The CHRNA5-A3-B4 Gene Cluster and Smoking: From Discovery to Therapeutics.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lassi G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5152594 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
The CHRNA5-A3-B4 Gene Cluster and Smoking: From Discovery to Therapeutics.
Lassi Glenda G Taylor Amy E AE Timpson Nicholas J NJ Kenny Paul J PJ Mather Robert J RJ Eisen Tim T Munafò Marcus R MR
Trends in neurosciences 20161118 12
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified associations between the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster and smoking heaviness and nicotine dependence. Studies in rodents have described the anatomical localisation and function of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) formed by the subunits encoded by this gene cluster. Further investigations that complemented these studies highlighted the variability of individuals' smoking behaviours and their ability to adjust nicotine intak ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Variation in the CHRNA5-A3-B4 gene cluster is a promising candidate region for smoking behavior and has been linked to multiple smoking-related phenotypes (e.g., nicotine dependence) and diseases (e.g., lung cancer). Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs16969968 in CHRNA5 and rs1051730 in CHRNA3, have generated particular interest. METHODS:We evaluated the published evidence for association between rs16969968 (k = 27 samples) and rs1051730 (k = 44 samples) SNPs with heaviness of smoking using meta-analytic techniques. We explored which SNP provided a stronger genetic signal and investigated study-level characteristics (i.e., ancestry, disease state) to establish whether the strength of association differed across populations. We additionally tested for small study bias and explored the impact of year of publication. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Meta-analysis indicated compelling evidence of an association between the rs1051730/rs16966968 variants and daily cigarette consumption (fixed effects: B = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.77, 1.06, p < .001; random effects: B = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.81, 1.22, p < .001), equivalent to a per-allele effect of approximately 1 cigarette/day. SNP rs1051730 was found to provide a stronger signal than rs16966968 in stratified analyses (p(diff) = .028), although this difference was only qualitatively observed in the subset of samples that provided data on both SNPs. While the functional relevance of rs1051730 is unknown, it may be a strong tagging SNP for functional haplotypes in this region.
| S-EPMC3223575 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Multiple genome-wide and targeted association studies reveal a significant association of variants in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 (CHRNA5/A3/B4) gene cluster on chromosome 15 with nicotine dependence. The subjects examined in most of these studies had a European origin. However, considering the distinct linkage disequilibrium patterns in European and other ethnic populations, it would be of tremendous interest to determine whether such associations could be replicated in populations of other ethnicities, such as Asians. In this study, we performed comprehensive association and interaction analyses for 32 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CHRNA5/A3/B4 with smoking initiation (SI), smoking quantity (SQ), and smoking cessation (SC) in a Korean sample (N = 8,842). We found nominally significant associations of 7 SNPs with at least one smoking-related phenotype in the total sample (SI: P = 0.015 approximately 0.023; SQ: P = 0.008 approximately 0.028; SC: P = 0.018 approximately 0.047) and the male sample (SI: P = 0.001 approximately 0.023; SQ: P = 0.001 approximately 0.046; SC: P = 0.01). A spectrum of haplotypes formed by three consecutive SNPs located between rs16969948 in CHRNA5 and rs6495316 in the intergenic region downstream from the 5' end of CHRNB4 was associated with these three smoking-related phenotypes in both the total and the male sample. Notably, associations of these variants and haplotypes with SC appear to be much weaker than those with SI and SQ. In addition, we performed an interaction analysis of SNPs within the cluster using the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method and found a significant interaction of SNPs rs7163730 in LOC123688, rs6495308 in CHRNA3, and rs7166158, rs8043123, and rs11072793 in the intergenic region downstream from the 5' end of CHRNB4 to be influencing SI in the male sample. Considering that fewer than 5% of the female participants were smokers, we did not perform any analysis on female subjects specifically. Together, our detected associations of variants in the CHRNA5/A3/B4 cluster with SI, SQ, and SC in the Korean smoker samples provide strong evidence for the contribution of this cluster to the etiology of SI, ND, and SC in this Asian population.
| S-EPMC2922326 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that modulate key physiological processes ranging from neurotransmission to cancer signaling. These receptors are activated by the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, and the tobacco alkaloid, nicotine. Recently, the gene cluster encoding the alpha3, alpha5 and beta4 nAChR subunits received heightened interest after a succession of linkage analyses and association studies identified multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms in these genes that are associated with an increased risk for nicotine dependence and lung cancer. It is not clear whether the risk for lung cancer is direct or an effect of nicotine dependence, as evidence for both scenarios exist. In this study, we summarize the body of work implicating nAChRs in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, with special focus on the clustered nAChR subunits and their emerging role in this disease state.
| S-EPMC3934347 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Large-scale population studies have established that genetic factors contribute to individual differences in smoking behavior. Linkage and genome-wide association studies have shown many chromosomal regions and genes associated with different smoking behaviors. One study was the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CHRNA5-A3-B4 gene cluster to nicotine addiction. Here, we report a replication of this association in the Italian population represented by three genetically isolated populations. One, the Val Borbera, is a genetic isolate from North-Western Italy; the Cilento population, is located in South-Western Italy; and the Carlantino village is located in South-Eastern Italy. Owing to their position and their isolation, the three populations have a different environment, different history and genetic structure. The variant A of the rs1051730 SNP was significantly associated with smoking quantity in two populations, Val Borbera and Cilento, no association was found in Carlantino population probably because difference in LD pattern in the variant region.
