Genomic imprinting--defusing the ovarian time bomb.

Trends in genetics : TIG ·Vol. 10 ·No. 4 ·1994-04-00 ·Pages 118-23

Varmuza S, Mann M

Abstract

Why do mammals imprint their parental genomes? Imprinting is seen in many phyla, but that in mammals is by far the most dramatic. Is there something peculiar to mammals that calls for such a striking phenomenon? We propose that imprinting is a device that protects female mammals from the potential ravages of ovarian trophoblast disease. Without imprinting, the ovarian teratomas that frequently arise from parthenogenetically activated oocytes in situ might be capable of forming malignant trophoblast. An allele that favored imprinting would spread rapidly because of the great increase in fitness associated with suppressing a lethal cancer of females.

Related Genes

-->T<up>hp</up> H19 Igf2 Igf2r Snrpn

MeSH Terms

Alleles Animals Choriocarcinoma/genetics Embryonic and Fetal Development/genetics Female Gene Expression Regulation/physiology Humans Male Mammals/genetics Methylation Mice Models, Biological Oocytes/pathology Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics Parents Parthenogenesis Phenotype Pregnancy Selection, Genetic Teratoma/genetics Testicular Neoplasms/genetics Trophoblastic Neoplasms/genetics Uterine Neoplasms/genetics

Authors & Affiliations

2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Varmuza S

Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Mann M

Article Info

Journal

Trends in genetics : TIG

Abbr.

Trends Genet

ISSN

0168-9525

DOI

10.1016/0168-9525(94)90212-7

Published

1994-04-00

Pages

118-23

Language

English

Region

England

NLM ID

8507085

Subset

Corrections

CommentIn

PMID: 7848486

CommentIn

PMID: 7985237

CommentIn

PMID: 7985238

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1016/0168-9525(94)90212-7 View journal details

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Genomic imprinting--defusing the ovarian time bomb.

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