Flipping the switch on height variation
Tuesday, July 4, 2017 - 15:52
in Biology & Nature
A genetic 'switch' that changes the activity of a key skeletal gene related to height has been discovered by a team of researchers, who have also pinpointed a genetic variant in the switch that favors shortness and is far more prevalent among Eurasian populations than expected. The study also uncovered a surprising link - between the sequence that favors shortness and an increased risk of osteoarthritis.