ISTOCK, EPICSTOCKMEDIAScanning the genomes of 1,077 homosexual men and 1,231 heterosexual men, researchers identified several genetic regions with multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that segregate between the two groups. But the findings, published today (December 7) in Scientific Reports, have been met with severe criticism.
Two loci had particularly strong associations, according to the report: a section of chromosome 13 near the gene SLITRK6, which is primarily expressed in a brain region called the diencephalon that has previously been found to vary in structure between gay and straight men; and a section of chromosome 14 near the gene for thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), which coincides with reports that have linked homosexuality with atypical thyroid function.
“Understanding the origins of sexual orientation enables us to learn a great deal about sexual motivation, sexual identity, gender identity and sex differences, and this and subsequent work may take us further down that path of discovery,” lead author Alan Sanders, a psychiatrist who studies behavioral genetics at NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Research Institute, says ...
