Transcription of Paternally Imprinted Genes

[Dan]

One final question on this topic. The statement on the lecture slides
that deals with parthogeneses (fusion of two eggs) and says
"Paternally imprinted genes are overtranscribed because they have two
mom versions" .

I am not clear on how imprinted genes can be transcribed in the first
place. I thought they could not be. Are you really saying that the
maternal version is overexpressed since there are two mom versions??

Thanks Annie.

[Annie]

Hi Dan,

Yes, you are absolutely right.

Imprinted genes cannot be transcribed. I should have said that
normally one allele would be paternally imprinted, but in this case
the the organism did not get the silenced version from its dad, and
instead has two mom versions that are active. Hence, the organism
gets twice as much expression from these genes than it would have if
it had gotten one copy from mom and one copy from dad.

>
> Thanks Annie.