據(jù)7月《自然—神經(jīng)科學(xué)》上的一項(xiàng)研究顯示,，雌性草原田鼠的擇偶偏好牽涉到其體內(nèi)基因結(jié)構(gòu)的一些變化，這些變化不涉及DNA序列，但會(huì)影響遺傳表達(dá)。這些所謂的表觀遺傳學(xué)變化會(huì)伴隨著交配進(jìn)行而發(fā)生——一旦交配,，則意味著草原田鼠這種一夫一妻制的動(dòng)物有了終身配對(duì)。
Mohamed Kabbaj等人采用了曲古抑霉素A（TSA）這種可導(dǎo)致組蛋白發(fā)生變化,、讓細(xì)胞內(nèi)DNA濃縮的藥物,，讓雌性田鼠在未交配的情況下成功配對(duì)。組蛋白涉及到的這些表觀遺傳學(xué)變化特定發(fā)生在針對(duì)后葉催產(chǎn)素和后葉加壓素的基因編碼受體中——這兩種激素屬于荷爾蒙,，總體上對(duì)擇偶偏好和社交行為有重要影響,。服用TSA的雌性田鼠大腦內(nèi)的后葉催產(chǎn)素和后葉加壓素的濃度水平都有所上升，Kabbaj發(fā)現(xiàn)阻礙這些受體的藥物能夠防止田鼠配對(duì),。
這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)顯示了某些表觀遺傳學(xué)變化與草原田鼠社交配對(duì)的形成有關(guān),，同時(shí)也暗示了其他動(dòng)物種類的其他類型社交行為可能也受到類似變化的影響。（生物谷Bioon.com）
Nature Neuroscience DOI:10.1038/nn.3420
Hui Wang,Florian Duclot,Yan Liu,Zuoxin Wang,Mohamed Kabbaj
Histone deacetylase inhibitors facilitate partner preference formation in female prairie voles
In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), mating induces enduring pair-bonds that are initiated by partner preference formation and regulated by a variety of neurotransmitters, including oxytocin, vasopressin and dopamine. We examined potential epigenetic mechanisms mediating pair-bond regulation and found that the histone deacetylase inhibitors sodium butyrate and trichostatin A (TSA) facilitated partner preference formation in female prairie voles in the absence of mating. This was associated with a specific upregulation of oxytocin receptor (OTR, oxtr) and vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR, avpr1a) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), through an increase in histone acetylation at their respective promoters. Furthermore, TSA-facilitated partner preference was prevented by OTR or V1aR blockade in the NAcc. Notably, mating-induced partner preference triggered the same epigenetic regulation of oxtr and avpr1a gene promoters as TSA. These observations indicate that TSA and mating facilitate partner preference through epigenetic events, providing, to the best of our knowledge, the first direct evidence for epigenetic regulation of pair-bonding.
