Mice turn lesbian after gene deletion, scientists claim

Mice July 8th, 2010 by Chloe.Setter

A procedure that deletes a single gene in female mice at the embryo stage can make the rodents attracted to other female mice, scientists in Korea have claimed.

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology found that disabling the FucM gene, which influences oestrogen in the brain, caused the female mice to behave as if they were male, rejecting the advances of other males and trying to mate with mice of the same gender, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Professor Chankyu Park wrote in the BMC Genetics journal: “The mutant female mouse underwent a slightly altered developmental programme in the brain to resemble the male brain in terms of sexual preference.”

However, human genetics studies of homosexuality have generally proved inconclusive and Park warned that oestrogen does not have the same effect in human brains so it was impossible to draw any firm conclusions regarding human sexuality.

He said it would be “very difficult” to find volunteers to investigate the claims in humans.

Posted in: Health |

 comments

  • *sigh* Or, y’know, the fact that influencing them to have male brain structure and making them behave like males actually made them transmale, rather than lesbian…?

    Eth ∼ July 8th, 2010 3:51 pm

  • well FucM - who would have thought it. Is it April Fool’s Day by any chance?

    meagain ∼ July 9th, 2010 8:23 am

  • “Transmale” or “Lesbian”… I guess that too depends on whether or not the female mice take on other male behavior, and according to the above it seems like it is *only* with regards to sexual behavior, they’ve changed.

    Malene ∼ July 9th, 2010 10:34 am

  • I would volunteer for testing. Anything to further the cause.

    kelli ∼ July 10th, 2010 12:16 am

  • this reminded me of an article i read in new scientist, they’ve bred 2 female mice together after creatin sperm from ones stem cells. They hope by doin this with humans in the future to cure infertility in men and allow lesbian couples to have biological daughters. just thought some of u may be interested

    amy ∼ July 10th, 2010 4:25 pm

  • No doubt they dumped the mice in a trashcan after their experiment was complete. Or vivisected them. I’m tired of hearing about these pointless experiments on the poor creatures. How is this news anyway?

    --- ∼ July 26th, 2010 4:06 am

  • I find scientific research on animals much more acceptable than conventional swine farms and similar.
    Two mice helps gaining useful knowledge about how everything works. Perhaps it is not important to know what this particular gene does, and it is perhaps difficult to see the greater picture. But at the end all these little experiments are all tiny pieces of areas of a greater puzzle. And as it is with most of the science today, you will have to ask a question to get an answer. And yet, sometime you get answers to other questions too.
    I like answers much more than I like wieners and meet balls, and massively exported pigs in trucks.

    Malene ∼ July 26th, 2010 11:24 am