Integrative multi-omics database (iMOMdb) of Asian pregnant women

• DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac079
• Publication Date: 2022-04-19T11:30:51Z
• Authors: Hong Pan; Pei Fang Tan; Ives Y Lim; Jason Huan; Ai Ling Teh; Li Chen; Min Gong; Felicia Tin; Sartaj Ahmad Mir; Kothandaraman Nar...; Jerry K Y Chan; Kok Hian Tan; Michael S Kobor; Peter J Meikle; Markus R Wenk; Yap Seng Chong; Johan G Eriksson; Peter D Gluckman; Neerja Karnani
• Keywords: Omics

Asians are underrepresented across many omics databases, thereby limiting the potential of precision medicine in nearly 60% global population. As such, there is a pressing need for multi-omics derived quantitative trait loci (QTLs) to fill knowledge gap complex traits populations Asian ancestry. Here, we provide first blood-based analysis pregnant women, constituting high-resolution genotyping (N = 1079), DNA methylation 915) and transcriptome profiling 238). Integrative identified 219 154 CpGs associated with cis-DNA QTLs (meQTLs) 3703 RNAs cis-RNA expression (eQTLs). Ethnicity was largest contributor inter-individual variation all datasets, 2561 genes as hotspots this variation; 395 these hotspot also contained both ethnicity-specific eQTLs meQTLs. Gene set enrichment ethnicity QTL showed pathways involved lipid metabolism, adaptive immune system carbohydrate metabolism. Pathway validation by lipidome (~480 lipids) antenatal plasma 752) placenta 1042) same cohort significant differences among Chinese, Malay Indian validating ethnicity-QTL gene effects different tissue types. To develop deeper insights into benefit future research developed iMOMdb, an open-access database.