The 'violent' gene: Genetic mutation found only in Finnish men that makes them fight

[British and Proud]

The 'violent' gene: Genetic mutation found only in Finnish men that makes them fight

A genetic mutation that makes men impulsive and aggressive, especially when drunk, has been isolated in Finnish men.

Research on violent criminals in Finland has uncovered a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule that contributes that makes people more likely to be aggressive when they have been drinking.

The findings could lead to a better understanding into why some people are more prone to sudden bouts of violence and to the treatment of violent offenders.

Incredibly, the gene is only found in men from Finland and so cannot explain similar behaviour in other countries such as the UK.

A report of the findings appears in the December 23rd issue of Nature.

'Impulsivity, or action without foresight, is a factor in many pathological behaviours including suicide, aggression, and addiction,' says David Goldman chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

'But it is also a trait that can be of value if a quick decision must be made or in situations where risk-taking is favoured.'

In collaboration with researchers in Finland and France, Dr. Goldman and colleagues studied a sample of violent criminal offenders in Finland.

The hallmark of the violent crimes committed by individuals in the study sample was that they were spontaneous and purposeless.

'We conducted this study in Finland because of its unique population history and medical genetics,' says Dr. Goldman.

'Modern Finns are descended from a relatively small number of original settlers, which has reduced the genetic complexity of diseases in that country.

‘Studying the genetics of violent criminal offenders within Finland increased our chances of finding genes that influence impulsive behaviour.'

The researchers sequenced DNA of the impulsive subjects and compared those sequences with DNA from an equal number of non-impulsive Finnish control subjects.

They found that a single DNA change that blocks a gene known as HTR2B predicted highly impulsive behaviour. HTR2B encodes one type of serotonin receptor in the brain.

They discovered that carries of the gene who had acted violently were all male and had all been drinking alcohol before the incident.


----The full article can be read here (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1341100/The-violent-gene-Genetic-mutation-Finnish-men-makes-fight.html)----


Recently when murder rate figures were published for nations across Europe, I was puzzled by Finland's relatively high rate. Having visited the country I know it to be clean, safe, friendly and prosperous - and thus I concluded alcohol was responsible.

[The Ripper]

This is of course only one mutation responsible for such behaviour. As I understand it, there are several genetic mutations affecting behaviour that can yield similar tendencies towards violence & alcohol abuse.

Also, remember folks: genetic-ethnic differences between people only exist when they show the inferiority of native Europeans vs. migrant third worlders. :cool:

[British and Proud]

This is of course only one mutation responsible for such behaviour. As I understand it, there are several genetic mutations affecting behaviour that can yield similar tendencies towards violence & alcohol abuse.

Also, remember folks: genetic-ethnic differences between people only exist when they show the inferiority of native Europeans vs. migrant third worlders. :cool:

Absolutely. I am in no doubt that the inordinate amount of crime committed by certain ethnicities is due to genetic traits. If you look at gun crime in the United Kingdom, for example, then its perpetrated mostly by ethnic minorities (http://www.guncrime.org/race_ethnicity.html).

[1304]

The study only points to a single genetic factor, in Finns it is <1%

However, I have read Dr. Ylikangas' excellent work called "The Knife Fighters of Southern Ostrobothnia" so would have to say that these men are potentially very violent, especially when alcohol is a factor.

[Agrippa]

The study only points to a single genetic factor, in Finns it is <1%

However, I have read Dr. Ylikangas' excellent work called "The Knife Fighters of Southern Ostrobothnia" so would have to say that these men are potentially very violent, especially when alcohol is a factor.

On the other hand all more "traditionally and rural" regions without a strong "law-state and Christian factor" had that, especially the more Schizothymic regions actually, just read Halfdan Bryn about Southern Norway, the more Nordid part of the country in older times.

http://www.theapricity.com/snpa/index2.htm

In Austria and other regions in the Alpine sphere of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, it seems that the more Dinaroid regions are also better known for their "tendencies" towards violence - including violent acts with weapons, especially knives.

[Grumpy Cat]

I'm female, with some Finnish ancestry (which I just found out through 23andme) checked my genome and have the variation... I do also have a slight violent streak, which I always thought came from my mother's side (lots of hockey players, and those who didn't play hockey to let off steam have been in jail at least once).

