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We have previously shown that the lactic acid bacterium (LAB) Enterococcus avium G-15 produces gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from monosodium l-glutamate (Glu) at a hyper conversion rate. We have also found a gene cluster, designated as a gad cluster, that consists of four genes for the conversion of Glu to GABA, a Glu–GABA antiporter, and two transcriptional regulatory proteins, GadR1 and GadR2. The present study has been designed to investigate what characteristics of the GadG enzyme may contribute to the high production of GABA and how these two regulators play a role in high GABA productivity. The kinetic study showed that compared with E. coli glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) enzymes, GadG has relatively high Km (1.3–2.4 times) and kcat (1.3–1.6 times) values, indicating that although there are no remarkable differences in kinetic parameters between the three GAD enzymes, GadG may contribute to the high production of GABA in the presence of enough substrates. Further, the G-15 strain lacks the ornithine decarboxylase pathway-based acid resistance mechanism observed in some LAB strains, suggesting that the GAD-based acid resistance system is relatively important and may be vigorously employed in the G-15 strain. The molecular biological analysis of GadR1 revealed that the protein plays a role in GABA production as a transcriptional activator through an indirect pathway.

Oxidative stress from an excess of radical compounds generally impacts apoptosis and inflammation. The use of probiotics, therefore, has emerged as a favorable tool to suppress the formation of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant activity of plant-derived Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum MSC-5T fermented in Eriobotrya japonica (EJ) aqueous extract. In the in vitro study, the extract fermented with the MSC-5T strain markedly decreased the cell death of H2O2-induced HEK293 cells. In addition, the fermented extract showed a protective effect against fungal toxin ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CTN). Regarding the evaluation of glutathione homeostasis, it can be clearly seen that pretreatment of HEK293 cells with fermented EJ extract greatly increased glutathione (GSH) levels, while unfermented extract did not affect the cellular GSH content. Furthermore, we identified a bioactive compound as pyrocatechol, which displayed significant antioxidation activity. The extract fermented for 48 h with the MSC-5T strain in EJ extract produces 167.4 μg/mL pyrocatechol.

We previously found that fermented extract of Dendrobium officinale using Lactobacillus plantarum GT-17F has a stronger antioxidant effect, especially in free radical scavenging. The result provided a basis for further studies to evaluate the effectiveness of fermented D. officinale in preventing UV-mediated damage and photoaging in humans. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the anti-aging efficacy of D. officinale fermented with GT-17F strain in a clinical trial, which was conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized parallel-group comparative study with 99 volunteers with visible wrinkles. During the study, subjects were instructed to apply one pump of each essence, which contains fermented, unfermented, or no D. officinale extract, evenly to their face, both in the morning and evening, following their cleansing routine. At 28 days post-treatment, compared to baseline, subjects in the fermented extract group demonstrated significant improvements in stratum corneum water content, skin elasticity, skin glossiness, wrinkle area and ratio, erythema area, and erythema area ratio. In contrast, the unfermented extract group showed a significant difference only in improving erythema index levels in the skin. This comprehensive study has rigorously investigated the anti-aging effects of D. officinale and its fermented version on human skin, highlighting a notable contribution to dermatological research.

