GWASs Identify Genetic Loci Associated with Human Scalp Hair Whorl Direction

Junyu Luo, He Huang, Hui Qiao, Jingze Tan, Wenyan Chen, Manfei Zhang, Andrés Ruiz-Linares, Jiucun Wang, Yajun Yang, Li Jin, Denis J Headon, Sijia Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

A hair whorl is a patch of hair growing in a circular pattern around a point specified by hair follicle (HF) orientations (Ziering and Krenitsky, 2003). As an easily observed human trait, established between 10 and 16 weeks of gestation (Smith and Gong, 1973), scalp hair whorl pattern is typically defined by the whorl number (single or double whorl) and whorl direction (e.g., clockwise, counterclockwise, or diffuse) (Ziering and Krenitsky, 2003). Because atypical whorl patterns have been observed in patients with abnormal neurological development (Smith and Gong, 1973), understanding the genetic basis of whorl patterns may help to unravel important biological processes. Because the clockwise or counterclockwise direction of a single whorl is highly stable within an individual and varies considerably between individuals and populations (Ziering and Krenitsky, 2003), it is the most likely feature to yield insight into the embryology and development of the whorl.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2065-2068.e10
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Investigative Dermatology
Volume143
Issue number10
Early online date9 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023

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