For prairie voles, love is just a matter of gene switches.
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) have long drawn the attention of
neuroscientists due to their monogamous lifestyle. Once a pair of
prairie voles mate, they will remain together for the rest of their
lives. But what is the mechanism behind this pair-bond?
Previous studies with these voles implicated two neurotransmitters, vasopressin
and oxytocin. Mated voles are known to have more receptors for these
neurotransmitters than voles who haven't yet mated, and if montane voles
(typically a promiscuous species) receive doses of these
neurotransmitters they too become monogamous.
This study
looked for an epigenetic cause, investigating how mating behaviour
changed gene expression (turning them on or off). The team (of Florida
State University, Tallahassee) administered a drug to prairie voles that
had cohabited for 6 hours but had not mated. This drug blocked a
particular enzyme's activity and allowed the genes for vasopressin and
oxytocin receptors to be "read".
The results were striking.
Though they had not mated, the voles still formed a pair-bond equivalent
to if they had. When compared with the brains of mated voles, the
brains of cohabited voles showed a similar increase in the number of
oxytocin and vasopressin receptors. The drug had created the same
changes as mating.
But the drug alone doesn't cause the
changes: the voles need the 6 hours together too. Social factors are
still very important in creating pair-bonds. This is the first paper
demonstrating epigenetic changes underlying these pair-bonds, but the
researchers believe they've only touched the tip of the iceberg. The
team hope this kind research may lead to a better understanding on
epigenetic changes in humans, particularly those brought about by social
interactions.
Photo credit: Zuoxin Wang.
http://www.nature.com/news/
http://www.the-scientist.com/
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) have long drawn the attention of neuroscientists due to their monogamous lifestyle. Once a pair of prairie voles mate, they will remain together for the rest of their lives. But what is the mechanism behind this pair-bond?
Previous studies with these voles implicated two neurotransmitters, vasopressin and oxytocin. Mated voles are known to have more receptors for these neurotransmitters than voles who haven't yet mated, and if montane voles (typically a promiscuous species) receive doses of these neurotransmitters they too become monogamous.
This study looked for an epigenetic cause, investigating how mating behaviour changed gene expression (turning them on or off). The team (of Florida State University, Tallahassee) administered a drug to prairie voles that had cohabited for 6 hours but had not mated. This drug blocked a particular enzyme's activity and allowed the genes for vasopressin and oxytocin receptors to be "read".
The results were striking. Though they had not mated, the voles still formed a pair-bond equivalent to if they had. When compared with the brains of mated voles, the brains of cohabited voles showed a similar increase in the number of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors. The drug had created the same changes as mating.
But the drug alone doesn't cause the changes: the voles need the 6 hours together too. Social factors are still very important in creating pair-bonds. This is the first paper demonstrating epigenetic changes underlying these pair-bonds, but the researchers believe they've only touched the tip of the iceberg. The team hope this kind research may lead to a better understanding on epigenetic changes in humans, particularly those brought about by social interactions.
Photo credit: Zuoxin Wang.
http://www.nature.com/news/
http://www.the-scientist.com/
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