Scientists have found a gene, rare variants of which can be the cause of left-handedness

Scientists have found a gene that may be the cause of left-handedness

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Scientists have found a probable cause of left-handedness. It lies in unusual variations in the coding of one of the genes.

Research results published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, they report Neuroscience News and Inverse.

The dominance of a certain hand is a reflection of the asymmetry of the brain hemispheres. If a person is dominated by the left hemisphere, he is right-handed, if he is right-handed, he is a shulga. This asymmetry begins to manifest itself during intrauterine development, which indicates its genetic cause.

A group of scientists from the Netherlands analyzed the DNA of 313,000 right-handed and 38,000 left-handed people in search of rare genetic variants.

They established that the probable cause of left-handedness is the TUBB4B gene. It encodes a type of protein called tubulin, which “builds” cylindrical microtubules. These are cellular structures that participate in cell division and the formation of cilia, which ensure their movement.

The scientists noted that TUBB4B in shuls has a coding variant that is 2.7 times rarer. So the way the gene encodes the microtubule-forming protein affects the dominance of a particular arm.

Not all shuls have a rare coding variant of the TUBB4B gene, but people with it are more likely to be left-handed.

Further analysis revealed a link between left-handedness and rare coding variants of genes associated with autism and schizophrenia. They share genetic variants. In particular, we are talking about the DSCAM and FOXP1 genes. This indicates a possible connection between left-handedness and some neurodevelopmental disorders.

However, less than 1% of people analyzed had the rare TUBB4B genetic variant. This suggests that such features play a role in left-handedness. However, more often it is the result of a combination of genetic, environmental and possibly accidental factors.

We will remind, scientists discovered gene variations that increase the risk of obesity in adults by 6 times.