Jenny van Dongen | 16-04-2015 | (Epi)genetics and twins
The research described in this thesis was characterized by two major themes: the first was related to the question to which extent variation between
individuals in inflammation biomarkers and metabolic syndrome traits are caused by the impact of genetic and environmental differences between
people. The second important focus of this thesis went beyond the influence of the DNA sequence and examined epigenetic variation. I addressed the
question how important genetic and non-genetic sources of variation are for individual differences in DNA methylation. DNA methylation is an epigenetic
mechanism that receives increasing attention as it may provide novel insights into human disease and represents an extra layer causing differences between
people. In this chapter, I summarize the most important results and discuss these findings in the broader context of the current state and future directions of
research on complex trait genetics.