Your DNA Changes Faster Than We Thought

Every person carries nearly 200 genetic changes that neither parent had—and some parts of our DNA are mutating much faster than scientists previously realized.

A team of U researchers and North American colleagues has created the most comprehensive map yet of how human DNA changes across generations, revealing “mutation hot spots” that transform almost every time they’re passed down. The findings, published in Nature, could help families better understand their risk for genetic diseases.

“We saw parts of our genome that are crazy mutable, almost a mutation every generation,” says Aaron Quinlan, new chair of the U’s Department of Human Genetics, who holds the Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Genetics at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.

The discovery came from studying four generations of a Utah family that has worked with genetics researchers since the 1980s. Using multiple advanced DNA sequencing technologies, the team could detect both tiny changes and massive DNA rearrangements that previous methods missed.

“It’s mutations that ultimately differentiate us from other species,” says fellow study author Lynn Jorde, longtime U professor of human genetics who holds the Mark and Kathie Miller Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Genetics. “We’re getting at a very basic property of what makes us human.”

The research has immediate practical applications for genetic counseling. If a child has a genetic disease caused by changes in these fast-mutating regions, if it’s from a mutation hot spot, siblings may have a lower risk.

“A large family with this breadth and depth is an incredibly unique and valuable resource,” says Deborah Neklason PhD’99, an author on the study and a U research associate professor of internal medicine. The team plans to expand its work to see if mutation rates vary between families.