Genetic Legacy of Complex Traits

University of Leicester researchers, leading a team of scientists, unearthed the ancient origins of genes responsible for learning, memory, aggression, and intricate behaviors dating back approximately 650 million years.

Ancient Roots of Genes

The findings led by Dr. Roberto Feuda, from the Neurogenetic group in the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, and other colleagues from the University of Leicester and the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), have now been published in Nature Communications (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The monoaminergic system is a bilaterian innovation

Go to source). Dr. Feuda said: “We’ve known for a long time that monoamines like serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline act as neuromodulators in the nervous system, playing a role in complex behavior and functions like learning and memory, as well as processes such as sleep and feeding.

“However, less certain was the origin of the genes required for the production, detection, and degradation of these monoamines. Using the computational methods, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of these genes and show that most of the genes involved in monoamine production, modulation, and reception originated in the bilaterian stem group”.

Unearthing the Origins of Behavior Genes

“This finding has profound implications on the evolutionary origin of complex behaviors such as those modulated by monoamines we observe in humans and other animals.”

The authors suggest that this new way to modulate neuronal circuits might have played a role in the Cambrian Explosion – known as the Big Bang - which gave rise to the largest diversification of life for most major animal groups alive today by providing flexibility of the neural circuits to facilitate the interaction with the environment.

Dr. Feuda added: “This discovery will open new important research avenues that will clarify the origin of complex behaviors and if the same neurons modulate reward, addiction, aggression, feeding, and sleep.”

Reference:

1. The monoaminergic system is a bilaterian innovation - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39030-2)

Source-Eurekalert