A knowledge-driven interaction analysis reveals potential neurodegenerative mechanism of multiple sclerosis susceptibility
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Gene–gene interactions are proposed as an important component of the genetic architecture of complex diseases, and are just beginning to be evaluated in the context of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In addition to detecting epistasis, a benefit to interaction analysis is that it also increases power to detect weak main effects. We conducted a knowledge-driven interaction analysis of a GWAS of 931 multiple sclerosis (MS) trios to discover gene–gene interactions within established biological contexts. We identify heterogeneous signals, including a gene–gene interaction between CHRM3 (muscarinic cholinergic receptor 3) and MYLK (myosin light-chain kinase) (joint P=0.0002), an interaction between two phospholipase C-β isoforms, PLCβ1 and PLCβ4 (joint P=0.0098), and a modest interaction between ACTN1 (actinin alpha 1) and MYH9 (myosin heavy chain 9) (joint P=0.0326), all localized to calcium-signaled cytoskeletal regulation. Furthermore, we discover a main effect (joint P=5.2E−5) previously unidentified by single-locus analysis within another related gene, SCIN (scinderin), a calcium-binding cytoskeleton regulatory protein. This work illustrates that knowledge-driven interaction analysis of GWAS data is a feasible approach to identify new genetic effects. The results of this study are among the first gene–gene interactions and non-immune susceptibility loci for MS. Further, the implicated genes cluster within inter-related biological mechanisms that suggest a neurodegenerative component to MS.
Date Issued
2011-02-24
Date Acceptance
2010-11-11
Citation
Genes and Immunity, 2011, 12 (5), pp.335-340
ISSN
1466-4879
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Start Page
335
End Page
340
Journal / Book Title
Genes and Immunity
Volume
12
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000292968500002&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Genetics & Heredity
Immunology
multiple sclerosis
knowledge-driven interaction
neurodegenerative mechanism
GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION
PHOSPHOLIPASE-C ISOZYMES
LIGHT-CHAIN KINASE
PATHWAY ANALYSIS
GENETIC ASSOCIATION
COMPLEX DISEASES
UP-REGULATION
REPLICATION
EXPRESSION
MESSENGER
Publication Status
Published