BioNews - Identical twins start to differ in the womb, study shows: Despite sharing the same womb, identical twins are born with different alterations to their DNA that can affect the activity of individual genes.
These modifications, known as epigenetic markers, are thought to be caused by environmental factors. The process adds chemical tags to the DNA, which alters a gene's activity, but not its sequence.
Although previous studies have shown that identical twins do have different sets of epigenetic markers, it was thought that the changes occurred after birth, when the twins experience different environments. However, in this first analysis of the epigenetic profiles of newborn human babies, differences are already apparent straight after birth.
'Twins, like the rest of us, sit in their own amniotic sac and have their own individual experiences', lead researcher Dr Jeffrey Craig told International Business Times. The study, published in Genome Research, suggests that even small differences in womb environment, such as availability of nutrients or the influence of the placenta and umbilical cord, could be responsible.
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