Dad’s genes build placenta: Study
14 Aug 2013 3:49 AM IST
Though placenta connects the foetus and mother, scientists have found that the organ grows according to blueprints from the father.
Cornell University researchers found that the genes in a foetus that come from the father dominate in building the foetal side of the placenta.
While genes work in pairs: one from each parent, about 1 per cent of mammalian genes choose sides, a phenomenon called genomic imprinting.
Imprinted genes use molecules that bind to DNA (epigenetic tags) to quiet one half and let the other lead.
In the study, the researchers discovered 78 new imprinted genes using horse-donkey hybrids.
‘This is the first study to offer an unbiased profile of novel imprinted genes in a mammal other than mice,’ said lead author Xu Wang, a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Andrew Clark, professor of molecular biology and genetics and the study's senior author.
The study was able to identify the parent-of-origin for 7,000 genes. Of those genes, transcriptome data from placental tissue found that 93 genes were imprinted.
Cornell University researchers found that the genes in a foetus that come from the father dominate in building the foetal side of the placenta.
While genes work in pairs: one from each parent, about 1 per cent of mammalian genes choose sides, a phenomenon called genomic imprinting.
Imprinted genes use molecules that bind to DNA (epigenetic tags) to quiet one half and let the other lead.
In the study, the researchers discovered 78 new imprinted genes using horse-donkey hybrids.
‘This is the first study to offer an unbiased profile of novel imprinted genes in a mammal other than mice,’ said lead author Xu Wang, a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Andrew Clark, professor of molecular biology and genetics and the study's senior author.
The study was able to identify the parent-of-origin for 7,000 genes. Of those genes, transcriptome data from placental tissue found that 93 genes were imprinted.
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