In the present study, the effect of PLA on a periodontic pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans), the biofilm, and virulence-related genes was investigated. We confirmed that two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from plant sources, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MSC-C2 and Pediococcus pentosaceus K40, secrete PLA into the de Man, Rogosa & Sharpe (MRS) broth when supplemented with phenyl pyruvic acid (PPA) as a precursor to PLA. Moreover, PLA was generated in the fermentation broths of two medicinal plant extracts, Paeonia lactiflora Pall (PR) and Carthamus tinctorius (CT), when used by each LAB strain and each extract supplemented with PPA. We determined that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PLA against A. actinomycetemcomitans was 20 mM. PLA significantly decreased biofilm formation and suppressed the transcription of pgA, ltxA, and cdtB genes, which encode the poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PGA) polysaccharide of biofilm matrix and exotoxins leukotoxin and cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), respectively. The PLA produced by the MSC-C2 and K40 strains was increased several times by the addition of PPA to the MRS broth. The anti-biofilm effect of the extracts from the fermentation broth was proportional to the increasing PLA concentration, while a cumulatively higher effect than that of PLA alone suggested a combinational effect of PLA and the other metabolites, such as lactic acid (LA). Among the two medicinal plants, PLA, produced after the addition of PPA, was higher in PR extract in case of both the LAB strains. PLA production by the MSC-C2 strain in the PR extract reached 4.8 ± 0.23 mM, which was obviously higher than that in the MRS broth (3.88 ± 0.12 mM) supplemented with 1 mg/ml PPA. The activity to inhibit biofilm formation in the fermented PR extract was clearly high. PLA formed in the fermented PR extract downregulated the dispersin B encoding the dspB gene together with pgA, ltxA, and cdtB. In conclusion, this study shows a promising activity of PLA against the A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm and virulence genes. In addition, the combinational effect of PLA and the medicinal plant extract can be achieved by fermentation with a specific plant-derived LAB strain.

Some glycosides, which are detected in water extracts from medicinal plants, have been reported to be degraded into their aglycones by incubating with some microorganisms producing β-glucosidase. We have shown that a plant-derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T harbors 11 open reading frames (ORFs) encoding the β-glucosidase enzyme and can grow vigorously in several herbal water extracts. In this study, we observed that the water extract from Artemisia princeps Pampanini (AP) fermented with the SN13T strain strongly inhibited the release of interleukin (IL)-8 from the HuH-7 cells, when compared to that without fermentation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the SN13T strain produced at least two bioactive compounds from some compounds contained in AP extract. In addition, we determined that the two compounds were catechol and seco-tanapartholide C, which dose-dependently inhibited the release of IL-8. Because some sesquiterpene lactones are useful in pharmaceuticals, seco-tanapartholide C may be useful as an anti-inflammatory agent. This study suggests that the fermentation of medicinal herbs with Lb. plantarum SN13T is a significant technique to obtain bioactive compounds having therapeutic potential.

Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) fermentation of functional amino acids using fruit juices as a cultivation medium is not well-documented. In the present study, we successfully isolated a high ornithine- and citrulline-producing Lactococcus lactis strain, designated MSC-3G, from sugarcane and investigated the ornithine and citrulline production profile using various fruit juices as a cultivation medium. Among fruit juices, pineapple juice exhibited the highest potentiality to initiate ornithine production (56 mM), while the highest citrulline yield was obtained during lime juice cultivation (34.5 mM). Under the optimal cultivation condition, the highest yield of ornithine and citrulline in pineapple juice reached 98.9 ± 2.2 mM and 211.1 ± 35.7 mM, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than that in the well-known industrial strain of Corynebacterium (C.) glutamicum. Additionally, citrulline production was dependent on oxygen supplementation and increased twofold when grown aerobically. Whole genome sequencing showed that the MSC-3G genome possesses the arginine deiminase (ADI) gene cluster arcABD1C1C2TD2. The results of the ADI pathway enzyme activities of MSC-3G showed a significant increase in arginine deiminase activity, while ornithine carbamoyl transferase activity was decreased, which in turn indicates the high citrulline-accumulation ability of MSC-3G when cultivated in pineapple juice.

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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. IBD includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). CD can occur in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, whereas UC mainly occurs in the colon and rectum. We previously demonstrated that a novel exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by a plant-derived bacterium, Lactobacillus paracasei IJH-SONE68, prevents and improves the inflammation in contact dermatitis model mice via oral administration. To evaluate the preventive effect of the EPS against other inflammatory diseases, in the present study, we employed dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC model mice. The stool consistency, hematochezia, and colonic atrophy of the mice were improved by the orally administered EPS. We also evaluated the cytokine transcription. Overexpression of the mouse macrophage inflammatory protein 2 mRNA in the colon as a functional homolog of human interleukin-8 was decreased by the orally administered EPS. However, the expression of interleukin-10, which is known as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, was stimulated in the EPS-administrated group. Based on these results, we conclude that the IJH-SONE68-derived EPS is a promising lead material for the development of drugs useful in treating inflammatory diseases such as UC.

