Behavioural Genetics Group, Medical Research Council Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, CF24 4HQ United Kingdom.
Behavioural Genetics Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, CF10 3AT United Kingdom.
Genetics. 2018 May;209(1):233-239. doi: 10.1534/genetics.118.300898. Epub 2018 Mar 21.
Imprinted genes are expressed from one parental allele only as a consequence of epigenetic events that take place in the mammalian germ line and are thought to have evolved through intragenomic conflict between parental alleles. We demonstrate, for the first time, oppositional effects of imprinted genes on brain and behavior. Specifically, we show that mice lacking paternal make fewer impulsive choices, with no dissociable effects on a separate measure of impulsive action. Taken together with previous work showing that mice lacking maternal Nesp55 make more impulsive choices, this suggests that impulsive choice behavior is a substrate for the action of genomic imprinting. Moreover, the contrasting effect of these two genes suggests that impulsive choices are subject to intragenomic conflict and that maternal and paternal interests pull this behavior in opposite directions. Finally, these data may also indicate that an imbalance in expression of imprinted genes contributes to pathological conditions such as gambling and drug addiction, where impulsive behavior becomes maladaptive.
印迹基因仅从亲本等位基因的一方表达，这是哺乳动物生殖系中发生的表观遗传事件的结果，据认为这些事件是通过亲本等位基因之间的基因组内冲突进化而来的。我们首次证明了印迹基因对大脑和行为的拮抗作用。具体来说，我们发现缺乏父本 Nesp55 的小鼠做出的冲动选择更少，而对另一项冲动行为的独立测量没有可分离的影响。结合之前的研究表明，缺乏母本 Nesp55 的小鼠做出更多的冲动选择，这表明冲动选择行为是基因组印迹作用的底物。此外，这两个基因的对比作用表明，冲动选择受到基因组内冲突的影响，母本和父本的利益将这种行为推向相反的方向。最后，这些数据还可能表明，印迹基因表达的不平衡导致了赌博和药物成瘾等病理状况，其中冲动行为变得适应不良。
