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Wang M. Estimating the parental age effect on intelligence with controlling for confounding effects from genotypic differences. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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Soo CC, Brandenburg JT, Nebel A, Tollman S, Berkman L, Ramsay M, Choudhury A. Genome-wide association study of population-standardised cognitive performance phenotypes in a rural South African community. Commun Biol 2023; 6:328. [PMID: 36973338 PMCID: PMC10043003 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04636-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive function is an indicator for global physical and mental health, and cognitive impairment has been associated with poorer life outcomes and earlier mortality. A standard cognition test, adapted to a rural-dwelling African community, and the Oxford Cognition Screen-Plus were used to capture cognitive performance as five continuous traits (total cognition score, verbal episodic memory, executive function, language, and visuospatial ability) for 2,246 adults in this population of South Africans. A novel common variant, rs73485231, reached genome-wide significance for association with episodic memory using data for ~14 million markers imputed from the H3Africa genotyping array data. Window-based replication of previously implicated variants and regions of interest support the discovery of African-specific associated variants despite the small population size and low allele frequency. This African genome-wide association study identifies suggestive associations with general cognition and domain-specific cognitive pathways and lays the groundwork for further genomic studies on cognition in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra C Soo
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Jean-Tristan Brandenburg
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Almut Nebel
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stephen Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lisa Berkman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michรจle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ananyo Choudhury
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Ciobanu LG, Stankov L, Schubert KO, Amare AT, Jawahar MC, Lawrence-Wood E, Mills NT, Knight M, Clark SR, Aidman E. General intelligence and executive functioning are overlapping but separable at genetic and molecular pathway levels: An analytical review of existing GWAS findings. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272368. [PMID: 36251633 PMCID: PMC9576059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genomic architecture and molecular mechanisms of cognitive functioning in healthy individuals is critical for developing tailored interventions to enhance cognitive functioning, as well as for identifying targets for treating impaired cognition. There has been substantial progress in uncovering the genetic composition of the general cognitive ability (g). However, there is an ongoing debate whether executive functioning (EF)โanother key predictor of cognitive health and performance, is separable from general g. To provide an analytical review on existing findings on genetic influences on the relationship between g and EF, we re-analysed a subset of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from the GWAS catalogue that used measures of g and EF as outcomes in non-clinical populations. We identified two sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with g (1,372 SNPs across 12 studies), and EF (300 SNPs across 5 studies) at p<5x10-6. A comparative analysis of GWAS-identified g and EF SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium (LD), followed by pathway enrichment analyses suggest that g and EF are overlapping but separable at genetic variant and molecular pathway levels, however more evidence is required to characterize the genetic overlap/distinction between the two constructs. While not without limitations, these findings may have implications for navigating further research towards translatable genetic findings for cognitive remediation, enhancement, and augmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana G. Ciobanu
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Lazar Stankov
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - K. Oliver Schubert
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Northern Adelaide Mental Health Services, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Azmeraw T. Amare
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | | | - Natalie T. Mills
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Matthew Knight
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Weapons and Combat Systems Division, Defence Science & Technology Group, Edinburgh, SA, Australia
| | - Scott R. Clark
- Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Eugene Aidman
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Land Division, Defence Science & Technology Group, Edinburgh, SA, Australia
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Soo CC, Farrell MT, Tollman S, Berkman L, Nebel A, Ramsay M. Apolipoprotein E Genetic Variation and Its Association With Cognitive Function in Rural-Dwelling Older South Africans. Front Genet 2021; 12:689756. [PMID: 34721516 PMCID: PMC8551631 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.689756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ๐4 allele carrier status is well known for its association with an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimerโs disease, but its independent role in cognitive function is unclear. APOE genetic variation is understudied in African populations; hence, this cross-sectional study in a rural South African community examined allele and genotype frequencies, and their associations with cognitive function. Cognitive function was assessed using two different screening methods to produce a total cognition score and four domain-specific cognition scores for verbal episodic memory, executive function, language, and visuospatial ability. Cognitive phenotype and APOE genotype data were used to determine whether APOE variation was significantly associated with cognitive function in this population. Observed allele frequencies for 1776 participants from the HAALSI study [age 40โ80years (mean=56.19); 58.2% female] were 58.1% (๐3), 25.4% (๐4) and 16.5% (๐2). Allele distributions were similar to the African super population, but different from all non-African super populations from the 1,000 Genomes Project. The ๐3 homozygous genotype was most common (34.9%) and used as the base genotype for comparison in regression models. Four models were tested for each of the five cognitive phenotypes to explore association of APOE variation with cognitive function. In the first model assessing association with all genotypes for all individuals, marginally significant associations were observed for ๐2 homozygotes where executive function scored higher by ~0.5 standard deviations (p=0.037, SE=0.23), and for ๐3/๐4 heterozygotes where visuospatial ability scores were lower (p=0.046, SE=0.14). These did not survive correction for multiple testing. Regional African population differences were observed at the APOE locus. Marginally, significant associations between APOE genotype, and executive function and visuospatial ability indicate the need for larger studies to better examine these associations in African populations. Furthermore, longitudinal data could shed light on APOE genetic association with rate of change, or decline, in cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra C Soo
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Meagan T Farrell
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Stephen Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lisa Berkman
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Almut Nebel
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michรจle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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van Gastel J, Leysen H, Boddaert J, Vangenechten L, Luttrell LM, Martin B, Maudsley S. Aging-related modifications to G protein-coupled receptor signaling diversity. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 223:107793. [PMID: 33316288 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a highly complex molecular process, affecting nearly all tissue systems in humans and is the highest risk factor in developing neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The intense complexity of the aging process creates an incentive to develop more specific drugs that attenuate or even reverse some of the features of premature aging. As our current pharmacopeia is dominated by therapeutics that target members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily it may be prudent to search for effective anti-aging therapeutics in this fertile domain. Since the first demonstration of GPCR-based ฮฒ-arrestin signaling, it has become clear that an enhanced appreciation of GPCR signaling diversity may facilitate the creation of therapeutics with selective signaling activities. Such 'biased' ligand signaling profiles can be effectively investigated using both standard molecular biological techniques as well as high-dimensionality data analyses. Through a more nuanced appreciation of the quantitative nature across the multiple dimensions of signaling bias that drugs possess, researchers may be able to further refine the efficacy of GPCR modulators to impact the complex aberrations that constitute the aging process. Identifying novel effector profiles could expand the effective pharmacopeia and assist in the design of precision medicines. This review discusses potential non-G protein effectors, and specifically their potential therapeutic suitability in aging and age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana van Gastel
- Receptor Biology Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Pharmacy, Biomedical and Veterinary Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hanne Leysen
- Receptor Biology Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Pharmacy, Biomedical and Veterinary Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jan Boddaert
- Molecular Pathology Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Laura Vangenechten
- Receptor Biology Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Louis M Luttrell
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Medical Genetics, Medical University of South Carolina, USA
| | - Bronwen Martin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Biomedical and Veterinary Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stuart Maudsley
- Receptor Biology Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Pharmacy, Biomedical and Veterinary Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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