Genomic imprinting and intragenomic conflict

The term genomic imprinting refers to the phenomenon where the expression pattern of an allele depends on its parental origin. That is, at an imprinted locus, the maternally and paternally derived gene copies will behave differently, even if they share the identical DNA sequence. The most successful theory of the evolutionary origins of genomic imprinting is based on the idea of intragenomic conflict. In general, the effects of natural selection are not identical for maternally and paternally derived alleles. If the asymmetry of selection is sufficiently strong, alleles can evolve two different conditional expression strategies.

I am particularly interested in the functional consequences of intragenomic conflict at the level of the individual organism. Genomic imprinting, like other instances of intragenomic conflict (e.g., segregation distorters), can lead to antagonistic coevolution among loci, even if it results in maladaptive consequences for the individual. Of particular interest are the imprinted genes that are expressed in the brain, and are associated with a variety of cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Antagonistic coevolution involving these genes may contribute to certain major psychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, as well as self-deating behaviors related to, for example, inconsistent time preferences.