If DNA is the instruction manual, we just opened a big second volume
The findings of a new study imply that genome-wide association studies — an increasingly popular kind of study that looks for the genetic variants linked to diseases — may be missing a significant fraction of heritable variation because that variation is not in the sequence
Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered that certain inherited traits in the mouse genome deviate from the traditional rules of inheritance established by Gregor Mendel in the 19th century. Instead of genes following Mendel's predictions, these traits appear to be influenced by chemical modifications to the genome that can be passed down through generations.
These modifications can vary depending on whether an animal is male or female and can even duplicate themselves within a gene. The study's findings were published in Nature Genetics. The researchers emphasize that these changes, rather than mutations in the genes themselves, are responsible for the observed variations in inherited traits.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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