GWAS of 126,559 Individuals Identifies Genetic Variants Associated with Educational Attainment

Rietveld, Ca; Medland, Se; Derringer, J; Yang, J; Esko, T; Martin, Nw; Westra, Hj; Shakhbazov, K; Abdellaoui, A; Agrawal, A; Albrecht, E; Alizadeh, Bz; Amin, N; Bamard, J; Baumeister, Se; Benke, Ks; Bielak, Lf; Boatman, Ja; Boyle, Pa; Davies, G; De Leeuw, C; Eklund, N; Evans, Ds; Ferhmann, R; Fischer, K; Gieger, C; Gjessing, Hk; Hagg, S; Harris, Jr; Hayward, C; Holzapfel, C; Ibrahim Verbaas CA,; Ingelsson, E; Jacobsson, B; Joshi, Pk; Jugessur, A; Kaakinen, M; Kanoni, S; Karjalainen, J; Kolcic, I; Kristiansson, K; Kutalik, Z; Lahti, J; Lee, Sh; Lin, P; Lind, Pa; Liu, Ym; Lohman, K; Loitfelder, M; Mcmahon, G; Vidal, Pm; Meirelles, O; Milani, L; Myhre, R; Nuotio, Ml; Oldmeadow, Cj; Petrovic, Ke; Peyrot, Wj; Polasek, O; Quaye, L; Reinmaa, E; Rice, Jp; Rizzi, Ts; Schmidt, H; Schmidt, R; Smith, Av; Smith, Ja; Tanaka, T; Terracciano, A; van der Loos MJHM,; Vitart, V; Volzke, H; Wellmann, J; L, Yu; Zhao, W; Allik, J; Attia, Jr; Bandinelli, S; Bastardot, F; Beauchamp, J; Bennett, Da; Berger, K; Bierut, Lj; Boomsma, Di; Bultmann, U; Campbell, H; Chabris, Cf; Cherkas, L; Chung, Mk; Cucca, Francesco; de Andrade, M; De Jager PL,; De Neve JE,; Deary, Ij; Dedoussis, Gv; Deloukas, P; Dimitriou, M; Eiriksdottir, G; Elderson, Mf; Eriksson, Jg; Evans, Dm; Faul, Jd; Ferrucci, L; Garcia, Me; Gronberg, H; Guonason, V; Hall, P; Harris, Jm; Harris, Tb; Hastie, Nd; Heath, Ac; Hernandez, Dg; Hoffmann, W; Hofman, A; Holle, R; Holliday, Eg; Hottenga, Jj; Iacono, Wg; Illig, T; Jarvelin, Mr; Kahonen, M; Kaprio, J; Kirkpatrick, Rm; Kowgier, M; Latvala, A; Launer, Lj; Lawlor, Da; Lehtimaki, T; Jm, Li; Lichtenstein, P; Lichtner, P; Liewald, Dc; Madden, Pa; Pke, Magnusson; Makinen, Te; Masala, M; Mcgue, M; Metspalu, A; Mielck, A; Miller, Mb; Montgomery, Gw; Mukherjee, S; Nyholt, Dr; Oostra, Ba; Palmer, Lj; Palotie, A; Bwjh, Penninx; Perola, M; Peyser, Pa; Preisig, M; Raikkonen, K; Raitakari, Ot; Realo, A; Ring, Sm; Ripatti, S; Rivadeneira, F; Rudan, I; Rustichini, A; Salomaa, V; Sarin, Ap; Schlessinger, D; Scott, Rj; Snieder, H; St Pourcain, B; Starr, Jm; Sul, Jh; Surakka, I; Svento, R; Teumer, A; Tiemeier, H; van Rooij FJA,; Van Wagoner DR,; Vartiainen, E; Viikari, J; Vollenweider, P; Vonk, Jm; Waeber, G; Weir, Dr; Wichmann, He; Widen, E; Willemsen, G; Wilson, Jf; Wright, Af; Conley, D; Davey Smith, G; Franke, L; Pjf, Groenen; Hofman, A; Johannesson, M; Slr, Kardia; Krueger, Rf; Laibson, D; Martin, Ng; Meyer, Mn; Posthuma, D; Thurik, Ar; Timpson, Nj; Uitterlinden, Ag; van Duijn CM,; Visscher, Pm; Benjamin, Dj; Cesarini, D; Koellinger, Pd

doi:10.1126/science.1235488

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of educational attainment was conducted in a discovery sample of 101,069 individuals and a replication sample of 25,490. Three independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are genome-wide significant (rs9320913, rs11584700, rs4851266), and all three replicate. Estimated effects sizes are small (coefficient of determination R-2 approximate to 0.02%), approximately 1 month of schooling per allele. A linear polygenic score from all measured SNPs accounts for approximate to 2% of the variance in both educational attainment and cognitive function. Genes in the region of the loci have previously been associated with health, cognitive, and central nervous system phenotypes, and bioinformatics analyses suggest the involvement of the anterior caudate nucleus. These findings provide promising candidate SNPs for follow-up work, and our effect size estimates can anchor power analyses in social-science genetics.

