Kynon J M Benjamin, Qiang Chen, Nicholas J Eagles, Louise A Huuki-Myers, Leonardo Collado-Torres, Joshua M Stolz, Joo Heon Shin, Apuã C M Paquola, Thomas M Hyde, Joel E Kleinman, Andrew E Jaffe, Shizhong Han, Daniel R Weinberger
UNLABELLED: Ancestral differences in genomic variation are determining factors in gene regulation; however, most gene expression studies have been limited to European ancestry samples or adjusted for ancestry to identify ancestry-independent associations. We instead examined the impact of genetic ancestry on gene expression and DNA methylation (DNAm) in admixed African/Black American neurotypical individuals to untangle effects of genetic and environmental factors. Ancestry-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), transcripts, and gene networks, while notably not implicating neurons, are enriched for genes related to immune response and vascular tissue and explain up to 26% of heritability for ischemic stroke, 27% of heritability for Parkinson's disease, and 30% of heritability for Alzhemier's disease...
March 30, 2023: bioRxiv