Sex-specific genetic architecture of asthma-associated quantitative trait loci in a founder population.
Identifying genes that influence susceptibility to asthma-related and atopy-related phenotypes has been challenging, owing to clinical heterogeneity and a complex underlying genetic architecture that includes both gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. In this article, we report the results of genome-wide linkage and association studies of eight asthma-associated quantitative traits in the Hutterites, a founder population of European descent. Our study revealed significant sex-specific genetic architecture for at least five of these traits, and identified 13 genome-wide significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) by linkage or association that are present in only one of the sexes (nine in males, four in females).
Ober
Carole
C
Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 920 E. 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. c-ober@genetics.uchicago.edu
Pan
Lin
L
Phillips
Natasha
N
Parry
Rodney
R
Kurina
Lianne M
LM
D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044382:Population Groups / Q000235:genetics*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012426:Russia; D012737:Sex Factors