Genes and Behaviour

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Genes and Behaviour
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
Enzyme production
Enzymes
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
Enzyme production
Enzymes
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Regulated biochemical reactions
Physical (e.g. temp)
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
Enzyme production
Enzymes
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Regulated biochemical reactions
Physical (e.g. temp)
Cell metabolism
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
Enzyme production
Enzymes
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Regulated biochemical reactions
Physical (e.g. temp)
Cell metabolism
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Development of nervous, skeletal endocrine
systems
Environmental influences (e.g. visual input for
the development of the CNS)
Physiological mechanisms
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Process
Environmental
Regulatory genes
Environmental influences turn genes on and off
Structural Genes
Enzyme production
Enzymes
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Regulated biochemical reactions
Physical (e.g. temp)
Cell metabolism
Carbohydrates, fats proteins
Development of nervous, skeletal endocrine
systems
Environmental influences (e.g. visual input for
the development of the CNS)
Physiological mechanisms
Sensory perception, CNS processing, Motor
generation
Environmental influences(e.g. social environment)
BEHAVIOUR
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INHERITANCE OF SONG PATTERNS IN CRICKETS
(BENTLEY, 1971)
Teleogryllus commodus
Teleogryllus oceanicus
X
X
X
F1 hybrid
T. commodus x F1 backcross
T. oceanicus x F1 backcross
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Quantitative Genetics
2 alleles
1 allele
X alleles
For any trait Total variance genetic variance
environmental variance Or VT VG VE
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VG
Heritability
VG VE
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Foulbrood in Honeybees
Under the control of two alleles
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Foulbrood in Honeybees
Under the control of two alleles u - for
uncapping U - no uncapping r - removal R - no
removal
Non-hygenic
Hygenic
Female (uurr) X Male (UR)
All females - non-hygenic (UuRr)
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Foulbrood in Honeybees
Now do various backcrosses F1 females to males
Genotype No uncapping Uncapping No removal Removal
U_R_
u_R_
U_r_
u_r_
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Artificial Selection - Drosophila geotaxis
Selection of positively and negatively geotactic
Drosophila
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Artificial selection - mating speed in Drosophila
Fast maters
Control
Slow maters
First half of maters
Second half of maters
Repeat for 25 generations
Got three distinct lines
Fast - 3 mins
Slow - 80 mins
Control - 5 mins
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Hybridization Experiments - Lovebirds
Fischers
Peach-faced
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Hybridization experiments - Sokolowski
P1
Sitter Rover
Sitter Rover
Path length
Path length
Sitter Rover
Sitter Rover
F1
F1
x
Path length
Path length
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E. Parent Offspring Regression
Activity scores with Drosophila

Slope heritability










Offspring




Mid-parent score (P1 P2)
2
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F. Comparative approach - Temperature selection
in Peromyscus
Preferred Temperature (Adults)
-5
0
5
10
15
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Dunce and rutabaga genes - Drosophila
ATP
cAMP
cAMP phosphodiesterase
Adenylyl cyclase
Binds and activates
PKA
activates
CREB
Turns on genes that cause changes in structure
and function of nerve cells that govern memory
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What about genes that affect larger collections
of behavioural acts?
fosB gene in mice
Brown et al. 1996. A defect in nurturing in mice
lacking the immediate early gene fosB. Cell 86
297 - 309