Benjamin et al. (2024) investigated how genetic ancestry influences gene expression in the human brain, using data from neurotypical black american individuals with different levels of african and european ancestry. The authors identified thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with genetic ancestry, with about 60% of these genes being influenced by genetic variations.
Surprisingly, the results revealed a significant enrichment of genes related to immune response and vascularization among DEGs, while no significant associations with neuronal genes were found. This finding challenges the traditional view that differences in gene expression in the brain are driven primarily by neuronal factors, suggesting that genetic ancestry may modulate the expression of genes related to other cell types and biological processes.
The authors also noted that the direction of the effect of genetic ancestry on the expression of genes related to the immune response varied between different brain regions, indicating a regional complexity in the regulation of gene expression. In addition, the study found a significant enrichment of the heritability of neurological diseases such as ischemic stroke and Alzheimer’s among DEGs, suggesting that genetic ancestry may contribute to the racial disparities observed in the prevalence of these diseases.
In summary, the study by Benjamin et al. (2024) highlights the importance of considering genetic ancestry in neuroscience research and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that may contribute to racial disparities in brain health.By identifying specific genes and molecular pathways associated with genetic ancestry, the research paves the way for the development of personalized therapies and more effective preventive interventions taking into account the genetic diversity of the population.
Reference:
BENJAMIN, Kynon J. M. et al. Analysis of gene expression in the postmortem brain of neurotypical Black Americans reveals contributions of genetic ancestry. Nature Neuroscience, v. 27, pp. 1064–1074, 2024.
