According to new atlas, when using transgenic hamsters, researchers found that the biological principles behind social behavior may be more complex than we thought The team used CRISPR to block certain neurochemical signaling pathways and found unexpected changes in the animal's social behavior
The key to this study is a hormone called vasopressin. Among other functions, this hormone plays a key role in social behavior, including male female pairing, sexual motivation, cooperation, social communication, dominance and aggression. In past studies, scientists injected children with autism with vasopressin and found improvements in social behavior.
In the new study, scientists at Georgia State University investigated the neurochemical pathways by which vasopressin works. To this end, they used CRISPR to genetically engineer hamsters lacking Avpr1a (vasopressin binding receptor). Sure enough, the genetically edited hamsters showed changes in social behavior - but not what the team expected.
"We were very surprised by this result. We expected that if we eliminated vasopressin activity, we would reduce aggression and social communication. But the opposite is true," said h. Elliot Albers, lead researcher of the study
Curiously, hamsters that knocked out Avpr1a showed significantly higher levels of social communication behavior than unedited controls. This social behavior is both positive and negative - modified animals also show greater aggression against other homosexuals. Interestingly, this applies to both male and female hamsters, eliminating the trend that male hamsters are usually more aggressive than females.
The team said the findings reveal that the biology behind social behavior is more complex than scientists previously thought. In addition, more work needs to be done to investigate how it may affect scientific thinking about human social behavior and whether it can find potential new ways to treat neuropsychiatric diseases.
"Even though we know that vasopressin increases social behavior by acting in some brain regions, the more comprehensive effects of Avpr1a receptors may be inhibitory," Albers said. "Our understanding of this system is not as good as we think. These counterintuitive findings tell us that we need to start thinking about the role of these receptors in the whole brain circuit, not just in specific brain regions."
The study was published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences( https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2121037119 ) 》(PNAs).