Featured
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Article |
C. elegans interprets bacterial non-coding RNAs to learn pathogenic avoidance
Exposing Caenorhabditis elegans to non-coding small RNAs from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces avoidance behaviours in treated worms and their progeny, which reveals how C. elegans discriminates between bacterial species in its microbial environment.
- Rachel Kaletsky
- , Rebecca S. Moore
- & Coleen T. Murphy
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Article |
A neurotransmitter produced by gut bacteria modulates host sensory behaviour
A neuromodulator produced by commensal Providencia bacteria that colonize the gut of Caenorhabditis elegans mimics the functions of the cognate host molecule to manipulate a sensory decision of the host.
- Michael P. O’Donnell
- , Bennett W. Fox
- & Piali Sengupta
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Article |
Genetic variation in glia–neuron signalling modulates ageing rate
Identifying the gene polymorphisms that are the foundations of variation in glia–neuron signalling in Caenorhabditis elegans provides insight into highly variable age-related declines in worm behaviours.
- Jiang-An Yin
- , Ge Gao
- & Shi-Qing Cai
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Article |
The genetic basis of parental care evolution in monogamous mice
Parental care in mice evolves through multiple genetic changes; one candidate is vasopressin, the reduced expression of which promotes parental nest-building behaviour in monogamous mice.
- Andres Bendesky
- , Young-Mi Kwon
- & Hopi E. Hoekstra
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Article |
IL-17 is a neuromodulator of Caenorhabditis elegans sensory responses
Interleukin-17 functions as a neuromodulator in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, acting directly on RMG hub interneurons to alter their response properties and contribution to behaviour.
- Changchun Chen
- , Eisuke Itakura
- & Mario de Bono
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Article |
Forward-genetics analysis of sleep in randomly mutagenized mice
Two mutations affecting the sleep–wakefulness balance in mice are detected, showing that the SIK3 protein kinase is essential for determining daily wake time, and the NALCN cation channel regulates the duration of rapid eye movement sleep.
- Hiromasa Funato
- , Chika Miyoshi
- & Masashi Yanagisawa
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Letter |
Natural courtship song variation caused by an intronic retroelement in an ion channel gene
Natural variation in the courtship song of Drosophila is mapped to the intronic insertion of a retroelement at the slowpoke locus, which encodes an ion channel.
- Yun Ding
- , Augusto Berrocal
- & David L. Stern
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Letter |
Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment
A genome-wide association study in 293,723 individuals identifies 74 genetic variants associated with educational attainment, which, although only explaining a small proportion of the variation in educational attainment, highlights candidate genes and pathways for further study.
- Aysu Okbay
- , Jonathan P. Beauchamp
- & Daniel J. Benjamin
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Letter |
orco mutant mosquitoes lose strong preference for humans and are not repelled by volatile DEET
Mosquitoes with null mutations in the orco olfactory co-receptor have reduced preference for humans, are only attracted to human odour in the presence of CO2 and are not repelled by the odour of the insect repellent DEET.
- Matthew DeGennaro
- , Carolyn S. McBride
- & Leslie B. Vosshall
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Letter |
Discrete genetic modules are responsible for complex burrow evolution in Peromyscus mice
The complex burrows created by oldfield mice are shown to be governed by genetic modules that each control an aspect of burrow size or shape.
- Jesse N. Weber
- , Brant K. Peterson
- & Hopi E. Hoekstra
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Research Highlights |
Genetics of sexual harassment
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Research Highlights |
Sex is spread across the genes
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Letter |
Natural polymorphisms in C. elegans HECW-1 E3 ligase affect pathogen avoidance behaviour
Natural variation in hecw-1 encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase influences the avoidance of pathogenic bacteria by Caenorhabditis elegans and forms a molecular basis for behavioural variation.
- Howard C. Chang
- , Jennifer Paek
- & Dennis H. Kim
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News |
Vampire bats turn down the heat sensors to hunt
Fine-tuning an existing receptor helps bats to track down body heat of prey.
- George Wigmore
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Article |
Catecholamine receptor polymorphisms affect decision-making in C. elegans
- Andres Bendesky
- , Makoto Tsunozaki
- & Cornelia I. Bargmann
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Letter |
Distinct physiological and behavioural functions for parental alleles of imprinted Grb10
Genetic imprinting, or the preferential expression of a single parental allele, has typically been implicated as an influential factor during development, but whether unequal representation of one allele can influence social behaviour has not been studied. Here, it is demonstrated that the adaptor protein Grb10 is predominantly expressed from the paternal allele in brain and that ablating this allelic bias induces behavioural modifications of a social nature. At this time, Grb10 is unique in the sense that tissue-specific actions of each parental allele can influence distinct physiological or behavioural processes.
- Alastair S. Garfield
- , Michael Cowley
- & Andrew Ward
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News |
Friends connect on a genetic level
Social scientists reveal genetic patterns in social networks.
- Amy Maxmen
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News |
Is good luck at gambling all in the genes?
A gene associated with rash behaviour may in fact enable shrewd decision-making in risky situations.
- Tiffany O'Callaghan
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Research Highlights |
Animal behaviour: Genetics and culture clash
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News & Views |
Genes and the anxious brain
Some people are naturally more anxious than others. A brain-imaging study in monkeys provides surprising insights into which brain regions are under the influence of genes in this phenomenon and which are not.
- Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
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Research Highlights |
Behavioural genetics: South bee-ch diet
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News |
Bacterial clocks chime in unison
Genetic circuit allows entire colonies to keep time.
- Erika Check Hayden
A signalling pathway for transcriptional regulation of sleep amount in mice