Junli Ma

A physical map has been constructed of the human genome containing 15,086 sequence-tagged sites (STSs), with an average spacing of 199 kilobases. The project involved assembly of a radiation hybrid map of the human genome containing 6193 loci and incorporated a genetic linkage map of the human genome containing 5264 loci. This information was combined with the results of STS-content screening of 10,850 loci against a yeast artificial chromosome library to produce an integrated map, anchored by the radiation hybrid and genetic maps. The map provides radiation hybrid coverage of 99 percent and physical coverage of 94 percent of the human genome. The map also represents an early step in an international project to generate a transcript map of the human genome, with more than 3235 expressed sequences localized. The STSs in the map provide a scaffold for initiating large-scale sequencing of the human genome.

A map of 30,181 human gene-based markers was assembled and integrated with the current genetic map by radiation hybrid mapping. The new gene map contains nearly twice as many genes as the previous release, includes most genes that encode proteins of known function, and is twofold to threefold more accurate than the previous version. A redesigned, more informative and functional World Wide Web site (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genemap) provides the mapping information and associated data and annotations. This resource constitutes an important infrastructure and tool for the study of complex genetic traits, the positional cloning of disease genes, the cross-referencing of mammalian genomes, and validated human transcribed sequences for large-scale studies of gene expression.

on host metabolism and the underlying mechanism.

In recent years, accumulating evidence has indicated the importance of gut microbiota in maintaining human health. Gut dysbiosis is associated with the pathogenesis of a number of metabolic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Indeed, CVD has become the leading cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. In this review, we mainly discuss the gut microbiota-involved mechanisms of CVD focusing on atherosclerosis and hypertension, two major risk factors for serious CVD. Then, we briefly discuss the prospects of gut microbiota-targeted therapeutic strategies for the treatment of CVD in the future.

The gut microbiota plays critical roles in development of obese-related metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), type 2 diabetes(T2D), and insulin resistance(IR), highlighting the potential of gut microbiota-targeted therapies in these diseases. There are various ways that gut microbiota can be manipulated, including through use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, antibiotics, and some active components from herbal medicines. In this review, we review the main roles of gut microbiota in mediating the development of NAFLD, and the advances in gut microbiota-targeted therapies for NAFLD in both the experimental and clinical studies, as well as the conclusions on the prospect of gut microbiota-targeted therapies in the future.