An international group of specialists has discovered a new phenomenon that occurs in identical twins. They share an increased level of molecular similarities that inflects their biological traits.
'' The features of a person do not depend only on the genes they inherit from their parents, but also on epigenetics, which refers to the molecular mechanisms that determine genes that are active and inactive from different cell types. If we imagine that a person's DNA is similar to a computer system, epigenetics is the software that determines what the computer can do, "said author Robert A. Waterland.
According to Science Daily, epigenetics works by adding or removing chemical fingerprints from the genes to indicate how they are used in different cell types. One of the most important fingerprints is one that plays an important role in the development of cancer, called the methyl chemical group. Waterland and colleagues studied a group of genes called metastable epialle. Previous studies have shown that methyl fingerprints create links with metastable epialleles during the early development of the embryo.
The identical twins are formed at the beginning of the embryonic formation, they eventually develop into two distinct beings. The author of the study proposed and tested a simple model of epigenetic supersession. "If in this group of genes the epigenetic markers are established before the embryo divides, then the markers are the same for both. Essentially, both twins inherit the same molecules. In the second case, if markers are established after the embryonic division, there will be more clear epigenetic differences in the case of twins, "Waterland said.
The study shows that, on an epigenetic level, identical twins share much more similarities than previously thought. "Our findings suggest a reassessment of previous research on twins," said Waterland.
source:descopera.ro