Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior

Andrea Ganna; Karin J H Verweij; Michel G Nivard; Robert Maier; Robbee Wedow; Alexander S Busch; Abdel Abdellaoui; Shengru Guo; J Fah Sathirapongsasuti; Paul Lichtenstein; Sebastian Lundström; Niklas Långström; Adam Auton; Kathleen Mullan Harris; Gary W Beecham; Eden R Martin; Alan R Sanders; John R B Perry; Benjamin M Neale; Brendan P Zietsch; 23andMe Research Team

doi:10.1126/science.aat7693

Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior

Andrea Ganna, Karin J H Verweij, Michel G Nivard, Robert Maier, Robbee Wedow, Alexander S Busch, Abdel Abdellaoui, Shengru Guo, J Fah Sathirapongsasuti, Paul Lichtenstein, Sebastian Lundström, Niklas Långström, Adam Auton, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Gary W Beecham, Eden R Martin, Alan R Sanders, John R B Perry, Benjamin M Neale, Brendan P Zietsch23andMe Research Team

Department of Growth and Reproduction

Abstract

Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.

Original language	English
Article number	, eaat7693
Journal	Science
Volume	365
Issue number	6456
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693
Publication status	Published - 30 Aug 2019

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Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J. H., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., Abdellaoui, A., Guo, S., Sathirapongsasuti, J. F., Lichtenstein, P., Lundström, S., Långström, N., Auton, A., Harris, K. M., Beecham, G. W., Martin, E. R., Sanders, A. R., Perry, J. R. B., Neale, B. M., ... 23andMe Research Team (2019). Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior. Science, 365(6456), Article , eaat7693. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693

Ganna, A, Verweij, KJH, Nivard, MG, Maier, R, Wedow, R, Busch, AS, Abdellaoui, A, Guo, S, Sathirapongsasuti, JF, Lichtenstein, P, Lundström, S, Långström, N, Auton, A, Harris, KM, Beecham, GW, Martin, ER, Sanders, AR, Perry, JRB, Neale, BM, Zietsch, BP & 23andMe Research Team 2019, 'Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior', Science, vol. 365, no. 6456, , eaat7693. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693

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title = "Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior",

abstract = "Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.",

author = "Andrea Ganna and Verweij, {Karin J H} and Nivard, {Michel G} and Robert Maier and Robbee Wedow and Busch, {Alexander S} and Abdel Abdellaoui and Shengru Guo and Sathirapongsasuti, {J Fah} and Paul Lichtenstein and Sebastian Lundstr{\"o}m and Niklas L{\aa}ngstr{\"o}m and Adam Auton and Harris, {Kathleen Mullan} and Beecham, {Gary W} and Martin, {Eden R} and Sanders, {Alan R} and Perry, {John R B} and Neale, {Benjamin M} and Zietsch, {Brendan P} and {23andMe Research Team}",

note = "Copyright {\textcopyright} 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.",

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doi = "10.1126/science.aat7693",

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AU - Ganna, Andrea

AU - Verweij, Karin J H

AU - Nivard, Michel G

AU - Maier, Robert

AU - Wedow, Robbee

AU - Busch, Alexander S

AU - Abdellaoui, Abdel

AU - Guo, Shengru

AU - Sathirapongsasuti, J Fah

AU - Lichtenstein, Paul

AU - Lundström, Sebastian

AU - Långström, Niklas

AU - Auton, Adam

AU - Harris, Kathleen Mullan

AU - Beecham, Gary W

AU - Martin, Eden R

AU - Sanders, Alan R

AU - Perry, John R B

AU - Neale, Benjamin M

AU - Zietsch, Brendan P

AU - 23andMe Research Team

PY - 2019/8/30

Y1 - 2019/8/30

N2 - Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.

AB - Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.

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JO - Science

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M1 - , eaat7693

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Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior

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