From GWAS loci to blood pressure genes, variants & mechanisms

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $564,082 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

The current forward genetics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified ~300 distinct loci regulating blood pressure (BP), primarily implicating sequence variation within the non-coding genome. However, for precision medicine of hypertension (HTN), a major challenge for public health, mechanistic identification of the genomic components altering the expression of BP genes is required. To solve this important bottleneck, we use a functional genomics inspired reverse genetics strategy to identify the transcription factors (TF), cis-regulatory elements (CRE), DNA variants and BP genes in four BP relevant tissues. Taking advantage of the analytical expertise and collaborations within the Family Blood Pressure Program Essential Hypertension GWAS consortium (FEHGAS3), and newly developed experimental and computational tools, we propose a novel framework for discovering the functional genetic modules, at identified BP loci and genome-wide, affecting inter-individual BP variation. Our approach enables answers to long-standing questions in BP genomics and physiology, with lessons for understanding many other complex diseases. We propose three major aims: (1) Identifying the transcription factors (TF), enhancers (CRE) and expressed genes in BP-relevant tissues; (2) Connecting enhancer (CRE) variation to gene expression and BP variation; and, (3) Identifying causal mechanisms that modulate BP to provide translational insights.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10101662
Project number
5R01HL086694-11
Recipient
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Principal Investigator
ARAVINDA CHAKRAVARTI
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2021
Award amount
$564,082
Award type
5
Project period
2007-09-01 → 2023-01-31