A functional variant that affects exon-skipping and protein expression of SP140 as genetic mechanism predisposing to multiple sclerosis

Several variants in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) at the SP140 locus have been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn's disease (CD) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To determine the causal polymorphism, we have integrated high-density data sets of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), using GEUVADIS RNA sequences and 1000 Genomes genotypes, with MS-risk variants of the high-density Immunochip array performed by the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetic Consortium (IMSGC). The variants most associated with MS were also correlated with a decreased expression of the full-length RNA isoform of SP140 and an increase of an isoform lacking exon 7. By exon splicing assay, we have demonstrated that the rs28445040 variant was the causal factor for skipping of exon 7. Western blots of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from MS patients showed a significant allele-dependent reduction of the SP140 protein expression. To confirm the association of this functional variant with MS and to compare it with the best-associated variant previously reported by GWAS (rs10201872), a case-control study including 4384 MS patients and 3197 controls was performed. Both variants, in strong LD (r(2) = 0.93), were found similarly associated with MS [P-values, odds ratios: 1.9E-9, OR = 1.35 (1.22-1.49) and 4.9E-10, OR = 1.37 (1.24-1.51), respectively]. In conclusion, our data uncover the causal variant for the SP140 locus and the molecular mechanism associated with MS risk. In addition, this study and others previously reported strongly suggest that this functional variant may be shared with other immune-mediated diseases as CD and CLL.