A study published in the Cells explained the role of parental genes in a child’s behavior.  The study conducted at the University of Utah demonstrated that only parenting style but genes also play an important role in shaping the children. Christopher Gregg, Ph.D., principal investigator, and associate professor stated that they were curious about the untapped areas of science behind decision making adding that the knowledge of genetic factors involved in the process may help in developing an effective treatment and diagnostic method.

In the in vivo mice model study, it was found that certain cells in the brain rely on the mother’s copy of the genes involved in producing neurotransmitters. Whereas the father’s copy is either switched off while in the adrenal gland, certain cells rely on the father’s copy of the gene involved in producing stress hormones. The team after discovering the parental switch went on to visualize its effect on the behavioral traits. 

Paul Bonthuis, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Bioscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stated that the revelation of maternal and paternal genes on the brain-adrenal axis could have been disparate, or antagonistic phenotypic. Gregg stated that it is an intriguing observation as the brain-adrenal axis is an important part of mammalian body function that affects stress, mood, metabolism, and the decision-making process.