scholarly journals A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of epigenetic age acceleration

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Gibson ◽  
Tom C. Russ ◽  
Toni-Kim Clarke ◽  
David M. Howard ◽  
Kathryn L. Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Epigenetic Age ◽  
Epigenetic Age Acceleration

Abstract‘Epigenetic age acceleration’ is a valuable biomarker of ageing, predictive of morbidity and mortality, but for which the underlying biological mechanisms are not well established. Two commonly used measures, derived from DNA methylation, are Horvath-based (Horvath-EAA) and Hannum-based (Hannum-EAA) epigenetic age acceleration. We conducted genome-wide association studies of Horvath-EAA and Hannum-EAA in 13,493 unrelated individuals of European ancestry, to elucidate genetic determinants of differential epigenetic ageing. We identified ten independent SNPs associated with Horvath-EAA, five of which are novel. We also report 21 Horvath-EAA-associated genes including several involved in metabolism (NHLRC,TPMT) and immune system pathways (TRIM59,EDARADD). GWAS of Hannum-EAA identified one associated variant (rs1005277), and implicated 12 genes including several involved in innate immune system pathways (UBE2D3,MANBA,TRIM46), with metabolic functions (UBE2D3,MANBA), or linked to lifespan regulation (CISD2). Both measures had nominal inverse genetic correlations with father’s age at death, a rough proxy for lifespan. Nominally significant genetic correlations between Hannum-EAA and lifestyle factors including smoking behaviours and education support the hypothesis that Hannum-based epigenetic ageing is sensitive to variations in environment, whereas Horvath-EAA is a more stable cellular ageing process. We identified novel SNPs and genes associated with epigenetic age acceleration, and highlighted differences in the genetic architecture of Horvath-based and Hannum-based epigenetic ageing measures. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying individual differences in the rate of epigenetic ageing could help explain different trajectories of age-related decline.Author SummaryDNA methylation, a type of epigenetic process, is known to vary with age. Methylation levels at specific sites across the genome can be combined to form estimates of age known as ‘epigenetic age’. The difference between epigenetic age and chronological age is referred to as ‘epigenetic age acceleration’, with positive values indicating that a person is biologically older than their years. Understanding why some people seem to age faster than others could shed light on the biological processes behind age-related decline; however, the mechanisms underlying differential rates of epigenetic ageing are largely unknown. Here, we investigate genetic determinants of two commonly used epigenetic age acceleration measures, based on the Horvath and Hannum epigenetic clocks. We report novel genetic variants and genes associated with epigenetic age acceleration, and highlight differences in the genetic factors influencing these two measures. We identify ten genetic variants and 21 genes associated with Horvath-based epigenetic age acceleration, and one variant and 12 genes associated with the Hannum-based measure. There were no genome-wide significant variants or genes in common between the Horvath-based and Hannum-based measures, supporting the hypothesis that they represent different aspects of ageing. Our results suggest a partial genetic basis underlying some previously reported phenotypic associations.

scholarly journals A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of epigenetic age acceleration

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e1008104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Gibson ◽  
Tom C. Russ ◽  
Toni-Kim Clarke ◽  
David M. Howard ◽  
Robert F. Hillary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Association Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Epigenetic Age ◽  
Epigenetic Age Acceleration

GWAS contribution to atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation-related stroke: pathophysiological implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 765-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Cruz ◽  
Ricardo Pinto ◽  
Margarida Freitas-Silva ◽  
José Pedro Nunes ◽  
Rui Medeiros
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Cardioembolic Stroke ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genome Wide Significance

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke are included in a group of complex traits that have been approached regarding of their study by susceptibility genetic determinants. Since 2007, several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aiming to identify genetic variants modulating AF risk have been conducted. Thus, 11 GWAS have identified 26 SNPs (p < 5 × 10-2), of which 19 reached genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10-8). From those variants, seven were also associated with cardioembolic stroke and three reached genome-wide significance in stroke GWAS. These associations may shed a light on putative shared etiologic mechanisms between AF and cardioembolic stroke. Additionally, some of these identified variants have been incorporated in genetic risk scores in order to elucidate new approaches of stroke prediction, prevention and treatment.

scholarly journals Novel genetic determinants of telomere length from a trans-ethnic analysis of 109,122 whole genome sequences in TOPMed

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A Taub ◽  
Matthew P Conomos ◽  
Rebecca Keener ◽  
Kruthika R Iyer ◽  
Joshua S Weinstock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
P Value ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Variant Genotype ◽  
Effect Heterogeneity

