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Cited by 46Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorBullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Aggression in Knockout Mice

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Nelson, R. J., Chiavegatto, S.·2000·ILAR Journal
DOI 10.1093/ilar.41.3.153
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Abstract

Randy J. Nelson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Silvana Chiavegatto, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Neurology and Psychology, at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Randy J. Nelson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Silvana Chiavegatto, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Neurology and Psychology, at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Aggression is overt behavior with the intention of inflicting physical damage on another individual ( Moyer 1968 , 1971 ). The possibility for aggressive behavior exists whenever the interests of two or more individuals are in conflict ( Svare 1983 ). Conflicts are most likely to arise over limited resources such as territories, food, and mates. In nature, the social interaction resolves which animal gains access to the contested resource. In many cases, a submissive posture or gesture on the part of one animal avoids the necessity of actual combat over a resource. Animals may also participate in psychological intimidation by engaging in threat displays or ritualized combat in which dominance is determined, but no physical damage is inflicted. To facilitate the study of aggressive interactions, the term “agonistic” was adopted to describe the entire behavioral repertoire of both aggressive and submissive actions within the context of a social interaction ( Scott and Fredericson 1951 ). In the strict sense, however, submissive behaviors are not really aggressive behaviors; consequently, the physiologic mechanisms underlying the aggressive and submissive components of an agonistic interaction may be different ( Leshner and Moyer 1975 ). Aggression and submission may represent the end points of a single behavioral continuum; alternatively, they may represent two independent, but interacting, dimensions of the behaving individual. This is not a trivial semantic issue, but rather a conceptual issue that influences the manner in which the neural and endocrine bases of agonistic behavior are studied ( Schlinger and Callard 1990 ). Many laboratory studies on aggression use domesticated house mice ( Mus musculus ), which are normally quite docile. Consequently, the mice must often be put into artificial situations that promote aggression, for example, they are housed in isolation or given an electrical shock. Female mice housed in groups will also attack a novel lactating female. More natural examples of laboratory-studied types of murine aggression include maternal aggression and male territorial aggression. Aggression has been divided into various types for ease of classification ( Moyer 1968 , 1971 ; Wilson 1975 ) ( Table 1 ), and the different types of aggression appear to have different neuroendocrine bases. Maternal aggression, which serves to protect the offspring from intruders, appears to be mediated by hormonal changes associated with the production of offspring ( Gammie and Nelson 1999 ). Specific relationships among blood concentrations of estrogens, progestins, and prolactin during the last days of pregnancy are correlated with the onset of maternal aggression ( Bridges 1996 ). Types of murine aggression See text. Types of murine aggression See text. Steroid hormones also underlie other types of aggressive behavior. Intermale aggression and territorial aggression, as well as sex- and rank-related aggression, all appear to be mediated by androgens ( Bouissou 1983 ). These types of aggression are most commonly studied in the laboratory and are tested by the so-called resident-intruder paradigm (see below). Predatory aggression is another type of aggressive behavior that is performed in the context of obtaining food. The motivation and neuronal mechanisms underlying predatory aggression are likely different from the motivation and physiologic mechanisms underlying other types of aggression. Learned aggression and irritable aggression are often studied in the form of restraint aggression, which results after an animal is held motionless. Another type of agonistic behavior commonly studied in the laboratory has been called fear-induced aggression, but this is more correctly termed “defense.” Notably, the physiologic control of aggression in these contrived situations is likely to differ from the physiologic mechanisms underlying natural expressions of aggressive behavior. Tests of aggressive behavior in mice with targeted deletion of specific genes have been limited to isolation-induced and resident-intruder tests of males and maternal aggression of females ( Table 2 ). Types of aggression in examined knockout mice See text. Types of aggression in examined knockout mice See text. Several models of aggression focus on the offensive components of agonistic interactions in knockout mice. Offensive behavior in this context is characterized by initiati

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  • Studies of rare human genetic conditions and gene knockouts in mice show that many genetic determinants play critical roles in shaping the emotional circuitry of the brain and modulating aggressive behavior.

    “Studies of rare human genetic conditions [14] and gene knockouts (KOs) in mice [15, 16] show that many genetic determinants play critical roles in shaping the emotional circuitry of the brain and modulating aggressive behavior [17, 18].”

    From An integrated analysis of genes and functional pathways for aggression in human and rodent models (2019) · cites this paper as [16]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Grisolia JS. 1997. Temporal lobe mechanisms and violence. In: Grisolia JS, Sanmartin J, Luj&n JL, Grisolia S, editors. Violence: From Biology to Sociology. Excerpta Medica International Congress. Series 1135. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, p 43-52.
  2. Wilson EO. 1975. Sociobiology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

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Authors
Nelson, R. J., & Chiavegatto, S.
Affiliations
Johns Hopkins University (US)
ORCID
Venue
ILAR Journal
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2000-01-01
Volume
41
Issue
3
Pages
153-162
ISSN
1084-2020 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1093/ilar.41.3.153
OpenAlex
W2089201395
Cited by
46
References
97
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
0.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • ILAR Journal (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (MH-57535, R01MH057760, MH-57760, R01MH057535)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
Keywords
aggression, knockout mice, agonistic behavior, submission, maternal aggression, territorial aggression, male-male aggression, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, corticosterone, glucocorticoid receptor
MeSH terms
Aggression, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Female, Genetics, Behavioral, Male, Phenotype, Mice, Knockout, Gene Targeting, Mice

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