Genetically Engineered Mouse is Not Scared of Cats

Gary writes "A team from the University of Tokyo has genetically engineered a mouse that does not fear cats. By tweaking genes to disable certain functions of the olfactory bulb (the area of the brain that receives information about smells directly from olfactory receptors in the nose) the researchers were able to create a 'fearless' mouse that does not try to flee when it smells cats, foxes and other predators. 'The research suggests that the mechanism by which mammals determine whether or not to fear another animal they smell -- and whether or not to flee -- is not a higher-order cerebral function. Instead, that decision is made based on a lower-order function that is hardwired into the neural circuitry of the olfactory bulb.'"

Comments

Smell only?

[Anonymous Coward]

So he's fearless if he smells a predator. What if the mouse sees a cat running full speed at him?

Re:Smell only?

[Aladrin]

Or maybe they modified more than just the sense of smell, by mistake. I'm not trying to be all gloom and doom, but there's no way they fully understand what modifications they made. We still only know the very basics about DNA... Until they can -for sure- know all the effects modifying a gene will have, they can't say that their research means anything.

I happen to believe that they are correct in that mice fears predators at an instinct level... But I disagree that it's smell alone.

Re:Smell only?

[LingNoi]

These mice might be interesting to use for a study into feline behaviour.

Re:Smell only?

[medge_42]

We had guinea pigs when I was a kid and five cats. The guinea pigs were given a large roaming area that was open to the world and grew very used to having cats in that area. Neither species bothered the other. When the new neighbors moved in next door with their cat, I watch with interest as it stalked the largest of our guinea pigs. It pounced and the guinea pig didn't run, it simply looked up as if to say "What?". The cat seemed to say "Your right, I have no idea what is meant to happen now.", and walked off.

This shows that guinea pigs are not hardwired to fear cats and that cats do need their prey to run.

Maybe these mice aren't such an evolutionary dead end after all.

Seems flawed...

[EmagGeek]

Whatever function is triggered is being disabled by the removal of the SMELL capacity, not the FLEE capacity. That part of the mouse's brain that is responsible for interpreting the smell of a predator is probably still working fine, but is just not being stimulated because they have disabled the SMELL part.

Epigenetics

[Rolgar]

This is developing into a new field of study known as Epigenetics. Environmental factors, such as diet and exposure to toxins can activate or deactivate genetics.

Read more at:
Discover Magazine, November 2006
Wikepedia: Epigenetics.
Science Magazine

Re:An example for non-hunters who may not know

[Larry Lightbulb]

I know this is going really off-topic, but it follows on from getting rid of pests.

My in-laws had a problem with deer on their property and tried every solution that was suggested [apart from shooting them]. Urine and dung from every creature known to man was scattered about to no effect. Finally we found the one thing to work - it's a motion detector on a water hose, animal crosses the path and gets a jet of water. After a couple of times the wild-life problems were solved - to be replaced by local kid daring each other to run past it.

Re:Oh really?

[sm62704]

I think that although your post is humorous, it's also incorrect. There was a nature show on TV with a young antelope and two lions. The antelope had no fear of the lions, and the lions dodn't know how to act, although they did wind up eating it in the end.