Opposite-Sex Parent's Genetic Impact on Health and Behavior

Parenting is not the only way moms and dads impact the behavior of their offspring. Genes matter, too. Most of our genes are inherited in pairs-one copy from each parent. However, according to new research from the lab of University of Utah Health researcher Christopher Gregg, PhD, each parent has their own genetic impact on hormones and neurotransmitters that control mood and behavior. Catecholamines, including dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, are hormones that have important effects on depression, addiction, obesity, and other major medical conditions. The Gregg lab made the surprising discovery that the maternally and paternally inherited gene copies of the enzymes that make catecholamines play different roles in offspring. The mother's gene copy is activated in specific brain cells, and the father's is active in subsets of cells in the adrenal gland. The study used new computer algorithms that make hundreds of measurements, finding that the mother's gene copy affects specific behaviors and hormones in sons, while the father's gene copy affects daughters. This study reveals important parental controls over sons and daughters.