Science tells us that genetics conditions the height of human beings by more than 80%. But it is another thing to unravel which genes in particular mark that aspect of the physique. Now, an international study of more than 700,000 individuals has discovered 83 DNA changes that affect height. Some of them vary it by up to 2 centimeters. Furthermore, this research published in Nature has found some genes that reveal as yet unknown aspects of bone growth.
A new technology
The study, carried out within the GIANT (Genetic Research of Anthropometric Traits) consortium , has been based on new data analysis techniques that have made it possible to trace rare genetic alterations that directly affect proteins and exert a strong influence on the increase.
Specifically, GIANT researchers have used a powerful technology called ExomeChip that looks for rare genetic variants that modify the functions of genes that code for proteins. In this way, genes that may be important for the development of certain traits and diseases are identified.
ExomeChip has analyzed data from 711,428 adults (initially 460,000 people and then another 250,000 to validate the results) and found 83 rare genetic variations related to height.
During their work, the GIANT scientists stumbled upon an unexpected discovery: These strange genetic variations also play a key role in skeletal development. Some of these genes were already known, but many had not been linked to bone growth before.
The importance of studying the genetics of stature
Joel Hirschhorn, one of the project directors and professor of Genetics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, highlights the relevance of research on height, a physical characteristic influenced by multiple interrelated genetic variants. Height is easy to measure and provides a relatively simple model for understanding traits produced not by just one gene, but by many. “Understanding the genetic complexity of height and the rare DNA changes that influence it can give us clues to studying multifactorial health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.”
