scholarly journals Genome-wide association study of vegetarianism in UK Biobank identifies association with VRK2

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
Georgina K. Fensom ◽  
Karl Smith-Byrne ◽  
Colm D. Andrews ◽  
Tim J. Key ◽  
Ruth C. Travis

Prospective studies have observed differences in risks for several health outcomes when comparing meat-eaters and vegetarians, but the mechanisms underlying these differences remain uncertain. Identifying genetic factors related to vegetarianism may be valuable for assessing causality. We report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of vegetarianism in 367,198 participants from UK Biobank. We identified one locus, rs10189138, near the vaccinia related kinase 2 (VRK2) gene, significantly associated with vegetarianism (β=0.153, p=3x10-8). The associations between rs10189138 and 40 traits were calculated, and the rs10189138 T allele (MAF=0.12) was found to be significantly associated with greater height, after controlling the false discovery rate (FDR). Correlations between genetically predicted vegetarianism and 855 other genetically predicted traits were also calculated, and vegetarianism had significant positive genetic correlations with fluid intelligence and age at menarche, after controlling the FDR. Future research on an independent sample is needed to see if this GWAS result can be replicated.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Meng ◽  
Mark J Adams ◽  
Harry L Hebert ◽  
Ian J Deary ◽  
Andrew M McIntosh ◽  
...  

AbstractHeadache is the most common neurological symptom and a leading cause of years lived with disability. We sought to identify the genetic variants associated with a broadly-defined headache phenotype in 223,773 subjects from the UK Biobank cohort. We defined headache based on a specific question answered by the UK Biobank participants. We performed a genome-wide association study of headache as a single entity, using 74,461 cases and 149,312 controls. We identified 3,343 SNPs which reached the genome-wide significance level of P < 5 × 10−8. The SNPs were located in 28 loci, with the top SNP of rs11172113 in the LRP1 gene having a P value of 4.92 × 10−47. Of the 28 loci, 14 have previously been associated with migraine. Among 14 new loci, rs77804065 with a P value of 5.87 × 10−15 in the LINC02210-CRHR1 gene was the top SNP.Positive relationships (P < 0.001) between multiple brain tissues and genetic associations were identified through tissue expression analysis, whereas no vascular related tissues showed significant relationships. We identified several significant positive genetic correlations between headache and other psychological traits including neuroticism, depressive symptoms, insomnia, and major depressive disorder.Our results suggest that brain function is closely related to broadly-defined headache. In addition, we also found that many psychological traits have genetic correlations with headache.


Author(s):  
Alejandro Alonso-Díaz ◽  
Santosh B Satbhai ◽  
Roger de Pedro-Jové ◽  
Hannah M Berry ◽  
Christian Göschl ◽  
...  

Abstract Bacterial wilt caused by the soil-borne pathogen Ralstonia solancearum is economically devastating, with no effective methods to fight the disease. This pathogen invades plants through their roots and colonizes their xylem, clogging the vasculature and causing rapid wilting. Key to preventing colonization are the early defense responses triggered in the host’s root upon infection, which remain mostly unknown. Here, we have taken advantage of a high-throughput in vitro infection system to screen natural variability associated to the root growth inhibition phenotype caused by R. solanacearum in Arabidopsis during the first hours of infection. To analyze the genetic determinants of this trait, we have performed a Genome-Wide Association Study, identifying allelic variation at several loci related to cytokinin metabolism, including genes responsible for biosynthesis and degradation of cytokinin. Further, our data clearly demonstrate that cytokinin signaling is induced early during the infection process and cytokinin contributes to immunity against R. solanacearum. This study highlights a new role of cytokinin in root immunity, paving the way for future research that will help understanding the mechanisms underpinning root defenses.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni-Kim Clarke ◽  
Mark J. Adams ◽  
Gail Davies ◽  
David M. Howard ◽  
Lynsey S. Hall ◽  
...  

AbstractAlcohol consumption has been linked to over 200 diseases and is responsible for over 5% of the global disease burden. Well known genetic variants in alcohol metabolizing genes, e.g. ALDH2, ADH1B, are strongly associated with alcohol consumption but have limited impact in European populations where they are found at low frequency. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of self-reported alcohol consumption in 112,117 individuals in the UK Biobank (UKB) sample of white British individuals. We report significant genome-wide associations at 8 independent loci. These include SNPs in alcohol metabolizing genes (ADH1B/ADH1C/ADH5) and 2 loci in KLB, a gene recently associated with alcohol consumption. We also identify SNPs at novel loci including GCKR, PXDN, CADM2 and TNFRSF11A. Gene-based analyses found significant associations with genes implicated in the neurobiology of substance use (CRHR1, DRD2), and genes previously associated with alcohol consumption (AUTS2). GCTA-GREML analyses found a significant SNP-based heritability of self-reported alcohol consumption of 13% (S.E.=0.01). Sex-specific analyses found largely overlapping GWAS loci and the genetic correlation between male and female alcohol consumption was 0.73 (S.E.=0.09, p-value = 1.37 x 10−16). Using LD score regression, genetic overlap was found between alcohol consumption and schizophrenia (rG=0.13, S.E=0.04), HDL cholesterol (rG=0.21, S.E=0.05), smoking (rG=0.49, S.E=0.06) and various anthropometric traits (e.g. Overweight, rG=-0.19, S.E.=0.05). This study replicates the association between alcohol consumption and alcohol metabolizing genes and KLB, and identifies 4 novel gene associations that should be the focus of future studies investigating the neurobiology of alcohol consumption.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1396-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Meng ◽  
Brian W Chan ◽  
Cameron Harris ◽  
Maxim B Freidin ◽  
Harry L Hebert ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Common types of musculoskeletal conditions include pain in the neck and shoulder areas. This study seeks to identify the genetic variants associated with neck or shoulder pain based on a genome-wide association approach using 203 309 subjects from the UK Biobank cohort and look for replication evidence from the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) and TwinsUK. Methods A genome-wide association study was performed adjusting for age, sex, BMI and nine population principal components. Significant and independent genetic variants were then sent to GS:SFHS and TwinsUK for replication. Results We identified three genetic loci that were associated with neck or shoulder pain in the UK Biobank samples. The most significant locus was in an intergenic region in chromosome 17, rs12453010, having P = 1.66 × 10−11. The second most significant locus was located in the FOXP2 gene in chromosome 7 with P = 2.38 × 10−10 for rs34291892. The third locus was located in the LINC01572 gene in chromosome 16 with P = 4.50 × 10−8 for rs62053992. In the replication stage, among four significant and independent genetic variants, rs2049604 in the FOXP2 gene and rs62053992 in the LINC01572 gene were weakly replicated in GS:SFHS (P = 0.0240 and P = 0.0202, respectively). Conclusions We have identified three loci associated with neck or shoulder pain in the UK Biobank cohort, two of which were weakly supported in a replication cohort. Further evidence is needed to confirm their roles in neck or shoulder pain.


