A closer look at evolution: Variants (SNPs) of genes involved in skin pigmentation, including EXOC2, TYR, TYRP1, and DCT, are associated with 25(OH)D serum concentration.
Vitamin D deficiency is common in the Caucasian population and is associated with increased incidence and unfavorable outcome of many diseases, including various types of cancer, infectious, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. Individual factors that predispose for a person's vitamin D status, such as skin type, have been identified, but limited data exist on genetic determinants of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration. We have tested the hypothesis that variants of genes (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) involved in skin pigmentation are predictive of serum 25(OH)D levels. Serum 25(OH)D and SNPs (n = 960) related to genes with relevance for skin pigmentation (tyrosinase [TYR], TYR-related protein 1 [TYRP1], dopachrome tautomerase [DCT], oculocutaneous albinism II [OCA2], two pore segment channel 2 [TPCN2], solute carrier family 24 A4 [SLC24A4], solute carrier family 45 A2 [SLC45A2], agouti signalling peptide [ASIP], cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor [ATF1], microphthalmia-associated transcription factor [MITF], proopiomelanocortin [POMC], cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit beta [PRKACB], cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit gamma [PRKACG], cAMP-dependent protein kinase type I-alpha regulatory subunit [PRKAR1A], cAMP-dependent protein kinase type II-alpha regulatory subunit [PRKAR2A], cAMP-dependent protein kinase type II-beta regulatory subunit [PRKAR2B], tubulin beta-3 chain/melanocortin receptor 1 [TUBB3/MC1R], Cadherin-1 [CDH1], catenin beta 1 [CTNNB1], Endothelin 1 [EDN1], endothelin 3 [EDN3], endothelin receptor type B [EDNRB], fibroblast growth factor 2 [FGF2], KIT, KIT ligand [KITLG], nerve growth factor [NGF], interferon regulatory factor 4 [IRF4], exocyst complex component 2 [EXOC2], and tumor protein 53 [TP53]) were analyzed in a cohort of participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study (n = 2970). A total of 46 SNPs were associated (P <.05) with lower or higher serum 25(OH)D levels as compared with the total cohort (median, 15.5 ng/mL). Although 1 SNP in the EXOC2 gene reached the aimed significance level after correction for multiple comparisons (false discovery rate) and was associated with a Δ25(OH)D value more than 5.00 ng/mL, 11 SNPs located in the TYR (n = 4), PRKACG (n = 1), EDN1 (n = 3), TYRP1 (n = 1), and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (n = 2) genes reached the aimed significance level after false discovery rate correction but were not associated with Δ25(OH)D value more than 5.00 ng/mL. We conclude that variants of genes involved in skin pigmentation are predictive of serum 25(OH)D levels in the Caucasian population. Our data indicate that out of the variants in 29 different genes analyzed, variants of 11 genes, including EXOC2, TYR, and TYRP1, have the highest impact on vitamin D status. Our results have a fundamental importance to understand the role of sunlight, skin pigmentation, and vitamin D for the human evolution.
Department of Dermatology (R.S., T.V., J.R.), The Saarland University Hospital, 66424 Homburg, Germany; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.P.), EMGO Institute for Health and Care research, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine (S.P.), Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; Institute of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology, and Medical Informatics (S.G.), The Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany; and Mannheim Institute of Public Health (M.K., W.M.), Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
Roman
R
Saternus
Stefan
S
Pilz
Stefan
S
Gräber
Marcus
M
Kleber
Winfried
W
März
Thomas
T
Vogt
Jörg
J
Reichrath
D005075:Biological Evolution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008543:Melanins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
C470182:EXOC2 protein, human; D008543:Melanins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C489799:TYRP1 protein, human; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C042501:dopachrome isomerase