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The state of a child's genome depends on the quality of maternal care
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
A child's early impressions are directly related to the behavior of his mother, and this influence is much more profound than we all think. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from the Salk Institute.
First of all, Dr. Tracy Bedrosian, together with other scientists, began to study the relationship between a stressful situation and the state of retrotransposons. Transposons are unique sequences in DNA that are capable of self-copying: sometimes they are called mobile gene components, or "jumping DNA." Transposons are diverse and differ in the copying pattern. Retrotransposons are one of such numerous variants.
A transposon does not affect the state of the cellular structure when self-copying in those areas of DNA that are not involved in coding. However, its penetration into the coding can lead to a disruption in the functioning of the gene, as well as to multiple problems in the cell.
Previously, there were assumptions that the state of transposons and their active "jumping" depended on the presence of stress: there was evidence that maternal stress affected the activity of transposons in children at the stage of intrauterine development. The following experiments were conducted: pregnant female rodents were placed in different enclosures - either in uncomfortable and half-empty ones, or in light and comfortable ones. Scientists noticed that the transposons in rodents really began to differ: the genome of the first group contained more copies of L1, and in the second - less. But it turned out that the state of sequences is affected not only by stress in the expectant mother.
Specialists continued their observations and noticed: the state also depended on how the female cared for the newborn babies. When the mother carefully cleaned and licked the babies, did not leave them for a second, then the babies had a smaller number of copied transposons in the hippocampus - compared to those who were deprived of maternal care. The genome of the cubs deprived of maternal affection had an interesting feature: the DNA zone before the L1 transposon (where the RNA-synthesizing proteins should bind) was easily accessible.
Typically, cells turn off transposons, causing the gene to go dormant. Since poorly cared-for rodent pups lacked the methylating enzyme, epigenetic surveillance deteriorated and the gene "woke up."
Researchers believe that the cause of this phenomenon is tactile sensation. When a female licks and strokes her child, the skin signals and transmits impulses at the molecular level.
Next, scientists must answer numerous questions: how will this change manifest itself, will it affect the development of the pups, will it affect their behavior?
Let's wait for the results of new studies.
You can read more about the experiment in the Science article (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6382/1395).