Forty new "intelligence genes"
Genes associated with the formation of intelligence have been discovered
Ilya Vedmedenko, Naked Science
Researchers have once again found evidence that the intellectual abilities of a person are determined by genetic factors. In total, scientists have found 52 important genes responsible for intelligence.
There is still a debate in the scientific community about what exactly is responsible for the formation of intelligence. Some experts talk about the influence of genes, while others focus on upbringing and education. A new study provides answers to some questions. The results are presented in Nature Genetics (Sniekers et al., Genome-wide association meta-analysis of 78,308 individuals identifies new loci and genes influencing human intelligence).
The focus of attention of scientists turned out to be what is called "general intelligence" – a kind of universal "constructor", which is designed to identify the common in intelligence tests. Data from 13 previously conducted studies were analyzed: in total, scientists reviewed information about the genome of more than 78 thousand people.
The specialists based their work on genome-wide association search (GWAS). This method links genomic variants and phenotypic traits. Often we are talking about single–nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, or SNPs) - differences in the compared DNA sequences in the size of one nucleotide.
First, the researchers found 336 important ONPS in 18 genome loci, of which 15 were discovered for the first time. Next, the experts conducted a GWAS to identify certain genes with which ONPS are associated. The method revealed 52 genes (including 40 new ones) that play an important role in the development of intellectual abilities. These genes are predominantly expressed in the brain and are involved in the regulation of cellular development, the formation of the nervous system and apoptosis (a mechanism of programmed cell death).
The authors of the experiment believe that intelligence can really be explained by genetic factors. Meanwhile, they are in no hurry to write off such important aspects for intellectual development as upbringing and education.
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23.05.2017