Low-frequency variation in TP53 has large effects on head circumference and intracranial volume

Nat Commun. 2019 Jan 21;10(1):357. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07863-x.

Abstract

Cranial growth and development is a complex process which affects the closely related traits of head circumference (HC) and intracranial volume (ICV). The underlying genetic influences shaping these traits during the transition from childhood to adulthood are little understood, but might include both age-specific genetic factors and low-frequency genetic variation. Here, we model the developmental genetic architecture of HC, showing this is genetically stable and correlated with genetic determinants of ICV. Investigating up to 46,000 children and adults of European descent, we identify association with final HC and/or final ICV + HC at 9 novel common and low-frequency loci, illustrating that genetic variation from a wide allele frequency spectrum contributes to cranial growth. The largest effects are reported for low-frequency variants within TP53, with 0.5 cm wider heads in increaser-allele carriers versus non-carriers during mid-childhood, suggesting a previously unrecognized role of TP53 transcripts in human cranial development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alleles*
  • Cephalometry
  • Child
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Loci*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genome, Human
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • Skull / anatomy & histology
  • Skull / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*
  • White People

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53