Fermentation of medicinal herbs can be a significant technique to obtain bioactive compounds. Paeoniae Radix (PR) used in the present study is a well-known herbal medicine that exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility that a bioactive compound is newly generated in PR extract by fermentation with a plant-derived lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus brevis 174A. We determined the anti-inflammatory activities in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The PR extract fermented with Lactobacillus brevis 174A markedly increased the total phenolic content, decreased intracellular ROS levels, inhibited the release of nitric oxide (NO). It also suppressed inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-ɑ, while simultaneously downregulating the gene expressions of iNOS, IL-6, TNF-ɑ, and IL-1β compared to the unfermented PR extract. Furthermore, the bioactive compound newly generated from the fermentation was identified as pyrogallol. It inhibits the inflammatory responses in a dose-dependent manner suggesting that fermentation of the herbal extract used as a medium together with the plant-derived lactic acid bacterial strain may be a practical strategy to produce medicines and supplements for healthcare.

Cariogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus (S.) mutans and S. sobrinus, produce insoluble and sticky glucans as a biofilm material. The present study demonstrates that a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) named BM53-1 produces a substance that inhibits the sticky glucan synthesis. The BM53-1 strain was isolated from a flower of Actinidia polygama and identified as Lactobacillus reuteri. The substance that inhibits sticky glucan synthesis does not exhibit antibacterial activity against S. mutans. The cariogenic S. mutans produces glucans under the control of three glucosyltransferase (GTF) enzymes, named GtfB, GtfC, and GtfD. Although GtfB and GtfC produce insoluble glucans, GtfD forms soluble glucans. Through quantitative reverse-transcriptional (qRT)-PCR analysis, it was revealed that the BM53-1-derived glucan-production inhibitor (GI) enhances the transcriptions of gtfB and gtfC genes 2- to 7-fold at the early stage of cultivation. However, that of gtfD was not enhanced in the presence of the GI, indicating that the glucan stickiness produced by S. mutans was significantly weaker in the presence of the GI. Our result demonstrates that Lb. reuteri BM53-1 is useful to prevent dental caries.

The COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins) project is a large international collaborative effort to analyze individual-level phenotype data from twins in multiple cohorts from different environments. The main objective is to study factors that modify genetic and environmental variation of height, body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and size at birth, and additionally to address other research questions such as long-term consequences of birth size. The project started in 2013 and is open to all twin projects in the world having height and weight measures on twins with information on zygosity. Thus far, 54 twin projects from 24 countries have provided individual-level data. The CODATwins database includes 489,981 twin individuals (228,635 complete twin pairs). Since many twin cohorts have collected longitudinal data, there is a total of 1,049,785 height and weight observations. For many cohorts, we also have information on birth weight and length, own smoking behavior and own or parental education. We found that the heritability estimates of height and BMI systematically changed from infancy to old age. Remarkably, only minor differences in the heritability estimates were found across cultural-geographic regions, measurement time and birth cohort for height and BMI. In addition to genetic epidemiological studies, we looked at associations of height and BMI with education, birth weight and smoking status. Within-family analyses examined differences within same-sex and opposite-sex dizygotic twins in birth size and later development. The CODATwins project demonstrates the feasibility and value of international collaboration to address gene-by-exposure interactions that require large sample sizes and address the effects of different exposures across time, geographical regions and socioeconomic status.

