Ugh. You think just like mom!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
In women, ONE of your X chromosomes — from mom OR dad — is MORE active across individual cells. And this could influence how your brain AGES. How, you ask?
Enter Samira Abdulai-Saiku and team at U-C San Francisco. They studied memory in older female mice whose mom’s X chromosome was more active.
And? Worse spatial memory! Researchers found that the mom’s X chromosome was turning off genes important for memory. When the mom’s X chromosome was deactivated, spatial memory returned to normal.
This discovery could lead to new ways to help people age better!
Seems like the X chromosome is adding X-tra wear and tear on the brain!
Reference: Abdulai-Saiku, S., Gupta, S., Wang, D. et al. The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice. Nature 638, 152–159 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08457-y