SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Female mice turned lesbian after altering gene.

Title: Alexz Aficionado Joined: May 21 2008 Posts: 2889

http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/genetic/gay-gene-found-lesbian-mice-study-0232321/

Quote:

Mice have been used for research in nearly every field, be it medicine, psychology or genetics. In one recent finding regarding genetics study on mice published in the BMC Genetics journal, scientists have managed to turn mice gay by simply altering their genome structure.

How so? Well, it seems a group of scientists from Korea’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have managed to alter the sexual habits of female mice by removing a single gene, called FucM (yes, I know. I laughed out loud at this too), that apparently is linked to sexual behavior in mice. Scientists observed how the female mice deprived of the FucM gene in embryo stage, after reaching sexual maturity, started to refuse advanced from male mice, and in turn tried to mate with female mice. Simply put, they’ve turned the female mice into lesbians!

Lead author, professor Chankyu Park, of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, said: “The mutant female mouse underwent a slightly altered developmental program in the brain to resemble the male brain in terms of sexual preference.”

Scientists have long sought after a link between homosexual orientation and genes, however this particular research does nothing to suggest there’s the same connection in humans - it just proves there is in rodents. By deleting the enzyme-producing gene, the scientists believe that they caused the female mice to be exposed to extra oestrogen, by preventing their brains from filtering out the hormone.

The thing is, while oestrogen masculinises the brain in mice, it does not have the same effect in humans.

The research still is of immense interest, and professor Park stated he’ll soon begin work on his new research to see whether the enzyme produced by the gene – fucose mutarotase – has any influence on human sexuality. He admits, however, that he still doesn’t know where to find volunteers for this kind of project…

ROFL at the gene removed.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Jul 16 2010 11:33 am

The implications of this are pretty profound.

I mean, sure, on the surface this could be the "cure for gay" and throw another gallon of fuel on the everburning firestorm of religion and sexuality.

But even at it's base level, imaging being able to choose what you're attracted to. If you want to be gay, you can be. Straight? Sure. Bi? Why not?

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

Again, profound.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

UsaSatsui wrote:

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

You aren't saying that because we could cure a deviant of his desires, that he should be freed or have a reduced sentence are you? Or that gene therapy replace prison time? I'm pretty sure you aren't saying that, but I'm just trying to clarify.

Posted: Jul 16 2010 11:55 am

UsaSatsui wrote:

But even at it's base level, imaging being able to choose what you're attracted to. If you want to be gay, you can be. Straight? Sure. Bi? Why not?

That's such a strange concept. If you could choose to be attracted to something, wouldn't that make you attracted to it already? If you like girls, you're not going to want a proceedure to make you like guys. If you like guys, you're going to go out and do a bunch of guys.

Posted: Jul 16 2010 11:57 am

joshwoodzy wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

You aren't saying that because we could cure a deviant of his desires, that he should be freed or have a reduced sentence are you? Or that gene therapy replace prison time? I'm pretty sure you aren't saying that, but I'm just trying to clarify.

Not necessarily. I think the best option would be to give them the gene therapy while they are serving their initial sentence to help ensure that they won't be repeat offenders

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Jul 16 2010 12:11 pm

Andrew Man wrote:

joshwoodzy wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

You aren't saying that because we could cure a deviant of his desires, that he should be freed or have a reduced sentence are you? Or that gene therapy replace prison time? I'm pretty sure you aren't saying that, but I'm just trying to clarify.

Not necessarily. I think the best option would be to give them the gene therapy while they are serving their initial sentence to help ensure that they won't be repeat offenders

Well, what I mean is that there are some people who have sexual compulsion and such that happen to be very, very illegal (pedophilia is the one that leaps to mind). Now suppose this attraction was determined to be a genetic flaw, and we could fix it.

Prison is punishment as well as rehabilitation, and in this supposed world I'd want people with these problems to come forward -before- they commit crimes, so no, I wouldn't be in favor of reduced sentences in this case. I would be in favor of making it a condition of release, however.

And keep in mind I don't think this would work on everyone in prison for a sex crime. A lot of sexual assaults aren't about sexual desire, they're about power and control. You're not gonna engineer that away.

sidewaydriver wrote:

That's such a strange concept. If you could choose to be attracted to something, wouldn't that make you attracted to it already? If you like girls, you're not going to want a proceedure to make you like guys. If you like guys, you're going to go out and do a bunch of guys.

It's strange, yes, but it would be possible. We already live in a world where you can change your own gender which is also a pretty strange concept. Changing the gender you're attracted to isn't that much stranger, is it?

