Incorporating local ancestry improves identification of ancestry-associated methylation signatures and meQTLs in African Americans.

ABSTRACT: Here we report three epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of DNA methylation on self-reported race, global genetic ancestry, and local genetic ancestry in admixed Americans from three sets of samples, including internal and external replications (N_total= 1224). Our EWAS on local ancestry (LA) identified the largest number of ancestry-associated DNA methylation sites and also featured the highest replication rate. Furthermore, by incorporating ancestry origins of genetic variations, we identified 36 methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL) clumps for LA-associated CpGs that cannot be captured by a model that assumes identical genetic effects across ancestry origins. Lead SNPs at 152 meQTL clumps had significantly different genetic effects in the context of an African or

SUBMITTER: Li B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9054854 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature