Genetic feature? Sexual orientation through test to 70 percent predictable

Sexual orientation genetically conditioned?

Researchers from the United States believe that sexual orientation of men can be predicted with accuracy of up to 70 percent with the help of genetic information. However, only for some people. Critics fear a misuse of the new findings.

Looking for a "gay gene"
Although a US geneticist had already claimed in the early 1990s to have discovered a kind of "gay gene", but clear evidence that our genetic material is evidence of sexual orientation, have so far remained. Various studies with twin brothers actually speak against such assumptions. Thus, only about 20 to 50 percent of the genetically identical brothers of homosexual identical twins are also gay. Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles now want to have found evidence of genetic factors.

Genetic material examined by twins
For the Tuck Ngun team of scientists had analyzed the genome of 37 male identical twin pairs, one of which was homosexual and the other was not, as well as of ten couples in which both twins were homosexual. According to her, they discovered gene regions that are partly responsible for the sexual orientation a person has. The researchers used a newly developed algorithm to analyze the amount of data. It turned out that methylation patterns in nine small regions, distributed over the genome, as an indicator to determine the sexual orientation of the subjects with a correctness of up to 70 percent. The team recently presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics. "As far as we know, this is the first example of a predictive model of sexual orientation based on molecular markers," says Ngun. According to "focus.de" he said: "I am a homosexual myself and I always wondered why that is."

Experts speak critically and fear abuse
Many experts are critical of the results. So does Gil McVean, Professor of Statistical Genetics at Oxford University. In the British Daily Mail, he said: "Without securing the result in an independent record, it is utterly impossible to say whether that claim is tenable." Gay and human rights activist Peter Tatchell said, "An accuracy of up to 70 Percent "does not sound particularly convincing or reliable." In addition, some people fear that "research by homophobic parents or regimes could be abused to test their unborn child's sexual orientation" and, if they do not like it, abort the pregnancy.

"Why we are the way we are "
"Sexual attraction is a very basic part of life, but we do not know much about it at the genetic and molecular level. I hope that this research will help us to understand ourselves better and also to explain why we are the way we are. " Ngun. According to the researchers, the researchers are currently testing the accuracy of the algorithm developed for the test with a higher number of subjects. (Ad)