rs10125441 (FBXO10): Common Height-Linked Variant
Key takeaways
- rs10125441, near FBXO10, is one of 12,111 common variants linked to human height in a study of 5.4 million people.
- Common height variants like this one collectively explain about 40% of height differences in European-ancestry populations.
- Prediction accuracy for height drops to 10-20% in non-European populations, reflecting a gap in research diversity.
- In subcutaneous fat tissue, this variant is linked to higher POLR1E gene expression.
Key takeaways
- rs10125441, near FBXO10 (F-box protein 10), is one of 12,111 common variants linked to human height identified in a study of 5.4 million people.
- Common height variants collectively explain about 40% of height differences in European-ancestry populations (up to 45% when all HapMap 3 panel SNPs are used).
- Prediction accuracy for height drops to 10-20% in non-European populations, reflecting a substantial gap in genetic research diversity.
- In subcutaneous fat tissue, this variant is linked to higher expression of POLR1E (RNA Polymerase I Subunit E).
What the research says A genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals from 281 studies identified 12,111 independent SNPs significantly associated with adult height, clustered within 7,209 genomic segments covering roughly 21% of the genome. These variants collectively account for approximately 40% of height variance in European-ancestry populations (up to 45% using all HapMap 3 panel SNPs), but only 10-20% in other ancestries - a difference the authors attribute to patterns of linkage disequilibrium (the correlation structure between nearby variants) and allele frequency differences across groups. Tissue-level expression data shows that rs10125441 is associated with increased POLR1E expression in subcutaneous adipose (fat) tissue GTEx Portal.
Reported associations
- Adult height: rs10125441, near the FBXO10 locus, was identified among 12,111 common height-associated SNPs in a study of 5.4 million individuals across diverse ancestries; these variants together account for roughly 40% of height variance in European-ancestry populations.
- POLR1E gene expression, subcutaneous adipose tissue: The alternate allele at this locus is associated with increased POLR1E expression in subcutaneous fat tissue (p=6.8e-5, 953 donors) GTEx Portal.
Evidence quality The height association derives from a large multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals, representing what the authors describe as near-saturation of common-variant height associations in European-ancestry populations. The study identified 12,111 significant SNPs; individual effect sizes for rs10125441 specifically were not available in the provided study text, and aggregate metrics (40-45% variance explained) reflect the full set of 12,111 SNPs acting jointly rather than any single variant. Prediction accuracy is substantially lower in non-European populations (10-20% vs. 40%), a limitation the authors attribute to differences in linkage disequilibrium and allele frequencies across ancestry groups, meaning individual variant contributions may differ meaningfully outside European-ancestry contexts. The POLR1E eQTL finding is based on 953 GTEx donors at FDR<0.05 and represents tissue-specific regulatory evidence only; its functional relationship to height is not established in the available studies.
Tissue-specific expression effects
- POLR1E: In subcutaneous adipose tissue, the alternate allele of rs10125441 is linked to increased POLR1E expression; this is the only tissue with a significant eQTL effect reported in the current dataset GTEx Portal.
Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.
Frequently asked questions
What does rs10125441 do?
rs10125441 is a common genetic variant near the FBXO10 gene that has been associated with adult human height. In subcutaneous fat tissue, it is also linked to higher activity of a nearby gene, POLR1E.
Is rs10125441 linked to height?
Yes. rs10125441, near the FBXO10 gene, was identified among 12,111 common variants associated with adult height in a genome-wide study of 5.4 million people across multiple ancestries.
What is the FBXO10 gene?
FBXO10 stands for F-box protein 10 and is the nearest named gene to rs10125441. The studies available do not detail its specific biological role in height variation.
Can common genetic variants predict height?
Common height-linked variants, including rs10125441, collectively explain about 40% of height variation in European-ancestry populations, but only 10-20% in other ancestries. Height is shaped by many genetic and environmental factors, and no single variant determines it.
What is POLR1E and why is it mentioned alongside rs10125441?
POLR1E (RNA Polymerase I Subunit E) is a gene whose expression in subcutaneous fat tissue is statistically linked to rs10125441. The available studies do not establish what this regulatory relationship means for height or other biological outcomes.