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'Master Gene' Makes Mouse Brain Look More Human

Posted by Soulskill on from the rats-of-nimh-become-real dept.

sciencehabit writes "Researchers have found a genetic mutation that causes mammalian neural tissue to expand and fold. When they mutated this gene in mice, the rodents developed brains that look more like ours (abstract). The discovery may help explain why humans evolved more elaborate brains than mice, and it could suggest ways to treat disorders such as autism and epilepsy that arise from abnormal neural development. The findings go against a common conception that 'dumber species will have different genes' for brain development than more intelligent species, Borrell says. He adds that the mechanism could help explain how New World monkeys, with their small, smooth brains, could have evolved from an ancestor with a bigger and more folded brain."

18 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Disappointed. by Dahamma · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was somehow hoping this study was done at NIMH.

    1. Re:Disappointed. by fractoid · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Perfect. :) The bit I don't get is how "a genetic mutation that causes mammalian neural tissue to expand and fold" disproves "'dumber species will have different genes'? Since, well, it's a gene that's different. Also, conflating folding of the neural tissues with intelligence (rather than simply viewing it as a necessary precursor) sounds like the modern version of "men are more intelligent than women because their brains weigh more."

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    2. Re:Disappointed. by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ... conflating folding of the neural tissues with intelligence (rather than simply viewing it as a necessary precursor) sounds like the modern version of "men are more intelligent than women because their brains weigh more"

      Very true !!!

      Even amongst the humans, there are some who are very intelligent and then there are some who are very very stupid

      As humans, both the very intelligent and the very very stupid have brains which fold --- which indicates that it's not the folding of the brain which gives rise of intelligence

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    3. Re:Disappointed. by foniksonik · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Even the stupidest, most retarded or genetically impoverished human is orders of magnitude more sentient and "intelligent" than 99.999% of the other species on the planet.

      --
      A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
    4. Re:Disappointed. by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 2

      Erk... as someone who's at least cursorily looked at genes related to intelligence, let me tidy that up for you.

      Human intelligence depends on a lot of very strange mutations that are unique to humans. We know with certainty that these mutations happened very recently because all of the other animals have very similar genes in the same area. For the functionality to have been lost, it would have had to disappear every time we split from another animal, and vanish in the exact same way. Before you know it you've slit your own wrists with Occam's razor.

      The protein product of the gene in question, TRNP1, determines how much and how quickly neural stem cells replicate. In the human brain, we have an unusual quirk that says they need to replicate excessively, which causes the final brain tissue to bunch up into its distinctive fold patterns. The brain's weird structure is just the product of stuffing it into too small a place. There are definitely other genes involved in exploiting this unusual shape, however, (like HAR1) so it's not the whole story.

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  2. Knowledge is worth pursuing by Dorianny · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wish journalists would stop including the mandatory bit about how this might lead to such and such practical applications when reporting on scientific discoveries. Knowledge is worth pursuing even if it doesn't lead to any practical applications.

    1. Re:Knowledge is worth pursuing by rusty0101 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes it is, however scientists and reporters covering science research have no shortage of evidence demonstrating that if they don't provide concrete possible practical applications, the public perception is that scientists are getting research funding that they are squandering in the science equivalent of the $56,000 hammer sold to the military. Now if you want all research that is worth pursuing even if it doesn't lead to any practical applications receive that treatment, I'm pretty sure that there will be a large number of people willing to encourage the lambasting.

      --
      You never know...
  3. New World monkeys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No need for name calling. Treat our American friends with respect, please.

  4. Re:Slow night by Dahamma · · Score: 2

    Screw Charlie, I somehow accidentally got the first post yet apparently no one on ./ knows who Mrs. Frisbee is...

  5. Prepare the maze. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 2

    I want to know if the folding increases their intelligence in any measurable way.

  6. Re:disappointment by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    Didn't you get the memo? Everything not fitting into the generally accepted definition of "normal" must be adjusted. Just wait 10 years and we'll have pills that make you smarter and maybe also pills that make you dumber but happier.

