Gene Editing Can Change the Social Behavior of Animals in Unexpected Ways

upstart writes:

Gene Editing Can Change The Social Behavior of Animals in Unexpected Ways:

The CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique can be used to change genetic coding with great precision, and its uses include curing disease and fixing genetic faults. Now it's been used to change animal behavior - and the results are not what scientists were expecting.

CRISPR was used on a group of hamsters to knock out the Avpr1a receptor, which is acted on by the hormone vasopressin. Vasopressin is linked to social actions, such as bonding, cooperation, communication, dominance, and aggression.

Without the Avpr1a receptor, the team behind the study expected social communication and aggressive behavior to be reduced.

Instead, the opposite happened: the hamsters without the receptor showed much higher levels of social communication and aggression. Typical sex differences in aggressiveness disappeared as well, with hamsters of both sexes displaying high levels of aggression towards other same-sex individuals.

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