Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2025
08:27
Large-Scale Multi-Omics Genome-Wide Association Studies Mo-GWAS: Guidelines for Sample Preparation and Normalization
Published on: July 27, 2021
4.2K
The power of genetic diversity in genome-wide association studies of lipids
Sarah E Graham1, Shoa L Clarke2,3, Kuan-Han H Wu4
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Nature
|December 10, 2021
Summary
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on blood lipid levels benefit from diverse ancestry. Including non-European ancestries improves genetic discovery and polygenic prediction for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Genomics
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Population Health
Background:
- Elevated blood lipid levels are heritable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading global cause of death.
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants influencing lipid levels, aiding CVD insights and drug discovery.
- Previous GWAS predominantly focused on European ancestry populations, potentially missing crucial genetic variations in other groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a large-scale, multi-ancestry genome-wide genetic discovery meta-analysis of blood lipid levels.
- To quantify the benefits of including non-European ancestries in genetic discovery for lipid levels.
- To assess the impact of increased ancestry diversity on fine-mapping functional variants and polygenic prediction portability.
Main Methods:
- Performed a genome-wide genetic discovery meta-analysis of lipid levels in approximately 1.65 million individuals.
- Included a significant proportion (350,000) of individuals from non-European ancestries.
- Evaluated improvements in fine-mapping and polygenic prediction portability across 7 ancestry groupings (approx. 295,000 individuals).
Main Results:
- Increasing study diversity, rather than solely expanding European ancestry cohorts, significantly enhances functional variant fine-mapping and polygenic prediction.
- Achieved modest gains in the discovery of novel genetic loci and ancestry-specific variants related to lipid levels.
- Demonstrated the value of including even smaller sample sizes from underrepresented ancestries.
Conclusions:
- Multi-ancestry GWAS meta-analysis is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of genetic influences on blood lipid levels.
- Enhanced diversity in GWAS participant recruitment leads to more accurate and equitable application of polygenic scores in precision medicine.
- Supports the expansion of recruitment efforts to include diverse ancestry groups to advance CVD research and clinical applications.
More Related Videos
11:35Screening for Functional Non-coding Genetic Variants Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay EMSA and DNA-affinity Precipitation Assay DAPA
Published on: August 21, 2016
13.1K
09:52Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing ChIP-seq
Published on: April 19, 2013
24.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:11Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
14.7K
Genome-wide association studies or GWAS are used to identify whether common SNPs are associated with certain diseases. Suppose specific SNPs are more frequently observed in individuals with a particular disease than those without the disease. In that case, those SNPs are said to be associated with the disease. Chi-square analysis is performed to check the probability of the allele likely to be associated with the disease.
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
14.7K
01:25Genetic Variation
849
Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...
849
01:24Overview of Lipid Metabolism
2.9K
Lipid metabolism is a crucial process in the human body that involves the synthesis and degradation of lipids. This process is essential for energy production, cell membrane formation, and hormone production, among other functions.
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
2.9K
01:32Lipids as Anchors
6.4K
In the plasma membrane, the lipids forming the bilayer can also act as an anchor to tether proteins to the membrane. The three main types of lipid anchors found in eukaryotes are – prenyl groups, fatty acyl groups, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol or GPI groups. Prenyl and fatty acyl groups act as anchors on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, whereas GPI anchors proteins on the extracellular side.
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains...
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains...
6.4K
01:31Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body
5.5K
Fats and lipids are crucial components in the human body. Some lipid-derived compounds, such as fat-soluble vitamins, eicosanoids, lipoproteins, and glycolipids, also play unique roles to support various biological processes .
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...
5.5K
01:18Polygenic Traits
67.0K
When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
67.0K