Researchers report finding a gene that is essential for normal levels of anxiety and aggression. Calling it the Pet-1 gene, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Department of Neurosciences say that when this gene is removed or "knocked out" in a mouse, aggression and anxiety in adults are greatly elevated compared to a control (also called wild type) mouse.

(Videos displaying aggressive behavior of Pet-1 knockout mice can be viewed at http://neurowww.cwru.edu/faculty/deneris.shtml; click Movies Link.)

Other neurologic functions, such as motor coordination, feeding, and locomotor activity, do not appear altered in the knockout mouse.

Anxiety and aggression are normal and important behaviors that allow individuals to respond appropriately to threats or cope with a challenging environment. However, it is clear that uncontrollable or excessive anxiety and aggression can be counterproductive.

"The behavior of Pet-1 knockout mice is strikingly reminiscent of some human psychiatric disorders that are characterized by heightened anxiety and violence," says Evan Deneris, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and a neuroscientist at CWRU. The study is published in the Jan. 23 issue of the science journal Neuron.

Previously, Deneris' lab showed that in the brain Pet-1 is active only in serotonin nerve cells or neurons, a relatively small number of cells (among the trillions of neurons in a human brain, only a few hundred thousand produce serotonin) that profoundly affect emotions. Serotonin is a chemical that acts as a messenger or neurotransmitter allowing neurons to communicate with one another in the brain and spinal cord. It is important for ensuring an appropriate level of anxiety and aggression. Defective serotonin neurons have been linked to excessive anxiety, impulsive violence, and depression in humans.

A
'"/>

Contact: George Stamatis
gxs18@po.cwru.edu
216-368-3635
Case Western Reserve University
23-Jan-2003

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Researchers determine genetic cause of Timothy syndrome
2. Researchers find color sensitive atomic switch in bacteria
3. Researchers identify protein promoting vascular tumor growth
4. Researchers devise potent new tools to curb ivory poaching
5. Researchers create nanotubes that change colors, form nanocarpet and kill bacteria
6. Researchers ID chlorophyll-regulating gene
7. Researchers develop fast track way to discover how cells are regulated
8. Researchers identify distinctive signature for metastatic prostate cancer
9. Researchers report new gene test for isolated cleft lip and palate
10. Researchers discover why mutant gene causes colon cancer
11. Researchers identify the genomes controlling elements