Twin study highlights importance of both genetics and environment on gene activity

(University of Exeter) A study in PLOS Genetics used a unique cohort of over 700 pairs of twins to identify the factors influencing chemical modifications to DNA across the genome. The study compared found that epigenetic marks are more similar between identical twins -- highlighting the role of DNA sequence variation in regulating gene activity. Sites at which epigenetic variation is strongly linked to environmental exposures -- such as smoking and obesity - are also partly under genetic contro...