GENOMIC IMPRINTING: PARENTAL INFLUENCE ON THE GENOME

Friday Seminar by Christopher Gregg
University of Utah, department of Neurobiology and Anatomy link

Genomic imprinting results in preferential expression of the paternal or maternal allele of certain genes. The Gregg group has performed a genome-wide characterization of imprinting in the mouse embryonic and adult brain. This approach uncovered parent-of-origin allelic effects of more than 1300 loci. They identified parental bias in the expression of individual genes and of specific transcript isoforms, with differences between brain regions. Many imprinted genes are expressed in neural systems associated with feeding and motivated behaviors, and parental biases preferentially target genetic pathways governing metabolism and cell adhesion. We observed a preferential maternal contribution to gene expression in the developing brain and a major paternal contribution in the adult brain. Thus, parental expression bias emerges as a major mode of epigenetic regulation in the brain.

DISCUSSION PAPER: Gregg C, Zhang J, Haig D, Dulac C.  (2010) High-Resolution analysis of Parent-of-Oritin Allelic Expression in the Mouse Brain. Science, 329:643.

for review see: Reik W, Walter J (2001) Genomic imprinting: Parental influence on the genome. Nat. Rev. Genet. 2:21

for more info see: Keverne et al (2001) Genomic imprinting and the differential roles of parental genomes in brain development. Developmental Brain Res 91:92-100.

for even more see: Keverne et al (1996) Genomic imprinting, Maternal Care and Brain evolution. Hormones and Behavior 40:146-155.