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Silencing of gene affects people's social lives
2016-07-02 07:12:28 Post No. 29669770
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Silencing of gene affects people's social lives
Anonymous
2016-07-02 07:12:28
Post No. 29669770
[Report]
Date: June 20, 2016
Source: University of Georgia
Summary: Psychologists have found that the silencing of a specific gene may affect human social behavior, including a person's ability to form healthy relationships or to recognize the emotional states of others.
>A team of researchers...at the University of Georgia have found that the silencing of a specific gene may affect human social behavior, including a person's ability to form healthy relationships or to recognize the emotional states of others.
>In a paper published June 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists examined how a process known as methylation, which can reduce the expression of specific genes, affects a gene called OXT. This gene is responsible for the production of a hormone called oxytocin, which is linked to a wide range of social behaviors in humans and other mammals.
>"Methylation restricts how much a gene is expressed," said Brian W. Haas, the study's lead author and assistant professor of psychology in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "An increase in methylation typically corresponds to a decrease in the expression of a gene, so it affects how much a particular gene is functioning.
>"When methylation increases on the OXT gene, this may correspond to a reduction in this gene's activity. Our study shows that this can have a profound impact on social behaviors."
>Haas and his collaborators collected saliva samples from more than 120 study participants to perform genetic tests that show the levels of methylation on the OXT gene. The participants went through a battery of tests to evaluate their social skills as well as their brain structure and function.
...
>"Participants with greater methylation of the OXT gene were less accurate in describing the emotional states of the people they saw in pictures," he said. "That's a typical characteristic associated with autism, for example."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160620160158.htm
