Genetics of human gene expression: mapping DNA variants that influence gene expression

There is extensive natural variation in human gene expression. As quantitative phenotypes, expression levels of genes are heritable. Genetic linkage and association mapping have identified cis- and trans-acting DNA variants that influence expression levels of human genes. New insights into human gene regulation are emerging from genetic analyses of gene expression in cells at rest and following exposure to stimuli. The integration of these genetic mapping results with data from co-expression networks is leading to a better understanding of how expression levels of individual genes are regulated and how genes interact with each other. These findings are important for basic understanding of gene regulation and of diseases that result from disruption of normal gene regulation.