The genetics of asymmetry

  • Handedness is the most pronounced behavioral asymmetry in humans. Genome-wide association studies have largely failed to identify genetic loci associated with phenotypic variance in handedness, supporting the idea that the trait is determined by a multitude of small, possibly interacting genetic and non-genetic influences. However, these studies typically are not capable of detecting influences of rare mutations on handedness. Here, we used whole exome sequencing in a Turkish family with history of consanguinity and overrepresentation of left-handedness and performed quantitative trait analysis with handedness lateralization quotient as a phenotype. While rare variants on different loci showed significant association with the phenotype, none was functionally relevant for handedness. This finding was further confirmed by gene ontology group analysis. Taken together, our results add further evidence to the suggestion that there is no major gene or mutation that causes left-handedness.

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Author:Sebastian OcklenburgORCiDGND, Ceren BarutçuoğluGND, Adile Öniz ÖzgörenGND, Murat ÖzgörenGND, Esra ErdalGND, Dirk MoserORCiDGND, Judith SchmitzORCiDGND, Robert KumstaORCiDGND, Onur GüntürkünORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-58891
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/sym9050066
Parent Title (English):Symmetry
Subtitle (English):whole exome sequencing in a consanguineous Turkish family with an overrepresentation of left-handedness
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2018/07/10
Date of first Publication:2017/05/01
Publishing Institution:Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek
Tag:Open Access Fonds
consanguineous marriage; genetics; handedness; hemispheric asymmetries; ontogenesis
Volume:9
Issue:5
First Page:66-1
Last Page:66-11
Note:
Article Processing Charge funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
Institutes/Facilities:Institut für Kognitive Neurowissenschaft, Abteilung Biopsychologie
Dewey Decimal Classification:Philosophie und Psychologie / Psychologie
open_access (DINI-Set):open_access
faculties:Fakultät für Psychologie
Licence (English):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International