Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon in mammals that affects brain development and behavior. Imprinting involves the regulation of allelic expression for some genes in offspring that depends on whether alleles are inherited from mothers compared to fathers, and is thought to provide parental control over offspring social behavior phenotypes. Imprinted gene expression is prevalent in the mammalian brain, and human imprinted gene mutations are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodivergent social behavior in Prader-Willi Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, and autism. Here, we provide a review of the evidence that imprinted genes influence social behaviors across major neurodevelopmental stages in humans and mouse animal models that include parent-infant interactions, juvenile sociability, and adult aggression, dominance, and sexual behavior.
Keywords: Genomic imprinting; aggression; autism; neurodevelopment; parental behavior; sociability; social behavior; social stability.
We get two copies of every gene, one from our mom and one from our dad. Usually, both copies are used. However, some genes in mammals only use one of those copies–either the one from mom or the one from dad–while the other one is turned off and not used. These are called imprinted genes, and they are controlled by a process called epigenetics that determines when and wherein the body a gene is used. When a copy of a gene is turned off, the function of the gene can become more susceptible to mutation changes or mistakes in the used copy. This raises questions about why these unique genes exist. This review shares findings that suggest many imprinted genes help regulate social behaviors throughout life. Generally, the genes that come from dad tend to be linked to caring for offspring and social interactions, while those inherited from mom often have the opposite effect.