Significant impact of miRNA-target gene networks on genetics of human complex traits

Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 1:6:22223. doi: 10.1038/srep22223.

Abstract

The impact of microRNA (miRNA) on the genetics of human complex traits, especially in the context of miRNA-target gene networks, has not been fully assessed. Here, we developed a novel analytical method, MIGWAS, to comprehensively evaluate enrichment of genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in miRNA-target gene networks. We applied the method to the GWAS results of the 18 human complex traits from >1.75 million subjects, and identified significant enrichment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), kidney function, and adult height (P < 0.05/18 = 0.0028, most significant enrichment in RA with P = 1.7 × 10(-4)). Interestingly, these results were consistent with current literature-based knowledge of the traits on miRNA obtained through the NCBI PubMed database search (adjusted P = 0.024). Our method provided a list of miRNA and target gene pairs with excess genetic association signals, part of which included drug target genes. We identified a miRNA (miR-4728-5p) that downregulates PADI2, a novel RA risk gene considered as a promising therapeutic target (rs761426, adjusted P = 2.3 × 10(-9)). Our study indicated the significant impact of miRNA-target gene networks on the genetics of human complex traits, and provided resources which should contribute to drug discovery and nucleic acid medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / genetics*
  • Body Height / genetics
  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Hydrolases / genetics*
  • Kidney / physiology
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Multifactorial Inheritance / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Protein-Arginine Deiminase Type 2
  • Protein-Arginine Deiminases
  • Risk

Substances

  • MIRN4728 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Hydrolases
  • PADI2 protein, human
  • Protein-Arginine Deiminase Type 2
  • Protein-Arginine Deiminases