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Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming

Author

Listed:
  • Jenny Dongen

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Scott D. Gordon

    (Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer)

  • Allan F. McRae

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Veronika V. Odintsova

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Hamdi Mbarek

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Charles E. Breeze

    (Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences)

  • Karen Sugden

    (Duke University)

  • Sara Lundgren

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez

    (Kings College London)

  • Eilis Hannon

    (University of Exeter)

  • Terrie E. Moffitt

    (Duke University
    King’s College London)

  • Fiona A. Hagenbeek

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Catharina E. M. Beijsterveldt

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Jouke Hottenga

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Pei-Chien Tsai

    (Kings College London)

  • Josine L. Min

    (MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol
    University of Bristol)

  • Gibran Hemani

    (MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol
    University of Bristol)

  • Erik A. Ehli

    (Avera Institute for Human Genetics)

  • Franziska Paul

    (Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR)

  • Claudio D. Stern

    (University College London)

  • Bastiaan T. Heijmans

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • P. Eline Slagboom

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Lucia Daxinger

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Silvère M. Maarel

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Eco J. C. Geus

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Gonneke Willemsen

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

  • Grant W. Montgomery

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Bruno Reversade

    (Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR
    Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR
    KOC University, School of Medicine)

  • Miina Ollikainen

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Jaakko Kaprio

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Tim D. Spector

    (Kings College London)

  • Jordana T. Bell

    (Kings College London)

  • Jonathan Mill

    (University of Exeter)

  • Avshalom Caspi

    (Duke University
    King’s College London)

  • Nicholas G. Martin

    (Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer)

  • Dorret I. Boomsma

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute
    Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute)

Abstract

Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenny Dongen & Scott D. Gordon & Allan F. McRae & Veronika V. Odintsova & Hamdi Mbarek & Charles E. Breeze & Karen Sugden & Sara Lundgren & Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez & Eilis Hannon & Terrie E. Moffit, 2021. "Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25583-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric M. Nickels & Shaobo Li & Swe Swe Myint & Katti Arroyo & Qianxi Feng & Kimberly D. Siegmund & Adam J. de Smith & Joseph L. Wiemels, 2022. "DNA methylation at birth in monozygotic twins discordant for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Fiona A. Hagenbeek & Jana S. Hirzinger & Sophie Breunig & Susanne Bruins & Dmitry V. Kuznetsov & Kirsten Schut & Veronika V. Odintsova & Dorret I. Boomsma, 2023. "Maximizing the value of twin studies in health and behaviour," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(6), pages 849-860, June.

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