Gene editing gone wrong: Scientists accidentally create angry hamsters. For 40 years, scientists thought a specific gene was linked to aggression in hamsters. Removing it, however, had violent consequences.

submitted by Orangutan from (freethink.com)

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[–]IkeConn 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Well apparently the scientists were right and wrong at the same time. Schrödinger's hamsters.

[–]Canbot 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

When male hamsters received injections of Avpr1a activators (such as AVP), they became more aggressive, whereas the female hamsters became less aggressive.

I think the scientists have got it all wrong. The only way it would have opposite effects in behavior is if it did not directly control behavior, rather the behavior was a response to whatever it is that the gene actually regulates, like stress. The male and female responses to stress are different.

When that stress regulating gene is lost in the second experiment the hamsters can no longer regulate stress and react with agression because it is the safe default and they can't tell when to be agressive and when not to be. Where as in the first experiment those hamsters had an agression regulator, it was simply adjusted to "you are safe now, be less stressed" by the hormone blockers.