Genetics
Gender conflict among genes
Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified 30 genes that have a different impact, depending on whether we inherit them from our father or our mother.
The blood sugar test might only be necessary, if you inherited a specific gene from your father, not your mother. | Photo: Unsplash
We have two versions of almost every gene, one from each parent. And it is not always irrelevant which version comes from whom. For example, the same genetic variant promotes type 2 diabetes when it comes from the father, but protects against it when inherited from the mother. This phenomenon has been rarely studied, because data is lacking on genetic material passed on from parents to children. After analysing close relatives among more than 200,000 people in biobanks, researchers at the University of Lausanne have now discovered almost 30 new genetic variants that have varied effects of the above kind.
“Most of these genetic variants affect growth and metabolism, a pattern that we plan to investigate further,” says Robin Hofmeister, the lead author. The reasons for this presumably lie in an evolutionary conflict between the biological sexes: Fathers want big babies, while mothers want to save their resources for future offspring.
