Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans

Steven C. Hunt; Matthew E.B. Hansen; Simon Verhulst; Michael A. McQuillan; William Beggs; Tsung Po Lai; Gaonyadiwe G. Mokone; Sununguko Wata Mpoloka; Dawit Wolde Meskel; Gurja Belay; Thomas B. Nyambo; Christian C. Abnet; Meredith Yeager; Stephen J. Chanock; Michael A. Province; Scott M. Williams; Abraham Aviv; Sarah A. Tishkoff

doi:10.1093/hmg/ddaa187

Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans

Steven C. Hunt, Matthew E.B. Hansen, Simon Verhulst, Michael A. McQuillan, William Beggs, Tsung Po Lai, Gaonyadiwe G. Mokone, Sununguko Wata Mpoloka, Dawit Wolde Meskel, Gurja Belay, Thomas B. Nyambo, Christian C. Abnet, Meredith Yeager, Stephen J. Chanock, Michael A. Province, Scott M. Williams, Abraham Aviv, Sarah A. Tishkoff

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Abstract

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be causal in cardiovascular disease and major cancers. To elucidate the roles of genetics and geography in LTL variability across humans, we compared LTL measured in 1295 sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) with 559 African-Americans (AAms) and 2464 European-Americans (EAms). LTL differed significantly across SSAs (P = 0.003), with the San from Botswana (with the oldest genomic ancestry) having the longest LTL and populations from Ethiopia having the shortest LTL. SSAs had significantly longer LTL than AAms [P = 6.5(e-16)] whose LTL was significantly longer than EAms [P = 2.5(e-7)]. Genetic variation in SSAs explained 52% of LTL variance versus 27% in AAms and 34% in EAms. Adjustment for genetic variation removed the LTL differences among SSAs. LTL genetic variation among SSAs, with the longest LTL in the San, supports the hypothesis that longer LTL was ancestral in humans. Identifying factors driving LTL variation in Africa may have important ramifications for LTL-associated diseases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3014-3020
Number of pages	7
Journal	Human molecular genetics
Volume	29
Issue number	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa187
State	Published - Sep 15 2020

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Hunt, S. C., Hansen, M. E. B., Verhulst, S., McQuillan, M. A., Beggs, W., Lai, T. P., Mokone, G. G., Mpoloka, S. W., Meskel, D. W., Belay, G., Nyambo, T. B., Abnet, C. C., Yeager, M., Chanock, S. J., Province, M. A., Williams, S. M., Aviv, A., & Tishkoff, S. A. (2020). Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans. Human molecular genetics, 29(18), 3014-3020. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa187

@article{d58492e274b34c77a7bb8c060abc21f7,

title = "Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans",

abstract = "Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be causal in cardiovascular disease and major cancers. To elucidate the roles of genetics and geography in LTL variability across humans, we compared LTL measured in 1295 sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) with 559 African-Americans (AAms) and 2464 European-Americans (EAms). LTL differed significantly across SSAs (P = 0.003), with the San from Botswana (with the oldest genomic ancestry) having the longest LTL and populations from Ethiopia having the shortest LTL. SSAs had significantly longer LTL than AAms [P = 6.5(e-16)] whose LTL was significantly longer than EAms [P = 2.5(e-7)]. Genetic variation in SSAs explained 52% of LTL variance versus 27% in AAms and 34% in EAms. Adjustment for genetic variation removed the LTL differences among SSAs. LTL genetic variation among SSAs, with the longest LTL in the San, supports the hypothesis that longer LTL was ancestral in humans. Identifying factors driving LTL variation in Africa may have important ramifications for LTL-associated diseases.",

author = "Hunt, {Steven C.} and Hansen, {Matthew E.B.} and Simon Verhulst and McQuillan, {Michael A.} and William Beggs and Lai, {Tsung Po} and Mokone, {Gaonyadiwe G.} and Mpoloka, {Sununguko Wata} and Meskel, {Dawit Wolde} and Gurja Belay and Nyambo, {Thomas B.} and Abnet, {Christian C.} and Meredith Yeager and Chanock, {Stephen J.} and Province, {Michael A.} and Williams, {Scott M.} and Abraham Aviv and Tishkoff, {Sarah A.}",

