All articles tagged with #pleiotropy
Large-scale analyses of over 1 million people across 14 psychiatric conditions identify five shared genetic signatures that drive most risk, with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder sharing about 70% of their genetic signal. The findings suggest common biological pathways across disorders, challenging traditional separate diagnoses and hinting at unified treatments targeting pleiotropic genetic factors.
A University of Michigan study reexamines the Neutral Theory, finding that beneficial mutations may be more common than assumed yet rarely fix in changing environments. The researchers propose Adaptive Tracking with Antagonistic Pleiotropy: organisms constantly chase shifting conditions, so most advantageous mutations are temporary. Yeast experiments show fewer beneficial mutations fix when environments vary, suggesting evolution is driven by moving targets rather than perfect adaptation; results may extend beyond microbes but need data from multicellular organisms.
A US study finds eight psychiatric disorders—autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, OCD, and anorexia—share genetic variants that affect brain development, with pleiotropic genes influencing multiple networks and developmental stages, suggesting shared targets for cross-disorder therapies.
A recent study reveals that eight psychiatric conditions share common genetic variants that influence brain development, suggesting potential for treatments targeting these shared genetic factors to address multiple disorders simultaneously.
This study maps human metabolism across the allele frequency spectrum by integrating genetic variation with metabolic phenotypes in over 450,000 individuals, revealing new regulators of metabolism, pleiotropic effects, and potential pathways to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk beyond LDL cholesterol lowering.