Myself, I didn't play hockey, but I was a total goon on both the soccer field and the basketball court.

[Eldritch]

A multinational research team led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health has found that a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule may contribute to violently impulsive behavior when people who carry it are under the influence of alcohol. A report of the findings, which include human genetic analyses and gene knockout studies in animals, appears in the Dec. 23 issue of Nature.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2010/12/101222131121-large.jpg

"Impulsivity, or action without foresight, is a factor in many pathological behaviors including suicide, aggression, and addiction," explains senior author David Goldman, M.D., chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "But it is also a trait that can be of value if a quick decision must be made or in situations where risk-taking is favored."

In collaboration with researchers in Finland and France, Dr. Goldman and colleagues studied a sample of violent criminal offenders in Finland. The hallmark of the violent crimes committed by individuals in the study sample was that they were spontaneous and purposeless.

"We conducted this study in Finland because of its unique population history and medical genetics," says Dr. Goldman. "Modern Finns are descended from a relatively small number of original settlers, which has reduced the genetic complexity of diseases in that country. Studying the genetics of violent criminal offenders within Finland increased our chances of finding genes that influence impulsive behavior."

The researchers sequenced DNA of the impulsive subjects and compared those sequences with DNA from an equal number of non-impulsive Finnish control subjects. They found that a single DNA change that blocks a gene known as HTR2B was predictive of highly impulsive behavior. HTR2B encodes one type of serotonin receptor in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter known to influence many behaviors, including impulsivity.

"Interestingly, we found that the genetic variant alone was insufficient to cause people to act in such ways," notes Dr. Goldman. "Carriers of the HTR2B variant who had committed impulsive crimes were male, and all had become violent only while drunk from alcohol, which itself leads to behavioral disinhibition."

"Discovery of a genetic variant which predicts impulsive behavior under certain conditions in one human population may have much wider implications," says NIAAA Acting Director Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D. "The interaction with alcohol intoxication is interesting, as is the apparent involvement of a neurotransmitter pathway that has been regarded as important in addictions and other behavior."

The researchers then conducted studies in mice and found that when the equivalent HTR2B gene is knocked out or turned off, mice also become more impulsive. Studies of any alcohol interaction in the knockout mice are ongoing.
Taken together, the findings could lead to a better understanding of some aspects of impulsivity and ultimately may lead to strategies for diagnosing and treating some clinically important manifestations of impulsive behavior. The researchers caution, however, that impulsivity is a complex trait with multiple genetic and environmental causes.

"Although relatively common in Finland, the genetic variant we identified in this study is unlikely to explain a large fraction of the overall variance in impulsive behaviors, as there are likely to be many pathways to impulsivity in its various manifestations," says Dr. Goldman.

Link. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222131121.htm)

So now it's confirmed:

5-ns_I4lphI

[1304]

Just to be clear,
You must be male
You must be Finnish
and this gene is only expressed with copious amounts of alcohol

[Moonbird]

Just to be clear,
You must be male
You must be Finnish
and this gene is only expressed with copious amounts of alcohol

If a person manages to meet the first two of these requirements he will without a doubt also live up to the third.:D

[Aino]

I'm female, with some Finnish ancestry (which I just found out through 23andme) checked my genome and have the variation... I do also have a slight violent streak, which I always thought came from my mother's side (lots of hockey players, and those who didn't play hockey to let off steam have been in jail at least once).

Myself, I didn't play hockey, but I was a total goon on both the soccer field and the basketball court.

How did you check that you have the variation?

The stop codon in HTR2B that predisposes to violence is rs79874540, which is not tested by 23andme.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v468/n7327/abs/nature09629.html?lang=en

[Albion]

How ironic its from one of the today most peaceful countries in the world.

[Eldritch]

On a global scale, sure, Finland is quite peaceful, but not in the European context. Compared to Russia maybe, but not compared to Sweden or Norway f.e.

[Motörhead Remember Me]

I'm a bit puzzled about the wording here. A gene has been isolated from a group of violence prone Finnish males. The gene itself is maybe not Finnish as I suspect that it may be isolated from other populations also, eventhough the article says they have not yet found it in the other examined group, British men.
British men can be very violent also, so which gene is responsible for their violence?