Whole genome sequence analysis of pulmonary function and COPD in 44,287 multi-ancestry participants

Background: Whole genome sequence (WGS) data in multi-ancestry samples supports discovery of low-frequency or population-specific genetic variants associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung function. Results: We performed single variant, structural variant, and gene-based analysis of pulmonary function (FEV₁, FVC and FEV₁/FVC) and COPD case–control status in 44,287 multi-ancestry participants from the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program. We validated findings using the UK Biobank and assessed implicated genes using lung single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data sets. Applying a genome-wide significance threshold (P < 5 × 10^–9), we replicated known loci and identified novel associations near LY86, MAGI1, GRK7, and LINC02668. Colocalization with gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) from the Lung Tissue Research Consortium highlighted known candidate genes including ADAM19, THSD4, C4B, and PSMA4, which were not identified through other eQTL sources. Multi-ancestry analysis improved fine-mapping resolution (e.g., HTR4 and RIN3). Gene-based analysis identified and replicated HMCN1. In human lung scRNA-seq data sets, lung epithelial cells and immune cell types showed enriched expression, while fibroblasts showed higher expression for HMCN1. CRISPR targeting HMCN1 in IMR90 demonstrated reduced expression of collagen genes. Conclusions: Large-scale multi-ancestry WGS analysis improves variant discovery and fine-mapping resolution for lung function and COPD and highlights biologically relevant genes and pathways.