2021 ◽  
pp. annrheumdis-2020-219624
Author(s):  
Md Shafiqur Rahman ◽  
Bendik S Winsvold ◽  
Sergio O Chavez Chavez ◽  
Sigrid Børte ◽  
Yakov A Tsepilov ◽  
...  

Background and objectivesChronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP) is a symptom of fibromyalgia and a complex trait with poorly understood pathogenesis. CWP is heritable (48%–54%), but its genetic architecture is unknown and candidate gene studies have produced inconsistent results. We conducted a genome-wide association study to get insight into the genetic background of CWP.MethodsNorthern Europeans from UK Biobank comprising 6914 cases reporting pain all over the body lasting >3 months and 242 929 controls were studied. Replication of three independent genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms was attempted in six independent European cohorts (n=43 080; cases=14 177). Genetic correlations with risk factors, tissue specificity and colocalisation were examined.ResultsThree genome-wide significant loci were identified (rs1491985, rs10490825, rs165599) residing within the genes Ring Finger Protein 123 (RNF123), ATPase secretory pathway Ca2+transporting 1 (ATP2C1) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). The RNF123 locus was replicated (meta-analysis p=0.0002), the ATP2C1 locus showed suggestive association (p=0.0227) and the COMT locus was not replicated. Partial genetic correlation between CWP and depressive symptoms, body mass index, age of first birth and years of schooling were identified. Tissue specificity and colocalisation analysis highlight the relevance of skeletal muscle in CWP.ConclusionsWe report a novel association of RNF123 locus and a suggestive association of ATP2C1 locus with CWP. Both loci are consistent with a role of calcium regulation in CWP. The association with COMT, one of the most studied genes in chronic pain field, was not confirmed in the replication analysis.


GeroScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajun Shi ◽  
Ben Zhang ◽  
Ji-Yeob Choi ◽  
Yu-Tang Gao ◽  
Huaixing Li ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bowen Hu ◽  
Ning Shen ◽  
James J. Li ◽  
Hyunseung Kang ◽  
Jinkuk Hong ◽  
...  

AbstractFacial attractiveness is a complex human trait of great interest in both academia and industry. Literature on sociological and phenotypic factors associated with facial attractiveness is rich, but its genetic basis is poorly understood. In this paper, we conducted a genome-wide association study to discover genetic variants associated with facial attractiveness using 3,928 samples in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. We identified two genome-wide significant loci and highlighted a handful of candidate genes, many of which are specifically expressed in human tissues involved in reproduction and hormone synthesis. Additionally, facial attractiveness showed strong and negative genetic correlations with BMI in females and with blood lipids in males. Our analysis also suggested sex-specific selection pressure on variants associated with lower male attractiveness. These results revealed sex-specific genetic architecture of facial attractiveness and provided fundamental new insights into its genetic basis.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L Atkins ◽  
Juulia Jylhävä ◽  
Nancy L Pedersen ◽  
Patrik K Magnusson ◽  
Yi Lu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFrailty is a common geriatric syndrome, strongly associated with disability, mortality and hospitalisation. The mechanisms underlying frailty are multifactorial and not well understood, but a genetic basis has been suggested with heritability estimates between 19 and 45%. Understanding the genetic determinants and biological mechanisms underpinning frailty may help to delay or even prevent frailty. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a frailty index (FI) in European descent participants from UK Biobank (n=164,610, aged 60-70 years). FI calculation was based on 49 self-reported items on symptoms, disabilities and diagnosed diseases. We identified 26 independent genetic signals at 24 loci associated with the FI (p<5*10−8). Many of these loci have previously been associated with traits such as body mass index, cardiovascular disease, smoking, HLA proteins, depression and neuroticism; however, three appear to be novel. The estimated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritability of the FI was 14% (0.14, SE 0.006). A genetic risk score for the FI, derived solely from the UK Biobank data, was significantly associated with FI in the Swedish TwinGene study (n=10,616, beta: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.20, p=0.015). In pathway analysis, genes associated with synapse function were significantly enriched (p<3*10−6). We also used Mendelian randomization to identify modifiable traits and exposures that may affect the risk of frailty, with a higher educational attainment genetic risk score being associated with a lower risk of frailty. Risk of frailty is influenced by many genetic factors, including well-known disease risk factors and mental health, with particular emphasis on synapse maintenance pathways.


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