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ABSTRACT: Background
The organization of risk genes within signaling pathways may provide clues about the converging neurobiological effects of risk genes for alcohol dependence.Aim
Identify risk genes and risk gene pathways for alcohol dependence.Methods
We conducted a pathway-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) of alcohol dependence using a gene-set-rich analytic approach. Approximately one million genetic markers were tested in the discovery sample which included 1409 European-American (EA) alcohol dependent individuals and 1518 EA healthy comparison subjects. An additional 681 African-American (AA) cases and 508 AA healthy subjects served as the replication sample.Results
We identified several genome-wide replicable risk genes and risk pathways that were significantly associated with alcohol dependence. After applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, the 'cellextracellular matrix interactions' pathway (p<2.0E-4 in EAs) and the PXN gene (which encodes paxillin) (p=3.9E-7 in EAs) within this pathway were the most promising risk factors for alcohol dependence. There were also two nominally replicable pathways enriched in alcohol dependence-related genes in both EAs (0.015?p?0.035) and AAs (0.025?p?0.050): the 'Na+/Cl- dependent neurotransmitter transporters' pathway and the 'other glycan degradation' pathway.Conclusion
These findings provide new evidence highlighting several genes and biological signaling processes that may be related to the risk for alcohol dependence.
SUBMITTER: Zuo L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4466852 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Zuo Lingjun L Zhang Clarence K CK Sayward Frederick G FG Cheung Kei-Hoi KH Wang Kesheng K Krystal John H JH Zhao Hongyu H Luo Xingguang X
Shanghai archives of psychiatry 20150401 2
<h4>Background</h4>The organization of risk genes within signaling pathways may provide clues about the converging neurobiological effects of risk genes for alcohol dependence.<h4>Aim</h4>Identify risk genes and risk gene pathways for alcohol dependence.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a pathway-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) of alcohol dependence using a gene-set-rich analytic approach. Approximately one million genetic markers were tested in the discovery sample which included 1409 Eur ...[more]