Latest international research: The protein content of mouse maternal diet may affect the facial features of offspring. Pregnant mouse embryos fed a high-protein diet had altered mTORC1 signaling and enlarged nasal sacs and mandibles.
Activating these pathways in early embryonic development results in enlarged facial features and thickened nasal cartilage. inhibiting this pathway results in elongated faces in zebrafish and elongated snouts in mice. The authors believe that changing maternal diet can interact with and influence complex genetic mechanisms to shape a range of individual facial features.