Further studies on the genetics lefty

23/09/2013

Scientists from the universities of Oxford , St. Andrews , Bristol and the Max Plank Institute of Nijmegen in the Netherlands , have found correlations between being ambidextrous and a network of genes involved in the establishment of left-right asymmetry in embryos development.

" The genes are involved in the biological process by which an embryo develops from a group of cells to become a growing organism , with a left side and a right side set ," explains William Brandler , lead author of the research, in a statement from the University of Oxford .

The researchers suggest that genes may also help establish the differences between left and right in the brain , which in turn influences the use of hands . Their detailed findings have appeared in the journal PLoS Genetics.

Genetic variant in humans
Humans are the only species showing a trend so prevalent in the use of hands : about 90 % of people are right-handed . The cause of this bias remains largely a mystery.

The researchers, led by Silvia Paracchini , University of St Andrews (United Kingdom), were interested in understanding how genes could have an influence on this fact in order to get an idea of the causes and evolution of the use of hands.

The team conducted a genome-wide study to identify common genetic variants that can be correlated with the preferential use of either hand in individuals of our species.

They discovered that the gene variant more link ( most significant statistical relationship ) with that preference was located in the PCSK6 gene , involved in the early establishment of laterality in developing embryos .

A combination of

Although the team has defined itself in part the role of genes in the establishment of the propensity to use the left hand or right hand during embryo development , Brandler cautions that these results do not fully explain the variation of laterality .

" As with any other aspect of human behavior , nature and education go hand in hand . Development of laterality is derived from a combination of genetic , environmental and cultural pressure to conform to be clever ," he concludes .

References:

William M. Brandler , Andrew P. Morris, David M. Evans , Thomas S. Scerri , John P. Kemp , Nicholas J. Timpson, Beate St Pourcain , George Davey Smith , Susan M. Ring, John Stein , Anthony P. Monaco , Joel B. Talcott , Simon E. Fisher , Caleb Webber , Silvia Paracchini . Common Variants in Left / Right Asymmetry Genes and Pathways Are Associated with Relative Hand Skill. PLoS Genetics ( 2013 ) . DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.100375