Newly identified epigenetic markers predicts sexual orientation with 70% accuracy

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, or UCLA, claim to have developed a DNA-based test that can predict whether a man is a gay or not with 70 percent accuracy. The test makes use of a swab of saliva for determination of the sexual orientation.

Although the new test has managed to gain a plenty of attention, some experts from the scientific community believe that the test could be unreliable. However, the UCLA researchers are confident that their method can determine the sexual orientation using the epigenetic markers that influence the gene expression.

“To our knowledge, this is the first example of a predictive model for sexual orientation based on molecular markers,” said researcher Tuck C. Ngun, in a press release.

During the research, the team studied the DNA methylation in the genomes of identical male twins. Methylated DNA forms as a result of a molecular modification in the original DNA, which in turn impacts when and how a gene is expressed in the cell. In case of twins, although their genetic sequences are similar, the DNA methylation pattern is different.

The study involved 37 pairs of twins. One of the twins in each pair was homosexual, while the other was heterosexual. The study also involved 10 pairs of twins in which each member was a homosexual.

The research team then used a machine-learning algorithm called FuzzyForest to determine the methylation patterns that could be used to study the sexual orientation of each twin. The algorithm showed the results with 70 percent accuracy.

“Previous studies had identified broader regions of chromosomes that were involved in sexual orientation, but we were able to define these areas down to the base pair level with our approach,” said Ngun, in a press release.

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