Genome-wide association meta-analysis of human olfactory identification discovers sex-specific and sex-differential genetic variants.

ABSTRACT: Smelling is a human sense, expressing strong sexual dimorphisms. We aim to improve the knowledge of the genetics of human olfactory perception by performing an exploratory genome-wide association meta-analysis of up to 21,495 individuals of European ancestry. By sex-stratified and overall analysis of the identification of twelve odours and an identification score, we discovered ten independent loci, seven of them novel, with trait-wise genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10^-8) involving five odours. Seven of these loci, including four novel ones, are also significant using a stricter study-wide significance threshold (p < 3.85 × 10^-9). Loci were predominantly located within clusters of olfactory receptors. Two loci were female-specific while one was sex-diffe

SUBMITTER: Forster F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12219263 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature