The prairie vole gene made the mice more faithful
BBC News | Sci/Tech | Geneticists make faithful mice
Friday, August 20, 1999 Published at 13:34 GMT 14:34 UK
Sci/Tech
Geneticists make faithful mice
The prairie vole gene made the mice more faithful
Scientists have transformed promiscuous male mice into more faithful partners and doting dads by inserting a single gene from a prairie vole.
The BBC's Christine McGourty reports: "The research could have important applications in medicine"
It is the first time that one gene has proven sufficient to change complex social behaviours so dramatically, the US researchers believe.
Tom Insel and Larry Young, at Emory University, have also recently done related studies in non-human primates and now plan to focus on humans.
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