Enhanced partner preference in a promiscuous species by manipulating the expression of a single gene
Enhanced partner preference in a promiscuous species by manipulating the expression of a single gene
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DOI：
10.1038/nature02539
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发表时间：
2004-06-17
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Young, LJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lim, MM;Wang, ZX;Young, LJ
复杂行为进化背后的分子机制知之甚少。哺乳动物属田鼠为研究社会行为的进化提供了一个很好的模型。草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）在自然界中表现出一夫一妻制的社会结构，而密切相关的草地田鼠（Microtus pennaciicus）则是独居和一夫多妻制的（1）。在雄性草原田鼠中，加压素和多巴胺都在腹侧前脑中起作用，以调节成年配偶之间的选择性联系，称为配对键的形成，这是通过实验室中的伴侣偏好来评估的（2-4）。一夫一妻制的田鼠腹侧前脑中血管加压素V1 a受体（V1 aR）的表达水平高于滥交的田鼠物种（5），而多巴胺受体的分布在物种之间相对保守。在这里，我们大大增加了合作伙伴的偏好形成在社会滥交草甸田鼠通过使用病毒载体V1 aR基因转移到腹侧前脑。我们表明，在先前存在的遗传和神经回路的更大背景下，单个基因表达的变化可以深刻地改变社会行为，为复杂社会行为的快速进化提供潜在的分子机制。
The molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of complex behaviour are poorly understood. The mammalian genus Microtus provides an excellent model for investigating the evolution of social behaviour. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) exhibit a monogamous social structure in nature, whereas closely related meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are solitary and polygamous(1). In male prairie voles, both vasopressin and dopamine act in the ventral forebrain to regulate selective affiliation between adult mates, known as pair bond formation, as assessed by partner preference in the laboratory(2-4). The vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR) is expressed at higher levels in the ventral forebrain of monogamous than in promiscuous vole species(5), whereas dopamine receptor distribution is relatively conserved between species. Here we substantially increase partner preference formation in the socially promiscuous meadow vole by using viral vector V1aR gene transfer into the ventral forebrain. We show that a change in the expression of a single gene in the larger context of pre-existing genetic and neural circuits can profoundly alter social behaviour, providing a potential molecular mechanism for the rapid evolution of complex social behaviour.