faithful partners can thank their genes?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2003
faithful partners can thank their genes?
3
Thu, 06-17-2004 - 8:10am

The thing that separates a cad from a faithful lover could be just one gene.


Researchers have discovered they can turn promiscuous animals into monogamous ones by transferring a gene for a hormone receptor to their brains.


The study, by an American team led by Larry Young of Emory University in Atlanta, was carried out with small furry mammals called voles.


But "it is intriguing to consider that individual differences in receptors in humans might play a role in how differently people form relationships", Dr Young said.


The findings were a step towards understanding the biological basis of romantic love, and could throw light on disorders where people had trouble forming relationships, such as autism, he said.


Voles are popular animals for research on sexual behaviour because prairie voles establish lifelong relationships with one partner, whereas meadow voles have lots of mates.


Dr Young's team had previously studied the brains of the two different species and found that monogamous male voles had much higher levels of receptors for the hormone vasopressin in a part of their brains associated with feelings of reward, compared with the promiscuous species.


In the new study, published today in the journal Nature, they transferred the gene that produces these vasopressin receptors in prairie voles to the correct spot in the brains of unfaithful meadow voles using a harmless virus.

The former cads then displayed a strong preference for their current partners rather than new females.


Many genes were likely to be involved in the sexual behaviour of people, the researchers said.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Thu, 06-17-2004 - 9:59am
Yeah, the need to give that virus to all the men in my ex husband's family. None of them can keep in it their pants.

Melissa

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2004
Thu, 06-17-2004 - 11:19am
Very interesting. I wonder just how much influence it plays in humans though?

Leticia

Avatar for katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-17-2004 - 11:27am
I knew that vasopressin was the male version of oxytocin in women. I think this is valuable research since some men just don't seem to be able to form close bonds with anyone and that surely affects the quality of their lives.