Methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) are consistently detected across ancestry, developmental stage, and tissue type.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individual genotypes at specific loci can result in different patterns of DNA methylation. These methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) influence methylation across extended genomic regions and may underlie direct SNP associations or gene-environment interactions. We hypothesized that the detection of meQTLs varies with ancestral population, developmental stage, and tissue type. We explored this by analyzing seven datasets that varied by ancestry (African American vs. Caucasian), developmental stage (neonate vs. adult), and tissue type (blood vs. four regions of postmortem brain) with genome-wide DNA methylation and SNP data. We tested for meQTLs by constructing linear regression models of methylation levels at each CpG site on SNP genotypes within 50 kb under an a

SUBMITTER: Smith AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4028873 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature