ABSTRACT. Orange inner leaves/heads is a qualitative trait in Chinese cabbage that is controlled by a single recessive gene. Orange head Chinese cabbage contain more carotenoids than its white head counterpart; hence, this trait is of interest to both researchers and consumers. In this study, we selected the orange head Chinese cabbage line 07A163 and the white head Chinese cabbage line Chiifu as test materials. We localized the target gene controlling the orange head trait to the A09 linkage group, with a physical distance of approximately 19.9 kb between the two markers, syau26 and syau28. This region contains six candidate genes, including Bra031539, which was predicted to encode CRTISO, a carotenoid isomerase specifically required for carotenoid biosynthesis. A comparison of the nucleic acid sequences of the two test materials revealed 88 and 7-bp deletions and 88 SNPs in the promoter region of Bra031539 in line 07A163, along with a 6-bp deletion in the first exon and early termination at the 3' end of this gene. BLAST analysis revealed that 22 amino acids were altered and 17 amino acids were lost in Bra031539 in the orange head line 07A163. We developed the BrPro1 molecular marker in the promoter region of Bra031539 that can be used for early identification of orange head materials, thereby accelerating the breeding process of orange head Chinese cabbage.

ABSTRACT. Genetic variants of the RGS5 gene are believed to be risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated the association between RGS5 gene variants and hypertension in the Mongolian and Han populations. Peripheral blood was obtained from 429 unrelated Mongolian herdsmen and 416 Han farmers [including essential hypertension (EH) patients and controls]. Nine tagSNPs within the RGS5 genes were retrieved from HapMap, and the samples were individually genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction/ ligase detection reaction assay. The distribution of the allele frequency of rs12035879 differed significantly between hypertensive subjects and controls in the Han population, while the distribution of the allele and genotype frequencies of rs16849802 differed significantly between hypertensive subjects and controls in the Mongolian population. We 17641-17650 (2015) observed an association between rs16849802 and EH in the Mongolian population. The frequency of haplotype GAA was significantly higher in the EH group than in controls in the Mongolian population. However, the EH group and controls did not differ significantly in all 6 haplotypes in the Han population. The rs16849802 and haplotype GAA independently increased the risk of EH in Mongolian patients, and may be used as a risk factor for the prediction of high blood pressure.

ABSTRACT. NPRA and NPRC are candidate susceptibility genes for essential hypertension (EH) and play a key role in the regulation of plasma levels and biological effects of natriuretic peptides. The aims of the present study were to find new genetic markers in the NPRA and NPRC genes and to assess relationships between variants and EH. A total of 797 unrelated Mongolian herdsmen were enrolled, including 389 EH patients and 408 normotensive controls. Genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction/ligase detection reaction assay. The distribution of the T-allele frequency of rs1847018 in NPRC differed significantly between hypertensive subjects and controls. There was an association between rs1847018 and EH in the additive model in NPRC (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequency distributions for any of the 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms in NPRA between EH and normotensive individuals. In NPRA, the frequency of haplotype TCA in the EH group was significantly lower than in controls, while the frequency of haplotype TCG was significantly higher in the EH group than in controls; Individuals who possessed the TCA haplotype had a significantly lower ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (4): 18494-18502 (2015) 18495NPRA and NPRC gene variants and hypertension ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (4): 18494-18502 (2015) risk of EH, whereas the presence of haplotype TCG was significantly associated with a higher risk of EH. However, there was no significant difference between the EH group and controls in any of the 8 haplo types in NPRC. Rs1847018 is a genetic marker of EH in NPRC, and the frequency of haplotype TCA and TCG in NPRA is associated with EH in the Mongolian population.