'We expect this to provide us a better understanding of genetic associations. 'The results significantly expand our knowledge of how gene expression in the blood is regulated and go far beyond the information in databases currently available such as GTEx, the world's largest database to date,' said Professor Markus Scholz. Another such example is new mechanistic insight into how the FADS1 and FADS2 genes influence fatty acid metabolism. In some cases, these mechanisms have already been confirmed in the laboratory. For example, researchers identified trans mechanisms caused by the gene ZNF131 that determine the first occurrence of menstruation. The many cis and trans effects on gene expression found offer numerous new ways to explain molecular relationships for a wide range of traits and diseases. Mechanisms identified that determine the first occurrence of menstruation It was also shown that 37 per cent of the trait-related genetic variants studied were regulated by distant genes, a phenomenon called trans effects. A major finding of the study was that genetic regulations were found in close proximity to the gene in 88 per cent of all the genes analysed. The international eQTLGen Consortium has therefore conducted large-scale research on how genetic variants influence the expression of genes in the blood.

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