No abstract

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are predicted to collectively explain 40–50% of phenotypic variation in human height, but identifying the specific variants and associated regions requires huge sample sizes1. Here, using data from a genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals of diverse ancestries, we show that 12,111 independent SNPs that are significantly associated with height account for nearly all of the common SNP-based heritability. These SNPs are clustered within 7,209 non-overlapping genomic segments with a mean size of around 90 kb, covering about 21% of the genome. The density of independent associations varies across the genome and the regions of increased density are enriched for biologically relevant genes. In out-of-sample estimation and prediction, the 12,111 SNPs (or all SNPs in the HapMap 3 panel2) account for 40% (45%) of phenotypic variance in populations of European ancestry but only around 10–20% (14–24%) in populations of other ancestries. Effect sizes, associated regions and gene prioritization are similar across ancestries, indicating that reduced prediction accuracy is likely to be explained by linkage disequilibrium and differences in allele frequency within associated regions. Finally, we show that the relevant biological pathways are detectable with smaller sample sizes than are needed to implicate causal genes and variants. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions that contain the vast majority of common height-associated variants. Although this map is saturated for populations of European ancestry, further research is needed to achieve equivalent saturation in other ancestries.

Microbiome research is starting to move beyond the exploratory phase towards interventional trials and therefore well-characterized cohorts will be instrumental for generating hypotheses and providing new knowledge. As part of the Estonian Biobank, we established the Estonian Microbiome Cohort which includes stool, oral and plasma samples from 2509 participants and is supplemented with multi-omic measurements, questionnaires, and regular linkages to national electronic health records. Here we analyze stool data from deep metagenomic sequencing together with rich phenotyping, including 71 diseases, 136 medications, 21 dietary questions, 5 medical procedures, and 19 other factors. We identify numerous relationships (n = 3262) with different microbiome features. In this study, we extend the understanding of microbiome-host interactions using electronic health data and show that long-term antibiotic usage, independent from recent administration, has a significant impact on the microbiome composition, partly explaining the common associations between diseases.

Context Despite gut microbiome being widely studied in metabolic diseases, its role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been scarcely investigated. Objective Compare the gut microbiome in late fertile age women with and without PCOS and investigate whether changes in the gut microbiome correlate with PCOS-related metabolic parameters. Design Prospective, case-control study using the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Setting General community. Participants 102 PCOS women and 201 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched non-PCOS control women. Clinical and biochemical characteristics of the participants were assessed at ages 31 and 46 and analyzed in the context of gut microbiome data at the age of 46. Intervention(s) None Main outcome measure(s) Bacterial diversity, relative abundance, and correlations with PCOS-related metabolic measures. Results Bacterial diversity indices did not differ significantly between PCOS and controls (Shannon diversity p = 0.979, unweighted UniFrac p = 0.175). Four genera whose balance helps to differentiate between PCOS and non-PCOS were identified. In the whole cohort, the abundance of two genera from Clostridiales, Ruminococcaceae UCG-002 and Clostridiales Family XIII AD3011 group, were correlated with several PCOS-related markers. Prediabetic PCOS women had significantly lower alpha diversity (Shannon diversity p = 0.018) and markedly increased abundance of genus Dorea (FDR = 0.03) compared to women with normal glucose tolerance. Conclusion PCOS and non-PCOS women at late fertile age with similar BMI do not significantly differ in their gut microbial profiles. However, there are significant microbial changes in PCOS individuals depending on their metabolic health.

AbstractTo study the effect of host genetics on gut microbiome composition, the MiBioGen consortium curated and analyzed whole-genome genotypes and 16S fecal microbiome data from 18,473 individuals (25 cohorts). Microbial composition showed high variability across cohorts: we detected only 9 out of 410 genera in more than 95% of the samples. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of host genetic variation in relation to microbial taxa identified 30 loci affecting microbome taxa at a genome-wide significant (P<5×10-8) threshold. Just one locus, the lactase (LCT) gene region, reached study-wide significance (GWAS signal P=8.6×10−21); it showed an age-dependent association with Bifidobacterium abundance. Other associations were suggestive (1.94×10−10<P<5×10−8) but enriched for taxa showing high heritability and for genes expressed in the intestine and brain. A phenome-wide association study and Mendelian randomization analyses identified enrichment of microbiome trait loci SNPs in the metabolic, nutrition and environment domains and indicated food preferences and diseases as mediators of genetic effects.