DNA and Instinctual Behavior

[RichF]

How are instinctual actions imposed by DNA? I've never really given it much thought but how does a kitten all of a sudden realize "Hey, that stuff looks good to poop in and maybe I should cover it up". Logically it makes since as it would help to hide the scent but the kitten doesn't know that. It's just doing what it's been programed to do.

 

So, how does this work? Do actions become instinct or do random brain mutations that work become instinct? Can an instinct be imprinted on DNA or is it the DNA that does the imprinting on the instinct?

 

When I get hungry I seek out food. Yes I know that is a primal instinct but where did it originally come from? A random act of mutation that happened to work out?

 

I'm not much of a biology guy so bear with me. Just my thoughts on a Monday,

 

Rich

[ecoli]

DNA codes for proteins, everything occurs because of the type of protein it is.

[RichF]

Thank you but I am aware of how proteins work within the DNA structure and how it maps out which cells are to do what. My question revolves around how DNA is related to mapping synapses to create instinctual behavior.

 

Have any studies been done on this? Take my example in the previous post.....

 

Did a random mutation of an ancient feline relatives DNA create the need to cover the kitty poop?

 

Thanks in advance.

[RichF]

Quick note for clarity. I understand how DNA maps organ and body structure but behavioral mapping is a little beyond me....

 

Have any studies been done on the topic?

[scicop]

It relates more to the control of WHEN and WHERE certain gene products are expressed to form a "hard wired"/instintual behavior. Can't argue that DNA has the essentials for instintual behevior, but spatial and temporal control of gene expression ("protein" for you non-geneticist) its what at key.

 

It is possible to identify and correalate specific loci to certain behaviors (and pathologies) and this is DONE all the time, however usually geneticist are limited for the need of inherited genetic dysfunction (for humans and organisms were genetic modulation is not feesible) or mutation induction in organsims where genetic modulation is established (and feesible),.

 

One behavior that is instinctual in nature and has been studied extensively is sleep! There are humans (and dogs) who have genetically inherited pathologic sleep patterns, and familial genetic loci mapping have led to indentification of genes involved in regulating membrane conductance (i.e. ion channels). Studies have also been done in mice.

 

So, the genes for certain ion channels have been identified and cloned (we know the DNA sequence and thus the amino acid sequence) and what does that mean for understanding the origin of sleep behavior? By itself..not much.

 

Certain questions become important in order to start getting to such understand such as:

1. Where is it expressed

2 When is it expressed

3. What signal turns on expression?

4. What singal turns on the signal that turns on expression?

5. What other gene products (either functionally or physically) interact with your gene of interest?

6. When are those expressed?

7. Where are those expressed?

8. How is the whole process intiated? (asymmetric cell division hense intrinsic or autocrine signaling extrinsic?

 

So the take home message is that a single piece of DNA may mediate a instintual behavior, it does not absolutely control the "development" instinctual, rather its an interplay of gene regulatory systems.

 

Hope this helps.

[RichF]

Yes, yes...that helps out a great deal! Thank you for the explanation.