Molecular Mechanisms of Social Behavior

项目总结 人类多种神经疾病与社交功能障碍和 沟通。虽然这些疾病的遗传成分是确定的，但它们的遗传是 复杂，疾病基因座和受损行为之间的功能联系的识别 事实证明，这是非常困难的。人类基因研究与动物模型研究的结合将 促进在建立全面的分子网络方面取得进展，这些网络规范社会行为和 识别精神障碍中被破坏的基因途径。 这个项目的目标是剖析在银狐(Vulpe)中隔离的特定可遗传行为 Vulpe)分解成在分子水平上被理解的离散的相互作用的组件，其意图是 为广泛的哺乳动物互动社会的机制提供了有价值的见解 行为，包括人类精神障碍。细胞学研究所培育的特定狐狸品系 和俄罗斯科学院的遗传学(ICG)表现出显著的不同，由基因决定 与典型和非典型人类行为有显著相似之处的行为表型。目前的提案 是伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的科学家和ICG的科学家们共同开展的研究项目 瑞典农业科学大学定义了其背后的分子机制 行为表型。 为了研究这些行为的遗传学，我们将1)鉴定和比较遗传结构 狐狸的攻击性、焦虑相关和附属行为，以及2)精细的狐狸行为定位和定义 参与调控这些行为的候选基因和分子途径。身份的鉴定 影响狐狸社会行为的基因座和基因有望为研究提供新的见解和候选 人类社会行为紊乱的基因。此外，如此完善的大型动物模型， 在生物学复杂性上居于啮齿动物和灵长类动物之间，可以作为人类和 对啮齿动物行为的分子研究，从而导致潜在治疗方法的发展。

PROJECT SUMMARY Multiple human neurological disorders are associated with deficits in social interaction and communication. Although a genetic component of these disorders is well established, their inheritance is complex, and the identification of functional connections between disease loci and impaired behaviors has proven to be extremely difficult. Integration of human genetic studies with studies of animal models will facilitate advances in establishing the comprehensive molecular networks that regulate social behaviors and the identification of gene pathways disrupted in mental disorders. The goals of this project are to dissect specific heritable behaviors segregating in the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) into discrete interacting components that are understood at the molecular level with the intent of providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying a broad range of mammalian interactive social behaviors, including human psychiatric disorders. The specific fox strains developed at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG) of the Russian Academy of Sciences exhibit markedly different, genetically determined behavioral phenotypes with significant parallels to typical and atypical human behaviors. The current proposal is a joint research project between scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the ICG, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to define the molecular mechanisms underlying these behavioral phenotypes. To investigate the genetics of these behaviors we will 1) identify and compare the genetic architecture of aggressive, anxiety-related, and affiliative behaviors in foxes and 2) fine map fox behavioral loci and define candidate genes and molecular pathways involved in the regulation of these behaviors. The identification of loci and genes influencing social behavior in foxes is expected to provide new insights into, and candidate genes for, human disorders of social behavior. Furthermore, such a well-established large animal model, intermediate to rodents and primates in biological complexity, can serve as a bridge between humans and rodents for molecular studies of behavior, thereby leading to the development of potential therapies.