The “battle of the sexes” begins in the womb – study

Genes from both parents compete for nutrients as fetus grows, new research finds

Scientists have found that the proverbial “battle of the sexes” begins before birth, with “greedy” genes inherited from the father competing with those from the mother over how much nutrition a fetus should receive.

In a new study, published Monday in the journal Development Cell, researchers found that a “Tug of war” takes place between the genes of either parent in the womb once the fetus communicates its need for more nutrients by sending out a hormonal signal known as IGF2.

The study looked at why some babies have trouble growing properly in the womb. Between 10% and 15% of babies grow poorly in the womb, often showing reduced growth of blood vessels in the placenta. The researchers used genetically engineered mice, which are biologically similar to humans.

The team found that paternal genes respond to the IGF2 signal by dilating blood vessels in the placenta to increase nutrient supply. Meanwhile, the mother’s genes try to restrict this expansion.

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Too much IGF2 leads to overgrowth, while too little (caused by maternal gene dominance) is linked to too little growth – but both extremes are associated with health complications.

“One theory about imprinted genes is that paternally expressed genes are greedy and selfish. They want to extract as many resources as possible from the mother. But the genes expressed by the mother act as countermeasures to balance these demands ”, Lead author of the study, Miguel Constancia, said.

The father’s gene drives the fetus’ demands for larger blood vessels and more nutrients, while the mother’s gene in the placenta tries to control the amount of food it provides. There is a showdown going on, a battle of the sexes at the genome level.

However, the researchers say that this competition is actually a good thing as the genes balance each other out and make sure the fetus is getting the correct nutritional intake.

The team said their findings will help improve understanding of how the fetus, placenta and mother communicate with each other during pregnancy. This could lead to new ways of measuring IGF2 levels in the fetus and pave the way for the use of drugs to normalize these levels.

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