ABSTRACTTelomeres shorten in replicating somatic cells, and telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases 1,2. To date, 17 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 25 loci for leukocyte TL 3–19, but were limited to European and Asian ancestry individuals and relied on laboratory assays of TL. In this study from the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program, we used whole genome sequencing (WGS) of whole blood for variant genotype calling and the bioinformatic estimation of TL in n=109,122 trans-ethnic (European, African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino) individuals. We identified 59 sentinel variants (p-value <5×10−9) from 36 loci (20 novel, 13 replicated in external datasets). There was little evidence of effect heterogeneity across populations, and 10 loci had >1 independent signal. Fine-mapping at OBFC1 indicated the independent signals colocalized with cell-type specific eQTLs for OBFC1 (STN1). We further identified two novel genes, DCLRE1B (SNM1B) and PARN, using a multi-variant gene-based approach.

scholarly journals Recent advances in the genetic association between osteoporotic fracture and sarcopenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 02-09
Author(s):  
Qiaocong Chen ◽  
◽  
Huiling Lou ◽  
Cheng Peng
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Risk ◽  
Osteoporotic Fracture ◽  
Musculoskeletal Diseases ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Osteoporotic Fractures ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Genome Wide

The risk of osteoporotic fracture can be viewed as a function of loading conditions and the ability of the bone to withstand the load. Skeletal loads are dominated by muscle action. Recently, it has become clear that bone and muscle share genetic determinants. Involvement of the musculoskeletal system manifests as bone loss (osteoporosis) and muscle wasting (sarcopenia). There is clinical evidence that osteoporotic fractures are significantly associated with sarcopenia, and sarcopenia may be a potential predictive factor for fracture risk, which suggests that there may be shared genetic determinants between sarcopenia and osteoporotic fracture. In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) studies have found that both lean mass and hand grip strength are associated with fracture risk, which may provide a possible endophenotype for elucidating the potential genetic study of fracture risk. Our effort to understand the clinical and genetic correlations between osteoporotic fracture and sarcopenia is helpful to understand the interaction between muscle and bone, and to study the etiology of complex musculoskeletal diseases. Identifying potentially important genetic variations in bone and muscle, measuring these variations using state-of-the-art technology, and replicating these experiments in humans and large animals will provide potential drug or intervention targets for osteoporotic fracture valuable in the future. Keywords: Genetics, osteoporosis, fracture, sarcopenia, genome-wide association studies, single nucleotide polymorphism

scholarly journals Genetic analysis identifies molecular systems and biological pathways associated with household income

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. David Hill ◽  
Neil M. Davies ◽  
Stuart J. Ritchie ◽  
Nathan G. Skene ◽  
Julien Bryois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Income Differences ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Common Genetic Variants

AbstractSocio-economic position (SEP) is a multi-dimensional construct reflecting (and influencing) multiple socio-cultural, physical, and environmental factors. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using household income as a marker of SEP have shown that common genetic variants account for 11% of its variation. Here, in a sample of 286,301 participants from UK Biobank, we identified 30 independent genome-wide significant loci, 29 novel, that are associated with household income. Using a recently-developed method to meta-analyze data that leverages power from genetically-correlated traits, we identified an additional 120 income-associated loci. These loci showed clear evidence of functional enrichment, with transcriptional differences identified across multiple cortical tissues, in addition to links with GABAergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. We identified neurogenesis and the components of the synapse as candidate biological systems that are linked with income. By combining our GWAS on income with data from eQTL studies and chromatin interactions, 24 genes were prioritized for follow up, 18 of which were previously associated with cognitive ability. Using Mendelian Randomization, we identified cognitive ability as one of the causal, partly-heritable phenotypes that bridges the gap between molecular genetic inheritance and phenotypic consequence in terms of income differences. Significant differences between genetic correlations indicated that, the genetic variants associated with income are related to better mental health than those linked to educational attainment (another commonly-used marker of SEP). Finally, we were able to predict 2.5% of income differences using genetic data alone in an independent sample. These results are important for understanding the observed socioeconomic inequalities in Great Britain today.

Genetic correlations between subcortical brain volumes and psychiatric disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 216 (5) ◽  
pp. 280-283
Author(s):  
Kazutaka Ohi ◽  
Takamitsu Shimada ◽  
Yuzuru Kataoka ◽  
Toshiki Yasuyama ◽  
Yasuhiro Kawasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Subcortical Brain ◽  
Genome Wide

SummaryPsychiatric disorders as well as subcortical brain volumes are highly heritable. Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for these traits have been performed. We investigated the genetic correlations between five psychiatric disorders and the seven subcortical brain volumes and the intracranial volume from large-scale GWASs by linkage disequilibrium score regression. We revealed weak overlaps between the genetic variants associated with psychiatric disorders and subcortical brain and intracranial volumes, such as in schizophrenia and the hippocampus and bipolar disorder and the accumbens. We confirmed shared aetiology and polygenic architecture across the psychiatric disorders and the specific subcortical brain and intracranial volume.

scholarly journals The transferability of lipid loci across African, Asian and European cohorts

