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MRC Capacity Building Studentship: Getting the balance of imprinted genes right

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000M978
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Gavin Kelsey
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	47,093
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2004
End date	31/07/2009
Duration	58 months

Abstract

We inherit a set of genes from our mother and from our father. For most genes, both copies are equally active irrespective of their parentage, however, imprinted genes are an exception because only one copy of these genes is normally active. Why this should be is not well understood, but the balance of imprinted genes from our mothers and fathers seems to be important for growth of babies in the womb and in how well infants thrive. We have identified a pair of imprinted genes, one active on maternally-derived chromosomes and one active on paternally-derived chromosomes, which are important in determining metabolism from birth and into adulthood. These two genes appear to act as competitors in certain physiological processes, and we shall investigate how modulating the activity of one or other controls metabolism. The balance of activity of certain imprinted genes may therefore have a lifelong influence on our wellbeing, for example, in predisposing to diabetes and obesity.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Diet and Health
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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