This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.As rates of violent behavior rise, more work is focusing on physiological and genetic underpinnings of aggression and associated traits. One factor that was associated with aggression is the serotonergic system. Serotonin deficiencies have been found to correlate with increased rates of aggression and related traits, such as impulsive behavior in humans and other animals. One gene found to regulate serotonin is the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT). A second gene that serves to regulate serotonin, and may also play a role in aggression, is monoamine oxidase A (MAO A). While there is considerable evidence supporting the association between these genes and aggressive behavior, other studies failed to replicate these findings. Alternatively, nonhuman primates may provide an excellent model for examining the role that these genes may play in the expression of aggression and related behaviors, as well as identifying environmental factors that may interact with genotype to influence behavioral outcome. The main goal of the project is to examine behavioral and physiological correlates to aggression in a group of semi-free living Japanese macaques.
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