title: Phenotypic outcomes of imprinted gene models in mice: elucidation of pre- and postnatal functions of imprinted genes.
abstract: Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process causing expression of a subset of genes in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. Among vertebrates, only therian mammals have been demonstrated to imprint, indicating that placentation and imprinting arose at similar time points in evolution and that imprinting may be involved in key mammal-specific processes. However, although several theories have been posited to explain the evolution of imprinting, each has shortcomings and none fully explains the wide variety of genes regulated by imprinting. In this review, we catalog the phenotypes associated with genetic mutation and overexpression at particular imprinted loci in order to consider the wide impact of imprinted genes on development. In addition to the well-described roles of imprinted genes in prenatal growth and placentation, more recent data emphasize that imprinted genes are critical for specific aspects of postnatal mammalian development involving adaptive processes, metabolism, and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research and.
authors.forename: Mary A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cleaton
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ferguson-Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016678:Genome; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype
keywords: behavior; genomic imprinting; growth; metabolism; placenta; postnatal adaptations; reproduction