| S-EPMC3083621 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe CHRNA5/A3/B4 gene locus is associated with nicotine dependence and other smoking related disorders. While the non-synonymous CHRNA5 variant rs16969968 appears to be the main risk factor, linkage disequilibrium (LD) bins in the gene cluster carry frequent variants that regulate expression. Pairwise LD and haplotype analyses had identified at least three haplotype tagging SNPs including rs16969968 as main genetic risk factors. Searching for variants with evidence of regulatory functions, we have reported interactions between CHRNA5 and CHRNA3 enhancer variants (tagged by rs880395 and rs1948, respectively) and rs16969968, forming 3-SNP haplotypes and diplotypes that may more accurately reflect the cluster's combined effects on nicotine dependence (Barrie et al., Hum Mutat 38:112-9, 2017). Here we address further contributions by variants affecting CHRNB4, a possibly limiting component of nicotinic receptors.ResultsWe identify an LD bin (tagged by rs4887074) associated with expression of CHRNB4. Additive logistic regression models indicate that rs4887074 is associated with nicotine dependence and modulates the effect of rs16969968 in GWAS datasets (COGEND, UW-TTURC, SAGE). 4-SNP haplotype and diplotype analyses (rs880395-rs16969968-rs1948 -rs4887074) yield nicotine dependence risk values that further differentiate those obtained with the 3-SNP model. Moreover, both the main G allele of rs16969968 and the minor G allele of rs4887074 (associated with reduced expression of CHRNB4), residing predominantly on common haplotypes that are protective, represent significant allele-specific variance QTLs, indicating that they interact with each other.ConclusionsThese results indicate rs4887074 is associated with CHRNB4 expression, and along with two regulatory variants of CHRNA3 and CHRNA5, modulates the effect of rs16969968 on nicotine dependence risk. Assignable to individuals because of strong LD structures, 4-SNP haplotypes and diplotypes serve to assess the combined genetic influence of this multi-gene cluster on complex traits, accounting for complex LD relationships and tissue-specific genetic effects (CHRNA5/3) relevant to the traits analyzed. The 4-SNP haplotypes account at least in part for previous tagging SNPs, including the highly GWAS-significant rs6495308, located in a distinct pair-wise LD bin but included in protective 4-SNP haplotypes. Our approach refines and integrates the cluster's overall genetic influence, an important variable when integrating the genetics of multiple genomic loci.
| S-EPMC6245894 | biostudies-literature
Project description:More than 1 billion people around the world smoke, with 10 million cigarettes sold every minute. Cigarettes contain thousands of harmful chemicals including the psychoactive compound, nicotine. Nicotine addiction is initiated by the binding of nicotine to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, ligand-gated cation channels activated by the endogenous neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. These receptors serve as prototypes for all ligand-gated ion channels and have been extensively studied in an attempt to elucidate their role in nicotine addiction. Many of these studies have focused on heteromeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors containing α4 and β2 subunits and homomeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors containing the α7 subunit, two of the most abundant subtypes expressed in the brain. Recently however, a series of linkage analyses, candidate-gene analyses and genome-wide association studies have brought attention to three other members of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor family: the α5, α3 and β4 subunits. The genes encoding these subunits lie in a genomic cluster that contains variants associated with increased risk for several diseases including nicotine dependence and lung cancer. The underlying mechanisms for these associations have not yet been elucidated but decades of research on the nicotinic receptor gene family as well as emerging data provide insight on how these receptors may function in pathological states. Here, we review this body of work, focusing on the clustered nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes and evaluating their role in nicotine addiction and lung cancer.
| S-EPMC2939268 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genome-wide association studies have revealed an association between several loci in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene cluster CHRNA5-A3-B4 and daily cigarette consumption. Recent studies have sought to refine this phenotype, and have shown that a locus within this cluster, marked primarily by rs1051730 and rs16969968, is also associated with levels of cotinine, the primary metabolite of nicotine. This association remains after adjustment for self-reported smoking, which suggests that even amongst people who smoke the same number of cigarettes there is still genetically-influenced variation in nicotine consumption. This is likely to be due to differences in smoking topography, that is, how a cigarette is smoked (e.g., volume of smoke inhaled per puff, number of puffs taken per cigarette). The aim of this study is to determine potential mediation of the relationship between the rs1051730 locus and cotinine levels by smoking topography.Adopting a recall-by-genotype design, we will recruit 200 adults from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children on the basis of minor or major homozygote status at rs1051730 (100 in each genotype group). All participants will be current, daily smokers. Our primary study outcome measures will be measures of smoking topography: total volume of smoke (ml) inhaled per cigarette, total volume of smoke (ml) inhaled over of the course of one day, and salivary cotinine level (ng/ml).This study will extend our understanding of the biological basis of inter-individual variability in heaviness of smoking, and therefore in exposure to smoking-related toxins. The novel recall-by-genotype approach we will use is efficient, maximising statistical power, and enables the collection of extremely precise phenotypic data that are impractical to collect in a larger sample. The methods described within this protocol also hold the potential for wider application in the field of molecular genetics.
