Expressive

rs10235866 (NPTX2): Occupational Status GWAS

Key takeaways

  • About 62% of intergenerational transmission of occupational status cannot be attributed to common genetic variants, highlighting the role of family environment.
  • One of 106 variants linked to occupational status measures in a UK Biobank GWAS of 273,157 people.
  • Polygenic scores from this study explain roughly 5-10% of occupational status variation.
  • This locus shares genetic architecture with educational attainment and income, not just occupational status alone.
  • A gene at this locus shows increased expression in testis tissue based on large-scale GTEx data.

Key takeaways

  • About 62% of intergenerational transmission of occupational status cannot be attributed to common genetic variants, highlighting the role of family environment.
  • One of 106 variants linked to occupational status measures in a UK Biobank GWAS of 273,157 people.
  • Polygenic scores from this study explain roughly 5-10% of occupational status variation.
  • This locus shares genetic architecture with educational attainment and income, not just occupational status alone.
  • A gene at this locus (ENSG00000303557) shows increased expression in testis tissue based on GTEx data.

What the research says A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of sociologically validated occupational status measures in the UK Biobank (N = 273,157) identified rs10235866 as one of 106 independent variants associated with occupational standing, 8 of which were described as novel to socioeconomic status (SES) genetics research. Three distinct measures were analyzed: ISEI (International Socioeconomic Index, which captures how education influences income through occupation), SIOPS (Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale, based on population surveys of perceived job standing), and CAMSIS (Cambridge Social Interaction and Stratification Scale, derived from patterns of social interaction between occupations). Polygenic scores explained approximately 5-10% of occupational status variance (incremental R2 = 0.023-0.097 across approaches), and genetic correlations with educational attainment were very high (rg = 0.96-0.97) and strong with income (rg = 0.81-0.91), pointing to a shared genetic factor across these SES dimensions.

Reported associations

  • Occupational status (ISEI, SIOPS, CAMSIS measures): Associated as one of 106 independent SNPs in a GWAS of UK Biobank participants (N = 273,157); the study noted 8 of the 106 variants as novel contributions to SES genetics.

Evidence quality The association derives from a single large GWAS of 273,157 UK Biobank participants. No individual SNP-level effect size or p-value specific to rs10235866 is reported in the available study text, and an independent replication cohort for individual variants is not described, leaving this specific association preliminary. Population-based polygenic predictions showed 54-57% reduction in within-family settings, attributed to indirect parental effects (22-27% attenuation) and assortative mating (21-27%), which complicates interpretation of population-level associations as direct biological effects. The high genetic correlations between occupational status and educational attainment (rg = 0.96-0.97) and income (rg = 0.81-0.91) suggest this locus is part of a broad shared genetic factor across SES measures rather than specific to occupational status alone.

Tissue-specific expression effects

  • ENSG00000303557: Increased expression in testis tissue GTEx Portal

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What is rs10235866?

rs10235866 is a genetic variant located near the NPTX2 and RNU6-393P genes. It was identified in a genome-wide association study as one of 106 variants linked to sociological measures of occupational status in 273,157 UK Biobank participants.

What occupational status measures is rs10235866 linked to?

The variant was found in a study analyzing three measures: ISEI (International Socioeconomic Index), SIOPS (Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale), and CAMSIS (Cambridge Social Interaction and Stratification Scale). These capture different aspects of occupational standing including economic influence, social prestige, and social interaction patterns.

How much does genetics predict occupational status?

Polygenic scores built from variants including rs10235866 explain roughly 5-10% of variation in occupational status. About 62% of how occupational status passes between generations cannot be attributed to common genetic variants, pointing to the large role of family environment and other non-genetic factors.

Is rs10235866 linked to educational attainment or income?

The study found very high genetic correlations between occupational status and educational attainment (rg = 0.96-0.97) and strong correlations with income (rg = 0.81-0.91), suggesting variants in this region are part of a shared genetic factor across multiple socioeconomic status dimensions.

What does GTEx data show for rs10235866?

GTEx data shows that this variant is associated with increased expression of a gene at this locus (ENSG00000303557) in testis tissue. This is a tissue-specific expression signal and does not directly explain the occupational status association.