Integrative Analyses Reveal as a Potential Modulator of HDL Cholesterol and Mitochondrial Function in Mice.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are closely associated with human health and diseases. To identify genes modulating plasma HDL levels, we integrated HDL measurements and multi-omics data collected from diverse mouse cohorts and combined a list of systems genetics methods, including quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping analysis, mediation analysis, transcriptome-wide association analysis (TWAS), and correlation analysis. We confirmed a significant and conserved QTL for plasma HDL on chromosome 1 and identified that liver transcript correlates with plasma HDL in several independent mouse cohorts, suggesting may be a potential modulator of plasma HDL levels. Correlation analysis using over 70 transcriptomics datasets in humans and mice revealed consistent correlations between and genes known to be involved in cholesterol and HDL regulation. Consistent with strong enrichment in gene sets related to cholesterol and lipoproteins in the liver, mouse strains with high exhibited higher plasma levels of HDL, total cholesterol and other lipid markers. GeneBridge using large-scale expression datasets identified conserved and positive associations between and mitochondrial pathways, as well as cholesterol and lipid pathways in human, mouse and rat. In summary, we identified as a new modulator of plasma HDL and mitochondrial function through integrative systems analyses, and proposed a new mechanism of HDL modulation and a potential therapeutic target for relevant diseases. This study highlights the value of such integrative approaches in revealing molecular mechanisms of complex traits or diseases.