Imprinting and splicing join together

Three papers published in the Dec 1992 issue of Nature Genetics reveal new findings about the genetic origin of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). PWS, which results from either the lack of a paternal gene or from having two copies of the maternal chromosome 15, causes obesity and developmental problems. Stuart Leff and colleagues report the association of the gene SNRPN with PWS, while Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins achieved a similar result. Bruce Cattanach and coworkers corroborated this finding by devising a mouse model of PWS.