Fig. 1: Associations Between Parental Genotypes and Offspring Phenotype. | Molecular Psychiatry

Fig. 1: Associations Between Parental Genotypes and Offspring Phenotype.

From: Examining intergenerational risk factors for conduct problems using polygenic scores in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study

Fig. 1: Associations Between Parental Genotypes and Offspring Phenotype.

If associations between parental genotypes (GM or GF) and child phenotype (PC) persist after controlling for child genotype (GC), this could indicate genetic nurture effects working through parental phenotype (PM or PF). For mothers, genetic nurture effects reflect the pathway GM → PM → PC, while genetic transmission is GM → GC → PC. The child direct genetic effect is GC → PC. We note that such ‘indirect genetic effects’ from parental genotype may not purely reflect genetic nurture effects, but can also arise for example, from population stratification. However, ‘indirect genetic effects’ could be a confusing term here, as genetic transmission effects are also indirect from a statistical viewpoint (effects of parental polygenic score are mediated via child polygenic scores), which is why we chose the terminology of ‘genetic nurture effects’ here. C = child, F = father, G = genotype, M = mother, P = phenotype.

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