Coadaptation in mother and infant regulated by a paternally expressed imprinted gene

Abstract

This study investigates how a targeted mutation of a paternally expressed imprinted gene regulates multiple aspects of foetal and post–natal development including placental size, foetal growth, suckling and post–natal growth, weaning age and puberty onset. This same mutation in a mother impairs maternal reproductive success with reduced maternal care, reduced maternal food intake during pregnancy, and impaired milk let–down, which in turn reduces infant growth and delays weaning and onset of puberty. The significance of these coadaptive traits being synchronized in mother and offspring by the same paternally expressed imprinted gene ensures that offspring that have extracted ‘good’ maternal nurturing will themselves be both well provisioned and genetically predisposed towards ‘good’ mothering.