WSCD1, a gene encoding a protein with sulfotransferase activity, is involved in glucose metabolism [3]. It may also play roles in multiple biological processes, including growth traits in cattle, as it was identified among genes potentially influencing growth in Xia'nan cattle and Simmental beef cattle [1,6]. In addition, it has been associated with diarrhea duration in Bangladeshi infants, with a locus near WSCD1 being related to no diarrhea, and this locus is in or near genes involved in enteric nervous system development and intestinal inflammation [2].

Genome-wide association studies and related analyses in various species, such as cattle, pigs, and humans, have identified WSCD1 as a candidate gene associated with different traits. In a White Duroc × Erhualian F2 intercross population, the WSCD1 gene was in a linkage disequilibrium block associated with feeding behaviors like daily feeding time and feed intake per second [3]. In the study of Borrelia-infected bank voles, a consensus SNP in the exonic region of Wscd1 was significantly associated with the voles' Borrelia infectious status, suggesting its role in host responses to bacterial infections [4]. Also, in a pilot study on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) response prediction in depressed patients, WSCD1 was identified as one of the novel candidate genes implicated in ECT response [5].

In summary, WSCD1 is involved in glucose metabolism and has potential roles in growth, intestinal inflammation-related diarrhea, host-pathogen interactions, and ECT response in depression. Research across different species using genetic association studies has provided insights into its functions, contributing to understanding various biological processes and disease-related conditions.

References:

1. Song, Xingya, Yao, Zhi, Zhang, Zijing, Wang, Eryao, Huang, Yongzhen. 2024. Whole-genome sequencing reveals genomic diversity and selection signatures in Xia'nan cattle. In BMC genomics, 25, 559. doi:10.1186/s12864-024-10463-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38840048/

2. Munday, Rebecca M, Haque, Rashidul, Wojcik, Genevieve L, Petri, William A, Duggal, Priya. . Genome-Wide Association Studies of Diarrhea Frequency and Duration in the First Year of Life in Bangladeshi Infants. In The Journal of infectious diseases, 228, 979-989. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiad068. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36967705/

3. Guo, Y M, Zhang, Z Y, Ma, J W, Ren, J, Huang, L S. . A genomewide association study of feed efficiency and feeding behaviors at two fattening stages in a White Duroc × Erhualian F population. In Journal of animal science, 93, 1481-9. doi:10.2527/jas.2014-8655. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26020169/

4. Cornetti, Luca, Tschirren, Barbara. 2020. Combining genome-wide association study and FST -based approaches to identify targets of Borrelia-mediated selection in natural rodent hosts. In Molecular ecology, 29, 1386-1397. doi:10.1111/mec.15410. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32163646/

5. Moschny, Nicole, Zindler, Tristan, Jahn, Kirsten, Neyazi, Alexandra, Frieling, Helge. 2020. Novel candidate genes for ECT response prediction-a pilot study analyzing the DNA methylome of depressed patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy. In Clinical epigenetics, 12, 114. doi:10.1186/s13148-020-00891-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32727556/

6. An, Bingxing, Xu, Lei, Xia, Jiangwei, Li, Junya, Gao, Huijiang. 2020. Multiple association analysis of loci and candidate genes that regulate body size at three growth stages in Simmental beef cattle. In BMC genetics, 21, 32. doi:10.1186/s12863-020-0837-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32171250/