How a gene mutation leads to higher intelligence

Severe diseases of the human nervous system can be caused by genes changing. Fruit flies can be used by researchers to demonstrate that a positive effect can be achieved by the deletion of a neuronal gene. The journal Brain published the discovery.

Nerve cells talk to each other through the synesthetics in the brain. Alterations of synaptic proteins can impair this complex mechanism, which can lead to diseases of the nervous system. Mild symptoms can result in severe disabilities in those affected.

The interest of Professors Langenhan and Heckmann was aroused when they read about the case of a synaptic damage. The affected patients attracted the attention of scientists because they went blind. The patients were also of above average intelligence, which was noticed by the doctors.

Fruit flies have been used for many years to analyze synaptic functions. Langenhan says that it was assumed that patients were so clever because of the improved communication between the neurons. You have to use animal models.

Fruit flies have many of the genes that cause diseases in humans.

The scientists and researchers from Oxford showed that the fly's RIM looks similar to that of humans. It was necessary to study the changes in the human brain in the fly. In the next step, the neurobiologists inserted new genes into the fly genome that looked the same as they did in the sick people. The animals with the altered genes showed a much increased transmission of information. Professor Langenhan concludes that this amazing effect on the fly synapses is probably found in the same way as in human patients, and could explain their increased cognitive performance, but also their blindness.

The scientists discovered that the increased transmission at the synapses is caused by a change in the structure of the nerve cell that causes the synaptic impulses to move closer together. Professor Langen says that the technique of super-resolution microscopy gave them a tool to look at and even count individual molecules.

The project shows how an extraordinary model animal like the fruit fly can be used to gain a deep understanding of human brain disease. Humans and the animals are very similar. Professor Langenhan says that 75 percent of the genes involved in disease in humans are also found in the fruit fly. We will use the fruit fly to replicate disease-causing genes and better understand human disease.

More information: Mila M. Paul et al, The human cognition-enhancing CORD7 mutation increases active zone number and synaptic release, Brain (2022). DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac011 Journal information: Brain Citation: How a gene mutation leads to higher intelligence (2022, May 10) retrieved 10 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-gene-mutation-higher-intelligence.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.