In addition to the CAD locus, we highlighted RPS26 as a candidate susceptibility gene for T1D from a novel, highly replicated T1D locus on Chromosome 12q13, which was identified in a separate GWAS [15]. Not only was the expression of this gene in the HLC strongly associated with the T1D SNP at this locus, but it was observed to operate in a part of the molecular network that is significantly enriched for genes associated with T1D (like HLA-DRB1), whereas the gene inferred as the most likely susceptibility gene at that locus (ERBB3) [15] was not supported by any of our experimental data. Recent studies have demonstrated that ribosomal proteins may be involved in auto-immune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus [36]. In addition, recent work has demonstrated a connection between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the cytoplasm and diabetes, where protein unfolding in response to ER stress is hypothesized to disrupt processes associated with diabetes [37]. Given RPS26's protein translation role as part of the ribosomal complex on the ER, its association to T1D is particularly intriguing. The unfolded protein response