I'll be honest, I've never known anyone uncomfortable with being straight. I have known at least one person who wished they weren't gay.

...man, there's a lot here without even touching the ethics of the situation.

Posted: Jul 16 2010 01:16 pm

UsaSatsui wrote:

The implications of this are pretty profound.

For mice, maybe.

UsaSatsui wrote:

I mean, sure, on the surface this could be the "cure for gay" and throw another gallon of fuel on the everburning firestorm of religion and sexuality.

Actually, this is the cause for gay. Nothing in this article gives the indication that it can work the other way around.

UsaSatsui wrote:

But even at it's base level, imaging being able to choose what you're attracted to. If you want to be gay, you can be. Straight? Sure. Bi? Why not?

Yeah, except this has to be done at the EMBRYO stage, as in well before you're born.

UsaSatsui wrote:

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

Chris Hansen is already out of a joke after some politician was caught on To Catch a Predator and killed himself. Also, the behaviour of sexual deviants is in no way based to genetics, and even less so to sexual orientation. Sexual deviancy is a psychological condition, not a physical condition.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

Chris Hansen is already out of a joke after some politician was caught on To Catch a Predator and killed himself

Yeah, I got laid off from my second joke not too long ago.

Posted: Jul 16 2010 01:58 pm

joshwoodzy wrote:

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

Chris Hansen is already out of a joke after some politician was caught on To Catch a Predator and killed himself

Yeah, I got laid off from my second joke not too long ago.

Ha, you made a funny job.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Jul 16 2010 07:36 pm

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

The implications of this are pretty profound.

For mice, maybe.

The reason we test things on mice is because it's a decent indicator of what will work on humans. Not a perfect one. But still.

Quote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

I mean, sure, on the surface this could be the "cure for gay" and throw another gallon of fuel on the everburning firestorm of religion and sexuality.

Actually, this is the cause for gay. Nothing in this article gives the indication that it can work the other way around.

If we know what causes it, it can be changed. Or induced.

Quote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

But even at it's base level, imaging being able to choose what you're attracted to. If you want to be gay, you can be. Straight? Sure. Bi? Why not?

Yeah, except this has to be done at the EMBRYO stage, as in well before you're born.

Yeah, I'm just putting a scenario out there. I don't think it's a likely one, but that doesn't mean it's not one to think about and ponder the implications.

Quote:

UsaSatsui wrote:

And even further down the path: Maybe we can "cure" sexual deviants. Sex offenders get sentenced to gene therapy. Chris Hansen is out of a job.

Chris Hansen is already out of a joke after some politician was caught on To Catch a Predator and killed himself. Also, the behaviour of sexual deviants is in no way based to genetics, and even less so to sexual orientation. Sexual deviancy is a psychological condition, not a physical condition.

If homosexuality is a genetic condition, isn't there the possibility that other sexual deviations from the norm are? I'm certainly not gonna say all sex offenders can be cured ("My genes made me do it" is no excuse, and yes, I'd say most sex offenders are screwed in the head, not in the DNA), but I don't think the possibility can be ruled out.

And it was a laywer. And kind of a tongue-in-cheek comment.

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

This is fantastic news... The only way this'll become effective in humans, however, is if we find a way to manipulate genes AFTER we've grown up from embryo state. And even then, it's use will be controversial towards some religions, if not all.

Posted: Jul 17 2010 03:59 am

I disagree with the whole we live in a world where you can change your gender thing. We live in a world where you can horribly mutilate your genitals, cross dress, and take a shit ton of hormones.

Posted: Jul 17 2010 06:54 am

UsaSatsui wrote:

If homosexuality is a genetic condition, isn't there the possibility that other sexual deviations from the norm are?

That's doubtful. There is evidence that some homosexuals are created in the lab of life rather than being born that way through sexual abuse or other tragedies they suffer as children. Sexual deviations are almost exclusively in the same camp.

Sexual abuse as a child completely rewires the brain in profound ways, especially with women, and over time, mutates what would have been a healthy and normal sexual appetite into a mutant that is different every time. Sometimes it means they enjoy getting beaten while having sex, sometimes they need a furry costume and roleplay in order to detach from the act, and most of the time it involves messing with other children as the former victim unconsciously seeks to recreate what happened to them in their childhood.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

Blackout wrote:

I disagree with the whole we live in a world where you can change your gender thing. We live in a world where you can horribly mutilate your genitals, cross dress, and take a shit ton of hormones.

THIS! You can't turn into a girl, you can turn into a creepy shell of a person.

Posted: Jul 17 2010 12:14 pm

Wow, no matter how you look at it. This is pretty damn crazy.