KIBRA Gene Variant Is Associated with Ability in Chess and Science

Ildus I Ahmetov; Elena V Valeeva; Meruert B Yerdenova; Gaukhar K Datkhabayeva; Amal Bouzid; Poorna Manasa Bhamidimarri; Liliya M Sharafetdinova; Emiliya S Egorova; Ekaterina A Semenova; Leysan J Gabdrakhmanova; Rinat A Yusupov; Andrey K Larin; Nikolay A Kulemin; Edward V Generozov; Rifat Hamoudi; Almira M Kustubayeva; Tim Rees

doi:10.3390/genes14010204

KIBRA Gene Variant Is Associated with Ability in Chess and Science

Genes (Basel). 2023 Jan 13;14(1):204. doi: 10.3390/genes14010204.

Authors

Ildus I Ahmetov^{1

2

3

4}, Elena V Valeeva², Meruert B Yerdenova⁵, Gaukhar K Datkhabayeva⁶, Amal Bouzid⁷, Poorna Manasa Bhamidimarri⁷, Liliya M Sharafetdinova², Emiliya S Egorova², Ekaterina A Semenova^{3

8}, Leysan J Gabdrakhmanova², Rinat A Yusupov⁹, Andrey K Larin³, Nikolay A Kulemin³, Edward V Generozov³, Rifat Hamoudi^{7

10}, Almira M Kustubayeva⁶, Tim Rees¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 5AF, UK.
² Laboratory of Genetics of Aging and Longevity, Kazan State Medical University, 420012 Kazan, Russia.
³ Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
⁴ Department of Physical Education, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, 115093 Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
⁶ Department of Biophysics, Biomedicine and Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
⁷ Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
⁸ Research Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, Volga Region State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism, 420138 Kazan, Russia.
⁹ Department of Physical Culture and Sport, Kazan National Research Technical University Named after A.N. Tupolev-KAI, 420111 Kazan, Russia.
¹⁰ Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK.
¹¹ Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Science, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth BH12 5BB, UK.

Abstract

The kidney and brain expressed protein (KIBRA) plays an important role in synaptic plasticity. Carriers of the T allele of the KIBRA (WWC1) gene rs17070145 C/T polymorphism have been reported to have enhanced spatial ability and to outperform individuals with the CC genotype in working memory tasks. Since ability in chess and science is directly related to spatial ability and working memory, we hypothesized that the KIBRA T allele would be positively associated with chess player status and PhD status in science. We tested this hypothesis in a study involving 2479 individuals (194 chess players, 119 PhD degree holders in STEM fields, and 2166 controls; 1417 males and 1062 females) from three ethnicities (236 Kazakhs, 1583 Russians, 660 Tatars). We found that frequencies of the T allele were significantly higher in Kazakh (66.9 vs. 55.1%; p = 0.024), Russian (44.8 vs. 32.0%; p = 0.0027), and Tatar (51.5 vs. 41.8%; p = 0.035) chess players compared with ethnically matched controls (meta-analysis for CT/TT vs. CC: OR = 2.05, p = 0.0001). In addition, none of the international chess grandmasters (ranked among the 80 best chess players in the world) were carriers of the CC genotype (0 vs. 46.3%; OR = 16.4, p = 0.005). Furthermore, Russian and Tatar PhD holders had a significantly higher frequency of CT/TT genotypes compared with controls (meta-analysis: OR = 1.71, p = 0.009). Overall, this is the first study to provide comprehensive evidence that the rs17070145 C/T polymorphism of the KIBRA gene may be associated with ability in chess and science, with the T allele exerting a beneficial effect.

Keywords: DNA; PhD; analytical ability; athletes; chess; education; intelligence; memory; mind sports; scientists.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Genotype
Heterozygote
Humans
Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
Male
Memory, Short-Term
Phosphoproteins* / genetics
Polymorphism, Genetic*

Substances

Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Phosphoproteins
WWC1 protein, human

Grants and funding

The Kazakhstan part of the study was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (grant no. AP08856595: “EEG/MRI studies of brain development, emotional-cognitive functions and their genetic markers in different age groups”). The UAE part of the study (targeted sequencing) was funded by University of Sharjah (grant no. AI-foL-2201) and ASPIRE AD PM ARI Project VRI-20-10 grant.