| S-EPMC3900674 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Associations between CHRNA5-A3-B4 variants and smoking behaviors exist; however, the association with smoking abstinence is less understood, particularly that among African Americans. In 1,295 African Americans enrolled in two clinical trials, we investigated the association between CHRNA5-A3-B4 and smoking abstinence. The rs2056527(A) allele was associated with lower abstinence with active pharmacotherapy (during treatment: odds ratio (OR) = 0.42, P < 0.001; end of treatment (EOT): OR = 0.55, P = 0.004), or with nicotine gum alone (during treatment: OR = 0.31, P < 0.001; EOT: OR = 0.51, P = 0.02), but not significantly with bupropion, although similar directions and magnitudes were observed (during treatment: OR = 0.54, P = 0.05; EOT: OR = 0.59, P = 0.08). In addition, the rs588765(T) allele was associated with abstinence with gum during treatment (OR = 2.31, P < 0.01). The SNP rs16969968 occurred at a low frequency and was not consistently associated with abstinence. CHRNA5-A3-B4 variants were not associated with tobacco consumption, and adjustments for smoking behaviors did not alter the associations with smoking abstinence. Together, our data suggest that among African Americans, CHRNA5-A3-B4 variants are not associated with baseline smoking but can influence smoking abstinence during active pharmacotherapy.
| S-EPMC4111775 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionSmoking cessation is more than 50% heritable. Genetic studies of smoking cessation have been limited by short-term follow-up or cross-sectional design.Aims and methodsThis study tests single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associations with cessation during long-term follow-up throughout adulthood in women. The secondary aim tests whether genetic associations differ by smoking intensity. Associations between 10 SNPs in CHRNA5, CHRNA3, CHRNB2, CHRNB4, DRD2, and COMT and the probability of smoking cessation over time were evaluated in two longitudinal cohort studies of female nurses, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) (n = 10 017) and NHS-2 (n = 2793). Participant follow-up ranged from 2 to 38 years with data collected every 2 years.ResultsWomen with the minor allele of either CHRNA5 SNP rs16969968 or CHRNA3 SNP rs1051730 had lower odds of cessation throughout adulthood [OR = 0.93, p-value = .003]. Women had increased odds of cessation if they had the minor allele of CHRNA3 SNP rs578776 [OR = 1.17, p-value = .002]. The minor allele of DRD2 SNP rs1800497 was associated with lower odds of cessation in moderate-to-heavy smokers [OR = 0.92, p-value = .0183] but increased odds in light smokers [OR = 1.24, p-value = .096].ConclusionsSome SNP associations with short-term smoking abstinence observed in prior studies were shown in the present study to persist throughout adulthood over decades of follow-up. Other SNP associations with short-term abstinence did not persist long-term. The secondary aim findings suggest genetic associations may differ by smoking intensity.ImplicationsThe results of the present study expand on previous studies of SNP associations in relation to short-term smoking cessation to demonstrate some of these SNPs were associated with smoking cessation throughout decades of follow-up, whereas other SNP associations with short-term abstinence did not persist long-term. The rate of relapse to smoking remains high for several years after quitting smoking, and many smokers experience multiple quit attempts and relapse episodes throughout adulthood. Understanding genetic associations with long-term cessation has potential importance for precision medicine approaches to long-term cessation management.
| S-EPMC10413434 | biostudies-literature
Project description:One potential site of convergence of the nicotine and alcohol actions is the family of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Our study examines the genetic association between variations in the genomic region containing the CHRNA5, A3, and B4 gene cluster (A5A3B4) and several phenotypes of alcohol and tobacco use in an ethnically diverse young adult sample. Significant results were then replicated in a separate adult population-representative sample.In a selected sample, nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association with various nicotine and alcohol phenotypes, including age of initiation and measures of frequency, quantity, and subjective responses to the substances. Analysis was conducted with the statistical genetics program WHAP in the full sample (1075 subjects) including ethnicities as covariates and within each ethnic group sub-sample. Replication of the significant results in a separate population-based sample was carried out with the PBAT statistical genetics program.Two linked SNPs (rs8023462 and rs1948) located in a conserved region of the A5A3B4 gene cluster significantly predicted early age of initiation for tobacco with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]1.08-1.70) for the CC genotype of rs8023462 and a HR of 1.29 (95% CI 1.01-1.63) for the TT genotype of rs1948 [corrected]. These findings were then replicated in a separate population-representative sample, showing rs1948 and rs8023462 to be associated with age of initiation for both tobacco and alcohol use (p < .01 and p < .001).Variations in A5A3B4 genes might influence behaviors that promote early age of experimentation with drugs.
| S-EPMC2526976 | biostudies-literature