During pregnancy, the amount of protein consumed by the mother can impact the child’s facial development.
- Facial features are influenced by a genetic pathway, called mTORC1.
- The latter can be modified by diet, especially when it is rich in protein.
- This means that a diet rich in protein during pregnancy can have an impact on the baby’s facial features.
Facial features are inherited from parents, but not only that. According to a study published in the specialized journal Nature Communications, the diet of pregnant women during their pregnancy has an impact on the baby’s face. This international research team reached this conclusion after analyzing facial tissues from human embryos and carrying out experiments on zebrafish and mice.
Facial features: a genetic pathway linked to skeletal formation and nutrition
First, they analyzed the tissues of the embryos to identify the genes involved in the appearance of facial features. Sequencing of these tissues showed that the mTORC1 pathway is one of the factors influencing facial formation: this genetic pathway “plays a role in modulating skeletal formation at an early stage”, they specify. However, this pathway is known for its involvement in the way cells process food.
Understanding the role of a genetic pathway in the formation of the facial skeleton
The researchers then developed experiments in laboratory mice and zebrafish to understand the impact of these genes on the formation of the facial skeleton. In some of the animals, the scientific team deactivated the mTORC1 pathway and in the others, it activated it. Then, they compared the results according to the groups. “Activation of the pathway led to thicker than normal nasal passages and wider than normal facial features.”, observe the authors. Conversely, deactivating the pathway gave zebrafish a longer-than-normal face, and in mice, a larger snout.
What are the effects of diet on facial features?
The team then tested the possible role of diet. Suspecting that protein consumption might activate the mTORC1 pathway, they fed a group of mice a high-protein diet. “Tests showed differences in signaling compared to mice fed a normal diet: embryos from those given a protein supplement had lower jaws than normal and larger than normal nasal capsules., note the researchers. For them, the mother’s diet during pregnancy can therefore have an impact on facial development.
Why study the factors influencing facial formation?
The objective of this work is not to focus only on the aesthetics of the face, but to better understand its formation. The researchers point out that the identification of these mechanisms provides new scientific knowledge and could ultimately help to “develop more effective clinical approaches for the treatment and/or prevention of numerous congenital craniofacial malformations”.