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Genes Sep 2023Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without palate (NSCL/P) is a prevalent birth defect that affects 1/500-1/1400 live births globally. The genetic basis of NSCL/P is... (Review)
Review
Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without palate (NSCL/P) is a prevalent birth defect that affects 1/500-1/1400 live births globally. The genetic basis of NSCL/P is intricate and involves both genetic and environmental factors. In the past few years, various genetic inheritance models have been proposed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of NSCL/P. These models range from simple monogenic inheritance to more complex polygenic inheritance. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the genetic inheritance model of NSCL/P exemplified by representative genes and regions from both monogenic and polygenic perspectives. We also summarize existing association studies and corresponding loci of NSCL/P within the Chinese population and highlight the potential of utilizing polygenic risk scores for risk stratification of NSCL/P. The potential application of polygenic models offers promising avenues for improved risk assessment and personalized approaches in the prevention and management of NSCL/P individuals.
Topics: Humans; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Multifactorial Inheritance; Inheritance Patterns
PubMed: 37895208
DOI: 10.3390/genes14101859 -
Nucleic Acids Research Jul 2023Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are expected to play a critical role in precision medicine. Currently, PRS predictors are generally based on linear models using summary...
Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are expected to play a critical role in precision medicine. Currently, PRS predictors are generally based on linear models using summary statistics, and more recently individual-level data. However, these predictors mainly capture additive relationships and are limited in data modalities they can use. We developed a deep learning framework (EIR) for PRS prediction which includes a model, genome-local-net (GLN), specifically designed for large-scale genomics data. The framework supports multi-task learning, automatic integration of other clinical and biochemical data, and model explainability. When applied to individual-level data from the UK Biobank, the GLN model demonstrated a competitive performance compared to established neural network architectures, particularly for certain traits, showcasing its potential in modeling complex genetic relationships. Furthermore, the GLN model outperformed linear PRS methods for Type 1 Diabetes, likely due to modeling non-additive genetic effects and epistasis. This was supported by our identification of widespread non-additive genetic effects and epistasis in the context of T1D. Finally, we constructed PRS models that integrated genotype, blood, urine, and anthropometric data and found that this improved performance for 93% of the 290 diseases and disorders considered. EIR is available at https://github.com/arnor-sigurdsson/EIR.
Topics: Humans; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genome, Human; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomics; Genotype; Multifactorial Inheritance; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Risk Factors; Models, Genetic
PubMed: 37224538
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad373 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Oct 2023Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) co-occurs with many other psychiatric disorders and traits. In this review, we summarize and interpret the existing... (Review)
Review
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) co-occurs with many other psychiatric disorders and traits. In this review, we summarize and interpret the existing literature on the genetic architecture of these comorbidities based on hypothesis-generating approaches. Quantitative genetic studies indicate that genetic factors play a substantial role in the observed co-occurrence of ADHD with many different disorders and traits. Molecular genetic correlations derived from genome-wide association studies and results of studies based on polygenic risk scores confirm the general pattern but provide effect estimates that are smaller than those from twin studies. The identification of the specific genetic variants and biological pathways underlying co-occurrence using genome-wide approaches is still in its infancy. The first analyses of causal inference using genetic data support causal relationships between ADHD and comorbid disorders, although bidirectional effects identified in some instances point to complex relationships. While several issues in the methodology and inferences from the results are still to be overcome, this review shows that the co-occurrence of ADHD with many psychiatric disorders and traits is genetically interpretable.
Topics: Humans; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Genome-Wide Association Study; Phenotype; Risk Factors; Multifactorial Inheritance
PubMed: 37451654
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105313 -
Nature Communications Aug 2023We evaluate the shared genetic regulation of mRNA molecules, proteins and metabolites derived from whole blood from 3029 human donors. We find abundant allelic...
We evaluate the shared genetic regulation of mRNA molecules, proteins and metabolites derived from whole blood from 3029 human donors. We find abundant allelic heterogeneity, where multiple variants regulate a particular molecular phenotype, and pleiotropy, where a single variant associates with multiple molecular phenotypes over multiple genomic regions. The highest proportion of share genetic regulation is detected between gene expression and proteins (66.6%), with a further median shared genetic associations across 49 different tissues of 78.3% and 62.4% between plasma proteins and gene expression. We represent the genetic and molecular associations in networks including 2828 known GWAS variants, showing that GWAS variants are more often connected to gene expression in trans than other molecular phenotypes in the network. Our work provides a roadmap to understanding molecular networks and deriving the underlying mechanism of action of GWAS variants using different molecular phenotypes in an accessible tissue.
