Apr 08, 2014 10:30 AM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Genes may increase the stress or advantage of the environment they are living in, according to a recent study Aljazeera reported.

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that genes interaction with social environments affect biomarkers of stress.  This means they could amplify the stress of harsh environments for some children, and magnify the advantage of supportive environments for other children, according to a press release.

The study used telomere length as a marker of stress.  Found at the ends of chromosomes, telomeres are repetitive sequences of DNA that generally shorten with age, and when individuals are exposed to disease and chronic stress, including the stress of living in a disadvantaged environment.

Telomeres serve as a sort of "genetic weathering" that's similar to aging, Aljazeera reported.

"Our findings suggest that an individual's genetic architecture moderates the magnitude of the response to external stimuli -- but it is the environment that determines the direction" Colter Mitchell, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers used telomere samples from a group of 40 9-year-old boys from two very different environments - one nurturing and the other harsh, according to a press release.

Children in the nurturing came from stable families, with nurturing parenting, good maternal mental health, and positive socioeconomic conditions. Those in the harsh environment experienced high levels of poverty, harsh parenting, poor maternal mental health, and high family instability.

Researchers found that children from the disadvantaged environment had shorter telomere lengths compared to the children in the supportive environment.

"Originally, I think we thought that we'd see it with the mothers of these kids," Mitchell told Aljazeera. "But I think more surprising is that we see it as young as [age] 9."

The findings were published Monday in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. 

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