Single cell variant to enhancer to gene map in coronary artery disease
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE328800 | GEO | 2026/09/13
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Although genome wide association studies (GWAS) in large populations have identified hundreds of variants associated with common diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), most disease-associated variants lie within non-coding regions of the genome, rendering it difficult to determine the downstream causal gene and cell type. Here, we performed paired single nucleus gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiling from 44 human coronary arteries. To link disease variants to molecular traits, we developed a meta-map of 88 samples and discovered 11,182 single-cell chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs). Heritability enrichment analysis and disease variant mapping demonstrated that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) harbor the greatest genetic risk for CAD. To capture the continuum of SMC cell states in disease, we used dynamic single cell caQTL modeling for the first time in tissue to uncover QTLs whose effects are modified by cell state and expand our insight into genetic regulation of heterogenous cell populations. Notably, we identified a variant in the COL4A1/COL4A2 CAD GWAS locus which becomes a caQTL as SMCs de-differentiate by changing a transcription factor binding site for EGR1/2. To unbiasedly prioritize functional candidate genes, we built a genome-wide single cell variant to enhancer to gene (scV2E2G) map for human CAD to link disease variants to causal genes in cell types. Using this approach, we found several hundred genes predicted to be linked to disease variants in different cell types. Next, we performed genome-wide Hi-C in 16 human coronary arteries to build tissue specific maps of chromatin conformation and link disease variants to integrated chromatin hubs and distal target genes. Using this approach, we show that rs4887091 within the ADAMTS7 CAD GWAS locus modulates function of a super chromatin interactome through a change in a CTCF binding site. Finally, we used CRISPR interference to validate a distal gene, AMOTL2, liked to a CAD GWAS locus. Collectively we provide a disease-agnostic framework to translate human genetic findings to identify pathologic cell states and genes driving disease, producing a comprehensive scV2E2G map with genetic and tissue level convergence for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies.
2026-08-28 | GSE319778 | GEO
Project description:Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of coronary artery disease (CAD) associated variants; however, the regulatory mechanisms for candidate variants remain mostly unknown. In this study, we evaluated the epigenomic landscape in coronary artery segments using the Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin followed by sequencing (ATAC-seq), addressed how chromatin accessibility in human coronary arteries differs from healthy vs ischemic heart derived-coronary arteries, and defined how chromatin accessibility can be used to understand mechanisms of CAD GWAS results. We report 12,226 control-specific (Con) and 1,023 Ischemic-specific (Isc) differentially accessible regions (DARs) in human coronary arteries. Isc tissue samples were enriched for immune cell activation and ~300 CAD-associated variants were mapped in DARs. We also identified CAD-associated variants predicted to alter transcripion factor binding sites related to CAD. Additionally, we identified endothelial/smooth-muscle-associated genes proximal to Con-DARs and CAD-associated genes proximal to Isc-DARs. In summary, we provide an initial analysis of chromatin accessibility in heathy and atherosclerotic human coronary artery tissue, prioritizing CAD GWAS variants for downstream investigation by altering atherosclerosis-related cis-regulatory activity, and present hypotheses for regulatory mechanisms that could impact CAD progression.