Background: The genetic architecture of birth size may differ geographically and over time. We examined differences in the genetic and environmental contributions to birthweight, length and ponderal index (PI) across geographical-cultural regions (Europe, North America and Australia, and East Asia) and across birth cohorts, and how gestational age modifies these effects., Methods: Data from 26 twin cohorts in 16 countries including 57 613 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs were pooled. Genetic and environmental variations of birth size were estimated using genetic structural equation modelling., Results: The variance of birthweight and length was predominantly explained by shared environmental factors, whereas the variance of PI was explained both by shared and unique environmental factors. Genetic variance contributing to birth size was small. Adjusting for gestational age decreased the proportions of shared environmental variance and increased the propositions of unique environmental variance. Genetic variance was similar in the geographical-cultural regions, but shared environmental variance was smaller in East Asia than in Europe and North America and Australia. The total variance and shared environmental variance of birth length and PI were greater from the birth cohort 1990-99 onwards compared with the birth cohorts from 1970-79 to 1980-89., Conclusions: The contribution of genetic factors to birth size is smaller than that of shared environmental factors, which is partly explained by gestational age. Shared environmental variances of birth length and PI were greater in the latest birth cohorts and differed also across geographical-cultural regions. Shared environmental factors are important when explaining differences in the variation of birth size globally and over time.

Background: There is evidence that birth size is positively associated with height in later life, but it remains unclear whether this is explained by genetic factors or the intrauterine environment., Aim: To analyze the associations of birth weight, length and ponderal index with height from infancy through adulthood within mono- and dizygotic twin pairs, which provides insights into the role of genetic and environmental individual-specific factors., Methods: This study is based on the data from 28 twin cohorts in 17 countries. The pooled data included 41,852 complete twin pairs (55% monozygotic and 45% same-sex dizygotic) with information on birth weight and a total of 112,409 paired height measurements at ages ranging from 1 to 69 years. Birth length was available for 19,881 complete twin pairs, with a total of 72,692 paired height measurements. The association between birth size and later height was analyzed at both the individual and within-pair level by linear regression analyses., Results: Within twin pairs, regression coefficients showed that a 1-kg increase in birth weight and a 1-cm increase in birth length were associated with 1.14-4.25 cm and 0.18-0.90 cm taller height, respectively. The magnitude of the associations was generally greater within dizygotic than within monozygotic twin pairs, and this difference between zygosities was more pronounced for birth length., Conclusion: Both genetic and individual-specific environmental factors play a role in the association between birth size and later height from infancy to adulthood, with a larger role for genetics in the association with birth length than with birth weight., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear whether birth size in twins is affected by the sex of their co-twin. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 21 twin cohorts in 15 countries derived from the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), including 67,850 dizygotic twin individuals. Linear regression analyses showed that boys having a co-twin sister were, on average, 31 g (95% CI 18 to 45) heavier and 0.16 cm (95% CI 0.045 to 0.274) longer than those with a co-twin brother. In girls, birth size was not associated (5 g birth weight; 95% CI -8 to -18 and -0.089 cm birth length; 95% CI -0.202 to 0.025) with the sex of the co-twin. Gestational age was slightly shorter in boy-boy pairs than in boy-girl and girl-girl pairs. When birth size was standardized by gestational age, the magnitude of the associations was attenuated in boys, particularly for birth weight. In conclusion, boys with a co-twin sister are heavier and longer at birth than those with a co-twin brother. However, these differences are modest and partly explained by a longer gestation in the presence of a co-twin sister.

Background: There is evidence that birthweight is positively associated with body mass index (BMI) in later life, but it remains unclear whether this is explained by genetic factors or the intrauterine environment. We analysed the association between birthweight and BMI from infancy to adulthood within twin pairs, which provides insights into the role of genetic and environmental individual-specific factors., Methods: This study is based on the data from 27 twin cohorts in 17 countries. The pooled data included 78 642 twin individuals (20 635 monozygotic and 18 686 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs) with information on birthweight and a total of 214 930 BMI measurements at ages ranging from 1 to 49 years. The association between birthweight and BMI was analysed at both the individual and within-pair levels using linear regression analyses., Results: At the individual level, a 1-kg increase in birthweight was linearly associated with up to 0.9 kg/m2 higher BMI (P < 0.001). Within twin pairs, regression coefficients were generally greater (up to 1.2 kg/m2 per kg birthweight, P < 0.001) than those from the individual-level analyses. Intra-pair associations between birthweight and later BMI were similar in both zygosity groups and sexes and were lower in adulthood., Conclusions: These findings indicate that environmental factors unique to each individual have an important role in the positive association between birthweight and later BMI, at least until young adulthood., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association)

