Who You Inherit From Matters: New Genetic Study Uncovers Parent-Specific Effects
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A groundbreaking study led by the SIB Statistical Genetics Group (University of Lausanne and Unisanté) reveals that the same genetic variant can affect traits like height, metabolism, and disease risk differently depending on whether it’s inherited from the mother or father.
Using a new computational method, researchers analyzed DNA from over 236,000 individuals across three biobanks (UK, Estonia, Norway). They discovered 30+ genetic variants with parent-of-origin effects (POEs), including 19 “bi-polar” variants with opposing effects depending on the parent of origin.
These POEs were primarily linked to growth and metabolism traits (e.g., BMI, blood lipids), offering some of the strongest evidence yet for the “parental conflict” hypothesis—a theory that maternal and paternal genes may compete over resource allocation during development.
The findings open new perspectives on the genetics of diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions, and suggest POEs may be especially relevant in early-life and developmental disorders.
The study’s computational method is now publicly available, potentially transforming future genetic research.
➡️ Source: SIB | 📸 ©Stephanie Pratt / Pixabay