Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise CHAPEL HILL, NC You might resemble or act more like your mother, but a novel research study from UNC School of Medicine researchers reveals that mammals are genetically more like their dads. Specifically, the research shows that although we inherit equal amounts of genetic mutations from our parents the mutations that make us who we are and not some other person we actually use more of the DNA that we inherit from our dads. The research, published in the journal Nature Genetics, has wide implications for the study of human disease, especially when using mammalian research models. For instance, in many mouse models created for the study of gene expression related to disease, researchers typically dont take into account whether specific genetic expression originates from mothers or fathers. But the UNC research shows that inheriting a mutation has different consequences in mammals, depending on whether the genetic variant is inherited from the mother or father. This is an exceptional new research finding that opens the door to an entirely new area of exploration in human genetics, said Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, PhD, professor of genetics and senior author of the paper. Weve … Continue reading →

TIME Science Research Humans Are Genetically More Similar to Their Fathers, Study Finds Sorry mom Every parent wants their child to be just like them, but new research shows that dads may have an advantage at least from a genetic standpoint. According to a study by the University of North Carolinas School of Medicine and published in the journal Nature Genetics, mammals use more DNA from the father than the mother when undergoing mutations the genetic process that makes us who we are. The researchers, led by genetics professor and senior author Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, tested the genetic mutations of specially crossbred mice to see which mutations altered gene expression. Of the 80% that did, several hundred genes showed a genome-wide expression imbalance in favor of the dad, first author James Crowley told Science Daily. This imbalance resulted in offspring whose brain-gene expression was significantly more like their fathers. The authors believe a similar bias would exist for human subjects. Pardo-Manuel de Villena called the results an exceptional new research finding that opens the door to an entirely new area of exploration in human genetics. [Science Daily] Here is the original post: Humans Are Genetically More Similar to Their … Continue reading →