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Article: Myopia as a latent phenotype of a pleiotropic gene positively selected for facilitating neurocognitive development, and the effects of environmental factors in its expression

TitleMyopia as a latent phenotype of a pleiotropic gene positively selected for facilitating neurocognitive development, and the effects of environmental factors in its expression
Authors
Issue Date2006
PublisherChurchill Livingstone. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mehy
Citation
Medical Hypotheses, 2006, v. 66 n. 6, p. 1209-1215 How to Cite?
AbstractMyopia has become an almost pandemic problem in many populations. There are compelling evidence to suggest that myopia is a hereditary condition. However, myopia would constitute a definite selection disadvantage during most stages of human evolution, which is incompatible with its moderate to high prevalence in most modern populations. The rapid upsurge of myopia over just a few decades also implies that its inheritance does not follow any of the usual patterns, and environmental factors may have an important role in precipitating its occurrence in those who are genetically predisposed. Previous studies showed that myopes were, on average, more intelligent than non-myopes, and this association had been attributed to a biological link between eye growth and brain development. We propose a pleiotropic genetic model to explain the atypical epidemiologic and inheritance pattern of myopia and its relationship with neurocognitive development. This pleiotropic gene was positively selected for its facilitation of human intelligence. The myopic component is a latent phenotype; myopia will not be expressed unless some novel external factors are encountered (i.e. a "quirk" phenomenon). Therefore, the myopic component was selectively neutral in our ancestral environment. The net gain in Darwinian fitness enables the pleiotropic gene to attain a high frequency in the human population, as reflected by our current prevalence of myopia. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/162952
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 2.1
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.587
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorMak, Wen_US
dc.contributor.authorKwan, MWMen_US
dc.contributor.authorCheng, TSen_US
dc.contributor.authorChan, KHen_US
dc.contributor.authorCheung, RTFen_US
dc.contributor.authorHo, SLen_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-09-05T05:25:48Z-
dc.date.available2012-09-05T05:25:48Z-
dc.date.issued2006en_US
dc.identifier.citationMedical Hypotheses, 2006, v. 66 n. 6, p. 1209-1215en_US
dc.identifier.issn0306-9877en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/162952-
dc.description.abstractMyopia has become an almost pandemic problem in many populations. There are compelling evidence to suggest that myopia is a hereditary condition. However, myopia would constitute a definite selection disadvantage during most stages of human evolution, which is incompatible with its moderate to high prevalence in most modern populations. The rapid upsurge of myopia over just a few decades also implies that its inheritance does not follow any of the usual patterns, and environmental factors may have an important role in precipitating its occurrence in those who are genetically predisposed. Previous studies showed that myopes were, on average, more intelligent than non-myopes, and this association had been attributed to a biological link between eye growth and brain development. We propose a pleiotropic genetic model to explain the atypical epidemiologic and inheritance pattern of myopia and its relationship with neurocognitive development. This pleiotropic gene was positively selected for its facilitation of human intelligence. The myopic component is a latent phenotype; myopia will not be expressed unless some novel external factors are encountered (i.e. a "quirk" phenomenon). Therefore, the myopic component was selectively neutral in our ancestral environment. The net gain in Darwinian fitness enables the pleiotropic gene to attain a high frequency in the human population, as reflected by our current prevalence of myopia. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.en_US
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherChurchill Livingstone. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mehyen_US
dc.relation.ispartofMedical Hypothesesen_US
dc.subject.meshAnimalsen_US
dc.subject.meshBiological Evolutionen_US
dc.subject.meshBrain - Physiologyen_US
dc.subject.meshCognition - Physiologyen_US
dc.subject.meshEnvironmenten_US
dc.subject.meshGene Expression Regulation, Developmental - Geneticsen_US
dc.subject.meshHumansen_US
dc.subject.meshIntelligence - Geneticsen_US
dc.subject.meshMyopia - Geneticsen_US
dc.subject.meshPhenotypeen_US
dc.subject.meshSelection, Geneticen_US
dc.titleMyopia as a latent phenotype of a pleiotropic gene positively selected for facilitating neurocognitive development, and the effects of environmental factors in its expressionen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.emailCheung, RTF:rtcheung@hku.hken_US
dc.identifier.emailHo, SL:slho@hku.hken_US
dc.identifier.authorityCheung, RTF=rp00434en_US
dc.identifier.authorityHo, SL=rp00240en_US
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltexten_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.mehy.2005.11.037en_US
dc.identifier.pmid16413689-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-33645215669en_US
dc.identifier.hkuros115090-
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-33645215669&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_US
dc.identifier.volume66en_US
dc.identifier.issue6en_US
dc.identifier.spage1209en_US
dc.identifier.epage1215en_US
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000237171700030-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridMak, W=22948344000en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridKwan, MWM=12792937200en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridCheng, TS=7404082613en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChan, KH=7406034963en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridCheung, RTF=7202397498en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHo, SL=25959633500en_US
dc.identifier.issnl0306-9877-

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