Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.

Variation in gene expression is a fundamental aspect of human phenotypic variation. Several recent studies have analyzed gene expression levels in populations of different continental ancestry and reported population differences at a large number of genes. However, these differences could largely be...

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Main Authors: Price, A, Patterson, N, Hancks, D, Myers, S, Reich, D, Cheung, V, Spielman, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2008
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author Price, A
Patterson, N
Hancks, D
Myers, S
Reich, D
Cheung, V
Spielman, R
author_facet Price, A
Patterson, N
Hancks, D
Myers, S
Reich, D
Cheung, V
Spielman, R
author_sort Price, A
collection OXFORD
description Variation in gene expression is a fundamental aspect of human phenotypic variation. Several recent studies have analyzed gene expression levels in populations of different continental ancestry and reported population differences at a large number of genes. However, these differences could largely be due to non-genetic (e.g., environmental) effects. Here, we analyze gene expression levels in African American cell lines, which differ from previously analyzed cell lines in that individuals from this population inherit variable proportions of two continental ancestries. We first relate gene expression levels in individual African Americans to their genome-wide proportion of European ancestry. The results provide strong evidence of a genetic contribution to expression differences between European and African populations, validating previous findings. Second, we infer local ancestry (0, 1, or 2 European chromosomes) at each location in the genome and investigate the effects of ancestry proximal to the expressed gene (cis) versus ancestry elsewhere in the genome (trans). Both effects are highly significant, and we estimate that 12+/-3% of all heritable variation in human gene expression is due to cis variants.
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spelling oxford-uuid:4158d31a-540d-4603-839c-07cd5cd2063a2022-03-26T14:43:13ZEffects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:4158d31a-540d-4603-839c-07cd5cd2063aEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordPublic Library of Science2008Price, APatterson, NHancks, DMyers, SReich, DCheung, VSpielman, RVariation in gene expression is a fundamental aspect of human phenotypic variation. Several recent studies have analyzed gene expression levels in populations of different continental ancestry and reported population differences at a large number of genes. However, these differences could largely be due to non-genetic (e.g., environmental) effects. Here, we analyze gene expression levels in African American cell lines, which differ from previously analyzed cell lines in that individuals from this population inherit variable proportions of two continental ancestries. We first relate gene expression levels in individual African Americans to their genome-wide proportion of European ancestry. The results provide strong evidence of a genetic contribution to expression differences between European and African populations, validating previous findings. Second, we infer local ancestry (0, 1, or 2 European chromosomes) at each location in the genome and investigate the effects of ancestry proximal to the expressed gene (cis) versus ancestry elsewhere in the genome (trans). Both effects are highly significant, and we estimate that 12+/-3% of all heritable variation in human gene expression is due to cis variants.
spellingShingle Price, A
Patterson, N
Hancks, D
Myers, S
Reich, D
Cheung, V
Spielman, R
Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title_full Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title_fullStr Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title_full_unstemmed Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title_short Effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in African Americans.
title_sort effects of cis and trans genetic ancestry on gene expression in african americans
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