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Effect of Epigenetic Differences in Identical Twins

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Book cover Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics

Abstract

Monozygotic (MZ) twins are an ideal model for scientific research since many of the confounding factors associated with most human studies, such as DNA sequence and environment, can be eliminated. Although MZ twins are genetically identical, they typically display some level of phenotypic discordance. With the emergence of the study of epigenetics, scientists have hypothesized that differences in epigenetic marks may account for some phenotypic discordance in MZ twins. Comparative analysis of the epigenomes of MZ twins discordant for disease, including cancer, obesity, and diabetes, has led to the identification of epigenetic modifications, including changes in DNA methylation, histone marks, and differences in microRNA expression, that may contribute to the disease phenotype. Following identification of these changes, researchers are working to elucidate both the cause and the potential mechanism by which these modifications may lead to disease. Understanding how epigenetic modifications drive changes in phenotype using MZ twin studies may serve as a powerful tool in identifying new experimental opportunities in health and disease.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Alzheimer’s disease

AML:

Acute myeloid leukemia

ART:

Assisted reproductive technology

BPA:

Bisphenol A

BWS:

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome

CNV:

Copy number variation

CRF:

Corticotrophin-releasing factor

CRISPR:

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat

DZ:

Dizygotic

ICM:

Inner cell mass

MZ:

Monozygotic

SNP:

Single nucleotide polymorphism

SZ:

Schizophrenia

TALEN:

Transcription activator-like effector nuclease

T1D:

Type 1 diabetes

T2D:

Type 2 diabetes

ZFN:

Zinc finger nuclease

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Tanya L. Schwab

  2. Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Tara L. Hogenson

Authors
  1. Tanya L. Schwab
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  2. Tara L. Hogenson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tara L. Hogenson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

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Schwab, T.L., Hogenson, T.L. (2019). Effect of Epigenetic Differences in Identical Twins. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_65

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_65

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55530-0

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