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No 'Gay Gene,' but Study Finds Genetic Links to SexualBehavior

Reuters

   LONDON - A large scientific study into thebiological basis of sexual
   behavior has confirmed there is nosingle "gay gene" but that a complex
   mix of genetics andenvironment affects whether a person has same-sex
   sexualpartners.

   The research, which analyzed data on DNA and sexualexperiences from
   almost half a million people, found there arethousands of genetic
   variants linked to same-sex sexualbehavior, most with very small
   effects.

   Five of the genetic markers were "significantly" associatedwith
   same-sex behavior, the researchers said, but even theseare far from
   being predictive of a person's sexual preferences.

   "We scanned the entire human genome and found a handful--five,to be
   precise--of locations that are clearly associatedwith whether a person
   reports in engaging in same-sex sexualbehavior," said Andrea Ganna, a
   biologist at the Institute ofMolecular Medicine in Finland who co-led
   the research.

   He said these have "a very small effect" and, combined,explain
   "considerably less than 1% of the variance in theself-reported same-sex
   sexual behavior."

   Other factors

   This means that nongenetic factors--such as environment,upbringing,
   personality, nurture--are far more significant ininfluencing a person's
   choice of sexual partner, just as withmost other personality,
   behavioral and physical human traits,the researchers said.

   The study, which wasthe largest of its kind,analyzed surveyresponses
   and performed analyses known as genome-wideassociation studies (GWAS)
   on data from more than 470,000 peoplewho had given DNA samples and
   lifestyle information to the UKBiobank and to the U.S. genetics testing
   company 23andMeInc.

   Asked why they had wanted to conduct such research, the team
   told reporters on a teleconference that previous studies on thistopic
   had mostly been too small to offer robust conclusions.

   "Previous studies were small and underpowered," Ganna said."So we
   decided to form a large international consortium andcollected data
   for[almost]500,000 people,[which]isapproximately 100 times bigger than
   previous studies on thistopic."

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