2026-01-16 | GSE273054 | GEO
Project description:Although genome wide association studies (GWAS) in large populations have identified hundreds of variants associated with common diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), most variants lie within non-coding regions of the genome, rendering it difficult to determine the downstream causal gene and cell type. Here, we performed paired single nucleus gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiling from 44 human coronary arteries. To link disease variants to molecular traits, we developed a meta-map of 88 samples and discovered 11,182 single-cell chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs). Heritability enrichment analysis and disease variant mapping demonstrated that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) harbor the greatest genetic risk for CAD. To capture the continuum of SMC cell states in disease we used single cell caQTL modeling for the first time in tissue to uncover QTLs which are cell state aware and expand our insight into gene regulation in heterogenous cell populations. We identified a variant in the COL4A1/COL4A2 CAD GWAS locus which becomes a caQTL as SMCs de-differentiate through a transcription factor binding site change for EGR1/2. To unbiasedly prioritize functional candidate genes, we built a genome-wide single cell variant to enhancer to gene (scV2E2G) map in human CAD to link disease variants to causal genes in cell types. Using this approach, we found several hundred genes predicted to be linked to disease variants in different cell types. We validated these predictions using enhancer targeted perturb sequencing (TAP-seq). Next, we performed genome-wide HiC in 16 human coronary arteries to build tissue specific gene regulatory networks and map disease variants to integrated chromatin hubs and distal target genes not previously implicated. Using this approach, we show that rs4887091 within the ADAMTS7 GWAS locus modulates function of a super chromatin interactome through a change in a CTCF binding site. Finally, by integrating human genetics with single cell multi-omics we show that CAD genetic risk is enriched in de-differentiated fibromyocytes. Collectively we provide a disease agnostic framework to translate human genetic findings to identify pathologic cell states and genes driving disease, producing a comprehensive scV2E2G map with genetic and tissue level conviction for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies.
2026-01-26 | GSE282557 | GEO
Project description:Although genome wide association studies (GWAS) in large populations have identified hundreds of variants associated with common diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), most variants lie within non-coding regions of the genome, rendering it difficult to determine the downstream causal gene and cell type. Here, we performed paired single nucleus gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiling from 44 human coronary arteries. To link disease variants to molecular traits, we developed a meta-map of 88 samples and discovered 11,182 single-cell chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs). Heritability enrichment analysis and disease variant mapping demonstrated that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) harbor the greatest genetic risk for CAD. To capture the continuum of SMC cell states in disease we used single cell caQTL modeling for the first time in tissue to uncover QTLs which are cell state aware and expand our insight into gene regulation in heterogenous cell populations. We identified a variant in the COL4A1/COL4A2 CAD GWAS locus which becomes a caQTL as SMCs de-differentiate through a transcription factor binding site change for EGR1/2. To unbiasedly prioritize functional candidate genes, we built a genome-wide single cell variant to enhancer to gene (scV2E2G) map in human CAD to link disease variants to causal genes in cell types. Using this approach, we found several hundred genes predicted to be linked to disease variants in different cell types. We validated these predictions using enhancer targeted perturb sequencing (TAP-seq). Next, we performed genome-wide HiC in 16 human coronary arteries to build tissue specific gene regulatory networks and map disease variants to integrated chromatin hubs and distal target genes not previously implicated. Using this approach, we show that rs4887091 within the ADAMTS7 GWAS locus modulates function of a super chromatin interactome through a change in a CTCF binding site. Finally, by integrating human genetics with single cell multi-omics we show that CAD genetic risk is enriched in de-differentiated fibromyocytes. Collectively we provide a disease agnostic framework to translate human genetic findings to identify pathologic cell states and genes driving disease, producing a comprehensive scV2E2G map with genetic and tissue level conviction for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies.
2026-04-21 | GSE282556 | GEO
Project description:Although genome wide association studies (GWAS) in large populations have identified hundreds of variants associated with common diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), most variants lie within non-coding regions of the genome, rendering it difficult to determine the downstream causal gene and cell type. Here, we performed paired single nucleus gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiling from 44 human coronary arteries. To link disease variants to molecular traits, we developed a meta-map of 88 samples and discovered 11,182 single-cell chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs). Heritability enrichment analysis and disease variant mapping demonstrated that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) harbor the greatest genetic risk for CAD. To capture the continuum of SMC cell states in disease we used single cell caQTL modeling for the first time in tissue to uncover QTLs which are cell state aware and expand our insight into gene regulation in heterogenous cell populations. We identified a variant in the COL4A1/COL4A2 CAD GWAS locus which becomes a caQTL as SMCs de-differentiate through a transcription factor binding site change for EGR1/2. To unbiasedly prioritize functional candidate genes, we built a genome-wide single cell variant to enhancer to gene (scV2E2G) map in human CAD to link disease variants to causal genes in cell types. Using this approach, we found several hundred genes predicted to be linked to disease variants in different cell types. We validated these predictions using enhancer targeted perturb sequencing (TAP-seq). Next, we performed genome-wide HiC in 16 human coronary arteries to build tissue specific gene regulatory networks and map disease variants to integrated chromatin hubs and distal target genes not previously implicated. Using this approach, we show that rs4887091 within the ADAMTS7 GWAS locus modulates function of a super chromatin interactome through a change in a CTCF binding site. Finally, by integrating human genetics with single cell multi-omics we show that CAD genetic risk is enriched in de-differentiated fibromyocytes. Collectively we provide a disease agnostic framework to translate human genetic findings to identify pathologic cell states and genes driving disease, producing a comprehensive scV2E2G map with genetic and tissue level conviction for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies.
