title: Ecosensitivity and genetic polymorphism of somatic traits in the perinatal development of twins.
abstract: In view of criticism regarding the usefulness of heritability coefficients, the aim of this study was to analyze separately the information on genetic and environmental variability. Such an approach, based on the normalization of trait's variability for its value, is determined by the coefficients of genetic polymorphism (Pg) and ecosensitivity (De). The studied material included 1263 twin pairs of both sexes (among them 424 pairs of monozygotic twins and 839 pairs of dizygotic twins) born between the 22nd and 41st week of gestation. Variability of six somatic traits was analyzed. The zygosity of same-sex twins was determined based on the polymorphism of DNA from lymphocytes of the umbilical cord blood, obtained at birth. The coefficients of genetic polymorphism and ecosensitivity for analyzed traits of male and female twins born at various months of gestation were calculated. Our study revealed that a contribution of the genetic component predominated over that of the environmental component in determining the phenotypic variability of somatic traits of newborns from twin pregnancies. The genetically determined phenotypic variability in male twins was greater than in the females. The genetic polymorphism and ecosensitivity of somatic traits were relatively stable during the period of fetal ontogeny analyzed in this study. Only in the case of body weight, a slight increase in the genetic contribution of polygenes to the phenotypic variance could be observed with gestational age, along with a slight decrease in the influence of environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Anatomy, University School of Physical Education in Poznań, Królowej Jadwigi 27/39, 61-871 Poznań, Poland. Electronic address: malwasz@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waszak
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Anatomy, University School of Physical Education in Poznań, Królowej Jadwigi 27/39, 61-871 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cieślik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skrzypczak-Zielińska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Marlena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szalata
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, Wojska Polskiego 71b, 60-630 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wielgus
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynaecology in Poznan, University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-535 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kempiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynaecology in Poznan, University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-535 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bręborowicz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Słomski
mesh_terms: D049628:Body Size / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*