Topics: Humans; Multifactorial Inheritance; Genomics; Phenotype; RNA, Messenger; Research Personnel
PubMed: 37604891
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40569-3 -
JAMA Network Open Oct 2023Colorectal cancer (CRC) risk varies widely in the population at average risk without a family history, but there are no established routines for translating this...
IMPORTANCE
Colorectal cancer (CRC) risk varies widely in the population at average risk without a family history, but there are no established routines for translating this variation into personalized starting ages of screening.
OBJECTIVE
To illustrate derivation of risk-adapted starting ages of CRC screening based on the concept of risk advancement period (RAP) using sex and a polygenic risk score (PRS) as an example.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This cohort study included participants in the UK Biobank study recruited in England, Wales, and Scotland between March 13, 2006, and October 1, 2010. Participants were aged 40 to 69 years, with no previous bowel cancer screening and no family history of CRC. Follow-up of cancer data was completed February 29, 2020, for England and Wales and January 31, 2021, for Scotland. The censoring date for death data was September 30, 2021, for England and Wales and October 31, 2021, for Scotland.
EXPOSURES
Data on age, sex, and family history were collected at the baseline interview. A PRS was calculated based on 139 CRC-related risk loci.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Hazard ratios (HRs) of sex and PRS with CRC risk and mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models and were translated to RAPs to quantify how many years of age earlier or later men and individuals in higher or lower PRS deciles would reach risks comparable with those of the reference group (ie, women or those in the 5th and 6th PRS deciles).
RESULTS
Among 242 779 participants (median age, 55 [IQR, 48-61] years; 55.7% women), 2714 incident CRC cases were identified during a median follow-up of 11.2 (IQR, 10.5-11.8) years and 758 deaths during a median follow-up of 12.8 (IQR, 12.0-13.4) years. The HRs of CRC risk were 1.57 (95% CI, 1.46-1.70) for men vs women and ranged from 0.51 (95% CI, 0.41-0.62) to 2.29 (95% CI, 2.01-2.62) across PRS deciles compared with the reference. The RAPs were 5.6 (95% CI, 4.6-6.6) years for men vs women and ranged from -8.4 (95% CI, -11.0 to -5.9) to 10.3 (95% CI, 8.5-12.1) years across PRS deciles compared with the reference deciles. Risk-adapted starting ages of screening would vary by 24 years between men in the highest PRS decile and women in the lowest PRS decile. Similar results were obtained regarding CRC mortality.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this large cohort study including women and men at average risk of CRC, risk-adapted starting ages of screening strongly varied by sex and a PRS. The RAP concept could easily accommodate additional factors for defining personalized starting ages of screening.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Early Detection of Cancer; Cohort Studies; Risk Factors; England; Multifactorial Inheritance; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37878311
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.39670 -
International Journal of Obesity (2005) Jun 2024The genetic architecture of extreme non-syndromic obesity in adults remains to be elucidated. A range of genes are known to cause monogenic obesity, but even when...
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
The genetic architecture of extreme non-syndromic obesity in adults remains to be elucidated. A range of genes are known to cause monogenic obesity, but even when pathogenic mutations are present, there may be variable penetrance.
METHODS
Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was carried out on a 15-year-old male proband of Pakistani ancestry who had severe obesity. This was followed by family segregation analysis, using Sanger sequencing. We also undertook re-analysis of WES data from 91 unrelated adults with severe obesity (86% white European ancestry) from the Personalised Medicine for Morbid Obesity (PMMO) cohort, recruited from the UK National Health Service.
RESULTS
We identified an oligogenic mode of inheritance of obesity in the proband's family-this provided the impetus to reanalyze existing sequence data in a separate dataset. Analysis of PMMO participant data revealed two further patients who carried more than one rare, predicted-deleterious mutation in a known monogenic obesity gene. In all three cases, the genes involved had known autosomal dominant inheritance, with incomplete penetrance.
CONCLUSION
Oligogenic inheritance may explain some of the variable penetrance in Mendelian forms of obesity. We caution clinicians and researchers to avoid confining sequence analysis to individual genes and, in particular, not to stop looking when the first potentially-causative mutation is found.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adolescent; Obesity, Morbid; Adult; Exome Sequencing; Pedigree; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Mutation; Penetrance; United Kingdom; Pakistan; Multifactorial Inheritance
PubMed: 38297031
DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01476-9 -
Progress in Retinal and Eye Research Nov 2023Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a sight threatening condition that warrants immediate surgical intervention. To date, 29 genes have been associated with... (Review)
Review
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a sight threatening condition that warrants immediate surgical intervention. To date, 29 genes have been associated with monogenic disorders involving RRD. In addition, RRD can occur as a multifactorial disease through a combined effect of multiple genetic variants and non-genetic risk factors. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the spectrum of hereditary disorders involving RRD. We discuss genotype-phenotype correlations of these monogenic disorders, and describe genetic variants associated with RRD through multifactorial inheritance. Furthermore, we evaluate our current understanding of the molecular disease mechanisms of RRD-associated genetic variants on collagen proteins, proteoglycan versican, and the TGF-β pathway. Finally, we review the role of genetics in patient management and prevention of RRD. We provide recommendations for genetic testing and prophylaxis of at-risk patients, and hypothesize on novel therapeutic approaches beyond surgical intervention.