2026-09-09 | GSE329169 | GEO
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex disorder with genetic and environmental influences. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 300 genomic loci associated with disease risk. However, identifying the functional variants within these loci has been limited in large part due to linkage disequilibrium. This represents a critical step in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying disease risk. To identify and prioritize candidate causal CAD-associated variants, we performed lentivirus-based massively parallel reporter assays (lentiMPRAs) in primary vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which play significant roles in atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of CAD. We tested 25892 CAD-associated variants for their allele-specific enhancer activity in quiescent and proliferative SMCs, modeling healthy and disease conditions. We identified 122 candidate variants showing significant enhancer activity and differences in reporter gene expression between risk and non-risk alleles. We also identified 23 variants showing condition-biased allelic imbalance and 41 variants showing sex-biased allelic imbalance. We further functionally characterized 25892 variants by performing CUT&RUN assays to identify variants in enhancer and promoter regions of SMCs. By integrating the results of these experiments, we identified a credible set of 49 CAD-associated variants in functionally relevant regions. Furthermore, by comparing these identified variants with our previously obtained expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data, 27 of these 49 variants were associated with SMC gene expression levels. Finally, we performed CRISPRi experiments on 8 variants comprising 9 variant-gene pairs, rs35976034 (MAP1S), rs4888409 (CFDP1), rs73193808 (MAP3K7CL), rs67631072 (INPP5B/FHL3), rs1651285 (SNHG18), rs17293632 (SMAD3), rs2238792 (ARVCF), rs4627080 (NRIP3), to confirm their regulatory potential of nearby gene expression. Taken together, our results comprehensively fine-map the causal variants that confer increased risk of CAD through their effects on vascular smooth muscle cells.
2024-10-14 | GSE279298 | GEO
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex disorder with genetic and environmental influences. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 300 genomic loci associated with disease risk. However, identifying the functional variants within these loci has been limited in large part due to linkage disequilibrium. This represents a critical step in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying disease risk. To identify and prioritize candidate causal CAD-associated variants, we performed lentivirus-based massively parallel reporter assays (lentiMPRAs) in primary vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which play significant roles in atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of CAD. We tested 25892 CAD-associated variants for their allele-specific enhancer activity in quiescent and proliferative SMCs, modeling healthy and disease conditions. We identified 122 candidate variants showing significant enhancer activity and differences in reporter gene expression between risk and non-risk alleles. We also identified 23 variants showing condition-biased allelic imbalance and 41 variants showing sex-biased allelic imbalance. We further functionally characterized 25892 variants by performing CUT&RUN assays to identify variants in enhancer and promoter regions of SMCs. By integrating the results of these experiments, we identified a credible set of 49 CAD-associated variants in functionally relevant regions. Furthermore, by comparing these identified variants with our previously obtained expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data, 27 of these 49 variants were associated with SMC gene expression levels. Finally, we performed CRISPRi experiments on 8 variants comprising 9 variant-gene pairs, rs35976034 (MAP1S), rs4888409 (CFDP1), rs73193808 (MAP3K7CL), rs67631072 (INPP5B/FHL3), rs1651285 (SNHG18), rs17293632 (SMAD3), rs2238792 (ARVCF), rs4627080 (NRIP3), to confirm their regulatory potential of nearby gene expression. Taken together, our results comprehensively fine-map the causal variants that confer increased risk of CAD through their effects on vascular smooth muscle cells.
