The origin and early dispersal of speakers of Transeurasian languages—that is, Japanese, Korean, Tungusic, Mongolic and Turkic—is among the most disputed issues of Eurasian population history^1–3. A key problem is the relationship between linguistic dispersals, agricultural expansions and population movements^4,5. Here we address this question by ‘triangulating’ genetics, archaeology and linguistics in a unified perspective. We report wide-ranging datasets from these disciplines, including a comprehensive Transeurasian agropastoral and basic vocabulary; an archaeological database of 255 Neolithic–Bronze Age sites from Northeast Asia; and a collection of ancient genomes from Korea, the Ryukyu islands and early cereal farmers in Japan, complementing previously published genomes from East Asia. Challenging the traditional ‘pastoralist hypothesis’^6–8, we show that the common ancestry and primary dispersals of Transeurasian languages can be traced back to the first farmers moving across Northeast Asia from the Early Neolithic onwards, but that this shared heritage has been masked by extensive cultural interaction since the Bronze Age. As well as marking considerable progress in the three individual disciplines, by combining their converging evidence we show that the early spread of Transeurasian speakers was driven by agriculture.

Anatomically modern humans reached East Asia more than 40,000 years ago. However, key questions still remain unanswered with regard to the route(s) and the number of wave(s) in the dispersal into East Eurasia. Ancient genomes at the edge of the region may elucidate a more detailed picture of the peopling of East Eurasia. Here, we analyze the whole-genome sequence of a 2,500-year-old individual (IK002) from the main-island of Japan that is characterized with a typical Jomon culture. The phylogenetic analyses support multiple waves of migration, with IK002 forming a basal lineage to the East and Northeast Asian genomes examined, likely representing some of the earliest-wave migrants who went north from Southeast Asia to East Asia. Furthermore, IK002 shows strong genetic affinity with the indigenous Taiwan aborigines, which may support a coastal route of the Jomon-ancestry migration. This study highlights the power of ancient genomics to provide new insights into the complex history of human migration into East Eurasia.

Grammar can reflect genetic history better than other cultural traits, including the lexicon.

The recently emerged pachychoroid concept has changed the understanding of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a major cause of blindness; recent studies attributed AMD in part to pachychoroid disease central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), suggesting the importance of elucidating the CSC pathogenesis. Our large genome-wide association study followed by validation studies in three independent Japanese and European cohorts, consisting of 1546 CSC samples and 13,029 controls, identified two novel CSC susceptibility loci: TNFRSF10A-LOC389641 and near GATA5 (rs13278062, odds ratio = 1.35, P = 1.26 × 10⁻¹³; rs6061548, odds ratio = 1.63, P = 5.36 × 10⁻¹⁵). A T allele at TNFRSF10A-LOC389641 rs13278062, a risk allele for CSC, is known to be a risk allele for AMD. This study not only identified new susceptibility genes for CSC, but also improves the understanding of the pathogenesis of AMD.

Aims/Introduction: Pharmacological levels of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) can decelerate gastric emptying (GE) and reduce postprandial glucose levels. Most previous studies have used liquid meals to evaluate GE. We evaluated the effects of GLP‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) on GE and postprandial glucose excursion in Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using a combination of solid and liquid meals.Materials and Methods: In this single‐center, prospective, open‐label study, nine healthy individuals and 17 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus consumed a 460‐kcal combination of a solid and liquid meal labeled with ¹³C‐acetic acid. GE was measured from t = 0 to 150 min in a continuous ¹³C breath test. Eight participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were administered GLP‐1 RAs, and we examined the relationship between GE and blood glucose excursion.Results: There were no differences in the average GE coefficient (GEC) and lag time between the healthy and type 2 diabetes mellitus groups. However, the type 2 diabetes mellitus group showed larger GEC variations (P < 0.05). The coefficient of variation of R‐R intervals was a significant predictor of GEC in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (P < 0.01). The short‐acting GLP‐1 RA reduced the GEC at 1 month (P = 0.012), whereas the long‐acting GLP‐1 RA did not significantly change the GEC after treatment. A positive relationship was observed between postprandial glucose excursion from T_0 min to T_60 min and the GEC (r² = 0.75; P < 0.01).Conclusions: The reduction in GE rate by the administration of GLP‐1 RAs can predict the improvement in postprandial glucose excursion in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.