Scientists discover one gene is necessary for mice to avoid
predators
When a mouse smells a cat, it instinctively avoids the
feline or risks becoming dinner. How? A Northwestern University study involving
olfactory receptors, which underlie the sense of smell, provides evidence that
a single gene is necessary for the behavior.
A research team led by neurobiologist Thomas Bozza has shown
that removing one olfactory receptor from mice can have a profound effect on
their behavior. The gene, called TAAR4, encodes a receptor that responds to a
chemical that is enriched in the urine of carnivores. While normal mice
innately avoid the scent marks of predators, mice lacking the TAAR4 receptor do
not.