Background: Genes and the environment contribute to variation in adult body mass index [BMI (in kg/m 2 )], but factors modifying these variance components are poorly understood. Objective: We analyzed genetic and environmental variation in BMI between men and women from young adulthood to old age from the 1940s to the 2000s and between cultural-geographic regions representing high (North America and Australia), moderate (Europe), and low (East Asia) prevalence of obesity. Design: We used genetic structural equation modeling to analyze BMI in twins ≥20 y of age from 40 cohorts representing 20 countries (140,379 complete twin pairs). Results: The heritability of BMI decreased from 0.77 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.78) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.75) in men and women 20-29 y of age to 0.57 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.60) and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.65) in men 70-79 y of age and women 80 y of age, respectively. The relative influence of unique environmental factors correspondingly increased. Differences in the sets of genes affecting BMI in men and women increased from 20-29 to 60-69 y of age. Mean BMI and variances in BMI increased from the 1940s to the 2000s and were greatest in North America and Australia, followed by Europe and East Asia. However, heritability estimates were largely similar over measurement years and between regions. There was no evidence of environmental factors shared by co-twins affecting BMI. Conclusions: The heritability of BMI decreased and differences in the sets of genes affecting BMI in men and women increased from young adulthood to old age. The heritability of BMI was largely similar between cultural-geographic regions and measurement years, despite large differences in mean BMI and variances in BMI. Our results show a strong influence of genetic factors on BMI, especially in early adulthood, regardless of the obesity level in the population., (© 2017 American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: The comparison of traits in twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) dizygotic twin pairs is considered a proxy measure of prenatal hormone exposure. To examine possible prenatal hormonal influences on anthropometric traits, we compared mean height, body mass index (BMI), and the prevalence of being overweight or obese between men and women from OS and SS dizygotic twin pairs., Methods: The data were derived from the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins) database, and included 68,494 SS and 53,808 OS dizygotic twin individuals above the age of 20 years from 31 twin cohorts representing 19 countries. Zygosity was determined by questionnaires or DNA genotyping depending on the study. Multiple regression and logistic regression models adjusted for cohort, age, and birth year with the twin type as a predictor were carried out to compare height and BMI in twins from OS pairs with those from SS pairs and to calculate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for being overweight or obese., Results: OS females were, on average, 0.31 cm (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20, 0.41) taller than SS females. OS males were also, on average, taller than SS males, but this difference was only 0.14 cm (95% CI 0.02, 0.27). Mean BMI and the prevalence of overweight or obesity did not differ between males and females from SS and OS twin pairs. The statistically significant differences between OS and SS twins for height were small and appeared to reflect our large sample size rather than meaningful differences of public health relevance., Conclusions: We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that prenatal hormonal exposure or postnatal socialization (i.e., having grown up with a twin of the opposite sex) has a major impact on height and BMI in adulthood.

