MULTI-TISSUE TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS REVEALS GENETIC MECHANISMS OF NEUROPSYCHIATRIC TRAITS

Background The genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders is characterized by a large number of small-effect variants located primarily in non-coding regions, suggesting that the underlying causal effects may influence disease risk by modulating gene expression. Methods We provide comprehensive analyses using transcriptome data from an unprecedented collection of tissues to gain pathophysiological insights into the role of the brain, neuroendocrine factors (adrenal gland) and gastrointestinal systems (colon). Results Among significant (FDR Discussion Our analyses highlight the importance of multi-tissue approaches as 70% of the genes were detected only in inaccessible tissues.