
Michael FrancisUniversity of Georgia | UGA · Institute of Bioinformatics
Michael Francis
Doctor of Philosophy
About
17
Publications
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Introduction
Publications
Publications (17)
We examined the associations of vegetarianism with metabolic biomarkers using traditional and genetic epidemiology. First, we addressed inconsistencies in self-reported vegetarianism among UK Biobank participants by utilizing data from two dietary surveys to find a cohort of strict European vegetarians (N = 2,312). Vegetarians were matched 1:4 with...
The neural tissue is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), components that are indispensable for the proper functioning of neurons, such as neurotransmission. PUFA nutritional deficiency and imbalance have been linked to a variety of chronic brain disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, and anorexia. However, the effec...
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009431.].
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is recognized as an important public health challenge. However, its genomic mechanisms are poorly understood. To identify rare variants for DKD, we conducted a whole-exome sequencing (WES) study leveraging large cohorts well-phenotyped for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes. Our two-stage whole-exome sequencing...
Large cohort studies showing health impacts of vegetarianism have not considered differences in genetics. We designed a rigorous definition of vegetarianism using data from two surveys in the UK Biobank to identify a reliable cohort of vegetarians. Vegetarians were matched 1:4 with non-vegetarians, revealing significant effects of vegetarianism in...
Circulating polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acid (PUFA and MUFA) levels, whose imbalances co-occur with human metabolic diseases, have strong heritable components. We performed the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) to-date on fourteen PUFA and MUFA phenotypes, measured by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in plasma. We identified 612...
Objectives
To identify genetic variants that modify the effect of fish oil supplementation on blood lipids, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Methods
We performed a genome-wide interaction study in 73,962 participants of European ancestry from...
Objectives
To disentangle the shared and unique causal clinical effects of five circulating minerals – iron, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium.
Methods
Genetic instruments for circulating minerals were curated from existing genome-wide association studies. Candidate clinical outcomes were identified with a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS...
Introduction: Most genetic variants for chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been identified in non-coding regions, with functional roles that are difficult to interpret.
Hypothesis: A whole exome sequencing study focusing on coding variants will reveal novel mechanisms of kidney function and CKD.
Methods: We performed whole exome sequencing analyses...
Fish oil supplementation is widely used for reducing serum triglycerides (TAGs) but has mixed effects on other circulating cardiovascular biomarkers. Many genetic polymorphisms have been associated with blood lipids, including high- and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C), total cholesterol, and TAGs. Here, the gene-diet interaction...
Objective
Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are both debilitating diseases that cause significant morbidity and disability globally. This study aims to investigate the causal effects of varying blood levels of five minerals -- iron, zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium, on OA and RA.
Design
We performed two-sample Mendelian randomi...
Blood levels of iron and copper, even within their normal ranges, have been associated with a wide range of clinical outcomes. The available epidemiological evidence for these associations is often inconsistent and suffers from confounding and reverse causation. This study aims to examine the causal clinical effects of blood iron and copper with Me...
Background: Blood levels of iron and copper, even within their normal ranges, have been associated with a wide range of clinical outcomes. Available epidemiological evidence on blood iron and copper association with potential clinical effects, such as lipid metabolism disorder, is inconsistent and scarce. This study aims to examine and disentangle...
The zinc transcriptional regulatory element (ZTRE) is a newly reported binding motif for human zinc finger protein ZNF658, which alters gene expression in response to cellular zinc. The ZTRE has two nucleotide components—the palindromic flanking pairs and the bridging “N” bases between these flanks that range in number from 0 to 100. There are 12 p...
Adequate zinc nutriture is necessary for normal bone growth and development, though the precise mechanisms for zinc-mediated bone growth remain poorly defined. A key transcription factor activated by zinc is metal response element-binding transcription factor 1 (MTF-1), which binds to the metal regulatory element (MRE). We hypothesize that MREs wil...
The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the position or number of metal regulatory elements (MREs) near gene transcriptional or translational start sites, and the strength of metal response element-binding transcription factor 1 (MTF-1) regulation. A secondary analysis was performed in silico on published results measurin...