2024-10-14 | GSE279300 | GEO
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. A recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 175 loci associated with CAD. The majority of these loci are in non-coding regions and are predicted to regulate gene expression. We hypothesized that a subset of the CAD GWAS loci was associated with the regulation of transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which play critical roles in the development of CAD. We measured gene expression in SMCs isolated from the ascending aortas of 151 ethnically diverse heart transplant donors in quiescent or proliferative conditions and calculated the association of their expression and splicing with ~6.3 million imputed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across the genome. We identified 4,910 expression and 4,412 splice quantitative trait loci (sQTL) that represent regions of the genome associated with transcript abundance and splicing. 3,660 of the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) had not been observed in the publicly available Genotype-Tissue Expression dataset. Further, 29 and 880 of the eQTLs were SMC- and sex-specific, respectively. To identify the effector transcripts regulated by the CAD GWAS loci, we used four distinct colocalization approaches and identified 84 eQTL and 164 sQTLs that colocalized with CAD loci, suggesting a more significant role for the genetic regulation of mRNA splicing as a molecular mechanism for CAD genetic risk. 20% and 35% of the eQTLs were unique to quiescent or proliferative SMCs, respectively. Two of the CAD loci colocolized with SMC eQTL showed sex-specific (AL160313.1 and TERF2IP) and one of the loci colocalized with SMC-specific eQTLs (ALKBH8). 27% and 37% of the sQTLs were unique to quiescent or proliferative SMCs, respectively. The most significantly associated CAD locus, 9p21, was an sQTL for the long non-coding RNA CDKN2B-AS1, also known as ANRIL, in proliferative SMCs. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the molecular mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to CAD in vascular smooth muscle cells.'
2022-10-03 | GSE198544 | GEO
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. A recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 175 loci associated with CAD. The majority of these loci are in non-coding regions and are predicted to regulate gene expression. We hypothesized that a subset of the CAD GWAS loci was associated with the regulation of transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which play critical roles in the development of CAD. We measured gene expression in SMCs isolated from the ascending aortas of 151 ethnically diverse heart transplant donors in quiescent or proliferative conditions and calculated the association of their expression and splicing with ~6.3 million imputed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across the genome. We identified 4,910 expression and 4,412 splice quantitative trait loci (sQTL) that represent regions of the genome associated with transcript abundance and splicing. 3,660 of the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) had not been observed in the publicly available Genotype-Tissue Expression dataset. Further, 29 and 880 of the eQTLs were SMC- and sex-specific, respectively. To identify the effector transcripts regulated by the CAD GWAS loci, we used four distinct colocalization approaches and identified 84 eQTL and 164 sQTLs that colocalized with CAD loci, suggesting a more significant role for the genetic regulation of mRNA splicing as a molecular mechanism for CAD genetic risk. 20% and 35% of the eQTLs were unique to quiescent or proliferative SMCs, respectively. Two of the CAD loci colocolized with SMC eQTL showed sex-specific (AL160313.1 and TERF2IP) and one of the loci colocalized with SMC-specific eQTLs (ALKBH8). 27% and 37% of the sQTLs were unique to quiescent or proliferative SMCs, respectively. The most significantly associated CAD locus, 9p21, was an sQTL for the long non-coding RNA CDKN2B-AS1, also known as ANRIL, in proliferative SMCs. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the molecular mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to CAD in vascular smooth muscle cells.'
2022-01-20 | GSE193817 | GEO
Project description:Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of genetic risk loci for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, non-European populations are underrepresented in coronary artery disease (CAD). However, non-European populations are underrepresented in GWAS and the causal gene-regulatory mechanisms of these risk loci during atherosclerosis remain unclear. We incorporated local ancestry and haplotype information to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for gene expression and splicing in coronary arteries obtained from 138 ancestrally diverse Americans.
2023-11-14 | GSE225650 | GEO