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PubMed1991

Developmental behavior-genetic perspective of alcoholism etiology.

Gene-environment interactions underlying the etiology of alcoholism are amenable to investigation from a behavior-genetic perspective. The organismic characteristics that most frequently and reliably have been found to predispose to alcoholism are behavioral traits. Certain behavioral traits, viz., temperaments, have a substantial heritable contribution and comprise the elements from which complex habit patterns and personality traits develop. The unique interaction between the individual possessing certain extreme deviations in temperament traits with environmental contingencies occurring during the course of psychosocial development and throughout adulthood is hypothesized to determine the risk during any period of the lifespan for an alcoholism outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sibling differentiation in adolescence: implications for behavioral genetic theory.

The presence of sibling "differentiating processes"--defined as processes in which increased sibling similarity in environmental or genetic factors leads to differences in sibling outcomes-poses a challenge for standard behavioral genetic theory and research. The presence of differentiation processes may affect estimates of genetic and environmental parameters in ways that have not been fully recognized. Utilizing data from the Nonshared Environment and Adolescent Development project, this study examined whether differentiating processes existed for seven composite indices of positive and negative adolescent adjustment. The 720 sibling pairs in the study were broken down into groups by age difference (0-4 years) between siblings. The hypothesis that siblings close in age would demonstrate lower correlations on adjustment measures was generally supported at two time points, three years apart. However, siblings one year apart at Time 1 were more similar to each other than were siblings two years apart, suggesting that shared environmental influences counteract sibling differentiation processes for these siblings. The overall trend supporting sibling differentiation was found to be unrelated to measures of sibling positivity and negativity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Linking temperamental fearfulness and anxiety symptoms: a behavior-genetic perspective.

Research on mood and anxiety disorders has historically proceeded without sufficient reference to the growing body of work on the nature of typical emotional development and temperament. Reviewing data from several studies, we consider experiential, biological, and genetic factors as providing causal input to typical developmental variation in fearfulness and anxiety during infancy and early childhood. Longitudinal behavioral methods, psychophysiologic measures, and a behavior-genetic framework are used to approach these issues. Results from twin studies implicate moderately strong genetic influences on different facets of temperamental fearfulness, as well as childhood anxiety symptoms. Then, we consider the distinction between normal range temperament and overt anxiety symptoms from a quantitative genetic perspective. Biological correlates (cortisol, asymmetric frontal EEG activation, cardiac reactivity) of inhibited behavior are considered as related endophenotypes for anxiety. In a nongenetic analysis, we report the prediction of internalizing problems during kindergarten from earlier temperament and earlier basal cortisol measures. Our review highlights connections between behavioral indicators and various putative endophenotypes and the fuzzy boundary between normal-range temperament and anxiety disorders.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1991

The nature of environmental influences on weight and obesity: a behavior genetic analysis.

The nature of environmental influences on individual differences in weight and obesity is presently unclear. To resolve this issue, behavior genetic studies are reviewed for their relevance to environmental influences on weight and obesity. Results are consistent in suggesting that environmental experiences are important for weight and obesity, although they account for much less variation than do the effects of genes. Furthermore, only environmental experiences that are not shared among family members appear to be important. In contrast, experiences that are shared among family members appear largely irrelevant in determining individual differences in weight and obesity. These conclusions are consistent with a growing body of evidence on the relative unimportance of such shared experiences for many psychological characteristics.

Body Weight↗
PubMed2003

A longitudinal behavioral genetic analysis of the etiology of aggressive and nonaggressive antisocial behavior.

Developmental studies of antisocial behavior (ASB) have found two subgroups of behaviors, roughly described as aggressive and nonaggressive ASB. Theoretical accounts predict that aggressive ASB, which shows greater stability, should have high heritability. In contrast, nonaggressive ASB is very common in adolescence, shows less continuity, and should be influenced both by genes and shared environment. This study explored the genetic and environmental influences on aggressive and nonaggressive ASB in over 1,000 twin pairs aged 8-9 years and again at 13-14 years. Threshold models were fit to the data to incorporate the skew. In childhood, aggressive ASB was highly heritable and showed little influence of shared environment, whereas nonaggressive ASB was significantly influenced both by genes and shared environment. In adolescence, both variables were influenced both by genes and shared envirnmment. The continuity in aggressive antisocial behavior symptoms from childhood to adolescence was largely mediated by genetic influences, whereas continuity in nonaggressive antisocial behavior was mediated both by the shared environment and genetic influences. These data are in agreement with the hypothesis that aggressive ASB is a stable heritable trait as compared to nonaggressive behavior, which is more strongly influenced by the environment and shows less genetic stability over time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The behavioral genetics of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans, a small free-living soil nematode, is an ideal organism for the genetic dissection of simple behaviors. Over 150 genes required for normal behavior have been identified. We review here the neural and genetic pathways underlying four of the best-studied C. elegans behaviors: locomotion, response to gentle touch, egg-laying, and chemotaxis. Mutations affecting these behaviors have identified genes which specify neuronal cell lineage, neuronal cell fate, and the formation of cell matrix cues involved in axonal guidance. Molecular analysis of genes required for normal behavior offers the prospect of characterizing functionally important nervous system proteins, regardless of their abundance or biochemical role.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Behavioral genetics of thermosensation and hygrosensation in Drosophila.

