6533b825fe1ef96bd1282976
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Epigenetic differences arise during the lifetime of monozygotic twins.
Manuel Boix-chornetMaria Luisa BallestarJavier BenitezYue Zhong WuEmma CarlssonManel EstellerFernando SetienChristoph PlassMario F. FragaZarko StephanMiguel UriosteDamia Heine-suñerPernille PoulsenAbel Sánchez-aguileraTim D. SpectorSantiago RoperoMaria F. PazJuan C. CigudosaEsteban BallestarCharlotte LingAllan Vaagsubject
AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyADNRestriction MappingTwinsMonozygotic twinX-inactivationEpigenesis GeneticHistonesX Chromosome InactivationSurveys and QuestionnairesGenotypemedicineHumansEpigeneticsOligonucleotide Array Sequence AnalysisGeneticsAnalysis of VarianceMultidisciplinarybiologyReverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionElectrophoresis CapillaryGene Expression Regulation DevelopmentalAcetylationNucleic acid amplification techniqueDNASequence Analysis DNATwins MonozygoticDNA MethylationExpressió gènicaFenotipHistonePhenotypeSpainDNA methylationbiology.protein5-MethylcytosineCommentaryMedical geneticsBessonsFemaleGene expressionNucleic Acid Amplification Techniquesdescription
Monozygous twins share a common genotype. However, most monozygotic twin pairs are not identical; several types of phenotypic discordance may be observed, such as differences in susceptibilities to disease and a wide range of anthropomorphic features. There are several possible explanations for these observations, but one is the existence of epigenetic differences. To address this issue, we examined the global and locus-specific differences in DNA methylation and histone acetylation of a large cohort of monozygotic twins. We found that, although twins are epigenetically indistinguishable during the early years of life, older monozygous twins exhibited remarkable differences in their overall content and genomic distribution of 5-methylcytosine DNA and histone acetylation, affecting their gene-expression portrait. These findings indicate how an appreciation of epigenetics is missing from our understanding of how different phenotypes can be originated from the same genotype.
year | journal | country | edition | language |
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2005-01-01 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |