Genomewide Association Scan of a Mortality Associated Endophenotype for a Long and Healthy Life in the Long Life Family Study.
BACKGROUND
Identification of genes or fundamental biological pathways that regulate aging phenotypes and longevity could lead to possible interventions to increase healthy longevity.


METHODS
Using data from the Long Life Family Study, we performed genomewide association analyses on an endophenotype construct, LF1, comprising a linear combination of traits across health domains. LF1 primarily reflected traits from the pulmonary and physical activity domains.


RESULTS
We detected a significant association between LF1 and a locus on chromosome 10p15 (p-value = 4.65 × 10-8) and suggestive evidence (p-value < 5 × 10-6) for association on chromosomes 1, 2, 8, 12, 15, 18, and 22. Using data from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study, we subsequently replicated the association for the 1p13 region near the NBPF6 locus (p-value = 3.65 × 10-4).


CONCLUSIONS
Our analyses indicate that loci influencing a healthy aging endophenotype construct predominantly comprised of pulmonary and physical function domains may be located on chromosome 1p13 near the NBPF6 locus. Further investigation of this possible locus and other suggestive loci may reveal novel biological pathways that influence healthy aging.
Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jatinder
J
Singh
Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ryan L
RL
Minster
Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York.
Nicole
N
Schupf
Division of Statistical Genomics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Aldi
A
Kraja
Department of Epidemiology & Prevention, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
YongMei
Y
Liu
The Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark; Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
Kaare
K
Christensen
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Anne B
AB
Newman
Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Candace M
CM
Kammerer
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D001823:Body Composition; D002882:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13; D003718:Denmark; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014481:United States
Human genetics; Longevity; Mortality; Motor activity; Respiratory function