"Nose shape genes" found

Oleg Lischuk, N+1

An international team of scientists has identified the genes responsible for the shape of the nose and some other facial features. The results of the work are published in the journal Nature Communications (Adhikari et al., A genome-wide association scan implies DCHS2, RUNX2, GLI3, PAX1 and EDAR in human facial variation).

The staff of University College London with colleagues from various world scientific centers used in their work the data of 5958 participants of the multidisciplinary cohort study CANDELA (Consortium for the Analysis of Diversity and Evolution of Latin America) from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil. Latinos were chosen because of the large genetic and external diversity: on average, participants had 50 percent European genes, 45 percent Native American and five percent African.

All participants underwent a genome-wide association analysis based on 14 external features of the face, such as elements of the shape of the nose, chin, lips, cheekbones, brow ridges and forehead, measured from photographs. The results were confirmed by 3D reconstruction of the faces of a subgroup of three thousand people. In total, more than 671 thousand polymorphisms were included in the final analysis. 

Ryunok from the UCL Genes for nose shape found press release - VM.

The clearest associations (P < 5×10-8) were found for four genes responsible for the parameters of the shape of the nose. The transcription factor and mediator of the Sonic Hedgehog signaling system GLI3 with another transcription factor PAX1 were associated with the width of the nostrils, the cell adhesion protein DCHS2 – with the angle of the back, the shape of the tip of the nose and the degree of snub nose. All these genes are involved in the growth of cartilage tissue. The key transcription factor of differentiation of osteoblasts (cells producing bone tissue) RUNX2 turned out to be responsible for the width of the bridge of the nose.

In addition, it turned out that the ectodysplasin A receptor gene (EDAR), on which the thickness and curliness of hair and beard growth depend, is also responsible for the size of the chin.

Earlier, the same research team studied the influence of heredity on the shape, color and growth of hair, finding, for example, polymorphisms of genes responsible for gray hair and fused eyebrows.

The head of the work, Andrés Ruiz-Linares, believes that the results obtained will help to study in detail the evolution of appearance from human predecessors to various ethnic groups of modern people. Another author of the work Kaustubh Adhikari (Kaustubh Adhikari) noted that they can also find application in forensic medical examination.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  24.05.2016