Human height variation is determined by genetic and environmental factors, but it remains unclear whether their influences differ across birth-year cohorts. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 40 twin cohorts including 143,390 complete twin pairs born 1886-1994. Although genetic variance showed a generally increasing trend across the birth-year cohorts, heritability estimates (0.69-0.84 in men and 0.53-0.78 in women) did not present any clear pattern of secular changes. Comparing geographic-cultural regions (Europe, North America and Australia, and East Asia), total height variance was greatest in North America and Australia and lowest in East Asia, but no clear pattern in the heritability estimates across the birth-year cohorts emerged. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that heritability of height is lower in populations with low living standards than in affluent populations, nor that heritability of height will increase within a population as living standards improve., Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Background: Both genetic and environmental factors are known to affect body mass index (BMI), but detailed understanding of how their effects differ during childhood and adolescence is lacking., Objectives: We analyzed the genetic and environmental contributions to BMI variation from infancy to early adulthood and the ways they differ by sex and geographic regions representing high (North America and Australia), moderate (Europe), and low levels (East Asia) of obesogenic environments., Design: Data were available for 87,782 complete twin pairs from 0.5 to 19.5 y of age from 45 cohorts. Analyses were based on 383,092 BMI measurements. Variation in BMI was decomposed into genetic and environmental components through genetic structural equation modeling., Results: The variance of BMI increased from 5 y of age along with increasing mean BMI. The proportion of BMI variation explained by additive genetic factors was lowest at 4 y of age in boys (a(2) = 0.42) and girls (a(2) = 0.41) and then generally increased to 0.75 in both sexes at 19 y of age. This was because of a stronger influence of environmental factors shared by co-twins in midchildhood. After 15 y of age, the effect of shared environment was not observed. The sex-specific expression of genetic factors was seen in infancy but was most prominent at 13 y of age and older. The variance of BMI was highest in North America and Australia and lowest in East Asia, but the relative proportion of genetic variation to total variation remained roughly similar across different regions., Conclusions: Environmental factors shared by co-twins affect BMI in childhood, but little evidence for their contribution was found in late adolescence. Our results suggest that genetic factors play a major role in the variation of BMI in adolescence among populations of different ethnicities exposed to different environmental factors related to obesity., (© 2016 American Society for Nutrition.)

Height variation is known to be determined by both genetic and environmental factors, but a systematic description of how their influences differ by sex, age and global regions is lacking. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts from 20 countries, including 180,520 paired measurements at ages 1-19 years. The proportion of height variation explained by shared environmental factors was greatest in early childhood, but these effects remained present until early adulthood. Accordingly, the relative genetic contribution increased with age and was greatest in adolescence (up to 0.83 in boys and 0.76 in girls). Comparing geographic-cultural regions (Europe, North-America and Australia, and East-Asia), genetic variance was greatest in North-America and Australia and lowest in East-Asia, but the relative proportion of genetic variation was roughly similar across these regions. Our findings provide further insights into height variation during childhood and adolescence in populations representing different ethnicities and exposed to different environments.

A trend toward greater body size in dizygotic (DZ) than in monozygotic (MZ) twins has been suggested by some but not all studies, and this difference may also vary by age. We analyzed zygosity differences in mean values and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) among male and female twins from infancy to old age. Data were derived from an international database of 54 twin cohorts participating in the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), and included 842,951 height and BMI measurements from twins aged 1 to 102 years. The results showed that DZ twins were consistently taller than MZ twins, with differences of up to 2.0 cm in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.9 cm in adulthood. Similarly, a greater mean BMI of up to 0.3 kg/m2 in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.2 kg/m2 in adulthood was observed in DZ twins, although the pattern was less consistent. DZ twins presented up to 1.7% greater height and 1.9% greater BMI than MZ twins; these percentage differences were largest in middle and late childhood and decreased with age in both sexes. The variance of height was similar in MZ and DZ twins at most ages. In contrast, the variance of BMI was significantly higher in DZ than in MZ twins, particularly in childhood. In conclusion, DZ twins were generally taller and had greater BMI than MZ twins, but the differences decreased with age in both sexes.

For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We asked for individual level data on height and weight including repeated measurements, birth related traits, background variables, education and smoking. By the end of 2014, 48 projects participated. Together, we have 893,458 height and weight measures (52% females) from 434,723 twin individuals, including 201,192 complete twin pairs (40% monozygotic, 40% same-sex dizygotic and 20% opposite-sex dizygotic) representing 22 countries. This project demonstrates that large-scale international twin studies are feasible and can promote the use of existing data for novel research purposes.