ArticleNature communications2021
Identical twins carry a persistent epigenetic signature of early genome programming.
Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph
Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- A perspective on epigenomic aging processes in the human brain and their plasticity in patients with mental disorders - a systematic review.Neurogenetics · 2024Pooled it
- New insights into the (epi)genetics of twinning.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2024Pooled it
- Bibliometric analysis of kinship analysis from 1960 to 2023: global trends and development.Frontiers in genetics · 2024Pooled it
- Differential expression of long non-coding RNAs can effectively distinguish monozygotic twins.International journal of legal medicine · 2026Article
- Advanced molecular techniques in distinguishing monozygotic twins for forensic applications.Genes & genomics · 2026Review
- EWAS Open Platform 2026: a deeply integrated resource for epigenome-wide association studies.Nucleic acids research · 2026Article
- Transposable elements as instructors of the immune system.Nature reviews. Immunology · 2025Review
- Limitations of genomics to predict and treat autism: a disorder born in the womb.Journal of medical genetics · 2025Review
- Constitutional Epimutations: From Rare Events Toward Major Cancer Risk Factors?JCO precision oncology · 2025Review
- Evolution of Litter Size: Proximate and Ultimate Mechanisms.Integrative and comparative biology · 2024Review
- Cellular mechanisms of monozygotic twinning: clues from assisted reproduction.Human reproduction update · 2024Review
- Environmental Factor Index (EFI): A Novel Approach to Measure the Strength of Environmental Influence on DNA Methylation in Identical Twins.Epigenomes · 2024Article
- Examining the Utility of the Mammalian Methylation Array for Pan-Mammalian Analysis of Monozygotic Twinning.Epigenomes · 2024Article
- Technical strategy for monozygotic twin discrimination by single-nucleotide variants.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Article
- Conceptual framework for establishing twins prevention and continuous health promotion programme: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- ConstitutionalHuman mutation · 2024Review
- Redefining cerebral palsies as a diverse group of neurodevelopmental disorders with genetic aetiology.Nature reviews. Neurology · 2023Review
- Global endometrial DNA methylation analysis reveals insights into mQTL regulation and associated endometriosis disease risk and endometrial function.Communications biology · 2023Article
- Maximizing the value of twin studies in health and behaviour.Nature human behaviour · 2023Review
- Iranian school-aged twin registry: preliminary reports and project progress.BMC pediatrics · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
38 authors at 14 institutions in 7 countries.
Jenny van DongenDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.van.dongen@vu.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-8741
Scott D GordonQueensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7623-328X
Allan F McRaeInstitute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5286-5485
Veronika V OdintsovaDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9868-6981
Hamdi MbarekDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1108-0371
Charles E BreezeAltius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5294-915X
Karen SugdenDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Sara LundgrenInstitute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Juan E Castillo-FernandezDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0034-8029
Eilis HannonUniversity of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6840-072X
Terrie E MoffittDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Fiona A HagenbeekDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8773-0430
Catharina E M van BeijsterveldtDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6617-4201
Jouke Jan HottengaDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5668-2368
Pei-Chien TsaiDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College London, London, UK.
BIOS Consortium
Genetics of DNA Methylation Consortium
Josine L MinMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4456-9824
Gibran HemaniMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0920-1055
Erik A EhliAvera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7865-3015
Franziska PaulInstitute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0344-6764
Claudio D SternDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9907-889X
Bastiaan T HeijmansMolecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5918-0534
P Eline SlagboomMolecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2875-4723
Lucia DaxingerDepartment of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6557-6201
Silvère M van der MaarelDepartment of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8103-711X
Eco J C de GeusDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6022-2666
Gonneke WillemsenDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Grant W MontgomeryInstitute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4140-8139
Bruno ReversadeInstitute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4070-7997
Miina OllikainenInstitute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3661-7400
Jaakko KaprioInstitute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3716-2455
Tim D SpectorDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9795-0365
Jordana T BellDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3858-5986
Jonathan MillUniversity of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-3224
Avshalom CaspiDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Nicholas G MartinQueensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4069-8020
Dorret I BoomsmaDepartment of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7099-7972
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLKing's College London · GBDuke University · USLeiden University Medical Center · NLThe University of Queensland · AUUniversity of Exeter · GBUniversity of Helsinki · FIAgency for Science, Technology and Research · SGAmsterdam University of Applied Sciences · NLQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute · AUUniversity of Bristol · GBAltius Institute for Biomedical Sciences · USAvera Health · USUniversity College London · GB
Funding
Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/5Medical Research Council MR/P005918/1Wellcome Trust 208806/Z/17/Z
Abstract
Monozygotic (MZ) twins and higher-order multiples arise when a zygote splits during pre-implantation stages of development. The mechanisms underpinning this event have remained a mystery. Because MZ twinning rarely runs in families, the leading hypothesis is that it occurs at random. Here, we show that MZ twinning is strongly associated with a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues. This signature spans regions near telomeres and centromeres, Polycomb-repressed regions and heterochromatin, genes involved in cell-adhesion, WNT signaling, cell fate, and putative human metastable epialleles. Our study also demonstrates a never-anticipated corollary: because identical twins keep a lifelong molecular signature, we can retrospectively diagnose if a person was conceived as monozygotic twin.
Indexed as
DNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticAdultEpigenomicsFinlandGenotypeHumansMiddle AgedNetherlandsPolymorphism, Single NucleotideQuantitative Trait LociRegistriesRetrospective StudiesTwinning, MonozygoticTwins, MonozygoticUnited Kingdom
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390
Registered trials
None linked
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.