Whereas temperature and humidity are critical variables affecting physiology, behavior, and evolution, the genetic and neuronal underpinnings of thermosensation and hygrosensation remain poorly understood. We have initiated a behavioral-genetic investigation of these sensory systems in Drosophila. Behavioral tests are described for the rapid screening of mutants defective in thermosensation and hygrosensation. We demonstrate the strong responses of normal flies to temperature and humidity. Two mutants were found with defects in thermosensation, only one of which is also defective in hygrosensation, indicating that they involve different sensory mechanisms. Ablation experiments further separate these sensory systems by showing that thermoreceptors are housed in the third antennal segment, whereas hygroreceptors are located more distally in the antennal arista.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Behavior genetics of drug sensitization.

Recent history has seen a surge of interest in the phenomenon of drug sensitization (reverse tolerance), in part because sensitization has been suggested as an important factor in the development of drug abuse. Genetic variation plays a key role in sensitivity to many drug effects, as well as predilection toward alcohol and drug abuse. The goal of this review was to critically evaluate the literature investigating the behavioral genetics of drug sensitization. A moderate amount of animal work utilizing inbred strains, selected lines, and recombinant inbred strains has been done that unsurprisingly supports partial genetic control of sensitization. Genes determining quantitative variation in degree of sensitization to cocaine and ethanol have been provisionally mapped to specific chromosomal regions in the mouse. However, research toward establishing a link between sensitization and risk for drug abuse and toward identifying the genetic mediators of sensitization needs to be expanded. Information derived from congenic strains, transgenic mice, knockout and inducible knockout mice could lead to better medical intervention for drug addiction.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of the genetic behavior of some starch properties in indica rice ( Oryza sativa L.): thermal properties, gel texture, swelling volume.

Starch comprises about 90% of milled rice, so that the eating and cooking quality of rice is mainly affected by the starch properties. In the present paper, we analyzed the genetical behavior of gelatinization temperature tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gel texture, and the swelling volume (SV) of indica rice with an incomplete cross of 4x8 parents. A genetic model which can dissect the effects of triploid seed, the cytoplasm, and the maternal plant on the endosperm traits was used. The results indicated that peak temperature (T(p)), conclusion temperature (T(c)) and enthalpy (DeltaH) were controlled by three types of genetic effects: seed direct (endosperm) effects, cytoplasmic effects and maternal effects. No cytoplasmic effects for the onset temperature (T(o)), hardness and SV, and no maternal effects for cohesiveness were found. The additive variances ( V (A)+ V (Am)) were larger than the dominance variances ( V (D)+ V (Dm)) for all the traits except for T(c), which suggested that selection could be applied for the starch properties in early generations. The total narrow-sense heritability for each parameter was over 60%, indicating that selection advances were predictable in the early generations for these traits.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Some methodological considerations for the behavioral genetic analysis of work attitudes.

In a recent article, Arvey, Bouchard, Segal, and Abraham (1989) argued that about 30% of the variance in job satisfaction was accounted for by workers' genetic make-ups. To demonstrate this, they examined a group of monozygotic twins who had been reared apart. Although this method has been used widely in behavioral genetic research, it contains many hidden threats to validity, which could render suspect numerical estimates of either environmental or genetic effects. We examine some of the threats associated with this type of twin research, emphasizing the problems involved in quantifying the heritability of job satisfaction.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Lifetime tobacco, alcohol and other substance use in adolescent Minnesota twins: univariate and multivariate behavioral genetic analyses.

AIMS: We sought to estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to adolescent tobacco, alcohol and other substance use. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 327 monozygotic and 174 like-sex dizygotic twin pairs born in Minnesota and aged 17-18 years at time of assessment. Biometrical methods were used to estimate the contribution of additive genetic, shared and non-shared environmental factors to adolescent substance use. MEASUREMENTS: As part of a day-long psychological assessment, adolescent twins completed a computerized substance use interview to determine whether they had ever used tobacco, alcohol or other illicit drugs. FINDINGS: The heritability for the liabilities to tobacco, alcohol and other drug use was estimated to be 59%, 60% and 33% among males, and 11%, 10% and 11% among females. However, the gender difference was not statistically significant. Estimates of shared environmental effect were substantial and insignificantly higher among females (71%, 68% and 36%, respectively) than among males (18%, 23% and 23%, respectively). The covariation among the three substance use phenotypes could be accounted for by a common underlying substance use factor. Estimates of the contributions of genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental factors to variance in this factor were 23% 63% and 14%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to the growing behavioral genetic literature indicating that adolescent initiation of substance use, a powerful predictor of adult substance use diagnosis, is influenced primarily by environmental rather than genetic factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Zebrafish on the move: towards a behavior-genetic analysis of vertebrate vision.

Behavioral screens have uncovered dozens of zebrafish mutants with striking visual defects. In parallel with mutant studies, recent psychophysical experiments indicate that zebrafish are capable of high-level motion processing, previously thought to be restricted to animals with a visual cortex. It should be possible now to devise assays to screen for mutations in visual perception.

Animals↗