The largest scale sexual orientation study to date, newly discovered four genetic variants related to same-sex behavior

The fierce debate about how genes affect sexual orientation has lasted nearly a quarter of a century in the scientific community, but geneticists have only conducted very limited research on this complex, often stigmatized field of human behavior. Is homosexual behavior consistent with Darwin's theory of evolution? What is the theoretical basis? If such people are not prone to reproduction, then why same-sex relationships will continue from generation to generation?

Recently, one of the largest genetic studies of sexual orientation in history has explored these questions and revealed four genetic variants that are strongly associated with non-heterosexual orientation.

4 genetic variants associated with non-heterosexual orientation

Andrea Ganna, a geneticist at the Broad Institute, published an overview of the data from the American Human Genetics Conference in San Diego last week. The researchers analyzed DNA and sexual orientation data from nearly 500,000 people provided by the British Biobank (about 69,000) and the gene company 23andMe (over 400,000), and conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

The researchers found four specific DNA-specific variations associated with non-heterogeneous orientation on chromosomes 7, 11, 12, and 15, respectively, two of which were observed in both men and women, and two were observed separately in men. Among them, the variation on chromosome 15 is related to male baldness, which may play an important role in sexual partner selection; the variation on chromosome 11 is related to olfactory receptors, and Ganna says this is reasonable because of smell and attraction. Force related. The researchers said that the identified DNA may only account for 8% to 12% of the genetics behind non-heterosexual behavior.

However, these four genetic variants alone cannot reliably predict a person's sexual orientation. “In fact, this has no predictive power at all,” Ganna said. This is not a study of sexual orientation. More specifically, it is a Research on non-heterosexual behavior, including those who have had same-sex behavior but are not identified as homosexual. “There is no single 'gay gene',” Ganna said. “Sex can't be simply attributed to a single feature. To be exact, non-heterosexuals are affected to some extent by many minor genetic and environmental factors.”

In addition, the study found that heterosexuals with these four genetic variants tend to have more sexual partners and become more attractive. This suggests that related genes may bring some mating advantages to heterosexuals, and may also help explain why these mutations are also found in ordinary people, because homosexual families are unable to give birth and naturally cannot pass mutations to the next generation, but Ganna did not describe this point in detail.

At present, the researchers are still unclear whether these variant genes are located in the coding region or non-coding region, and the team will do some work related to accurately locating these DNA regions.

Find out the truth or avoid harm?

Sexual genetics has been the focus of debate for decades. "This is one of the core problems in biology," National Institutes of Health, Professor Dean Hamer says, "From the social point of view, one of which is the core of the problem, it cost us so much time." 1993 Hamer first discovered a correlation between the genetic marker Xq28 and gay behavior, but in this GWAS study, this DNA fragment was not found to be associated with reported homosexual behavior. However, Hamer said, "This experiment has attracted a lot of interest from institutions and people in the genetics of sexual orientation, which is what we originally hoped to achieve in the 1993 study."

Andrea S., Professor of Psychology, University of Padua Camperio-Ciani said: "In my opinion, the search for genes related to sexual orientation functional genomics is not science." Camperio-Ciani studied the evolutionary basis of homosexuality, and pointed out in a 2004 paper that gay men Female relatives have produced more offspring - this provides a Darwinian theoretical basis for same-sex attraction. Camperio-Ciani is concerned that the identification of these genes may lead to “identification, eradication or preventive avoidance” of people engaged in same-sex behavior. However, Ganna emphasized in his ASGH speech that these results will not be used for forecasting purposes.

“I think the ongoing research is very good. It’s better to know the truth about science than to be in the dark. Ignorance always hurts homosexuals,” Hamer said.

In general, "This is a very important research advancement in this field," said Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University. Michael Bailey said: "But this will not be a huge improvement unless there is a clearer understanding of some of the genetic variations that lead to same-sex behavior."

The paper is currently under review by Science and has not yet been published.

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