Mendelian genetics contribute largely to the development of hypertension; therefore, the identification of genetic variants related to blood pressure (BP) regulation remains crucial and may reveal new therapeutic drug targets. The purpose of the present study was to screen the captive-bred Vervet colony for salt-sensitive sequence variants or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the selected Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) genes associated with salt sensitivity. Blood samples were collected from 16 captive-bred Vervet monkeys for genotyping and gene expression analysis. The impact of the identified sequence variants was determined using online prediction tools. Sanger sequencing analysis revealed 21 sequence variants in AGT, CYP3A5, GRK4, and SCL4A5, of which 19 were novel and two were previously reported in humans. All novel variants were either predicted to be polymorphic, disease-causing, or possibly damaging by prediction tools. Furthermore, the mRNA expression for AGT was significantly higher in the normal BP group ( value = 0.02), and a similar trend was observed for CYP3A5 and GRK4, whereas SCL4A5 was higher in the hypertensive group. The identified salt-sensitive variants specifically in GRK4 may be suggestive to be the attributing factor of the elevated BP levels in these captive-bred Vervet monkeys. Therefore, RAAS variants could be considered as a biomarker to identify the potential risk of developing hypertension in both humans and nonhuman primates.
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About Me
Dr. Sanele Khoza is a Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council Primate Unit and Delft Animal Centre (SAMRC/PUDAC). She joined SAMRC/PUDAC as a National Research Foundation (NRF) intern in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, where she developed a strong interest in animal genetics and the use of non-human primates (NHPs) as valuable research models. She subsequently registered for an MSc in Genetics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences. During the second year of her MSc and throughout her Ph.D. studies, Dr. Khoza was awarded the RCD Internship Programme through SAMRC/PUDAC. Throughout her training, she has gained extensive experience in molecular genetics techniques, animal data analysis, and the use of bioinformatics software as well as cheminformatics models.
Dr. Sanele Khoza is a Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council Primate Unit and Delft Animal Centre (SAMRC/PUDAC). She joined SAMRC/PUDAC as a National Research Foundation (NRF) intern in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, where she developed a strong interest in animal genetics and the use of non-human primates (NHPs) as valuable research models. She subsequently registered for an MSc in Genetics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences. During the second year of her MSc and throughout her Ph.D. studies, Dr. Khoza was awarded the RCD Internship Programme through SAMRC/PUDAC. Throughout her training, she has gained extensive experience in molecular genetics techniques, animal data analysis, and the use of bioinformatics software as well as cheminformatics models.