Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming

Jenny van Dongen; Scott D. Gordon; Allan F. McRae; Veronika V. Odintsova; Hamdi Mbarek; Charles E. Breeze; Karen Sugden; Sara Lundgren; Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez; Eilis Hannon; Terrie E. Moffitt; Fiona A. Hagenbeek; Catharina E.M. van Beijsterveldt; Jouke Jan Hottenga; Pei Chien Tsai; Jenny van Dongen; Jouke Jan Hottenga; Allan F. McRae; Karen Sugden; Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez; Eilis Hannon; Terrie E. Moffitt; Jouke Jan Hottenga; Eco J.C. de Geus; Timothy D. Spector; Josine L. Min; Gibran Hemani; Erik A. Ehli; Franziska Paul; Claudio D. Stern; Bastiaan T. Heijmans; P. Eline Slagboom; Lucia Daxinger; Silvère M. van der Maarel; Eco J.C. de Geus; Gonneke Willemsen; Grant W. Montgomery; Bruno Reversade; Miina Ollikainen; Jaakko Kaprio; Tim D. Spector; Jordana T. Bell; Jonathan Mill; Avshalom Caspi; Nicholas G. Martin; Dorret I. Boomsma

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming

Jenny van Dongen, Scott D. Gordon, Allan F. McRae, Veronika V. Odintsova, Hamdi Mbarek, Charles E. Breeze, Karen Sugden, Sara Lundgren, Juan E. Castillo-Fernandez, Eilis Hannon, Terrie E. Moffitt, Fiona A. Hagenbeek, Catharina E.M. van Beijsterveldt, Jouke Jan Hottenga, Pei Chien Tsai, Jenny van Dongen, Jouke Jan Hottenga, Allan F. McRae, Karen Sugden, Juan E. Castillo-FernandezEilis Hannon, Terrie E. Moffitt, Jouke Jan Hottenga, Eco J.C. de Geus, Timothy D. Spector, Josine L. Min, Gibran Hemani, Erik A. Ehli, Franziska Paul, Claudio D. Stern, Bastiaan T. Heijmans, P. Eline Slagboom, Lucia Daxinger, Silvère M. van der Maarel, Eco J.C. de Geus, Gonneke Willemsen, Grant W. Montgomery, Bruno Reversade, Miina Ollikainen, Jaakko Kaprio, Tim D. Spector, Jordana T. Bell, Jonathan Mill, Avshalom Caspi, Nicholas G. Martin, Dorret I. Boomsma

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7
State	Published - Dec 1 2021
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Chemistry
General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

Cite this

van Dongen, J., Gordon, S. D., McRae, A. F., Odintsova, V. V., Mbarek, H., Breeze, C. E., Sugden, K., Lundgren, S., Castillo-Fernandez, J. E., Hannon, E., Moffitt, T. E., Hagenbeek, F. A., van Beijsterveldt, C. E. M., Jan Hottenga, J., Tsai, P. C., van Dongen, J., Hottenga, J. J., McRae, A. F., Sugden, K., ... Boomsma, D. I. (2021). Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

@article{1faeeb27e9954137a5b4f2831054934d,

title = "Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming",

abstract = "Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.",

author = "{van Dongen}, Jenny and Gordon, {Scott D.} and McRae, {Allan F.} and Odintsova, {Veronika V.} and Hamdi Mbarek and Breeze, {Charles E.} and Karen Sugden and Sara Lundgren and Castillo-Fernandez, {Juan E.} and Eilis Hannon and Moffitt, {Terrie E.} and Hagenbeek, {Fiona A.} and {van Beijsterveldt}, {Catharina E.M.} and {Jan Hottenga}, Jouke and Tsai, {Pei Chien} and {van Dongen}, Jenny and Hottenga, {Jouke Jan} and McRae, {Allan F.} and Karen Sugden and Castillo-Fernandez, {Juan E.} and Eilis Hannon and Moffitt, {Terrie E.} and Hottenga, {Jouke Jan} and {de Geus}, {Eco J.C.} and Spector, {Timothy D.} and Min, {Josine L.} and Gibran Hemani and Ehli, {Erik A.} and Franziska Paul and Stern, {Claudio D.} and Heijmans, {Bastiaan T.} and Slagboom, {P. Eline} and Lucia Daxinger and {van der Maarel}, {Silv{\`e}re M.} and {de Geus}, {Eco J.C.} and Gonneke Willemsen and Montgomery, {Grant W.} and Bruno Reversade and Miina Ollikainen and Jaakko Kaprio and Spector, {Tim D.} and Bell, {Jordana T.} and Jonathan Mill and Avshalom Caspi and Martin, {Nicholas G.} and Boomsma, {Dorret I.}",

note = "Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2023-02-15",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "12",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

van Dongen, J, Gordon, SD, McRae, AF, Odintsova, VV, Mbarek, H, Breeze, CE, Sugden, K, Lundgren, S, Castillo-Fernandez, JE, Hannon, E, Moffitt, TE, Hagenbeek, FA, van Beijsterveldt, CEM, Jan Hottenga, J, Tsai, PC, van Dongen, J, Hottenga, JJ, McRae, AF, Sugden, K, Castillo-Fernandez, JE, Hannon, E, Moffitt, TE, Hottenga, JJ, de Geus, EJC, Spector, TD, Min, JL, Hemani, G, Ehli, EA, Paul, F, Stern, CD, Heijmans, BT, Slagboom, PE, Daxinger, L, van der Maarel, SM, de Geus, EJC, Willemsen, G, Montgomery, GW, Reversade, B, Ollikainen, M, Kaprio, J, Spector, TD, Bell, JT, Mill, J, Caspi, A, Martin, NG & Boomsma, DI 2021, 'Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming', Nature Communications, vol. 12, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming

AU - van Dongen, Jenny

AU - Gordon, Scott D.

AU - McRae, Allan F.

AU - Odintsova, Veronika V.

AU - Mbarek, Hamdi

AU - Breeze, Charles E.

AU - Sugden, Karen

AU - Lundgren, Sara

AU - Castillo-Fernandez, Juan E.

AU - Hannon, Eilis

AU - Moffitt, Terrie E.

AU - Hagenbeek, Fiona A.

AU - van Beijsterveldt, Catharina E.M.

AU - Jan Hottenga, Jouke

AU - Tsai, Pei Chien

AU - van Dongen, Jenny

AU - Hottenga, Jouke Jan

AU - McRae, Allan F.

AU - Sugden, Karen

AU - Castillo-Fernandez, Juan E.

AU - Hannon, Eilis

AU - Moffitt, Terrie E.

AU - Hottenga, Jouke Jan

AU - de Geus, Eco J.C.

AU - Spector, Timothy D.

AU - Min, Josine L.

AU - Hemani, Gibran

AU - Ehli, Erik A.

AU - Paul, Franziska

AU - Stern, Claudio D.

AU - Heijmans, Bastiaan T.

AU - Slagboom, P. Eline

AU - Daxinger, Lucia

AU - van der Maarel, Silvère M.

AU - de Geus, Eco J.C.

AU - Willemsen, Gonneke

AU - Montgomery, Grant W.

AU - Reversade, Bruno

AU - Ollikainen, Miina

AU - Kaprio, Jaakko

AU - Spector, Tim D.

AU - Bell, Jordana T.

AU - Mill, Jonathan

AU - Caspi, Avshalom

AU - Martin, Nicholas G.

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I.

N1 - Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2023-02-15

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.

AB - Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.

UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25583-7

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117175884&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 12

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

ER -

Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this