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Phenotypic differences in genetically identical organisms: the epigenetic perspective.

Albert H C Wong1, Irving I Gottesman, Arturas Petronis

  • 1The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Human Molecular Genetics
|April 6, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Genetically identical individuals often show different traits, challenging the role of environment alone. Epigenetic factors offer a new explanation for these phenotypic differences in identical organisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics and Epigenetics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Complex Disease Etiology

Background:

  • Monozygotic twins and inbred organisms, despite identical DNA, exhibit phenotypic discordance for complex diseases.
  • Environmental factors are traditionally cited as the primary cause of these variations.
  • Existing explanations may be insufficient, necessitating a re-evaluation of phenotypic variation causes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of epigenetic factors in explaining phenotypic differences in genetically identical organisms.
  • To challenge the overemphasis on environmental influences in developmental and disease outcomes.
  • To propose a revised framework for understanding the molecular control of phenotype.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing twin and inbred animal study data.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Theoretical exploration of epigenetic mechanisms.
  • Analysis of experimental evidence suggesting limitations of environmental impact.

    • Main Results:

    • Evidence suggests the impact of environment on phenotypic variation may be overstated.
    • Epigenetic mechanisms provide a plausible explanation for discordance in genetically identical individuals.
    • Phenotypic differences can arise without apparent environmental differences, and vice versa.

    Conclusions:

    • Epigenetic factors are crucial for understanding phenotypic variation in genetically identical organisms.
    • A paradigm shift is needed, incorporating epigenetics into the study of phenotype and disease.
    • Future research should focus on epigenetic mechanisms to unravel complex trait determination.