Common genetic variants and gene expression associated with white matter microstructure in the human brain.

ABSTRACT: Identifying genes that contribute to white matter microstructure should provide insights into the neurobiological processes that regulate white matter development, plasticity and pathology. We detected five significant SNPs using genome-wide association analysis on a global measure of fractional anisotropy in 776 individuals from large extended pedigrees. Genetic correlations and genome-wide association results indicated that the genetic signal was largely homogeneous across white matter regions. Using RNA transcripts derived from lymphocytes in the same individuals, we identified two genes (GNA13 and CCDC91) that are likely to be cis-regulated by top SNPs, and whose expression levels were also genetically correlated with fractional anisotropy. A transcript of HTR7 was phenotypically assoc

SUBMITTER: Sprooten E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4107465 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature