The MCTFR GWAS sample is large, > 8400, deeply phenotyped and longitudinally informative. We recently demonstrated the developmental utility of the MCTFR GWAS sample using height as a proof of principle (Vrieze et al., 2011). Specifically, we used 176 SNP height variants identified in the GIANT consortium (H.L. Allen, 2010) to create a polygenic score that accounted for 9.2% of adult height variance in our sample (comparable to the 10.5% accounted for in the original study). When the polygenic score was investigated longitudinally, however, we were able to show that almost all of its effect was on pre-pubertal height; i.e., it was not significantly predictive of pubertal growth spurt. As consortia publish findings from pooled GWAS for other phenotypes, the rich longitudinal assessments in the MCTFR will allow us to similarly characterize these effects developmentally. The MCTFR also includes a rich assessment of environmental risk and protective factors (Hicks, South, DiRago, Iacono, & McGue, 2009), which will provide an opportunity to explore genotype-environment interaction effects as findings emerge from GWAS consortia.
