Feb 03, 2016 10:23 PM EST By Rashmi Kalia, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new genome-wide association study (GWAS) published by the personal genetics company 23andMe suggests that a range of genetic variants is associated with being a morning person, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News reports.

"Some circadian rhythm genes we identified have been studied in model organisms, but much less so in humans," noted co-author David Hinds, Ph.D., principal scientist, and statistical geneticist at 23andMe, according to the Verge.  

Hinds and his team found that the variants that could be used to predict people's circadian rhythms were located in 15 regions of the genome. 

"We also identified new genes that have not previously been associated with sleep behavior."

The study involved 90,000 people who had their genomes sequenced by 23andMe which led to the identification of 15 versions of genes that are linked to reports of being an early or a late riser, as reported by Sciencealert.

"In this study we set out to discover more about an individual's preference toward early rising and were able to identify the genetic associations with 'morningness' as well as ties to lifestyle patterns and other traits," explained lead study author  Youna Hu, Ph.D., formerly a data sciences engineer at 23andMe at the time the research was being conducted.

"This type of study speaks to the power of the 23andMe database, which can yield genetic insights into a variety of conditions and traits, and potentially how those genetic factors are affected by behavior and environment."

The findings from this study were published recently in Nature Communications through an article entitled "GWAS of 89,283 individuals identifies genetic variants associated with self-reporting of being a morning person."

"Circadian rhythms are a nearly universal feature of living organisms and affect almost every biological process. Our innate preference for mornings or evenings is determined by the phase of our circadian rhythms," the authors wrote.

"We conducted a genome-wide association analysis of self-reported morningness, followed by analyses of biological pathways and related phenotypes. We identify 15 significantly associated loci, including seven near established circadian genes."

The researchers found seven within or near genes previously identified to have an important role in determining the circadian rhythms.

For the study, the researchers used the vast customer DNA database and studied more than 89,000 genomes, identifying loci near genes that are associated with morningness, such as HCRTR2 (linked to narcolepsy), FBXL3 (shown to have extended circadian period), and VIP (found to prolong REM sleep).

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