Ninety-seven per cent of right-handed (RH) individuals develop speech and language processing in the left (dominant) hemisphere of the brain, while the """"""""minor"""""""" hemisphere controls emotional behavior. However, this correlation fails in LH (left-handed) individuals; 70% are left-brain dominant and 30% are right-brain dominant. The reason for this complex correlation of handedness with brain lateralization has been the key unanswered question for brain development. We have speculated that a hypothetical gene, RGHT, functions to specify left-brain dominance resulting in developing the right-handed preference. To test these ideas experimentally, we have been collecting blood samples and cheek swabs from specific families with the aim to genetically map the hypothesized RGHT gene. We have collected enough samples and the next stage is to use these samples for mapping by the sib-pair method. We have published our random recessive model in which individuals with the nonfunctional recessive allele on both homologs have a 50:50 chance of either being RH or LH. Recently, we found interesting association of hand use preference with the clockwise vs. counterclockwise scalp hair-whorl rotation. We suggest that individuals with the right gene are RH and develop clockwise hair whorls, but individuals with the recessive allele are 50:50 in hair whorl orientation. We have previously proposed that human brain and visceral organs laterality might be controlled by the Somatic Strand-specific Imprinting and selective chromatid/strand Segregation (SSIS) model. It predicted a chromosome-specific, nonrandom WW:CC segregation phenomenon where both older """"""""Watson"""""""" strand-containing chromatids form a homologous pair of chromosomes are delivered in mitosis to one daughter cell and the older """"""""Crick"""""""" strand-containing chromatids are delivered to the other daughter cell. This was proposed as a mechanism for cellular differentiation to produce non-equivalent daughter cells in mitosis. We have now established the existance of such biased strand segregation phenomenon in mice cells. In mouse cells concerning chromosome 7 segregation, ES and endoderm cell lineages exhibit a nonrandom (e.g., WW:CC) pattern , neuroectoderm cells exhibit an opposite nonrandom pattern (e.g., WC:WC) or recombination in them is restricted to the G1-phase, but the pancreatic, mesoderm, and cardiomyocyte cells follow the usually expected random distribution mode. In future exaperiments we want to find the mechanism of biased strand segregation of this chromosoem and also we will determine whether other chromosomes are likewise subject to cell type regulated segregation process.
| Klar, Amar J S (2009) Scalp hair-whorl orientation of Japanese individuals is random; hence, the trait's distribution is not genetically determined. Semin Cell Dev Biol 20:510-3 |
| Armakolas, Athanasios; Klar, Amar J S (2007) Left-right dynein motor implicated in selective chromatid segregation in mouse cells. Science 315:100-1 |
| Singh, Gurjeet; Klar, Amar J S (2007) A hypothesis for how chromosome 11 translocations cause psychiatric disorders. Genetics 177:1259-62 |
| Armakolas, Athanasios; Klar, Amar J S (2006) Cell type regulates selective segregation of mouse chromosome 7 DNA strands in mitosis. Science 311:1146-9 |
| Klar, Amar J S (2003) Human handedness and scalp hair-whorl direction develop from a common genetic mechanism. Genetics 165:269-76 |
