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Vanneste M, Hoskens H, Goovaerts S, Matthews H, Aponte JD, Cole J, Shriver M, Marazita ML, Weinberg SM, Walsh S, Richmond S, Klein OD, Spritz RA, Peeters H, Hallgrímsson B, Claes P. Syndrome-informed phenotyping identifies a polygenic background for achondroplasia-like facial variation in the general population. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.07.570544. [PMID: 38106188 PMCID: PMC10723447 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.07.570544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Human craniofacial shape is highly variable yet highly heritable with genetic variants interacting through multiple layers of development. Here, we hypothesize that Mendelian phenotypes represent the extremes of a phenotypic spectrum and, using achondroplasia as an example, we introduce a syndrome-informed phenotyping approach to identify genomic loci associated with achondroplasia-like facial variation in the normal population. We compared three-dimensional facial scans from 43 individuals with achondroplasia and 8246 controls to calculate achondroplasia-like facial scores. Multivariate GWAS of the control scores revealed a polygenic basis for normal facial variation along an achondroplasia-specific shape axis, identifying genes primarily involved in skeletal development. Jointly modeling these genes in two independent control samples showed craniofacial effects approximating the characteristic achondroplasia phenotype. These findings suggest that both complex and Mendelian genetic variation act on the same developmentally determined axes of facial variation, providing new insights into the genetic intersection of complex traits and Mendelian disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanne Hoskens
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- McCaig Bone and Joint Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Seppe Goovaerts
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Harold Matthews
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jose D Aponte
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- McCaig Bone and Joint Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Joanne Cole
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mark Shriver
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Mary L. Marazita
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Seth M. Weinberg
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Susan Walsh
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stephen Richmond
- Applied Clinical Research and Public Health, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Richard A Spritz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Hilde Peeters
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benedikt Hallgrímsson
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- McCaig Bone and Joint Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter Claes
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Goovaerts S, Hoskens H, Eller RJ, Herrick N, Musolf AM, Justice CM, Yuan M, Naqvi S, Lee MK, Vandermeulen D, Szabo-Rogers HL, Romitti PA, Boyadjiev SA, Marazita ML, Shaffer JR, Shriver MD, Wysocka J, Walsh S, Weinberg SM, Claes P. Joint multi-ancestry and admixed GWAS reveals the complex genetics behind human cranial vault shape. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7436. [PMID: 37973980 PMCID: PMC10654897 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43237-8] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cranial vault in humans is highly variable, clinically relevant, and heritable, yet its genetic architecture remains poorly understood. Here, we conduct a joint multi-ancestry and admixed multivariate genome-wide association study on 3D cranial vault shape extracted from magnetic resonance images of 6772 children from the ABCD study cohort yielding 30 genome-wide significant loci. Follow-up analyses indicate that these loci overlap with genomic risk loci for sagittal craniosynostosis, show elevated activity cranial neural crest cells, are enriched for processes related to skeletal development, and are shared with the face and brain. We present supporting evidence of regional localization for several of the identified genes based on expression patterns in the cranial vault bones of E15.5 mice. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive overview of the genetics underlying normal-range cranial vault shape and its relevance for understanding modern human craniofacial diversity and the etiology of congenital malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Goovaerts
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Hanne Hoskens
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ryan J Eller
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Noah Herrick
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anthony M Musolf
- Statistical Genetics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, NHGRI, NIH, MD, Baltimore, USA
| | - Cristina M Justice
- Genometrics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural Research, NHGRI, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Neurobehavioral Clinical Research Section, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sahin Naqvi
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Departments of Genetics and Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Myoung Keun Lee
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dirk Vandermeulen
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Heather L Szabo-Rogers
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Paul A Romitti
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Simeon A Boyadjiev
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Mary L Marazita
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - John R Shaffer
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mark D Shriver
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Susan Walsh
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Seth M Weinberg
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Peter Claes