    It's kinda like a mix between Harrison Bergeron and Brave New World...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  7. What are we going to do today? by dutchwhizzman · · Score: 2

    What are we going to do today Brain? Same as we do every day Pinky, try to conquer the world!

    --
    I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
  8. Why didn't they evolve a "better" brain? Easy by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It was not necessary.

    Do you know what that thing between our ears "costs" our body? 20% of our total energy output is gobbled up by that thing! For 2% of the body mass. It better be effin' worth it!

    Evolution will never allow something that's not strictly beneficial for survival and reproduction to prevail. A bigger brain needs more food, and in times of shortages, mice who would evolve a bigger brain would starve to death first. They don't win anything from higher intelligence, on the other hand.

    We did. Mostly because we are, essentially speaking, a big evolutionary mistake. We shouldn't exist anymore, honestly. We're terrible at staying alive. We can't run fast, we're not strong, we can't hide easily, we have no fur or feathers to keep us warm (which means we have to burn a LOT of calories just to heat up the air around us in cold periods!)... We are, essentially, an evolutionary mistake. If it wasn't for that brain that allowed us to develop tools to compensate our shortcomings. In our species, higher intelligence actually meant better chances of survival. Yes, our brain costs a fortune to support and "run" it (and if our body was a corporation it would have been axed years ago), but the advantages outweigh that.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Why didn't they evolve a "better" brain? Easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      ... Mostly because we are, essentially speaking, a big evolutionary mistake.

      BULLSHIT

      We shouldn't exist anymore, honestly. We're terrible at staying alive.

      Must be why there are 6+ BILLION humans spread over the ENTIRE FUCKING PLANET

      We can't run fast,

      Wrong. There aren't all that many land animals that can cover long distances faster than humans.

      we're not strong,

      Wrong. Humans are stronger than wolves. A good-sized wolf can't THROW a human. Yet any decently-strong human can actually pick up and throw a full-grown wolf.

      Of course, getting bit might be a problem, but that can be avoided.

      we can't hide easily,

      Wrong.

      we have no fur or feathers to keep us warm (which means we have to burn a LOT of calories just to heat up the air around us in cold periods!)...

      Irrelevant. Besides, neither do a lot of other large mammals.

      We are, essentially, an evolutionary mistake. ...

      Oxymoron at best. Meaningless babble at worst.

      Evolution makes no "mistakes" - evolution is not directed, it has no goal.

    2. Re:Why didn't they evolve a "better" brain? Easy by knarf · · Score: 2

      A bigger brain needs more food, and in times of shortages, mice who would evolve a bigger brain would starve to death first.

      Assuming that those bigger brains led to more intelligent mice...

      They don't win anything from higher intelligence, on the other hand.

      ...I think you're wrong there. More intelligent mice would be the ones most likely to get the remaining food. Sure, they need a bit more food to keep their bodies functioning, but they are well-equipped to out-smart the other mice to that food.

      --
      --frank[at]unternet.org
    3. Re:Why didn't they evolve a "better" brain? Easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ... We can't run fast, we're not strong, we can't hide easily, we have no fur or feathers to keep us warm (which means we have to burn a LOT of calories just to heat up the air around us in cold periods!)... We are, essentially, an evolutionary mistake. ...

      Actually we are able to long distance run better than any other animal on earth, so a good hunting strategy for humans is to just run after animals until they are too tired. We have a greater amount of throwing strength than any other animal, which makes throwing rocks a valid hunting strategy. Our combined abilities to climb, swim, and sprint allow us to escape predators, most of which can only do one or two of those three. Even if we didn't have our brainpower, we would be successful mid-tier predators and scavengers in temperate climates. The Homo genetic line didn't one day become super-geniuses compared to other animals. The extra brain power only allowed us to go from a niche predator to an apex predator.

  9. Re:What are we going to do tonight Brain? by hvm2hvm · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2881

    --
    ics
  10. Re:disappointment by lxs · · Score: 2

    Tell that to the kids and grown-ups hugging their blankets and succumbing to blind panic if lunch is five minutes late.