Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-k7p5g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-13T04:45:52.586Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Twins as a Natural Test of Chronogenetics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Luigi Gedda*
Affiliation:
The Gregor Mendel Institute of Medical Genetics and Twin Studies, Rome, Italy
Gianni Brenci
Affiliation:
The Gregor Mendel Institute of Medical Genetics and Twin Studies, Rome, Italy
*
Piazza Galeno 5, 00161 Rome, Italy

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Monozygotic twins are the best witnesses of the existence of a hereditary biological time, because they would not be identical if they had not also inherited the times of appearance and duration of their common hereditary information. The authors gave the name “chronogenetics” to this branch of genetics which concerns the temporal dimension of the gene and the mechanisms of transmission and manifestation of the temporal characteristics. The “Ergon/Chronon System” is suggested as a model to explain chronological heredity in terms of molecular genetics.

An example is offered of a chronogenetic analysis of puberty based on the study of puberty times in 157 female and 154 male twin pairs. This shows the hereditary conditioning of numerous chronogenetic parameters, the extrapolation of conclusions concerning the phenomenon of puberty, and the establishment, in this regard, of a borderline between hereditary and physical times.

A picture is finally drawn exemplifying Normal Hereditary Times (gametic, auxologic, homeostatic, and old-age recession times) and Pathological Hereditary Times (auxologic, cardiovascular, neoplastic, immunitary, metabolic, and antitoxic pathology times).

Provisional chronogenetic developments are indicated, and a possible advancement toward the recycling of the gene is hoped for.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1975

References

REFERENCES

Aksoy, M., Erdem, S., Erdogan, G., Dinçol, G. 1974. Acute leukemia in two generations following chronic exposure to benzene. Hum. Hered., 24: 7074.Google Scholar
American Statistical Bulletin, 05 1974. Cancer Survival Among Men by Age, p. 811.Google Scholar
American Statistical Bulletin, 06 1974. Cancer Survival Among Women by Age, p. 25.Google Scholar
Belmont, L., Marolla, F.A. 1973. Birth order, family size, and intelligence. Science, 182: 10961101.Google Scholar
Bernades, P., Molas, G., Beugrand, P., Camey, M., Denis, M., Dupuy, R. 1972. Cancer du rein gauche chez trois membres d'une même fratrie. Sem. Hop. Paris, 48 (43): 28132816.Google Scholar
Blank, C.E. 1960. Apert's syndrome (a type of acrocephalosyndactyly) observations on a British series of thirty-nine cases. Ann. Hum. Genet., 24: 151164.Google Scholar
Bartkowiak, A., Kucharczyk, J., Nowakowski, T.K., Perkal, J., Szczotka, H. 1958. Lower-Silesian curves of the development of children up to the age of three years. (In Polish). Pediatr. Pol., 4: 473480.Google Scholar
Ehret, C.F., Trucco, E. 1967. Molecular models for the circadian clock. J. Theoret. Biol., 15: 240262.Google Scholar
Erickson, J. D., Cohen, M.M. Jr. 1974. A study of paternal age effects on the occurrence of fresh mutations for the Apert syndrome. Ann. Hum. Genet., 38: 8996.Google Scholar
Gedda, L. 1963. Genetica clinica. Proc. 2nd Int. Congr. Human Genetics, Rome, September 1961. (Vol. 2, p. 911919). Rome: Istituto G. Mendel.Google Scholar
Gedda, L. 1965. Application de la génétique à la pratique médicale. Séminaire de Génétique Humaine Appliquée. C.I.O.M.S. Copenhague 25-29 août 1964. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. (Roma), 14: 112.Google Scholar
Gedda, L. 1966. Family planning from the genetic point of view. Fifth World Congress on Fertility and Sterility (Stockholm), 6: 612.Google Scholar
Gedda, L., Brenci, G. 1971. Chronology of the gene. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. (Roma), 20: 223349.Google Scholar
Gedda, L., Brenci, G. 1973. Chronogenetics: its foundations, scope, and impact. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. (Roma), 22: 317.Google Scholar
Gedda, L., Brenci, G. 1974. Cronogenetica, l'Eredità del Tempo Biologico. Milano: Mondadori.Google Scholar
Lynas, M.A. 1958. Marfan's syndrome in Northern Ireland: an account of thirteen families. Ann. Hum. Genet., 22: 289301.Google Scholar
Marmur, J., Doty, P. 1959. Nature (Lond.), 183: 1428.Google Scholar
Murdoch, J.L., Walker, B.A., McKusick, V.A. 1972. Parental age effects on the occurrence of new mutations for the Marfan syndrome. Ann. Hum. Genet., 35: 331336.Google Scholar
Nowakowski, T.K. 1972. Uniovular quadruplets of Wroclaw. Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. (Roma), Suppl., 22: 154158.Google Scholar
Rundle, A.T., Atkin, J., Sudell, B. 3974. The effects of parental age on some phenotype frequencies in Down's syndrome. Humangenetik, 23: 137148.Google Scholar
Smith, C.A.B. 1972. Note on the estimation of parental age effects. Ann. Hum. Genet., 35: 337342.Google Scholar
Tumba, A. 1974. L'influence de l'âge parental sur la production de l'anomalie XXXXY. J. Genet. Hum., 22: 7397.Google Scholar
Tünte, W., Lenz, W. 1967. Zur Häufigkeit und Mutationrate des Apert-Syndroms. Humangenetik, 4: 104111.Google Scholar
Valleteau de Moulliac, M., Ganansia, R., Hors, J., Letexier, A., Morin, M. 1974. Cancer du rein familial et systeme H.L.A. 4 cas dans une fratrie. Nouv. Presse Med., 3 (24): 15391542.Google Scholar