Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

SOCIOGENOMICS

Partner-choice genetics in Japan

Nature Human Behaviour volume 7, pages 13–14 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Non-random mating affects the genetic makeup of populations and challenges the validity of popular genetics methods. A new study explores the unique patterns of non-random mating in the Japanese population and underscores the importance of large-scale genetic studies outside European-descended groups.

People often desire partners who are similar to themselves in their ancestral background, education level, intelligence, religiosity, social attitudes, substance use and health. This pattern of non-random partnership, termed assortative mating, leaves its footprints at the genotypic level. As large biobanks have started using new and affordable genotyping technologies, examining these molecular signatures of assortative mating in the genome has become a viable approach. This has opened new opportunities for better understanding the links between behaviour and genetics.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Meta-analysis results for phenotypic partner correlations for 22 complex traits.

References

  1. Yengo, L. et al. Nat. Hum. Behav. 2, 948–954 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Yamamoto, K. et al. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01438-z (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Robinson, M. R. et al. Nat. Hum. Behav. 1, 0016 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Fatumo, S. et al. Nat. Med. 28, 243–250 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Horwitz, T. B. & Keller, M. C. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.19.484997 (2022).

  6. Clarke, T.-K. et al. Mol. Psychiatry 26, 4344–4354 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kemper, K. E. et al. Nat. Commun. 12, 1050 (2021).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Abdellaoui, A. et al. Nat. Hum. Behav. 3, 1332–1342 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hugh-Jones, D., Verweij, K. J. H., St, Pourcain, B. & Abdellaoui, A. Intelligence 59, 103–108 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Watanabe, K. et al. Nat. Genet. 51, 1339–1348 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

K.J.H.V. and A.A. are supported by the Foundation Volksbond Rotterdam. A.A. is also supported by ZonMw grant 849200011 from The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Karin J. H. Verweij & Abdel Abdellaoui

Authors
  1. Karin J. H. Verweij
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Abdel Abdellaoui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karin J. H. Verweij.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Verweij, K.J.H., Abdellaoui, A. Partner-choice genetics in Japan. Nat Hum Behav 7, 13–14 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01439-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01439-y

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing