Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method
Since the first report of COVID-19 in December 2019, more than 100 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Despite ongoing research, there is still limited knowledge about the genetic causes of COVID-19. To resolve this problem, we applied the SMR method to analyze the genes involved in C...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.690349/full |
| _version_ | 1818862482458935296 |
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| author | Yan Zong Xiaofei Li |
| author_facet | Yan Zong Xiaofei Li |
| author_sort | Yan Zong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the first report of COVID-19 in December 2019, more than 100 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Despite ongoing research, there is still limited knowledge about the genetic causes of COVID-19. To resolve this problem, we applied the SMR method to analyze the genes involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis by the integration of multiple omics data. Here, we assessed the SNPs associated with COVID-19 risk from the GWAS data of Spanish and Italian patients and lung eQTL data from the GTEx project. Then, GWAS and eQTL data were integrated by summary-data-based (SMR) methods using SNPs as instrumental variables (IVs). As a result, six protein-coding and five non-protein-coding genes regulated by nine SNPs were identified as significant risk factors for COVID-19. Functional analysis of these genes showed that UQCRH participates in cardiac muscle contraction, PPA2 is closely related to sudden cardiac failure (SCD), and OGT, as the interacting gene partner of PANO1, is associated with neurological disease. Observational studies show that myocardial damage, SCD, and neurological disease often occur in COVID-19 patients. Thus, our findings provide a potential molecular mechanism for understanding the complications of COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:00:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf1168d744d24af697de1eb0c5a65279 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:00:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf1168d744d24af697de1eb0c5a652792022-12-21T20:26:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212021-07-011210.3389/fgene.2021.690349690349Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR MethodYan ZongXiaofei LiSince the first report of COVID-19 in December 2019, more than 100 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Despite ongoing research, there is still limited knowledge about the genetic causes of COVID-19. To resolve this problem, we applied the SMR method to analyze the genes involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis by the integration of multiple omics data. Here, we assessed the SNPs associated with COVID-19 risk from the GWAS data of Spanish and Italian patients and lung eQTL data from the GTEx project. Then, GWAS and eQTL data were integrated by summary-data-based (SMR) methods using SNPs as instrumental variables (IVs). As a result, six protein-coding and five non-protein-coding genes regulated by nine SNPs were identified as significant risk factors for COVID-19. Functional analysis of these genes showed that UQCRH participates in cardiac muscle contraction, PPA2 is closely related to sudden cardiac failure (SCD), and OGT, as the interacting gene partner of PANO1, is associated with neurological disease. Observational studies show that myocardial damage, SCD, and neurological disease often occur in COVID-19 patients. Thus, our findings provide a potential molecular mechanism for understanding the complications of COVID-19.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.690349/fullSMRCOVID-19eQTLGWASUQCRHPPA2 |
| spellingShingle | Yan Zong Xiaofei Li Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method Frontiers in Genetics SMR COVID-19 eQTL GWAS UQCRH PPA2 |
| title | Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method |
| title_full | Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method |
| title_fullStr | Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method |
| title_short | Identification of Causal Genes of COVID-19 Using the SMR Method |
| title_sort | identification of causal genes of covid 19 using the smr method |
| topic | SMR COVID-19 eQTL GWAS UQCRH PPA2 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.690349/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yanzong identificationofcausalgenesofcovid19usingthesmrmethod AT xiaofeili identificationofcausalgenesofcovid19usingthesmrmethod |