al mena: a comprehensive resource of human genetic variants integrating genomes and exomes from Arab, Middle Eastern and North African populations

Middle east and north africa (mena) encompass very unique populations, with a rich history and encompasses characteristic ethnic, linguistic and genetic diversity. the genetic diversity of mena region has been largely unknown. the recent availability of whole-exome and whole-genome sequences from the region has made it possible to collect population-specific allele frequencies. the integration of data sets from this region would provide insights into the landscape of genetic variants in this region. we integrated genetic variants from multiple data sets systematically, available from this region to create a compendium of over 26 million genetic variations. the variants were systematically annotated and their allele frequencies in the data sets were computed and available as a web interface which enables quick query. as a proof of principle for application of the compendium for genetic epidemiology, we analyzed the allele frequencies for variants in transglutaminase 1 (tgm1) gene, associated with autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis. our analysis revealed that the carrier frequency of selected variants differed widely with significant interethnic differences. to the best of our knowledge, al mena is the first and most comprehensive repertoire of genetic variations from the arab, middle eastern and north african region. we hope al mena would accelerate precision medicine in the region.