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karoline Kuchenbaecker ◽  
◽  
Nikita Telkar ◽  
Theresa Reiker ◽  
Robin G. Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Risk Score ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Most genome-wide association studies are based on samples of European descent. We assess whether the genetic determinants of blood lipids, a major cardiovascular risk factor, are shared across populations. Genetic correlations for lipids between European-ancestry and Asian cohorts are not significantly different from 1. A genetic risk score based on LDL-cholesterol-associated loci has consistent effects on serum levels in samples from the UK, Uganda and Greece (r = 0.23–0.28, p < 1.9 × 10−14). Overall, there is evidence of reproducibility for ~75% of the major lipid loci from European discovery studies, except triglyceride loci in the Ugandan samples (10% of loci). Individual transferable loci are identified using trans-ethnic colocalization. Ten of fourteen loci not transferable to the Ugandan population have pleiotropic associations with BMI in Europeans; none of the transferable loci do. The non-transferable loci might affect lipids by modifying food intake in environments rich in certain nutrients, which suggests a potential role for gene-environment interactions.

scholarly journals Genetic determinants of liking and intake of coffee and other bitter foods and beverages

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn C. Cornelis ◽  
Rob M. van Dam
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Taste Preferences ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Coffee Drinking ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractCoffee is a widely consumed beverage that is naturally bitter and contains caffeine. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of coffee drinking have identified genetic variants involved in caffeine-related pathways but not in taste perception. The taste of coffee can be altered by addition of milk/sweetener, which has not been accounted for in GWAS. Using UK and US cohorts, we test the hypotheses that genetic variants related to taste are more strongly associated with consumption of black coffee than with consumption of coffee with milk or sweetener and that genetic variants related to caffeine pathways are not differentially associated with the type of coffee consumed independent of caffeine content. Contrary to our hypotheses, genetically inferred caffeine sensitivity was more strongly associated with coffee taste preferences than with genetically inferred bitter taste perception. These findings extended to tea and dark chocolate. Taste preferences and physiological caffeine effects intertwine in a way that is difficult to distinguish for individuals which may represent conditioned taste preferences.

scholarly journals Evidence of shared genetic influences underlying schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder, but not alcohol consumption

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma C. Johnson ◽  
Manav Kapoor ◽  
Alexander S. Hatoum ◽  
Hang Zhou ◽  
Renato Polimanti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Covariance ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Brain Tissues

AbstractBackgroundAlcohol use disorder (AUD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) frequently co-occur, and recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified significant genetic correlations between them. In parallel, mounting evidence from GWAS suggests that alcohol consumption is only weakly genetically correlated with SCZ, but this has not yet been systematically investigated.MethodsWe used the largest published GWAS for AUD (total cases = 77,822) and SCZ (total cases = 46,827) to systematically identify genetic variants that influence both disorders (in either the same or opposite direction of effect) as well as disorder-specific loci, and contrast our findings with GWAS data for drinks per week (DPW; N = 537,349) as a measure of alcohol consumption.ResultsWe identified 55 independent genome-wide significant SNPs with the same direction of effect on AUD and SCZ, 9 with robust opposite effects, and 99 with disorder-specific effects. We also found evidence for 12 genes whose pleiotropic associations with AUD and SCZ are consistent with mediation via gene expression in the prefrontal cortex. The genetic covariance between AUD and SCZ was concentrated in genomic regions functional in brain tissues (p = 0.001). The genetic correlation between DPW and SCZ (rg = 0.102, SE = 0.022) was significantly lower than that for AUD and SCZ (rg = 0.392, SE = 0.029; p-value of the difference = 9.3e-18), and the genetic covariance between DPW and SCZ was not enriched for any meaningful tissue-specific categories.ConclusionsOur findings provide a detailed view of genetic loci that influence risk of both AUD and SCZ, suggest that biological commonalities underlying genetic variants with an effect on both disorders are manifested in brain tissues, and provide further evidence that SCZ shares meaningful genetic overlap with AUD and not merely alcohol consumption.

scholarly journals Post-GWAS era in genetics of schizophrenia

2019 ◽  
pp. 6-7
Author(s):  
V. E. Golimbet ◽  
A. K. Golov ◽  
N. V. Kondratyev
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Master Regulators ◽  
Genome Wide

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) discovered multiple genetic variants associated with schizophrenia. Te next step (post-GWAS analysis) is aimed at identifying the causal genetic variants and biological mechanisms underlying the associations with disease risk. Te following strategies are considered: the study of transcriptional regulation in neuronal human cells and the use of epigenomic information for searching for regulatory elements involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Te frst strategy includes identifcation of neuronal enhancers, mapping of potential target genes and functional confrmation of enhancer-promoter interactions. Te second approach is focused on the identifcation of transcriptional factors, which appear to be master regulators of expression.

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