“Warrior gene” and young thugs-worldscience

[wolfhnd]

“Warrior gene” reported rife among young thugs

June 5, 2009
Courtesy Florida State University
and World Science staff

Boys car­ry­ing a par­tic­u­lar var­i­ant of a gene are un­usu­ally likely to join gangs—and to be among their most vi­o­lent, highly armed mem­bers, a new study has found. The re­search linked a gene called mono­amine ox­i­dase A, or MAOA, to gangs and guns.


http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090605-maoa

The fact that even in this group some subjects were not antisocial shows that we are talking about higher risks, not predestination. Subjects who carried the low-activity version of the MAOA gene and who were not abused were no more likely to engage in antisocial behavior than those carrying the high-activity version. Conversely, subjects who had been abused but who carried the high-activity version of the MAOA gene were no more likely to engage in antisocial behavior than those who had suffered no abuse at all. "We have identified a gene that seems to protect children from harmful effects of maltreatment," Moffitt told Reuters.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/34855.html

This gene encodes monoamine oxidase A, an enzyme that degrades amine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The protein localizes to the mitochondrial outer membrane. The gene is adjacent to a related gene on the opposite strand of chromosome X. Mutation in this gene results in monoamine oxidase deficiency, or Brunner syndrome. [provided by RefSeq]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... &term=4128

version of a gene previously linked to impulsive violence appears to weaken brain circuits that regulate impulses, emotional memory and thinking in humans, researchers at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found. Brain scans revealed that people with this version — especially males — tended to have relatively smaller emotion-related brain structures, a hyperactive alarm center and under-active impulse control circuitry. The study identifies neural mechanisms by which this gene likely contributes to risk for violent and impulsive behavior through effects on the developing brain.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/20 ... uits.shtml