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Neale N, Lona-Durazo F, Ryten M, Gagliano Taliun SA. Leveraging sex-genetic interactions to understand brain disorders: recent advances and current gaps. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae192. [PMID: 38894947 PMCID: PMC11184352 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
It is established that there are sex differences in terms of prevalence, age of onset, clinical manifestations, and response to treatment for a variety of brain disorders, including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders. Cohorts of increasing sample sizes with diverse data types collected, including genetic, transcriptomic and/or phenotypic data, are providing the building blocks to permit analytical designs to test for sex-biased genetic variant-trait associations, and for sex-biased transcriptional regulation. Such molecular assessments can contribute to our understanding of the manifested phenotypic differences between the sexes for brain disorders, offering the future possibility of delivering personalized therapy for females and males. With the intention of raising the profile of this field as a research priority, this review aims to shed light on the importance of investigating sex-genetic interactions for brain disorders, focusing on two areas: (i) variant-trait associations and (ii) transcriptomics (i.e. gene expression, transcript usage and regulation). We specifically discuss recent advances in the field, current gaps and provide considerations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Neale
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7 Canada
| | - Frida Lona-Durazo
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7 Canada
- Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Québec, H1T 1C8 Canada
| | - Mina Ryten
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, WC1N 1EH London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, 20815 MD, USA
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Bloomsbury, WC1N 1EH London, UK
| | - Sarah A Gagliano Taliun
- Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Québec, H1T 1C8 Canada
- Department of Medicine & Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7 Canada
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Yang Q, Yang Q, Wu X, Zheng R, Lin H, Wang S, Joseph J, Sun YV, Li M, Wang T, Zhao Z, Xu M, Lu J, Chen Y, Ning G, Wang W, Bi Y, Zheng J, Xu Y. Sex-stratified genome-wide association and transcriptome-wide Mendelian randomization studies reveal drug targets of heart failure. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101382. [PMID: 38237596 PMCID: PMC10897518 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The prevalence of heart failure (HF) subtypes, which are classified by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), demonstrate significant sex differences. Here, we perform sex-stratified genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on LVEF and transcriptome-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) on LVEF, all-cause HF, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The sex-stratified GWASs of LVEF identified three sex-specific loci that were exclusively detected in the sex-stratified GWASs. Three drug target genes show sex-differential effects on HF/HFrEF via influencing LVEF, with NPR2 as the target gene for the HF drug Cenderitide under phase 2 clinical trial. Our study highlights the importance of considering sex-differential genetic effects in sex-balanced diseases such as HF and emphasizes the value of sex-stratified GWASs and MR in identifying putative genetic variants, causal genes, and candidate drug targets for HF, which is not identifiable using a sex-combined strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Yang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Yang
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Xueyan Wu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruizhi Zheng
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Lin
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuangyuan Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jacob Joseph
- Cardiology Section, VA Providence Healthcare System, 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI 02908, USA; Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Yan V Sun
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Health Care System, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Mian Li
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiange Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiyun Zhao
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Xu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieli Lu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhong Chen
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang Ning
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqing Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yufang Bi
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yu Xu
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of the National Health Commission, Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Boahen CK, Abee H, Ponce IR, Joosten LAB, Netea MG, Kumar V. Sex-biased genetic regulation of inflammatory proteins in the Dutch population. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:154. [PMID: 38326779 PMCID: PMC10851559 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10065-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Significant differences in immune responses, prevalence or susceptibility of diseases and treatment responses have been described between males and females. Despite this, sex-differentiation analysis of the genetic architecture of inflammatory proteins is largely unexplored. We performed sex-stratified meta-analysis after protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) mapping using inflammatory biomarkers profiled using targeted proteomics (Olink inflammatory panel) of two population-based cohorts of Europeans. RESULTS Even though, around 67% of the pQTLs demonstrated shared effect between sexes, colocalization analysis identified two loci in the males (LINC01135 and ITGAV) and three loci (CNOT10, SRD5A2, and LILRB5) in the females with evidence of sex-dependent modulation by pQTL variants. Furthermore, we identified pathways with relevant functions in the sex-biased pQTL variants. We also showed through cross-validation that the sex-specific pQTLs are linked with sex-specific phenotypic traits. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the relevance of genetic sex-stratified analysis in the context of genetic dissection of protein abundances among individuals and reveals that, sex-specific pQTLs might mediate sex-linked phenotypes. Identification of sex-specific pQTLs associated with sex-biased diseases can help realize the promise of individualized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collins K Boahen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Abee
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Isis Ricaño Ponce
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Leo A B Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genetics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacia, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
- Department for Immunology and Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands.
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands.
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
- Nitte (Deemed to Be University), Medical Sciences Complex, Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER), Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018, India.
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