Study finds, ‘greedy’ genes from father encourage unborn babies to steal their mother’s food
A new mice study from the University of Cambridge (UC) reveals that during pregnancy, a fetus tries to suck in as many nutrients as possible from its mother, and unique “greedy genes” from the father helps the fetus do so.
A pregnant woman’s body has to feed the unborn baby, but at the same time, it also needs to ensure her well-being. Plus, a baby which becomes over-healthy is also challenging to give birth to, and therefore, genes from the mother tend to limit fetal growth.
On the other side, genes from the father side “are ‘greedy’ and ‘selfish’ and will tend to manipulate maternal resources for the benefit of the fetuses, so to grow them big and fittest,” said Dr. Miguel Constancia, co-senior study author and an associate professor in reproductive biology at UC.
These exciting findings shed light on how the genes inherited from the father in the placenta (a temporary organ that develops inside the females during pregnancy to nourish their fetus) remote-control a mother’s metabolism.
The greedy gene mechanism
While greedy genes promote fetal growth, the genes from the mother keep a check on them by allocating nutrients to the fetus in a limited manner. To understand the significance of this mechanism in detail, the researchers performed an interesting experiment.
They deleted a gene named Igf2 from the placenta of pregnant mice. This gene ensures proper growth and development of fetal tissues.
The absence of Igf2 expression negatively affected the release of insulin-like growth factor 2 protein, which is responsible for glucose production. Plus, it also affected the hormones that controlled the release of insulin from the pancreas and influenced liver activity. This one gene in the placenta had the power to change the mother’s metabolism.
“If the function of Igf2 from the father is switched off in signaling cells, the mother doesn’t make enough amounts of glucose and lipids – fats – available in her circulation. These nutrients therefore reach the fetus in insufficient amounts and the fetus doesn’t grow properly,” said Dr. Jorge Lopez-Tello, lead study author.
The researchers claim that deficiency of the Igf2 gene could lead to overgrown or undergrown babies. The mice born to mothers with placentas lacking the Igf2 gene showed symptoms of diabetes, and as they grew, they became obese.
These results highlight that Igf2 plays a vital role in allocating nutrients from mother to fetus, and this allocation mechanism plays a crucial role in ensuring the optimal health of the offspring.
The UC team will continue their research. They are currently studying how Igf2 influences placental hormones and how changing the chemistry of these hormones could benefit the health of mothers and fetuses.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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Study finds, ‘greedy’ genes from father encourage unborn babies to steal their mother’s food