GWAS of 126,559 Individuals Identifies Genetic Variants Associated with Educational Attainment / Rietveld, Ca; Medland, Se; Derringer, J; Yang, J; Esko, T; Martin, Nw; Westra, Hj; Shakhbazov, K; Abdellaoui, A; Agrawal, A; Albrecht, E; Alizadeh, Bz; Amin, N; Bamard, J; Baumeister, Se; Benke, Ks; Bielak, Lf; Boatman, Ja; Boyle, Pa; Davies, G; De Leeuw, C; Eklund, N; Evans, Ds; Ferhmann, R; Fischer, K; Gieger, C; Gjessing, Hk; Hagg, S; Harris, Jr; Hayward, C; Holzapfel, C; Ibrahim Verbaas, Ca; Ingelsson, E; Jacobsson, B; Joshi, Pk; Jugessur, A; Kaakinen, M; Kanoni, S; Karjalainen, J; Kolcic, I; Kristiansson, K; Kutalik, Z; Lahti, J; Lee, Sh; Lin, P; Lind, Pa; Liu, Ym; Lohman, K; Loitfelder, M; Mcmahon, G; Vidal, Pm; Meirelles, O; Milani, L; Myhre, R; Nuotio, Ml; Oldmeadow, Cj; Petrovic, Ke; Peyrot, Wj; Polasek, O; Quaye, L; Reinmaa, E; Rice, Jp; Rizzi, Ts; Schmidt, H; Schmidt, R; Smith, Av; Smith, Ja; Tanaka, T; Terracciano, A; van der Loos, Mjhm; Vitart, V; Volzke, H; Wellmann, J; Yu, L; Zhao, W; Allik, J; Attia, Jr; Bandinelli, S; Bastardot, F; Beauchamp, J; Bennett, Da; Berger, K; Bierut, Lj; Boomsma, Di; Bultmann, U; Campbell, H; Chabris, Cf; Cherkas, L; Chung, Mk; Cucca, Francesco; de Andrade, M; De Jager, Pl; De Neve, Je; Deary, Ij; Dedoussis, Gv; Deloukas, P; Dimitriou, M; Eiriksdottir, G; Elderson, Mf; Eriksson, Jg; Evans, Dm; Faul, Jd; Ferrucci, L; Garcia, Me; Gronberg, H; Guonason, V; Hall, P; Harris, Jm; Harris, Tb; Hastie, Nd; Heath, Ac; Hernandez, Dg; Hoffmann, W; Hofman, A; Holle, R; Holliday, Eg; Hottenga, Jj; Iacono, Wg; Illig, T; Jarvelin, Mr; Kahonen, M; Kaprio, J; Kirkpatrick, Rm; Kowgier, M; Latvala, A; Launer, Lj; Lawlor, Da; Lehtimaki, T; Li, Jm; Lichtenstein, P; Lichtner, P; Liewald, Dc; Madden, Pa; Magnusson, Pke; Makinen, Te; Masala, M; Mcgue, M; Metspalu, A; Mielck, A; Miller, Mb; Montgomery, Gw; Mukherjee, S; Nyholt, Dr; Oostra, Ba; Palmer, Lj; Palotie, A; Penninx, Bwjh; Perola, M; Peyser, Pa; Preisig, M; Raikkonen, K; Raitakari, Ot; Realo, A; Ring, Sm; Ripatti, S; Rivadeneira, F; Rudan, I; Rustichini, A; Salomaa, V; Sarin, Ap; Schlessinger, D; Scott, Rj; Snieder, H; St Pourcain, B; Starr, Jm; Sul, Jh; Surakka, I; Svento, R; Teumer, A; Tiemeier, H; van Rooij, Fja; Van Wagoner, Dr; Vartiainen, E; Viikari, J; Vollenweider, P; Vonk, Jm; Waeber, G; Weir, Dr; Wichmann, He; Widen, E; Willemsen, G; Wilson, Jf; Wright, Af; Conley, D; Davey Smith, G; Franke, L; Groenen, Pjf; Hofman, A; Johannesson, M; Kardia, Slr; Krueger, Rf; Laibson, D; Martin, Ng; Meyer, Mn; Posthuma, D; Thurik, Ar; Timpson, Nj; Uitterlinden, Ag; van Duijn, Cm; Visscher, Pm; Benjamin, Dj; Cesarini, D; Koellinger, Pd. - In: SCIENCE. - ISSN 0036-8075. - 340:6139(2013), pp. 1467-1471. [10.1126/science.1235488]