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Loss of heterozygosity. behavioral and neural genetics. ecology of emotionGenetics of Complex Phenotypes: Complex phenotypes are difficult to measure. are influenced by many interacting genes and are easily modified by subtle environmental factors. Such phenotypes may exhibit extensive emergent epistatic and genotype-environmental interactions. Behavior is perhaps one of the most complex phenotypes possible and for many years I worked in the analysis of individual differences in behavior. Recently. I have been working on Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) using a mouse model. LOH is a complex phenotype and we are just beginning to understand the interactions between specific genes. general genetic backgrounds and environmental factors. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for tumor suppressor genes in somatic cells frequently results in a recessive cellular phenotype that leads to cancer. We have studied the frequency and mechanisms of LOH in human heterozygotes and produced a heterozygous mouse model for investigation of LOH in different genetic backgrounds and after exposure to environmental agents. We have discovered that the major mechanisms for LOH in normal cells are mitotic recombination. followed by point mutation. Thus. we are investigating genes (e.g.. p53. Tgfb2. Msh2) and environmental agents (benzene. organic peroxides) that may affect these processes. The mouse is an excellent model for this research due to the availability of many "knockouts" for genes that might affect LOH and our ability to deliver environmental agents. such as chemicals and radiation. in a precise manner. Ecology of Emotion: This is work carried out in collaboration with Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones (Dept. of Psychology) and my Ph.D. student Mr. Louis Cantafio. Emotion is often modeled as arising from a set of hard-wired circuits in the brain. Recent work from our groups has shown that emotion might be modified by subtle environmental cues such as fresh flowers. In addition. humans might communicate emotional information through odors and/or pheromones. There are large individual differences in the perception of emotional cues and these may be influenced by the genotypes of both the "odor donor" and the "odor recipient". Selected PublicationsHaviland-Jones. J.. Rosario. H.H.. Wilson. P. and McGuire. T.R. (2005) An environmental approach to positive emotion: Flowers. Evolutionary Psychology 3: 104-132. Haviland-Jones. JM. McGuire. TR. Heppen,J . Hale. H. & Wilson. P. (2002) Flowers and human emotions: Advantages to people and to the host plants submitted to Evolution and Human Behavior). McGuire. T. R. (1995). Is homosexuality genetic? A critical review and some suggestions. Journal of Homosexuality 28: 115-145. McGuire. T.R. (1993). Emotion and behavior genetics in vertebrates and invertebrates.. Invited paper for The Handbook of Emotion. M. Lewis and J.M. Haviland (Eds.) New York: Guildford. pp. 155-166. Rahimi. F.. McGuire. T.R. and Gaugler. R. (1993). A second dumpy mutation in the entoparasitic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Journal of Heredity 84: 475-478. |
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