Friday, December 14, 2012

The 12 SNPs of Christmas 2012



It’s been another busy year for SNPedia. More and more folks not only use SNPedia, but along with added features in Promethease, there’s more for every person to learn about themselves. Our genomes become more interesting and informative every year – DNA is the ultimate gift from our parents that keeps on giving.

Like the Christmas carol, for each of the next 12 days we’ll be singing about a SNP that caught our attention in 2012. In some ways this is a Top 12 List, but it’s also a way for us to call attention and thank many of you in our community. So here we go!

On the first day of Christmas … we’ve got to think of Santa and his rs9939609 genotype. This SNP is in the FTO gene, and it has long been associated with obesity, and in some populations, with Type-2 Diabetes. But just last month the Meyre Lab (McMaster Univ.) reported the results of studying over 6,000 patients with depression in their Nature paper [PMID 23164817], and lo and behold, rs9939609 is also associated with resistance to depression. In fact, the minor A allele increases the likelihood of both being obese AND being jolly. Perhaps Santa carries the A allele?! We’ve been unable to get his DNA tested so far, but with the Ho Ho FTO theme in mind, will be leaving him a very special batch of cookies.
  1. The 12 SNPs of Christmas 2012
  2. (A;A) Christmas Platypus
  3. O come all ye faithful
  4. SNPedia’s Nightmare Before Christmas
  5. Hurðaskellir
  6. Christmas in the Heart
  7. Do you see what I MHC?
  8. Do you know what I know?
  9. I'm dreaming of a white (matter) Christmas
  10. Do they know it’s Christmas?
  11. Deck the halls with boughs of HOXB
  12. All I want for Christmas is a cure for HIV

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