Topics: Humans; Retinal Detachment; Visual Acuity; Genetic Association Studies
PubMed: 36621380
DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101158 -
Genes Jul 2023Heterozygous carriers of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in autosomal recessive disorders seem to be asymptomatic. However, in recent years, an increasing number... (Review)
Review
Heterozygous carriers of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in autosomal recessive disorders seem to be asymptomatic. However, in recent years, an increasing number of case reports have suggested that mild and unspecific symptoms can occur in some heterozygotes, as symptomatic heterozygotes have been identified across different disease types, including neurological, neuromuscular, hematological, and pulmonary diseases. The symptoms are usually milder in heterozygotes than in biallelic variants and occur "later in life". The status of symptomatic heterozygotes as separate entities is often disputed, and alternative diagnoses are considered. Indeed, often only a thin line exists between dual, dominant, and recessive modes of inheritance and symptomatic heterozygosity. Interestingly, recent population studies have found global disease effects in heterozygous carriers of some genetic variants. What makes the few heterozygotes symptomatic, while the majority show no symptoms? The molecular basis of this phenomenon is still unknown. Possible explanations include undiscovered deep-splicing variants, genetic and environmental modifiers, digenic/oligogenic inheritance, skewed methylation patterns, and mutational burden. Symptomatic heterozygotes are rarely reported in the literature, mainly because most did not undergo the complete diagnostic procedure, so alternative diagnoses could not be conclusively excluded. However, despite the increasing accessibility to high-throughput technologies, there still seems to be a small group of patients with mild symptoms and just one variant of autosomes in biallelic diseases. Here, we present some examples, the current state of knowledge, and possible explanations for this phenomenon, and thus argue against the existing dominant/recessive classification.
Topics: Humans; Heterozygote; Inheritance Patterns; Knowledge; Multifactorial Inheritance; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 37628614
DOI: 10.3390/genes14081562 -
Nature Communications Dec 2023Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is determined by an interplay of monogenic, polygenic, and environmental risks. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and...
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is determined by an interplay of monogenic, polygenic, and environmental risks. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and COL4A-associated nephropathy (COL4A-AN) represent the most common forms of monogenic kidney diseases. These disorders have incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity, and we hypothesize that polygenic factors explain some of this variability. By combining SNP array, exome/genome sequence, and electronic health record data from the UK Biobank and All-of-Us cohorts, we demonstrate that the genome-wide polygenic score (GPS) significantly predicts CKD among ADPKD monogenic variant carriers. Compared to the middle tertile of the GPS for noncarriers, ADPKD variant carriers in the top tertile have a 54-fold increased risk of CKD, while ADPKD variant carriers in the bottom tertile have only a 3-fold increased risk of CKD. Similarly, the GPS significantly predicts CKD in COL4A-AN carriers. The carriers in the top tertile of the GPS have a 2.5-fold higher risk of CKD, while the risk for carriers in the bottom tertile is not different from the average population risk. These results suggest that accounting for polygenic risk improves risk stratification in monogenic kidney disease.
Topics: Humans; Penetrance; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Multifactorial Inheritance; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38097619
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43878-9 -
Molecular Systems Biology Aug 2023The complexity of many cellular and organismal traits results from the integration of genetic and environmental factors via molecular networks. Network structure and...
The complexity of many cellular and organismal traits results from the integration of genetic and environmental factors via molecular networks. Network structure and effect propagation are best understood at the level of functional modules, but so far, no concept has been established to include the global network state. Here, we show when and how genetic perturbations lead to molecular changes that are confined to small parts of a network versus when they lead to modulation of network states. Integrating multi-omics profiling of genetically heterogeneous budding and fission yeast strains with an array of cellular traits identified a central state transition of the yeast molecular network that is related to PKA and TOR (PT) signaling. Genetic variants affecting this PT state globally shifted the molecular network along a single-dimensional axis, thereby modulating processes including energy and amino acid metabolism, transcription, translation, cell cycle control, and cellular stress response. We propose that genetic effects can propagate through large parts of molecular networks because of the functional requirement to centrally coordinate the activity of fundamental cellular processes.
Topics: Multifactorial Inheritance; Signal Transduction; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Phenotype
PubMed: 37485750
DOI: 10.15252/msb.202211493