Abstract
We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data to detect genes influencing age at menarche in 17,510 women. The strongest signal was at 9q31.2 (P = 1.7 × 10−9), where the nearest genes include TMEM38B, FKTN, FSD1L, TAL2 and ZNF462. The next best signal was near the LIN28B gene (rs7759938; P = 7.0 × 10−9), which also influences adult height. We provide the first evidence for common genetic variants influencing female sexual maturation.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Marshall, W.A. & Tanner, J.M. Arch. Dis. Child. 44, 291–303 (1969).
Towne, B. et al. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 128, 210–219 (2005).
Snieder, H., MacGregor, A.J. & Spector, T.D. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83, 1875–1880 (1998).
Anderson, C.A. et al. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 93, 3965–3970 (2008).
Gajdos, Z.K.Z. et al. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 93, 4290–4298 (2008).
Bosetti, C., Tavani, A., Negri, E., Trichopoulos, D. & La Vecchia, C. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 54, 902–906 (2001).
Lettre, G. et al. Nat. Genet. 40, 584–591 (2008).
Onland-Moret, N.C. et al. Am. J. Epidemiol. 162, 623–632 (2005).
Weedon, M.N. & Frayling, T.M. Trends Genet. 24, 595–603 (2008).
Anderson, S.E., Dallal, G.E. & Must, A. Pediatrics 111, 844–850 (2003).
Garn, S., LaVelle, M., Rosenberg, K. & Hawthorne, V. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 43, 879–883 (1986).
van Lenthe, F., Kemper, C. & van Mechelen, W. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 64, 18–24 (1996).
Euling, S.Y. et al. Pediatrics 121, S172–S191 (2008).
Harris, M.A., Prior, J.C. & Koehoorn, M. J. Adolesc. Health 43, 548–554 (2008).
Wang, W., Zhao, L.-J., Liu, Y.-Z., Recker, R.R. & Deng, H.-W. Int. J. Obes. (Lond.) 30, 1595–1600 (2006).
Acknowledgements
We are indebted to the participants and staff of the studies for their important contributions. Full individual study acknowledgements are listed in the Supplementary Methods.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Statistical analyses: J.R.B.P., L.S., N.F., K.L.L., G.Z., P.F.M., A.V.S., T.A., K.E., V.G., F.R., N.S., T.T., M.N.W. and V.Z. Sample collection, preparation: N.F., A.V.S., T.A., S.B., E.B., L.C., G.E., L.F., A.R.F., V.G., A.H., S.G.W., T.B.H., T.D.S., E.W.D. and A.G.U. Genotyping: E.B., F.R., A.S., N.S. and A.G.U. Manuscript writing: J.R.B.P., L.S., P.F.M., A.V.S., T.A., G.E., V.G., E.A.S., A.M., E.W.D. and A.G.U. Review and revision of the manuscript: J.R.B.P., L.S., N.F., K.L.L., G.Z., P.F.M., A.V.S., T.A., S.B., E.B., L.C., G.E., K.E., L.F., A.R.F., M.G., V.G., A.H., D.K., D.P.K., L.J.L., J.v.M., M.A.N., F.R., A.R.S., A.S., N.S., T.T., J.A.V., M.N.W., S.G.W., V.Z., E.A.S., T.B.H., A.M., T.D.S., E.W.D., A.G.U. and J.M.M. Intellectual input: J.R.B.P., L.S., N.F., K.L.L., P.F.M., E.B., G.E., A.R.F., V.G., D.K., D.P.K., J.A.V., S.G.W., A.M., A.G.U. and J.M.M. Study design: J.R.B.P., L.S., K.L.L., G.Z., A.V.S., T.A., S.B., G.E., L.F., V.G., A.H., D.K., D.P.K., A.M., T.D.S., A.G.U. and J.M.M.
Corresponding author
Supplementary information
Supplementary Text and Figures
Supplementary Figures 1 and 2, Supplementary Tables 1–4, Supplementary Methods and Supplementary Note (PDF 437 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perry, J., Stolk, L., Franceschini, N. et al. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data identifies two loci influencing age at menarche. Nat Genet 41, 648–650 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.386
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.386
This article is cited by
-
Metabolic control of puberty: 60 years in the footsteps of Kennedy and Mitra’s seminal work
Nature Reviews Endocrinology (2024)
-
Maternal glycemia in pregnancy is longitudinally associated with blood DNAm variation at the FSD1L gene from birth to 5 years of age
Clinical Epigenetics (2023)
-
Genome-wide association study of age at menarche in the Taiwan Biobank suggests NOL4 as a novel associated gene
Journal of Human Genetics (2023)
-
A DEAD-box helicase drives the partitioning of a pro-differentiation NAB protein into nuclear foci
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Association of LIN28B polymorphisms with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Virology Journal (2020)