GWAs Identify DNA Variants Influencing Eyebrow Thickness Variation in Europeans and Across Continental Populations

Natural variation in eyebrow thickness (ET) is one of the most conspicuous facial features. Understanding its genetic basis is of broad interest and has implications for dermatology and other fields. Two GWASs for ET have been reported thus far. In 2,457 Latin Americans from the CANDELA cohort, Adhikari et al., 2016 Adhikari K. Fontanil T. Cal S. Mendoza-Revilla J. Fuentes-Guajardo M. Chacón-Duque J.C. et al. A genome-wide association scan in admixed Latin Americans identifies loci influencing facial and scalp hair features. Nat Commun. 2016; 710815 Crossref Scopus (120) Google Scholar identified 3q22.3 harboring FOXL2. In 2,961 Han Chinese from the Taizhou longitudinal study (TZL) cohort, Wu et al., 2018 Wu S. Zhang M. Yang X. Peng F. Zhang J. Tan J. et al. Genome-wide association studies and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing identify regulatory variants influencing eyebrow thickness in humans. PLoS Genet. 2018; 14e1007640 Crossref Scopus (18) Google Scholar discovered 3q26.33 harboring SOX2 and 5q13.2 harboring FOXD1 and discovered 2q12.3 harboring EDAR by meta-analysis of CANDELA and TZL ( Wu et al., 2018 Wu S. Zhang M. Yang X. Peng F. Zhang J. Tan J. et al. Genome-wide association studies and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing identify regulatory variants influencing eyebrow thickness in humans. PLoS Genet. 2018; 14e1007640 Crossref Scopus (18) Google Scholar ). Thus, four ET-associated loci have been established thus far, all in non-Europeans. Because no European ET GWAS had been reported, it remains unknown whether the genetic ET effects described in non-Europeans persist in Europeans or whether there are European-specific genetic loci involved in ET or both.