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Wang S, Li T, Zhao B, Dai W, Yao Y, Li C, Li T, Zhu H, Zhang H. Identification and validation of supervariants reveal novel loci associated with human white matter microstructure. Genome Res 2024; 34:20-33. [PMID: 38190638 PMCID: PMC10904010 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277905.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
As an essential part of the central nervous system, white matter coordinates communications between different brain regions and is related to a wide range of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have uncovered loci associated with white matter microstructure. However, GWASs suffer from limited reproducibility and difficulties in detecting multi-single-nucleotide polymorphism (multi-SNP) and epistatic effects. In this study, we adopt the concept of supervariants, a combination of alleles in multiple loci, to account for potential multi-SNP effects. We perform supervariant identification and validation to identify loci associated with 22 white matter fractional anisotropy phenotypes derived from diffusion tensor imaging. To increase reproducibility, we use United Kingdom (UK) Biobank White British (n = 30,842) data for discovery and internal validation, and UK Biobank White but non-British (n = 1927) data, Europeans from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 4399) data, and Europeans from the Human Connectome Project (n = 319) data for external validation. We identify 23 novel loci on the discovery set that have not been reported in the previous GWASs on white matter microstructure. Among them, three supervariants on genomic regions 5q35.1, 8p21.2, and 19q13.32 have P-values lower than 0.05 in the meta-analysis of the three independent validation data sets. These supervariants contain genetic variants located in genes that have been related to brain structures, cognitive functions, and neuropsychiatric diseases. Our findings provide a better understanding of the genetic architecture underlying white matter microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiying Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bingxin Zhao
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-1686, USA
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA
| | - Yisha Yao
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA
| | - Cai Li
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
| | - Tengfei Li
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Hongtu Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Heping Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA;
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Schmidt AF, Finan C, Chopade S, Ellmerich S, Rossor MN, Hingorani AD, Pepys MB. Genetic evidence for serum amyloid P component as a drug target for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.08.15.23293564. [PMID: 37645746 PMCID: PMC10462209 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.15.23293564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The direct causes of neurodegeneration underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) and many other dementias, are not known. Here we identify serum amyloid P component (SAP), a constitutive plasma protein normally excluded from the brain, as a potential drug target. After meta-analysis of three genome-wide association studies, comprising 44,288 participants, cis-Mendelian randomization showed that genes responsible for higher plasma SAP values are significantly associated with AD, Lewy body dementia and plasma tau concentration. These genetic findings are consistent with experimental evidence of SAP neurotoxicity and the strong, independent association of neocortex SAP content with dementia at death. Depletion of SAP from the blood and from the brain, as is provided by the safe, well tolerated, experimental drug, miridesap, may therefore contribute to treatment of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Floriaan Schmidt
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCL British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Chris Finan
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCL British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sandesh Chopade
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCL British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan Ellmerich
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin N Rossor
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Aroon D Hingorani
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCL British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark B Pepys
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Alex AM, Buss C, Davis EP, Campos GDL, Donald KA, Fair DA, Gaab N, Gao W, Gilmore JH, Girault JB, Grewen K, Groenewold NA, Hankin BL, Ipser J, Kapoor S, Kim P, Lin W, Luo S, Norton ES, O'Connor TG, Piven J, Qiu A, Rasmussen JM, Skeide MA, Stein DJ, Styner MA, Thompson PM, Wakschlag L, Knickmeyer R. Genetic Influences on the Developing Young Brain and Risk for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:905-920. [PMID: 36932005 PMCID: PMC10136952 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Imaging genetics provides an opportunity to discern associations between genetic variants and brain imaging phenotypes. Historically, the field has focused on adults and adolescents; very few imaging genetics studies have focused on brain development in infancy and early childhood (from birth to age 6 years). This is an important knowledge gap because developmental changes in the brain during the prenatal and early postnatal period are regulated by dynamic gene expression patterns that likely play an important role in establishing an individual's risk for later psychiatric illness and neurodevelopmental disabilities. In this review, we summarize findings from imaging genetics studies spanning from early infancy to early childhood, with a focus on studies examining genetic risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. We also introduce the Organization for Imaging Genomics in Infancy (ORIGINs), a working group of the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) consortium, which was established to facilitate large-scale imaging genetics studies in infancy and early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Alex
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Gustavo de Los Campos
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Statistics & Probability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Wei Gao
- Cedars-Sinai Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, California; Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrboro, North Carolina
| | - Karen Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois Urbana,-Champaign, Illinois
| | - Jonathan Ipser
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shreya Kapoor
- Research Group Learning in Early Childhood, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Shan Luo
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrboro, North Carolina
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, National University of Singapore, China; the Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Computer Engineering and Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Michael A Skeide
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Research Group Learning in Early Childhood, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of the Sunshine Coast, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Laurie Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rebecca Knickmeyer
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
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