We performed a scan for genetic variants associated with multiple phenotypes by comparing large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 42 traits or diseases. We identified 341 loci (at an FDR of 10%) associated with multiple traits. Several loci are associated with a large number of phenotypes; for example, a nonsynonymous variant in the zinc transporter SLC39A8 influences seven of these traits, including risk of schizophrenia (rs13107325: log-odds ratio = 0.15, P = 2 × 10−12) and Parkinson's disease (log-odds ratio = −0.15, P = 1.6 × 10−7), among others. Second, we used these loci to identify traits that share multiple genetic causes in common. For example, variants that increase risk of schizophrenia also tend to increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, we developed a method to identify pairs of traits that show evidence of a causal relationship. For example, we show evidence that increased BMI causally increases triglyceride levels.

We conducted genome-wide association studies of three phenotypes: subjective well-being (N = 298,420), depressive symptoms (N = 161,460), and neuroticism (N = 170,910). We identified three variants associated with subjective well-being, two with depressive symptoms, and eleven with neuroticism, including two inversion polymorphisms. The two depressive symptoms loci replicate in an independent depression sample. Joint analyses that exploit the high genetic correlations between the phenotypes (|ρ̂| ≈ 0.8) strengthen the overall credibility of the findings, and allow us to identify additional variants. Across our phenotypes, loci regulating expression in central nervous system and adrenal/pancreas tissues are strongly enriched for association.

The human proteome is a major source of therapeutic targets. Recent genetic association analyses of the plasma proteome enable systematic evaluation of the causal consequences of variation in plasma protein levels. Here we estimated the effects of 1,002 proteins on 225 phenotypes using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization. Of 413 associations supported by evidence from MR, 130 (31.5%) were not supported by results of colocalization analyses, suggesting that genetic confounding due to linkage disequilibrium (LD) is widespread in naïve phenome-wide association studies of proteins. Combining MR and colocalization evidence in cis-only analyses, we identified 111 putatively causal effects between 65 proteins and 52 disease-related phenotypes ( www.epigraphdb.org/pqtl/ ). Evaluation of data from historic drug development programs showed that target-indication pairs with MR and colocalization support were more likely to be approved, evidencing the value of this approach in identifying and prioritizing potential therapeutic targets.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for open angle glaucoma (OAG) blindness was conducted using a discovery cohort of 590 cases with severe visual field loss and 3956 controls. Genome-wide significant associations were identified at TMCO1 (rs4656461 (G) OR=1.68, p=6.1x10 -10 ) and CDKN2B-AS1 (rs4977756 (A) OR = 1.50, p=4.7x10 -9 ). These findings were replicated in a second cohort of advanced OAG cases (rs4656461 p=0.010; rs4977756 p=0.042) and two further cohorts of less severe OAG. The study wide odds ratios are 1.51 (1.35-1.68), p=6.00x10 -14 at TMCO1, and 1.39 (1.28-1.51), p=1.35x10 -14 at CDKN2B-AS1 (also known as CDKN2BAS and ANRIL). Carriers of 1 or more risk alleles at both loci concurrently are at >3-fold increased risk of glaucoma. We demonstrate retinal expression of genes at both loci, and show that CDKN2A and CDKN2B are strongly upregulated in an animal model of glaucoma.Glaucoma is a group of neurodegenerative ocular diseases united by a clinically characteristic optic neuropathy. It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide 1 . Primary open angle glaucoma (OAG) is the commonest subtype 1 . OAG pathogenesis and factors determining disease progression are poorly understood. Early intervention with measures to reduce intraocular pressure retards visual loss in most individuals 2 , but many cases of glaucoma remain undiagnosed until irreversible vision loss has occurred. Elucidation of SNPs associated with severe outcomes could enable better targeting of treatments which carry cost and morbidity, to individuals at highest risk of blindness. Linkage and candidate gene studies have identified several genes likely to be involved in OAG including myocilin 3 and NTF4 4 , although for the latter, findings have varied in different populations 5 . A recent GWAS using Icelandic OAG cases of unselected severity identified association with variants near CAV1 6 . To identify genes predisposing individuals to OAG blindness, we performed a GWAS in Australian Caucasians with advanced OAG (individuals with OAG who have progressed to severe visual field loss or blindness).

Deleterious germline variants in CDKN2A account for around 40% of familial melanoma cases1, while rare variants in CDK4, BRCA2, BAP1, and the promoter of TERT, have also been linked to the disease2-5. Here we set out to identify novel high-penetrance susceptibility genes in unexplained cases by sequencing 184 melanoma patients from 105 pedigrees recruited in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia that were negative for variants in known predisposition genes. We identify families where melanoma co-segregates with loss-of-function variants in the protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) gene, a proportion of members presenting with an early age of onset and multiple primaries. We show that these variants either affect POT1 mRNA splicing or alter key residues in the highly conserved oligonucleotide-/oligosaccharide-binding (OB) domains of POT1, disrupting protein-telomere binding, leading to increased telomere length. Thus, POT1 variants predispose to melanoma formation via a direct effect on telomeres.