direct long-range DNA looping and interactions that facilitate the expression of specific PCDH-α, -β, and -γ gene mRNAs via alternative promoter usage.47–49, 56, 64 Targeted deletion of HS5-1 in mice reduced the expression of PCDHβ8 mRNA, which we observed to be associated with the rs31746*A risk allele.56 The position of rs31746 in a previously characterized and important regulatory element identifies it as a strong candidate for follow-up studies on molecular mechanisms linking the PCDH-α, -β, and -γ genes to NicW risk.
