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34. Imprinting Alters Gene Expression

Imprinting Alters Gene Expression

 

Genomic imprinting is an uncommon event in human genomes that occurs when only one of a pair of genes present on homologous chromosomes is expressed because the other has been silenced by methylation. Thirty genes in humans display such imprinting. Curiously, for specific genes, the maternal copy is the one chosen to be silenced; for others, the paternal copy is selected.