Genomic and phenotypic insights from an atlas of genetic effects on DNA methylation

Characterizing genetic influences on DNA methylation (DNAm) provides an opportunity to understand mechanisms underpinning gene regulation and disease. In the present study, we describe results of DNAm quantitative trait locus (mQTL) analyses on 32,851 participants, identifying genetic variants assoc...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Min, Josine L., Soriano Tarraga, Carolina, Giralt-Steinhauer, Eva, Ruiz Arenas, Carlos, 1990-, Jiménez Conde, Jordi, Roquer, Jaume, González, Juan Ramón, Bustamante Pineda, Mariona, Sunyer Deu, Jordi, Relton, Caroline
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/53647
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/53647
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-021-00923-x
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:ADN
Genotip
Fenotip
Genètica
Metilació
Descripción
Sumario:Characterizing genetic influences on DNA methylation (DNAm) provides an opportunity to understand mechanisms underpinning gene regulation and disease. In the present study, we describe results of DNAm quantitative trait locus (mQTL) analyses on 32,851 participants, identifying genetic variants associated with DNAm at 420,509 DNAm sites in blood. We present a database of >270,000 independent mQTLs, of which 8.5% comprise long-range (trans) associations. Identified mQTL associations explain 15-17% of the additive genetic variance of DNAm. We show that the genetic architecture of DNAm levels is highly polygenic. Using shared genetic control between distal DNAm sites, we constructed networks, identifying 405 discrete genomic communities enriched for genomic annotations and complex traits. Shared genetic variants are associated with both DNAm levels and complex diseases, but only in a minority of cases do these associations reflect causal relationships from DNAm to trait or vice versa, indicating a more complex genotype-phenotype map than previously anticipated.