year = "2020",

month = sep,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1093/hmg/ddaa187",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "3014--3020",

journal = "Human molecular genetics",

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Hunt, SC, Hansen, MEB, Verhulst, S, McQuillan, MA, Beggs, W, Lai, TP, Mokone, GG, Mpoloka, SW, Meskel, DW, Belay, G, Nyambo, TB, Abnet, CC, Yeager, M, Chanock, SJ, Province, MA, Williams, SM, Aviv, A & Tishkoff, SA 2020, 'Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans', Human molecular genetics, vol. 29, no. 18, pp. 3014-3020. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa187

TY - JOUR

T1 - Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans

AU - Hunt, Steven C.

AU - Hansen, Matthew E.B.

AU - Verhulst, Simon

AU - McQuillan, Michael A.

AU - Beggs, William

AU - Lai, Tsung Po

AU - Mokone, Gaonyadiwe G.

AU - Mpoloka, Sununguko Wata

AU - Meskel, Dawit Wolde

AU - Belay, Gurja

AU - Nyambo, Thomas B.

AU - Abnet, Christian C.

AU - Yeager, Meredith

AU - Chanock, Stephen J.

AU - Province, Michael A.

AU - Williams, Scott M.

AU - Aviv, Abraham

AU - Tishkoff, Sarah A.

PY - 2020/9/15

Y1 - 2020/9/15

N2 - Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be causal in cardiovascular disease and major cancers. To elucidate the roles of genetics and geography in LTL variability across humans, we compared LTL measured in 1295 sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) with 559 African-Americans (AAms) and 2464 European-Americans (EAms). LTL differed significantly across SSAs (P = 0.003), with the San from Botswana (with the oldest genomic ancestry) having the longest LTL and populations from Ethiopia having the shortest LTL. SSAs had significantly longer LTL than AAms [P = 6.5(e-16)] whose LTL was significantly longer than EAms [P = 2.5(e-7)]. Genetic variation in SSAs explained 52% of LTL variance versus 27% in AAms and 34% in EAms. Adjustment for genetic variation removed the LTL differences among SSAs. LTL genetic variation among SSAs, with the longest LTL in the San, supports the hypothesis that longer LTL was ancestral in humans. Identifying factors driving LTL variation in Africa may have important ramifications for LTL-associated diseases.

AB - Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) might be causal in cardiovascular disease and major cancers. To elucidate the roles of genetics and geography in LTL variability across humans, we compared LTL measured in 1295 sub-Saharan Africans (SSAs) with 559 African-Americans (AAms) and 2464 European-Americans (EAms). LTL differed significantly across SSAs (P = 0.003), with the San from Botswana (with the oldest genomic ancestry) having the longest LTL and populations from Ethiopia having the shortest LTL. SSAs had significantly longer LTL than AAms [P = 6.5(e-16)] whose LTL was significantly longer than EAms [P = 2.5(e-7)]. Genetic variation in SSAs explained 52% of LTL variance versus 27% in AAms and 34% in EAms. Adjustment for genetic variation removed the LTL differences among SSAs. LTL genetic variation among SSAs, with the longest LTL in the San, supports the hypothesis that longer LTL was ancestral in humans. Identifying factors driving LTL variation in Africa may have important ramifications for LTL-associated diseases.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095861060&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/hmg/ddaa187

DO - 10.1093/hmg/ddaa187

M3 - Article

C2 - 32821950

AN - SCOPUS:85095861060

SN - 0964-6906

VL - 29

SP - 3014

EP - 3020

JO - Human molecular genetics

JF - Human molecular genetics

IS - 18

ER -

Genetics and geography of leukocyte telomere length in sub-Saharan Africans

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