Annotation of novel HR-SNVs or their close proxies, eQTL analyses and long-range chromatin interactions in heart tissue reveal new potential causal candidate HR genes (Supplementary Material, Tables S10 and S12). At the SEC31B locus there is a predicted damaging non-synonymous variant in SEC31B, and SNVs at this locus are also significantly associated with SEC31B expression levels. Although its precise function is unknown, the SEC31B gene encodes SEC31 homolog B, a COPII coat complex component. SEC31B has been proposed to function in vesicle budding, and cargo export from the endoplasmic reticulum (24). The gene is ubiquitously expressed at low levels, but there are higher levels of expression in the cerebellum. There are 13 transcripts, and thus several predicted SEC31B proteins. The major isoform is 129 kDa, but the HR-associated non-synonymous SNV maps to all SEC31B transcripts. There are no existing mouse models, and the predicted protein does not directly interact with other proteins or pathways currently recognized as being important to HR. Chromatin interactions in heart tissue indicate SCD and SLF2 as two other candidate genes for consideration at this locus.
