Decoding Genetics of Sleep Disorders in a New Way

Using human genomics to identify a new genetic pathway involved in regulating sleep from fruit flies to humans has been discovered by researchers from Texas A&M University, US. This novel insight could pave the way for new treatments for insomnia and other sleep-related disorders, has been published in Science Advances. There have been enormous amounts of effort to use human genomic studies to find sleep genes. Some studies have hundreds of thousands of individuals. But validation and testing in animal models is critical to understanding function. This study has achieved this factor.

Pig-Q gene: The Game Changer in Sleeping Problems

Researchers used a genomics approach called variant-to-gene mapping to predict the genes impacted by each genetic variant. Then they screened the effect of these genes in fruit flies.

They found that mutations in the gene Pig-Q, which is required for the biosynthesis of a modifier of protein function, increased sleep. Later, they tested this in a vertebrate model, zebrafish, and found a similar effect. Therefore, in humans, flies and zebrafish, Pig-Q is associated with sleep regulation.

The next step in this research is to study the role of a common protein modification, GPI-anchor biosynthesis, on sleep regulation. In addition, the human-to-fruit flies-to-zebrafish pipeline developed will allow them to functionally assess not only sleep genes but also other traits such as neurodegeneration, aging and memory.

Understanding how genes regulate sleep and the role of this pathway in sleep regulation can help unlock future findings on sleep and sleep disorders, such as insomnia.

Moving forward, they will continue to use and study this system to identify more genes regulating sleep, which could point in the direction of new treatments for sleep disorders.

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Source-Eurekalert