = 0.31), EIF-4A (OR 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.98, 1.07, P = 0.34), and EIF-4G (OR 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.94, 1.01, P = 0.64) levels with cataract formation. No evidence of heterogeneity and unbalanced horizontal pleiotropy was detected. CONCLUSION: The MR study suggests that EIF4EBP is a high-risk factor for cataract development. There may be a potential causal association between the mTORC1/EIF4EBP axis and cataract. This research highlights the potential mechanism for cataract development and a genetic target to prevent as well as treat cataracts.
BACKGROUND: The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway plays a critical regulating role in the occurrence and development of cataract. However, the role of mTORC1 downstream proteins, including ribosomal protein S6K (RP-S6K), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein (EIF4EBP), eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (EIF-4G), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (EIF-4E), and eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (EIF-4A), in regulating cataract development is still unknown. Herein, we conducted a mendelian randomization (MR) study to understand the function of mTORC1 signaling in the process of cataract development. RESULTS: The causal estimate was evaluated with inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimate, weighted median estimator, MR-Egger and MR robust adjusted profile score (MR. RAPS). The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), P<5 × 10- 6 and r2<0.05, were selected to genetically predict the RP-S6K, EIF4EBP, EIF-4E, EIF-4A, and EIF-4G. We included a total of 26,758 cases and 189,604 controls in this MR study. The study revealed causal association between circulating EIF4EBP (OR 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.03,1.16, P = 0.004), RP-S6K (OR 1.04, 95% confidence interval 1.01, 1.08, P = 0.02) and cataract formation with IVW estimate. Whereas after correcting outliers, MR robust adjusted profile score (MR. RAPS) shows consistent result with IVW for EIF4EBP (OR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.05-1.11, P = 0.007). The observation strengthened the confidence in the true causal associations. However, no association was found for circulating EIF-4E (OR 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.97, 1.09, P = 0.31), EIF-4A (OR 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.98, 1.07, P = 0.34), and EIF-4G (OR 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.94, 1.01, P = 0.64) levels with cataract formation. No evidence of heterogeneity and unbalanced horizontal pleiotropy was detected. CONCLUSION: The MR study suggests that EIF4EBP is a high-risk factor for cataract development. There may be a potential causal association between the mTORC1/EIF4EBP axis and cataract. This research highlights the potential mechanism for cataract development and a genetic target to prevent as well as treat cataracts.
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