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Medical Imaging Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Schroeder L, Ackermann RR. Moving beyond the adaptationist paradigm for human evolution, and why it matters. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103296. [PMID: 36527977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Journal of Human Evolution (JHE) was founded 50 years ago when much of the foundation for how we think about human evolution was in place or being put in place, providing the main framework for how we consider our origins today. Here, we will explore historical developments, including early JHE outputs, as they relate to our understanding of the relationship between phenotypic variation and evolutionary process, and use that as a springboard for considering our current understanding of these links as applied to human evolution. We will focus specifically on how the study of variation itself has shifted us away from taxonomic and adaptationist perspectives toward a richer understanding of the processes shaping human evolutionary history, using literature searches and specific test cases to highlight this. We argue that natural selection, gene exchange, genetic drift, and mutation should not be considered individually when considering the production of hominin diversity. In this context, we offer suggestions for future research directions and reflect on this more complex understanding of human evolution and its broader relevance to society. Finally, we end by considering authorship demographics and practices in the last 50 years within JHE and how a shift in these demographics has the potential to reshape the science of human evolution going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada; Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Rebecca Rogers Ackermann
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
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Rapid induction and long-term self-renewal of neural crest-derived ectodermal chondrogenic cells from hPSCs. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:69. [PMID: 36477591 PMCID: PMC9729200 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Articular cartilage is highly specific and has limited capacity for regeneration if damaged. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential to generate any cell type in the body. Here, we report the dual-phase induction of ectodermal chondrogenic cells (ECCs) from hPSCs through the neural crest (NC). ECCs were able to self-renew long-term (over numerous passages) in a cocktail of growth factors and small molecules. The cells stably expressed cranial neural crest-derived mandibular condylar cartilage markers, such as MSX1, FOXC1 and FOXC2. Compared with chondroprogenitors from iPSCs via the paraxial mesoderm, ECCs had single-cell transcriptome profiles similar to condylar chondrocytes. After the removal of the cocktail sustaining self-renewal, the cells stopped proliferating and differentiated into a homogenous chondrocyte population. Remarkably, after transplantation, this cell lineage was able to form cartilage-like structures resembling mandibular condylar cartilage in vivo. This finding provides a framework to generate self-renewing cranial chondrogenic progenitors, which could be useful for developing cell-based therapy for cranial cartilage injury.
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Pavličev M, Wagner GP. The value of broad taxonomic comparisons in evolutionary medicine: Disease is not a trait but a
state of a trait
! MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e174. [PMID: 36186235 PMCID: PMC9495303 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Pavličev
- Department of Evolutionary Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Günter P. Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Yale Systems Biology Institute Yale University West Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Wayne State University Detroit Michigan USA
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Percival CJ, Devine J, Hassan CR, Vidal-Garcia M, O'Connor-Coates CJ, Zaffarini E, Roseman C, Katz D, Hallgrimsson B. The genetic basis of neurocranial size and shape across varied lab mouse populations. J Anat 2022; 241:211-229. [PMID: 35357006 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain and skull tissues interact through molecular signalling and mechanical forces during head development, leading to a strong correlation between the neurocranium and the external brain surface. Therefore, when brain tissue is unavailable, neurocranial endocasts are often used to approximate brain size and shape. Evolutionary changes in brain morphology may have resulted in secondary changes to neurocranial morphology, but the developmental and genetic processes underlying this relationship are not well understood. Using automated phenotyping methods, we quantified the genetic basis of endocast variation across large genetically varied populations of laboratory mice in two ways: (1) to determine the contributions of various genetic factors to neurocranial form and (2) to help clarify whether a neurocranial variation is based on genetic variation that primarily impacts bone development or on genetic variation that primarily impacts brain development, leading to secondary changes in bone morphology. Our results indicate that endocast size is highly heritable and is primarily determined by additive genetic factors. In addition, a non-additive inbreeding effect led to founder strains with lower neurocranial size, but relatively large brains compared to skull size; suggesting stronger canalization of brain size and/or a general allometric effect. Within an outbred sample of mice, we identified a locus on mouse chromosome 1 that is significantly associated with variation in several positively correlated endocast size measures. Because the protein-coding genes at this locus have been previously associated with brain development and not with bone development, we propose that genetic variation at this locus leads primarily to variation in brain volume that secondarily leads to changes in neurocranial globularity. We identify a strain-specific missense mutation within Akt3 that is a strong causal candidate for this genetic effect. Whilst it is not appropriate to generalize our hypothesis for this single locus to all other loci that also contribute to the complex trait of neurocranial skull morphology, our results further reveal the genetic basis of neurocranial variation and highlight the importance of the mechanical influence of brain growth in determining skull morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay Devine
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Marta Vidal-Garcia
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Eva Zaffarini
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada
| | - Charles Roseman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - David Katz
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada
| | - Benedikt Hallgrimsson
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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