How can identical twins be genetically different?

University of Michigan Health System ^ | 7-25-06 | Rossitza Iordanova

[Pharmboy]

This could have implications far beyond rheumatoid arthritis.

Geez...doesn't that U-M internist have a most unfotunate name? I do not think anyone would blame him for changing it...

[Pharmboy]

Incredible name for an internist at U-M Medical School ping list combined with non-identical identical twin ping list...

Laz--you and pissant are on for the former ping list.

[netmilsmom]

>>This could have implications far beyond rheumatoid arthritis<<

Like the "Gay Gene"?

[carumba]

Ira Maine, Ph.D.,

Do you mean him? I was once fooled by a prankster-I called the funeral home and asked for Myra Maines. It took me a week to figure out the punch line.

[Paradox]

We once that that the genes were the be all and end all of life. We thought that cracking the human genome would answer all of our questions, but we were wrong. Life is far more complex than a set of instructions, its how they are interpreted that counts, and that interpretation depends on alot of external factors.

[PatrickHenry]

Probably not a full-blown evo thread. Pinging "the few."

[gusopol3]

auto-immunity, whether or not exposed to infection, not mentioned as possible etiologic factors.

[Pharmboy]

"Dr. Holoshitz will see you now..."

[Pharmboy]

That is certainly understood...I believe that the authors would have assumed its readers would be aware of that. Their main focus here, however, was the the three genes they isolated as possibly being the keys here.

[nuconvert]

Probably why he decided against being a proctologist

[Pharmboy]

Now THAT'S funny...

[GVnana]

They also found that non-genetic factors influenced the expression of these genes

Talk about missing the elephant in the room...

[freedumb2003]

Mike Hunt is a classic.

[aculeus]

Thanks for the ping!

[foolscap]

I think he is referring to Joseph Holoshitz, M.D., mentioned in the forth or fifth paragraph. That would be a tough name to grow up with

[Gumlegs]

I believe the internist is in the process of changing it to Solidshitz.

[annie laurie]

Ping

[furball4paws]

IIRC, he joined the army and became General Sheisskopf.

[furball4paws]

This kind of thing where a gene is expressed in one individual and not in another "genetically identical" is not surprising to me.

The process of lysogeny in bacteria is well known. Two identical bacteria, infected with the same Lambda phage may either go into a lysogenic state or a lytic state. The key is a "fight" with a repressor. If the balance swings one way the bacterium survives, harboring the lysogenic phage. If the balance swings the other, new virus particles are produced and the bacterium is killed. Why couldn't the same general process happen in identical twins?

[Doctor Stochastic]

I would like to point out that the lead author is a Christian.