title: GWAS of butyrylcholinesterase activity identifies four novel loci, independent effects within BCHE and secondary associations with metabolic risk factors.
abstract: Serum butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) activity is associated with obesity, blood pressure and biomarkers of cardiovascular and diabetes risk. We have conducted a genome-wide association scan to discover genetic variants affecting BCHE activity, and to clarify whether the associations between BCHE activity and cardiometabolic risk factors are caused by variation in BCHE or whether BCHE variation is secondary to the metabolic abnormalities. We measured serum BCHE in adolescents and adults from three cohorts of Australian twin and family studies. The genotypes from ∼2.4 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were available in 8791 participants with BCHE measurements. We detected significant associations with BCHE activity at three independent groups of SNPs at the BCHE locus (P = 5.8 × 10(-262), 7.8 × 10(-47), 2.9 × 10(-12)) and at four other loci: RNPEP (P = 9.4 × 10(-16)), RAPH1-ABI2 (P = 4.1 × 10(-18)), UGT1A1 (P = 4.0 × 10(-8)) and an intergenic region on chromosome 8 (P = 1.4 × 10(-8)). These loci affecting BCHE activity were not associated with metabolic risk factors. On the other hand, SNPs in genes previously associated with metabolic risk had effects on BCHE activity more often than can be explained by chance. In particular, SNPs within FTO and GCKR were associated with BCHE activity, but their effects were partly mediated by body mass index and triglycerides, respectively. We conclude that variation in BCHE activity is due to multiple variants across the spectrum from uncommon/large effect to common/small effect, and partly results from (rather than causes) metabolic abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Beben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benyamin
authors.forename: Rita P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Middelberg
authors.forename: Penelope A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Dale R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Nyholt
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Medland
authors.forename: Anjali K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Henders
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: Pamela A F
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Visscher
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Grant W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study / Q000379:methods*; D005838:Genotype; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D000099148:UGT1A1 Enzyme
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D000099148:UGT1A1 Enzyme; C485100:GCKR protein, human; C493339:RAPH1 protein, human; C526492:FTO protein, human; C019721:aminopeptidase B